Year in Review: Leiby’s opens, businesses mark anniversaries

Long time favorite, Leiby’s Ice Cream House and Restaurant in South Tamaqua, dusted off the old-fashioned booths and shined the display cases after being closed for 10 years.

The restaurant opened to much fanfare in May.

Leiby’s was founded in 1965 by Floyd, Kenneth and Ronald Zimmerman, and opened its restaurant doors the same year and began slinging ice-cream and fries.

In 1991 the ice-cream shop was sold to the Stillman family and managed by a member of the Zimmerman family until 2001.

It was closed in 2007 by the Stillman family and was sold in June of 2008.

Leiby’s enthusiasts rejoiced when in 2016 members of the Leiby family, descendants of the original owner of Leiby’s Dairy, acquired the building and began renovations to reopen the Ice Cream House.

Another longtime business, Charles X. Blocks, at 251 W. Broad St. in Tamaqua, celebrated 95 years in business.

Ralph Richards, who along with his wife, Jeanette, owns Charles X. Blocks, said each year on their anniversary they partner with a local business.

This year, Richards partnered with Eight Oaks Distillery of New Tripoli, to provide complimentary tastings of their various liquors.

A Palmerton business celebrated a milestone. Hager Furniture Co. in Palmerton celebrated 60 years of business in October.

When Frank Hager Sr. first started out in Palmerton, he was working for another furniture store, while also holding down another job at night. Thanks to his strong reputation, once he struck out and opened his own business, the customers followed.

The original Hager store was located at 202 Delaware Ave. Hager’s wife was the secretary, and Frank and a cousin worked on deliveries.

Today, son Jeff Hager works with the operation.

Another Palmerton area business is the center for manufacturing.

In May, U.S. Metal Powers Inc., moved its headquarters from Flemington, New Jersey, onto Ampal property on Little Gap Road.

The company has been working on developing aluminum alloys that can be used in additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, chemical industry, energy sector, explosives, metallurgic industry, metallic pigments and propulsion to name a few.

Ampal Inc., has been in business since 1918 and operating a branch in Palmerton for 35 years having expanded in 2016,with the purchase of the Great American Pellet Co., building.

The 50 percent expansion is expected to be completed early in 2018 and cost roughly between $4 million and $5 million.

— Kelley Andrade