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Press Release

Allentown Daycare Owners Buy Neighboring Building for Expansion

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania _ Ethia Dulorie and her husband, Garry, of Macungie have purchased the nearly 4,000-square-foot building at 3001 West Emaus Avenue and plan to renovate and expand.  The couple hope to move their Emaus Avenue daycare to the new site by the fall when the renovations are complete. The building had last been a mattress store.


Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown arranged the financing for the Dulories to buy the building and make renovations. The purchase price was not disclosed. The sale was completed in early March. 


The Dulories opened the day care, Creative Kids Learning Academy, at 2925 W. Emaus Avenue in 2013. They lease the space which has about 55 children enrolled. When they saw the building practically next door was for sale, they decided to buy it and renovate it. The new space will be licensed for about 130 children ages infant to 13. 


“There is a huge demand for quality childcare, especially in this area,” Ethia said. “This will allow us to accommodate more families.” Ethia said they plan to make extensive renovations to the site and install an outdoor play area. They are hoping to complete the renovations in about six months. 

The Dulories also operate a day care, The Lehigh School Academy of Early Education, at 1593 Lehigh Street. No changes are planned for that site. 


When the Emaus Avenue daycare moves, it will change its name to The Lehigh School Academy of Early Education as well. 


Barber said he is excited to see the Dulories expand their childcare business and knows they are committed to providing an environment where children of all ages and backgrounds can flourish. 


Ayon Codner of Keller Williams Real Estate in Allentown represented the Dulories and Carl Joseph Black, Esq. was their legal counsel.

Caterer Buys Building in Plainfield Township to use as Commercial Kitchen

  

Plainfield Township, Pennsylvania _ Chef Angelo Napoli, 34, has purchased a long vacant three-story building at 5664 Sullivan Trail and plans to convert it into a commercial kitchen for his catering business, Modern Fusion Catering. Modern Fusion Catering specializes in custom menus for weddings, celebrations and corporate events. 


Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown arranged the business loan so that Napoli could buy the building and convert it into a commercial kitchen on the first floor and apartments on the second. The purchase closed at the end of February. 


Napoli plans to completely gut the building and outfit it as the main prep kitchen for his catering business, which he plans to someday expand beyond Pennsylvania. “This is going to be a completely new wave of wedding food everywhere as we don’t do typical wedding food,” Napoli said. “We are totally different.”


Napoli, who grew up in Bethlehem Township, often saw the building on Sullivan Trail on his way to his father’s pizzeria in Bangor, Napoli’s Pizza, on S. First Street. He often thought it would make a great restaurant and had dreams of buying it one day.


Napoli, who started his catering business in 2015, had been using his dad’s restaurant kitchen. But as his catering business has expanded greatly, he needed to find his own place. “We were getting too busy for it to be for two businesses,” Napoli said.


Napoli expects the renovations to be complete by mid-summer. The catering kitchen will have a tasting room for wedding clients by appointment. It won’t have a dining room open to the public, Napoli said.  


Apartments are planned for the second floor and possibly for the third floor if zoning allows, Napoli said. Each floor is 2500 square-feet. 


Eventually, Napoli plans to franchise his business and use this commercial kitchen as the main food supplier. “My idea is to franchise the company but this is where the main food supplier will be,” Napoli said. 


Napoli has clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey but plans to expand to other states as well. 

Napoli said Barber, whom he met through a mutual friend, was instrumental in getting him the financing he needed. “Jeff knew how to make it possible,” he said. Napoli said now that he has the funds, he has no choice but to succeed. 


Barber said Napoli is a great chef and businessman and knows his newest venture will be extremely successful.


Napoli was represented by Nancy Hernandez of Howard Hanna The Frederick Group in Allentown. First United Land Transfer handled the closing. 

Couple to Open Luxury Dog Boarding and Daycare Franchise in Bethlehem Township

  

BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania _ Costas and Deb Hrousis of Bethlehem Township have purchased a 2.2-acre property and plan to open a luxury boarding and doggie daycare center on the site by mid-summer. The property, which at one time housed a child daycare center, is at 3986 Township Line Road in the township. 


Mike Gilbert of Lehigh Financial Group LLC helped arrange the multi-million-dollar SBA 504 loan that the couple used to buy the property and will use to renovate the 9,225-square-foot building on it.


“We are basically gutting the entire inside of the building and we’re transforming it into the luxury boarding and daycare model that is K9 Resort,” Deb said. “Our goal is to open sometime this summer.” 


A franchise, K9 Resort is based in New Jersey and a leader in the luxury pet hospitality industry. K9 Resorts offer sleeping enclosures for one to two dogs and day group play or individual play time with staff. It also says it has comfort mat bedding and premium meals for the dogs. 


When fully operational, the couple will be able to offer overnight boarding for up to 85 dogs and doggie daycare for up to 140. 


Like many people, Deb got a dog during the pandemic. Apollo, 4, a black lab, “just loves everybody,” she said. “But he doesn’t necessarily do well in group settings.” Working in education, Deb was looking for a one-on-one place for Apollo at the same time she was looking for her “do-next” career. K9 came up on her internet search, and she was hooked, she said.


Once they bought the franchise, Costas, owner of Veraxia Commercial Real Estate, found the location, which is about 8 minutes from their home. 


Deb said Mike Gilbert was instrumental in getting their SBA loan to close. “He walked us through every step of the project and, whenever challenges arose, he took the stress out of it for us,” she said. “Having Mike there to help when starting a business was instrumental.” 


Gilbert expects the K9 Resort to be popular with area dog owners who wish to pamper their pets when they can’t. 


The buyers were represented by Attorney Paul Harak of Holzinger, Harak & Scomillio Law Offices in Bethlehem and the lender that funded the loan was TD Bank. 

Urgent Care Center coming to former music school property on Allentown’s Eastside

  

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania _ Almost a year after buying the former Dave Phillips Sound & Music store at 622 Union Boulevard, Thomas Walker, CEO of Action Project Management, has secured an SBA loan to convert most of the first floor into an AFC Urgent Care center.


The center will be the first of its kind on the city’s eastside. It is scheduled to open May 18. 


Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, LLC, arranged the SBA loan that Walker will use to renovate the space and open the urgent care center. The loan closed mid-February. 


Barber also helped Walker obtain the financing to buy the 17,000-square-foot building for $1.4 million in March 2022. Action Project Management has since moved its offices to the second floor of the building and uses the property’s warehouse space for its retail projects.


Walker, who was a missionary in Brazil for many years, said he chose to open an AFC Urgent Center because he is very interested in serving the community. The COVID pandemic has made everyone “health-care minded,” he said, “and this will be an asset to the community.” 


The Urgent Center will fill about 80 percent of the space on the first floor of the building. Walker plans to have medical offices fill the remainder. 


Walker said he went to Barber to secure the SBA loan because of “the great job he did” helping him obtain his loan to buy the building last year. 


Barber said he is happy that Walker and the urgent care center will expand options for health care for the people in the neighborhood and surrounding area. 


Based in Birmingham., Alabama, AFC (American Family Care) has urgent care centers nationwide. AFC says its clinics provide immediate medical care at a fraction of the cost of an emergency room. 

Walker was represented by Loren Speziale, Esq. of Gross McGinley LLC of Allentown and the lender that funding the SBA loan was 44 Business Capital. 

Lehigh Valley couple plan to open Indian restaurant in Kutztown

  

KUTZTOWN, Pennsylvania _ Jasdeep and Rajni Grewal of Center Valley have purchased 163 West Main Street near the university and plan to open an Indian restaurant at the site. The restaurant will feature North and South Indian cuisine, but they have not yet decided on a name. 


Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, LLC, in Allentown, helped arrange the commercial financing for the Grewals to buy the building and open the restaurant. 


Rajni Grewal grew up in the restaurant business. Her parents own Indian restaurants in New Jersey and her cousins own Indian restaurants in New Jersey and Easton, near Lafayette College. They will hire a chef for their new restaurant, but Jasdeep says he likes to cook and plans to help out. 


They hope to open the restaurant by the end of April. 


They plan to add some equipment and make some cosmetic changes to the building, which had been a restaurant before it closed. They also plan to add some seating and remodel the bathroom. “Before we open, we want to make it a place that people want to come and have food that is wow,” Jasdeep said. 


Plans are to open the restaurant at 11 a.m. for lunch, close for dinner prep at 2:30, and reopen at 5. However, Jasdeep said their plans could change depending on traffic and what others in the area do. 


The Grewals own two 7-Elevens in the Lehigh Valley area, one on Susquehanna Street in Allentown and one in Richlandtown. Because of Rajni’s family background, they had wanted to add a restaurant to their portfolio. Jasdeep said he had been looking at commercial real estate sites for a while when he saw this opportunity and thought the location in a college town ideal.


Barber said he is confident that their restaurant will be popular and a success particularly in this location with the Kutztown University students and local residents. 


The buyers were represented by Ken Palumbo of Howard Hanna Commercial Real Estate in Allentown. 

Local Bethlehem Restaurant Owner Acquires Hellertown Diner

HELLERTOWN, Pennsylvania _ Zonia Sibri-Quinde of Bethlehem recently purchased the Hellertown Diner at 29 Main Street. This is the second restaurant for Sibri-Quinde, who opened Sibri’s Restaurant at 147 E. Broad Street in Bethlehem in 2018.


Jeffrey Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown arranged an SBA loan so that Sibri-Quinde could complete the purchase. It closed at the end of December.


Sibri-Quinde said she had been looking to expand Sibri’s, a family-owned and operated restaurant, because it’s often crowded and parking is an issue. When she learned the Hellertown Diner was for sale, she thought it was a perfect opportunity and made an offer.


Sibri-Quinde plans to keep both restaurants open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and to add some customer favorite items from Sibri’s to the Hellertown Diner’s menu. “Our customers love our eggs benedict and all the kinds of waffles we serve. They also love our pulled pork and homemade crabmeat items,” Sibri-Quinde said. “Hopefully, people will come to both places to continue to enjoy our food.”


Sibri-Quinde also plans to complete some renovations at the diner but to keep it open throughout.


The Hellertown Diner opened in 2009 and has seating for 144.


Sibri-Quinde was represented by Attorney Joe Piperato. Her real estate agent was Marta Gandia of Cassidon Realty Better Homes & Gardens in Bethlehem. The listing agent was Jessica Vooz of The Jessica Vooz Group at Keller Williams Real Estate of Bethlehem.


The lender was 44 Business Capital, a direct small business lending division of Berkshire Bank.


Barber said he has arranging financing for the buyer for many years and was excited to help Sibri-Quinde secure her SBA loan and is confident her “expansion project” will do extremely well.

Couple to Expand Healthy Juicing Operation with Building in Easton

EASTON, Pennsylvania _ Jackie and Wilson Rueda, owners of Green Vida Company,  have purchased a commercial property at 104 North Fourth Street to expand their organic cold press juicing business. The local business owners acquired the property for with a commercial loan arranged by Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC. 


Jackie Rueda said after some minor renovations to the property, they would move their juicing operation to the new location. “Our juicing operation has grown, so we are expanding,” she said. “This purchase allows us to grow our juicing operations even more.” She expects to complete the move early in the new year. 


The Ruedas opened their original GreenVida location in Bangor in 2018 and moved to the Easton area in 2019.  They started the business after discovering the positive effects that a nutritional diet with natural, high-quality ingredients had on their autistic son’s physical and behavioral health. 


They have two locations: The flagship cafe and juice bar is located inside Park Plaza in Forks Township. A second location in the Easton Public Market has been open since spring 2021. “We are not closing any of our current locations with this expansion,” Jackie Rueda said. 


www.greenvidacompany.com


Rueda said Jeff Barber was really helpful in finding the best commercial loan that helped them to finance their expansion.


Barber said he is excited because he knows that the couple will continue to expand their business and do extremely well. 


The buyers were represented by Nathan Powell of Keller Williams Realty of Bethlehem Pa. The loan was funded by Members 1st. 

Utah Investors Acquire Dog Grooming Business and Real Estate in Poconos

SCIOTA, Pennsylvania _ Kate and Ryan Burns of Salt Lake City, Utah, recently purchased property that includes four apartments and a dog sitting service and pet grooming and supplies business, The Barking Lot, in Sciota. The property is located at 216 Friemann Road. 


Mike Gilbert of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown helped arrange the financing so that the Burns could complete their purchase. 


The Barking Lot was founded by Karen Friemann, a graduate of the New York School of Dog Grooming in Manhattan, in 1982. “The business is very, very well-established and well branded having been in operation for more than 30 years,” Kate Burns said.


The Burns plan to make some improvements to the apartments on the property and to have the well-established pet care business continue. The only change is its name to the Pocono Barking Lot. They also will help the owner establish a website. 


Dog breeders, the Ryans own similar pet care businesses across the country, including in Utah and Idaho. When they saw the Sciota property for sale on the internet, they knew it was a good fit for them, Kate Burns said.  Gilbert was recommended to them by the listing agent. “Mike Gilbert was able to make the commercial loan work for us when others could not,” she said. 


The buyer and seller were represented by Terri Mickens of TACM Commercial Realty Inc.

Premier Granite & Marble Inc. of Pen Argyl Acquired by Local Couple

PEN ARGYL, Pennsylvania _ Mike and Stephanie Bartleson of Williams Township have purchased Premier Granite & Marble Inc. from their good friend, John Hunt. Hunt began the business at 735 West Pennsylvania Avenue in 2002 and wanted to sell because he was relocating out West. 


Mike Bartleson, who had been friends with Hunt for more than 30 years, thought it would be a great opportunity for him to own a small business. Bartleson, a chemist by degree, said he saw the purchase of the business as an opportunity to “maintain and grow relationships that John started over his 20 years in business.” 


Premier Marble & Granite serves both residential and commercial customers. Homeowners can visit the showroom and select materials while contractors and builders also can place orders, Bartleson said. 


A native of Pen Argyl, Bartleson said he has no plans to make changes to the business side of the operation. “It is the perfect chance for me to pick up where John left off,” Bartleson said. 


Eventually, Bartleson expects his youngest son who works at the business to take it over. His son’s working there was another reason why he was interested in buying the business when his friend wanted to sell. 


Bartleson said Hunt had talked about selling over the years but knew he was serious about it this time because he purchased a home in Utah. This is Bartleson’s first business venture. 


Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown arranged the SBA financing for the Bartlesons to purchase the business.


Kristi Lutes, owner/managing director of Persev Advisors in Easton, a mergers and acquisitions firm, was instrumental in making the purchase come together.  Attorney Bryan Tuk represented the buyers and Willow Settlement Services in Nazareth conducted the closing.


Barber said the purchase came together smoothly and that the Bartlesons will be extremely successful with their new business.  

Lehigh Valley HVAC business buys office/warehouse in Pen Argyl for Expansion

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania _ Mohammed Yaseen of Forks Township, has purchased a property at 80 Savorcool Avenue in Pen Argyl, and plans to move his business, Lehigh HVAC LLC, in Easton that he co-owns with his brother-in-law Waqas Ahamd. They closed on the 6,000-square-foot property, which had been formally used by Tru Colors Restoration.


Lehigh HVAC specializes in providing heating and air conditioning services for residential and commercial buildings.


“The property includes offices and a warehouse that are ideal for our business,” Yaseen said. “And we can move in right away without renovations.” 


Yaseen and Ahamd started the business in 2014 in New York and moved it to the Lehigh Valley in 2014. They had been renting space in Easton and had been looking for a property for their business that they could own for a number of years, Yaseen said. 


The Pen Argyl property was ideal because it had what they were looking for: office space and a large warehouse. “We could not find anything more suitable,” Yaseen said. “The way it’s set up is perfect for us.” 


The location is also ideal, Yaseen said. “We service customers from Allentown to the Poconos, and this is more centrally located than our current location.” 


Barber said he was excited to help Yaseen and his brother-in-law close on their ideal property and knows they will continue to do well from this location and continue growing their business with the increase of space. 

Wrenchtec Partners Acquire Forks Diner for Expansion

  

FORKS TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania _ Partners Dave Fiore and Sherief Elsamra have purchased the old Forks Diner at 3315 Sullivan Trail as a second location for their full-service auto repair business. They paid $650,000 for the nearly 5,000 square-foot diner and plan to convert it into a 6-bay auto repair shop. 


Lehigh Financial Group, LLC in Allentown arranged more than $1,000,000 for the partners to acquire the property and convert it into a second shop. The new auto repair business will be called Your Mechanic PA, LLC. 


Best friends, Fiore and Elsamra had been looking for a second location to accommodate their growing repair business for some time when their real estate agent Kristie Bauder of Iron Valley Real Estate of the Lehigh Valley informed them that the former diner was on the market. 


“Because we were doing well in our first location, we wanted to expand our services to Forks Township,” Fiore said. 


Fiore and Elsamra opened their first auto repair shop, Wrenchtec at 20 E. Lawn Road in Nazareth, four years ago. It has 4 bays. Its mechanics do everything from maintenance to automotive repairs and specialty part installations. 


Lehigh Financial Group helped the partners secure financing for their first business venture and the partners knew the team at LFG would be ideal to help them with financing for their expansion. 


The partners hope to complete the construction and open the new shop by early spring. 

New UPS Store to Open at Shepard’s Corner near Hamilton Crossings

  

LOWER MACUNGIE, Pennsylvania _ Krunal “Ken” Patel and his wife, Priya, plan to open a UPS Store in Shepherd’s Corner, a new six-unit strip mall just south of the Hamilton Crossings shopping center. They plan to open the store in two to three months when construction is complete and the store is fully outfitted. The store will be located at 5585 Hamilton Boulevard. 


The Patels closed on an SBA loan August 24 that will enable them to finance the project. Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown arranged the SBA loan for them. 


Krunal Patel, of Reading, said he had been looking for the best location to open his UPS store for some time and was familiar with Allentown having worked there for several years. “I’m very excited to open in Allentown because it’s a growing area,” he said. Also, Patel said, due to COVID, more people are making online purchases and need mailing services. 


The UPS Store, Patel said, is the nation’s largest franchisor of retail shipping, postal, print and business service centers. It has about 5,000 locations across North America.


Patel said his 1,500-square-foot store will offer shipping, shredding, printing, fax, passport photos and notary services. Also, the store will feature personal and business mailboxes.


Patel had previous business experience as the owner of a tobacco store.


Barber said Patel has a good background for this new business and he is certain it will do well. Barber also said the location is ideal. 


The strip mall has been in the works for more than two years but faced some pandemic related delays. 

Slate Belt Butchery to Expand into Iconic New Tripoli Butcher Shop This Fall

  

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania _ Partners Scott Carey of Easton and Mike Schnalzer of Slate Belt Butchery LLC in Saylorsburg have purchased Hartman’s Butcher Shop off of Route 309 in New Tripoli and plan to reopen it this fall after completing some work. The 6,000-square-foot butcher shop closed July 2021 when its owner, Dennis Hartman, retired.  


The buyers are renaming the retail shop, located at 7291 Autumn Road, Carey and Schnalzer Quality Meats. They will continue processing their wholesale meat business under Slate Belt Butchery. They acquired the for the real estate, which included butchering equipment and its smokehouse along with some of Hartman’s secret recipes. 


Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC in Allentown arranged the SBA loan for the partners to buy the property and make some improvements to it. Barber said “He is excited to for both partners and was happy to help them expand their business and enjoyed working and learning what goes into the butchery business”.  



The butcher shop, with its iconic statute of a pig looking out on the road, had been in the Hartman family for three generations. It was started in 1940 by Hartman’s grandfather. 

“We bought a turnkey operation, but we plan to make it our own,” said Carey. The new shop will offer some of the sausages and other meat items that the Hartmans were known for as well as some of Carey’s and Schnalzer’s own recipes.

When Carey learned the business was for sale, “it was a no-brainer” to pursue it, he said. Carey, who had always wanted to “start my own thing,” is confident it will do well as it has a loyal customer base and is well-known in the area. 


Carey had worked in corporate marketing but was unhappy. He decided to pursue a career in something he enjoyed and followed his love of cooking and smoking meats to be trained in butchery. Schnalzer had been his boss at the butcher shop where Carey worked and they became and remained good friends. 


Carey said the demand for “this business is sky high” and that word spread quickly among those who work in it when Hartman’s was for sale. Carey said Barber walked him and Schnalzer through the process and helped them to acquire the financing they needed to complete the deal.


They hope to reopen the shop by September and perhaps have a soft opening in August. 

Investors buy campgrounds in Lehighton for $3.8 million, plan improvements

Lehighton, Pennsylvania _ A group of investors, including Deepak Bhatnagar of Flemington, New Jersey, and Kuldeep Kumar of New York, purchased the 48-acre RelaxNation at 1500 Rock Road, Lehighton, for $3.8 million in early June.  The investors plan on making many improvements and updates to the year-round vacation and leisure destination that offers both traditional campgrounds and experiential glamping facilities. 


“We are adding 10 new cabins, fully renovating a house, and moving a chalet on the property to a better location,” Bhatnagar said. “We also plan to clean up the property, and hire a consultant/ management company to run it.” In addition, the group plans to advertise the property more heavily. 


They expect the renovations and improvements to be complete by the end of the year.


The partners own other properties in Pennsylvania including the Hampton Inn, next door to RelaxNation. That’s how they saw it was for sale and believed it was a good investment, Bhatnagar said. The other investors are: Dilbag Singh of Pennsylvania and Namrata Sharma of New Jersey.


RelaxNation is 1/2 mile off of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, conveniently located to Jim Thorpe, Beltzville Dam, Blue Mountain Resort and more.


The gated scenic resort offers guests a variety of amenities for all camping abilities including rustic cottages, RV sites, primitive camping and glamping sites.  It also has a swimming pool, fishing, and nightly entertainment. Its sky pavilion, located on the summit of the facility, is available for larger events including weddings.  


The new luxury cottages will offer guests the best views overlooking the beautiful Pocono Mountains. “Our great hall will offer daily breakfast, evening reception, and nightly entertainment,” Bhatnagar said. “We will also have a general store for all your travel needs. Guests will be able to come and stay in our newly renovated historic farmhouse with a view of the Pohopoco River.”

Schnecksville family buys campgrounds near Bloomsburg for $1,315,000

BLOOMSBURG, Pennsylvania _ Michael and Becky Shevlin of Schnecksville have purchased the family-oriented Indian Head Campground along the Susquehanna River and Fishing Creek and plan to make some upgrades as they continue its operation. They paid $1.315 million for the 38-acre campground, which has been in operation since 1976 under the same owner. Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC helped arrange the SBA financing to purchase the property and complete upgrades. The acquisition closed at the end of April. 


The campground at 340 Reading Street offers primitive sites for tents, water and electric for RVs, and full hookup sites. It is located on Route 42, three miles South of Exit 232 (Buckhorn/Bloomsburg) of I-80.


Becky Shevlin said their family loves to camp and, when COVID hit, they were looking for an opportunity to make such a purchase. When they saw this campground was available, they jumped. “It fit exactly what we wanted,” Becky said. “It had a lot of space. And it was the perfect fit for us.” Shelly Wattles, of Pine Creek Real Estate in Galeton, Pennsylvania, was the listing and selling agent for the campgrounds.


Becky said they plan to add a pole barn to serve as an event center and to be used as storage. “We want to add more weekend activities to keep our guests entertained,” she said. The campgrounds is “a nice fun family place, and we want to keep it that way,” she said.


The campgrounds, named after a local rock out-cropping, is built on what had been a cornfield, she said. Becky said the couple also plans to market the property more extensively than it had been.  RV sites are available from May 1 to October 31.  

Local Whitehall Gas Station, Convenience Store, Laundromat and Car Wash recently sold for $1,800,000

The buyers were Malke Enterprise Corporation.  Lehigh Financial Group LLC arranged the financing and Joe Paranee of Paranee Properties was the listing and selling agent. 

Action Corporations Purchases Local Music School Location for $1,400,000

ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA _ Action Corporations has purchased a 17,000-square-foot building at 622 Union Boulevard, which formerly housed Dave Phillips Music & Sound, for $1.4 million and plans to move there in early May. The closing occurred March 18. Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group, LLC, in Allentown, arranged the financing to enable Action Corporations to complete the purchase and finance the renovations.


Thomas Walker and his wife, Evandra, started Action Cleaning, a janitorial company, in New York City in 2007, and have since expanded to five businesses. In addition to the original janitorial service, Action has companies that provide renovations, installations, and fine carpentry. It also offers temporary outsourced labor solutions for distribution centers and warehouse needs.


Since its founding, Action Corporations has expanded from New York to other states across the country including California, Texas, Maine and Florida. Among its clients are Macy’s, Target, Starbucks, Walmart, Panera Bread, Bed Bath & Beyond and Wells Fargo. 


“What you would call us today is a project management company,” said Walker, who is CEO. “We have vendors who work exclusively for us and vendors we use when jobs come up in their area,” he said. It has about 20 employees as well as large list of independent contractors that it uses. 


 In 2016, a relationship with one of its clients led to Action doing business in Eastern Pennsylvania. In 2018, Walker rented space at 1041 North Quebec Street and a warehouse on South 5th Street for his companies. He plans to move from North Quebec Street to the property on Union Boulevard once renovations are complete.


Walker is planning to use the new space as offices for its corporate holdings. “We need the warehouse and the office space,” Walker said. “But we are planning to rent the retail space in the front of the building and will be looking for a partner.”


Commercial specialist Peter Adams of Berkshire Hathway/Fox & Roach Realtors in Macungie represented Walker as the buyer’s agent and Joe Paranee of Paranee Properties was the listing agent.


Dave Phillips Music & Sound closed its Allentown store at the end of January 2018.


Barber said he is happy to see Walker find a new home in Allentown for his businesses that continue to grow and expand.  

Lehigh Valley Real Estate Firm Moving to and Renovating Iconic Building in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania _ Morganelli Properties, a residential and commercial real estate company, has purchased the iconic building across from Liberty High School at 1124 Linden Street for its new headquarters. The locally owned real estate company plans to renovate the building, formerly an ice cream shop and pharmacy, and open its new headquarters in Bethlehem by summer.  Jeff Barber of Lehigh Financial Group LLC helped brother/owners John and Chris Morganelli obtain an SBA loan to purchase the property for $820,000 and complete the renovations. The deal closed at the end of February.


Morganelli Properties is currently located at 1057 Main Street in Hellertown in space it rented when the firm opened four years ago. Vice President Chris Morganelli said, “We are super excited about this move. Our new headquarters are going to be state-of-the-art, really tasteful and classy.”


Chris and his brother John, who is president of the firm, grew up in Bethlehem and would go on family outings to the ice cream shop, Nuts About Ice Cream, which recently closed after 33  years in business. Lucy Lennon of Morganelli Properties was the listing agent for the 7,500-plus square-foot building that has two rental units on the second and third floors and that will remain.


Morganelli Properties has more than 40 members of its real estate family most of whom work remotely, but will be able to use the first-floor headquarters when renovated. Heather McFadden is the broker of record and an owner of the firm. She, too, said she is excited to move to an “iconic building” in such a “prime location.”


“We plan to hold a grand opening and show the public what we’ve done when it is ready,” Chris said. “We are expecting the renovations to take two to three months and they are starting now.” Renovations are planned for both inside and out.


Chris said that Morganelli Properties’ buying the building makes a statement to the community: “We are here and not going anywhere.”


Barber said, “This property is an excellent location with high viability for Morganelli Properties to continue to grow and expand their business.” Barber said he was happy to help with arranging the financing for the acquisition of real estate.  

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