Dina Nicoletti carefully arranged dozens of colorful Tupperware dishes in the center of Hempfield’s Westmoreland Mall on Saturday morning, keeping an eye for shoppers walking past her booth.
A Pittsburgh area business leader for Powerhouse Sales, Nicoletti has worked with the Tupperware brand for 25 years.
She was one of 20 vendors this weekend to line the mall’s Center Court for the Westmoreland Home and Garden Show — featuring window, roofing, garage door and playground companies, as well as a handful of craft booths.
Though December was a slow month for Nicoletti’s business, the home and garden show has attracted a good turnout to her booth.
“I think that a lot of people are drawn to our salt and pepper shakers,” said Nicoletti, of Murrysville, “because it reminds them (of) the memories that they had growing up. And the bowls — they just remember that.”
Home improvement season
Event organizer Dottie Miller has hosted home, boat, hunting, bridal and wine shows with her husband throughout the Pittsburgh area since 2002. She aims to continue the inaugural home and garden show in Westmoreland County in future years.
“(We knew) that (Westmoreland) needed something for the people of Greensburg to try to bring some home improvement companies to them,” said Miller, of Jefferson, Greene County.
“We have the Downtown (Pittsburgh) home show. But this way, there’s something a little more localized for people out this way.”
In Miller’s assessment, there’s no time like the present for homeowners to start thinking about improvements and maintenance projects.
“By the time summer comes,” she said, “a lot of these types of companies are already booked. And then you’re just waiting on a waiting list.
“When you come out of winter,” Miller said, “you look around and you see how things have deteriorated over the winter and the stress that winter sometimes puts on your home.”
Companies see business spike
Saturday marked the beginning of the busiest season for Wexford-based Playground World, co-owner Jason LaGamba said, overlooking a fully-assembled playset and trampoline.
The occasional family paused at the booth, parents watching as their children scaled the wooden playset and glided down the bright yellow slide.
“We are very busy right now,” said LaGamba, noting business grows quiet from November through February.
“We’re currently booked three weeks out when it comes to installs. This is the time that it kicks in, and then we’ll be busy all the way up through October.”
LaGamba noted the company also offers power washing and sealing services to help playset owners protect their purchase from the cold, snowy Pennsylvania winters.
“The winters can be harsh on the playsets,” he said. “We always recommend doing maintenance or safety checks after the first year.”
The same goes for the roofing industry, according to Roof Maxx dealer Dmitri Pogrebchtchikov.
The Mt. Washington-based company — which primarily services Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence and Westmoreland counties — offers a sealant intended to extend the lifespan of a roof.
“It’s like maintenance,” he said. “Think (about) your car — you just change the oil every year. You don’t buy a new car. … The roof is the same idea.”
Though the company has seen a lower level of business the past few months due to recent cold and snow spells, Pogrebchtchikov said Roof Maxx now has a waiting list of properties to service when the weather clears up.
“It depends what kind of winter (we have),” he said. Last year, we were December, January, February, March non-stop.”
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