Fulton Bank is embroiled in a legal dispute with a Washington, D.C., real estate investor who has been hit hard by the weakened office market in the U.S. capital. Lancaster-based Fulton sued the investor, David Schaeffer, in February over an alleged default on a $4.7 million loan associated with an office building about half a mile […]
A new investment advisory debuted in January under the leadership of Gregory Ganse, whose family founded specialty pharmacy Ganse Apothecary in Lancaster. Based in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. ARX Private Wealth caters to high- and ultra-high-net-worth families through what its partners describe as a relationship-based approach. “We’re in a unique position to serve those kinds of clients […]
A nonprofit lender based in Lancaster has landed $45 million in federal tax credits that it will use to kickstart projects around the region. The U.S. Treasury last week named Finanta, formerly Community First Fund, as one of dozens of recipients this year under the New Markets Tax Credit program, which is designed to lure private-sector […]
It was time to sell the donuts — and the honey, the baseball team and the roller coasters. Not to mention the banks, manufacturers and engineering firms, among others, that changed hands over the past year. Local dealmakers faced the usual headwinds in 2025, including relatively high interest rates. But they also had to navigate […]
Camp Hill-based LinkBancorp opened in 2018 following a round of consolidation that took out several banks in Central Pennsylvania. Now, with bank mergers again on the upswing, LinkBancorp is on the sell side. Alexandria, Virginia-based Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. has agreed to buy the bank in an all-stock deal valued at $354.2 million. The transaction, expected […]
Lancaster-based Fulton Financial Corp. has agreed to buy a New Jersey bank in a deal poised to expand Fulton’s business in lucrative markets outside New York City. The all-stock deal for Rutherford, New Jersey-based Blue Foundry Bancorp is valued at $243 million and expected to close in the second quarter of 2026. The combined bank would do business […]
For the second year in a row, Lancaster-based Fulton Bank wears the crown as home to the most bank deposits in Central Pennsylvania. Nonetheless, its market share shrank slightly as deposits grew overall in the region, according to the latest data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Total deposits as of June 30 were nearly $55.2 billion […]
The shutdown of the federal government is stalling a critical pipeline for loans to small businesses. Like the rest of the government, the U.S. Small Business Administration has been closed since Oct. 1. As a result, the agency is unable to formalize its guarantee to repay loans if small-business borrowers cannot. The guarantees encourage lenders to […]
A Lancaster-based developer has tapped an investment banking firm in a bid to drum up capital and expand its portfolio of projects. Developer Elevare Corp., formerly known as OZFund Inc., hopes to raise $50 million from investors and eventually become a public company, according to its founder and CEO, Jeremy Feakins. The company’s investment banker is San […]
Mid Penn Bancorp continued to expand its South Jersey footprint with the acquisition of community bank 1st Colonial Bancorp Inc. in a combined stock and cash deal valued at $101 million. Twenty-four hours later, Mid Penn agreed to acquire Sarasota, Florida-based Cumberland Advisors in a deal that is expected to bring approximately $3.3 billion new […]
Over the last two-plus years, Michael Wilson has been putting his stamp on Members 1st Federal Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in Pennsylvania. As chief executive, he is spearheading the credit union’s adoption of new technologies, including artificial intelligence and stablecoin – a form of digital currency that companies will be allowed […]
A local lawsuit related to a data breach at insurance and employee benefits brokerage Alera Group has prompted a local lawsuit. The lawsuit is not targeting Illinois-based Alera, however. It was filed last month against Members 1st Federal Credit Union, based in Hampden Township, Cumberland County. Filed in Cumberland County by a Members 1st employee, the lawsuit […]
After years of steady growth in Lancaster, Lebanon and Berks counties, the parent of Ephrata National Bank is crossing state lines. ENB Financial Corp. said yesterday it agreed to buy Cecil Bancorp, a small bank in northeastern Maryland. The cash deal, valued at $30.8 million, is the first bank acquisition in ENB’s history, which stretches back to 1881. […]
A family trust affiliated with George E. Norcross III, a New Jersey business leader and political power broker, has been steadily boosting its stake in Harrisburg-based Mid Penn Bancorp as the bank expands in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Indiana Pacific General Trust, whose beneficiaries are Norcross’s son and daughter, disclosed last year that it held a 6.2% stake […]
A titan of Pennsylvania banking is passing the baton. Jay Sidhu said Friday he plans to retire on Jan. 1 as chairman and CEO of Customers Bancorp, a Berks County lender that he transformed over a period of nearly two decades. The 73-year-old executive plans to remain the bank’s executive chairman. But he is handing the […]
The insurance division of Harrisburg-based Mid Penn Bancorp has acquired Charis Insurance Group, an insurance agency based in Lititz. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2017, Charis is led by president Matthew Snavely. He has been named a managing director of Mid Penn’s insurance unit, MPB Risk Services LLC. “Charis Insurance Group has built […]
A northeastern Pennsylvania bank is swooping into Central Pennsylvania. Norwood Financial Corp., the Honesdale-based parent of Wayne Bank, has agreed to pay roughly $54.9 million for Coatesville-based PB Bankshares, the parent of Presence Bank, a lender active in this region. The cash-and-stock deal, which requires regulatory approval, is expected to close in late 2025 or early 2026. Wayne […]
Investors have spent nearly a year blaming Daryl Heller for the crackup of an ATM network that allegedly cost them hundreds of millions of dollars. In a court filing last month, Heller dished out some blame of his own. He alleged that people managing the ATM investments misappropriated funds that should have gone to investors, […]
Digital marketing agency WebFx unveiled plans yesterday for renovating and expanding into a historic mansion along the Harrisburg riverfront. The Harrisburg-based company plans to spend $10.7 million on the project, which is unfolding inside the former Tracy Mansion at 1829 N. Front St. in the capital city. Based a block away at 1705 N. Front St., WebFx […]
A former office building at 1171 S. Cameron St. in Harrisburg could soon become a self-storage facility. Building owner Storage Five Harrisburg LLC has filed land development plans calling for conversion of the roughly 118,000-square-foot building into a self-storage facility with about 950 units. The construction work is expected to cost about $6.7 million, according to a resolution […]
A couple more West Shore office buildings are headed for demolition. York-based Inch & Co. and their project partner, regional developer Adam Breneman, plan to demolish former Gannett Fleming office buildings at 207 and 209 Senate Ave. in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County. Pending township approval, the two buildings will give way to three four-story apartment buildings, each […]
Plans are advancing for new apartments in and around York. Local panels last week signed off on apartment projects at the Galleria mall and on the site of a former York city school. A third project, in a once-blighted part of York city, is nearing completion. The mall: At a meeting Thursday night, the Springettsbury […]
Home improvement company West Shore Home is suing a New York City ad agency over alleged trademark violations. The agency, Union Square Media Group LLC, allegedly used a trademarked West Shore Home tagline — America’s Most Admired Home Remodeling Brand — on a website designed to generate customer leads for other home improvement contractors, according to the lawsuit, filed […]
B.R. Kreider & Son Inc., an excavating, paving and site management company in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, has acquired Andrews Excavating, a smaller contractor based in West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County. Terms of the transaction, which closed earlier this year, were not disclosed. The deal adds 17 employees to Kreider, which has a staff of […]
Socotec, a French engineering firm with operations around the world, has acquired American Engineers Group, based in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County. Founded in 2010 by Vijay Gupta, American Engineers employs about 60 people at four offices in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Following the sale, Gupta has joined the Socotec leadership team, according to a Socotec spokesperson. […]
Regional contractors have settled a lawsuit over allegedly defective concrete used during construction of a new hospital tower in York. York-based Kinsley Construction initiated the lawsuit in York County court last spring, claiming that other contractors refused to pay the company after it provided concrete for the foundation of a surgical tower under construction at WellSpan York Hospital, the […]
Mechanicsburg-based home improvement contractor West Shore Home is moving into New England with the opening of its first branch in the region. The office in the Boston suburb of Franklin, Massachusetts, will cover an area encompassing most of Massachusetts as well as parts of Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Founded in 2006, West Shore […]
State officials agreed to drop a union-friendly labor requirement attached to bids on a construction project slated for the grounds of the former Harrisburg State Hospital, according to Dave Sload, president and CEO of the Keystone chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors. The regional trade group, based in Rapho Township, Lancaster, sued the state over […]
Redevelopment of the former Harrisburg Mall in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, is slated to get underway this year. Baltimore-based St. John Properties Inc. said this week that it plans to begin construction on the first phase of the project, which is bringing a mix of commercial, retail and flex space to the property along Paxton Street. […]
A state appeals court has barred a Philadelphia-area community college from putting a project out to bid after a regional contractor group raised legal questions about union-friendly requirements attached to the process. The $1 million project — for construction of an advanced HVAC training lab at Bucks County Community College — was put out to […]
For the first time in six decades, the Kinsleys are turning to a non-family member to lead their flagship construction business. But it is someone with a long history with the York-based company founded in 1963 by the late Robert “Bob” Kinsley. The new CEO at Kinsley Construction is Jason Stouffer, who began working at the company […]
Philadelphia-based Mission First Housing is pouring about $9 million into the renovation of an affordable apartment building in York, the fourth rehab project for the nonprofit developer in Central Pennsylvania. In 2018, the nonprofit bought four affordable apartment complexes in Lancaster and York counties and has been working to spruce them up ever since, said Mission First […]
York County developer Inch & Co. cleared an early hurdle in its new plan for a tract in suburban York that has been at the center of controversy for more than three years. At a meeting last night, supervisors in Manchester Township voted 4 to 1 to conditionally approve a preliminary plan for 83 detached single-family […]
At a meeting last night, Harrisburg’s planning commission unanimously approved a proposal to put 130 apartments in a former hospital in the city’s uptown neighborhood. The plans, pitched by an affiliate of Philadelphia-area developer Pennmark, represent the next step in the potential rebirth of a sprawling former healthcare campus in the 2600 block of North Third […]
The state’s high court this week rejected an appeal from a State College contractor accused more than four years ago in a high-profile case of wage theft. The contractor, Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc., challenged a state agency’s authority to bar it from state contracts based on alleged violations of Pennsylvania’s prevailing wage laws. In March, a lower […]
One of Camp Hill’s most foreboding properties could be the key to a more prosperous future for the West Shore borough’s main commercial thoroughfare. Financial adviser Tony Conte and attorney Brian Hinkle are hoping to convert the former Masonic Temple at 2211 Market St. into a full-service restaurant with liquor license. The project aims to […]
As tariffs went up throughout 2025, sales went down for JLS Automation, a York County company that assembles automated packaging lines for the food industry. The company is expecting a rebound in 2026. But the comeback faces renewed uncertainty after a Supreme Court ruling Friday that struck down the bulk of President Donald Trump’s tariff regime. […]
As classes continue this year on Penn State‘s branch campus in York County, students aren’t the only ones with homework. Economic development leaders are racing to craft options for reusing the campus after it closes in May 2027. “Whether it’s Penn State or the community, the longer that the campus sits there with no active use, […]
The economic outlook for 2026 depends on a range of variables ranging from tariffs to the strength of the boom in artificial intelligence, according to Curtis Dubay, chief economist in the economic policy division at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “If we could ever get tariffs down, we get a better immigration system, we could really […]
Pennsylvania’s population grew a negligible 0.1% for the year ending July 1 as international immigration plummeted, according to initial estimates released yesterday by the U.S. Census. The data is the first from Census to show the impact of the Trump administration’s tightened approach to border security. Nearly 27,000 people came to the Keystone state from other […]
Data centers need a lot of electricity. But they also need electricians — and pipefitters and steelworkers and HVAC specialists and general laborers, among others — to get them up and humming. Thus, the boom in data center construction is likely to squeeze the supply of labor in areas like Lancaster, where data center projects […]
A specialty clothing distributor is shuttering a warehouse and laying off 128 workers in northern York County just over a year after taking over the building from its former owner. In a notice to state and local officials, Illinois-based S&S Activewear said it plans to close its distribution center at 600 Industrial Drive in Fairview Township by […]
There were times it seemed too complicated to pull off. But after five years, the owners of Lancaster-area logistics business Founders Market & Co. found a way to start selling company shares to their employees. The owners — Scott Martino, Matt Stargel and Alex Thompson — began contemplating some form of employee ownership after they took […]
Confusion is giving way to a bit of clarity as employers wrap their heads around a new Trump administration policy enacting steep fees on visas allowing foreign-born workers to hold jobs in the U.S. When the policy was announced on Friday, employers worried they might have to pay to bring current visa holders back into the […]
As uncertainty over tariffs froze customer orders in the spring, JLS Automation in York County laid off 10% of its workforce. Business began to come back over the summer, JLS president and CEO Craig Souser said in an early August interview. The York-area company, which employs about 130 people, assembles automated packaging lines for food companies. “It’s […]
A higher minimum wage could be moving to the front burner in Harrisburg thanks to a Republican state senator who is hoping for action on the issue this fall. It is not a new issue for the lawmaker, state Sen. Dan Laughlin of Erie County. He has backed increases in the past. But with economic […]
The York Water Co., which serves more than 212,000 people in Adams, Franklin, Lancaster and York counties, is asking state regulators for permission to raise rates for water and sewer service. Under the proposal, residential water customers would pay an additional $14.16 per month, while sewer service would go up by an average of $35.85 […]
State lawmakers, city officials and the Capital Region Economic Development Corp. are launching a joint effort to revive downtown Harrisburg, which has yet to recover fully from the Covid-19 pandemic. The partners plan to assemble a steering committee that will begin work “immediately” on a downtown revitalization plan. “Everyone agrees that we need to provide some […]
Pennsylvania’s economy has been shaken by the rise of manufacturing in China and a shift in the U.S. population to the South and Southwest. But there are still levers the state can pull to boost its fortunes, and that’s where the focus is for Luke Bernstein, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business […]
Regional dealmakers came to life in the second half of 2024 as interest rates came down. Nonetheless, the volume of mergers and acquisitions in Central and southeastern Pennsylvania fell last year for the third year in a row, according to an annual report by professional services firm RKL LLP. This year began on an active note, according […]
State lawmakers yesterday began to put some legislative meat on the bones of an energy plan unveiled in January by Gov. Josh Shapiro. The lawmakers issued a series of memos seeking sponsors for elements of the six-point plan, which is designed to lower prices, speed up construction of new power sources and encourage environmentally friendly forms […]
When tariffs took effect last week, leaders at JLS Automation decided to hold off a few days on importing a piece of equipment due in from Canada. It was not the threat of the tariffs as much as it was the potential for congestion at the border as shippers tried to avoid the extra charges, said Craig […]
President Donald Trump is firing the first shots in a long-expected trade war that will affect billions of dollars of goods flowing in and out of Pennsylvania. Over the weekend, Trump signed executive orders imposing tariffs of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada, and 10% on goods from China. Energy imports from Canada will […]
High interest rates hampered mergers and acquisitions for much of 2024, as did uncertainty over the outcome of the presidential election. Nonetheless, Central Pennsylvania saw plenty of dealmaking over the last year. The roundup below includes the usual suspects like banks and insurance brokerages, but it also features companies that make hammocks, home runs and […]
In fall 2024, Doug and Sara Taylor traveled to Philadelphia to open the first of two stores in the city for their Lancaster-based cookie company, Taylor Chip. The stores were opening 18 months later than expected, and the Taylors had taken on seven–figure debt to keep things moving. But they were hopeful it would all work […]
Mechanicsburg-based home improvement contractor West Shore Home is moving into New England with the opening of its first branch in
Over the last several years, Utah-based waste collector recyclops has been sending plastic to a small plant in York city that converts the waste into a building material. In September, recyclops launched its own operation in the region. “We just needed more space to move our elbows,” said recyclops founder and CEO Ryan Smith. Where is this […]
A small retail building near the York Galleria mall in Springettsbury Township, York County, is heading for a makeover. Entrepreneurs Hale and Kate Milano are converting the property at 1955 Whiteford Road/1201 Memory Lane into one of the region’s first dedicated indoor rock-climbing facilities. It’ll be called Off Grid Climbing & Fitness. Avid climbers, the Milanos […]
By 2030, the youngest baby boomers will be 65 years old. With 74 million people in this group, coupled with a worsening physician shortage, the need for tech innovation to address care gaps is critical. To address this need, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin CNP) hosted the AgeTech Techcelerator […]
Fans at WellSpan Park this summer found new places to pitch their plastic spoons, water bottles and other plastic items. The home of the York Revolution baseball team set up bins to collect plastics under a partnership with CRDC Materials, a Costa Rica-based plastics recycler with an operation in York city. CRDC takes the plastic to its plant, shreds […]
Painterland Sisters, an organic yogurt maker based in Lititz, just raked in a seven-figure sum from a bevy of investors, according to company spokesperson Chloe Schwartz. Schwartz declined to share the precise amount raised in the seed funding round, which was disclosed yesterday. But the money will provide working capital to support innovation and operations for […]
Mark Small and Brad Curran quit their day jobs in 2022 so they could devote more time to their Mechanicsburg-based startup, which is developing cutting-edge strength-training equipment. The company, Poseidon Strength, closed its first sale in May 2024 and has now landed its first financing outside of friends and family. York-based venture capital firm White Rose Ventures has […]
After nearly a decade of fine tuning, a Spring Grove software company believes its main product is ready for prime time. CFA Solutions debuted an early version of the software — designed to root out errors in the manufacturing process — in 2017. The company spent the last few years testing it with local manufacturers. But […]
The expanded opportunity to sell canned cocktails in Pennsylvania has lured another player into the market. Carl Helrich, owner of York County-based Allegro Wine Co. LLC, has become a minority partner in Spring Gate Spirits LLC, a Harrisburg-area distillery founded by entrepreneur Martin Schoffstall. Helrich has been named president of the distiller, and its operations are moving […]
Local farms and businesses — including a Harrisburg-area company involved in an urban greenhouse in York — landed thousands of dollars in state grants from a new program designed to spur innovation in agriculture. The grants were unveiled yesterday by state officials during a press conference at a Lancaster County farm. Why is this happening: […]
Professional soccer is returning to Harrisburg’s City Island. A startup called Capital City Sports Group is launching a team called the Capital City Islanders that will compete this spring in a division of the United Premier Soccer League, a semiprofessional development league. The idea was born from conversations among people who missed seeing outdoor pro soccer in […]
Green Image Lawn Care, a regional lawn-care company with offices in York and Lancaster counties, has been acquired by LawnPRO Partners, a platform backed by HCI Equity Partners, a private equity firm based in Washington, D.C. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Green Image is led by Luke Zimmerman and Ryan Freed, who are continuing to […]
Matt Buckwalter and Frank Horvath first met about a decade ago as fellow franchisees for One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky Electric. Now, they are co-workers. Buckwalter’s Lancaster County-based company, Punctual Pros, has acquired Horvath’s — Horvath Home Services, which does business in Ocean and Monmouth counties in central New Jersey. The acquisition is the […]
Harrisburg-area business owner Anthony Worrall has added a third company to his portfolio. The owner of Reynolds Restoration Services and IT services company Everound has acquired SECCO Electric, a commercial contractor based in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. In an interview, Worrall said he was interested not in supercharging growth or changing SECCO, […]
A new venture fund in Central Pennsylvania is closer to its fundraising goal thanks to an investment this week from a state authority. The Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority has poured $1 million into the fund, Keystone Innovation Fund II, a joint venture between York-based White Rose Ventures and State College-based 1855 Capital. The fund is on track to close by […]
The virtual-assistant business has been a source of real-world growth for Zirtual, a portfolio company of Lancaster-based investment firm PennSpring Capital. Zirtual closed Friday on the acquisition of Double, a virtual-assistant business based in Brooklyn, New York. It’s the third deal this year for Zirtual since it was acquired by PennSpring in December. People hire virtual assistants to help […]
Alan Chachapoya, the managing director of DSC Solutions, a Lancaster County-based commercial cleaning company, is seeing opportunities where others do not. Chachapoya recently bought Guaranteed Property Services, another Lancaster-based company in the same industry. Founded in 1997, Guaranteed Property Services operates Guaranteed Carpet Services, C&S Cleaning, and Personalized Commercial Cleaning. Mike Graybill, the owner of Guaranteed Property Services, will join the […]
Funk Construction kicked off construction yesterday at the site of a former Bethlehem Steel factory complex in Lebanon. The Lebanon-based contractor is partnering with developer common craft to renovate a former warehouse at 121 Schneider Drive in the city. The project will result in a 30,000-square-foot building dubbed Lebanon Steel Works, offering affordable space for local artists, craftspeople and […]
Mike Walsh has been named CEO of Keystone, an insurance brokerage platform based in Mechanicsburg. The promotion formalizes a succession plan the company announced in December. He succeeds Patrick Kinney, who will join Keystone’s board. Walsh, who became Keystone’s president in January, worked previously as president of commercial property and casualty at NFP, a subsidiary of insurance […]
A state House panel has approved legislation mandating the use of special software for businesses that are behind on their sales taxes. The legislation, House Bill 2300, cleared the House Finance Committee yesterday on a bipartisan vote of 23 to 3. The bill would authorize state tax collectors to mandate use of software that enables real-time […]
Mad Bridge Plumbing LLC, operating as 1 Tom Plumber, leased flex space at 3319 Derry St. in Harrisburg. The lease marks the company’s fifth location in Pennsylvania and one of nearly 65 nationwide. Amber Corbo of NAI CIR facilitated the transaction. A Community of Blessings leased 1,200 square feet of office space at 160 S. […]
Peter Kramer has joined McNees Wallace & Nurick‘s real estate group in the law firm’s Harrisburg office. Kramer represents residential, industrial and commercial property owners, developers and business owners in transactional and land use and zoning matters. He advises clients on zoning, subdivision and land development, development approvals, permitting, purchase and sale agreements, leases and […]
Column by Richard Randall A business can’t improve if its leaders don’t want to know about its performance problems. It
Effective May 1, Andrew Archambault is leaving his role as U.S. president for The Hershey Co. to pursue an undisclosed opportunity, according to a company spokesperson and a securities filing. A search for his replacement is underway Archambault joined Hershey in February 2025 as leader of its U.S. confections unit, the company’s largest division. He had worked previously […]
Gene Draganosky, the former CEO of York-based Traditions Bank, has been named interim CEO of the York Jewish Community Center. His appointment follows the departure of the nonprofit’s previous chief executive, Terri Travers. She left in March amid reports that the JCC lost a state license for one of its daycare programs. In addition to his executive […]
The Giant Co. is building a new store at 1717 W. Main St. in Ephrata Township, Lancaster County. The site was formerly home to Martin’s County Market, which was destroyed in a February 2024 fire. Giant is leasing the site for the new store, expected to come in at 39,000 square feet, according to a company […]
Ashley and Brian Grimm, a married pair of York-area leaders, are relocating outside of the area for a new opportunity offered to Ashley Grimm. She is stepping down as of May 14 from her role as vice president of human resources at The York Water Co., which employs about 130 people. Brian Grimm, president of the United […]
Public notices for a proposed amendment to Lancaster’s shade tree ordinance did not adequately explain what the amendment would change, a state appeals court said yesterday in striking down the measure. The ruling from Commonwealth Court upholds a 2024 decision from a Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas judge, who also found fault with the […]
A Mechanicsburg-area partnership has acquired a former CVSpharmacy that was converted into a four-unit strip center. The partnership, Arzoyi Real Estate LLC, paid $4.7 million for the 10,473-square-foot building at 3201 Market St. in Camp Hill, according to county deed records. The building had been owned by partnerships affiliated with regional developer Drew Bobincheck. He said he […]
Fulton Bank is embroiled in a legal dispute with a Washington, D.C., real estate investor who has been hit hard by
Fewer state residents are enrolling in health plans sold under the Affordable Care Act in Pennsylvania. As of April 9, enrollment in the plans stood at 462,751, down nearly 5% from 486,577 at the end of the open enrollment period on Jan. 31, according to a spokesperson for Pennie, aka the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority. The authority […]
Digital marketing agency WebFx unveiled plans yesterday for renovating and expanding into a historic mansion along the Harrisburg riverfront. The Harrisburg-based company
A Canadian company has acquired Oleson Saw Technology, a saw-blade manufacturer in Manchester Township, York County. The buyer, Comact, provides equipment and services for wood-processing industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Comact plans to maintain the business, which employs about 35 people and makes blades used in sawmills, according to Comact spokesperson Anne-Marie […]
State consumer advocates and utility regulators want greater scrutiny of a proposed high-voltage power line crossing more than half the state, arguing that Pennsylvania residents could shoulder hundreds of millions of dollars in costs if the line is built. The roughly $1.7 billion power line, a joint venture between Chicago-based Exelon and Florida-based NextEra Energy Transmission, would carry […]
Craig Hoogstraten has joined the construction law group of McNees Wallace & Nurick. Based in the law firm’s Radnor office, Hoogstraten focuses on highway and transportation infrastructure projects, advising contractors and project stakeholders on construction agreements, risk allocation and regulatory compliance. He also handles complex real estate transactions including acquisitions, phased development, environmental due diligence […]
A state House panel has approved legislation mandating the use of special software for businesses that are behind on their
Public notices for a proposed amendment to Lancaster’s shade tree ordinance did not adequately explain what the amendment would change,
State officials failed to provide a rational explanation for how they scored insurers aiming to land contracts with a publicly funded health insurance program covering mostly older state residents, a state court ruled last week. Based on that finding, the court canceled awards made under the roughly $17.5 billion program in 2024 but not yet […]
Childcare workers in Pennsylvania are in line for larger bonuses than initially projected. Last year, when the Shapiro administration unveiled a $25 million program designed to help retain and recruit people in the historically low-paid industry, officials forecast bonuses of about $450 per worker. Based on the number of applicants to the program, workers can […]
State lawmakers and tax collectors are pitching a new program designed to help businesses catch up on delinquent sales taxes. Under the program, eligible businesses would be required, for at least a year, to use software that automatically files returns and remits sales taxes to the state. The idea builds on a pilot program tested […]
State regulators ordered a York-area salvage business to stop accepting and processing waste and are threatening jail time for the owner if he fails to comply. Issued March 17, the order comes less than a month after a fire at the company, J&K Salvage, and it follows years of complaints about environmental violations lodged by the […]
State regulators are proposing to fine the gas division of UGI Utilities nearly $2.6 million over the company’s alleged role in the explosion that leveled a West Reading chocolate factory in March 2023. The explosion, which killed seven people and injured 10, was traced to leaks from a retired plastic service tee connected to a plastic pipe […]
Business and government leaders yesterday celebrated what could be seen as down payment on a high-profile effort to reinvigorate downtown Harrisburg. It’s a pair of state grants totaling $425,000 and designed to increase safety patrols and support work that brings revitalization projects closer to fruition. The planning effort, led by the Capital Region Economic Development Corp., […]
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry is awarding grants of more than $4.1 million to support 17 projects that help students graduate with a clear career path. The grant dollars support partnerships among school districts, career and technical centers, employers, workforce boards and training providers. Regionally, grants were awarded to: Harrisburg Area School District ($250,000) – to […]
Walmart has reached a $100 million settlement in a multistate complaint over compensation for delivery drivers in its eight-year-old Spark Driver Program. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday was part of a bipartisan group of attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission that pressed the complaint, according to a press release. The settlement, filed on Feb 26, resolved allegations […]
How much money will Pennsyvania collect if it switches to combined reporting, a form of taxation designed to bring in more taxes on corporate profits? It depends on who’s counting. The Independent Fiscal Office, a state budget watchdog, would bring in an additional $58 million in taxes during the fiscal year starting in July. In […]
A dispute over taxes has forced the closure of Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, a music and event venue in the capital city. Known as HMAC, the venue at 1110 N. 3rd St. owes more than $300,000 in entertainment taxes, according to city solicitor Neil Grover, who said the taxes are similar to sales taxes collected […]
In November, the Shapiro administration agreed to drop controversial state rules curbing carbon emissions from large power plants in return for Senate passage of a delayed state budget. Three months later, environmentalists are pushing for an expanded version of the rules, arguing that the state’s failure to crack down on carbon pollution violates environmental protections […]
Facing a reelection campaign this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro used his annual budget address yesterday to assuage voter concerns in areas ranging from rising power prices to the high cost of housing to the proliferation of data centers. He called for greater scrutiny of utility profits, new funds for housing and stricter standards for data […]
In an address to the state legislature today, Gov. Josh Shapiro is set to unveil his spending and legislative priorities for the next year. Observers expect to hear familiar refrains, including calls to hike Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, close the so-called “Delaware loophole” for corporate taxpayers and legalize the recreational use of marijuana. They also expect […]
It has been just about a year since state officials opened a new avenue for taxpayers to dispute tax bills. Traffic remains relatively light, given the thousands of tax disputes that arise every year in Pennsylvania. Nonetheless, officials are encouraged by the progress they’re making. “These changes remove red tape and make Pennsylvania more business […]
State officials agreed to drop a union-friendly labor requirement attached to bids on a construction project slated for the grounds
In some parts of Central Pennsylvania, data centers are a fast-encroaching reality. Construction is underway on centers in Lancaster, for example, and a Carlisle-area project is pushing through the local land development process. In other areas, projects remain on the drawing board, often as concepts pitched to indicate what a data center might look like if […]
Fewer state residents are enrolling in health plans sold under the Affordable Care Act in Pennsylvania. As of April 9, enrollment in the plans stood
The former head of UPMC‘s heart institute in Harrisburg is suing the health system, claiming he was fired last year after raising concerns about an alleged conflict of interest involving the system’s CEO. The fired executive, Dr. Hemal Gada, also alleges his termination followed his complaints about allegedly racist text messages sent by other leaders at the UPMC […]
After more than seven years on the job, Roxanna Gapstur is planning to retire from her role as president and CEO of WellSpan Health, a regional health system operating a dozen hospitals. Gapstur has not set a date but plans to step down once a leadership transition is complete. WellSpan has hired executive search firm Korn Ferry to […]
Penn Highlands Healthcare, a health system based in DuBois, is joining a regional network formed by WellSpan Health to improve medical care and lower costs for people on Medicare, a network known as an accountable care organization, or ACO. ACOs work to better coordinate treatment for Medicare patients. If they can deliver higher quality care at a […]
Mechanicsburg-based rehab giant Select Medical Corp is going private in a buyout deal valued at $3.9 billion. The buyer is a consortium led by Select Medical co-founder and executive chairman Robert Ortenzio; Martin F. Jackson, Select Medical’s senior executive vice president of strategic finance and operations; and private equity firm Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe. The buyout prices outstanding shares […]
WellSpan Heath is preparing to admit the first patients to Newberry Hospital, the first of three mini hospitals being developed by the regional health system. Located next to the Newberry Commons shopping center in Newberry Township, York County, the small-format hospital is set to open in early March, according to WellSpan leaders, who offered a behind-the-scenes look […]
At a press conference in Lancaster yesterday, state and local officials urged eligible Pennsylvania residents to enroll in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act before a deadline coming at the end of January. At the same time, officials acknowledged that thousands of state residents are facing higher premiums thanks to the expiration of enhanced […]
Robert Ortenzio is looking to put the rehab company he cofounded with his late father back into private hands. Ortenzio proposed this week to buy out shareholders in Select Medical Corp., which is based in Mechanicsburg but operates healthcare facilities around the U.S. In a letter to the company’s board, Ortenzio described himself as “uniquely positioned” […]
Projections suggest that rising costs will dissuade Pennsylvania residents from buying health insurance through the state’s Obamacare exchange, known as Pennie. Those forecasts will now face a real-world test. Pennie’s open enrollment period starts tomorrow, Nov. 1, for people who want coverage in place for 2026. Enrollment through Pennie has been growing over the last […]
A New York state business leader and philanthropist has bestowed $50 million on Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in what is being described as a “transformative” gift. But the gift, announced yesterday, is about more than just money. The 156-bed hospital in Derry Township, Dauphin County, is joining a new alliance of children’s hospitals named […]
After warning for months that the cost of Obamacare health plans would be higher next year, Pennsylvania regulators delivered the final numbers this week. The spike for small businesses is not quite as high as the initial forecast, according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, which approves the premiums. But the jump is higher than projected […]
Geisinger and the former Evangelical Community Hospital have agreed to pay $28.5 million to settle claims they forged a secret agreement not to poach each other’s workers, allegedly stifling competition in the labor market and depressing wages. Danville-based Geisinger, now owned by Kaiser Permanente, is paying $19 million, while Lewisburg-based Evangelical, now part of WellSpan Health, is paying $9.5 […]
Health insurers are asking for double-digit rate hikes for plans sold in Pennsylvania on the market created by the Affordable Care Act. State insurance regulators said Friday that insurers are proposing average premium increases of 19% for individual plans and 13% for small-business plans in 2026. Officials warned in June that hikes were coming as part […]
Negotiators from WellSpan Health and a union representing workers at a Chambersburg hospital are set to meet today ahead of a deadline for reaching a new labor agreement. If the talks conclude with no deal, the union said Friday it will hold a vote tomorrow that could pave the way for a strike by roughly 1,450 workers […]
Health insurers covering tens of thousands of people in Central Pennsylvania have joined a national effort to reform practices that critics blame for blocking access to medical care. That would be the need for prior authorization, which involves securing approval from a health insurer before getting treatment. Insurers have been working over the years to […]
Contract talks are underway between WellSpan Health and a union representing workers at WellSpan Chambersburg, one of the health system’s hospitals in Franklin County. The two sides have been negotiating a new labor contract to replace one set to expire at the end of this month. Wages are a major issue for the union, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, […]
State insurance regulators are joining other observers warning about higher costs next year for the tens of thousands of Pennsylvania residents who buy health insurance in the market created by the Affordable Care Act. Insurers have begun to propose premiums for ACA plans next year and the Pennsylvania Insurance Department said yesterday that insurers are […]
Enhanced federal tax credits help Pennsylvanians afford private health insurance in the market established more than a decade ago by the Affordable Care Act, or ACA. But the enhanced credits are slated to expire at the end of this year if the U.S. Congress does not extend them. If the credits lapse, the average Pennsylvanian […]
Public notices for a proposed amendment to Lancaster’s shade tree ordinance did not adequately explain what the amendment would change,
Fulton Bank is embroiled in a legal dispute with a Washington, D.C., real estate investor who has been hit hard by
The former head of UPMC‘s heart institute in Harrisburg is suing the health system, claiming he was fired last year after
McNees Wallace & Nurick is adding 24 attorneys and professionals, as well as a new Philadelphia-area office, in what’s being described as the largest number of people to join the law firm at once during its 91-year history. The new recruits come from the education law group at Fox Rothschild, one of the 100 largest law firms […]
After filing for bankruptcy in February, Harrisburg Dairies is ready for new ownership. The company is asking a federal bankruptcy judge to approve its sale to a New Jersey-based company called Patanjali Dairy USA LLC. The $4.95 million sale price includes the Harrisburg Dairies real estate at 2001 Herr St., its equipment and machinery, and rights to use […]
Home improvement company West Shore Home is suing a New York City ad agency over alleged trademark violations. The agency, Union Square Media
Regional environmental group Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association is asking a federal judge to shut down York-area salvage yard J&K Salvage following a February fire that resulted in an oil spill in an unnamed tributary of Codorus Creek. The riverkeeper sued J&K last year for allegedly operating without a required environmental permit and is seeking the company’s closure […]
For nearly six decades, McNees Wallace & Nurick has occupied a prime piece of Harrisburg real estate — a nine-story office building overlooking the Susquehanna River. But sometime in 2027, the law firm expects to cross the river into somewhat smaller digs in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County. McNees has inked a 20-year lease for a roughly […]
As more organizations explore the practical implementation of machine learning and artificial intelligence models to solve real-world business problems, law firms are taking note. Phil Saunders, the CEO of Relativity, a legal data intelligence company, noted in an interview with Law360 that, “AI has become a defining part of how legal tasks get done.” Regional […]
A lawsuit over Lancaster County farmland that was rezoned for industrial use is heading back down the legal ladder. In a ruling this week, Commonwealth Court struck down a county court decision upholding the rezoning, which was requested by a warehouse operator in West Hempfield Township. The ruling sends the matter back to the county […]
After filing for bankruptcy last fall, York-based senior-living operator SpiriTrust Lutheran is taking a step closer to selling off its assets. After conducting a court-supervised auction, the nonprofit has identified a western Pennsylvania operator as the successful bidder, spurning a competing offer from a New Jersey organization. If a judge signs off, Butler County-based Concordia Lutheran Ministries would pay […]
Should a woman injured during an Uber ride be able to bring her case before a jury, or should she be forced into arbitration under the terms and conditions she and her husband accepted when signing up for the ride-sharing service? Advocates for a jury trial have been hoping the Pennsylvania Supreme Court would settle the matter in […]
As employers struggle to bring workers back to the office, they face a new wrinkle, one that did not exist before the pandemic-induced pivot to remote work. Depending on the job, the option to work from home is becoming an accepted accommodation for people with disabilities. “Definitely the trend is heading in that direction,” said […]
Investors from Lancaster County are suing a State College hotel operator for allegedly misleading them before and after they invested in a Mechanicsburg-area hotel. The federal lawsuit accuses Shaner Hotel Group with supplying “false, misleading and incomplete information” while it was marketing the hotel investment in 2018. The suit further alleges that Shaner’s management of the hotel […]
A state appeals court has rebuffed a company challenging a state tax reassessment, the latest ruling in a string of decisions related to laws governing the use of past operating losses to reduce corporate tax bills. This one goes back more than a decade. In 2013, Dow Chemical Co. used past losses to offset all its […]
Should a Pennsylvania financial adviser accused of securities fraud be entitled to a jury trial before being subjected to a nearly $1 million civil penalty? A national legal watchdog hopes the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will say yes, even though a lower court already said no. “When the government seeks to impose life-altering financial penalties for […]
Home improvement contractor West Shore Home is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging it failed to pay hourly sales reps for work they performed before and after their shifts began, charges that have been lobbed at numerous companies over the years The lawsuit alleges that West Shore Home sales reps had to log into their computers and work-related […]
A second suitor is eyeing a bid for the assets of SpiriTrust Lutheran, a York-based nonprofit senior living provider that filed for bankruptcy in November amid rising costs and declining revenue. The potential bidder is Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, which has been managing SpiriTrust’s campuses under an agreement inked in February 2024, according to court […]
A Canadian company has acquired Oleson Saw Technology, a saw-blade manufacturer in Manchester Township, York County. The buyer, Comact, provides
York County manufacturer Campbell Chain & Fittings has been acquired by Hillman Solutions Corp., a Cincinnati-based company looking to expand its industrial and commercial chain business. Campbell had been owned by Apex Tool Group LLC, which has been struggling to manage its debt in the face of weak revenue in some tool categories, according to S&P Global Ratings. Terms of the […]
Three businesses in Central Pennsylvania are installing solar systems thanks to grants from a state program designed to cut carbon emissions from factories and other industrial concerns. The grants are some of the first authorized under the program, dubbed Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania, or RISE PA. Engle Printing & Publishing Co. Inc. is receiving $493,114 […]
Say hello to Hello Panda. Snack manufacturer Meiji America plans to invest $65 million into its York-area Stauffer’s plant in an effort to boost production of Hello Panda cookies, one of the company’s signature products. Meiji America currently feeds U.S. demand for the cookies from a West Coast plant. But the company wants to bring production capacity to the […]
One of the largest investment firms in the U.S. is buying into a Lancaster County company at the leading edge of trends in energy efficiency. New York-based Blackstone is planning to acquire a majority stake in Advanced Cooling Technologies Inc., whose portfolio includes products that help keep data centers from overheating. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, […]
A global dairy processor plans to pour nearly $133 million into expansion of a plant in western Cumberland County. Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Schreiber Foods aims to boost yogurt processing at the Shippensburg plant and add at least 47 jobs, according to the Shapiro administration, which is backing the project with a $1 million grant. State […]
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry is awarding grants of more than $4.1 million to support 17 projects that help students
Building products manufacturer Armstrong World Industries Inc. said yesterday that it acquired a Chicago-based company called Eventscape Inc., which specializes in designing, making and installing complex architectural features. Terms of the transaction — which continues a multiyear string of deals for Armstrong — were not disclosed. Based in Toronto and New York City, Eventscape employs 150 […]
Executives at Cleveland-Cliffs said this week they have buyers for some of their idled plants, a group of assets that includes a massive factory in Steelton. On a conference call with stock analysts, company execs said they expect to generate $425 million from selling the idle plants — and that the Ohio-based steelmaker already closed on one deal […]
When Brian Greenplate acquired Precision Cut Industries Inc. in 2004 the company had 25 employees and annual revenue of about $3 million Yearly sales for the contract metal fabricator have grown to about $50 million, and they are expected to jump again this year thanks to demand from customers in energy, commercial construction and data centers, […]
A federal bankruptcy judge signed off last week on the bankruptcy sale of SpiriTrust Lutheran, a York-based nonprofit that operates senior living communities and apartments in three counties. Under the deal approved in court, Butler County-based Concordia Lutheran Ministries is paying $51 million for SpiriTrust assets and assuming roughly $7 million in debt tied to three affordable apartment […]
After leading Armstrong World Industries Inc. for nearly a decade, president and CEO Vic Grizzle is moving into a new role as a precursor to his eventual retirement. Effective April 1, Grizzle is slated to become executive chair of the building products manufacturer based in Manor Township, Lancaster County. He is being succeeded as president and […]
Building products manufacturer Armstrong World Industries Inc. is continuing a buying spree that began nearly a decade ago. The company, based in Manor Township, Lancaster County, said this week it purchased Parallel Architectural Products, its 14th acquisition since 2016. Based in Englewood, Colorado, Parallel employs about 25 people and makes extruded aluminum products used on building exteriors. An Armstrong […]
Lancaster County boiler maker Burnham Holdings Inc. has shaken off its liability for asbestos claims through what is an increasingly common type of transaction. Under the deal, Burnham sold subsidiaries housing the liabilities to affiliates of a firm that specializes in managing them, a Florida-based firm called Financial Asset Recovery Analytics LLC. The transaction will have no […]
Ritner Steel, a steel fabricator based in Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, has been acquired by Cranbrook Partners & Co., a Troy, Michigan-based investment firm that aims to grow the companies in its portfolio. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Cranbrook executives did not reply to emailed questions about the deal, which closed on Dec. 8. […]
One of the region’s oldest hat factories is closing, and a second could follow. The family owners of F&M Hat Company Inc. in Denver, Lancaster County, have been winding down the 113-year-old business over the last year, according to fourth-generation co-owner and president Ash Fichthorn. He called the decision “bittersweet.” But, he added, “We’re at peace […]
When Brian Carson moved on this year from Lancaster County-based flooring manufacturer AHF Products, a press release described his six-year tenure as “highly successful.” The former CEO’s departure is proving highly litigious. Carson, AHF Products, the company’s current private equity owners and its former owner are embroiled in a series of lawsuits filed in the wake […]
Structural fabricator Dutchland Inc. is undergoing a change in ownership three years after the Lancaster County company landed in the arms of private equity. In late 2022, Dutchland was acquired by Lexington, Kentucky-based MiddleGround Capital and folded into Lindsay Precast, now based in Gainesville, Florida. MiddleGround has now agreed to sell both companies to investment firm TJC, formerly known as The Jordan Co. […]
Digital marketing agency WebFx unveiled plans yesterday for renovating and expanding into a historic mansion along the Harrisburg riverfront. The Harrisburg-based company
Travis Snyder has gone from employee to owner of Triscari Productions Inc., a Camp Hill-area marketing company doing business as Triscari Video | Web | Marketing. Snyder became the company’s owner in December, taking over for its late founder, Sebastian Triscari. Triscari, who launched the company in 1983, died in April 2025. In an interview, Snyder […]
Over the last few years, Mechanicsburg-based West Shore Home has been striving to build a national brand in the historically fractured home improvement business. The company took a major step yesterday toward raising its profile: A 15-year, $50 million deal with Penn State University to stamp the West Shore Home name on Beaver Stadium. The venue is […]
Two Lancaster-based digital marketing agencies have come together as one. But for now, they are continuing to operate under their existing names. The firms are YDOP and WTM Digital, which offer similar services but for different clients. YDOP, which trademarked the term “near-user marketing,” works primarily with companies around ther U.S. seeking locally focused digital marketing. WTM Digital, […]
Merit Marketing, a Harrisburg-based advertising and marketing firm, filed last month for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, setting it on a path to liquidation. “The economic times are such the company is unable to survive and operate profitably,” Merit owner Adam Vasquez wrote in an email to biznewsPA. Vasquez has owned the company since 2015, when the […]
Harrisburg-based Andculture is poised to become part of Chicago-based accounting and advisory firm RSM US LLP. RSM said Thursday it has reached an agreement to buy Andculture, which specializes in marketing strategy, design and technology, Terms of the deal were not disclosed. But it is expected to close June 1, according to a press release. RSM was […]
Fourteen years after launching her own marketing agency, Julie Lando-Cross has sold it to one of her first employees, Lissa Taylor, the agency’s COO and creative director.
After months of research and community engagement, the York County Economic Alliance is narrowing the list of options for reusing the campus of Penn State York after its scheduled closure in May 2027. The three leading contenders include a healthcare/higher education hub, a conference/hospitality hub and a vo-tech/workforce development hub, YCEA chief strategy officer Silas […]
For nearly six decades, McNees Wallace & Nurick has occupied a prime piece of Harrisburg real estate — a nine-story office building
Warehouses in Cumberland and Franklin counties are changing hands as part of a larger $575 million deal involving a string of 25 warehouses stretching from Connecticut to Florida. The buyer is Radnor-based EQT Real Estate, an active player in the regional market for warehouse space. The seller is Mapletree Investments, a Singapore-based real estate investment firm managing […]
Rock Lititz’s Nashville business has snagged an audio equipment manufacturer as the latest tenant for its Rock Nashville campus. Sennheiser, based in Germany, has tapped the Tennessee campus as the site of its Americas headquarters, which is currently in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The move, representing an investment of $2.5 million, will add at least 25 jobs to […]
With fewer employees reporting the office, Lancaster-based Fulton Financial Corp. sold its administrative services building in East Petersburg and is leasing back a little less than half of the space. The building at 1695 State St. in the Lancaster County borough spans about 100,000 square feet, according to Fulton spokesperson Steve Trapnell. It houses a range […]
A company that develops data centers is doubling down on the Harrisburg area. Last summer, Dallas-based Provident Realty Advisors agreed to pay $45.6 million for the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course, a 228-acre property west of Route 283 in Swatara Township and Steelton where Provident is expected to build data centers. In late January, the company paid $50 million […]
One of the biggest warehouses in Cumberland County has changed hands. An arm of California-based investment firm PCCP LLC paid $141.6 million for a 1.2 million-square-foot building at 3419 Ritner Road off Interstate 81 in West Pennsboro Township, according to real estate firm JLL, which represented the seller, an affiliate of Radnor-based Exeter Property Group. Exeter paid $85 million for […]
A trio of Lancaster County mobile home parks changed hands over the past month in deals totaling more than $20 million. A Florida-based investor called Nebula Realty Trust sold parks in Earl and Penn townships for a combined $14.55 million, while a Conestoga-based partnership sold a Providence Township park for nearly $6.9 million, according to county deed […]
As part of an effort to create and preserve affordable housing in Lancaster County, a startup nonprofit has acquired Stonecreek Court, a 60-unit apartment complex in Ephrata Township. It is the first acquisition for the nonprofit, Lancaster Housing Works, which is backed by a $10 million commitment from the Lancaster-based High Foundation. The apartment complex was […]
York-based human services agency Community Progress Council plans to pay $2 million for the current home of the York County Economic Alliance in York, where the nonprofit aims to centralize services. The nonprofit, known as CPC, currently has its main office and operates early childhood education programs at a former elementary school at 226 E. College Ave. […]
A second suitor is eyeing a bid for the assets of SpiriTrust Lutheran, a York-based nonprofit senior living provider that filed
The assets of SpiriTrust Lutheran are heading to the auction block after the regional senior housing provider filed for bankruptcy protection in November. The York-based nonprofit has reached a tentative agreement to sell its senior living campuses and apartments to Concordia Lutheran Ministries, a senior living provider based in Butler County. SpiriTrust operates six retirement campuses and three […]
Entrepreneur Abby Shank began developing a tiny home community near Elizabethtown in 2017 at the dawn of what became one of the hottest trends in residential real estate. Nearly a decade later, the 73-home Tiny Estates LLC community in Mount Joy Township has a new owner. A New Jersey-based partnership called Tiny Estates Lancaster LLC paid $6.1 million last […]
A York-area warehouse with several tenants changed hands this week at a price of $13.2 million. The seller was an affiliate of Stewart Properties, part of the York-based Stewart Companies group. The buyer was Opes Capital, a Camp Hill-based real estate investment fund that formed at the beginning of 2025. The off-market deal was facilitated by Michael Curran, president and […]
One of the West Shore’s largest apartment complexes has changed hands. York-based property manager The Apartment Gallery has acquired The Overlook, a 288-unit complex at 150 Erford Ave. in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County. “Multifamily is always a stable investment opportunity, especially in high barrier- to-entry markets like Central Pennsylvania with good workforce fundamentals,” said Mike Maxwell, […]
Developers are applying for state funds to upgrade some of the capital region’s largest underused buildings. They include an idled steel mill in Steelton and two vacant office towers in downtown Harrisburg — former state offices at 333 Market St. and the former federal building at 228 Walnut St. The state funds would come through […]
Lancaster city residents voiced cautious optimism about proposed rules regulating data centers within the borders of one of the region’s most populous municipalities. But they worried the new zoning regime would be too late to govern data center proposals already on the table for the city. “I’m very happy to see the direction we’re heading […]
After dodging the auction block in July, the former Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg is once again facing a sheriff’s sale. The sale is scheduled for the morning of Oct. 16, according to legal filings and the Dauphin County sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office initially scheduled a sale in July. But it was postponed. At the […]
Business in York County has been growing for Lancaster County-based L.H. Brubaker Appliances & Water Treatment. The company is now planning its first retail branch there. L.H. Brubaker expects to open this fall in leased space at the West Manchester Town Center in West Manchester Township, according to company owner and president Donnie Frank. “There’s not […]
Cumberland Farms, a regional convenience store chain that shares a corporate parent with Turkey Hill Minit Markets, has agreed to acquire Coen Markets, one of the oldest convenience store chains in the Pittsburgh area. Terms of the transaction, expected to close this year, were not disclosed. Founded in 1923 and based in Canonsburg, Coen operates 54 stores […]
Grocery chain Weis Markets shaved millions of dollars off its profits over the last several years due to an inventory error that the company attributed to “misconduct” by a former non-executive employee The Sunbury-based company did not disclose the nature of the misconduct or whether it would lead to any legal action. But in its annual report […]
Walmart has reached a $100 million settlement in a multistate complaint over compensation for delivery drivers in its eight-year-old Spark Driver
In a regulatory filing, Weis Markets disclosed that it overstated some of its inventory and plans to restate its financials going back to 2022. As a result of the accounting miscue, the Sunbury-based grocery chain said investors could no longer rely on its financial reports covering fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024 and the first three quarters of […]
Carlisle-based The Giant Co. said yesterday it agreed to buy Everett Foodliner and Saxton Market, a pair of Bedford County grocery stores owned by brothers Bob and Joe Appleby. Giant is buying the real estate and related grocery and fuel business assets for what will become its first stores in the county. Terms of the transaction, expected to close […]
Carlisle-based grocery chain The Giant Co. is closing ecommerce fulfillment centers in Lancaster and four other places in Pennsylvania as it changes its approach to delivering groceries ordered online, a service known as Giant Direct. Giant is dropping its centralized model in favor of a store-based approach, according to company spokesperson Ashley Flower. Giant employees […]
Life could be returning to Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant locations in Hershey and Lancaster following the regional chain’s sudden bankruptcy in October. Chicago-based Ciao Hospitality Group is taking over leases at the two locations and plans to reopen them within a few months, according to Ciao CEO Jeff Crivello. What to name the venues is still up in […]
Renewal by Andersen of Central PA, an independently owned retail affiliate of Minnesota-based door and window manufacturer Andersen Corp., has been acquired by another Andersen affiliate, St. Louis-based The Birner Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Central PA Andersen affiliate was owned by Joe Zisman, who is retiring after five decades in the industry, […]
Weis Markets has won court approval to take over prescriptions for customers at 11 Rite Aid stores in Pennsylvania and New York, according to a spokesperson for the Sunbury-based grocery chain. The stores include Rite Aid locations in Dover and Hanover, as well as Altoona, Brodheadsville, Fogelsville, Honesdale, Montoursville, Mountain Top, Wellsboro and Williamsport, Weis spokesperson […]
Weis Markets, whose pharmacy business has been growing by double digits, is making a play for pieces of Rite Aid. Legal filings in the Rite Aid bankruptcy case reveal that Sunbury-based Weis is among those bidding for the pharmacy chain’s assets. A Weis spokesperson declined to comment, and legal filings offer no details. But Weis joins […]
Rite Aid said yesterday it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in two years. While the pharmacy chain emerged as a smaller, leaner company after its last trip through bankruptcy court, it is bracing this time for a sale. “While we have continued to face financial challenges, intensified by the rapidly evolving […]
Big Lots is coming back to Central Pennsylvania. The retail brand’s new owner, North Carolina-based Variety Wholesalers, plans to reopen more than two dozen former Big Lots in Pennsylvania over the next two months, including locations in Cumberland, Lebanon, Lancaster and York counties. Variety is reopening three Big Lots on May 1 in Dunmore, Eynon and […]
Four years after taking the helm at Duck Donuts, Betsy Hamm has resigned. Hamm had led the Mechanicsburg-based donut shop franchisor as CEO since it sold a majority stake in April 2021 to NewSpring Capital, a private equity firm based in Radnor. “Duck Donuts appreciates Hamm’s leadership she provided throughout her years with the company,” said a company […]
OIlie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings is grabbing another clutch of former Big Lots stores in a bankruptcy auction. Pending court approval and price adjustments from landlords, the Harrisburg-based discount retailer will pay $188,838 for seven Big Lots leases, according to court filings. Two of the locations are in Florida and two are in Missouri, with one each […]
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings is scooping up leases for seven former locations of its bankrupt rival, Big Lots. The stores include one each in Georgia, Illinois and Louisiana and four in Wisconsin, according to court documents. The price is about $620,000, subject to potential adjustments by the landlords. “These stores are the right size, located in […]
A Massachusetts-based developer is acquiring the Colonial Park Mall, an aging retail complex that local officials hope to see rejuvenated. A partnership headed by the developer, Zi Qian “John” Zhang, paid nearly $8.8 million for the mall, which is at 4600 Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township, according to county deed records. Zhang is still […]
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc. is launching a co-branded Visa credit card in partnership with Los Angeles-based fintech Sunbit. The card is designed to build on Ollie’s loyalty program, Ollie’s Army, which has about 14 million members. The card’s features include a $10 statement credit for signing up and extra Ollie’s Army points on purchases at Ollie’s and […]
As more organizations explore the practical implementation of machine learning and artificial intelligence models to solve real-world business problems, law
A company that develops data centers is doubling down on the Harrisburg area. Last summer, Dallas-based Provident Realty Advisors agreed to pay
State regulators are crafting guidelines designed to address one of the chief risks of the data center construction boom — that Pennsylvania residents and businesses get stuck with a hefty tab for building out the substations and power lines that feed electricity to the centers. The guidelines, proposed by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, are currently […]
A data breach struck a Lancaster law firm this fall, exposing personal information on about 2,200 people, according to a notice filed with the Maine Attorney General’s office. Law firm BCGL LLC discovered the breach in October after identifying suspicious activity in its network, according to the notice, which the firm filed this month. The firm said it […]
At a press conference yesterday, Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace unveiled an agreement between the city and Chirisa Technology Parks, the Virginia-based company spearheading development of data centers on the site of former printing plants in the city. The 32-page community benefits agreement requires Chirisa to meet standards in areas such as noise, power and water usage for […]
Advocates embrace data centers as engines of economic opportunity and a symbol of Pennsylvania’s appeal to high-tech industries, drawn, in part, by abundant supplies of energy. Critics are fighting back, citing the centers’ potential harm to the environment and quality of life in the communities where they are being proposed. Team Pennsylvania is hoping to […]
A suburban Harrisburg golf course is preparing to swap drivers for data. The Dauphin County General Authority voted yesterday to sell the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course for $45.6 million to a Texas company planning a data center on the 228-acre property in Swatara Township and Steelton. But there’s time for a few more rounds of golf. The […]
At a meeting last night, developers shared more details on their plans for a $15 billion data center complex near Carlisle. Residents shared a barrage of doubts. Over two hours, they questioned how much water and electricity the centers would use. They questioned how the developers picked the 700-acre tract of farmland in Middlesex Township where […]
In 2022, Pennsylvania waived sales taxes for computer equipment purchased for use in data centers, provided the centers met certain requirements. Following a slew of announcements about new data center projects around the state, the price tag for that exemption may be going up. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is revisiting its forecasts on the […]
A few years ago, the phrase “industrial real estate” likely conjured an image of massive warehouses spreading across the open fields of Central Pennsylvania. Now, the phrase might just as easily bring up images of data centers — buildings packed with computer servers composing your emails and delivering answers to your ChatGPT queries. The announcement of more […]
One of the companies behind a $6 billion data center project in Lancaster is filling in some of the blanks surrounding the project. Early reports indicated data centers would be constructed at two former printing plants, at 216 Greenfield Road and 1375 Harrisburg Pike. The developers are Virginia-based Chirisa Technology Parks and New York-based Machine Investment Group, […]
It’s been a week since New Jersey-based investment firm Energy Capital Partners announced it was planning a $5 billion data center in southern York County. But the precise location remains unknown, even to the manager of Peach Bottom Township, where the data center is widely expected to be built. “Your guess is as good as mine,” township […]
The dust is still settling on the flurry of announcements for massive data and energy projects proposed this week for Pennsylvania. Actual dust could soon start flying on one of those projects — a $6 billion data center investment in Lancaster. The city has issued demolition permits for the first phase of the project, according […]
Major tech companies yesterday disclosed billions of dollars in new investment in Central Pennsylvania, though some key details remain to be filled in. Data center giant CoreWeave said it plans to sink $6 billion into developing a data center in Lancaster in partnership with a company that recently acquired two former printing plants in the city. A […]
The data center boom made a big bang yesterday in Pennsylvania. Tech giant Amazon said it plans to invest at least $20 billion to build data centers in Pennsylvania, starting with a pair of locations in eastern Pennsylvania. The Shapiro administration described the company’s move as the largest private-sector investment in state history. “This is not just […]
A suburban Harrisburg golf course is the latest plot of land in the region to draw attention from developers of data centers, power-hungry computing facilities that are vital to the growth of artificial intelligence. Would-be buyers with data centers in mind have shown an appetite for the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course, according to Jeanette Krebs, […]
A California tech firm has acquired portions of a Lancaster-based IT company co-founded by Daryl Heller, the business owner at the center of a legal vortex. The Lancaster company is AVAIL Technology Solutions, which traces its roots to a venture called Premier Management Group. Premier was founded in 1990 by Heller and entrepreneur Bob Horst. But the […]
After nearly a decade of fine tuning, a Spring Grove software company believes its main product is ready for prime
Beth Siegfried has been named executive director of Dauphin County CASA, a Harrisburg-based nonprofit that provides volunteer advocates for children in foster care. She succeeds Kim St.Clair, who had been acting executive director and continues as program supervisor. Siegfried has more than two decades of experience in communications, advocacy and nonprofit leadership. She worked most […]
For nearly six decades, McNees Wallace & Nurick has occupied a prime piece of Harrisburg real estate — a nine-story office building
Jake Lewis has been named vice president, government programs and strategy, for Harrisburg-based dental insurer United Concordia Dental. In this new role, he will oversee the strategic direction and execution of the company’s government relations and contracting efforts. Lewis worked most recently as the acting deputy assistant administrator for acquisition and business services at the […]
Column by Jayamohan Ecosystems aren’t designed. They emerge. We learn this early in biology (thanks to my son who is
In fall 2024, Doug and Sara Taylor traveled to Philadelphia to open the first of two stores in the city
Over the last three years, Robin Stauffer has overseen a dramatic growth in resources at one of Lancaster’s County’s largest charities. Effective Jan. 1, she has a new role to match. Stauffer, the longtime executive director of the High Foundation, has been named its president and CEO. “For more than two decades, Robin has led High […]
Camp Hill-based LinkBancorp opened in 2018 following a round of consolidation that took out several banks in Central Pennsylvania. Now, with bank
Column by Richard Randall As 2025 comes to an end, leaders will naturally be thinking about how to position their
Suzy Teter has joined Pennian Bank as an assistant vice president and relationship banker based in the bank’s Lemoyne office. Teter, who lives in Duncannon worked most recently serving as a financial center manager for Mid Penn Bank. “Suzy’s commitment to serving as a trusted resource to businesses and organizations, as well her dedication to […]
A Spring Grove paper maker is tapping a new CEO as it works to turn around its finances. Pixelle Specialty Solutions has named Julie Schertell as its CEO. She succeeds Ross Bushnell, who led the company for two years but is leaving for undisclosed opportunities. He is staying on through September as an adviser to Pixelle’s board. The […]
A state court rejected an appeal from a York County winery fighting orders that it shut down. The decision last week by Superior Court of Pennsylvania forestalls one of the last legal avenues available to Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery in its long-running battle with neighbors who want the venue to cease operations. The neighbors — Amanda […]
The State Museum of Pennsylvania is getting a facelift. State officials yesterday unveiled plans for a $55 million makeover of the 62-year-old museum complex on state Capitol grounds. The goal is to modernize exhibits, displays and storage areas, while creating an environment matching the expectations of 21st-century visitors. Planned changes include creation of a large-scale […]
State lawmakers are plowing ahead once again with tax changes that have long drawn the ire of business lobbyists but never made it into law. The changes would subject more corporate profits to taxes in Pennsylvania by curtailing the ability of companies to report those profits in other states. Two committees in the Democratic-controlled state […]
Alice Solomon has joined the Malvern office of Lancaster-based law firm Barley Snyder. With a background in environmental, energy and land use law, she is a member of the firm’s real estate and litigation practice groups. Before joining Barley Snyder, Solomon worked at an environmental law firm based in the Philadelphia suburbs. She has a […]
Consumer advocates in Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey are asking federal regulators to rerun an auction that is sparking a hike in electricity prices set to take effect in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest — including Pennsylvania — starting June 1. At issue is the auction process used by regional power grid operator PJM to set the price of electricity […]
T.J. Foltz founded Humankind Beverage in 2011 with a goal of funneling profits from sales of bottled water into a charity bringing clean water to poverty-stricken areas of the world. He’s hoping to make a lot more sales now that the Elizabethtown-based brand — and its regional distribution arm — have been acquired. The buyer is Odeko, a […]
Developers have acquired land off the Carlisle Pike in Cumberland County where they plan to build three warehouses. The warehouses will span nearly 2 million square feet under plans approved in 2023 under the previous owner of the property, part of Hempt Farms in Silver Spring Township. The developers — a joint venture between New York-based Rockefeller […]
It was a groundbreaking six years in the making, and developer Don Murphy wasn’t going to let steady rain or thunderstorm warnings stand in the way. Murphy and about 100 other people huddled in and around a tent yesterday to mark the start of construction on a new hotel at the intersection of Walnut and […]