Issuu

2016

SEPT./OCT.

the Chamber

Chatter THE MEMBER NEWS & INFORMATION RESOURCE

PROVIDING LEADERSHIP AND OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS

The Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce invites you to an awardsâ€™ luncheon celebrating our

Sponsored by:

Business & Volunteer of the Year

Reservations

Honoring

Individual Seats

Oil Lube Express 2016 Volunteer of the Year - Lauren Blake of Krombolz Sheets Insurance

Benefactor $500

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

$45 (Chamber Member) $55 (Non-Chamber Member)

Includes table for eight Logo placement in program Recognition at the luncheon

2016 Business of the Year - Tolsdorf

11:30am - 1:30pm at Concord Country Club 1601 Wilmington Pike, West Chester Doors open at 11:30am for networking / Lunch begins at 12:00pm

Visit GreaterWestChester.com to purchase tickets.

CHAMBER

Staff

Inside this Issue

Mark Yoder President Dave Fairman Director of Membership

PROVIDING LEADERSHIP AND OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS

CHAMBER

Board

Bethany Kopp Event & Program Manager Jeff Zajac Marketing & Communications Manager

Robert Partridge, Chairman Cutanea Life Sciences

Patrick McKenna, Secretary Gawthrop Greenwood, PC

Marc Ernest, Vice Chairman Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union

Donna Urian, Immed. Past Chair Fischer Cunnane & Associates, Ltd.

Marjorie Wentz, Treasurer Trinity Wealth Management, LLC Laura Aloisio DARE Dave’s Automotive Repair Service

Liz Golding BB&T

Marisa Powell Pietro’s Prime

Matt Holliday Chester County Prothonotary

Kevin Rothwell Rothwell Document Solutions

John C. Cunningham Lamb McErlane PC

Quazi Khaled Mars Drinks North America, LLC

Mark Sammarone Arthur Hall Insurance

David Ehrhart West Chester Area School District

Michael G. Louis MacElree Harvey

Jack Enright Fred Beans Ford Lincoln of West Chester

Jeannie McGinn SERVPRO of West Chester

Mickey Broyles-Hall Francis Hall Insurance Services

Debi Friedmann Blue Dog Printing & Design Thomas Gavin The Chester County Hospital

Brad Moore Moore Maguire Real Estate Group/ Keller Williams

Donna Saul Donna Saul LLC, Assoc. Business Strategist & Consultant

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For Volunteer of the Year, Happiness is Giving Back

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The Chamber Welcomes New Members

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Autumn Events Calendar

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Business of the Year

By Dorothy Kennedy

p.10 Why Background Screening Makes Sense By Ben Ventresca p.12 Member Spotlight Kildare’s Irish Pub

p.14 Preserving Valuable Assets Document Restoration

By Jeannie McGinn

Leigh Timberman Infiniti of West Chester Daniel Zajac SimoneZajac Wealth Management Group, LLC

Matt Shea West Chester University

Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce 119 North High Street West Chester, PA 19380 tel 610.696.4046 / fax 610.696.9110 www.GreaterWestChester.com

Chamber Chatter NEWS

FOR VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR, Happiness is Giving Back

By: Dorothy Kennedy

Lauren Blake donates her time and talent to a diverse list of organizations including the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce (GWCCC); Chester County Family Academy, West Chester; Daemion Counseling CenterTaste of Berwyn; 100 Women Who Care Chester County and Denison University, Granville, Ohio. The expertise Lauren provides is as varied as the organizations themselves. She may be creating or conducting a fundraiser; recruiting sponsors for a restaurant festival or prospective students for her alma mater; re-vitalizing a long-standing committee or helping to found a new entity. Whatever the organization or endeavor, Blake, of Downingtown, views volunteering as an integral part of her life. “I only feel complete when I am giving back,” said Blake, Marketing Director for Krombolz Sheets Insurance of West Chester. “Selfishly, it enables me to breathe every day.” For her ongoing willingness to give so generously of her energy, enthusiasm and expertise, the GWCCC named Lauren Blake its 2016 Volunteer of the Year. The award will be presented at a luncheon on Oct. 26, 2016 at Concord Country Club. “In addition to her tremendous volunteer spirit, Lauren is remarkable for her ability to take the initiative in determining what an organization needs and then planning and executing a course of action,” said GWCCC President Mark Yoder. “The GWCCC is grateful for Lauren’s

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willingness to share her many talents and honored to name her its 2016 Volunteer of the Year.” Lauren, a Berwyn native and graduate of Conestoga High School, attended Denison University where she doublemajored in Communication and Educational Studies (Secondary Schools, English). She pursued a career in business after graduating, working initially in New York as a Marketing Director for CIGNA. She began working at Krombolz Sheets Insurance in 2011, and was introduced to the GWCCC in 2013 when Board member, Marjorie Wentz, of Trinity Wealth Management, LLC, invited her to attend an Executive Women's Round Table, a presentation series designed to empower women. “I found this event to be like nothing else I had ever been to,” Blake explained. “This was strictly for women, an intimate and trusting environment where women could share ideas and suggestions to help and support each other. I knew if these women were members of the GWCCC, this was something I wanted to join.” With Lauren’s encouragement, Krombolz Sheets Insurance soon joined the Chamber. Lauren didn’t hesitate to ask Dave Fairman, GWCCC Director of Membership, how she could

best serve the organization as a volunteer. At Dave’s suggestion, she joined the Ambassador Committee, becoming its chairperson in 2014. “The Ambassador Committee was a natural fit given Lauren’s outgoing and vibrant personality and her ability to share her enthusiasm about the work the Chamber does,” said Fairman. “Under Lauren’s guidance the committee has grown, become more engaged and improved communications to new Chamber businesses and to longstanding members.”

“I only feel complete when I am giving back,” said Blake, Marketing Director for Krombolz Sheets Insurance of West Chester. “Selfishly, it enables me to breathe every day.”

Lauren and her husband, Tom, have two adult children, Elizabeth, of Downingtown and Christopher, of Williamsport, and daughter-in-law-to-be, Erica Kuzio.

When she isn’t working or volunteering, Lauren enjoys traveling, exercising and spending time with family and friends. An avid cook, she is proud to have participated in an Iron Chef Competition in Pebble Beach, California. When told she had been named Volunteer of the Year, Lauren was honored but surprised... she didn’t know there was an award given out each year.

“I was honored to give back to GWCCC because the Chamber gives to so many in our community,” she said. “Working with Mark, Dave and Bethany (Kopp, Events & Programs Manager) is simply a pleasure. I’m proud to be part of this dynamic group.”

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Sincere thankS goes to our volunteers

for their support during the iron hill twilight race Series. this event couldn’t happen without the volunteers. the Greater West chester chamber of commerce would like to express its gratitude. This is one of West Chester’s biggest community events and our enthusiastic volunteers are a big reason for its success.

THANKS

to our Volunteers! Chamber Chatter NEWS

The Chamber Welcomes NEW MEMBERS Bad Rhino

Fick Educational Services, LLC

Meridia Interactive Solutions

Mr. Marty McDonald 239 East Market Street Suite 203 West Chester, PA 19382 484-580-6382 Marty@badrhinoinc.com www.badrhinoinc.com MARKETING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

Ms. Cris Fick 17 Turner Lane West Chester, PA 19380 610-457-2199 fickeducation@gmail.com www.fickeducation.com EDUCATION/TRAINING

Mr. Peter Babel 1646 West Chester Pike Suite 15 West Chester, PA 19382 610-260-6800; Fax 610-260-6810 pbabel@meridiaars.com www.meridiaars.com EVENT PLANNING & SERVICES

Bankers Life Jill Dreibelbis 1150 First Avenue, Ste 1020 King of Prussia, PA 19406 610-948-8446; Fax 610-337-7055 jill.dreibelbis@bankers.com www. BankersLife.com INSURANCE

Between The Seats Detailing Ms. Laura Aloisio 301 South Bolmar Street West Chester, PA 19382 610-696-7153; Fax 610-696-0805 www.dareauto.com AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

Chester County Fund for Women and Girls Mr. Brandon Szerenyi 1025 Andrew Drive Suite 200 West Chester, PA 19380 484-356-0940 bszerenyi@ccfwg.org www.ccfwg.org NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Escape West Chester Ms. Carolynne Morello 116 S. High Street West Chester, PA 19382 484-266-7118 escapewc@gmail.com www. escapewestchester.com BUSINESS SERVICES

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Friends of East Goshen Mr. Joe Bove 340 Wyllpen Drive West Chester, PA 19380 610-692-7171 www.friendsofeastgoshen.org NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Giunta's Furniture Elizabeth Nelson 513-B E. Gay Street West Chester, PA 19380 484-887-8271; Fax 484-887-8267 giunta@giuntasfurniture.com www.giuntasfurniture.com FURNITURE

Jersey Mike's Ms. Cierra Pollock 323 East Gay Street West Chester, PA 19380 610-643-4743 cpollock@jmikescsd.com www.jerseymikes.com FOOD & BEVERAGES

Mathnasium Ms. Martina Martin 113 Turner Lane West Chester, PA 19380 484-871-4452 westchesterpa@mathnasium.com www. mathnasium.com/westchesterpa EDUCATION/TRAINING

Mutual of Omaha Advisors Mr. Michael Collinelli 460 Norristown Rd Suite 310 Blue Bell, PA 19422 610-304-8098; Fax 610-941-1069 michael.collinelli@adviserfocus.com FINANCIAL SERVICES

PA Cycling Solutions - Velofix Justin Brundage 1450 Eaves Spring Road Malvern, PA 19355 justin@velofix.com www.velofix.com SPORTS

Parkway Cleaners Ms. Ceri Danheux • West Chester Main - 623 East Gay Street • West Chester - 1501 West Chester Pike • West Chester - 929 South High Street • West Chester - 20 Boot Road • West Chester - 1377 Boot Road • Downingtown - 1239 Horseshoe Pike (Route 322) • Exton - 58 East Uwchaln Avenue • Glenmoore - 2924 Conestoga Road 1-800-515-0511 CustomerService@ParkwayCleaner.com www.ParkwayCleaner.com DRY CLEANERS

PetCare Group, Inc.

Tommy's Automotive

Jenna Fiorillo 200 Yorkminster Rd West Chester, PA 19382 610-738-2273 jen@petcaregroup.com www.petcaregroup.com PET SERVICES OR RETAIL

Gerry Bird 211 Carter Drive Building "G" West Chester, PA 19382 610-696-2633; Fax 610-696-1087 info@tommysautomotive.com www.tommysautomotive.com AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

RaybournRusk Ms. Laura Raybourn 1419 Carroll Brown Way West Chester, PA 19382 215-275-8897 Laura@RaybournRusk.com www.RaybournRusk.com FAMILY HISTORIANS

Therapeutic Research Foundation, Inc Ms. Dorothy Shearer 416 East Turnberry Court West Chester, PA 19382 860-339-5272 dshearer@tr-f.org www.tr-f.org NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Tinman Creative Productions Mr. Todd Inman 376 Avon Road Suite M-288 Devon, PA 19333 610-787-1223 tinman@tinmancreative.com www.tinmancreative.com ADVERTISING

TONO Architects, LLC Mrs. Sharlee Van Tine PO Box 630 Westtown, PA 19395 717-735-8166; Fax 717-735-8169 svantine@tonoarchitects.com www.tonogroup.com ARCHITECTS

Villa Maria Academy Lower School Mrs. Trish Kyle 1140 King Road Immaculata, PA 19345 610-644-4868; Fax 610-647-6403 office@villamaria.org www.villamaria.org SCHOOLS/COLLEGES/ UNIVERSITIES

Celebrating

Chamber Membership

ANNIVERSARIES Please help us congratulate these businesses celebrating milestone anniversaries with the Greater West Chester Chamber in the months May and June 2016. 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY The WC Press The Honorable Dan Truitt, State Representative Beacon Technologies

West Chester Food Co-op Ms. Suzanne Adams P.O. Box 3502 West Chester, PA 19381 610-431-0367 exec@wcfood.coop www.wcfood.coop NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY H.J. Purnell, Jr., CPA The Pita Pit Kreutz Creek Winery 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY West Chester Area Senior Center ARAMARK @ WCU

Chamber Chatter NEWS

Autumn EVENTS CALENDAR FEATURED EVENT

See full details of Chamber events at GreaterWestChester.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 / 5:00PM – 9:00PM

AUTUMN GALLERY WALK

Stroll through West Chester for an evening of art, dining and shopping. The borough is home to an eclectic mix of galleries. Enjoy the work of local, national and international artists.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 / 5:30PM – 7:30PM

HYBRID HAPPY HOUR

"Get your head in the Clouds" at Penn Oaks Golf Club Don't miss this FREE and unique networking event featuring two Chamber member companies who are leaders in their field. BlueEdge Consulting and Dorset Connects will take the mystery out of cloud computing and answer your questions about how the Cloud can make your business more agile and successful. Join us for complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Penn Oaks Golf Club 150 Penn Oaks Drive, West Chester Free for members | $10 for non-members RSVP is appreciated

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 / 8:00AM – 4:00PM

Disney's Approach to Quality Service Disney Institute at The Desmond Hotel • Are you ready to bring clarity to your business challenges? • Are you ready to inspire new ways of thinking about organizational effectiveness? • Then you're ready to D'Think... "Explore how excellent customer service is achievable for every organization" The Desmond Hotel One Liberty Boulevard, Malvern

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 / 7:45AM – 9:00AM

COFFEE CONNECTION

at WSFS Bank - West Chester Stop in and visit the newly constructed, state-of-the-art West Goshen WSFS Branch. Designed to create an interactive banking experience, with new banking pods and a private living room for meetings and discussion. Enjoy complimentary coffee and light fare. WSFS Bank - West Chester 1030 West Chester Pike, West Chester Free for members | $10 for non-members RSVP is appreciated

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 / 5:30PM – 8:00PM

WOMEN'S EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE

"Serving in a Leadership Role" at Pietro's Prime "How to Serve in a leadership position despite an aversion to the spotlight" with the Honorable Jacqueline Cody, recently appointed President Judge of Chester County. Pietro's Prime 125 West Market Street, West Chester Dinner and Wine Pairing Members: $55 | Non-Members: $65 RSVP is REQUIRED

Sponsored by

GWCC Members - $45 | Non-Members - $55 Benefactor - $500 (includes table of 8 and logo in program)

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by Friday, October 2

Chamber Chatter NEWS

GWCCC MAKES LIFE BETTER FOR Business of the Year

By: Dorothy Kennedy

Chris Tolsdorf is emphatic when explaining why his company, Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express, has been a member of the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce (GWCCC) for over 30 years.

Chris Tolsdorf, President, Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express

“I’m not a member for what I get out of it,” he said. “I’m a member so that I can support what the Chamber creates for our community. The events, the education, the networking, these are things that make West Chester such a great place to work and raise a family. When you work with GWCCC or attend their events, you get to know people and it makes the experience of living in our great small town that much better.”

Chris has gone above and beyond in supporting and enhancing the work of the Chamber for many years and in multiple ways. In addition to serving on the GWCCC Board from 2008 to 2015 (2014 Chairman), he conceived the Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express Trike Challenge, an Iron Hill Twilight Criterium event since 2014. For this long-term dedication to the Chamber and its mission, Mark Yoder, GWCCC President, announced Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express as its 2016 Business of the Year. The award will be given at a luncheon on Oct. 26, 2016 at Concord Country Club.

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“Chris’s ongoing dedication to the Chamber makes him one of our most-valuable assets,” said Yoder. “Thanks to his leadership, creativity and great sense of humor, the Chamber is a better organization. When Chris is involved, you know you’re going to work hard and laugh a lot. The Chamber is grateful for his support and honored to recognize Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express as its 2016 Business of the Year.” When told of the award, Chris said he was “incredibly honored and humbled”. “There are so many fantastic businesses and people in the Chamber who are working every day to make their businesses better, their employees happier, and our community more vibrant,” he said. “To be singled out means a lot to me, my family and my employees.” Chris, who describes himself as “tall, loud and prematurely grey”, grew up in Westtown Township and graduated from East High School in 1987. His family’s roots in the local fuel business date back to the 1940s when his grandfather, Gibbs Kane, started the Kane Oil Company. After marrying Gibbs’ daughter, Boots, in 1965, New Jersey native Dick Tolsdorf bought Kane Oil in 1972, changing the name to Tolsdorf Fuel Service. The company grew to include three entities, Tolsdorf Fuel Service, Rainbow Cab and Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express, which now has stores in West Chester, Exton, Phoenixville and Kennett Square.

Chris got involved in the business while in high school, working as a cashier at the original Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express in West Chester, when it opened in 1985. A 1991 graduate of Yale University, he worked summers and breaks vacuuming cars and changing oil. He joined Tolsdorf Fuel full-time in 1996 and worked on various projects in all three companies. Dick Tolsdorf sold Tolsdorf Fuel Service in 2000. Chris purchased Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express from his father in 2003 and left Rainbow Cab in 2006 to focus solely on Tolsdorf Oil Lube Express. His brother, Gibbs Tolsdorf, owns and operates Rainbow Cab. Chris and his wife, Maia, live in West Chester with their children, Emmy, 17, Katherine, 15, and Zach 12. In addition to helping the Chamber, he has lent his time and expertise to various organizations including the Automotive Oil Change Association, Unite for HER, and the Yale Crew Association. He is starting his second season as head rowing coach for the Unionville High School Crew team.

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www.edwardjones.com

Meeting on your schedule, not ours. Face-to-face meetings. One-on-one relationships. How did Edward Jones become one of the biggest financial services companies in the country? By not acting like one.

Jeff Kitchen, AAMS® .

Financial Advisor

105 South High Street West Chester, PA 19382 610-430-1320

Eric S Smith, CFP®, AAMS®

Brad Abel

Financial Advisor

704 West Nields Street, Suite G West Chester, PA 19382 610-436-4101

105 South High Street West Chester, PA 19382 610-430-1320

Chamber Chatter NEWS

By: Ben Ventresca

Why Background Screening Makes Sense And what you need to consider when getting started Whether your organization is a Fortune 500 company, a small corporation, a sole proprietorship, or a nonprofit entity, trusting an employee means giving them access to the lifeblood of your business, and entrusting volunteers with your constituents places your mission in their hands. The people who make up your workforce have a vital impact on your reputation as well as on your financial security and, increasingly, interns, part-time and seasonal workers, contractors, and volunteers do the work of full-time employees and are the face of your organization to customers and constituents. The importance of successful hiring to sustained growth is greater than ever. While there are very real benefits to background screening that involve personal safety and company reputation, the truth is that the expense of background checks pays off in dollars and cents. Here are some basic facts that support conducting Background Screening (including Credential Verifications, Criminal/Civil Checks, and Drug Screening) on your entire workforce: • Nearly 50% of job applications misrepresent the facts, and over 33% contain outright lies. • The mobility of the workforce makes the verification process more challenging and timeconsuming. • 37% of all employees have stolen from an employer more than once. • More than 30% of all business failures are caused by employee theft.

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• More than 79% of all negligent hiring cases are settled against the employer. • 1 in 14 employees in the US use illegal drugs. • The effect of drug use in the workplace costs employers $81 billion annually, and the impact of legal use of medical and recreational marijuana use complicates writing and enforcing drug policies for the workplace. Much like the reality that you wouldn’t hire someone without an interview; the most prudent approach to hiring includes effective background screening during the onboarding process. Successful businesses secure their future by integrating safe hiring practices in every phase of their operation (in fact over 90% of major corporations employ safe hiring protocols; and emerging businesses and nonprofits increasingly do so either because of “best practices” or regulatory mandates). Safe Hiring Practices that incorporate background screening on the entire workforce benefit the bottom line; here are a few specific reasons to employ screens: • Increase hiring effectiveness. • Discourage applicants who intend to mislead.

• Reduce the risk of theft and embezzlement. • Increase workplace harmony and decrease abusiveness or malevolence. • Identify potential management or discipline situations that can be managed with advance notice. • Decrease insurance costs. • Limit legal (and EEOC) exposure for negligent hiring and retention.

Background screening and drug testing protocols make sense and don’t need to be a burden to your operation or your finances. While it is imperative that the screening/testing process be equitable and reasonable, you have the ability, both legally and morally, to tailor a program that specifically meets the values and needs of your organization, your staff, and your customers/ constituents. Experience shows that, when properly implemented, these programs are well-received by your staff and appreciated by your customers/constituents.

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Ben Ventresca is the Managing Partner of Brandywine Consulting Group, Inc, which is an independent management and marketing consulting firm formed in 1987 and now based in Malvern. Brandywine Consulting, a Chamber member since 2014, provides integrated management support from strategic planning to background screening/drug testing. bjventresca@brandywineconsulting.com | 610.696.1905 | www.brandywineconsulting.com

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Half Page Package (includes web & eblast ad) 7.5” (w) x 4.75” (h) . . . . . . . . $300.00.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $565.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000.00 Full Page Package (includes web & eblast ad) 7.5” (w) x 9.75” (h) . . . . . . . . $345.00.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $850.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,500.00 Space reservation is due by the 1st of the month prior to publication (i.e. March/April edition-reserve by Feb. 1, submit ad by Feb. 15).

The Chamber Chatter is a bi-monthly publication with a circulation of 1,100. It is free to members of the Chamber. Editorial Content and advertising is limited to Chamber members. Editorial coverage does not imply or indicate Chamber endorsement of members' business, product or services.

Chamber Chatter NEWS 11

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Kildare’s Irish Pub Dane and Stephanie Gray along with long time friend and West Chester local, Tom Farnesi just celebrated their one year anniversary as the new owners of long standing Kildare’s Irish Pub on Gay Street in downtown West Chester. Dane and Stephanie oversee the day-to-day operations of the pub. Dane, who is in charge of the front of the house has spent this past year improving upon the impressive Whiskey selection, local, domestic and imported Cider offerings as well as the extensive renovations to the inside and outside that customers can and cannot see. The transformation is ongoing and includes an amazing collection of soccer jerseys signed by players such as Pele, Ronaldino and David Beckham as well as a tribute wall to Dane's favorite team (and of course his son’s), Liverpool. Because of his passion Kildare’s has become the place to watch every soccer game at any time. Dane and his wife of 10 years, Stephanie, have been working together for their entire relationship, have a happy marriage and say they are best friends. She is a classically French-trained chef and was ready when the position presented itself to run Kildare's. “He doesn’t want to do what I do and I definitely don’t want to do what he does, it’s the perfect situation”, exclaims Stephanie. In the past year she has made the menu a top priority. The food is fresh, homemade and exciting. “We offer weekly specials, and the

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menu changes frequently. The food offerings in the town of West Chester have come a long way and our menu meets up with the expectations of our patrons,” says Stephanie.

The couple both say that the biggest thing they hear from customers is that Kildare's has made positive changes both inside and outside of the four walls. Returning guests are impressed when they see the improvements. It's evident that Dane and Stephanie believe in supporting local charities. Giving back to the community is an integral part of their business philosphy. If you've never been to Kildare’s Irish Pub or haven't been in a while, now is a great time to visit. The Grays and their team have done some really great things and are always there to welcome you.

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Chamber Chatter NEWS 13

PRESERVING VALUABLE ASSETS Document Restoration

By: Jeannie McGinn

Day in and day out, your customers and employees trust you with their sensitive documentation, valuable client information, financial & legal records, blueprints, engineering drawings, medical or government files and sometimes personal artifacts. From a security standpoint, you may already keep them under lock and key for compliance purposes, and hopefully they are scanned in a protected file as back-up. Yet what happens if your business office or home office is faced with smoke, soot, mold, water damage from a pipe bursting or an overhead sprinkler erratically going off over the weekend? Much more than the structure becomes affected. Everything, including furniture, electronics, and even important documents may need immediate CPR, and a big dose of tender loving care. Chamber members can breathe a sigh of relief that the technology exists today to save, salvage and restore valuable documents, photos, equipment and computers in many cases. If your business or even home experiences an issue that impacts the structure and/or contents of the property, remember to stay calm. MAKE TWO CALLS – call your insurance agent AND call an experienced remediation & restoration company that can handle the emergency and then offer vacuum freeze-drying to assist in the recovery of these important documents and other media. The clean-up and restoration company will review a series of steps that will take place during this preservation process such as cleaning, digitizing, sterilizing (through gamma

irradiation), deodorizing, and certified destruction services, if needed. Even on large Category 3 losses or items affected by microbial growth from dirty or sewage water, a drying chamber can help recover items. The freeze drying chamber can dry almost 800 cubic feet of documents in each cycle. The standard run time for that size of a load is about 4-8 days depending on the nature of the items and the amount of moisture that is in them. Most drying chamber teams are available 24/7, 365 days a year to assist with customer concerns, HIPAA certifications, proper shipping, and the drying process. Getting back to normal is the Number 1 priority. Follow these easy steps before help arrives. 1. Shut off the water, or call a reliable source to do this for you. 2. Only when the access to the power distribution panel is safe, turn off circuit breakers for the wet areas. 3. Use a wet vac to suck up as much clean water as possible. Stay away from any “dirty” water.

Jeannie McGinn is the Director of Sales & Marketing for SERVPRO of West Chester. As a long-time Chamber member, SERVPRO of West Chester has been serving the Chamber community for 25 years. We understand the disruption fire or water damage causes to your life. Our goal is to help minimize the interruption and quickly make it "Like it never even happened.®" We specialize in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial properties from deep cleaning to mitigating mold, mildew and pet odors. jeannie@servprowestchester.com | 610.692.8884 | www.servprowestchesterpa.com

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Chamber Chatter NEWS 15

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Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce 119 North High Street West Chester, PA 19380

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