Helping Local Businesses Succeed

Jay S. Beaver (left) and Michael Townsend Sr.

Wayne Jones in front of his display of delicious
ready-to-cook crab cakes

Mulch & More
Mulch & More owners Jay S. Beaver and Michael Townsend Sr. promise quality landscaping products and fast delivery to their customers, so it's only natural that they expect quick, quality service from their bank. "When we purchased the business in August 2008, we chose Conestoga Bank based on the great experience I had with my personal and other business accounts at the bank," says Beaver.

Townsend adds, "Conestoga Bank always has someone there ready to do something for you." Partnering with a bank that responds quickly helps Mulch & More streamline its merchant services and get paid on time, which is especially important during the peak spring/ summer selling season. A line of credit with Conestoga Bank also helps streamline cash flow so the business runs smoothly year-round.

The company has grown its online presence with a new website that includes user-friendly features like a mulch calculator and local weather information. "These tools make it easier for customers to research the materials they need for a project, including how much to order and when to have it delivered," Beaver explains. Customers can buy products online and request referrals to qualified landscaping contractors in the area.

Mulch & More provides premium mulches, decorative stone, quarry stone, boulders, and topsoils to meet the landscaping needs of contractors and homeowners in the Main Line suburb and Delaware Valley area. Find Mulch & More at 190-B Pennsylvania Avenue in Malvern or online at www.mulch-n-more.com.

Capt'n Chucky's Crab Cake Company
Wayne P. Jones appreciates the one-on-one, personal service he gets as a Conestoga Bank business customer. As owner of Capt'n Chucky's Crab Cake Company in Chester Springs, he gives his customers the same individual attention and friendly experience that keeps them coming back for more.

Jones says, "At the big grocery stores and seafood markets you take a number, place your order, and that's it. Here at Capt'n Chucky's, the fun, friendly atmosphere makes us different. Many of my customers call me by name, and I do the same for them." Since Jones opened Capt'n Chucky's Crab Cake Company in April 2009, the company has grown to serve more than 300 customers locally.

"The product is so good that customers love coming back for more, plus we sell it at a discount price compared to the big markets." The store sells a variety of ready-to-cook crab cakes that customers can pick up and prepare at home. A local favorite is the
award-winning "Smith Island" jumbo lump crab cake prepared in a cream sauce.

With the help of an SBA (Small Business Administration) loan through Conestoga Bank, Jones took a leap of faith and made a major career change. He had been working in management for a large corporation when he met Chuck Wojciehowski, owner of the parent company Capt'n Chucky's Crab Cake Company in Newtown Square. As the idea of opening his own independently operated store under the same name came to fruition, Jones said goodbye to the corporate world for good.

Jones' store in Chester Springs is Capt'n Chucky's first satellite store. "A lot of people in the area were already familiar with the product," Jones explains. "As I was thanking them for their business, they were thanking me just for being here. Word-of-mouth is the reason my business has had such a successful start."

Stop in at Capt'n Chucky's Crab Cake Company at 132 Pottstown Pike in Chester Springs or visit www.welovecrabcakes.com to learn more about the Main Line's award-winning crab cake retailer.