In a quiet, tree-lined alcove not far from Boalsburg’s Diamond, Laura Gryschuk has set up shop.
Her store, The Federal House, opened the day before Thanksgiving. Its motif is “recycling things of nature,” as Gryschuk puts it. Inside, shoppers can find handmade furniture, decorative home furnishings crafted from local tree bark, and artwork crafted by locals, inspired by central Pennsylvania’s natural beauty.
“It’s an experience more than just a store,” Gryschuk said. “We have a definite focus on environmentally sensitive wares, but more than that, our philosophy is, if we would like it in our home, we put it in the store.”
The most interesting item in the store, for me at least, was the “pet moss” on display in The Federal House’s central table.
In various-sized crystal bulbs, Gryschuk and her son, Nicholas, who is a partner in the store, have planted patches of local moss and rocks, creating a patchwork of greens, browns, yellows and reds — a chance to bring a piece of the Pennsylvania woods into your living room.
“They’re a great representation of our family’s fascination with nature,” Nicholas Gryschuk said.
Laura Gryschuk said Boalsburg is the perfect setting for the store, which can be found at 138 E. Main St.
“Boalsburg is charming, and it’s got a lot of foot traffic,” she said. “It’s the perfect place to sell the kind of products we do.”
The Federal House is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon until 4 p.m. on Sundays.
Going viral
When you hear “SEO” or “PR,” Brenda Ankney and Angela Stringfellow want you to think C-O-D-A.
Ankney and Stringfellow recently founded Lock Haven-based CODA Concepts to give businesses an edge in the increasingly competitive world of the Internet. The company offers a range of Web-based services, from design to brand management, search engine optimization and viral marketing.
“When someone goes to buy something, or research a service, the first thing more and more people do is go online, go to Google, and type in what they’re looking for,” Ankney said.
“Whether it’s a restaurant or an assisted living facility for your grandmother, our goal is to simply get them toward the top of the search results.”
Ankney and Stringfellow, who have long roots in central Pennsylvania (their friendship stems from their days as classmates at Lock Haven University), brandish their company’s small-town values, even though they’re involved in a business with a global reach.
“We are such a unique region,” Ankney said. “Industry is different here, the way of life is different — that’s not to say people here are not capable of using this new marketing, but what we hope is that people understand there’s this unique opportunity ... for their businesses to experience growth in a new way that’s not being touched.”
Every business should have an online presence, Ankney argues, from hairstylists to veterinarians.
“Driving up traffic to your website will ultimately drive up your business,” she said.
To those who want to learn more, CODA Concepts is offering a free webinar at 1 p.m. Jan. 11 covering online marketing basics.
Those who attend the webinar will be offered a free consultation. To register, or just to learn more about the company, visit CODAConcepts. com.
A good-hearted business
A new resale store will open next week in Philipsburg with a larger goal of helping nonprofits in the community.
PenDale’s Resales, at 205 E. Pine St., will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and will sell clothing, household items, books, toys, games and gifts, with 20 percent of the proceeds going directly to local charities.
“People pick the organization they want to support with their purchases,” said Penni Cyphert, who started the business along with her husband, Dale Cyphert. “It can be a church, the YMCA, the SPCA, Little League.”
The Cypherts are Altoona natives, but lived in Delaware until about two years ago, when they moved to Bellefonte to be closer to family. They’ve had the idea for a while, Penni Cyphert said, but had to find a spot for the business that was reasonably priced but could still bring in enough traffic to make the idea viable.
“When we couldn’t find anything over in the State College, Bellefonte or Miles-burg area, we started looking in Philipsburg,” Cyphert said. “We like our location — we landed right downtown.”
In order to make their idea for “paying it forward” work, Cyphert said she needs some help.
Organizations that wish to be included on the list of nonprofits need to sign up, and can do so by calling the Cypherts at 312-7383 or emailing PenDalesResales@gmail.com. “It’s a real easy, hands-off way for these organizations to get some more cash,” Cyphert said.
Sounds like a pretty nice gift for Philipsburg.
Cliff White can be reached at 235-3928.
