photo by: Josie Burkhart

The Wheeling Home Garden and Life Expo begins as small and local businesses set up as vendors to promote their services, including Wayne Door Sales, which offers residential, commercial and industrial garage doors. Pictured are owner Isaac Foldi and St. Clairsville office manager Larry Foldi.

TRIADELPHIA — The Wheeling Home Garden and Life Expo began Friday at the Highland Sports Complex, with more than 150 vendors showing their wares at the complex through the rest of the weekend.

KC Productions organized the event, which has drawn in more than 6,000 people in the past, that took place Friday and will continue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Highlands Sports Complex.

This free event involves almost every aspect of life in general, KC Productions owner Kevin Carroll said. Among the vendors featured are roofing companies, landscaping companies and construction companies, carpentry and lawn tractors along with crafters selling baked goods, ceramics, wood products and other goodies.

Carroll said the goal of the event is for the community to have a one-stop shop for home improvement from improving the outside of someone’s house with roofers and landscapers to decorating the inside with the crafters.

He added even if someone isn’t interested in home and garden, the crafters are there to sell other products.

For the duration of the weekend, guest speakers will talk at the event from different industries, such as backyard beekeeping.

The expo also gives attendees a chance to buy local, as local businesses from Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania populate the complex floor. The event also features prizes like a 65-inch TV, an indoor smoker and an outdoor smoker. Shoppers can win the prizes by going on a scavenger hunt among the expo’s different booths.

Carroll said this event promotes local businesses and increases their visibility.

“They’re getting exposure,” he said. “The biggest thing is they’re getting exposure. Like I said, there’s going to be over 6,000 folks coming out this year, and the hope is to get to (7,000).”

He added small businesses can use this as a way to get their names and services out there, which could turn into future sales.

Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration from Wheeling is the title sponsor for the event this year.

The business was there to promote its construction and remodeling division of the company. Anyone looking for a custom kitchen, bathroom or flooring can visit them for a consultation from one of their project specialists.

Vice president of marketing Trent Nicholson said many people know Panhandle for its disaster services, but this is a good way to promote its other services.

“Panhandle is very big in community stuff, so something like this was kind of a no brainer,” he said. “It’s kind of bringing in a lot of people and just being the title sponsor, you walk right through these front doors and we’re the first thing to see. We were expecting a pretty good turnout after this weekend.”

Wayne Door Sales, out of Wintersville, Ohio and St. Clairsville, Ohio, joined the event for the third year, having some success in the past. So it decided to become a vendor again to promote its services, products and quality.

The company offers residential, commercial and industrial garage doors and garage door openers as well as repairs on existing doors, including any mechanical components.

“I think there’s a lot of exposure to a group of clients in the region,” owner Isaac Foldi said.

Another vendor from Wheeling is Backyard Escapes, owned by DeSean James, which started four years ago. Project manager Melba James said the business was there to let people know it is there in Wheeling.

The company started with landscaping but expanded to retaining walls, tree removal, heading of trees, turf installation, fencing and spring and fall cleanups.

The company was there to offer people a chance to book estimates with the business.

“I always say that we are a small company with a big heart to where we are very honest about what we do,” James said. “And we treat people the way we want to be treated, and we have great customer service.”

Shoppers not only traveled from the Ohio Valley, but some from Pittsburgh, including Jeanne Simmons and Judy Herstine who heard about the event because they stopped in the area to purchase presale tickets for the Ohio Valley Roller Derby.

The shoppers purchased some items from the vendors, including honey and got a jump rope from the Health Plan. The two enjoyed talking to vendor DW and Co. Leathers.

Simmons thought this event was a good way to support small businesses because a lot of the businesses might not have storefronts because of the costs associated with it.

“In an atmosphere like this, you are able to actually interact with them more, learn more about them and see a lot of what they have to offer,” she said.