Woodstown-Pilesgrove Business Association - Woodstown, Pilesgrove & Salem County NJ Businesses

GLASSBORO, NJ --- Chris Painter, President of Astro Outdoor Advertising, Inc. and Astro Sign Company, both headquartered in Glassboro, announced that Michael Fratini has joined the companies. Mr. Fratini brings a decades worth of experience, within the outdoor advertising industry, to our companies. As a family owned and operated business, with management having passed to the second generation, the addition of
Mr. Fratini is in keeping with managements strategic plans to further enhance the high level of expertise and customer service that their clients have come to anticipate in their dealings with the companies.

Doug Painter, Vice President, stated Michael is a great fit and we are looking forward to him being part of our team. Painter added that Mr. Fratini most recently worked with Titan Worldwide in Philadelphia, where he handled advertising on SEPTA, NJ Transit and the PATCO high-speed rail lines. Mr. Fratini currently resides in Mantua, NJ with his wife Jennifer, and his three children Christian, Kaitlyn and Ava. Michael will be working out of the company's main offices. He can be reached at 856-881-4300 or via email mfratini@astrosignco.com

Astro has operated in Glassboro, home of its main offices and production facility, since 1983. It is a full service sign company and outdoor advertising firm, providing solutions to customers visibility issues, headquartered on Rt. 322. They also have satellite offices in Woodstown NJ. Their client base encompasses the entire Delaware Valley, northern NJ and New York. It was established in 1983 by Jerry & Joann Painter, the parents of Chris & Doug, solely as a billboard advertising company. Diversification into commercial signage soon followed. Today, the company specializes in billboards, digital printing, indoor & outdoor signage of all types and styles, along with banners, vehicle graphics, project and jobsite type signs. More recently, as another part of the growth plan to better serve the customer, the company has expanded into the electrical part of its industry. Providing storefront letters, main ID signs, and the very visible scrolling message signs, known as multi message LED displays. You can learn more about Astro by visiting their website, www.AstroSignCo.com. They can be reached in Glassboro at 856-881-4300, or 609-617-0972 in Woodstown.


Bob Preidt and Bobbie Turner presenting Cara Catalano the Paul M. Langley Sr. Scholarship		Michelle Rice presenting on behalf of R.E. Pierson a check for $1000 for July 4th activities to Doug Painter

When District Governor-elect CarolAnn Jeronimo arrives at the RI Convention in Montréal, Québec, Canada, later this month, she is sure to be noticed.

Jeronimo, a member of the Rotary Club of Woodbury Breakfast, New Jersey, USA, and incoming governor of District 7640, has converted her PT Cruiser into a moving billboard for Rotary, covering its exterior with Rotary logos and messages.

She plans to drive the decorated vehicle 460 miles from her home in Logan Township to downtown Montréal for the convention, arriving Saturday, 19 June.

"When the Cruiser is coming toward you, you see the End Polio Now message," explains Jeronimo, who had originally thought about wrapping the whole car in a polio eradication decal but then decided on a more diversified approach. "On the top of the windshield is 'Rotary: Humanity in Motion.' On the side is next year's theme, Building Communities -- Bridging Continents . On the back of the trunk are the four Rotary youth programs."

Jeronimo came up with the idea while pondering a PR grant for her term. She first approached 2009-10 District Governor Sam Conte Jr., who owns an auto repair shop, with the idea of applying for a grant to buy a big truck and decorate it with Rotary messages. "But he thought I was crazy," she recalls. So she turned her attention instead toward her own vehicle.

Doug Painter, a member of the Rotary Club of Woodstown and owner of Astro Sign Company, helped Jeronimo make her PT Cruiser stand out. All of the signs and decals are removable, so she can modify the messages as the year progresses.

"It has to go back to the shop next week because we need to add Service Above Self. We also have to make a small change to the Humanity in Motion sign," to conform to proper usage of the Rotary Marks, she says.

Jeronimo has already received many comments. "Everyone wants to have their photo taken with it," she says. "When I pull into a gas station, people will ask, 'What is Rotary?' So it is a great chance to explain what Rotary is all about. You have to have your elevator speech ready."

Another sign on Jeronimo's PT Cruiser -- "Don't Feed the District Governor, Feed South Jersey's Hungry Instead" -- promotes the district project for her term. During her official visits, she will ask clubs to donate the money they would have used for her meals to feed the hungry, and club members to contribute a can or two of food at each district event.

She plans to keep her vehicle decorated throughout her year, changing the signage periodically.

Asked if she would recommend this public relations ploy to others, she responds with a laugh: "Only if they're as crazy as I am."

Woodstown Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab of 84 E Grant St. Woodstown welcomes Mark Valente, PT to the practice.

Mark is a long time Woodstown - Pilesgrove resident and the original founder of Woodstown Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab in February of 2006.

Mark, former EVP of Operations for Physiotherapy Associates Inc., and his wife Cheryl, Pediatric Physical Therapist in the Salem Co. schools, will fully acquire Woodstown Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab at the end of this year.

Mark is excited to be working full time in the Woodstown clinic with Mike Walls MSPT, Cert. MDT and Stephanie String DPT, Cert. MDT, CSCS. He looks forward to the opportunity to use his "hands-on approach" to help enhance the quality of life to individuals with Back and Neck Pain, Sports Injuries and those recovering from Orthopedic Surgeries.

Mark can be contacted by calling the Woodstown Physical Therapy office at 856-769- 4564.

Congratulations to Harvest Community Bank for their recent nomination for the Community Spirit Award in the Adult Group category. Harvest Community Bank is celebrating their 10th Anniversary this year!

Winemaker Julianne Donnini accepts the eight medals won by Auburn Road Vineyards in the 2009 New Jersey State Wine Competition from Dr. Gary Pavlis of Rutgers University during the Garden State Wine Growers awards ceremony at the Cape May Wine Festival on October 11, 2009.

2009 Emerging Business of Year
Websketching selected as finalist
10/2/2009 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Woodstown, NJ (October 2, 2009)

Websketching just announced that they have been selected as one of the 2009 NJBIZ Business of the Year Award finalists in the Emerging Business of the Year category. This award, presented by Amper, Politziner & Mattia, will recognize the states most dynamic businesses and business leaders who share a commitment to professional excellence, business growth and the community.

Finalists in each category were selected by an independent panel of judges, and will be recognized at a formal awards dinner on December 7, 2009. Out of this elite group of finalists, one winner will be selected from each category and announced at the awards ceremony.

Categories of Recognition include:

Business of the Year (1-50 employees)
Business of the Year (51-100 employees)
Business of the Year (101 or more employees)
Corporate Citizen of the Year
Emerging Business of the Year
Executive of the Year

One of the criteria to be considered for the award is a commitment to give back to the community. Websketching demonstrates this commitment by donating a free website every six months to a worthy non-profit, church, community or special interest group in the South Jersey area. The intention of this program is that the money saved will be put toward achieving the goals of the organization. Previous recipients include: Salem County Red Cross, Woodstown Girl Scouts, Woodstown-Pilesgrove School Foundation, Woodstown Fall Festival, Woodstown By Candlelight, Giant Pumpkin Carve to benefit Meals on Wheels and Woodstowns SPLASH Canoeing/Kayaking Instruction.

Websketching is honored to be chosen as a finalist for this award, said Christine DeGraff, a partner of Websketching. To be acknowledged for our dedication and hard work and recognized as a company with the potential to succeed in todays tough economy is very rewarding.

Congratulations to Alex Alampi of Studio of Fine Art (http://www.alexalampi.com/) who was awarded Best Portrayal of Wetlands for Natuxent Wetlands and Peoples Choice for Breakwater at the Gallery 50 Art Exhibit this past Friday, September 5, 2008.

Congratulations to Anthony Morda, broker and owner of Century 21 Town & Country Realty, for having not one but two of his agents honored at a "Breakfast of Champions" sales event at The Mansion in Voohees on August 14th along with other top agents from Century 21 offices that are part of the South Jersey Brokers Council. Mary Ann Pedrick was the office leader in total sale units so far for 2008 and Audrey Guarino was the office leader in total dollar volumne for the office so far for 2008.

Congratulations to Joe Crevino of Sweet Mary's Chocolates for receiving an award for creating the "Most Innovative New Piece of Equipment in the Chocolate Industry".

On May 21, 2008, Paul Langley, President of the Woodstown-Pilesgrove Business Association, had the honor of presenting the 1st Annual W-PBA Scholarship to Woodstown High School student, Lauren-Rae Chismar, who also happens to be a member of the association.

The $500 scholarship was the first that the business association has given since the group reformed in 2006. The scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit through membership in the FBLA (Future Business Leaders Association) and who has maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students who applied were asked to submit an essay on their future business goals and to provide letters of recommendation from their teachers or advisors.

Lauren-Rae plans to attend Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio in the fall where she will focus on business management, international business and marketing. She will continue running her face painting business, Enchanted Face & Body Art LLC. Lauren's future goals involve working for a non-profit organization.

Congratulations to Coldwell Banker Elite Realtors for their 2007 Achievements, which include:

Congratulations to Paul Langley, John Alvarez, Iwona Shillingford and Pat Smith, our W-PBA officers who were unanimously nominated and voted in to serve another year. Great job!

The W-PBA's website design company, Websketching Website Design (www.websketching.com), was the recipient of the RackspaceŽ 2007 FANATI Award for Outstanding Customer Service. This award was created to honor a Rackspace customer that best demonstrated excellence when it comes to customer service.

Applicants were narrowed down to nine finalists. In order to validate the finalists applications, a customer satisfaction survey was sent to their customers. Based on the survey results and the judges scores, Websketching proved their customer service excellence and came out on top due in large part to a near-perfect customer satisfaction score.

In comments left on the survey about Websketching, Patricia Smith, Secretary of The Woodstown-Pilesgrove Business Association said, As a business association, we were in need of a website; however none of our members had any technical experience. Websketching listened to our thoughts and ideas for what we wanted and developed a product that perfectly encompassed our vision. Websketching was extremely thoughtful of our needs and guided us throughout the entire process in a pleasant and non-intimidating manner. They designed a website that is both professional in nature and visually attractive. Working with Websketching was like working with a friend.

Christine DeGraff and Larry Warwick of Websketching, traveled to San Antonio, TX in January to take part in Rackspace's annual company kickoff meeting where they were presented with the award.

Lauren-Rae Chismar, member of the Woodstown High School FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and owner of Enchanted Face & Body Art (www.EnchantedBodyArt.com), received 2nd place in the Regional FBLA Tournament held on January 10, 2008 at Mercer County College.

Lauren-Rae was one of about 30 teens from Central and Southern NJ to compete in the Businss Communication category part of the tournament. Competitors had to complete a 100 multiple choice and written test in one hour.

"Being my first year in FBLA I had no idea what to expect at the competition, but I studied, approached it with a positive attitude and did the best I could. It turned out to be such a fun and enlightening day; I was thrilled to find out that I had placed second," Lauren-Rae commented.

Lauren-Rae and other qualifying FBLA Members will travel to Edison, NJ on March 13th and 14th to take part in the state competition.

Attention all Members: Have you or your business recently been recognized for an award? Do you have recent accomplishments that you would like to share with members and website visitors? Please submit your information to Christine DeGraff (cdegraff@websketching.com).

Awards & Accolades