America’s Pie When Matt Reed started America’s Pie in September 2010, he had three employees. Today, he’s got a team of 40, and opened a second location in Tinicum, Delaware County about two years ago. “When I was younger, I’d dream about having my own restaurant one day,” Matt said. “I never thought then that we’d have more than one location. The overwhelming response to America's Pi’se food and vibe had people always asking if and when we could expand. Opening another location in DelCo—my home county—seemed the obvious choice.” The growth that America’s Pie has experienced has been both figurative and literal. “Outgrowing our spaces has been a huge pain for the store,” Matt told us. “We’ve expanded each store to get more square footage, and it never seems like enough!” Another problem with giving the people what they want? “Meeting the demands of everyone's expectations has been the biggest transition for America's Pie during
our growth. Being able to maintain the food quality we’re known for, combined with the speed everyone expects—it’s a tightrope act, especially when you add the growth of volume we’ve seen in the past eight years.” The key to expanding a small business is pretty straightforward, according to this entrepreneur. “Never take your foot off the gas. You work harder than you ever have before when you are running your own business. You can't shut it off, it becomes part of your identity. Never sacrifice quality. The proof you are successful isn't in the profits; it’s in the reputation you build.”
Arthur Hall Insurance Talking with the team at Arthur Hall Insurance, there’s a keyword that keeps coming up: integrity. From questions of business growth, to success, to implementing culture, time and again Executive Vice President Mark Sammarone cites the importance of integrity. “Creating a good value proposition for your customer and acting with integrity is
Key employees at Arthur Hall formed a management group to run the agency. Pictured are Agency Principals Mark Sammarone, Nicole C. Grebloskie, Karen L. Leary & Joshua J. Isler
not new,” he says, “but it’s still a winning formula.” Arthur Hall Insurance is one of only a handful of local businesses to have surpassed the half-century mark. Found in 1966 by a man named, unsurprisingly, Arthur “Art” Hall, the agency was initially established to focus on personal insurance and farming accounts. Yes, farming. That agency, like many a small business, was initially run out of Art’s home, but it quickly grew to include several employees and an office in West Chester. Art ran the company for it’s first 20 years before seeing it through its transition to Tom and Jackie Van Grofski. The Van Grofski’s oversaw incredible growth at the helm of the company, which doubled in size under their stewardship. Incredibly, the company’s reins remain in local hands; in 2005 a core group of employees formed the current management group and again doubled the company’s size. They now maintain offices
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