![\"From](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-Mechanical-04.jpg\")
From left, Barry Unger, president, and Eric Unger, vice president, of Vision Mechanical, West Reading. (Courtesy of Vision Mechanical)<\/p>\nAmid record growth, Barry Unger\u2019s vision for Vision Mechanical has never been sharper.<\/p>\n
The plumbing and HVAC contracting firm, founded in 2000 by Unger, president and his brother, Eric Unger, vice president, started after the brothers spent years honing their skills in the industry.<\/p>\n
After a plan to take the reins at another family-owned company fell through, the Ungers and six other employees founded their own startup.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to build something of our own \u2014 something that reflected our values,\u201d Barry Unger said in a Q&A provided to MediaNews Group. \u201cIt all started with a simple idea, to build something reliable, with people you can trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
From left, Barry Unger, president, and Eric Unger, vice president, of Vision Mechanical, West Reading. (Courtesy of Vision Mechanical)<\/p>\n
The company has since embraced a business model known as Entrepreneurial Operating System<\/a>, or EOS, which Unger said enabled his team to co-create a unified blueprint forward.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a structured way to cascade messages down throughout your company,\u201d Unger said of EOS. \u201cKind of uniting everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Unger said EOS, along with a strong employee roster, contributed to the company clinching first place in the 2026 Greater Reading Chamber Alliance\u2019s Business Excellence Awards.<\/p>\n The Business Excellence awards rank Berks County companies according to annual revenue growth, factoring in the percentage and dollar amount.<\/p>\n Vision Mechanical, of West Reading, took first in the awards\u2019 large business category, which features the top 50 companies with revenues of over $1 million.<\/p>\n Unger declined to provide exact figures but said Vision recently hit its 10-year growth goal in about half that time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all sat together in a room and said, \u2018what would success look like in 10 years,\u2019\u201d Unger said in a recent interview. \u201cWe picked a big, hairy, audacious goal<\/a>. We hit it in five years.\u201d<\/p>\n That process, Unger said, involved creating a document that maps short- and long-term goals as achievable metrics, and hashes out strategies for meeting them.<\/p>\n The document is then shared across the company, with leadership teams meeting weekly to workshop issues.<\/p>\n Unger said that trusting his team to support the blueprint for growth is a big part of what enabled Vision\u2019s success.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we started this, I was doing it all,\u201d Unger said. \u201cYou realize, with time, that you need to get out of the business and work on this business. I was so much in the weeds that we couldn\u2019t grow. Now, I\u2019m looking 20,000 feet up and that\u2019s given us opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Unger also said picking the right employees was critical.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re always looking for a few good (people),\u201d Unger said. \u201cAnd when we find somebody, we want to keep them here. We want to grow our business around them.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of the company\u2019s strategy also involves an apprenticeship program at Vision, which Unger said is currently hosting 20 students.<\/p>\n \u201cI came through an apprenticeship program, so I know the value of it,\u201d Unger, who got his start in a steamfitter apprenticeship, said. \u201cIt\u2019s neat to see the (employee) numbers increasing in the trades.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, the company has over 50 employees serving \u00a0Berks, Lebanon, Schuylkill, Lancaster, Lehigh, Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery counties.<\/p>\n The growth was also fueled by Vision\u2019s acquisition two years ago of A P Merkel Plumbing and Heating, Fleetwood, which focuses on residential services.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to grow our service agreement side,\u201d Unger said. \u201cWhat I call reoccurring revenue. We have a service agreement and come out to your house twice a year.\u201d<\/p>\n That change has coincided with Vision hiring a service manager, schedule work dispatcher and more, and revamping its website<\/a> to showcase its residential offerings.<\/p>\n \u201cOur core focus is building an enduring legacy for our employees and their families,\u201d Unger said. \u201cAll while exceeding customers\u2019 expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n Vision Mechanical was ranked No. 3 on the list in 2025 and was unranked in 2024.<\/p>\n Small Business Winner<\/p>\n The number one spot went to Blades of Steel Landscaping<\/a>, a full-service firm that serves Berks, Lebanon, Montgomery and Lancaster counties.<\/p>\n The company offers everything from simple shrub care to complete renovations, along with various hardscaping options.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0D9A1275_1.jpg\")
A Vision Mechanical employee works on an HVAC system. (Courtesy of Vision Mechanical)<\/p>\n
![\"Eyelash](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Bime-eyelash-curler.jpg\")
Eyelash curlers are Bime Beauty\u2019s number one selling product, according to owner Tanya Oziel. (Courtesy of Tanya Oziel)<\/p>\n![\"Bime](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Bime-Expo.jpg\")
Bime Beauty works with influencers and affiliates to market products. (Courtesy of Tanya Oziel)<\/p>\n![\"(Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/REG-L-GRCABizExcLists-0512.jpg\")
(Courtesy Greater Reading Chamber Alliance)