Wilson Business Association - Discover Wilson!

Borough's first-ever business association formed to raise awareness, share ideas.

Bud Latsch knows that borough residents driving to the mall to buy a new computer often pass right by him, unaware that his business is only minutes from their homes.

"I have people who are two blocks away drive by and say, 'I didn't even know you were here,'" said Latsch, owner of PC Stop-N-Shop. "I get that constantly."

Borough small business owners hope to put a stop to this by establishing the first-ever Wilson Business Owners Association.

Mark Hartney, borough business revitalization coordinator for the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, said 165 businesses operate in the borough, but people are not aware of them due to the lack of a definitive Main Street and modest advertising budgets.

"These mom-and-pop shops tend to think of themselves as a business working on their own to survive," Hartney said. "I would like to see them start thinking about the rest of the people in this community who are in a similar boat and start working together."

The association was formed last week to establish a network that exchanges ideas, provides solutions to common problems and uses collaborative advertising to promote each other.

Members said they have seen many local businesses close due to the rise of "lifestyle malls," which they claim are imitating the small-town flavor already present in the borough.

"They are desperately trying to emulate the exact environment we exist in," said Robert Anthony Pitera, president of West of East Inc. "What we as downtown business owners have to say is, 'If that's what you want, why not go to the original?'"

Members hope to promote personal service and new businesses like Valley Wide Shoes, a wide-fitting shoe store opening next month.

"As a new business, I don't know who my neighbors are," said Gary Gibbons, vice president of Valley Wide Shoes. "This is a way to find out who they are, and if we can help each other, that's even better."

Long-term goals of the association include identifying and branding distinct shopping districts within the borough and using the Internet.

"There's a lot of niche shops in Wilson Borough that have a certain specialty," said Shannon Duelley, a borough resident and branch manager with Keystone Nazareth Bank & Trust.

"If you don't get the word out there, how are you going to know where you can get a triple-wide shoe?"

(Reporter Colin McEvoy can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )