Bits of Business

Julian business eying expansion

Nick Malawskey

There appears to be all sorts of news coming out of Julian these days. From sightings of Hollywood stars and runaway trains to a local business doing well and looking to expand.

Weldon Equipment, owned and operated by Jake Weldon, has had a pretty good year. So good, that about a month ago his equipment supplier, Kioti, invited him to tour its manufacturing facility — in Korea.

So, a few weeks and a more than 20-hour trip later, Weldon and his wife arrived in South Korea for a quick trip around the peninsula. It was all part of a dealer appreciation program through Kioti, recognizing Julian as one of its top sales locations in the region.

After six years, Weldon is looking to expand, and said he’s planning on building a new 7,200- square-foot facility further up South Eagle Valley Road, between Julian and Unionville, where he will have more room for new equipment, parts and servicing the compact tractors he sells.

“We’ve just outgrown this place,” he said at his dealership on the corner of Railroad Street and Eagle Valley Road. “It’s exceeded our expectations. ... We’ve made a lot of good customers, who are good friends.”

Local is a cut above

This past Thursday, on the chilly surface of the Twin Ponds Ice Rink outside of Harrisburg, Jake Sharer had a meaty problem put before him.

The butchering specialist was competing in a regional meat cutting “challenge” going steak-to-steak over 30 pounds of prime beef with eight other veteran cutters from across eastern Pennsylvania.

Okay, so don’t expect to see meat cutting in Vancouver, but the competition is fierce.

“They give you an hour and 15 minutes and you have to cut as much as you can ... you have to take your time but you have to move quickly at the same time,” said Sharer, who works at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Patton Township. His handiwork was then judged on a number of criteria, including cut thickness, weight and presentation.

The winner moves on to the state level and eventually a national competition among the restaurant chain, where a purse of $20,000 is on the table.

“They take it pretty seriously,” Sharer said, speaking Wednesday before the competition. “And whoever wins gets the prize money ... which would be a nice bonus.”

B&B opens shop

In Boalsburg, bed and breakfast owner Janis Fisher has transformed part of her West Main Street home into an art gallery where she sells her works.

Made from recycled materials, Fisher displays her hand-made handbags, blankets and other goods at The Verandah Gift Shop.

“I like the challenge of making something from recycled materials,” she said. “And I love Boalsburg — this town is just so cute.”

Open from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, The Verandah may also be reached at 466-6945.

Nick Malawskey can be reached at 235-3928 or nmalawsk@centredaily.com.