Lomax Carpet & Tile Mart opens at Coventry Mall
Company pledges 1 percent of sales to Stretch the Ride
Lomax Carpet & Tile Mart has officially opened its new 40,000-square-foot store in the former SuperFresh store at Coventry Mall.
The store had a “soft opening” just before Memorial Day, but held its grand opening Thursday — complete with speeches, entertainment and a ribbon cutting.
“We are celebrating not just the opening of a new store, but the American spirit. We’re celebrating teamwork and what can happen when people work together,” said Michael Longwill, president of Lomax Carpet & Tile Mart and third generation owner/operator.
Longwill took the opportunity Thursday to outline a 30-day initiative to raise funds for and promote the mission of Stretch the Ride, a Pottstown-based nonprofit organization committed to helping patients and families affected by cancer.
“Not only is it important to give good value, but it is important to give back to the community,” he said.
From June 15 through July 15, the company will donate 1 percent of the sales from the North Coventry store directly to Stretch the Ride to support its efforts. In addition, customers can make cash donations to the organization when they are in the store, according to spokesman Walt Koval.
The Stretch the Ride Foundation was founded by Oncologist Michael Lambo, MD, Sam Nalbone and Sherri Wunderlich, RN, in memory of William “Stretch” Smaltz. Its mission is to help patients, families and caregivers
by assisting with the emotional and financial challenges of managing cancer treatment, according to the organization’s website.
Eileen Dautrich, president of the TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce, congratulated the store’s ownership on the opening and its “impact on the township and the redevelopment of the mall, as well as the impact on jobs in the area.”
Also on hand for Thursday’s event was Don Cafiero, CEO of Pennmark Management Co., which has owned Coventry Mall since April 2016. The opening of Lomax Carpet & Tile Mart is the second new opening at Coventry Mall this year. Gabe’s opened in March, taking about 45,000-square-feet
of the former Sear’s store.
Cafiero said the opening of the Lomax store is one of the key elements in Pennmark’s ongoing efforts to redevelop the mall. He added that all the work that has been going on at the mall could not have happened without the cooperation of North Coventry officials.
“It’s a good example of government and business working together for a common goal,” Cafiero said.
Lomax Carpet & Tile Mart is located in the Coventry Square Center portion of the mall at the intersection of routes 100 and 724. The building has undergone extensive renovations to get it ready to open.
“It’s been great to have been able to resurrect an unproductive, dilapidated building and restore it into a great place for flooring consumers to shop and