new 24,000 sq. ft. BCDA Business
Inc. is the building’s anchor tenant. There is an additional 9,000 sq. ft. of build-to-
Jeff Crist, BCDA Board Chair
Developing long-term relationships
Q&A with Dennis Verrill, Blue Triangle Hardwoods General Manager
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Dennis Verrill grew up in Oakland, Maine, and spent
30 years learning all aspects of the Pine Tree State’s lumber industry, from sawmill operations to budgeting, project management, maintenance, and customer visits. In December 2022 he moved to Bedford County to be closer to his son and has served since then as general manager of Everett-based Blue Triangle Hardwoods.
Founded in 1980, Blue Triangle’s production facility employs 100 and offers a range of products from veneer logs to bark mulch. The company specializes in kilndried hardwood lumber in a range of thicknesses and lengths, hardwood logs, and hardwood byproducts that include chips and mulch. The primary tree species it processes include red oak, white oak, and poplar.
Aside from lumber products, Blue Triangle also provides services that include timber evaluation, harvest preparation, and advice on concerns that include forest management, stream protection, road building, and wildlife management.
Q: Where do you source your hardwood supplies?
Verrill: We try to source locally as much as possible, as well as within 100 miles of our mill location.
Q: Is there anything that
“We pride ourselves on the long-term relationships that we have developed with both our domestic and international clients. We export to more than 40 countries worldwide from our Everett location.”
– Dennis Verrill, General Manager, Blue Triangle
sets you apart from your competitors?
Verrill: We manage everything here, from logs in the woods to our customers overseas. In terms of volume, we produce more than 25 million board feet of grade lumber annually. We pride ourselves on the longterm relationships that we have developed with both our domestic and international clients. We export to more than 40 countries worldwide from our Everett location.
Q: How have you stayed competitive in terms of your operations?
Verrill: We operate a very updated sawmill and air-dried yard. We have 17 kilns and three boilers on our kiln-dried line. Over the last couple of years, we have undertaken a tremendous number of projects to improve operations here.
Q: What changes have you made?
Verrill: We pride ourselves in using computer assisted technology in every aspect of our operations. This helped us eliminate our toughest
positions that required a lot of physical work, like green pullers who moved the boards from the mill into the drying yard, and sticker layers who placed the stickers between the layers of boards to ensure air circulation for drying. Those jobs are now 100% automated, and these employees have now been trained as machine operators who work indoors and no longer have to touch the products they’re working with.
Q: How do you work with the forest and woodland owners who supply hardwood resources to you?
Verrill: We offer help with land management through our three foresters who purchase standing timber, and we also manage the crews that cut standing timber. We are certified through the Forest Stewardship Council, which ensures that our products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.
Q: Blue Triangle has a
lot of large-scale commercial customers. Do you also provide any service and support or collaborate with local businesses?
Verrill: We’ve been able to help the Bedford Fair by providing sawdust for animal bedding during fair week. We also provided square logs and block ends for the recent Pennsylvania Lumberjack Championships that were held in Schellsburg.
Q: What makes Everett a good location for Blue Triangle Hardwoods?
Verrill: This is a perfect location to find quality Pennsylvania hardwoods. The Pennsylvania Turnpike is nearby, which helps with our logistics, and we have a large number of available resources nearby.
Q: Aside from your job, is there anything else that attracted you to Bedford
County?
Verrill: My son and I love the area. We have already explored many caves and enjoy kayaking, and we like hiking the mountain trails in this area. We’re looking to buy some land in the county now. Prices are reasonable enough to rent, but we’d like to own our own property and have the ability to raise animals and have large gardens.
Growing Bedford County through beef
Q&A with Kaitlyn Swope, PA Beef Council Director of Consumer Affairs
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Kaitlyn
Swope’s
familiarity with beef cattle didn’t start until she attended college, but she was a quick learner thanks to her family’s own background in agriculture.
It was during her time at Penn State University that she met her husband, Ezra, whose family raised beef cattle in Bedford County. It was also during that time that she had an opportunity to begin working with the Pennsylvania Beef Council as a Millennial-to-Millennial Beef Ambassador, which exposed her to consumer events and interactions with customers who weren’t familiar with agriculture.
After graduating in 2015, Kaitlyn and Ezra started their Creekside Beef business in New Enterprise the following year.
For the past eight years, Kaitlyn Swope has served as the Director of Consumer Affairs for the Pennsylvania Beef Council.
Q: What’s unique about your beef cattle business?
Swope: Our EK Angus operation is a grazing operation. We run between 40 to 60 registered Angus cows and market bulls to other producers for breeding purposes. We also ship finished cattle monthly through multiple local USDA-inspected processing facilities. We focus on genetics and management to create a premium eating experience and market beef directly to consumers to fill their freezers. We actively work to bridge the information gap between farm and fork by
forging relationships with our customers.
Q: How else are you involved in the industry?
Swope: Ezra works full time as a Strategic Account Manager for an animal health company. He currently serves as treasurer for the Center for Beef Excellence and is a Beef Committee member for the Bedford County Fair. Most of my time is spent managing and working on projects and program initiatives surrounding the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, working regionally from Maine to Virginia.
Q: What are your duties and responsibilities with the Pennsylvania Beef Council?
Swope: I manage and execute our consumer programming. That includes sharing information via targeted ads on social media, aligning with athletics to highlight beef among student athletes, coaches, and athletic directors while also reaching out to the fan base. I have been able to cultivate and grow relationships with our athletic partners within the last few years. Through these efforts, beef was named the Preferred Protein of both the Seton Hall Pirates and the University of Connecticut Huskies. I network with beef producers from across the region and country and have had success in channeling national resources into the region to reach consumers with positive beef information to grow their trust in beef and the people who raise it.
Q: Do you think women are becoming more visible
in agriculture?
Swope: Women have always played an integral part in the agriculture story. With the rise of social media, I believe their visibility has increased. There are numerous groups shining a positive light on the role women play. I also think that the increased interest in consumers wanting to know more about where their food comes from has led to more jobs related to marketing within agriculture, and these are often professional opportunities that women pursue and excel at.
Q: Did either of you experience a boomerang effect?
Swope: My father grew up in Hollidaysburg, but I grew up in Monroe and Wayne Counties. I moved to Ohio and joined Ezra in Bedford County. He grew up in New Enterprise and did have some internship opportunities in Nebraska and had plans to move west, but we were able to make our home here.
Q: What makes Bedford County a good location for you?
Swope: The topography and rolling hills of Bedford County are a great asset for grazing cattle with a nice mix of grazing opportunities close enough to high quality feedstuffs that allows us to feed cattle out efficiently. We rotationally graze our cows and calves from mid-April through Christmastime. On the beef side, we are far enough from urban environments for agriculture but close enough to reach the customer base, especially those seeking beef
directly from a farm. Bedford County is uniquely positioned to allow easy access to multiple markets in multiple states, given our access to major interstates.
Q: Is there anything surprising about your industry that your customers might not know?
Swope: Bedford County consistently ranks between the second and third largest cow/calf county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We believe there is tremendous opportunity
“Bedford County consistently ranks between the second and third largest cow/calf county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We believe there is tremendous opportunity to grow both cattle and direct-to-consumer beef businesses within Bedford County.”
– Kaitlyn Swope, Director of Consumer Affairs, PA Beef Council
to grow both cattle and direct-to-consumer beef businesses within Bedford County.
Q: With so many responsibilities, how do you relax?
Swope: Since Ezra and I both travel for our jobs, we honestly prefer staying home and enjoying the surrounding beauty of Bedford County that we’re immersed in.
DISCOVER LAMPIRE:
WattersWorks & Company
DENNIS VERRILL
Training a new generation
Q&A with Scott Reese, Mayville Engineering Company Plant Manager
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Scott Reese serves as plant manager for the Mayville Engineering Company in Bedford. He developed considerable experience and skills working for a variety of largescale manufacturers throughout Pennsylvania.
Reese credits the Mechanical Engineering Technology Computer Aided Manufacturing program at Admiral Peary Area Vocational Technical School in Cambria County with preparing him for a successful career. He now uses his experience to mentor, train and encourage a new generation of students to develop and pursue their own manufacturing skills and passions.
Q: What steps along the way led you to your current position?
Reese: I started as a machinist at a local machine shop, then moved up to quoting and estimating. I earned my Manufacturing Engineering degree from Pennsylvania College of Technology, was a manufacturing engineer and supervisor for Miller Fabrication Solutions in Brookville and focused on new product development and tooling design at Defiance Metal Products in Bedford before it was acquired by MEC. Working as a plant manager at MGK Technologies relatively early in my career prepared me for my current role with MEC.
Q: What services does MEC provide, and what industries do you support?
Reese: MEC is a value-added manufacturing partner that provides comprehensive design and fabrication solutions. Our services include welding, machining, laser cutting, stamping, tube bending, assembly, and various coating options that include military-grade Chemical Agent Resistant Coating painting. We serve various indus-
tries, including heavy- and medium-duty commercial vehicles, construction and access equipment, powersports, agriculture, and military sectors. Our customers include John Deere, JLG, Caterpillar, Navistar, Paccar, and Cummins.
Q: What do you enjoy about your work?
Reese: When I started working for Mayville Engineering, I felt like I was part of a team that was focused on a shared mission and common goals. Every day I get to work with talented individuals who truly care for their team members and the community.
Q: Has your experience helped you make any changes at MEC?
Reese: We’ve been able to reduce overtime by working more efficiently, allowing our associ -
ates to have more of a work-life balance.
Q: How does MEC engage with local schools to educate students about career opportunities?
Reese: This year we collaborated with Tussey Mountain School District on their Middle School video entry in a contest called “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” The students spent a full day at the plant, and I think everyone agreed that they were truly great kids. I look forward to seeing what they do in the future. I attended the award ceremony, and it was no surprise that Tussey Mountain won the best overall video for the Southern Alleghenies region. We then traveled to Harrisburg with the kids for the 2024 Best of PA awards. Our team was very
Saxton resort offers robust camping options
Q&A with Alicia Copenhaver, Co-Manager of Heritage Cove Resort
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Alicia Copenhaver and her husband Jason took over the Heritage Cove Resort in Saxton in 2022, managing the campground for the Axia Partners real estate investment firm of Utah.
Their first few years of management brought a flurry of improvements to the 22-year-old campground. Following a renovation of Heritage Cove’s two-bedroom cabins, the addition of boat storage, a dog park, and a new restroom by the swimming pool, the Copenhavers set their sights on additional renovations and expanding the amenities available for guests.
The campground offers eight two-bedroom rental cabins, three cottages and approximately 170 seasonal RV sites, along with 64 transient sites. A general store, on-site laundry room, firewood delivery, rental pavilion, dog park, a new children’s playground and Comcast Wi-Fi throughout the campground round out the amenities. Weekend bands, DJs and karaoke are also on offer. Onsite boat and RV storage options add convenience for guests, allowing them to avoid extra logistics, and onsite rentals include kayaks, canoes, and floats, as well as 10- or 12-person pontoon boats. Heritage Cove also offers a concierge package that eliminates the stress of launching and landing boats for their seasonal
campers. Seasonal rentals run from Easter weekend through Halloween weekend.
Q: What additional changes have you made in your second wave of improvements?
Alicia Copenhaver: We added 25 new campsites, a new bathhouse, and we also offer year-round camping now.
Q: How have you addressed the entertainment that was missing when you took over?
A: We’ve been able to offer a wide range of special events. We have a Christmas in July celebration and we also added crafts, cookie decorating and cooking-related events. Those have all been popular with our guests. We now do a Memorial Day weekend BBQ event, along with 4th of July and Labor Day events and we have live music at each event. Our Memorial Day BBQ is huge. We invited the Kenton Sitch Band to perform, he’s a local from Saxton, and everybody loves the band’s performance.
Q: What do you enjoy about living and working in Bedford County?
Copenhaver: We enjoy the tranquility of this area. It is so peaceful and quiet. I enjoy the small town vibe and have met a lot of great and welcoming people since we moved to this area in 2022.
Q: How do you and your husband take advantage of the outdoor recreation
that’s on offer in the county?
Copenhaver: We love boating and try to enjoy Raystown Lake any chance we get.
Q: Now that you’ve had a few years to make some improvements at Heritage Cove, what’s next on your list?
Copenhaver: My husband and I recently purchased the Friendly Tavern located in Saxton, and we will be closing the tavern for renovations with plans to reopen in early spring 2025.
Q: What changes will you be making there?
Copenhaver: We will be making this establishment a place that is comfortable and welcoming for both the locals and tourists, changing it from smoking to nonsmoking and adding an outside area for dining and drinks. We will have live music events and will be serving great food and drinks. We are also renaming it the Roundhouse Tavern because a railroad roundhouse used to be located across the street from the tavern. The roundhouse was used as a turnaround point for the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad. We’re not sure exactly what year it was established or closed, but it’s something we’d like to investigate and plan to display some of the town’s history inside the tavern. We are excited to get to know the people of Saxton and the surrounding areas.
proud of the video that the kids worked so hard to shoot and edit.
Q: Are you involved in any programs or initiatives that prepare the local labor pool for success?
Reese: The Bedford County Technical Center and Bedford County Development Association do a great job promoting our high-paying stable manufacturing jobs in Bedford. This year we partnered with BCTC to further their welding program and made some material donations to help prepare the weld students for the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute exams. I was able to collaborate with the weld instructor and administrative director on their vision for that program’s future. As someone who began my career through vocational educa-
“Every day I get to work with talented individuals who truly care for their team members and the community.”
– Scott Reese, Plant Manager, Mayville Engineering Company
tion, I recognize the importance of investing in opportunities to encourage future generations to explore manufacturing jobs in our communities.
Q: How else does MEC get involved with the community?
Reese: I meet with community leaders in the Borough to work on community projects and potential donations to fund them. I also work closely with BCDA participating in surveys and meetings focused on ways to improve the lives and opportunities for our current and future employees.
Q: What makes Bedford a good location for MEC?
Reese: The proximity to the turnpike is convenient. We are also in close proximity to some of our customers, which facilitates relationships and problem solving, and there is an abundance of skilled laborers in the area.
Q: What makes Bedford special to you?Reese: Bedford offers lots of high paying jobs in many different industries. I have found that people will drive from rural areas all around to come to work in Bedford. The town has a beautiful historical appearance which draws a large crowd, especially for events like the Fall Foliage Festival. My wife and I enjoy window shopping and HeBrews Coffee. Its hard to ignore the appeal of unique places like Old Bedford Village and Bedford Springs, each offering so many different things that you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else.
Helping to keep the county’s beauty
Dugan’s Pest Control ticks all the boxes in home, industry, and agriculture
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Living in a rural area can pose some unique challenges when it comes to sharing the environment with the insects and animals that also find it just as attractive as humans.
Dugan’s Pest Control has been helping homeowners, businesses and agricultural operations deal with problem infestations since 2011.
“I’ve been in the business for more than 30 years and got my start working for the state government,” said Jeff Dugan, whose one-man operation sometimes relies on friends and family for larger jobs. “I’m licensed for every category of pest recognized by the state of Pennsylvania, which is something that sets me apart from other pest control services. There’s nothing I can’t deal with from a licensing perspective.”
Dugan served as a vector control specialist supervisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Military Affairs for 15 years and spent five years as an Agronomics Product Inspector for the state Department of Agriculture overseeing ten counties.
“I acquired Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration credentials during that time, so I know the government rules and regulations, which is something that the businesses, restaurants and agricultural operations that hire me really appreciate,” he said. “They’re not just hiring me to do pest control, I’m also ensuring that whatever service I provide keeps them out of trouble
and in compliance with all the details they’re not aware of that could trip them up.”
Regulation compliant
There are more than 20 categories of pests in Pennsylvania, with habitats ranging from households to roadsides, rights of way, wooded areas, industrial sites, ponds, streambanks, and cropland.
“Most of my work is dealing with German cockroaches and bedbugs, but I’m frequently called on for other insects, weeds, rodents, fungus, lice, ticks, fleas, pretty much anything you can think of,” he said.
Dugan said he keeps current with tools, products and vector approaches through credit courses provided through the Penn State Extension and is also licensed to teach chemical companies and other customers how to monitor for pests and perform in-house control.
His primary territory focuses on Bedford and Blair Counties, but also extends into Somerset, Fulton, and Cambria Counties.
“Most of my work comes through word of mouth referrals,” Dugan said.
While many of the pests he deals with are yearround problems, there is also a seasonal aspect to pest control, he noted.
“Homeowners deal with bees, spider, and Japanese beetles in the spring, summer and fall, but rodents are active year-round,” he said.
And while pests can be a nuisance to homeowners, they frequently constitute an economic concern
to agricultural customers who can lose a significant amount of income from crop damage or destruction, something that threatens their own livelihood and the income of their employees.
Old fashioned values When it comes to operating his business, “I believe in old-fashioned customer service,” Dugan said. “My customers become my friends, that’s the way I was raised. I feel extremely fortunate that the community itself embraces me, not just with pest control but, with other roles I fill here.”
Dugan has served on the Claysburg-Kimmel School Board, Bedford County’s Penn State Extension board of directors, and is currently a Kimmel Township supervisor.
Despite his intimate knowledge of all the bugs in the environmental system, Dugan prefers spending time outdoors as much as possible.
“I love farming and working on the family farm, playing sports and ATV riding,” he said.
Returning to Bedford County after spending decades away in government service wasn’t a hard decision.
“Family is my number one passion, and I can’t think of a better place to live with my wife Dawn, sons Cody and Justin, and my granddaughter Riley.,” he said. “We love the community, the terrain, and the beauty of Bedford County. There’s nowhere else like it, and we feel safe here.”
WattersWorks & Company
SCOTT REESE
WattersWorks & Company
JEFF DUGAN
Historic Schellsburg farm a photogenic gem
Property makeover by new owners becomes Woodhaven B&B and Event Venue
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
The barn wedding venue where Bryn and Dan Keller celebrated their marriage impressed them so much they decided to enter the business themselves.
What started on the drawing board as a modest barn renovation in Schellsburg quickly took on a life of its own, however, evolving into the Woodhaven B&B and Event Venue. The Kellers have added new amenities to the business model as opportunities presented themselves.
“There wasn’t really a master plan,” Bryn Keller said. “A friend told us to drive by when the property came on the market, and we realized it was the perfect spot to do what we wanted to. The vision grew from there.”
Situated in an historic farmhouse built by the founder of Schellsburg in the late 1700s, the three guestroom bed and breakfast was actually an afterthought but was the first amenity to open, in 2018.
“It’s a big house for just two people,” said Dan Keller. “We were hesitant at first, but then we discovered that we enjoyed having people here.”
The nearby barn, built in the early 1800s, opened as an event venue in 2019.
“People stay nearly every weekend for weddings from May through October,” Bryn Keller said. “We’re moderately busy during the week then and get travelers from all over the place. We’re a good hub between Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and New York City. There’s no rhyme or reason to it.”
Photogenic property
Woodhaven provides an idyllic setting for guests, nestled into a 15.5-acre pocket off Mill Road adjacent to Shawnee State Park and the photogenic Colvin Covered Bridge.
“Every guest we talk to tells us they feel like they’ve found somewhere special, and of course we want to give them the best experience possible,” Bryn Keller said. “We get a fair number of return visitors. We’re only 15 minutes away from Bedford and not far from the Flight 93 Memorial, so we’re popular with people who are looking for a quieter place with access to a lot of things in the area.”
The Kellers were Bedford High School high school sweethearts, and both attended college in Pittsburgh.
“We never planned to come back, but it made the most sense out of college,” Bryn Keller said. “I worked at the
Omni Bedford Springs Resort and worked my way up to a wedding planner there, and Dan worked at the Village News and built up the craft beer side of the business.”
The Kellers rediscovered Bedford and Bedford County when they returned.
“The community is great, it’s close-knit and people draw together to support anyone who needs help,” Bryn Keller said. “Bedford County is such a little gem in terms of its beauty, and the shops and restaurants it has make it a special place.
“We also developed wonderful relationships with wedding vendors in the area and close working relationships with a lot of area businesses,” she continued. “We’re lucky being next to Shawnee State Park and walk there frequently when we need a break. We see bald eagles nearly every day, and a lot of birders stay here to access the park.”
New brewpub
The Kellers are planning the grand opening of a new amenity, the Woodhaven Brewing company, by winter 2024.
“I’ve always wanted to start a brewery,” Dan Keller said. “I have the problem of enjoying all the beers I try, so the offerings on tap will be varied. It will be located
in the basement of the barn and we’re also going to doing wood-fired pizza.”
Adding their own brewery made sense for the wedding venue, Bryn Keller said, and will give them more control over the alcohol side of the business.
“We’re BYOB right now,” Dan Keller said.
Just as the brewery gives her husband an outlet for his interest in beer, Bryn Keller said the B&B gives her insight
into the outside world and provides meaningful connections with people from other parts of the country.
“Community has always been important to us,” she said. “I’m a member of the Your Safe Haven board of directors, the area’s crisis center, and I’m on a steering committee of a brand new organization called Women Decision Makers that will offer collaborative peer support for women leaders. We’re liter-
An Italian experience
ally just starting up and had our first meeting in September.”
For the time being, setting up the brewery and hiring employees is more than enough responsibility to take on, but the Kellers are keeping an eye out for new ideas for the property that they can incorporate and put their own twist on.
“Everything we’ve done has just fit into place so far,” Dan Keller said. “It’s really been an adventure.”
LIFeSTYLE offers international flavor in the comfort of Bedford
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Bedford residents and visitors don’t need a passport to experience the best food and atmosphere that Italy has to offer. A simple stroll down Pitt Street delivers it all.
Stefano Ferrari opened the LIFeSTYLE trattoria and food shop in 2007. In the intervening years, his venture has grown into a collection of businesses that now include the Next Door cafe, a gelato shop, a wine tasting room, and the Cibo Divino artisanal food distribution company that supplies restaurants and foodies throughout the United States.
Stefano’s brother, Da -
vide, joined the operation six years ago, and the team recently expanded their horizons by partnering with other investors to open the Wild Brewing Company in Altoona and its sister business, the LIFeSTYLE Altus Brew Pub.
“Cibo Divino provides the backbone for everything we do,” said Davide Ferrari, importing and supplying the top quality products and ingredients showcased in their dining establishments.
“We attend professional food shows, meet with producers and select only the best regional specialty items,” he said, making
them available for retail in the businesses they own and in their online store.
“We stock everything you would find in the Italian pantry: pasta, extra virgin olive oil, salt, balsamic vinegar, rice and risottos, chocolate, appetizers, all the essentials. We’re a food boutique.”
Originally from Magenta, Italy, Stefano Ferrari moved to Bedford after marrying a Bedford County native. Now divorced, they still enjoy an amiable working relationship. Sarah Ferrari operates Sarah Ferrari Designs and designed the interiors of the Ferraris’ establishments.
Healthy menus
The Ferrari brothers found Bedford an excellent location for their import and dining businesses due to its geographic position and its popularity as a destination for vacationers and corporate retreats, which attracts customers from throughout the United States.
“Our Friday and Saturday night trattoria dinners are very popular,” Davide Ferrari said. “It’s a two- to three-hour experience dining communally with people you’ve never met before, enjoying great food made in house. Our concept is unique and reflects the experience we
WHATEVER THE NEEDS OF YOUR
THEY ARE MET THROUGHOUT THE
had growing up, our culture, and our relationship with healthy food, which is very important to us.”
LIFeSTYLE’s menu items avoid the extreme use of butter, cream, and shortenings. From the durum whole wheat pasta to the 00 Italian flour in the pizzas, along with ethically sourced local meats and fish, the focus is on quality and providing a welcome, enjoyable experience for guests, Ferrari said.
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Attractive concept In total, the Ferraris support about 35 employees. “The restaurant business is stressful, there’s a lot of turnovers and it’s consistently hard to find help, but we’ve been one of the exceptions,” Davide Ferrari said. “Our concept has been attractive to the hardworking talents that
See LIFeSTYLE, Page A8
The wine tasting room also includes a food tasting menu, samples and sharables to pair with the wine on offer. “Initially we will focus on a local selection from Pennsylvania,” Ferrari said. “We’re partnering with a winemaker whose high-end wines have consistently ranked among the top three winemakers in the state.”
DAN & BRYN KELLER
A decade of brand identity
Rec-la-ma-tion curates an intentional and sustainable consignment experience
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Shoppers are accustomed to finding value at thrift stores, but the values to be found at the Rec-la-mation consignment and gift shop on Pitt Street extend beyond the items on the shelves and racks.
True to its name, the business is even located in a restored urban warehouse.
“We center our brand identity around intentional and meaningful living that celebrates individuality in a way that honors each other and our spaces,” said owner Kristi Hillegas. “Our ethos is economical, environmental, and ethically sustainable health and wealth.”
Rec-la-ma-tion just celebrated its 10th year in business and is staffed by volunteers and subcontractors.
According to Hillegas, the focus at Rec-la-ma-tion is on elevated resale as well as small batch socially beneficial and locally made gifts.
“We’ve created a space and environment that welcomes and engages a diverse community, and we purposefully offer a curated collection for our community to discover one-of-a-kind finds that enhance their lifestyles,” she said. “Our consignor and artisan partnerships not only stimulate the local economy directly; they also reduce overconsumption and waste. In-
tentional affiliations with socially conscious brands allow us to provide opportunities for our community to help nourish our brand ethos while enjoying quality products.”
While working-age females constitute the largest customer base coming from a 50-mile radius, Recla-ma-tion’s customers are diverse.
“Many are returning customers, but we continue to see new locals just discovering us,” Hillegas said. “Most of our customers visit us regularly, but we also see a significant amount of outof-towners who come back annually, quarterly or even monthly.”
Engaging and personal Hillegas said she is also intentional about providing customers with a connected, engaging experience.
“We love getting to know them and what they enjoy, which allows us to create an inspiring experience when they visit,” she said. “Simply making a transaction doesn’t align with us. We are meaningful about building relationships, and many of our customers find us through their own relationships and networking.”
Strategic traditional marketing helps, she added, but in-person referrals best mirror the intimate, personal experience customers can expect
to find in the store.
Hillegas grew up in Bedford County, but her family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in her teens.
“Extended roots kept me linked with the area and I connected with my husband here,” she said.
Her professional background in sales and marketing coupled with diverse experiences and opportunities influenced the vision she had for developing Rec-la-ma-tion.
“We’re a member of Downtown Bedford Inc. and have collaborated with other downtown businesses for community events and initiatives,” Hillegas said. “We enjoy participating in local charitable fundraisers by providing monetary and basket donations.”
Rec-la-ma-tion hosts and facilitates The Butterfly Effect event that runs from October through August each year and benefits Your Safe Haven, a domestic violence and sexual assault shelter.
“The campaign encourages customers to make a donation and place a butterfly in our window bearing their name or the name of someone else they’d like to honor,” she said.
“It’s very meaningful for us and our customers, and at the end of the campaign we donate the funds we raise along with a shadowbox filled with all the butterflies.”
Knowing your patients like family
Timber Ridge Chiropractic part of Everett’s new downtown vibe
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Timber Ridge Chiroprac-
tic in Everett celebrated its seventh business anniversary in August.
“We’re a family-centered practice, which means we see the very young to the very old,” said owner Kaci Batzel, who operates the clinic with the help of a receptionist and a collocated Care Lab Services laboratory that processes private and physician-prescribed bloodwork testing, giving patients access to more independence in their healthcare choices. “We take care of people with active issues, but nearly 75% of the patients I see are on a maintenance routine, which allows us to get to know our patients like family.”
Regarding her patients’ age range, it may surprise some people that even newborns sometimes need chiropractic services, she said.
“The youngest I’ve seen is a day or two old,” she said. “The stress of birth can cause issues down the road if it results in a problem that is left unchecked.”
Batzel is also the only practitioner in a 50-mile radius certified in the Webster Technique, an adjustment that helps pregnant women prepare for birth.
“It tends to shorten labor and delivery times by 24%, helps with recovery, and also helps mothers who are having issues with a breech baby,” she explained. “We can help ensure that the little one has enough room to turn on its own to help avoid C-sections and other complications.” Community improvement Batzel currently serves
as president of the Everett Area Better Business Association. The organization focuses on improving the town’s business atmosphere and is working to attain Everett’s designation as a Main Street Community through Main Street America, which provides programming, resources, and networking for its members.
The EABBA also organizes popular events that include the Home for Christmas celebration and the resurrected Bloody Run Canoe and Kayak Classic.
“When I started my practice there were a lot of empty storefronts,” Batzel said. “Today we have one vacancy, and potential businesses are inquiring about it. There’s so much momentum, it’s a cool time to be a part of it.”
“From small boutiques and hair salons to clinics, good places to eat, a gym, an eye doctor and even a licensed psychologist, Everett boasts a wide spectrum of businesses,” Batzel said.
“Our business association has more than 100 active members,” she said. “That’s a lot for a small community.” Batzel also serves as vice chair of Reimagine Everett, whose goal is to try to revitalize the town and make it an even more appealing place to visit and live.
The first project the group has undertaken is the restoration of the historic Everett Theatre on Main Street, which first opened in 1923.
“We anticipate some major funding that will help us get operational in the next phase of work,” Batzel noted.
Plans call for retaining the traditional fixed wooden-backed theatre seating upstairs and adding some office spaces, while downstairs space is envisioned as a multi-use facility with removable seating to accommodate parties, wedding receptions and banquets.
“A built-out back section could also allow us to run plays with ample room for a stage prep area,” Batzel said.
Part of the project will include the installation of a full caterer’s kitchen and a bar area.
“The new facility is designed to be self-sustaining,” she explained. “The goal is to parlay monies coming in back into the town for future projects or funding salaries for a Main Street Manager or other paid positions.”
Community and convenience
Batzel grew up in Bedford County and pursued her doctorate degree in Iowa. She considered other small towns and cities in Pennsylvania for her practice, but always knew she wanted to come home.
“Everett has a lot of charm and felt like the best place for me and the best fit,” she said. “The sense of community is a big thing; you still find neighbors who are willing to pitch in and help when there is a need. It’s a river town with access to state and public land for camping, hunting, kayaking, and fishing. The convenience of town and easy access to local outdoor recreation is a nice mix for me.”
Making connections
“Bedford County’s location in rural central Pennsylvania creates unique opportunities,” Hillegas said,
“with a mix of native locals and transient visitors combining a familiar small town feel with a sense of escapism.”
“Our location didn’t exactly hit all the business-minded marks we ini-
tially had, but it made sense because both the local and visiting customer community was receptive and supportive,” she said. “We put our energy into connecting with them in ways that were engaging and educating, and they responded by sharing our mindset and enthusiasm, which made Rec-lama-tion thrive.”
“Bedford County’s natural environment, way of life and central location make it a great place to serve others and call home,” Hillegas said. “My husband and I enjoy outdoor experiences like hiking, biking and water sports, and frequenting local shops and restaurants. We also like building and creating our own unique spaces here and connecting with our community.”
Healthy trees and healthy competition
Brouse Forestry is an in-demand local industry specialist
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
More than 71% of Bedford County’s land area is categorized as forested or woodland, and more than 67,000 woodland acres are in active farm use.
It’s no surprise that those statistics create a demand for someone with a specialized knowledge of tree care and forestry.
As the county’s only International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist, Zach Brouse has not only provided those services since 2011 through Brouse Forestry & Tree Care, but has also established a local lumberjack competition that draws international attention.
“About 20% of my business is in land management and logging, and 80% is in urban forestry arboriculture,” Brouse said. “I do all the tree work for Bedford Borough and Everett Borough, in addition to some other corporations and municipalities in the county.”
Born and raised in Bedford, he spent a few years away from the area developing a unique skillset.
“I was able to travel the country and the world to learn different forestry and timbering techniques,” he said. “When I returned, I found a need and a niche market that nobody else was filling properly, so my education has helped out a lot with that.”
International sporting event
Brouse started competing in timber and lumberjack sports in 2009 after joining the Allegany College of Maryland’s Woodsmen Team.
“I perfected my skills in that sport and earned a spot in the professional ranks,” he said, allowing him to tour the country competitively, which he still does.
“I wanted to bring a piece of that back to our area because it’s a very blue collar sport and there’s a long history of agriculture and logging and timbering here.”
Brouse started the annual Pennsylvania Lumberjack Championships and Outdoor Show in 2016 to showcase his company’s capabilities. The 2024 event at Camp Living Waters in Schellsburg was the largest event of its kind in the state, drawing about 60 athletes from around the world and the largest crowd of spectators in the local event’s history.
Its three days of competition featured crosscut, woodchopping and sawing events.
“I plan to add more events in the future that aren’t traditionally seen on the East Coast, such as log burling or speed climbing,” Brouse said. The event is free to the public and provided nearly $22,000 in prize money sponsored by community businesses and individuals.
Health management
Brouse Forestry & Tree Care’s services help homeowners keep their trees healthy and helps larger woodlot owners prevent damage from infestations and manage their properties to ensure healthy growth.
“Spotted lanternflies have just started to show up, but we haven’t seen issues with defoliation or killing trees yet,” he said. “I hope it won’t be as bad as people think it might be.”
The emerald ash borer had already done its damage before Brouse started his business, but the woody adelgid is one of the active pests that he’s dealing with.
“Some hemlock areas are heavily infested, but others aren’t infested at all,” he said. “When I do see infestations, I advise people to have their trees treated to avoid losing them. It’s costly, but it’s definitely effective.”
Although most people think timbering only occurs in the warmer months, Brouse said the seasonal aspects of his services are limited.
“Certain tree species can only be pruned for disease management between November and April, but I work year round,” he said. “We get busy from May through October and there are a lot of things we can’t do in warmer months.”
When he’s not working with trees, Brouse said he still prefers to spend free time outdoors, hunting or fishing, hiking with his children, and enjoying the county’s scenery.
“My family and my wife’s family are from the area, and I can’t think of a better place to live,” he said. It’s also proven to be an advantageous location for his business, which employs four.
“Bedford County has some of the best hardwood quality in the world,” he said. “We also have great sawmills and wood product manufacturing companies. With access to all the highways nearby, it’s the perfect place for the forest products industry, and for a company with the expertise to support them.”
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Reading beyond the walls
Bedford County Library’s public service goes beyond just books
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
It didn’t take Matthew Godissart long to feel at home when he became the director of the Bedford County Library in 2013 and the Hyndman-Londonderry Public Library which joined as a branch in 2018.
“One of my formative memories was coming here with my mother and brother on the weekends when I was six or seven to check out stacks of books,” he said.
The Bedford County Library was officially established in 1944 after a survey conducted by local school officials determined that 10% of the county’s student population didn’t have access to any kind of library, although unofficial libraries existed earlier in the town’s history.
Over the years, the library was housed in a building near the courthouse for several decades before moving temporarily to the historic Anderson House prior to occupying its present location on South Wood Street.
Many of the county’s older residents can remember calling the library as children to hear a recorded story that changed every month.
“Becky Claar, our children’s librarian, recorded those stories and is still working at the library,” Godissart said. “That service no longer exists, but we now have a Story Time program at the library and it’s also very popular, with up to 25 families attending each session.”
More than books
In modern times, libraries provide much more than books.
Additional services at the Bedford County Library include fingerprinting, free internet access with seven computer
Affordability in secondhand shopping
Q&A with owner of Eula B, which promotes style with a charitable twist
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
When work-related back and neck issues prevented Dena Sigler from continuing her dental hygienist career, she listened to her grandmother – and her heart – and opened the Eula B consignment shop in Bedford two years ago.
Q. What draws customers and consignors to your store?
Sigler: Shopping secondhand is affordable and allows customers to find items that are typically no longer available on the racks of department stores, but still in style. We accept clothing no older than two to three years, but we’ll consider it despite the age if it’s a timeless piece. Consigners collect 50% of the selling price. Even though there are many online platforms to sell items on your own, we eliminate the hassle of no-shows and meeting up with strangers or potential scams. Plus, we do all the work!
Q: What happens with items that don’t sell?
Sigler: The Consignors can return for unsold items if they wish, but after a period of time the items do turn over to the property of Eula B to be sold at a drastically reduced price and/ or donated. Consignors may also choose to leave items behind that we don’t accept for consignment. Those items are specially tagged and placed in a bin to be sold with those sales going into a donation fund. Funds from donation bin sales are given back to our community every six months. We always note where our donations go so that consignors and purchasers know what those items help support.
Q: Do you have a special focus or anything that sets your business model apart?
Sigler: We’re very selective, because we want to choose items that are current and in like new condition, and each item under-
goes a thorough inspection by multiple staff members. What sets us apart is the quality of our items, our prices, and the fact that we also offer shoes, home decor, jewelry, books, purses, and housewares. We try to incorporate some fun into the shopping experience with a Blue Light Special at which time we use our blue light and announce a discount for those present in the store. We also do A deal-of-the-day in which we will announce via our Facebook page what the deal will be and what one needs to do in order to land that deal. Some have been required to sing in order to snag their deal or just be the first in line when we open. Many men have been rewarded with a candy bar for patiently sitting on the bench at the front of our store while their significant other shops.
Q: What influenced your decision to open a consignment shop?
Sigler: My grandma, a constant presence in my life, introduced me to secondhand shopping long before it was the cool thing to do. My grandma had a good job, so we were blessed financially, but she chose to be frugal and passed it on. I’ve always said that if I were a millionaire, I would still be thrifting because the thrill of a bargain is addicting.
Q: Did you experience a boomerang effect?
Sigler: I practiced as a dental hygienist for 22 years before developing back and neck issues from static, awkward postures that forced me to have surgery and end my career. My grandma always encouraged me to open a consignment store, but passed away while I was in the process of securing the perfect location and trying to find the perfect name, so I named the store to honor her. Her given name was Eula Bonitta, and although she went by Bon-
nie, she always signed her name Eula B.
Q: What makes Bedford a good location?
Sigler: Bedford was lacking options for shopping consignment, and with the uptick in thrifting I felt it would be a great investment in the community. My goal is to provide a nice clean store that provides the feeling of being in an upscale boutique without the salty prices. We don’t focus on just high end consignment, but a mixture so that everyone in our community may shop here. Some customers are after brands and are willing to pay the price that comes with them, while others have no preference. We try to cater to everyone.
Q: Who are your customers and how do they find out about you?
Sigler: We have been blessed with a fabulous mix of amazing customers! Some are both shoppers and consignors from as far away as Clearfield, Harrisburg, Belle Vernon, and Maryland. We utilize Facebook, advertising in the Bedford Gazette, and word of mouth. Eula B is also a member of Downtown Bedford Inc. and the Bedford County Visitors Bureau.
Q: Do you take advantage of outdoor recreational opportunities in the area?
Sigler: I utilize the trails for walking/hiking and bike riding. If there is one thing I do miss, it is Chalybeate pool. I wish my kids and grandkids could experience the fun of a large community pool like that of Chalybeate.
Q: What makes Bedford County a good place to live and work for you?
Sigler: For me, it’s the feeling of being safe. This is a close-knit community that always pulls together and supports each other, and there are beautiful scenes in our own backyard. I think many of us take for granted the beauty surrounding us.
stations, fax and copy service, and ex -
tensive newspaper archives.
“We have an art gallery that allows local artists to display here, and that has been pretty popular,” Godissart said.
The library’s programming includes an unstructured Lego Club that meets one night per week, as well as a monthly STEM program on Saturdays.
“I teach different STEM subjects, and the students who attend work with robots and other technology-related materials,” he explained.
STEM kits available for checkout contain themed educational materials such as models of the human heart, the human brain, and the human skeletal and muscular systems.
“One of our more unusual lending items are ukuleles that come with a tuner and a book on learning how to play,” Godissart added.
A partnership with the Master Gardeners of Bedford County enables programming that addresses native plants and pollinators.
“We’re trying to make as many of our programs as possible free or low cost,” he said.
Improving access
Not everybody can easily access the library, but there are some options to
overcome that challenge.
“Our pop-up library delivery vehicle travels through the county to deliver books to various rest home, day care centers and schools,” Godissart said. E-books, which can be downloaded onto an electronic device for a specific lending period, are also popular.
“We’re approaching 15,000 annual online e-book circulations, and the marketing people from the Hoopla streaming service that provides these downloads are constantly calling to ask how we manage that at our size,” he said. “They don’t see that level of circulation in other rural libraries anywhere else in the country.”
It’s also not lost on Godissart that the Bedford County Library registers about 50,000 visitors per year, roughly equivalent to the county’s population, and also registers 75,000 physical book circulations per year.
“We’re one of the state’s rural libraries that is seeing increases in overall circulation year to year,” he said.
Sharing Godissart spent time away from Bedford County attending Slippery Rock University and serving as the Juniata County librarian for three years.
“I intended to spend three years here and move on, but I’m still here and don’t plan on leaving,” he said.
“I like living in a place where I can have interpersonal relationships all over the county and know people everywhere I go. Everybody here is so open to community and being together and working together on a variety of different projects.”
One new project that the Library is exploring is installing Story Walks throughout the county, where children and other hikers can read stories posted on laminated panels along walking trails throughout the county.
“We began installing permanent signs on the Heritage Trail in September and we’re working on grants for Shawnee State Park and Blue Knob State Park to encourage engagement and help get people outdoors and reading,” Godissart said.
Serving as the county’s librarian in a library he knows well has been rewarding, he said.
“I never experienced a major economic disadvantage, but I grew up with people who did and saw how much they struggled,” he said.
“To be able to bring resources to people who need them and appreciate them means a lot to me. I’ve been a reader all my life, and that came from this library. To be able to give that back to others is one of the most important things shared by everybody who works and volunteers here.”
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MATTHEW GODISSART
Radiant Dental undergoing transformation
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Kyle Dumpert, owner of Radiant Dental of Bed -
ford, purchased his practice in 2018 with the goal of transforming the existing office to offer comprehensive, state-of-the-art dental care. That resulted in a lot of improvements for patients in terms of time and convenience, thanks to the office’s ability to render
LIFeSTYLE
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Bedford practice offers state of the art features
digital 3D radiographs that minimize patients’ exposure to harmful radiation, take digital impressions using a 3D intraoral scanner, and offer sameday crowns made on site with a CADCAM mill. Radiant Dental serves more than 2,200 patients with a team of three hygienists, two dental technicians, two patient care and insurance coordina -
have been drawn to our team, and we’re proud of that.”
“Downtown Bedford Inc. and the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce have provided meaningful help, particularly during the pandemic,” he added.
“They and the community all joined together supporting local businesses, and we appreciated that,” he said. “This is a quiet, tidy, safe, and livable town for families. I enjoy nature and the outdoors a lot, and Bedford offers everything, even a public track at the school, along with public tennis and basketball and volleyball courts.
“Those things are not easy to find in Italy unless you pay for it.” It can be difficult to juggle so many business responsibilities, he acknowledged.
“Family is a great part of who we are,
tors led by Dumpert.
Q: What services do you offer?
Dumpert: We offer routine oral hygiene care, gum disease treatment, oral surgery, root canals, white fillings, crowns, limited orthodontics with clear aligners and teeth whitening.
Q: What sets you apart in your practice?
Dumpert: Aside from
historically and culturally, and without their support it would be impossible,” Ferrari said. “We’re grateful for the emotional support from my parents and our sister, my wife Erica and 14-month-old son Nico, and Stefano’s ex-wife and their two children. We couldn’t do this on our own.”
The businesses the Ferraris operate share a familial relationship of their own.
“We didn’t plan it that way, but you really could spend a whole day with us, starting with breakfast or lunch at Next Door, shopping for food, taking a break with a gelato in the afternoon, then having a glass of wine or a beer that we produce, and finishing your day with a trattoria dinner,” Ferrari said. “We cover it all and try to make sure Bedford is unique and special. It’s hard work, but like a family, everything just fits together.”
the same-day crowns, I use intraoral digital photography for patient education and we are capable of fully guided dental implant placement for precision tooth replacement. With no oral surgeon, periodontist or endodontist in Bedford, we are able to offer extractions and root canal treatments right in our office to limit the need for referrals to outof-town specialists. I’ve made short wait times for emergency dental care a priority.
Q: How are you involved in the local community?
Dumpert: For the past three years my office has participated in Freedom Day, which is a day of free dental care for active duty military and veterans. Each year we have provided more than $15,000 of free dental care, and local businesses have donated goods and giveaways for our patients on those days. We partner with local businesses for periodic patient appreciation giveaways and gift cards. I also frequently sponsor local sports teams and athletes because I know the value of learning to work with a team and prioritizing healthy active lifestyles.
Q. What makes Bedford a good location for you?
Dumpert: Our location makes it easy for patients to travel from Chestnut Ridge, Everett, Roaring Spring, Cumberland, and other local areas that we serve.
Q: Have you always lived in Bedford County?
Dumpert: I was born and raised in Bedford and attended college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh. I spent a year in residency at the Pittsburgh Veterans Administration Hospital and spent two years in practice in Bedford before moving on. I practiced in Hawaii and also in a corporate dental office in State College before I settled back in Bedford.
Q: What drew you back?
Dumpert: The cost of living is much lower here than in the other areas of the country I’ve lived. Living in a small town allows a sense of community. People take care of one another here, and it encourages respect and civility. Bedford offers small town life with access to bigger city amenities that are within a short one- to two-hour drive.
Q: Do you spend much time outdoors?
Dumpert: My fiancé and I love spending free time at Shawnee State Park, which seems to be an underappreciated asset to the community. We enjoy all the hiking trails, and access to lakes and rivers. Raystown lake, Blue Knob State Park, Seven Springs, and Hidden Valley are all easily accessible.
Q: What else should patients know about your
practice?
Dumpert: My office places a priority on individualized optimal patient care, while trying to maximize any benefits that dental insurance may offer. Sometimes certain insurance companies don’t have the same priority, which can delay or deny needed dental treatments. For that reason, we’re very selective about the insurances we contract with, trying to ensure that patients are offered the best care and aren’t forced to compromise. My team does an amazing job making sure the best dental care is offered while maximizing any available benefits whether we are contracted in network, or as an out of network doctor. We are always accepting new patients and have limited to no wait times for dental emergencies.
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FERRARI BROTHERS
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KYLE DUMPERT
One bite at a time
The Organic Snack Company encouraging health and sustainability
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Doing the right thing for customers and the environment paid off handsomely for The Organic Snack Company, which manufactures and distributes Kate’s Real Food granola bars.
The company’s focus on healthful, quality organic ingredients quickly attracted orders from Delta Airlines and other large corporate customers, which led to unexpected meteoric growth for the company.
Now, TOSC cannot only work the same magic for other likeminded snack food manufacturers, but also influence change in the local agriculture industry that could help some small struggling farmers.
Mark Thaler, CEO of TOSC, said the odyssey began 10 years ago when Kate Schade developed a granola bar that wouldn’t freeze on the ski slopes or melt during endurance bike rides. The samples she handed out to customers while waiting tables in a Wyoming restaurant impressed Thaler’s father, an Altoona dentist, so much that he proposed a business venture.
TOSC broke ground in 2019 and opened in 2020. Six months later, Delta’s offer accelerated the company’s growth plans by five years practically overnight, taking it from a seven-person team working four days a week to its current operations with more than 65 current employees.
“Our initial building was 20,000 square feet,
“I didn’t go to school to make granola bars but being able to feel like I’m making a difference in a place that I love, that’s what gets me excited to come to work every single day.”
– Mark Thaler, CEO, The
and we just completed a 30,000-square-foot expansion. We now have two production lines and extra production capacity,” Thaler said. “We still support the growth of Kate’s, but we’re starting to look for outside business to become a copacker for somebody else. They must be in line with our organic values, that’s something on which we won’t compromise.”
Location and foresight
Bedford has proven to be an ideal location for TOSC.
“We have hardworking, honest people here who can compete globally,” Thaler said, recalling his pride in seeing a JLG scissor lift at a factory in Denmark while scouring Europe for manufacturing equipment.
“The roads we have here are incredible and link us to the rest of the world,” Thaler observed.
“We can reach 160 million people within a one-day truck drive.”
Central Pennsylvania is also blessed with natural beauty and amazing natural resources, he added, but residents sometimes struggle for access.
That’s something that TOSC’s Chief Operating Officer McKenzie Blair and Chief Production Officer Matthew Blair are working to improve by serving on The Growing Outdoor Rec-
Organic
Snack Company
reation for Pennsylvania board.
“I think it’s important that our mindset shifts in viewing the outdoors as an asset for our communities,” Thaler said. “If we can turn that into an economic driver of growth, we’ll be more inclined to protect it.”
Rethinking supply chains
Thaler frequently attends symposiums and the Pennsylvania Farm Show to promote the benefits of organic agriculture.
“Cost is a barrier for a lot of farmers, because it starts with smaller yields and the scale of manufacturing isn’t there yet,” he said. “In our own little way, though, we’re trying to make organic products more accessible.”
Sourcing as many ingredients as locally as possible is also a good insurance policy against supply chain setbacks like the one TOSC experienced when Russia invaded Ukraine, disrupting the global wheat supply.
“Many of our organic oat suppliers in Canada switched to wheat farming to fill the void,” Thaler said, forcing TOSC to spend time tracking down other suppliers for its primary ingredient.
Follow-on discussions with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture led to a new joint initiative that
could turn into an innovative and obvious solution, given that central Pennsylvania’s climate makes it one of the nation’s most ideal locations for growing oats.
“We’re working with a farmer in Portage who planted 100 acres of organic gluten-free oats for us that are nearing harvest,” Thaler said. “If it works for him and works for us, we might be able to get more local farmers to participate and switch over from conventional to organic farming.”
One of the biggest challenges all farmers face is
finding markets for their products, he explained, and niche organic products present additional hurdles.
“I’d rather buy my oats from Portage than Canada and save on shipping costs,” he said. “The government subsidizes some crops we shouldn’t be growing, in places we shouldn’t be growing them, and it’s taking too much water and degrading the soil. I think planting the right crops in the right places and developing different supply chains is going to be the future of agriculture in this country, and we’re proud to be a part of that.”
Originally from Hollidaysburg, Thaler spent some time in Washington, DC, as a corporate attorney and returned with the intention of getting involved in corporate real estate before TOSC materialized.
“Many of my high school friends left and never came back, but I was able to return and create jobs,” he said. “I didn’t go to school to make granola bars but being able to feel like I’m making a difference in a place that I love, that’s what gets me excited to come to work every single day.”
Springs amenities, community a win-win
Meaningful connections making all the difference at Omni resort
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Amanda Burroughs oversees every aspect of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa as the general manager, but her relationship with the resort runs much deeper.
“When I started my Omni career 12 years ago in Washington, DC, my husband and I would come here as our getaway and it was our favorite thing to do,” she said. “We started bringing our son after he was born and he took his first steps in the hallway here, so there’s definitely a personal connection for us.” When it comes to her relationship with the more than
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Winding up a three-decade career as an Executive Acute Care Hospital Representative for Merck Pharmaceuticals, Betsie Neff was ready to plunge into the next phase of life. Her husband, Brad, had long dreamed of owning a mobile home park, she said, and the idea of being part of a large, vibrant community was an important factor in whatever came next. After an exhaustive search for just the right location, they finally found it in their own backyard when they learned that the prior owner of Friendship Village was at a crossroads as well and uncertain of the campground’s future.
Q. Friendship Village is more than just a mobile home park. How well established is it, and what else came with the territory?
Neff: My husband and I bought it in 2018. It started in 1972 and is now 52 years old. We currently have 50 employees, most of them seasonal. We’re not just a campground, we also have 16 apartments and 80 mobile homes. The permanent living community is 55 and over. The campground is
500 associates who support operations, “they take a lot of pride in taking care of this historic resort and love making connections with our guests,” Burroughs said. “Our associates know how important Bedford Springs is to our local community and its economy by bringing in additional business and visitors. Working with them is what makes this job special to me.”
Omni’s staff brings a special focus to history, wellness, and hospitality, she added, and Omni’s guests have returned the love.
“We’ve been ranked as Golfweek Magazine’s number one ‘Best Course You Can Play in Pennsylvania’ listings for two years running, and we were recognized by Travel and Leisure as the number one resort in the mid-Atlantic,” Burroughs said. “We are one of the only Omni’s to be recognized with a number one spot, and it’s the first year any Omni resort achieved that spot. We feel special that we were recognized.”
Evolving amenities
Bedford Springs is well known for its golf course, and it also offers several activities and amenities that
continue to grow.
“Ranging from free activities like hiking the resort’s 25 miles of trails to activities with higher fees that include axe throwing and archery programs and even UTV rentals, there’s something for everybody,” Burroughs said. Rod and reel rentals that include an hour of instruction and fishing on nearby Red Oak Lake are an extremely popular and affordable option.
“We added paintball this year, bought brand new Polaris UTVs and opened a second UTV trail,” she said.
Also new this year is a digital scavenger hunt using the interactive Goosechase app that helps bring the resort and its history to life for guests.
“Our RFID digital locks make it easier to enter and exit rooms, and we upgraded our mattresses and our Wi-Fi,” Burroughs said. Events continue to evolve as well, and now include quarterly themed wine dinners.
Caring community
It was while spending time at Bedford Springs as guests approximately five years after it first opened that Burroughs came to
“Our associates know how important Bedford Springs is to our local community and its economy by bringing in additional business and visitors. Working with them is what makes this job special to me.”
– Amanda Burroughs, General Manager, Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa
understand the hotel’s impact.
“The people working at the cafe talked to us about how it revitalized the town and how important it was to see the hotel be successful because that was going to help our entire community.” She said, “Even though I worked for Omni but didn’t yet work here, I felt so much pride knowing we were helping and being a part of that.”
Another thing that drew Burroughs and her husband to Bedford was the sense of community they found here.
“There are people in this community who truly care about the future of Bedford County,” she said. “Bette Slayton and the Bedford County Development Association invest time and focus to make sure we have all these industries and future businesses coming in, and Main Street Manager
Living out a dream
Q&A with Betsie Neff, Owner of Friendship Village
just under 300 sites. Most of them are RV sites with full hook up: 30/50 Amp electric service, water, sewer, cable, and high-speed Wi-Fi. We have 19 tent sites and 12 cabins.
Q: What kind of amenities are offered?
Neff: Our season runs from April 1 through November 1. We have food trucks each weekend. Our regular amenities include mini golf, two swimming pools, a regulation cornhole court, and two dog parks, one for big dogs and one for smaller dogs. We also have an outdoor volleyball net, a basketball court, shuffleboard, and horseshoes. There is a bit of history as well. Our half-mile walking track used to be a harness track, and the quarter mile marker is still there. We’ve added a modern game room which is high tech with loadable cards and a Prizezilla machine to redeem tickets for prizes. There is also a retro game room featuring old video games that take quarters and arcade games like the bowling game. The mini golf course is open to the public, as are the game rooms, and we plan to keep
the game rooms open year round. We have lots of plans for improvements, but we’re keeping them secret.
Q: What can your guests expect in the way of entertainment?
Neff: We have an annual car show the weekend following Labor Day. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, we host live Southern Gospel music performances followed by free kettle cooked popcorn, and both are traditions that have been going on since 1972. The highlight of the year is our Gospel Week the third week in August, which includes Vacation Bible School for all ages. The week culminates in a big Gospel Celebration, an all-day concert from 4 to 10 p.m.
Q: Do you have a lot of returning guests? What keeps them coming back?
Neff: The majority of our guests are returning campers and mostly from the tricounty area. I think they return because they genuinely feel at home here. A lot of them grew up coming here over the decades. We try to keep it friendly and family-welcoming.
Q: Is it challenging to op-
erate a campground and address the needs of so many different people?
Neff: We never have a dull day; every day is an adventure when you deal with the public. Our greatest asset is our employees. We prayed for good staff and God has blessed us, they’re so nice to be around and all get along. It’s a pleasant working atmosphere and everybody has fun. I have a large extended family and many of them work here and even volunteer to help when we get in a bind.
Q: What makes Bedford County a good location for you? Did you have a boomerang effect?
Neff: It’s where we grew up. My husband is from Blue Knob, and we’ve lived in Osterburg since 2001. I’ve lived here except for college and three years in the Washington, DC, area. We moved back because we think this is the best place in the world to raise children. I wanted my kids to be able to play outside with grass and trees and dirt, all the things you find in the country. It’s much safer here, too. Q: With so many responsibilities,
Lindsay Salas and Downtown Bedford Inc. bring so many fun activities throughout the year like Fall Foliage, Wheels and Wings, the Chili Walk and other things we can’t wait for.” Burroughs said she has also been impressed with the entertainment that Kellie Goodman Shaffer and the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce have brought to the community through the drive-in movie theater and concerts throughout the year.
“Even something as simple as Youth Leadership Bedford County is part of it,” Burroughs said. “My son is 11 and I can’t wait for him to be able to apply and be part of the future of Bedford County. I love that this town is investing in the youth and in businesses, because we want to see our county continue to grow and thrive.”
the recreational opportunities the county offers?
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Letting the locals see better
Q&A with Pennwood Ophthalmic Associates founder Dr. Kathleen Erlichman
By GEORGE BERKHIMER Katherine Erlichman
founded Pennwood Ophthalmic Associates in Everett after moving to Bedford County from Philadelphia in 1991. Pennwood employs three optometrists and nine other staff members. Its optical shop offers protective eyewear, designer
frames, sports frames, and affordable options for patients of all ages, in addition to contact lenses for every need. In addition to compre-
& Company DR. KATHLEEN ERLICHMAN
hensive eye exams, Erlichman’s practice provides surgical services treating cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and various eyelid abnormalities.
Q: What sets your eye care center apart from others in the area?
Erlichman: I’m the only ophthalmologist in the county. People cannot obtain ophthalmic surgical care for their eyes anywhere else in Bedford County. We treat patients with kindness and compassion.
Q: What drew you to Bedford County?
Erlichman: I grew up in Bellefonte, Pa., another small community. When I was a senior resident in Philadelphia the Bedford Memorial hospital CEO asked if I would consider relocating here. My husband and I were uncertain because we lived in the Philadelphia area. Bedford is a gorgeous and friendly place to live and practice. We have never questioned our decision to move across the state.
Q: Did anything surprise you about Bedford County?
Erlichman: I was on call in center city Philadelphia. I witnessed trauma and violence weekly when treating people in the emergency room. What a surprise to move to a smaller community where people are polite and friendly, patients respect the physician’s recommendations and are honest. I have not worked a day in my 33 years here in Bedford County because it was a pleasure to serve the people of Bedford County, no work involved!
Q: Are you involved in any community organizations?
Erlichman: I’m the president of the Bedford County Pink Ribbon Fund, founded in 2017. We collect and manage donations to support breast cancer patients in the county. So far, we have supplied patients with $266,000 in gas cards, hotel stays, deductible payments and copay payments. We have an excellent following with people donating to the breast cancer fund because they know the
money remains local. With so many good people in Bedford County supporting the breast cancer patients here it is an honor and a joy to be affiliated with this organization.
Q: Do you spend much time in the outdoors on your time off?
Erlichman: My husband and I love to play golf. We also enjoy gardening and live on a farm which keeps us busy. Hiking is a fun exercise for us, but our favorite outdoor activity is watching the grandsons play little league baseball.
Q: You’ve lived in other Pennsylvania localities, what makes Bedford County special to you?
Erlichman: Pennwood Ophthalmology is grateful for our 33 years of loyal patients. I am grateful to have the A-Team working for me in the operating room and in my office. Integrity goes a long way in Bedford County, along with the outstanding hard work and perseverance I see here every day while working, volunteering and just having recreational fun.
Care Lab Services provides localized phlebotomy
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Care Lab Services of Ev -
erett takes an innovative approach to providing the bloodwork and laboratory testing services that many patients need for medical visits and follow ups to ensure adequate health maintenance.
Since establishing her phlebotomy laboratory in 2022, Shelah Layton has taken some of the stress out of health care, providing services in town to save local residents a trip to the hospital or a distant lab testing office, and even bringing services directly to the homes of people who can’t easily make the trip due to financial or other circumstances.
Q: What’s different about your laboratory and its services?
Layton: We’re a private bloodwork clinic located on Main Street in Everett inside Timber Ridge Chiropractic. Our patients are allowed to get lab testing needed with or without an order from their doctor. We offer self-pay for those who don’t have insurance or would prefer not to use it to avoid a high deductible. We offer our services in our clinic and offer inhome mobile services for bedbound and homebound
patients as well as busy professionals. We are not part of the large hospital systems in the area, we cater to what the patient wants and work with their doctors as well. We allow for patients to make appointments so that they are in and offer walk-in hours every Wednesday. Our small office makes for a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
Q: What services do you offer?
Layton: We provide occupational services for Department of Transportation and non-DOT clients such as employment drug screenings, random or reasonable suspicion tests, breath alcohol testing, biometric employee screening, gender reveal and DNA testing, paternity testing, and many other services.
Q: Are you planning to add anything new?
Layton: We are ramping up our occupational health service department. Those services are much needed to support our local businesses, and I am happy to take that on and add the services in.
Q: What territory do you cover?
Layton: With my travel
lab, I cover an area that extends from Altoona down to Cumberland, Maryland.
Q: Are you involved in the local business community?
Layton: I am a member of the Everett Area Better Business Association and the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce. I have also connected with many other organizations in the area, such as the Pink Ribbon Foundation, to support their grantees.
Q: What drew you to Bedford County? What makes it special?
Layton: I have been visiting family in this area for 20 years. When I got married it was always part of the plan to raise our kids in this area. In 2021 we were able to make that happen and relocate here. Being a dependent of a service member, I have lived all over the country and the one thing I found here that I haven’t found anywhere else is the strong sense of community. I feel safe and love how everyone seems to look out for one another.
Q: How do you enjoy your time when you’re not working?
Layton: We love living
here in the mountains and try to enjoy that to its fullest. We love camping, hiking, fishing, boating, mudding in the four wheelers or side-by-side. We have ventured out to Ohiopyle, West Virginia, Maryland, and of course, Raytown Lake often. It’s so beautiful here!
Q: What else should patients or potential patients know about your testing lab? Layton: Next year I will celebrate 20 years of being a phlebotomist. I love what I do and can’t see myself doing anything else. I’m also a functional nutritionist and I
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
Pal Paranamana has spent his whole career in the hospitality industry. When he noticed that Bedford lacked transit to help visitors and residents get around town and had only limited transportation options for guests attending weddings and other events, he started his own business to meet those needs.
“I’m originally from Sri Lanka and worked in hospitality and transportation there, and I was also a vehicle importer,” Paranamana said. “I come to the United States in 1996 and operated a limousine business in Washington, DC, until electronically dispatched ride services in every big city.” Bedford Shuttle Operated by Pal Car Service offers pre-arranged rides and operates a 14-seat seasonal 24/7 shuttle bus under all weather conditions and hopes to start a shuttle route that begins and ends at Omni Bedford Springs Resort, providing access to popular destinations that include Bedford Plaza, Bedford Square Plaza, UPMC Bedford, Mile Level, the businesses on Weber Lane and Country Ridge Road, and the fairgrounds.
“My car service frequently accommodates people who have booked three to four months in advance in the summer, especially for weddings and the prom, because there are only limited resources here,” Paranamana said. His fleet includes the bus, two Suburban SUVs, and a temporary vehicle during busier periods. Although the bulk of his transportation runs are limited to Bedford and Blair Counties, Paranamana’s service can transport customers anywhere in the continental United States.
Correct choice Paranamana first came to Bedford in 2019, following a brief return to his native Sri Lanka after his business in the District of Columbia folded. “I had to start from scratch and spoke to the chief priest at the Pennsylvania Meditation Center in Crystal Spring,” he said, a Buddhist retreat that he visited at least once a month. “He immensely helped me at a very humble start and told me Bedford was a nice town.” Knowing that his wife wanted to live near a Buddhist temple, he
recorded videos of the town and shared them with her while she was still in Sri Lanka. “She said, ‘Oh, that looks like a nice town, we’ll settle down there,’” he recalled. “It was a risk, but today we are experiencing that we made the correct choice.” Paranamana found employment as a front office agent at Bedford Springs for nearly four years before opening his transportation business. Today the Pal Car Service is listed as a Preferred Transportation Provider on the resort’s website. “Their management and staff is
so much friendlier than any other institution I’ve worked with,” Paranamana said. He and his wife also briefly operated Melani’s Cuisine inside Founders Crossing on Juliana Street, which added to Bedford’s blend of unique dining options.
“We had a very good response and offered special rates for first responders, because I saw how much these men and women sacrifice while I was transporting amputees and their families to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center during the Iraq and Afghan-
istan wars,” he said. “We had to close, though, because my wife wasn’t able to handle everything on her own and it was hard to find help to run it.”
Driven by challenge
Getting established in Bedford wasn’t easy, Paranamana admits, “but I like challenges,” he said. “Any challenge keeps me going.”
He and his wife also found Bedford County’s residents welcoming and accepting.
“I’m thankful for Mary Alice, Vince and Betty, who booked the first rental,” Paranamana said. “My wife and I love Bedford and the people of Bedford. Sometimes I wake up to find my neighbor removing ice in front of my house for me in the winter.”
And when his daughter’s 18th birthday celebration extended into the wee hours of the morning to accommodate colleagues whose shift at Bedford Springs ended at 11 p.m., “I didn’t have to worry about noise complaints,” he said. “All of my neighbors were at the party.” Paranamana became a U.S. citizen in 2009, something he’s very proud of, and said he feels “lucky and blessed” to live in Bedford.
“When people come to visit us, I always take them to something scenic or educational, and I like to point out Gravity Hill, the Springs resort, and the Flight 93 Memorial,” he said. “Recently I learned about the fish hatchery during a visit with the Chamber of Commerce, there’s so much to learn from a visit there.”
Life also moves at a different pace in Bedford County, he observed.
“I can’t say I’m doing better than I was in the District of Columbia momentarily, but I’m much happier here,” he said. “And if you get enough, that is all you need.”
WattersWorks
Finding a true calling
HAHC nurse practitioner uses personal experience for career growth
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
There’s
Wilt
school at the Allegany College of Maryland’s Bedford County campus.
“He has a beef farm and two finishing hog barns,” she said, activities that replaced the family dairy business to help the Wilts transition to a more sustainable operation. “We do crop farming as well and we’re starting a grain operating business. I help out on the farm whenever I can.”
Unanticipated challenges
Wilt’s career started in the Army Reserves, a consolation because there were no active duty spots available. She spent eight years assigned to a Military Police unit at the Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, and it was during that time that she decided to pursue a nursing degree.
“I didn’t think it was something I was going to enjoy at first, but I’m very driven and give my full self to whatever I’m doing,” she said.
Tragically, while attending nursing school, Wilt lost one of the twins she was carrying in her 35th week and delivered a week later. That’s when the bottom dropped out for her, but it also affected her in a way she hadn’t anticipated.
“I felt unheard and felt that my son might not have passed if a provider had treated me as a patient and not a machine,” she said. “I honestly stepped away from medicine at that time because I was very depressed.”
A cousin who had joined Wilt in her military enlistment ultimately convinced her to return to nursing school. Because of that experience, Wilt said she believes patients when they tell her something’s wrong or they just don’t feel right.
“They know their bodies better than I do and I will stand with them every step of the way to get an answer because I hear them,” she said. “It brought me back and made me better at what I do, and I believe it has an effect on the outcomes in the patients I see and treat.”
After receiving her Licensed Practical Nurse certification, she began working in the Fulton County Medical Center’s Long Term Care Unit before transferring to a Medical Progressive Care unit in Altoona where she assisted with cardiac cases.
Later, Wilt moved to the pre-, inter-, and post-operative settings at UPMC Bedford.
“I eventually went to the weekend program at UPMC Bedford’s Emergency Room, and that’s where I realized I love the fast-paced emergency medicine and urgent care settings,” she said. “The pace of family medicine is slower, but I enjoy being able to jump into
a situation knowing I can make a difference.”
Making a difference
Wilt has known from an early age that she wanted to chart her own course.
“I took a phlebotomy course through my vo-tech program in McConnellsburg while everybody else was going through the Certified Nursing Assistant program because I wanted to be different,” she said.
Looking ahead now, Wilt said her next move might involve teaching.
“I’m a preceptor for students, and I enjoy teaching them and giving them some direction when they come to HAHC for work experience,” she said.
Sometimes, she acknowledged, her life seems like a whirlwind when she looks back.
“I don’t consider myself having the typical rags to riches story, but I truly did come from nothing,” Wilt said. “I had a single working mother who tried to provide everything for me, however she could, and I’ve taken that to heart. I thank her for making a place for me to better myself and now be in a position where I’m able to give back and help others in a way that they can’t help themselves.”
Wilt said she enjoys getting to know her patients and their background stories.
“I let them know they are a big part of my life,” she said. “I truly take their stories home with me and think about them constantly. Every patient I cross paths with leaves a mark on my heart.”
Wilt credits Kathy Kendall, her McConnellsburg Middle School physical education teacher, with making a big difference in her life.
“She said, ‘We will never use the word can’t,’ so I don’t believe there is anything I can’t do because of her,” she said.
Wilt has shared her personal story on occasion with patients who felt defeated.
“I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, you’re a health care provider, everything must be easy for you,’” she said. “I want them to know there’s something better out there for them, too, and they have to put their mind to it to chase after it.”
From rebellion to retail
Espy House’s whiskey legend begins a new chapter
By GEORGE BERKHIMER
In 1794, President George Washington spent at least one night at the Espy House in Bedford while commanding federal troops engaged in putting down a violent protest of the whiskey excise tax now known as the Whiskey Rebellion.
Today, the house which dates to 1766 lends its name to a new business whose award-winning bourbon and other spirits continue the tradition of whiskey distilling in western Pennsylvania.
Todd Eichelberger, who owns both the Espy House and the distillery of the same name, is also a commercial developer whose construction company is putting the finishing touches on the future Mile Level distillery operation.
“We launched three years ago and started bottling in January 2023,” Eichelberger said, initially blending whiskeys sourced from Bardstown Bourbon and other suppliers with a reputation for quality.
On-site distilling operations are expected to begin in the very near future, he confirmed, starting with a pot still.
“Our Washington’s Reserve Barrel Strength Bourbon won gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2023, the top competition in the world,” Eichelberger said. “David Bourne, the founder of Ignite Beverage Branding and one of the top designers in the United States, designed our logos, bottle and labels. We go to the nth degree to have a distinctive look and get the best bourbon we can.”
New venture
Eichelberger is a well-known serial entrepreneur whose career started with a Mile Level pizza shop in the 1980s.
Over the years his construction company became the primary developer for Sheetz and was second only to the convenience store powerhouse in the number of Sheetz property holdings before Eichelberger sold his shares in 2008.
Since then, he has expanded into Florida, where he oversees more than $25 million in building projects near Naples.
Although he appreciates good bourbon, Eichelberger said he had no intention of establishing a distillery until he chanced on a Howard Stern interview with actor George Clooney, who affirmed that his Casamigos joint tequila venture had sold for $1 billion.
“I thought if there’s that much money in spirits, maybe I should try to start my own company,” Eichelberger said. “Then it occurred to me that I owned the Espy House, which could be used for trademarks and would make for an eye-catching label.”
The rest, as they say, is history in the making, much like Washington’s layover in Bedford.
Compelling story
Aside from Washington’s Reserve, Espy House also offers a Small Batch Rye
Whiskey, a Wheaten Bourbon, and its flagship George 1794 Straight Bourbon. Espy House’s wheaten bourbon has been an unexpected big seller for Eichelberger.
“We sold 600 cases in the last six weeks,” he said. “I ordered an additional 800 bottles and already have a fourth of that sold. Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago was reluctant to add it until we sent them two bottles and they ended up ordering 300 cases.”
Ironically, Espy House still hasn’t hit the shelves in Pennsylvania, owing to the Commonwealth’s notoriously cumbersome approval process.
“We’re already in 19 other states, though, so it has legs,” Eichelberger said. “The name helps to get us in front of big retailers, and it also gave us the clout to get an audience with the directors of Monticello to start talking about the possibility of doing a whiskey collaboration with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.”
Although Washington put down the first challenge to the fledgling nation’s Constitution, it was Jefferson who later repealed the whiskey excise tax. The Espy House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and declared a National Historic Landmark by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, and the house’s history has helped significantly with marketing.
“Bourbon has always been a story telling business, with everybody trying to tell a story with their product and invent something that’s going to stick,” Eichelberger said.
“We think we have the best story in the world, and beside that it’s true. Nobody else has that story.”
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KAYLA WILT
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TODD EICHELBERGER
