By George Berkheimer, For the Bedford Gazette
Daniel and Jennifer Zimmerman grew up near Saxton, found love there, and have a long history of successful business endeavors.
It was a combination of those circumstances that drove them to take on the challenge of turning an eyesore in the town into something more attractive that could help foster the feeling of community that’s been in decline there as industry has slowly left the area. Since opening in May 2022, The Grind Coffee Company has become a popular stop offering drip coffee, teas, smoothies, specialty drinks and frozen lemonades, along with breakfast options, pastries and baked goods.
It attracted so many customers that the Zimmermans made the quick decision to expand into the next door storefront a year later and open a new space called The Lounge. “It turned out beautifully and has allowed us to host larger groups,” said Jennifer Zimmerman. “We have people who use it regularly for Bible study, sports meetings, study groups and other purposes.”
Reversing decay
The building they purchased dates back to the 1800s and housed other businesses in the past, including a barber shop, grocery store, and offices for The Daily News. “It truly was the ugliest building on Main Street and had been vacant for almost a decade,” Jennifer Zimmerman said. “It offered no hope and pulled down our spirits.” Tired of looking at the run-down, vandalized property, she and her husband eventually decided to buy it while they were both still employed as Southern Huntingdon County School District teachers and put their acquired knowledge and skills to use renovating it.
“My brain exploded with business ideas as a youngster,” Dan Zimmerman recalled, and he established Zimmerman’s Roofing and General Contracting after a few summers of working for other area contractors as a teenager.
He went on to establish Rustic DeZigns, a hand-crafted furniture business, while working in the natural gas industry in northern Pennsylvania from 2009-2011.
It was during that time that he and Jennifer rekindled a relationship that had been derailed by college pursuits, with Jennifer assisting with Rustic DeZigns’s business growth and learning woodworking herself. “We had the pleasure of shipping furniture all over the country, and even delivering some larger orders to Staten Island and Chicago,” Dan Zimmerman said.
Investing in community
Once a thriving employment center, Saxton lost the H&BT Railroad in 1954. The Saxton Bottling Company closed in 1990, and the Seton Leather Company closed its doors in 2011. “We chose to start our business in Saxton because we care about our community.” Daniel Zimmerman said.
The couple was inspired to take action, he said, “because the timing of everything felt right and we had a solid knowledge base to take calculated risks. While completing my GIS capstone project in college, I had discovered an economic feasibility study conducted by S. Patz and Associates for the Saxton Borough in 2013 that proposed reinventing the town to counter the mass exodus of employers.
“Most people don’t even know [this study] was done, and even fewer have taken the time to read it,” Daniel Zimmerman said. “In it we saw the opportunity to help revitalize our hometown. We think that dream has been realized, as it has inspired more growth up and down Main Street that has been wonderful for the town.” The Zimmermans now employ 10 people at The Grind, but the return on their investment goes further.
“We donate regularly to local youth sports and other nonprofit organizations,” Daniel Zimmerman said, and both are active in their church, where Dan is the superintendent and board chairman and Jennifer teaches Sunday School. “Much of our time is devoted to entrepreneurship,” he said, and spending time with their children, Grace, Jake, and Ava, who have become the driving force in the family’s business decisions.
Saxton and Bedford County have a lot to offer, he added, which is a big part of the reason the Zimmermans made the decision to stay here and become more involved in the community. “We have beautiful landscapes and the changing of the seasons is incredible here,” Jennifer Zimmerman said. “We have great water trails and the township is continually developing the trail systems. The focus on recreation and the great outdoors is great for natives and tourists alike.”
The job market is strong, she added, and poised for growth in the manufacturing sector with the continued development of the Bedford County Business Park.
“It’s wonderful to get to live in ‘Small Town USA’ but also be readily connected through the Interstate system,” Jennifer Zimmeman said. “Overall, people here have strong Biblical morals and practice those principles. That’s such an important thing to us when raising our children. It gives understanding of all things, and a strong foundation to build your life upon.”