Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce Announces Opening of New Visitor Center
After nearly a year of renovations, the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Borough of Quakertown, Quakertown Historical Society and Visit Bucks County, the official tourism promotion agency of Bucks County, announces the opening of a new Visitor Center in Quakertown.
Conveniently located within the Quakertown Historic District, this new location is easily accessible from major highways and will serve as a northern gateway to Bucks County.
To celebrate its opening, the Visitor Center hosted an Open House on May 18 during Quakertown’s Arts Alive Festival.
Our vision for the new center incorporates a rich sense of tradition and local history to provide a welcoming experience for visitors to the Upper Bucks County region, said Tara King, Executive Director of the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce.
This is an exciting time for tourism in Bucks County, Jerry Lepping, Executive Director of Visit Bucks County said. We are proud to be working with the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce to provide travelers a stop along their drive from points such as the Poconos, Lehigh Valley, and New York.”
The 2,300 square-foot building features a glass-enclosed display space highlighting historic artifacts of Bucks County’s industrial heritage, including items manufactured in Quakertown, advertisements from historic businesses, and photographs documenting 150 years of Upper Bucks County. A renovated visitor services area will showcase brochures, itineraries, maps, an information kiosk and information specialists to assist visitors with travel needs.
Visitor Centers remain a valuable asset to the hospitality that our region holds so dear, said Quakertown Borough Manager Scott McElree. With its convenient accessibility from major highways and roadways, this center will provide a boost to tourism in Quakertown and throughout the region.”
The Visitor Center, a renovated late 1800’s barn, is currently open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., with plans to open weekends beginning this fall.
For more information on things to do in Bucks County, check out VisitBucksCounty.com.
For more information about UBCCC go to www.ubcc.org.
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Univest Corporation Expands Insurance Subsidiary Through Acquisition of John T. Fretz Insurance Agency, Inc.
Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania (NASDAQ: UVSP) and its insurance subsidiary, Univest Insurance, Inc., announced the acquisition of John T. Fretz Insurance Agency, Inc., a family-owned-and-operated full-service property and casualty insurance agency providing solutions to both personal and commercial clients. The acquisition, completed on May 1, 2013, expands Univest’s insurance business and market share in the Corporation’s primary service area - Montgomery County, Pa.
"Growth of the Univest Insurance business through acquisition is part of our long term strategy to diversify our business, giving consumers and businesses in the region convenient access to a complete range of financial solutions from one company," said William S. Aichele, chairman and CEO of Univest Corporation. "For more than 75 years, the Fretz Agency has been a well-respected local company with an experienced team of professionals. We are excited to welcome them to Univest and believe their contributions will further strengthen Univest’s ability to serve the insurance needs of businesses and individuals in our communities."
The John T. Fretz Insurance Agency was founded in 1935 by John T. Fretz and is currently owned and operated by M. Scott Clemens, president and nephew of John T. Fretz. The Fretz Agency, which operates offices in Souderton and Lansdale, Montgomery County, grew throughout its history organically by serving both personal and commercial insurance clients in its local markets and through strategic acquisitions. The Fretz Agency has been recognized for excellence by the North Penn United Way and other local non-profit organizations for its active support of the community. The agency has a solid reputation across the industry and has been an advocate for the independent insurance agency system as a Trusted Choice independent insurance agency.
"While this is Univest’s seventh insurance acquisition since 1999, this is only the second agency located in Univest’s core market," stated Ronald R. Flaherty, president of Univest Insurance, Inc. "This acquisition will help to further identify Univest as a leader in delivering competitive and comprehensive insurance solutions. And, the integration of our companies will be seamless for our employees and customers because we both believe in providing exceptional insurance solutions, excellent service and strong financial and volunteer support to our local communities."
Fretz Agency employees will join Univest as a result of the acquisition. These employees will be located in Univest Insurance’s Lansdale office and in a new location expected to open in Souderton later this summer. The John T. Fretz Insurance Agency, Inc. will immediately begin operating under the name Univest Insurance, Inc.
About Univest Insurance, Inc.
Univest Insurance, Inc., headquartered in Lansdale, Pa. is an independent insurance agency, providing property and casualty insurance, employee benefits, and life, health and disability insurance for individuals, businesses and nonprofit clients. Univest Insurance also has offices in West Chester, Chester County and Upper Marlboro Township, MD.
About Univest Corporation of PA
Headquartered in Souderton, Pa., Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania (www.univest.net) and its subsidiaries serve the financial needs of residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations in Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties as well as the Lehigh Valley. For more information on Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania and its subsidiaries, please visit www.univest.net.
Valerie Cain Recieves TD Bank CEO WOW! Leadership Award
Valerie Cain, Vice President, South Doylestown Manager, is the recipient of the 2012 Pennsylvania Store Manager TD Bank CEO WOW! Leadership Award.
Cain began her career with Commerce, before it was acquired by TD Bank Group, as a store manager in 2005. In 2006 she transferred to the TD BankStore on North Main Street in Doylestown where she was promoted to Vice President before assuming her current role as manager of the South Doylestown Store on 425 South Main Street two years ago.
Cain’s experience in banking began in 1995 when she served as a part-time teller before moving on to increasingly senior managerial positions at other local banks.
As a TD Bank employee, Cain is passionate about serving her customers, and takes great care to build lasting relationships with each of them to ensure they achieve their personal and business financial goals.
TD South Doylestown, 425 South Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901. Phone: 215.348-4063
Intellectual Property Attorney Joins Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, P.C.
Douglas Panzer has affiliated with the Lehigh Valley law firm of Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, P.C. in an Of Counsel role. Mr. Panzer specializes in technology transactions and intellectual property strategy, transactions and litigation, with particular focus in the areas of computer software, e-commerce and the Internet.
Mr. Panzer received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Washington & Lee University and his Juris Doctor degree from American University, Washington College of Law. He has worked at the intellectual property law firm of Caesar, Rivise, Bernstein, Cohen & Pokotilow, Ltd. in Philadelphia and served as Corporate Counsel for The Neat Company.
Joseph A. Bubba, the Firm’s Managing Partner, noted: Hiring Doug allows us to provide a wider array of intellectual property services to our business clients. His unique experience with software and technology companies will be a perfect fit given our proximity to Lehigh University, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and other business incubators.”
Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, P.C., a full-service law firm in Center Valley, PA, provides quality legal services in real estate, land use, business, commercial litigation, health care, estate planning & taxation, employment, bankruptcy, family law and related areas. The law firm has been named Who’s Who in Business Lehigh Valley”every year since 2008, and was named one of the Best Places to Work in PA for 2010-2012.
J.D. Power & Associates ranks Beneficial Bank- Highest Customer Satisfaction
Beneficial Bank, the oldest and largest bank headquartered in Philadelphia, recently announced that J.D. Power & Associates, a global marketing information company that represents the voice of the customer, has awarded the bank "Highest Customer Satisfaction with Retail Banking in the Mid-Atlantic Region."
Founded in 1853, Beneficial Bank is the oldest and largest bank headquartered in Philadelphia. It is a community-based, full-service financial services company that has served individuals and businesses in the Delaware Valley for 160 years. With over 60 offices in the greater Philadelphia and South Jersey regions and approximately $5 billion in assets, Beneficial offers a full array of financial products that includes commercial, consumer and real estate lending, insurance and wealth management. Visit www.thebeneficial.com for more information.
Disclaimer: Beneficial Mutual Savings Bank received the highest numerical score among retail banks in the Mid-Atlantic region in the proprietary J.D. Power & Associates 2013 Retail Banking Satisfaction StudySM. Study based on 51,563 total responses measuring 35 providers in the Mid-Atlantic region (DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA & Wash., D.C.) and measures opinions of consumers with their primary banking provider. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed January-February 2013. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.