Merchant of the Month
ABOUT THIS MONTH"S WINNER:
Pictured:
David Morozoff, Lorraine Whalen and Marina Sepulveda
Hilltop Community Bank is the March Merchant of the Month
Hilltop Community Bank’s branch in Madison at 177 Main Street is the winner of the Madison Chamber of Commerce’s Merchant of the Month Award for March.
“Here at Hilltop we still believe in that good old fashioned customer service, which is today still appreciated by our customer base,” said David Morozoff, the Madison branch manager.
“We are a local bank keeping our decision making on the local level,” said Morozoff, who for the second consecutive year is one of the chairs of the Taste of Madison.
“Both business and consumer customers are welcome at Hilltop. Here at Hilltop we are all about the customer,” Morozoff said.
The Merchant of the Month Award program recognizes businesses for their efforts in keeping the Madison business district inviting and prosperous through exemplary stewardship of their premises and the community.
The Chamber’s Board of Directors unanimously selected Hilltop to win the award at its monthly meeting in February. The Chamber Board cited Hilltop’s effective and efficient building, clean and well lighted interior and professionally groomed exterior and parking lot.
The Board also cited Hilltop’s employees, lead by Morozoff, for outstanding merit.
“David Morozoff and his colleagues are most deserving of this award,” said Ken Toumey, president of the Chamber. “What makes this particular citation so special is that David and Hilltop care about the welfare of Madison and its people as much as they care about their clients, and that’s saying a lot.”
“David’s regular attendance and participation in Chamber events and programs is second to none. David is generous with his time and business knowledge. David is quick to smile and usually the friendliest
person in the room,” said Toumey of Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consultants, 42 Valley Road.
“Here at Hilltop we believe it’s all about the community, Morozoff said. “We try get involved in all areas whether it’s getting dirty by pulling out weeds on May Day in Madison or enjoying an evening of wining and dining at the Taste of Madison. It’s all about getting involved and pitching in where needed.” Morozoff is a member of the Madison Rotary Club.
The Hilltop Community Bank, which was founded in 2001, is located near the intersection of Cross Street and Main Street. Richard D. Wellbrock is the chairman of the board and Mortimer O’Shea is president and chief executive officer.
O’Shea and Morozoff are regular attendees at the Chamber’s monthly Networking Breakfasts, which are jointly sponsored by the Chamber and Chatham Chamber of Commerce.
“Both David and Mort are founding members of the Networking Breakfasts,” said Karen Meyer, Chamber’s executive director.“They’re both warm, extremely well informed and are often quick with a joke and a smile. They seem to be everywhere and know everybody.”
The Networking Breakfasts are held the second Tuesday of the month at 8:00 am at Charlie Brown’s Fresh Grill, 522 Southern Boulevard in Chatham and feature speakers on business topics and discussions about marketing, management and technology.
Morozoff credits his and Hilltop’s success to a simple fact. “We show the customer we care about their business and listen to them. We are surely there for them and their business. We offer a wide range of products for both our business customers and our consumer clients alike.”
Hilltop has a niche for lending commercial and residential mortgages and home equity loans and lines, Morozoff said.
“Our saying is we have money to lend and are willing to lend it,” he said. “We do offer a product that is not offered by many financial or real estate offices. We still offer bridge loans, which is a product that allows you to purchase your new home prior to selling your current home. We also offer a full range of investment products and services from Hilltop Investment Professionals,” Morozoff says.
Hilltop can be reached at 973-360-0080 andwww.hilltopcommunitybank.com. Morozoff’s email address isdmorozoff@hilltopcommunitybank.com.
Hilltop has been a member of the Chamber since it opened its doors in Madison in 2003. “Getting involved within the community is the key to success,” Morozoff said. “Working as a team - even though some of us may be in direct competition with each other and in the same industry - we are all here to help each other out in one way or another.”
Hilltop is the forty-ninth Madison business to win the Merchant of the Month Award. The award program is a joint venture of the Chamber and Madison Downtown Development Commission and they alternate selections monthly.
Winners must be Chamber members in good standing. They receive an engraved blue brass plaque to keep and the traveling blue Merchant of Month Banner to display at their premises. The plaque and the banner depict the historic Hartley Dodge Memorial building, the seat of Madison’s municipal government.
The roster of Merchant of the Month Award winners is shown at the Chamber’s website, www.MadisonNJChamber.org. The Chamber can be contacted at info@MadisonNJChamber.org and 973-377-7830.
The Chamber is an independent, non-profit business league that is celebrating is seventieth anniversary in 2013. The Chamber has 165 dues-paying member organizations.
The Chamber, DDC and the Rotary Club of Madison are producing partners of the Taste of Madison, which is on April 15 at the Park Avenue Club, 184 Park Avenue in Florham Park. Morozoff is the Rotary’s designated chair of the event. Event proceeds fund charitable causes, civic improvements and business development.
“For more information about and tickets to the Taste of Madison, please visit our website, www.TasteOfMadison.org,” Morozoff said.
The Chamber, founded in 1943, is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization of more almost 170 dues-paying member businesses, institutions of learning and non-profits promoting the economic interests of its dues-paying members and Madison through programs, events, learning and advocacy.
For more information, please visit www.MadisonNJChamber.org, email info@MadisonNJChamber.org or phone 973-377-7830.
Award Recipients:
- Gerlachs Jewelers - May 2007.
- Coviello's - July 2007.
- T&J Service Center, Inc. - Aug 2007.
- J.M. Egan - Sept 2007.
- Blush - Nov 2007.
- Traditional Okinawan Martial Arts - Dec 2007.
- Madison Car Wash & Detail Center - Jan 2008.
- Top Notch - Feb 2008.
- Statements - March 2008.
- Empire Szechuan - April 2008.
- Rose City Jewelers - May 2008.
- European Elegance - June 2008.
- Town & Country Home - July 2008.
- Main Street Submarines - Sept 2008.
- Madison Bicycle Shop - Oct 2008.
- Wild Things - Nov 2008.
- J&M Home & Garden - Dec 2008.
- Madison Honda - Feb 2009.
- Resto - April 2009.
- Hollenbach Family Chiropractic - May 2009.
- Museum of Early Trades & Crafts - Aug 2009.
- Rose City Collision - Nov 2009.
- Cramers Carpet One - Dec 2009.
- The Chocolate Rose Shoppe - March 2010.
- Hey Cupcake! - Nov 2010.
- Creighton Edward – Dec 2010.
- Tons of Toys – Jan 2011.
- Maison Décor – Feb 2011.
- d torr boutique – April 2011.
- Schnipper’s – May 2011.
- Doddlebugz – June 2011.
- Plaza Lanes – July 2011.
- Somerset Hills Bank – Oct 2011.
- The Provident Bank – Nov 2011.
- Takuma – Dec 2011.
- Starting Line Sports – Feb 2012.
- Gary’s Wine & Marketplace – March 2012.
- Drip Coffee – April 2012.
- DownTown Salon – May 2012.
- PC Problems - June 2012.
- Coccia Realty - July 2012
- Blue Ridge Mountain Sports - August 2012
- Upholstery Plus - September 2012
- Poor Herbie's - October 2012
- Hair We Are - November 2012
- Madison Vaccum - December 2012
- The Blue Purl - January 2013
- The Nautilus Diner - February 2013
- Hilltop Community Bank - March 2013
