Recently American Trails asked me to write an essay as to how my four “trailside” companies came to be. Here’s the link to the essay. http://www.americantrails.org/resources/railtrails/Railtrail-Career-Della-Penna.html
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged America Trails, Craig Della Penna, Trailside Companies
Bringing the Revolution to You– Atlas Cycles Mobile of Hampshire County
Peter Klejna, Realtor © Pedal to Properties, Northampton
The Northampton area now has a comprehensive bicycle repair service delivered via bicycle with tool trailer. Jeremiah Johnson of 103 South Street, Northampton, offers mobile professional service at “prices no shop can touch”.
Jeremiah is a native of Palmer, MA and returned to this area after working for Cannondale at their Pennsylvania bicycle manufacturing plant for a number of years. Not long ago, Cannondale transferred its manufacturing operations to China, leaving about 400 skilled employees seeking new work.
Jeremiah’s Plan B is truly excellent. His start-up firm, Atlas Cycles Mobile of Hampshire County, serves Northampton, Amherst, Easthampton, Hadley, Hatfield and Westhampton.
He brings on-the-spot bicycle repair services to: the stranded, very busy bikers with parts that need to be installed, to special events, and to those who want to learn how to repair their own bikes.
Jeremiah offers the only mobile bike repair service in the Connecticut Valley. His price points are head-turners- for example, a full tune-up is listed at $35 and flat repairs are done for $5. A full price schedule can be found on his web site: www.atlascyclesmobile.com
He can be phoned or texted at his mobile #: 908 399-0672. Email is: atlascyclesmobile@gmail.com
Hours are 9AM to 6PM Tuesday-Sunday. On Mondays, he may also make some house calls or respond to stranded bikers. Atlas Cycles Mobile can stand ready by arrangement to assist at bicycle races and fund-raisers.
Jeremiah foresees sourcing bike parts to retail customers at wholesale prices. He hopes to add other Rider-Mechanics to towns in the current service area and to expand his service area. Eventually, he envisions transplanting his business model to other regions.
Pedal to Properties Northampton is proud to recognize Jeremiah Johnson, owner-mechanic of Atlas Cycles Mobile of Hampshire County, as being an important new component of the bicycling infrastructure of this area. We are now carrying his contact information as we ride for ourselves and for our real estate business.
Posted in Biking, Uncategorized
Peter Klejna, Realtor ©, for Pedal to Properties, Northampton
Brion Stracensky operates his cutting-edge bicycle delivery service, Halo Couriers, out of 1 Roundhouse Plaza, Northampton. His “Messenger and Gear Shop” is in a space adjacent to the bus terminal. After a successful run of over 5 years in Eugene, Oregon, Brion opened shop earlier this year to personally provide bike courier service to a number of Valley communities.
These include: all areas of Northampton, Easthampton, most of Hadley and all of Amherst, including the UMass campus. Most delivery orders will be delivered with 1-2 hours. Brion uses the growing network of bikeways whenever possible to maximize safety and speed of transit.
Brion held Eugene’s first pedicab license, well as operating a successful courier service in the southern Oregon university and high-tech city.
Brion is the sole proprietor and courier. He is in touch by cell phone at all times with his customers as he picks up and delivers documents and small parcels, and modifies his routes as needed at a given time. One of his specialties is to provide service to the legal, medical and banking industry. He is fully bonded and insured. He routinely accompanies documents through legal recording processes.
Ink and Toner Solutions of Main Street is an example of another sort of client. He delivers recycled ink toner cartridges for them throughout Halo’s service area. After the interview for this piece concluded, he mounted up and went to pick and deliver ink cartridges to the Northampton Police station.
He will respond to holiday needs, being available to deliver small gifts on a rush basis. He picks up x-rays and other medical documents to and from the hospital and area medical clinics. Halo Couriers offers Postal Business Services and Bank Service for business and individuals.
Most of his customers have monthly accounts. Halo Couriers can be reached at (413) 584-8380. The web site is: www.halobikecouriers.com
Tweat him @ halo_couriers
Halo Couriers has regular hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, all months of the year. Brion will deliver on foot, even by x-country skis, if a wintery storm is underway.
Brion lives in Greenfield with his girlfriend, Kim, his dog Mushroom (often at the shop) and two cats. His current business ambition is to expand his current stock of bicycle gear into a full time sales and repair operation. Halo Couriers, at 1 Roundhouse Plaza on Old South Street, just below City Hall, borders the Manhan Rail Trail.
Posted in News
Northampton, Mass.—Feb. 11, 2010— Pedal to Properties, a full-service real estate firm that incorporates sophisticated technology, green practices and optional bike tours, announced it will open a franchise in Northampton, Mass., next month. Craig Della Penna, a longtime Northampton Realtor and rails to trails advocate for biking and pedestrian corridors, will open and operate the franchise.
Pedal to Properties gives clients the option of seeing homes and neighborhoods while riding distinctive cruiser bikes. The Pedal to Properties formula also includes sophisticated yet easy-to-use web tools for consumers and agents, green office practices, and social networking platforms.
“We can’t wait to bring this concept to Northampton and the Pioneer Valley,” said Tim Majors, President of U.S. Operations for Pedal to Properties. “Pedal to Properties is a great fit for buyers with active, healthy lifestyles, and that’s the kind of buyer who looks for a home in Northampton.”
Della Penna was a top agent at one of the largest independent real estate firms west of the Connecticut River in Hampshire County. He is passionate about smart growth, sustainable economic development and alternative transportation, having worked for Rails to Trails Conservancy for six years. He’s also written books, articles and guest editorials as well as spoken extensively around the U.S. about community livability issues.
Della Penna has distinguished himself by helping clients buy and sell properties close to bike paths. Through his rails to trails advocacy efforts he has assisted volunteer groups around the northeast to convert unused, former railroad corridors into biking and pedestrian paths. Della Penna felt the culture in Northampton made it a great place to launch a Pedal to Properties franchise. “Bikes are seen commonly here, every day of the year, even in winter,” he says.
Pedal to Properties Northampton will be located at 14 Strong Ave. in downtown Northampton. The office’s grand opening will coincide with Pioneer Valley Bike Commute Week, May 9 – 16. The real estate firm sits next to a rail trail and about 100 yards from Northampton’s Union station where commuter rail will be resurrected in the next few years.
The Pedal to Properties concept has been massively successful in Boulder, Colo., where founder Matt Kolb launched the company in 2006 and saw sales grow 200 percent in two years. Pedal to Properties was dubbed “most creative idea” by Real Estate Weekly at the National Association of Realtors conference in November, and the Boulder flagship office has added many top real estate agents in recent months.
A Pedal to Properties franchise uses unique marketing tools, know-how and services tailored to health-conscious buyers and sellers interested in the pedestrian lifestyle. The Pedal to Properties approach offers buyers the option of a fun, relaxed bike ride that lets them see homes while getting to know local shops, restaurants, parks and schools. The company’s Web site, www.pedaltoproperties.com, lets agents, franchisees and consumers search, review or post comments about their favorite neighborhoods and homes.
About Pedal to Properties (www.pedaltoproperties.com)
Based in Boulder, Colo., Pedal to Properties was founded by Matt Kolb as a full-service real estate firm that provides a unique experience for home buyers. Pedal to Properties realtors focus on assisting clients with buying and selling homes through an optional service to view properties and homes from signature bikes. Former Australian businessman Tim Majors joined Kolb in May to help take Pedal to Properties national through franchising.
Contact Craig Della Penna, 413-575-2277
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Posted in News, Northampton, Real Estate
Tagged Craig Della Penna, Northampton, Pedal to Properties, Real Estate
Pedal to Properties Northampton: Real Estate 