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PENNINGTON: Mercer Chamber will laud PQM at April 22 dinner

The market has been at the intersection of Route 31 and East Delaware Avenue for nearly 50 years,

By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
   The Pennington Quality Market (PQM) has been named Outstanding Small Business of 2008 by the Mercer County Chamber of Commerce.
   PQM will receive its award at the chamber’s annual Hall of Fame Awards Dinner, set for April 22 at the Hyatt, on U.S. Route 1 in West Windsor.
   Master of ceremonies will be Joe Piscopo, a former cast member of “Saturday Night Live.”
   PQM has been at the intersection of Route 31 and East Delaware Avenue for nearly 50 years, having moved to that location from smaller quarters at 12 N. Main St. in downtown Pennington.
   The market is owned and operated by Larry Rothwell, his son, Michael Rothwell, and his daughter, Barbara Rothwell Henderson. The store’s longtime manager is Donald Rellstab.
   ”We’re very honored and humbled to receive this award,” Michael Rothwell said. “It comes at a wonderful time for our staff, and we share this award with them. It takes a dedicated team of people to remain competitive in our business today, and we certainly have that here.”
   The market has 160 employees. Most of them live in the Hopewell Valley.
   ”Many of them have been with us a very long time,” Mr. Rothwell said. “We also have quite a few families with more than one member working here. So it’s a close group. We’re very loyal to each other.”
   Also scheduled to be presented at the dinner will be the chamber’s awards for Citizen of the Year, Distinguished Corporation of the Year, Outstanding Small Business and Community Impact Award.