In the late 1970’s Puritan Cleaners President Gary Glover gave up a career in professional volleyball to help run the Arlington based family business when his mother became ill.  In 1980, Glover expanded the company and moved to Richmond.  Today, Puritan’s 13 locations are all in the Richmond area. 

Free home delivery is just one of the many reasons Puritan Cleaners has been named Richmond’s  best dry cleaner for the last 17 years.   Puritan Priority Club service will pick up and drop off your dry cleaning order at your home or place of business.  There is no waiting in line and your account is automatically charged.  The service is offered at the regular in store price. Puritan provides a home delivery bag for your convenience.

Not content just to offer good service, Puritan Cleaners gets involved in the community.  Glover says, “Just trying to help your neighbor, that’s what it’s all about.”  And that’s exactly what Puritan Cleaners does.

Every  November since 1988 Puritan has collected “Coats for Kids” which provides the coats to needy families in the greater Richmond area.  They collect the coats, clean them and then provide them to the Salvation Army for distribution.    Since the program began, Puritan Cleaners has given out more than 300,000 coats.

But for Puritan, it’s not just about providing clothing to the needy.  In April the company partners with the Central Virginia Food Bank to provide 100,000 meals for kids.  Donations are collected at the area locations as well as through home delivery. 

Puritan’s “Thank You Patriot” allows you to write a letter to an active duty military person.  Puritan will forward the letter.  Keeping with the patriotic theme, Puritan will clean your American flag for free.

On their website, they tell the story of Captain Tom Tokartz, a service veteran who belongs to the WWII Round Table of Central Virginia.  Norman Way, Director of Operations at Puritan Cleaners, said “Captain Tokartz had us clean the flag, and then presented it to the WWII Round Table at their forum on the evening of October 14th, where it was used as a backdrop for their speaker that night. He was gracious enough to invite us to come to the forum, and I have to say that we were honored to be there.” The website states that “the program that evening featured a first-hand account of B-29 bombing missions over Germany in 1945 from 2nd Lt. Phil True, who was a navigator on one of the planes.”

Working with the Richmond YMCA, Puritan sponsors “Cinderella Dreams.”  This program provides prom dresses for high school girls.  Before the girls come in to “shop” for their dress, Puritan Cleaners will inspect and clean the gowns.

The economic downturn has affected Puritan Cleaners just like it has businesses across the country.  But rather than cut back on community involvement and services, Puritan has simply offered more.  A special program offers the free cleaning of business suits and clothing so that unemployed customers will be better prepared for interviews.

Puritan Cleaners is a vital part of the Richmond business community.  But they’re also a neighbor and community partner.or area high school girls

Richmond Va Business

Richmond Va Business

Richmond Va Business

In the early 1890s a young man named William Harry (W.H.) Schwarzschild was working as a clothing salesman, but like many he sought a better opportunity for himself.  He saw among his clients the need for quality timepieces, particularly for those men who worked to keep the trains running on time.  So in his non-work hours Schwarzschild sold timepieces to men at the Richmond rail stations.  By the mid- 1890s his business was thriving.  He quit his job as a clothing salesman and concentrated on building The Old Dominion Watch Company.

Schwarzschild’s business and success grew and in 1902 he changed the name of his company to Schwarzschild Brothers Watchmakers and Jewelers and moved to a new location at the corner of Broad and Second Streets.  Schwarzschild now has locations in Short Pump Town Center, Cary Town and Midlothian.

Richmond residents who value fine jewelry have long recognized the Schwarzschild name.  Schwarzschild Jewelers has provided Central Virginia with exquisite diamonds and jewelry for 113 years.

Schwarzschild is among the many Richmond businesses that Richmond has come to know and trust.  Richmond values tradition, and Schwarzschild has been there to help carry that tradition out in fine style.

For over a hundred years, Richmond brides embraced the tradition of the Schwarzschild Bridal Registry.  A young lady knew she was really a Richmond bride if she were registered with Schwarzschild.  After a three year absence, the company announced the return of the Bridal Registry in December 2009.  The savvy, modern-day Richmond shopper can reach the couple’s registry via the Schwarzschild website.

Just as no Richmond bride could be complete without a Schwarzschild registry, the best dressed Richmond trees bear the traditional Schwarzschild ornament.  For 2009, the jeweler offered their exclusive ornament highlighting the charming row houses that line the streets of The Fan.  This addition joined ornaments that featured The Jefferson Hotel; Maymont House; St John’s Church, The Dogwood & Cardinal; The State Capitol; The Byrd Theatre; The Ukrops Christmas Parade Silver Anniversary limited edition; Robert E. Lee statue and JEB Stuart statue.

Schwarzschild recently announced that for the Perfect Match Diamond Event at Schwarzschild Jewelers Friday, July 30th and Saturday, July 31st at Schwarzschild Alverser Plaza, they have “has assembled a collection of hundreds of fine diamonds of all shapes and sizes; engagement rings and wedding bands; and a special assortment of natural fancy colored diamonds, the rarest of the rare – in naturally rich, luminous hues that range from blue and pink to champagne and bright canary yellow.”

The story of W. H. Schwarzschild is one of many Richmond success stories.  It’s the story of a young man, born just a few years after a long drawn out Civil War destroyed much of the city.  As the city moved into the 20^th century, Schwarzschild saw an opportunity and seized it.  His entrepreneurship stands as a testament to the American spirit.  And his name is a Richmond household word.  Today, Schwarzschild remains one of the few independently owned, and family-run luxury jewelry companies in the country.

Richmond Va Business

Richmond residents have long been familiar with the animated neon sign of the C.F. Sauer Company at their headquarters on Broad Street. Begun in 1884, Sauers is one of Richmond’s oldest companies. Their offices have been located at 2000 W. Broad Street since 1911.
At the age of seventeen, Conrad Frederick Sauer was a drug clerk. In the late 1800s, customers would bring their own bottles to be filled with the products they needed at the drugstore. When he noticed that housewives would purchase their vanilla from the drugstores, because they knew they’d get better quality and strength, Sauer had an idea. So he launched his company, making spices and flavoring pre-packaged and available in grocery stores.
By the late 1920s, the C.F. Sauer Company had grown to be the nation’s largest producer of extracts and spices. Sauer said, “In regard to putting our goods on the market, I felt that by putting out higher quality goods than those being sold and putting them in a cartoned bottle, which had not been done up to that time in the small packages, that they would find a more ready sale, which proved to be the case.”
The company has stayed in the family. Great-grandson Mark Sauer, now the Executive Vice President, says that his grandfather recognized an opportunity and seized on it. And he says that the company has stayed true to his grandfather’s vision. Mark Sauer says, “We are the last company in America that makes vanilla the way they used to make it. We’ve never changed.”
Vanilla is just one of the many products produced at Sauer’s Broad Street plant. The complex covers about 14 acres. Not far away, the company owned Metrolina Plastics, Inc. produces plastic boxes, bottles and tops for the Sauer’s spice products. Now employing about 900 people nationwide, Sauer’s has annual sales of around $300 million.
When C.F. Sauer, Sr. passed away in 1927, his son C.F. Sauer, Jr. was elected president and treasurer of the company. His leadership lead to a new strategy employing market based trends and advertising. Through an emphasis on sales, the company expanded their line of household drugs and remedies and purchased the Interstate Commerce Company. In 1929, the Sauer Company purchased Duke’s Products of Company began by Mrs. Eugenia Duke in 1917. Mrs. Duke began by selling homemade sandwiches to soldiers in training at Fort Sevier. Now a best seller in the Sauer Company, the Duke’s products include mayonnaise, sandwich relish, salad dressing and tarter sauce. To date, Mrs. Duke’s recipe remains the only major mayonnaise brand made without sugar.
In the 1960s, the company purchased Dean Foods, a margarine manufacturer and Alford’s Barbecue Sauce was added to the line, but as Sauer’s Barbecue Sauce.
In recent years, the company has enlarged the Richmond plant and storage facilities to accommodate their production of gravy, sauce and seasoning mixes.
In 1993, C.F. Sauer IV was elected president of the company. Mark Sauer is Executive Vice President of Sales, Bradford B. Sauer is Vice President of Sauer Properties. The Richmond plant manager is R. Tyler Sauer.
While the nation’s largest spice maker, McCormick & Co. has multiple times the amount of sales as Sauers, the C.F. Sauer company remains a Richmond fixture. And that’s not just the sign.

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Richmond Va Business

• We offer tens of thousands of used cars across the country
• Every car we sell has a low, no-haggle price
• Our vehicles are superior in quality. Only the best cars meet our high standards
• We’ll buy your car whether you buy from us or not
• You’ll get friendly customer service

And it works. Ten years after Sharp and Ligon first dreamed of the concept, the company posted their first annual profit of $1.1 million. CarMax owes much of its success to simply providing customers what they want: an easy shopping experience to get a good car at a good price.
CarMax says they are the smart choice for buying a car, offering thousands of vehicles for under $12,000. Key to their selling method is posting the price right the car. No negotiating, no hidden charges. And they’re willing to work with a number of financial institutions to get the best option for prospective buyers.
Car Max invests back into the community. They recently announced a $45,000 grant to the Enrichmond Foundation for the fourth season of the CarMax Summer Basketball League.
Even with a struggling economy, Car Max reported that this spring they sold more cars and at higher prices. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, “CarMax CEO Tom Folliard attributed the spike in wholesale sales to fewer cars on the market.”
Still at a meeting earlier this week Folliard told shareholders. “I still think we’re in for a little bit of a rough road. Although we see some positive signs in the economy, I personally feel it’s going to be a slow burn.”
Today, CarMax has 100 stores across the country. They’re ranked as a FORTUNE® 500 company and and have been named one of FORTUNE® magazine’s “Best Companies to Work For” six years in a row. Since that first sale in 1993 they’ve sold more than 2 million cars.
It seems that at least 2 million buyers agree that this is a better way to buy a car.
And, while the parent company of Circuit City declared bankruptcy and closed their doors last year, CarMax appears poised to remain strong and even rebound when the economy recovers.

But perhaps they’ve made enough of a name for themselves now that they’ll be even stronger in the future. It might just be that this downturn in the economy has convinced consumers that the shiny new car they want doesn’t have to brand new.
When they make that decision, CarMax has a good car, at a good price.
Thousands of them in fact.

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Richmond Va Business

It was in 1909 that Lewis C. Williams and James Mullen, two Richmond attorneys formed the law firm of Williams and Mullen. These men know that changes in business and finance laws would create a need for legal services. Four years later in 1913 when Congress adopted the federal income tax, the vision of Williams and Mullen proved true. The firm grew and expanded and in 1961 became Williams, Mullen & Christian through a merger.

Around the same time Morton L. Wallerstein and Virgil R. Goode established their own law firm. In 1986, the law firm of Wallerstein, Goode and Dobbins merged with Williams, Mullen and Christian creating Williams, Mullen, Christian and Dobbins, P.C. The firm has continued to grow through mergers and now has offices in Virginia, North Carolina, Washington D.C. and London.

At Williams Mullen, approximately 300 attorneys practice in over 30 areas. The firm provides legal services regionally, nationally and internationally. Attorneys work in teams across geographical locations since the firm does not have a central office.

Recently Chambers USA recognizes Williams Mullen as a Leader in Business Law, ranking the firm among the top firms in Virginia and North Carolina.

Providing legal counsel and services does not limit the folks at Williams Mullen. The firm and attorneys give financial support and substantial volunteer time in their respective communities. Williams Mullen’s attorneys hold positions on non-profit boards and committees, arts foundations, legal aid societies and institutions of higher learning.

Attorneys at Williams Mullen offer pro bono services to the Virginia Poverty Law Center, the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, Wills for Heroes and Habitat for Humanity. International team members have been recognized by the Court of International Trade.

Additionally, Williams Mullen offers support to such organizations as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Animal Adoption & Rescue Foundation (AARF), Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs, March of Dimes, Multiple Sclerosis Society, United Way Services, and the YMCA.

An example of that community service is Partner Robert F. “Bob” Redmond, Jr. who, along with his fellow attorneys oversees case intake at the legal aid clinic for the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Volunteering his time, Redmond and associates help to collect unpaid wages, obtain green cards and more. They’ve never missed a clinic since Redmond began the program in 2004.

Celebrating 101 years of service, Williams Mullen recently moved into their new 16-story building on South 10th Street in Richmond. Joining the celebration, Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones said, “We’re very proud you have made a commitment to downtown Richmond. You could have gone anywhere.”

Williams Mullen has a definite stature in Richmond. And it’s not just their new building.

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Richmond Va Business

One of the largest producers of crushed stone in the county, Luck Stone is also a prominent supplier of architectural stone and tennis courts in Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. In the 1940s Luck Stone was a major supplier in the war effort, producing and shipping much-needed stone to military bases in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The company moved their corporate headquarters to Goochland County in the 1970s.

Luck Stone Corporation consists of four business enterprises. For Construction Aggregates, Luck Stone has 15 sites in Virginia and North Carolina. These sites supply crushed stone, gravel and other products in the Mid-Atlantic region. Charles Luck Stone Center offers homeowners, builders, contractors, architects and landowners stone products for homes, businesses and landscaping Lee Tennis Court Products features one of the best-selling surface materials for tennis courts in the United States. HAR-TRU® is the company’s most well-known brand. And finally, the real estate development section of Luck Stone is known as Luck Development Partners. This division handles the sales and leasing of corporate real estate assets.

Luck Stone takes pride in being a community and environmental leader. In the fall of 2009, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality recognized the Spotsylvania and Powhatan quarries for achieving E3 status, the only quarries to do so. This is recognition from the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program and E3 is the highest status awarded meaning that the facility has been named an Exemplary Environmental Enterprise.

In addition, Luck Stone sponsors community events and programs supporting local non-profit organizations. Annually the participate in the James River Clean Up and provide lunch for all volunteers at two locations for the clean-up; Maidens Landing in Powhatan and Robious Landing in Chesterfield. Luck Stone provides scholarships, provides assistance to Habitat for Humanity and has partnered with HGTVs Curb Appeal for a project in Tacoma, Maryland.

The company established the Luck Stone Foundation which provides grants to non-profit groups working to build stronger communities, to improve the quality of life and to provided services to youth in need. Grants of $250 and higher are made to non-profit groups that share the company goals and values.

Luck Stone seeks to be environmentally responsible through their Environmental Management System. This system seeks to keep the company in compliance with environmental standards. In addition they have developed an environmental bank as compensation for the impact to wetlands and have begun stream restoration projects. The company takes the preservation of natural resources and the reclamation of land seriously.

Earlier this year Luck Stone offered their support to the Virginia Sturgeon Restoration Team. This team is a partnership between Virginia Commonwealth University, the James River Association, Luck Stone, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and others. Working together, this group recently created a 300-foot-long artificial reef along the James River.

For nearly 90 years, Luck Stone corporation has been a good Richmond neighbor, providing economic benefits, including employment, while at the same time being a responsible and active member of the greater Richmond community.

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Richmond Va Business

They developed a loyal and enthusiastic following by 2008 and opened their own online shop of original art prints. Today that blog has turned into an all family business, John and Sherry work from home, along with mascot Burger and their newly minted daughter.

Clients seeking advice from Young House Love can contract with them for a “customized mood board with color scheme solutions, affordable furniture and accessory suggestions, layout ideas and more to help you totally transform your space with style to spare.” If you’re lucky, and perhaps skilled enough, your project might even be featured in a before and after post on the blog. How does it all come about? The FAQs section of the website says, “We usually start with the requested decorating style along with specific furniture requests.”

Those seeking a mood board from Young House Love need to show some initiative of their own. Each Monday at “buy now” link appears on the website. Available mood boards are gone within seconds. In a depressed economy, it’s rare to find a company that says “we can’t take your business right now, check back next week.” But that’s been the success the Petersik’s have found.

The couple has been so successful that they now have a regular column in Better Homes and Gardens’ Do It Yourself Magazine. And they’ve been featured on HGTV’s “Rate My Space.”

A unique feature offered by Young House Love is their “How To” section. This section chronicles blog post for everything from furniture refinishing, to porch makeovers, to basement redos. Each task upon which the Petersik’s have embarked with their home, right down to the decorating of the Christmas tree, is lovingly blogged and documented so that you can sign off the Internet, go and do likewise.

Young House Love isn’t just about what will look good, they’re both environmentally and economically friendly. Multiple posts will tell visitors how to green your environment. Best of all, they’ll tell you how to do it on a budget. There are also holiday and art projects galore.

It’s hard to check out a business blog like Young House Love and not be inspired. The problem, of course, is finding the time to shut down the computer and embark upon your own project. With page after page of inspiring ideas and instructions, there’s a lot to see.

There’s no shortage of suppliers wishing to advertise on Young House Love. A healthy sidebar full of design ideas and products rests along side the articles. Not to be missed is the Discount-O-Rama featuring discounts and bargains for readers.

Perhaps it was a stroke of marketing genius for Young House Love to create their regular “Fan Freebie” post. Thanks to the generosity of their suppliers, the blog offers a regular contest where the cost of entry is simply commenting on the blog post with the “magic words” provided right there. Then a random drawing determines the winner. You could win anything from artwork to pillows to lampshades, all with a special and unique design flare.

If you’ve been putting of that room, yard or furniture makeover, head on over to Young House Love for some inspiration.

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Richmond Va Business

Do you own or operate your own business?  And, if you do are you techno-savvy enough to create your own website?  Chances are, like most people you can put together a decent website.

But will it sell?

It’s no longer a 9 to 5 work world.  The internet and mobile technology has moved the work force from their Dilbert-like cubicles and released stay-at-home moms and dads from being tied to the house phone.  Grocery stores and fitness club now operate around the clock.

So, if you’re going to be successful, your business door needs to be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  This gives customers the opportunity to learn more about your products and services.  You’ll get business from folks in their pajamas who would never be motivated to get dressed and drive to your location.

That’s why you not only need a website.  You need a professional designed website.  Sure, free services are out there and some hosting companies provide do it yourself templates. But that’s exactly what they look like.  Do it yourself.

A custom website can be uniquely designed to fit your company and your company alone.

That’s why companies like Richmond-based 8 Leg Studio are making an impact in the business world.  8 Leg Studio is located in Richmond’s Fan District and provides professional website design.

8 Leg Studio offers offer custom website design & site redesign, web development, site maintenance, graphic design, e commerce shopping carts, blogs, social networking, and site hosting.

8 Leg Studio believes that a successful company will have a professional informative website as the first step of a marketing strategy.  Newspaper ads and radio spots can be effective, but they don’t always hit the target.  And, by nature, they’re not designed to provide additional information.

8 Leg Studio specializes in working with small businesses and organizations both in Richmond and globally.  Their professional staff helps to create beautiful custom designed websites that represent a business or organization’s vision and appeal to their clientele.

The professionals at 8 Leg Studio know that if you’re competition has a website and you don’t, you’re already behind in the game and likely in sales as well.  Most customers shopping around will check out a company website.  If your presence is minimal or insufficient, your competitor might just be stealing that business away.

8 Leg Studio will sit down with you to learn your business and organization.  They make it their goal to understand you the client and to give you the best presentation for your company.  They’ll ask you what you like about your company and your current website.  Then they’ll have you take a look at your competitor’s website.  Average turnaround time for the completion of a custom website is two to three weeks.

While 8 Leg Studio can design your website and then turn the management over to you, they recommend you purchase a maintenance contract with them.  That way what may seem to be a simple change shut down your site.

If you’re a casual blogger or a hobbyist you might be able to do all the work you need on a website.  If not, you should check out a company like 8:Leg Studio.

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Richmond Va Business