Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Beardsley.
Hi Rebecca, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Chimney Cricket has always been more than a business to us, it’s been part of our family’s identity for nearly 40 years. My father, Phil Taggart, started building chimneys and fireplaces when he was just 18. What began as hands-on craftsmanship grew into a full-service company as he expanded into chimney care in the 1980s.
As in many family businesses, I started out as a chimney sweep assistant at 16, learning the work from the ground up. Over time, I moved into the business side, advertising, bookkeeping, and development, and now lead the company as CEO. About 15 years ago, my husband, Peter Beardsley, joined the company and brought a new level of structure, systems, and customer experience that really elevated what we do.
When Phil passed the torch to us in 2015, it was both an honor and a turning point. We were committed to preserving the legacy he had established while also growing into an enduring hearth and chimney company rooted in craftsmanship, trust, and long-term relationships. That vision led us to expand beyond service and repair into the broader hearth industry, and five years ago we opened our showroom, Hometown Hearth on State Rd in Media, PA. It felt like a natural next step, our customers already trusted us in their homes, and now we could help them design and create the spaces they gather around.
Today, we’re still a family-owned company, grounded in the same values we started with, but with a stronger team, broader expertise, and a clear mission: to be the most trusted chimney and hearth company in our region.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been an amazing journey but of course it had its bumps along the way as any growing business would. Like many other businesses, navigating through the COVID years and beyond was a significant challenge. Staying focused on our customers, expanding into gas hearth service and installations, and investing in our amazing team along the way has helped us achieve success even through difficult economic times.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Chimney Cricket and Hometown Hearth?
For 37 years Chimney Cricket has been the company of choice by families around Delaware County, Newcastle County, and in our hometown of Media, PA. Trusted for chimney restoration, repairs, inspection, and sweeping, we added hearth design and installation through Hometown Hearth in 2020. We are now the one stop provider for all our customer needs.
We are proud to be a local company made up of neighbors who truly care about keeping your home safe and comfortable. With 37 years of chimney and hearth experience and a team of fully certified technicians, we are the company you can count on to get the job done right. With over 1,000 google reviews we are trusted by our community and grateful to serve our neighbors year after year.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We love working with others in the industry and partnering with both homeowners and local businesses. Architects and designers, even plumbers and HVAC contractors, often send their customers into the showroom so they can experience in person what they can build into their own home or business location.
For those who are interested we would recommend giving us a call at 610-557-1638, checking out our website at https://chimneycricket.net, or, even better, stop on by and meet our wonderful team in person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chimneycricket.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wedochimneys/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chimneycricket
