July 5, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Penguin Photo to close
by JAMES KEOUGH

Bill Stroud at the grand opening of Penguin Photo in its current location. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

Penguin Photo, Inc., will close later this month after 17 years of operation in Chestnut Hill, the last six and a half years under the ownership of Bill and Jamie Stroud of West Mt. Airy.

Penguin President Bill Stroud cited health reasons for the decision to close the store. He said he was diagnosed at the end of last year with prostate cancer with bone metastasis and has since undergone surgery and radiation treatment.

“We’ve enjoyed doing business in Chestnut Hill,” Stroud said. “It has been a great experience working with customers, helping them get the most out of their photographs, teaching photography classes and taking pictures of community events such as the Fourth of July Parade, Fall for the Arts and the Garden Festival.”

The Strouds bought Penguin from founders Janine and Michael Zaikowski in early 2001 when it was located on the west side of Germantown Ave. After a period of strong success marked by the arrival of the digital revolution, the Strouds moved the store across the street to its present address.

The transition into the digital world, Stroud said, was something that was a necessary challenge.

“You really had to change or quit because it was so popular,” Stroud said. “Especially because of services like Shutterfly. It was necessary to get new equipment and make [the] change.

“There is only one piece of equipment still in the store from when we bought it: a film processor to develop color negatives.”

Stroud also commented on the shelf life of technology as a result of the digital era. “Innovation in film photography came much more slowly and film cameras often remained current for a decade or more,” he said.

Digital cameras, on the other hand, become obsolete and are superseded by new models with lower prices and more features, often in a matter of months, Stroud said.

During the Stroud’s ownership, Penguin introduced fully digital printing for both film and digital photographs, installed self-service kiosks for digital photographers and added custom framing to the store’s menu of services.

In its history, Penguin Photo has won two national “Best in Class” awards from Eastman  Kodak Co. for retailing excellence and an additional Kodak citation for outstanding performance.

Previously, Stroud had a 32-year newspaper career as a reporter, photographer, editor and systems executive.

At The Philadelphia Inquirer he was an assistant managing editor and later director of publishing systems. For five years prior to taking over at Penguin, he was director of publishing solutions for Unisys Corp., in Blue Bell, helping introduce a software system developed by Unisys in Italy to American newspapers. He helped implement the system at the Wall Street Journal and Investors Business Daily.

“I had an odd knack for writing routines to automatically format complex financial tables,” he said. “It’s not a very exciting skill, but there were a limited number of people who could do it well.”

At Penguin, Stroud found a camaraderie and professional connection with his fellow photography enthusiasts.

“It has also been a pleasure to work with a number of creative, talented and energetic employees who have done outstanding work for customers on photo printing, restorations, posters, greeting cards and custom framing,” Stroud said.

Assistant manager Rachel Kotkoskie, technician Steven Quinn and customer service associates Al Erlick and Arthur Ryan have been at Penguin for virtually the entire time the Strouds have owned the business. Manager Lisa Pascuillo joined the staff more than three years ago, when Penguin made its big move. Other staff members are Stephen Cameron, Matthew Bender and Roger Allen.

Penguin will mark its closing with a celebration, one last “Penguin Day,” on Saturday, July 14.

“This event will give us a chance to thank our customers for their business and friendship over the years,” said Jamie Stroud, Penguin’s vice-president.

Penguin Day, which will include entertainment and crafts for children, balloons, food and beverages and door prizes, will mark the last full day of operations at the store. In the following week, the store will be open for limited hours to allow customers to pick up framing and printing jobs that have been completed.

Jamie Stroud, who has handled commercial accounts billing for Penguin, is a full-time mental health therapist. She works at a community mental health clinic in Lansdale and has a private practice as well. Other Penguin shareholders are the Strouds’ three daughters.

Ellen Stroud is an assistant professor at Bryn Mawr College, Beth Stroud is a writer and a lay minister at First United Methodist Church of Germantown, and Mary Maxwell Stroud is a social work supervisor in Vermont.