100 Large manufacturing plants such as Carpenter Steel, now Carpenter, and Parish Pressed Steel adapted well to postwar demand and flourished. Western Electric, a division of Bell Telephone, set a small electronics plant in Laureldale, later moving to a large facility and becoming a major employer in the area.
There are a variety of banking institutions, fine hospitals and medical facilities, top law firms and five colleges and universities. In addition, residents enjoy great restaurants, a vibrant arts scene and some of the best outdoor recreational areas in the country.
New highways were built, making it easier for people to live outside of the City, even if they worked in Reading. As people moved out, businesses popped up in suburban locations, including Berks County’s first shopping center in Shillington.
Greater Reading has changed dramatically during the past century, to be sure. Those who know the area and its people, however, recognize that some things, such as our pride in who we are, our willingness to work hard and our desire to always make our community a better place to live, have stood the test of time.
Businesses closed; others opened. Factories shut down, only to be replaced by another. Always a home for immigrants seeking better lives, Greater Reading began experiencing significant population shifts during the 1980s with large influxes of Latino men, women and children. As the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry celebrates its 100th anniversary, the area it serves continues to change and evolve.
And so we celebrate 100 years of innovation and community as we look confidently into the future.
Note: Information from this article was gathered from a variety of sources, including The Legend of theVF Corporation by Jeffrey L. Rodengen and Berks County: the Green Diamond of Pennsylvania by James L. Holton.
Textile mills and iron manufacturing plants have been replaced by plastic, electronics and battery manufacturers. Greater Reading is home to environmental companies, service agencies, construction companies and a great range of retail establishments, including the beloved Boscov’s department store chain.
OVER THE YEARS: April 4, 1913
At monthly meeting of the Board of Trade – reference made to Chamber of Commerce and proposed consolidation– assertion made that there is some insanity in progressive movement.
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Your Guide to the Greater Reading Area
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