About 250 alumni in the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County work as entrepreneurs or are otherwise engaged in business and independent professional activities.
In early 2014, Crossroads attempted to identify local businesses that are owned by alumni or have top managers who are alumni. Here is the resulting list of 88 businesses (feel free to email corrections or additions to Crossroads@emu.edu, and these will be printed in a subsequent issue):
InterChange Inc. president Devon Anders ’88 is flanked by some of the other alumni employed at his company: Ed Bollinger ’91; Matt Swartley ’08; Kevin Longenecker ’91; Chris Thompson ’91; Devon Anders ’88; Jeremy Byler ’99, MDiv ’06; Kaori Umemoto ’10; Keith VanBenschoten ’88; D. Jean Allen, class of 2002. (Photo by Jon Styer)
A & E AUTOMOTIVE*
Quality used cars and trucks.
A Bowl of Good
Globally-inspired cuisine using local, fresh and all-natural ingredients.
A M YODER & CO.*
Virginia custom green home builder.
AGRI of VIRGINIA INC.
Complete lifetime bench systems designed specifically for gardeners.
America’s Carpet Gallery/ Weavers Flooring
Floor-covering sales and installation in Harrisonburg.
ARAMARK
Food services, facilities management, uniform and career apparel.
Ariake USA Inc.
Meat, poultry, seafood and vegetable stocks and bases.
Audrey Ziegler Inc.
Interior decorators, design and consultants.
BB&T Insurance Services
Business insurance, risk management, employee benefits.
Belmont Builders Inc.
General contract construction.
Blauch Brothers Inc.*
Comprehensive mechanical contracting company.
BLOSSER LIGHTING INC.
Designs and installs lighting, electrical wiring and lighting control systems for homes, churches and businesses.
Engdawork Arefaine, who majored in management and organizational development as a mature student at EMU in 1999, owns the Blue Nile. In addition to being the only restaurant in Harrisonburg serving Ethiopian food, the Blue Nile is a popular local venue for musical performers. (Photo by Jon Styer)
Blue Nile Restaurant
Ethiopian cuisine, live music, gallery.
Blue Ridge Architects, PC*
Architectural design, master planning, preservation and sustainable design.
Blue Ridge Powersports
Motorcycles, ATVs and other recreational vehicles, parts.
Brad Huddleston Productions
Multimedia production, content creation for web, radio, television, and the corporate and church environment.
Bradken
Fabrication and general machine shop.
Building knowledge inc.
Home inspections, home energy-efficiency audits, radon testing, technical advice for Earthcraft & Energy Star.
Choice Books
Direct-store-delivery distributor of inspirational, wholesome and family-oriented reading materials.
Clark & Bradshaw, PC
General practice law firm.
Coldwell Banker/Funkhouser Realtors
Lists and sells homes, farms, lots, acreage, commercial property.
Conmat Group Inc.
Ready-mix concrete manufacturer.
Cornerstone Foundations
CFA-certified concrete contractor.
Design Concrete Builders Inc.
Concrete solutions, decorative concrete enhancements to sidewalks, patios, driveways.
Dynamic Aviation*
Intelligence, surveillance and recognizance, airborne data acquisition, fire management, aerial application.
E & M Auto Paint & Supply Corp.
Family-owned, professional service, refinishing, reconditioning, training.
EUGENE STOLTZFUS ARCHITECTS
Architecture, urban design, furniture design.
Everence*
Financial management, insurance and banking services.
Excel Steel Works Inc.
Full-service heating and cooling, custom metal fabrication.
Glen Eco Farm
Produces a variety of vegetables, eggs, laying chickens and small fruits for CSA and a farmers market.
Glimpse Photography
Portrait photographer, offers canvas printing, custom framing.
Good Wealth Management
Comprehensive financial planning, integrated wealth and investment management.
Grass Roots Landscaping
Lawn care, landscape maintenance, landscape materials.
Grazeland Dairy
Dairy cattle operation.
Green Solutions Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning*
Green steam cleaning carpet and upholstery.
Grey Fox Design Works
Builds tables and furniture using reclaimed and locally-milled lumber.
Harman Construction Inc.*
Creative building solutions through design, building systems and construction management.
Harrisonburg Nissan
New inventory, pre-owned, finance, parts, service.
Hickory Hill Farm
Blueberries, grapes, vegetables and more.
Horizon Accountants
Tax preparation, financial statements and audits.
InterChange Group Inc.*
Warehousing, logistics and land development services.
Jenzabar
Higher education administrative and academic software solutions.
JPO Construction Inc.
Special trade contractors.
Kreider Machine Shop*
Hardware and tools service.
Landes Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.
Heating, cooling and indoor air quality products, with prompt and professional customer service.
LD&B Insurance and Financial Services*
Home, auto, commercial, health and life insurance, flexible benefits administration, financial services.
Lehman Construction
General contractors, single-family homes.
Martin, Beachy & Arehart*
Certified public accountants.
Mast & Brunk Inc.
Installs mechanical systems in residential, commercial and educational buildings.
Maust Enterprises of Va.
Excavation and wrecking.
Maxine Z. Magri, CPA, PLC
Income tax preparation, IRS and state audit representation, payroll reporting, business startup services, bookkeeping and financial statements.
Momentum Earthworks*
Grading, excavation, utilities and concrete work.
Myers Building Contractors
Custom home builder.
Next Level Athletic Development LLC
Sports performance and personal training, indoor turf facility.
Olsen Roofing
Energy efficient, seamless roofing systems for flat and low sloped roofs.
Pactiv, Packaging Corp. of America
Corrugated and solid fiber boxes.
Park View Federal Credit Union
Loans, checking, savings and investments.
Partners Excavating Company
Total site preparation, installation of underground utilities and asphalt paving.
Photo Agora
Worldwide stock photography of people, places and nature, photography management software systems.
Precision Wall Systems Inc.
Masonry, concrete contractor.
Priority Property Management LLC
Residential and commercial property rental management firm.
Raymont Enterprises
Real estate sales and management.
Riverhill farms
Turkey production, dairy operation, 600 acres under cultivation.
RJ Over Associates
Small repairs and power washings.
Rockingham Redi-Mix Inc.
Concrete mix designs, computer batched for consistency, free technical service.
Rocktown Bicycles
Bikes, service, racing, accessories.
Ruth’s Books & Cards Inc.
Card shop, bookstore, gift shop.
Sam’s Construction
General contractor, roofing, handyman services.
Schlabach Drywall Etc.
Drywall and insulation contractor.
Season’s Bounty Farm and CSA
Produces vegetables and melons without using pesticides.
Shank’s Bakery
Freshly baked breads, pies, cookies, muffins, pastries, also a coffee shop.
Shenandoah Growers Inc.
Fresh herbs, supplying the retail grocer.
Showalter Insurance Agency Inc.
Auto, homeowners, life and business insurance, retirement, personal property and liability.
Silver Lake Mill
Store, quality Shenandoah Valley-made items, calendars, children’s books, artwork.
Sonshine Coin Laundry
Self-service and custom-service laundry, dry cleaning, and other amenities.
Special Fleet Service
Equipment/services for railroads, public utilities, electric coops, transportation companies, line construction companies and general contractors.
Sustainable Solutions of Virginia
Custom home builder and remodeler.
The Frame Factory & Gallery
Picture framing, ready-made frames, mirrors, original and reproduction artwork, posters.
The Natural Garden
Ecologically-based design and build landscape company.
Total Technology Management
Corporate and institutional phone systems, voice over IP, network cabling, sales and support.
Trissel Equipment Sales; also Trissel Farms Inc.
Dealer for new short line farm equipment-retail sales; farm is 150-cow dairy.
Truck Enterprises Inc.*
Heavy and medium duty truck dealer for Kenworth, Volvo, Isuzu and Hino trucks.
Trumbo Electric*
Oldest electrical contractor in western Virginia, a pioneer of design and build construction.
Valley Stone Slingers
Licensed and bonded freight shipping and trucking.
Venture Builders Inc.
Bathroom remodeling.
Daryl Myers ’84 (second from left) is co-owner with Dave Smucker (a graduate of Goshen College) of VistaShare, which provides online client management systems to nonprofit organizations in the United States and Canada. For this impromptu photo at the building owned by VistaShare on Mt. Clinton Pike, 1 1/2 miles east of EMU, Myers was joined by six alumni-employees (from left): Aaron Springer ’13, Daryl Myers ’84, Matt Trost ’98, Tim Shoemaker ’03, Sam Kauffman ’12, Patrick Ressler ’09, Chris Kratz ’95. (Photo by Jon Styer)
VistaShare
Online client management systems for nonprofit organizations in U.S. and Canada.
Weaver Irrigation and Lightscapes
Irrigation and lighting installation, water irrigation systems, low voltage LED lightscapes.
Welby Showalter, Attorney*
Real estate lawyer.
Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver PLC*
Full-service law firm.
White Oak Lavender Farm
Produces several varieties of lavender and offer “U-Pick” for the flower buds during the summer and fall bloom seasons.
Yoder Construction Inc.
Custom building for new and existing homes, super-insulated homes, earth sheltered, straw bale construction, passive solar and post and beam homes.
ZN Stained Glass
Custom stained glass artwork.
*Member of EMU’s Business and Professional Club, supporters of the University Fund. This fund enables EMU to offer financial aid to students who want the type and quality of education we offer, as well as to hire and retain top-notch, committed faculty.
