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
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…
Company: Safe Berks & Broken Chair Brewery Where do you live? Sinking Spring Tell us a little how you are making Greater Reading a better place. For me, being an active local shopper is hugely important. Ensuring we stimulate the…
College you attended: Penn State Berks Company you work at: Enterprise Holdings Where do you live? West Reading Where are you from originally? I am from West Philadelphia *inserts Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song* What is it about Greater…
Shanon Sabanos Lives in Wyomissing 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 here 22 years ago. I am originally from Jacksonville,…
Aaron Gantz Lives in Wyomissing 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 grew up in the City of Reading. After completing my…
WORK
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…
If you’re ever seen a copy of Palo Magazine, you were likely caught by the impactful cover photo. If you’ve ever picked one up and paged through it, you might have been impressed by the artful juxaposition of both Spanish…
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
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
Shuman Development Group got some help from the state to refurbish the historic Trexler Mansion in downtown Reading. The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is investing $500,000 in the former Elks Lodge/Trexler Mansion on South Fifth Street. The…
St. Luke's has opened a new health center in Spring Township, offering a new place for residents to go for medical care. The health center offers primary and urgent care, physical therapy and lab and radiology services. Read More
Albright College’s Board of Trustees has given the green light for a new School of Business and Professional Studies, created to expand the college’s School of Professional Studies and encompass all of Albright’s expanding bachelor’s and master’s business degree programs,…
Greater Reading's access to the great outdoors makes it easy to become one with nature By Keith Stamm, Director of Workforce Development, GRCA Whether you make your home in the suburbs or cities of the Greater Reading area, there is…
Senator Bob Casey, along with U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA,) secured $1,000,000 in federal funding as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding bill. The funding was secured to acquire and revitalize abandoned or underused properties around the City…
This past week, 80 community members plunged feet first into Blue Marsh Lake to fundraise for the YMCA of Reading & Berks County’s 18th Annual St. Patty’s Marsh Madness Polar Plunge. All proceeds from Marsh Madness go toward the Y’s…
There is no better place to source local ingredients than Greater Reading By Amanda Burkard-Sell, Agriculture Program Manager, Berks County Dept. of Agriculture Greater Reading is fortunate to be home to over 1,800 diverse farms on some of the nation’s…
Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) successfully financed 14 Community Project Funding priorities, totaling $11,726,065, through the House Appropriations Committee. Houlahan said, “With the help of our board of nonpartisan local leaders, we were able to advocate for projects that will positively…
Heyday Athletic is expanding into the Reading area this spring. It will feature a variety of adult sports leagues that will be played at the Big Show Sports Complex in Bern Township."We are renting so we can operate kickball, flag…
Located on Route 100 in Hereford Township the Sri Venkateshwara Cultural Center is strategically located to reach people in Berks and beyond. The Temple is open every day. Read More
On The Market Greater Reading real estate attractive, diverse By Zylkia R. Rivera, Realtor© and Investor, Member of the Zylkia Rivera Team The satisfaction of promoting home ownership and assisting homeowners in our county is priceless. I have the privilege of working…
"Reading School District has created a new space, called the 'Knight's Keep’, to help the needs of students experiencing homelessness. "So this would be students that are lacking stable and fixed housing," said Leanne Eckenrode, coordinator of social work services…
