Merchantville native Janet Stevens joined the family real estate business after graduating from Franklin & Marshall College in 1981. The Realtor blood in her veins flows back to her great-grandfather, who built and sold residential houses and lots in what became known as the Amon Heights section of Pennsauken.
Decades-old business model works
“They were our first customer,” recalls Joseph Holman, Steward’s son and current chairman of Holman. Joseph’s daughter, Melinda (Mindy) Holman, is the company’s president and CEO. Today, ARI accounts for nearly half of Holman’s $3 billion in annual revenue. Headquartered in Mount Laurel, ARI manages more than 950,000 vehicles worldwide. Customers include FedEx, Union Pacific Railroad and Carrier Air Conditioners. http://on.cpsj.com/WUIgpb
Local playroom to become art center
Duck Duck Goose, a kids’ center that offers space for unstructured play time, plans a move to Collingswood in April. Art classes will be still be held at the Merchantville site at 21 S. Centre St. and be run by Eilandarts Center. Eilandarts instructors already had been teaching classes at the playroom through a partnership with Duck Duck Goose. For more information, go to www.duckduckgooseplayroom.com
Taste of Sicily on February 28th
Enjoy our late February rustic style appetizer, cauliflower ricotta bruschetta and arrancine caponata. A first course of pappardelle pasta with fried eggplant in a fresh tomato sauce, a second course of veal chop with fennel sausage and rabe and a dessert of biscotti for just $35 per person. price includes soft drinks, coffee and hot tea. This offer cannot be combined with other offers - please call 856-665-8388 to reserve your table early!
McFarlan's bullish on second location
Although the plans are very preliminary and lots of hurdles have yet to be cleared, Collingswood's National Food Market could soon be the second location of an up-and-coming neighborhood grocer. Janet Stevens, who together with her husband Pete Burgess owns the Merchantville-based McFarlan's Market. "We’ve been working on this for a year," Stevens said, "It’s going to still involve some time." The property occupied by the National Food Market would be an ideal setting to serve the Collingswood public. http://bit.ly/YZX71d
Just Steaks coming to town
For Pat McConney, 37, it isn’t such a radical change. It’s all about food in the end. His latest idea was to start a cheesesteak shop. In 2004, he and a partner opened the popular Philly Pretzel Factory on Main Street in Moorestown, “a perfect niche” for soft pretzels along the well-traveled main street in the historic town. That same philosophy seems to be driving him again as he serves up "A Philly taste on a Jersey plate". In December, McConney opened Just Steaks in Riverside and plans to open another at the Merchantville Circle by mid-March. http://bit.ly/YHNWPx
Local company sold
Fulton Bank has agreed to sell its Global Exchange Group division to Cambridge Mercantile Group on December 18th. The 27-employee division, based in Merchantville, N.J., provides worldwide payment and funds transfer services to companies, law firms and professionals. Founded in 1994, Global Exchange is a leader in international payment solutions. Despite being profitable, the division is being sold