Team Capital Bank opens second office in Flemington

Team Capital Bank is now serving customers at its newly opened community banking office on Route 31 at Church Street. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Feb. 25.

Team Capital Bank offers a full complement of personal and business banking services: checking, savings and money market accounts, CDs, IRAs and business and personal loans, plus mortgage banking and commercial lending services. The Route 31 location -- the bank's second in Flemington -- offers drive-thru service, a 24-hour ATM and convenient parking. It is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. The Team Capital Bank community banking office at 110 Main St. in the borough will remain open. Hours there are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, visit www.teamcapitalbank.com.

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Quick Chek earns national honor

Quick Chek, a township-based chain of more than 120 fresh food store locations throughout New Jersey and Southern New York, recently was honored with the Innovative Marketing award by CSP, the convenience store industry's leading publication, during its 2010 Convenience Retailing University in Phoenix.

From its dynamic utilization of online tools including social networking sites, personal e-mail communications and its company Web site to its signature "skin-vertising'' campaigns and long-standing sponsorship of the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, the 121-store chain was recognized for inventive and effective marketing methods in which it successfully connects with customers to drive store traffic while building a strong brand name. For more information, visit www.quick-chek.com.

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Insight Financial of Flemington announces new partner

Flemington-based Insight Financial Services recently appointed H. Wayne Tillman as partner.

Tillman joined the firm in 2004, has helped shape its growth strategy, and is responsible for managing the Bridgewater office. He is a registered financial planner in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and North Carolina and is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor. Prior to joining Insight Financial, Tillman was a project manager with AT&T, responsible for billing and finance management. For more about his firm, visit www.insightfinancialservicesllc.com.

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Flemington insurance agent honored for volunteer work

Jarrett Farrell from borough-based Raritan Valley Insurance Services received the Encompass Insurance Agency Hands in the Community grant award for his commitment to volunteering in the community.

The grant program recognizes Encompass insurance agents for outstanding community service with a $1,000 donation to a charitable organization for which they volunteer. To qualify for the grant, agents must show evidence of volunteer work that has had a positive impact on the local community. SAFE In Hunterdon fits with one of The Allstate Foundation;s primary focus areas: economic empowerment for survivors of domestic violence. "We believe that it's very important for businesses to take an active interest in their communities,'' said Farrell. "We're proud to support SAFE In Hunterdon; the grant from The Allstate Foundation will provide much needed support for its work.'' Raritan Valley Insurance Services has more than 3,500 business and personal clients. For more information, visit www.rvis.net. For more about Encompass, visit www.encompassinsurance.com.

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Sphericality organizes Zumba for Haiti event

Sphericality, 122 Main St., will present a Zumbathon for Haiti from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31.

Located on the third floor, Sphericality will offer essentially what is a free two-hour Zumba class in exchange for a receipt for donation for Haiti relief from the Red Cross at http://redcross.org/en/. Registration is required for the Zumbathon at 908-346-1422, ext. 112. For more about Sphericality, a fitness studio that also offers yoga and gyrotonics, visit http://sphericality.com.

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Shoe store owner loves to make customers happy

Address of business:

At Shoetique on Main Street, female prom-goers, sweet 16ers and brides-to-be might not have to look any further for comfortable shoes to complete their "big-day" outfits.

Helping such patrons find the perfect fit has been owner Carl Haddad's business for 24 years at the Flemington location and several years at five former locations. He sold the five other shoe stores about eight years ago to focus solely on the borough's store.

"I've always had satisfied customers," Haddad said. "Many come for the dyeable shoes, which are popular."

Haddad said he can match any color swatch a patron brings in to dye shoes or purses on display at the store. Many brides often bring back their white shoes following their nuptials to be dyed black or match another gown.

Haddad, who grew up in Lebanon and Europe, came to the United States following college in 1972. His first gig was working part-time selling shoes at New York-based Wohl Shoes, where he later was trained to be a shoe buyer. In the late 1970s, Haddad opened his first store in Summit.

After marrying his wife, Marie, and having daughter together -- Danielle, now 21 -- Haddad opened the Flemington store. The location had been run for several years by Marie, but Haddad took over after selling the other locations.

Haddad said the best feeling in his work day is seeing the expression when a customer returns to pick up their dyed shoes. Popular are the silver, gold, pewter, black, bronze and brown colors, which Haddad noted, "Brown is the new black."

"When their (customers) eyes light up, that makes my whole day," Haddad said.

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Burger’s Motorcycle honored by Suzuki

Burger's Motorcycle Sales & Service in the Three Bridges section been named a Suzuki Super Service Award winner. The award recognizes Suzuki dealers that consistently have achieved the highest level of customer satisfaction, dealers who have done the best job of meeting customer needs and enhancing the overall Suzuki ownership experience.

The award requires a commitment to service excellence from the entire dealership staff in taking care of its customers quickly, correctly and with a minimum amount of inconvenience. For more information, click http://www.burgersmotorcycles.com/.

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Magazine ranks Little Gym No. 1 in kid’s fitness

The Little Gym, which has locations in Bridgewater, Spotswood and Flemington, recently was ranked No. 1 in the Children's Fitness category in Entrepreneur Magazine's Top Franchises List, otherwise known as Franchise 500. This is the fourth consecutive year the franchise company has earned this ranking.

The magazine also noted the overall strength of children-focused franchising, calling The Little Gym a leader in the growing children's services segment. The kid gyms' programs make skill-building fun for students and parents alike. Individualized attention builds the students' confidence and lays the foundation for success in other arenas of life, said Paul Dickison of The Little Gym International. The Little Gym offers classes for children from 4 months old to 12 years. Programs range from parent/child classes in early motor skill development to grade school gymnastics, sports skills development, karate, cheerleading and dance. For more information, click http://thelittlegym.com or call Andrew Daoud in Bridgewater at 908-526-9100, Kerri Cain in Spotswood at 732-251-5858 and Tracy Savare in Flemington at 908-782-5808.

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Flemington’s Massage Envy grows with industry

What used to be a luxury that only high society could buy, massages have become an affordable therapy catering to the needs of people with allergies, chronic headaches, high blood pressure, body pain and rehabilitation after surgery. At Massage Envy at the Shoppes at Flemington, franchise owner Greg Robertson said the business has exploded with more than 7,000 clients worked on in a year. The cost is $49 for a one-hour introductory massage or $59 for monthly memberships. In the membership program, guests receive a one-hour session each month and earn free massages with referrals, as well as other perks. The borough facility is filled with 10 rooms and 20 state or nationally-certified or licensed therapists who have received a minimum of 700 hours of training, Robertson said. The massage rooms are equipped with hydrolic tables and cashmere and heated blankets. Candles light the rooms from which soft music flows. "The power has shifted on how people look at massage," Robertson said. "It used to be a luxury. Now, it has taken on a whole therapeutic approach, working with anything from back and neck pain to migraines and carpal tunnel syndrome." Robertson said depending on a customer's massage of choice -- trigger Point, Swedish, deep tissue, sports, reflexology or cranial sacral -- a therapist specializing in that area is matched with the type of massage. A one-hour massage therapy session at Massage Envy clinics nationwide consists of five minutes of therapist consultation, 50 minutes of hands-on massage and five minutes of dressing. Customers are nearly guaranteed to get an appointment the same day, he said. Robertson also owns a location in Hillsborough and plans to open a third Central Jersey location soon. Prior to opening the two franchises, Robertson had worked in a corporate office as a senior manager in marketing for Pfizer Pharmaceutical. He said he plans to add facials to the menu at the borough location.

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Flemington’s Massage Envy grows with industry

What used to be a luxury that only high society could buy, massages have become an affordable therapy catering to the needs of people with allergies, chronic headaches, high blood pressure, body pain and rehabilitation after surgery.

At Massage Envy at the Shoppes at Flemington, franchise owner Greg Robertson said the business has exploded with more than 7,000 clients worked on in a year. The cost is $49 for a one-hour introductory massage or $59 for monthly memberships. In the membership program, guests receive a one-hour session each month and earn free massages with referrals, as well as other perks. The borough facility is filled with 10 rooms and 20 state or nationally-certified or licensed therapists who have received a minimum of 700 hours of training, Robertson said. The massage rooms are equipped with hydrolic tables and cashmere and heated blankets. Candles light the rooms from which soft music flows. "The power has shifted on how people look at massage,'' Robertson said. "It used to be a luxury. Now, it has taken on a whole therapeutic approach, working with anything from back and neck pain to migraines and carpal tunnel syndrome.'' Robertson said depending on a customer's massage of choice -- trigger Point, Swedish, deep tissue, sports, reflexology or cranial sacral -- a therapist specializing in that area is matched with the type of massage. A one-hour massage therapy session at Massage Envy clinics nationwide consists of five minutes of therapist consultation, 50 minutes of hands-on massage and five minutes of dressing. Customers are nearly guaranteed to get an appointment the same day, he said. Robertson also owns a location in Hillsborough and plans to open a third Central Jersey location soon. Prior to opening the two franchises, Robertson had worked in a corporate office as a senior manager in marketing for Pfizer Pharmaceutical. He said he plans to add facials to the menu at the borough location. For more local news or to share your own news, visit www.flemington.injersey.com Pamela Sroka-Holzmann: 908-243-6615; Psroka@MyCentralJersey.com

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Flemington landlord opens his second bagel shop

Main Street Bagel and Deli owner John Puckett said his business is known by customers for its quality and freshness.

With 13 flavors of bagels, customers can choose anything from such classics as plain, egg and poppy to such gourmet items as chocolate chip. On the bagel can be anything from fresh cream cheese spreads to cold cuts to such hot breakfast specialties as eggs, pork roll, ham or bacon. Noting all the bagels are made from scratch, Puckett starts his day at 5 a.m. weekdays making fresh dough, baking the bagels by 6:30 a.m. and opening for business by 6:40 a.m. The process continues all day so the bagels remain fresh, Puckett said. A Lawrenceville native, Puckett had opened a similar bagel shop, Maiden Head, on Main Street in Lawrenceville in 1984, following graduation from Lawrenceville High School. He sold that shop in 2004. Puckett said he chose to open his second business venture in Flemington because of its similar downtown feel. Puckett also had been the landlord of the building the bagel shop is now housed in and leased the space to various tenants. He said the space where the bagel shop now occupies had sat idle for years after a bakery closed shop. Following major renovations to the space, Puckett opened the borough bagel shop nearly two years ago. The shop also offers various lunch specials, ranging $5 to $6.50 in price. Items include various hoagies, such wraps as grilled chicken caesar, cheesesteaks and salads. For more local news or to share your own news, visit www.flemington.injersey.com. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann: 908-243-6615; Psroka@MyCentralJersey.com

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Merck buys British maker of biotech medicines

Merck said Thursday it is making another deal in its strategy to become a top maker of biotech drugs, buying a British company that makes them.

Merck, the world's second-biggest drugmaker, said its United Kingdom subsidiary, Merck Sharp & Dohme Ltd., has agreed to acquire Avecia Biologics from its parent holding company. Specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Merck spokesman Ian McConnell said the value is well below $1 billion. Avecia has been making small amounts of biotech drugs for use in patient tests of experimental treatments for heart disease, blood disorders and cancers for a number of companies since 1998. The drugs are "manufactured" in fermentation tanks containing rapidly reproducing cells including yeast and E. coli, with the active molecule then separated out and purified to produce medication. The company, which is based in Billingham, U.K., and employs 500 people, is making a drug for commercial sale for the first time, for client Dyax Corp. Avecia spokeswoman Bridget Hall said that drug, soon to be launched under the brand name Kalbitor, is for swelling in the extremities. Biologics, or biotech drugs, are grown in mammal, yeast or other cells rather than chemically synthesized like traditional pills. They are one of three areas that Merck, based in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, is targeting for growth. "This is one component of our increasing our resources and capabilities in biologics," McConnell said of the deal. Last December, Merck launched a new division called Merck BioVentures to make both new and follow-on, or generic, biotech drugs. They are starting to arrive in Europe, but are not yet allowed in the U.S. -- although proposals to establish rules allowing them have been a hot part of the health care overhaul debate. Company executives have said the unit will invest $1.5 billion in research by 2015 and aim to launch six or more generic biotech products from 2012 through 2017, a period when some major biotech drugs lose patent protection. In February, Merck said it was buying a manufacturing facility and a group of potential generic biotech drugs, for preventing infections in cancer patients, from Insmed Inc. for $130 million. Merck also gained Schering-Plough Corp.'s biotech operations when it acquired that company in November for $41.1 billion. Right after that deal closed, Merck Chief Executive Richard Clark said the company plans to make deals with biotech companies with first or best-in-class products, and has about $8 billion to spend. Merck shares fell 30 cents to $37.45 in afternoon trading Thursday.

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Roman Jewelers wins award

Roman Jewelers was recently recognized at the NJ Family Business of the Year 2009 Awards held at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston.

Established in 1993, the award honors family businesses whose innovative practices and policies have had a positive impact on both business and community. The semi-finalist plaque was awarded by Kate Tomlinson, publisher and editor-in-chief of New Jersey Monthly magazine and accepted by Kristina Maiwaldt, marketing director of Roman Jewelers; Sophie Shor, co-owner and vice president, and Shor's daughter, Lucy Zimmerman, general manager. For more information, call 908-237-1223 or visit www.romanjewelers.com.

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Centrum adds new planner

John Rivers of the Annandale section recently joined Centrum Financial Group of Clinton as a life planner/financial advisor.

Rivers has served on several volunteer boards of community and faith-based organizations in a variety of roles. He received a bachelor's of science from the College of New Jersey and a master's degree from City University of New York's John Jay College. Contact him at 908-735-4999 or jrivers@thecentrumgroup.com.

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Family business recognized

Roman Jewelers recently was recognized at the NJ Family Business of the Year 2009 Awards at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston.

Established in 1993, the award honors family businesses whose innovative practices and policies have had a positive impact on both business and community.
With stores in Flemington and Bridgewater, Romans Jewelers was honored as a semi-finalist.
The store is celebrating their 20th year in business this year. For more information, visit www.romanjewelers.com.

Morneault joins Zdenek as COO

Albert J. Zdenek Jr., founding CEO of Zdenek Financial Planning, recently announced the appointment of Henry D. Morneault to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer.

“Managing firm operations is a fulltime job and we recognize the value to our clients and our business of freeing up more of our wealth management team’s time to serve our current and future client base,” Zdenek said. “We’re delighted to have Henry join our team and already are strategizing about enhancing back office operations, which will play a key role in our growth plans to build out the range of services we provide to high net worth individuals.”
Morneault was previously COO at Manchester Capital Management and at Fortigent, an affiliate of Lydian Wealth Management now Convergent Wealth.
Zdenek Financial Planning, a comprehensive, fee-only wealth management firm with offices in the borough, as well as New York, serves clients in more than 19 states. The firm works exclusively with affluent individuals, business owners and senior executives, helping them achieve and maintain their financial independence. For more information, visit www.zdenek.com.

Raritan Valley Insurance donates to Anderson House

Borough-based Raritan Valley Insurance Services, a Trusted Choice independent insurance agency, in conjunction with an IIABNJ/Trusted Choice charity grant initiative, has donated $1,000 to The Anderson House, which provides care to New Jersey women recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction.

The donation will go to a capital campaign that will result in another building for the organization.
Dedicated to providing quality treatment, Anderson House supports women regardless of their income or ability to pay as they develop the necessary goals and life skills to return to the community as responsible, sober and productive individuals. With a success rate of 78 to 84 percent, Anderson House is a respected halfway house program. For more information, visit www.andersonhouse.org. For more about Raritan Valley Insurance Services, visit www.rvis.net.

Roman Jewelers recognized with Family Business of the Year award

Roman Jewelers was recently recognized at the NJ Family Business of the Year 2009 Awards held at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston. The award, established in 1993, honors family businesses whose innovative practices and policies have had a positive impact on both business and community. Roman Jewelers, with stores in Flemington, NJ and The Bridgewater Commons mall was honored as a Semi-Finalist. The store is celebrating their 20th year in business this year.

Unity Bank selects new VP

Unity Bank announced the selection of Michael J. Niemiec for the position of VP Relationship Manager, and will base him in their main branch within the township.

Niemiec held vice-president positions with HSBC Bank and Bank of America, where he focused on the needs of retail and small businesses. He is a member of the Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Gateway Chamber of Commerce, has served as treasurer of the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey and now is its chair.
Unity Bank has branches throughout Central Jersey. For more information, call 800-618-2265 or visit www.unitybank.com.

Actress headlines fundraiser

The Good News Home for Women in Flemington, New Jersey has helped women recover from drug and alcohol abuse for more than 20 years.

The organization will host a breakfast fundraiser with actress Tasha Smith as the keynote speaker on Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick.
Smith has been highly-touted by critics and fans alike for her powerful performances in Tyler Perry’s “Daddy’s Little Girl” and “Why Did I Get Married,” the sequel to which she currently is filming.
Founded in 1983, the Good News Home is a long-term nonprofit Christian residential treatment facility dedicated to helping women recover from drug and alcohol abuse. Upon completing the 18-month program, residents have continuous support through discharge planning that includes an aftercare relapse prevention plan and outpatient counseling.
Tickets to the breakfast fundraiser are $45, $40 for seniors ages 62 and older, and $30 for children ages 12 and younger). The event will include a special music performance, silent auction and door prizes. To purchase tickets, call the Good News Home at 908-806-7913. For more information, visit www.goodnewshome.org.