Joe Zisman,Linda Johnston & Tom Zimmerman, at their Veterans Day celebration, pictured with a model tiny home.
Getting back to a sense of normalcy after COVID-19 has been a challenge.
If there’s one thing we learned from the pandemic, it’s that where we “nest” is important to us. Now more than ever, people are investing in their homes with fresh ideas.
As an example, Renewal by Andersen of Central PA, based in Mechanicsburg, had an outstanding year in 2022, partly due to the substantial demand that arose from homeowners wanting to enhance their surroundings or remodel homes they were buying. According to company President Joe Zisman, there is still pent-up demand.
“With the cost of housing being so high right now, rather than going out and purchasing a new home, many people are choosing to upgrade their homes with new windows and doors to keep the elements out and the heat and air conditioning in,” he said.
Zisman said that working for his family’s window business (Ambassador Home Improvements, Inc.) in Pittsburgh helped inspire his passion to help others, stay customer-focused and run a successful operation on his own.
“My dad, Marvin Zisman, was an installer, my uncle was a salesman, and my mom did the books,” he said. “We became partners before he retired in the late 1980s and back then he worked hard for each home improvement project undertaken.”
Joe Zisman opened RBA of Central PA in 2006. Today, he’s a hands-on president whose team understands the importance he places on making both customers and employees feel valued.
“I have a great team, which is very customer-service oriented, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. “This includes rewarding our team when they perform well, establishing a “fun committee,” and, most importantly, volunteering in our communities around the region.”
Giving Back
Zisman repeatedly mentioned how his company encourages assisting Harrisburg-area nonprofits, and, indeed, the list of charities it supports is long. It includes Bethany House, American Cancer Society, St. Jude’s, Orange for Owen Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Coats for Kids, Peyton Walker Foundation, Big 33, Capital Area Dream House, PA Dairymen’s Association, various food banks and Speranza, to name just a few.
This past November, in recognition of National Veterans and Military Families Month, the company contributed $500,000-plus of in-kind donations to Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania to provide windows, doors and labor for its tiny homes project for homeless and displaced veterans across the capital region.
Thomas W. Zimmerman, Jr., co-founder and chair of VOPA, said that a tiny home provides everything veterans need to live with dignity and safety, including a bed, bathroom, shower, desk, sink and counter space, with a refrigerator underneath.
Linda Johnston, general manager for RBA of Central PA, said the company is partnering with other central PA companies to build 15 of these tiny homes, which will be located along the Susquehanna River in South Harrisburg.
“The entire village will serve veterans free of charge,” said Johnston, adding that a 6,500-square-foot community center will be built near the houses on the five-acre site, which, decades ago, was home to a Phoenix Steel Corp. mill.
Zisman said that he is proud of how the company has evolved and grown over the years, as well as its focus on giving back to the community.
“We have worked hard to be able to help so many families here through our work and also through our philanthropic endeavors,” he said. “All of this truly fulfills our sense of purpose, which is giving back to others, so the future looks bright indeed.”
Renewal by Andersen of Central Pennsylvania is located at 4856 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit www.renewalbyandersen.com.
To learn more and contribute to Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania, visit www.veteransoutreachofpa.org.
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