Small-batch gifts that celebrate unique local places, products and more

When Becki Hollen and Chris Bencivenga relocated to Hollidaysburg from Pittsburgh, they missed indie gift shops so they created one: Lightning Bug Gift Co.

I stopped in at Lightning Bug Gift Co. a few weeks ago when I was in Hollidaysburg for a lunch meetup. I’d heard a bit about the company, which specializes in hand-crafted, local gifts, but I wasn’t prepared to be so understood as a quirky art lover firmly anchored in Central Pennsylvania. The shop is small, and chockablock-full of fun shirts, cards, magnets, candles and assorted other small batch finds that give a nod to local culture in a great big way.

Here you can find shirts to show your pride in the home of the Slinky or your weekend #lakelife addiction. There are odes to Utz chips, Canoe Creek, 814 area code and our collective local and Pennsylvania pride. (After much deliberation, I came away with a super cool PA topographical map magnet).

The shop started three years ago when artists and printmakers Becki Hollen and Chris Bencivenga relocated to Hollidaysburg from Pittsburgh. “At first it was hard to connect with the community,” Hollen said. “We missed the indie gift shops like we had in Pittsburgh. We had all of our printmaking equipment, and all these relationships with other artists and makers. We said, ‘Let’s give it a shot and see if people here want this.’”

Hollen said that as they discussed how to turn their dream into a reality, Startup Alleghenies coach Matt Fox was there. “He helped us a ton from the very beginning,” she said. “He was there to help answer any questions.”

“It was great working with Becki and Chris on their idea — I could see that Lightning Bug Gift Co. would be a great addition to Blair County,” Fox said. “The shop has been a great way to connect makers with shoppers in our area, and I love the way that it celebrates our rich local culture.”

The shop features small batches goods that celebrate the “in-between places” of Central Pennsylvania.

In addition to coaching with Fox, Hollan and Bencivenga also attended the Startup Alleghenies Marketing Bootcamp (the videos are available for free streaming here) — something that she says was invaluable. “The bootcamp included one-on-one time with marketing professionals, and ordinarily, that would have been very hard for a company with our budget. Big companies pay a lot of money for that kind of expertise! We got to meet with brand strategy specialists and social media experts — it was really helpful for us. We could never have paid for that kind of insight.”

With new skills under their belt, they made a small line of shirts, and ordered a curated selection of gifts from 20 maker friends across the state. “It took off fairly quickly!” She said. “We couldn’t keep things stocked. People were excited to see things that represent our area.”

Fast forward three years, and the shop now partners with over 80 artists, makers and small batch producers to create their signature finds.

“It all comes down to community and relationships,” Hollen said. “We get to create local designs and celebrate the things we love here in Central PA. We’ve found that when things really resonate with us personally. On occasion, we’ve tried sourcing things that didn’t appeal to us and they never sell well. It’s taught us to stay true to our vision — people can tell.”

As business continues to grow, Lightning Bug is on the search for a second location where they can move their printmaking equipment, where they hope to eventually offer printmaking classes.

“We love that we get to celebrate local things and all the in-between places in Pennsylvania,” she said.

Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.