Are you interested in discovering the amazing individuals who call Greater Reading their home? You’ll be amazed by the diverse and fascinating people who have made this community great. Perhaps you’re eager to uncover the compelling tales of companies that have recently established themselves here, or the longstanding businesses that have thrived for generations. Click on the stories below to delve into the inspiring narratives of our vibrant community. Discover why Greater Reading is the perfect place for you.
LIVE
Katie Johnsen Lives in Wernersville Have you always lived here? Did you grow up here, move away, and come back? Did you grow up somewhere else and move here? I moved around a lot as a child – mostly in…
Growing up, going to college was always a dream for Erick Astacio. While it seemed like the dream was out of reach at times, he found a way to succeed. His dream came through when he crossed the stage to…
When you meet Rogelio Flores, it’s hard to believe that he once considered dropping out of high school. The Reading High School graduate recently crossed the stage to earn his baccalaureate degree in electro-mechanical engineering technology, with a minor in…
College you attended: RACC and Penn State BerksCompany: Lockheed MartinWhere do you live? Lower HeidelbergWhere are you from originally?Originally, I am from Las Vegas. I came here after my husband had a job opportunity and then I went back to…
Company: GoggleWorks Center for the ArtsWhere do you live? WyomissingWhat are your favorite local activities to do with your family?When the kids weren’t walking yet, we loved to walk at the Reading Public Museum and trails in Wyomissing. We live…
College you attended: Kutztown UniversityCompany:Alicia: Berks County Intermediate UnitBrandon: Wilson School DistrictWhere do you live? Alsace TownshipWhere are you from originally?Alicia: I am originally from Royersford, Pa., which is in Montgomery County.Brandon: I am originally from Jim Thorpe, Pa., which…
Company: Dolan Construction Inc.Where do you live? Exeter TownshipWhy did you return to Greater Reading after living outside the area?I returned to Reading to be involved in my family's construction business.How has Greater Reading changed for the better since you…
College you attended: Albright CollegeCompany: Reading Area Community College, Miller Center for the ArtsWhere do you live? ReadingWhere are you from originally?Carroll County, MarylandWhat is it about Greater Reading that made you want to stay here after graduation?I wanted to…
Company: Reading Bakery Systems (RBS)Where do you live? MyerstownWhy do you think Greater Reading is a great place to work in manufacturing?The Reading area has a surprising number of globally recognized companies. Each of these companies is providing jobs where…
A Tale of Two Homes In Greater Reading, one can easily travel between rolling countryside, walkable urban areas and historic small towns. Even better, residents can choose to make one of these experiences their home. The mountains called them By Audrey Krupiak, Assistant Director…
Anthony Orozco | Company: Barrio AlegríaTatiana Foronda | Company: Tower HealthWhere do you live? ReadingTell us a little how you are making Greater Reading a better place.Anthony: I am helping create more beauty, light elegance and excellence for our Reading…
WORK
Owner & Founder, FRESH Breakfast | Lunch. Lives in: Sinking Spring Nicholas Kaltsas began working in his family’s restaurants from a young age, honing his skills and learning the craft. He continues to use his father’s recipes, infusing them with…
Tasty Innovation A Unique history of snacking By Justin Spannuth, Unique Snacks and Garrett Allen, Harris, Baio & McCulloughThe Spannuth family has been baking pretzels since the late 1800s and Unique Pretzels was officially trademarked in 1921. Family businesses are…
The Grass is Greener Here New Castle Lawn & Landscape grows (literally) in Greater Reading By Tricia Williams, VP of Sales & Marketing, New Castle Lawn & LandscapeNew Castle Lawn & Landscape began as a small side hustle in 1988…
Craving Goodness Homemade Cravings drive, passion fuel growth By: Luisa M. Suarez, Owner, Homemade CravingsHomemade Cravings is a family bakery that started in 2009 in Puerto Rico. After many years of working from our home, we grew and received amazing…
That's a Wrap A manufacturer with its own orbital stretch wrap machine By Andy Brizek, VP of Sales and Marketing, TAB Industries, LLCTAB Industries, LLC was founded in 2005. We are an OEM manufacturer for our own line of orbital…
Longevity in Lifting American Crane, leader of overhead crane manufacturing, follows owner's American Dream By Michele Kienle, Marketing Manager, American Crane and Equipment Corporation American Crane and Equipment Corporation (ACECO) was founded by Oddvar Norheim in 1972. He was an…
Moving Mindfully Mindful Roots connects kids and yoga By Karen Tripolitis, Founder of Mindful Roots Yoga, LLC Mindful Roots supports elementary aged students and those that guide them through our movement based program called, The M.Y. Time Program. Mindful movement,…
In the Vine Business Folino Estate focuses on making wine, memories By Andrea Folino, Owner & VP Sales & Marketing, Folino Estate Folino Estate is a winery, vineyard, restaurant and event venue. We planted our first set of vines in…
Shopping Made Stellar Stellar House Gift Shop offers pop-up shops, unique buys By Adriene Billet, Owner, Stellar House Gift ShopWe opened Stellar House Gift Shop in Boyertown, Pa., in October 2021. The shop specializes in colorful, hilarious and unique gifts,…
From Virtual to Reality CatapalloVR uses technology to teach life skills By Kryn McClain, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, CatapolloVRCatapalloVR, headquartered in Greater Reading, was founded in 2023. We are a virtual reality (VR) company focused on helping intellectually disabled…
Creative Sustainability Refillable Goods focuses on keeping products clean and safe By Jaylene Torres and Paola Cevallos, Co-Owners, Refillable Goods At Refillable Goods, we are committed to offering high-quality, eco-friendly products that are made with safe ingredients. We carry a…
PLAY
Greater Reading scores-big in minor league sports By Keith Stamm, Director of Workforce Development, GRCA Sports and the Greater Reading area have a long history together. In fact, our love of sports and our great location have spurred a vibrant…
Greater Reading's main streets full of vibrant art, history and food By Aaron Gantz, Senior Director of Economic Development, GRCA Discover the vibrant and diverse main streets of Greater Reading, each offering a unique blend of history, arts and local…
Occupation: Founder – Gayatri Wellness; City Councilwoman – Reading PA District 1 Why Sihelnik loves playing in Greater Reading: Sihelnik loves to play in Greater Reading because she believes the area provides whatever your heart desires within a 15-minute car…
Greater Reading offers many unique places to perform yoga – warehouses, farms, rooftops, wineries, breweries, on top of Hawk Mountain or next to Blue Marsh Lake. BLDG. 7 Yoga, located in the heart of Wyomissing, offers multi-dimensional yoga classes for…
Rivertribe Outdoors opened in mid-2018 after its founding owner and local native, Jed Wright, purchased the former Schuylkill River Outdoors outfitter, based out of the Monocacy-Douglassville area. Wright began operations quickly after his acquisition, but had some false starts along…
Every year since 1991, an impressive array of jazz musicians, a dedicated staff of presenters from the nonprofit Berks Arts, thousands of fans and an army of volunteers gather to create Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest. After the success of its…
Setter Ridge Vineyards was developed out of love for English Setters and winemaking. This family owned and operated winery specializes in dry European styled wines. Setter Ridge wine gets its distinctive palette from the farmlands and hillsides owned by the…
With repeating John Lennon faces on the ceiling and even more priceless memorabilia lining the walls, Long Trout Winery in Auburn, Penn. brings more than psychedelic fun ─ the wine selection is as groovy as the atmosphere. While most wineries…
Greater Reading has a thriving wine scene. Whether you are looking for full bodied or light bodied red, white, rose, sparkling or dessert wine Greater Reading has it all. Deerfoot Vineyards and Winery is a small boutique winery located in…
The leaves are beginning to change colors, the air is becoming crisp, fall decorations are popping up and the smell of pumpkin spice is filling our senses indicating fall is on the horizon. Fall is a beautiful time in Greater…
Greater Reading is full of opportunities for outdoor sports such as biking, climbing and hiking making it a great place to play, but it also comes with unique opportunities for indoor sports as well. Berks County is home to not…
LEARN
Growing up, going to college was always a dream for Erick Astacio. While it seemed like the dream was out of reach at times, he found a way to succeed. His dream came through when he crossed the stage to…
When you meet Rogelio Flores, it’s hard to believe that he once considered dropping out of high school. The Reading High School graduate recently crossed the stage to earn his baccalaureate degree in electro-mechanical engineering technology, with a minor in…
Penn State Berks is preparing the students of today for the in-demand careers for tomorrow. With 20 baccalaureate degree programs, and the first two years of more than 275 degree programs that can be completed at other campuses, students have…
PA Dream Team Program The Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) is working collaboratively with schools, industry, and area stakeholders to create innovative programs that feature technical careers, STEM and CTE education to students, parents, and educators. With the assistance of the…
Providing access to career awareness and exploration opportunities for the more than 70,000 students in Berks County continues to be a top priority for the Career Ready Berks Alliance. The Alliance is a coalition of the 18 Berks County school…
Alvernia’s brand new Reading CollegeTowne reconstruction at 401 North Penn Street in downtown Reading nears completion and awaits the arrival of students in August 2021. This exciting extension of Alvernia’s campus is designed as a strategic champion of economic redevelopment,…
As the oldest college in Berks County, Albright College is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the future. Today, key structural projects are being designed to connect all of the different ways that students learn in the 21st century. …
Fifty years ago, Reading Area Community College (RACC) was founded on October 1, 1971. Classes were held for the first time on October 13, 1971, with an enrollment of 265 students. The college operated from several buildings throughout Reading during…
Drexel University College of Medicine at Tower Health welcomed its inaugural class of 40 first-year medical students to its Wyomissing campus on August 2, 2021. The new, state-of-the-art academic building houses standardized patient exam rooms, an anatomy laboratory, small group…
To understand an entrepreneur’s journey, one must recognize their challenges and appreciate the many tools and services it requires to go from a business plan to opening. Despite the difficulties that can often serve as barriers to success, a recent…
With 5 colleges and universities in the Berks County footprint, it is easy to understand why Greater Reading has bragging rights to add LEARN to Live, Work, Play. Meet Greater RDG is always looking for the positivity in our community…
Community Stories
After many years, and lots of community input, Goggleworks officially held a ribbon cutting for its new art park. The ribbon cutting had several Pennsylvania officials and state lawmakers in attendance. Goggleworks has several exciting plans for the art park,…
Since becoming the sole Fixed Base Operator in January 2024, the Reading Regional Airport Authority has made significant strides in improving airport operations, facilities and services. This transition has introduced a wave of positive changes, setting new standards for transparency,…
Want the best tacos in Pennsylvania?! Greater Reading has them! Huge congratulations to Comalli Taqueria for being ranked as the top taco spot in Pennsylvania! We’ve always known they serve up some of the best tacos around, and now everyone…
The City of Reading has officially launched its visionary City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) initiative following last week’s first public hearing. The program is poised to drive economic vitality, attract businesses, and create jobs with the goal of transforming…
Spring Township may soon have a new development project in the works. The township board of supervisors on Monday night voted unanimously to approve a conditional use for a proposed 103-acre mixed-use development. This project is known as Broadcasting Village, and…
Discover the vibrant urban agriculture scene in the City of Reading! This video highlights the incredible community gardens and urban farms that are transforming spaces and growing fresh, local produce right here in Greater Reading - check it out! watch…
Kutztown University’s Department of Physical Sciences has been awarded a five-year $375,000 grant from NASA for its Here to Observe (H2O) program. The H2O Program gives undergraduate students the opportunity to observe and interact with NASA Planetary Science Division teams,…
The Peppermint Stick Candy Store has acquired the space next door and have transformed it into a soda fountain and ice cream parlor. This custom-built 1940s-themed ice cream parlor and soda shop features authentic fixtures and décor carefully recreated by…
The City of Reading celebrated the dedication of the newly revitalized Centre Park, located at 725 Centre Ave. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the completion of the project. The revitalization project included a $1 million investment funded by the American Rescue…
The long-awaited Reading Skatepark officially opened, marking the end of a year-long construction project and the realization of a decade-long dream for the local skateboarding community. A dedication ceremony attended by city leaders, volunteers, and dozens of enthusiastic community members…
Area higher education institutions aren't just for students and faculty; they're for the public, too.en From our partners at Berks County Living, Compiled by Nikki M. MurryWhile our area college campuses are home to the faculty, staff and students working…
Meet nearly a dozen groups that bring music and music education to the Berks County community. From our partners at Berks County Living, by Jon FassnachtIt’s the universal language. Music can pump up or soothe, motivate or relax, get you…
