Bargain hunters grab free tile from closed business

YOUNGSTOWN — The two women who planted themselves in camp chairs beneath a rainbow umbrella outside the old Wall Tile Co. were on a mission: get tile for their home projects at the best price possible.

Wednesday, that was “free.”

Petrarca Companies, the company’s former landlord, let area tile seekers haul off the leftover inventory after the business owner disappeared last year without paying rent. More than 100 people — some from as far as Cleveland — wrapped around the building, 2432 Mahoning Ave., waiting to empty the building.

“We camped out front until they opened the doors,” said Sarah Rowe, of Warren, who sat with her fellow soccer mom Lisa Carnahan, of Boardman.

The crowd was a stark sign of the downturn economy, Carnahan said.

“In this economy, I think everybody is looking for a good deal,” she said.

Read more in Thursday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com