Joe Illick was trained as an engineer at Lehigh University.
He used this training, along with a keen interest for building and designing, to remodel houses and transform them into apartments in the early 1930’s. He bought and restored some Bethlehem mansions that had been built by prominent Bethlehem families, including the home of Charles Schwab of Bethlehem Steel. Joe progressed to building new homes, which he did successfully throughout the Lehigh Valley, for thirty years. Near the end of this time, two of his four sons, Flex and Tom Illick, joined the business. They began building townhouses, while continuing to restore and maintain the original apartment homes that their father had started. The sons concentrated on growing the rental business. In 1968, Joe passed ownership to his sons and Illick Brothers was formed. One hundred years earlier, Joe’s grandfather and his brother owned and operated a grain mill in Bethlehem. They also did business as Illick Brothers. Illick’s Mill is no longer owned by the family, but is still a Bethlehem landmark.
There are now one hundred and forty apartments in seventeen buildings in Bethlehem. They are a mix of remodeled mansions and townhouses. Flex and Tom have officially retired, but are still active and involved in the business.
Flex’s son-in-law, John Neumann along with his son Christian Neumann, now run the business, but it is still owned by two generations of the extended Illick family.