Vineland home-improvement expo lines up local companies

'The timing for us is good,' he said. 'But weather-wise, I don't know. The weather this winter has been brutal.'

Orlandini, of Buena Vista Township, said his business specializes in kitchens and baths. They work with contractors and do-it-yourself homeowners.

'The latest trend is larger-format floor tiles. Every year we're seeing bigger tiles. First it was 12 by 12. Now it's 20 by 20,' he said.

This presents a more uniform look in foyers and kitchens that is not broken up by tile creases, he said.

Participating in the expo helps generate new business, he said. His staff will be on hand at the expo to give design or installation suggestions to homeowners who are interested updating their homes.

'It gets our name out there, shows them who we are. We're more than a box store. We get in there and we'll help people. We're knowledgeable about products and installation,' Orlandini said.

The expo is produced by Always Positive Group based in Gloucester Township. Organizer Joseph Lanzi said dozens of local companies are participating this year.

'It's a consumer-driven event. A lot of companies offer home renovations and d�cor - from roof to basement,' he said. 'All of our shows are diversified.'

About 80 vendors will have booths, including remodeling firms, general contractors, heating and air conditioning companies, basement specialists and home-entertainment installers, Lanzi said.

American Fireplace, based in Vineland, installs new fireplaces and retrofits old ones for natural gas or wood pellets. The company is participating for the first time this weekend, owner Cynthia Woods-Marks said.

'It's a great way to boost exposure. It's a means of letting people know we're out there,' she said. 'For us, the fireplace business has been helped by the winter's cold temperatures.'

Woods-Marks said people use their fireplaces in different ways depending on their lifestyle.

'Young families want to get out and chop and split wood. But the older generation says I don't want to do that anymore. I want the convenience of gas,' she said. 'You see all different types of people.'

She plans to use the expo to help educate potential customers about the benefits of fireplaces. Fireplaces are especially attractive during cold winters with multiple power outages like this year, she said.

The Philadelphia suburbs saw a rash of carbon monoxide poisonings after people used gas grills indoors to cook, stay warm or both, she said.

'Gas fireplaces will still provide heat even without power,' she said. 'During the last outage, people in Philadelphia were bringing in their gas grills to stay warm. That's crazy.'