A Scranton-area bank is seeking permission to open what would be its first branch in Lancaster County, according to a regulatory update from the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. Dunmore-based Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. is looking to open the branch at 2343 Oregon Pike in Manheim Township, on the site of a retail plaza […]
Just over a year ago, Drew Mousetis began pitching the idea of direct employee ownership to anyone willing to listen. Now, he and the Lancaster-based nonprofit he leads, the Tandem Center for Shared Business Success, are poised to land their first convert. “There’s a lot of buzz out there about Tandem, and people want to […]
Paramount Management Group, the defunct Lancaster-based ATM network headed by Daryl Heller, sold and resold the same ATMs to the network’s investors, accounting for sales of nearly $22 million, according to a report filed yesterday by a court-appointed examiner in Heller’s bankruptcy case. The report appears to bolster investors’ allegations that they were defrauded by Heller […]
After listening to both sides of a loan dispute yesterday morning, a Dauphin County judge outlined a potential truce and asked attorneys to put it in writing. Harrisburg-area flooring supplier Frontier Surfaces claims it is on the brink of financial collapse following efforts by regional lender Mid Penn Bancorp to collect on a $4 million loan to the company. […]
A regional bank allegedly relied on false premises to seize $1.6 million in inventory from a Harrisburg-area flooring company, according to a legal complaint filed by the company against the bank. The complaint, filed last week in Dauphin County court against Mid Penn Bank, is the latest salvo in a dispute over an alleged loan default by […]
State lawmakers are taking another run at creating a state-backed retirement program for private-sector workers. Similar legislation cleared the Democratic-controlled House in 2023 but failed to move in the GOP-led Senate. The House is once again on the cusp of passing the legislation following its approval on Tuesday in a party-line vote by the House Commerce […]
Citing federal pullbacks in the area of consumer protection, the Shapiro administation yesterday unveiled a new hotline, website and email address for complaining about banks, insurers, student lenders and other financial services providers. State residents can now call 1-866-PACOMPLAINT, visit pa.gov/consumer or email [email protected] to report their concerns. Pennsylvania has its own set of laws designed to […]
A state authority is awarding $2 million to a new venture capital fund that aims to sink the money into Pennsylvania’s life sciences sector, an area that state officials have targeted for growth. The fund is Neovate Life Sciences GP 1 LLC, launched by Neovate Capital Partners, which has offices in Pittsburgh, London, Boulder, Colorado, and New […]
Bank of Bird-in-Hand in Lancaster County is seeking permission to add a stop in Mount Joy for one of its Gelt Buses, which are essentially bank branches on wheels. If all goes as planned, the bank’s Gelt Bus No. 3 would begin making stops at 3141 Mount Joy Road, the home of Mount Joy Gift and […]
As it seeks to boost its retail base nationwide, Chase Bank is planning to open its third office in the Harrisburg area. The branch is slated to open this fall at 2323 Linglestown Road in Susquehanna Township, a Chase spokesperson confirmed, saying more details would be available as the opening date approaches. The New York-based bank, an […]
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 […]
The owner of a Harrisburg-area flooring company and a regional bank are trading allegations in Dauphin County court over the status of a $4 million loan. Mid Penn Bank claims the loan is in default and is seeking a judgement of just over $4 million, plus interest, according to court filings. Scott Appel, founder of flooring […]
During the 34 years he’s been a board member at F&M Trust, G. Warren Elliott has seen “too many” community banks disappear in mergers and acquisitions. Elliott, F&M Trust’s chairman since 2012, does not want the Chambersburg-based bank to join their ranks, but he knows the lender will have to work to preserve its independence. […]
A York tax preparer is facing charges for allegedly falsifying applications from businesses seeking loans under an emergency federal program designed to help businesses meet payroll after the Covid-19 pandemic tanked the economy in early 2020. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Harrisburg has indicated tax preparer Dommonick T. Chatman on 20 counts of bank fraud […]
Finanta, a nonprofit based in Lancaster, is expecting millions of dollars from the federal government this year to further its mission, which includes lending to businesses in poor communities. But the federal fund that provides those dollars is among several programs targeted for cuts or possible elimination under an executive order issued late Friday by President […]
State police broke up a bank-fraud ring that drained more than $3 million from accounts of customers at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, according to a criminal complaint filed in a Cumberland County magisterial district. The credit union, based in Hampden Township, Cumberland County, reimbursed the losses suffered by its members. News of the bust came […]
Wells Fargo is closing its branch in the heart of Red Lion. The San Francisco-based bank plans to close the branch at 1 N. Main St. at 11 a.m. on May 7, according to a bank spokesperson. Once it closes, customers can use a Wells Fargo branch at 2099 S. Queen St. in York Township. Like […]
After an early retirement scuttled its CEO succession plans last year, Orrstown Financial Services is back on track. The regional bank named a longtime executive, Adam Metz, as the successor to president and CEO Tom Quinn, who is slated to retire next year. Metz, Orrstown’s chief revenue officer since 2019, has been promoted to senior executive vice […]
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 […]
Officials in York hope state funding can help them revive two city landmarks — a dilapidated church and a downtown post office that has been mostly vacant for more than a decade. Economic development agencies in York are seeking $4 million for the Post Office and $3 million for the church through a competitive state […]
As state workers prepare to exit Harrisburg’s tallest office tower, a developer is hatching plans to rip out the cubicles. Harristown Development Corp. wants to put 81 apartments in a portion of the 22-story office building, which is at 333 Market St. The city’s planning commission signed off on the $23 million project at a […]
York-based architecture, engineering and design firm Warehaus has acquired a smaller neighbor with a client base spanning Pennsylvania and Maryland. The neighbor is West Manchester Township-based Johnston and Associates, founded in 1988 by Eric Johnston and specializing in all areas of land development, including zoning and environmental permitting. “This is an exciting milestone for our team,” Warehaus president, […]
A regional engineering firm based in the Harrisburg area is expanding its reach in Central and eastern Pennsylvania. Herbert Rowland & Grubic Inc. in Swatara Township has scooped up Becker Engineering LLC, a smaller firm based in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. But HRG is retaining Becker’s office at […]
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on Wednesday to mark the commencement of work converting the private grounds of the Appell family into a public garden. Louis and Jody Appell were well-known in the York community for their philanthropy and their passion for horticulture. The Powder Mill Foundation was established by Louis J. Appell, Jr. in […]
A pair of concrete plants in Perry County are under new ownership. Bedford County-based New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc. bought the Duncannon-area plants as part of its acquisition of Marstellar Holding Co., which also owned a heating oil delivery business. Both Marstellar Concrete and Marstellar Oil are now part of New Enterprise, according to a person who answered the phone […]
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 […]
EHC Associates, an environmental services contractor based in Upper Leacock Township, Lancaster County, has acquired two companies for undisclosed terms. The first is ecoservices LLC, an
Over the last few years, the York Galleria mall has replaced retail anchors with a mini casino, a gym and a self-storage facility. Could an apartment building be next? This spring, developers pitched local officials on plans to erect a four-story, 98-unit apartment building on an underused parking lot in front of the self-storage facility. […]
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 […]
A Lancaster County contractor is under new leadership as it transitions to the next generation of family owners. Speedwell Construction Inc., based in Penn Township, Lancaster County, has promoted Jon Sensenig to president. Sensenig, who joined Speedwell 10 years ago, worked most recently as vice president of design/build. He succeeds company owners Keith Ebersole, and […]
New developers are embracing the challenge of bringing life to one of York city’s most prominent buildings. John and Denise Gilliland paid $650,000 for the stately bank branch at 1 N. George St., and they aim to convert it into a boutique hotel and high-end restaurant in the heart of the White Rose city, John […]
A contractor is disputing claims it’s liable for defective concrete used during construction of a new hospital tower in York. The contractor, New Holland-based Stief Concrete Work Inc., denies the claims, which were raised in a lawsuit filed in May by York-based Kinsley Construction LLC. Kinsley claims it’s owed $935,000 for the concrete, which the company delivered for […]
Aiming for a bigger slice of business in Pennsylvania, an Ohio-based engineering firm has acquired Dawood Engineering, a firm based on the West Shore. The deal brings together two companies with complementary services and creates opportunities to build on them, according to Neil Churman, president and CEO of the Ohio-based buyer, Woolpert. Woolpert, for example, has a […]
Aimee Deraco hesitated when she was first approached about becoming chief executive of Brubaker Inc., a family-owned contractor in Lancaster County that was mulling a transition to employee ownership. She wasn’t sure, at first, what role would be played by the company’s then-owners, brothers Dave, Don and Gerry Brubaker. They had taken over the company […]
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 […]
A vice president overseeing supply chains for Mechanicsburg-based West Shore Home LLC allegedly tried to extort a severance payment from the company after he was fired, according to a federal criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office and a civil lawsuit filed by the company. The home improvement company fired the VP, Bryan Chapman, in August […]
President-elect Donald Trump made hay during the campaign with pledges to end taxes on tips and overtime pay. It’s unclear whether the proposals will gain traction in the U.S. Congress, given their potential cost. But the debate is likely to play out in Harrisburg, as well. In recent weeks, Pennsylvania lawmakers have floated proposals to […]
App-based food-delivery service DoorDash disclosed yesterday the results of a pilot benefits program introduced for the company’s Pennsylvania drivers. The program addresses concerns that independent contractors such as DoorDash drivers lack the workplace benefits enjoyed by employees, such as retirement plans and health insurance. Under the program, the company has been contributing 4% of eligible drivers’ […]
A Palmyra-based specialty distributor plans to lay off about 100 people working at three locations in Lancaster and Lebanon counties by the end of this year. The move stems from an expected decline in business and resulting corporate restructuring, according to a layoff notice from the company, DAS Companies Inc. Efforts to reach the company yesterday […]
Companies in Central Pennsylvania and beyond are bracing for a strike that could upend supply chains across the U.S. Workers who load and unload cargo at ports on the East and Gulf Coasts are poised to go on strike at midnight tonight, an outcome that looks increasingly likely to Peggy Stewart, international operations officer for Nexterus, […]
Yesterday’s half-point cut to interest rates will make businesses more comfortable with borrowing, particularly if they have an immediate need to spend. However, others may continue to hold off, anticipating further rate cuts and awaiting the outcome of the presidential election in November. That’s the view of local financial executives who spoke yesterday with biznewsPA […]
Amid widespread concerns about a shortage of childcare for working parents in Pennsylvania, the Hanover YWCA is aiming to expand its capacity and shrink its waiting list for spaces. The nonprofit is in the midst of a capital campaign to raise $10 million that will support construction of a new, three-story childcare center at the corner of […]
Supply chain troubles are back in the news, thanks to the shutdown this week of two major Canadian freight railroads amid conflict between labor and management. It’s unclear how long the stoppage will last and what the economic impact will be, though the Canadian government moved yesterday afternoon to get trains back on track. Nonetheless, ripples […]
The state-funded walkway connecting a public park to the Main Street of a small Montgomery County borough was not a big project. But the project and the community’s positive reaction were enough to hook Greg Welker on the world of economic development. “It really spoke to me,” said Welker, who was then working for the […]
Barring any last-minute legal complications, employers may be paying overtime to more workers starting Monday. July 1 is the date a federal rule lifting the salary threshold for overtime eligibility is scheduled to take effect. Issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, the rule bumps the threshold to $43,888 per year, up from the current […]
Framing the challenge of finding childcare as a critical issue for employers, York-area business and nonprofit leaders yesterday unveiled a new program designed to encourage fresh thinking on the years-old problem. The program, called Every Child Has Opportunities, or ECHO, plans to dole out $700,000 in grants this spring to expand the number of home-based childcare […]
The Covid-19 pandemic emptied out the region’s amusement parks and Amish attractions. But by 2022, the tourists had returned, and then some. That’s the conclusion to be drawn from the most recent annual report of the Pennsylvania Tourism Office. Spending in what the state calls the Dutch Country Roads region hit nearly $9.4 billion in 2022, up […]
After two years of explosive, post-pandemic growth, Pennsylvania’s job growth is returning to its pre-pandemic form. Revised numbers indicate the state’s employers added roughly 80,800 jobs in 2023, though the numbers could be revised further, according to L&I. That compares with six-figure growth in 2021 and 2022, when the economy was recovering from the depths of […]
Pennsylvania employers added more than 111,000 jobs in 2023, pushing the number of nonfarm jobs to a new state record, nearly 6.2 million, according to the Department of Labor & Industry. The jobless rate, meanwhile, was at 3.5%, down from 4.3% a year earlier. But things may not be as healthy as they look. Pennsylvania could […]
Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro rolled out a plan for economic development in Pennsylvania that is expected to unfold over the next decade. Progress is likely to be measured in shorter increments of time. State lawmakers, who are being asked to fund parts of the plan, could start asking for results by next year. […]
Gov. Josh Shapiro laid out a vision for jumpstarting economic development in Pennsylvania during an address yesterday at OraSure Technologies, a medical diagnostics company in Bethlehem The 52-page strategy includes a mix of new funding, a focus on key industries and a series of other steps designed to make Pennsylvania more competitive in retaining and attracting workers and […]
Workers at a York-area distribution center are the latest casualties in GameStop‘s effort to cut costs and rebuild profits. The Texas-based video-game retailer is planning to shutter its 700,000 square-foot warehouse at 20 Leo Lane in Manchester Township and lay off the 155 people who work there, according to a notice sent this week to state […]
A Carlisle-area warehouse that has served as a destination for Apple products is slated to close in March, idling nearly 500 workers. German company DB Schenker told state and local officials this week it plans to close the warehouse at 45 Logistics Drive in South Middletown Township. In a statement, a company spokesperson cited the expiration of a customer […]
A vendor is laying off nearly 300 workers after Amazon ended its contract to provide janitorial and facilities services to eight of the ecommerce giant’s warehouses in Pennsylvania, including four in Cumberland and York counties, according to a notice filed with the state. South Carolina-based Newbold Services LLC plans to lay off 294 people as of March 5, according […]
When Tom “Dutch” Ressler strung up his first hammock during a through-hike on the Appalachian Trail in 2003, the equipment he carried was not always optimal. “Staying dry was a challenge,” he said. So, when he returned home to Lancaster, Ressler started fashioning his own gear. The DIY adventure led him to launch his own […]
In a union billed as a merger of complementary technologies, Lancaster-based software startup AutoOps has joined with Boston-based Steer, which develops and sells customer relationship management software to auto repair shops. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but Steer plans to retain the leaders, employees and office of AutoOps, which makes software for scheduling auto repairs, according […]
Soon after founding West Shore Home nearly 20 years ago, B.J. Werzyn envisioned turning the home-remodeling business into a nationwide brand. It was not a vision that was readily embraced, given the company’s humble beginnings in an industry long dominated by local contractors. “When you’re one location here in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, with 50 employees and […]
When you’re shipping a $100,000 engagement ring, you don’t take any chances. That’s how Simone Kendle found herself on a plane to Toronto over the Memorial Day weekend. “Delivery person” may not be part of the job description for Kendle, the CEO of Wove, a startup custom jewelry company founded and based in Lancaster. And […]
John Dolmetsch believed wireless connectivity would become a staple of modern life. He just didn’t expect it would happen so quickly. “Literally, it’s an explosion,” said Dolmetsch, who in 1992 co-founded York-based IT firm Business Information Group, aka BIG, with his brother, Scott. In a bid to take advantage of that growth, John Dolmetsch partnered this […]
The Tandem Center for Shared Business Success, a Lancaster-based nonprofit focused on employee ownership and profit sharing, has hired Drew Mousetis as its first executive director, effective May 20, The nonprofit was founded last year by Chip Cargas, founder of Lancaster-based software company Cargas. Mousetis worked most recently as a lead consultant at Cargas, an employee-owned […]
The potential buyers of a Lancaster County-based tiny-homes company are taking a new tack. Chase Packaging Corp., a New Jersey-based shell company, had been planning to take Tiny Estates LLC and two related entities public through a merger. The companies are led by CEO Abby Shank, a former KPMG auditor who started a tiny-home community outside Elizabethtown in 2018. But […]
After striking a deal with ViacomCBS, now Paramount, Lititz-based MajorMega created a virtual-reality game based on popular cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants and the undersea world of Bikini Bottom. The two-person arcade game debuted at a convention in Orlando, Florida, said Michael Bridgman, a co-founder of the gaming company. “It was really well-received and we got […]
Four months after taking the field, a statewide venture fund is taking its first shots. The so-called GO PA Fund has invested in two companies, a financial technology firm based in Swarthmore and an advertising tech company based in New York, albeit with roots and some operations in Philadelphia. The fintech company is LoanStar Technologies, which […]
TEAMology, an education technology startup based in Chambersburg, has hired Gretchen Thompson as its first-ever chief revenue officer, where she will lead sales, business development, strategic partnerships and marketing initiatives. Thompson has held sales, marketing and leadership positions for a number of education-related startups, including ClassLink, Qwizdom and Vizzle. She worked most recently for Baltimore-based Allovue, which developed finance software […]
The Benecon Group, has sold a minority stake to the private equity arm of New York-based investment giant Neuberger Berman. Terms of the transaction — described as “a significant minority investment” — were not disclosed. A Neuberger spokesperson declined to comment beyond the press release. Neuberger joins an ownership group that includes majority owner TA Associates, a Boston-based private […]
When John Lewis interviews younger job applicants these days, he fields questions he did not typically hear a decade ago. Applicants are asking more pointed questions about the future of Doceo, the regional office equipment and IT services company that he leads as president and CEO. “There’s no question that, when we are talking to […]
A tiny-home startup in Lancaster County is poised for the big time. A publicly traded shell company has agreed to buy Tiny Estates LLC and two related companies, Endeavor Tiny Homes LLC and Tiny Communities Fund LLC. The companies are led by CEO Abby Shank, a former KPMG auditor-turned-entrepreneur who started a tiny-home community outside Elizabethtown in 2018. Shank, who went on to […]
Chris Dreisbach believes in second chances. He has made the most of his after succumbing to substance-use disorder and landing in jail in his native Lehigh Valley. The path to recovery led Dreisbach to a halfway house in Lancaster County, where he has since built a life, several businesses and a reputation as someone passionate […]
Home inspectors gather reams of information as they poke around houses that are about to change hands. In some cases, the information prompts buyers to back out of a deal or demand concessions, such as a new roof or a lower price. But in many cases, the information is simply dumped into a binder or […]
Two regional venture capital firms are joining forces to raise a new investment fund that will funnel early-stage capital to startups across Pennsylvania, with a focus on rural areas of the state. State College-based 1855 Capital and York-based White Rose Ventures hope to raise about $40 million for the new fund, dubbed Keystone Innovation Fund II, which they will co-manage. […]
State officials are directing federal funds toward venture capital firms they hope can jumpstart early-stage tech companies in Pennsylvania. The firms are Allegheny County-based BTVC Fund I LLP, which is receiving $1.5 million, and Atlanta-based Metallum Ventures LP, which is getting $2.25 million. The funding, announced yesterday, comes from the State Small Business Credit Initiative, a federal program that […]
A publicly traded hotel company founded in Harrisburg is going private in a deal valued at roughly $1.4 billion. Hersha Hospitality Trust, now based in Philadelphia, has agreed to be acquired by KSL Capital Partners, a Denver-based private equity firm that specializes in travel and leisure businesses. Under the deal, KSL is paying $10 per share […]
Elizabeth Brewer has joined Boyer & Ritter as a manager in the regional accounting firm’s small business group. Brewer brings more than 20 years of accounting experience to the firm. She previously worked as director of finance for a disability rights nonprofit and most recently provided controller services to companies at another Pennsylvania-based accounting firm. […]
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 […]
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., […]
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 […]
Zoe Lynn has been hired as client experience manager for InTandem Financial, Private Client Group of Northwestern Mutual – Camp Hill. Lynn assists with adviser workflow, financial plan creation and insurance servicing operations, and will participate in client financial review meetings to manage follow-up and communications. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from […]
Ryan Collins is poised to become executive director of the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, which operates Harrisburg International Airport, in 2027. He is succeeding Tim Edwards, who is scheduled to retire at the end of 2026. Collins has been deputy since 2024, overseeing airport operations, security, maintenance and other areas. He was previously operations and […]
Elena Baylarian has joined the litigation and estate planning groups in the Radnor office of Harrisburg-based law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick. She worked most recently handling civil and Orphans’ Court matters across eastern Pennsylvania. “Her experience and courtroom perspective make her a perfect fit for our team and a formidable advocate for our clients,” […]
Choice Consulting leased approximately 2,200 square feet of office space at 845 Sir Thomas Court in Harrisburg. Jessica Gasper of Campbell Commercial Partners represented the landlord. Josh Mumaw of Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT represented the tenant. Barnes & Noble Booksellers Inc. leased 18,450 square feet of retail space at 5070 Jonestown Road in Harrisburg from […]
Kasia Konieczny has been named vice president and chief of staff to Penn State Health CEO Dr. Michael Kupferman effective March 23. Konieczny will work as a senior strategic partner to Kupferman, coordinating systemwide initiatives, improving decision flow and advancing institutional priorities for the regional health system based in Dauphin County. She will also play […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Geoffrey White has rejoined McNees Wallace & Nurick as a member of the Harrisburg-based law firm’s intellectual property group. White previously worked in the firm’s intellectual property group from 2007 to 2015. He represents innovators, manufacturers and technology-driven companies in patent strategy, portfolio development and IP risk management. His return follows more than 10 years […]
Tiffany Quinones has joined Boyer & Ritter as a tax associate, supporting small business clients and tax engagements at the Camp Hill-based professional services firm. Quinones previously worked as a tax and payroll accountant for another Pennsylvania-based firm before joining Boyer & Ritter. She is expected to graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in […]
Joseph Culos has been named senior vice president of retail at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, based in Hampden Township, Cumberland County. Culos will lead Members 1st’s retail and branch operations teams, guiding the organization’s retail strategy as it enters new markets and works to strengthen the member experience. The credit union has recently expanded […]
Darrin Dinello has been named president and general counsel of Pine Street Land Co., a Harrisburg-based real estate title and settlement services firm and a subsidiary of law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick. Dinello will lead a team of licensed title agents serving clients with commercial and residential real estate settlement needs in Pennsylvania and […]
Lisa Corry-Godby has been promoted to group strategy and communications director at Pavone Group, a Harrisburg-based marketing agency. In her new role, Corry-Godby will lead strategic thinking across the agency’s disciplines, ensuring that insight, messaging and creative execution are aligned. She is based in Pavone’s Philadelphia office. Corry-Godby had been a key strategic leader at […]
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 […]
After more than four months of gridlock, state lawmakers and Gov. Josh Shapiro sealed the deal yesterday on a state budget. The nearly $50.1 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that began in July delivers tax savings for lower-income state residents and pours $25 million into the childcare sector, which suffered from lapses in state […]
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 […]
The ayes have it. By a margin of roughly three to two, Pennsylvania voters retained three state Supreme Court justices yesterday, preserving the court’s Democratic five-to-two majority. Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht each garnered more than 2 million “yes” votes on the question of whether they should remain on the bench for […]
Pennsylvania voters will decide tomorrow whether to retain three Supreme Court justices in what has become one of the state’s most expensive and partisan judicial races ever. Those arguing in favor of retention, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, warn that “no” votes could jeopardize abortion and voting rights. Those arguing against retention argue that the three justices in question […]
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 […]
Pennsylvania’s top lawyer plans to press ahead in a lawsuit over controversial power lines proposed for York and Franklin counties even after a federal court ruled in favor of the company behind the project. The decision by Attorney General Dave Sunday opens a new chapter in the four-year-old legal battle over the power lines, proposed […]
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 […]
Some of Lancaster’s highest-profile companies are hoping to persuade state officials that their plans to upgrade corporate headquarters deserve a dose of public funding. Manufacturer Armstrong World Industries, event technology company Clair Global and flooring maker Ecore International are among applicants statewide angling for funds from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, or RACP, a grant program that backs projects statewide. […]
Officials in York hope state funding can help them revive two city landmarks — a dilapidated church and a downtown
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 […]
In a 5-2 ruling last week, the state Supreme Court upheld the authority of state regulators to issue rules for testing medical marijuana products before they hit the shelves. The ruling overturns a 2023 decision by Commonwealth Court that found regulators had exceeded their authority. Nonetheless, Pennsylvania’s top court sent the case back to the lower […]
Childcare providers were already struggling to keep up with the demand for their services. Then came the deadlock over the state budget, which has lasted nearly three months. For each week without a state budget, providers in Central Pennsylvania are missing out on about $1.1 million in state subsidies, according to Christy Renjilian, executive director […]
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 […]
Restaurants in Pennsylvania overcame a key obstacle in their long-running effort to recover tens of millions of dollars in fees from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board that the restaurants argue they never should have been charged. In a 31-page ruling last week, a Commonwealth Court judge said the restaurants could pursue a class-action lawsuit against the […]
A Pennsylvania appeals court sided last week with a corporate taxpayer that claimed state tax authorities were wrong to reject its petition for a refund. The company, a subsidiary of California-based electric utility Edison International, sought a refund for state taxes it paid in 2008 after an IRS audit in 2017 reduced its federal taxable income. […]
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 […]
Diopsys Inc., a medical device company based in Middletown, has agreed to pay up to $14.25 million for allegedly violating state and federal laws by submitting false claims to Medicaid and Medicare, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. Diopsys, which was formerly based in New Jersey, developed a device […]
Due to recordkeeping lapses by UPMC Health Plan, a state agency reimbursed the health insurer for Medicaid recipients who were not eligible for the program, including some who had died, according to an audit released yesterday by the office of Pennsylvania Auditor General Tim DeFoor. The resulting overpayments to UPMC totaled $357,048 in 2022, according to the […]
Just over a month after a deadly attack at UPMC Memorial hospital in York County, state lawmakers are poised to take up legislation addressing violence in the healthcare workplace. The legislation, House Bill 926, is scheduled for a vote March 25 in the House Labor & Industry Committee. Advocates note that healthcare workers are more likely than others […]
It may be more than 30 years old, but the Central Penn Business Group on Health is in startup mode. The Lancaster-based nonprofit has hired a new CEO, and it is mulling new approaches to help area employers contend with rising healthcare costs, perhaps by applying analytics and other technologies. “The employers are looking for more,” said […]
Federal workplace safety regulators are probing the shooting that took place inside the intensive care unit at UPMC Memorial in York County on the morning of Feb. 22. The investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was opened the day of the shooting, which claimed the life of a West York police officer and injured […]
The heartbreaking accounts began populating social media feeds early last week: harrowing posts from nurses and other healthcare workers who survived the deadly hostage-taking that unfolded inside the intensive care unit at UPMC Memorial in York County on the morning of Feb. 22. The stories offer a glimpse into the nightmare endured by UPMC staff members, who […]
After missing an October deadline, WellSpan Health and UnitedHealthcare have agreed to renew a key reimbursement contract. The multiyear agreement, which took effect Dec. 15, means WellSpan providers are once again in-network for about 35,000 people in Central Pennsylvania who are covered by UnitedHealthcare through the workplace. The deal caps weeks of uncertainty for patients. They faced higher costs […]
After extending negotiations for a month, WellSpan Health and UnitedHealthcare have reached a deal affecting patients in certain Medicaid and Medicare plans. The deal preserves in-network access to WellSpan providers for about 3,500 patients enrolled in Medicaid plans for children and in Medicare plans for people with special needs, according to WellSpan spokesperson Ryan Coyle. In-network coverage had been […]
The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute is moving out of the former Polyclinic campus in uptown Harrisburg after failing to forge a new lease. The institute’s inpatient services are moving to Holy Spirit Medical Center in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, according to Penn State Health, which owns both Holy Spirit and the psychiatric institute. Penn State Health is working […]
Facing an Oct. 31 deadline for negotiating new reimbursement rates, WellSpan Health and UnitedHealthcare hammered out a last-minute deal to extend some of their agreements but ended one of them. The two sides said Thursday night they were unable to reach an agreement on employer-sponsored health plans, but they agreed to extend the deadline for negotiating over […]
With less than a week before their contract expires, WellSpan Health and UnitedHealthcare remain at odds. If they are unable to reach an agreement by Thursday, WellSpan would become out-of-network for people covered by UnitedHealthcare’s Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and employer-sponsored plans. In a statement, the York-based health system blamed the impasse on UnitedHealthcare’s “unwillingness to find a middle ground […]
Life sciences heavyweight GSK is investing up to $800 million into its Marietta-area campus with plans to boost capacity and produce cutting-edge vaccines targeting illnesses like pneumonia and meningitis. The project, described as the British company’s largest-ever investment in U.S. manufacturing, entails construction of a new 300,000 square-foot facility and refurbishment of an existing building, along with […]
With less than three weeks before their contract expires, WellSpan Health and UnitedHealthcare remain embroiled in a war of words. UnitedHealthcare has been focused on what WellSpan charges for health care. For the York-based health system, the issue is the administrative hassles posed by working with the insurer. What’s the latest: In an online notice, UnitedHealthcare claimed WellSpan declined […]
Health insurer UnitedHealthcare and regional health system WellSpan Health are sparring over a new contract governing their relationship, affecting about 36,000 patients in the region. Both entities say they are negotiating in good faith and hope to reach a deal before the current contract expires at the end of October. Nonetheless, they are taking aim at each other’s business models. […]
Pennsylvania residents using medical cannabis to treat anxiety, chronic pain and other conditions saw improvements in their general health, emotional well-being, physical functioning and other quality-of-life measures over a three-month period, according to a study undertaken by researchers from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and funded by Organic Remedies, a Cumberland County medical-cannabis provider. Researchers recruited nearly […]
An equity-backed management company and one of its affiliated medical practices have acquired Keystone Urology Specialists, a medical practice with offices in Lancaster, Lebanon and Ephrata. The buyers are Solaris Health Holdings and The Centers for Advanced Urology, which does business as MidLantic Urology. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Following a short transition period, physicians […]
WellSpan Health has forged an agreement with Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University to develop a York area campus for the medical school in time for the 2027-28 school year. The campus would be the second outside of Philadelphia for the Katz School, which also has one in Bethlehem in partnership with St. Luke’s […]
Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health and a regional GI practice have been unable to negotiate a new reimbursement contract, resulting in the practice’s exit from the Highmark network. The financial sticking points have not been disclosed but the two sides said they are continuing to negotiate. The practice is US Digestive Health, which has a clinical headquarters in Lancaster County […]
The lengthy legal battle over a York County winery may have come to an end. The state Supreme Court declined yesterday to hear an appeal from Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery over a county court’s order that the venue close, according to an update on the case’s online docket. How did we get here: The winery in Lower […]
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 […]
A federal court has officially named a trustee to oversee the assets of Daryl Heller, the Lancaster County business owner who declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February after the collapse of an ATM network he led. Heller also faces federal charges alleging he defrauded investors in the network, which did business as Paramount Management Group. The trustee […]
In a 5-2 ruling last week, the state Supreme Court upheld the authority of state regulators to issue rules for
In a one-page order issued yesterday morning, a Lancaster County judge agreed to block Lancaster’s zoning hearing board from considering issues related to multibillion-dollar data center projects in the city. The board was scheduled to hold a hearing Monday to air the appeal of a city resident who questioned how the data centers were being […]
The developers behind a data center taking shape at the site of a former printing plant in Lancaster are pushing back in a fight over zoning for the facility. In a legal filing this week, the developers are asking a Lancaster County judge to rule in a dispute over whether the data center was classified […]
The indictment of Daryl Heller on federal fraud charges is spilling over into his bankruptcy case. A creditor in the bankruptcy case is citing the charges, filed earlier this month, as grounds for the court to appoint a trustee to oversee Heller’s finances or even to convert the case to a Chapter 7 liquidation. Heller filed […]
After a decade leading the law firm he co-founded in 2015, James Saxton is preparing to take on a new role. Saxton plans to step down as CEO of Lancaster-based Saxton & Stump at the end of this year and become its chairman, where he will continue to work on strategic initiatives for the firm. The next […]
James Saxton was working as a healthcare attorney at the law firm Stevens & Lee when he partnered with Christopher Stump to start a new firm in Lancaster in 2015. But the law was not Saxton’s only focus. “I was a big, big believer in marketing and business discipline,” he said. Saxton has put those […]
An independent receiver is now overseeing the beleaguered Governor’s Square apartments in Uptown Harrisburg. Under a court order finalized in late August by a Dauphin County judge, Midtown Asset Consulting LLC is taking over daily operations of the 222-unit affordable apartment complex, whose owner filed for bankruptcy more than two years ago. Midtown Asset’s first step is […]
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 […]
Federal authorities have filed a pair of complaints against Daryl Heller alleging that the Lancaster County business owner defrauded investors in an ATM network that operated as a ponzi scheme. The charges, from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, echo accusations made over the […]
A York County winery is back open after facing yet another court order to shut down. In a brief decision Friday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court cleared Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery in Lower Windsor Township to reopen while it pursues its appeal of a long-running case over its right to operate. Lower courts have consistently ruled […]
A new lawsuit aims to implicate former business partners of Daryl Heller in the alleged ponzi scheme at the center of his legal troubles. The class-action lawsuit, filed in federal court this week, accuses Jerry Hostetter, Mir Jafer Ali “Buck” Joffrey, Randall Leaman and Dave Zook of helping Heller carry out the scheme, which the […]
Restaurants in Pennsylvania overcame a key obstacle in their long-running effort to recover tens of millions of dollars in fees from
It took a York County judge about 25 minutes to approve the closure of a business that has operated for more than 20 years. Barring any last-minute legal twists, Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery in Lower Windsor Township must close “immediately” under an order approved at a hearing yesterday morning before Court of Common Pleas Judge Matthew […]
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 […]
A Pennsylvania appeals court sided last week with a corporate taxpayer that claimed state tax authorities were wrong to reject
Harrisburg-based manufacturer MITER Brands is continuing to retool its operations following a $3.1 billion acquisition last year. The company said this week it divested a brand known as NewSouth Window Solutions, a Florida-based retailer selling windows built for hurricane-prone regions of the Southeast. MITER sold the business to Window Nation, a Fulton, Maryland-based company specializing in residential sales and […]
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 Harrisburg-based manufacturer of windows and doors is closing two plants in Florida but opening another one as it looks to focus on its best-selling products. MITER Brands is shutting down Miami-area plants in Hialeah and Medley that employ about 440 people, according to a company spokesperson. It is relocating production of high-demand products to other […]
Flooring manufacturer AHF Products is closing a factory in Somerset, Kentucky, and moving production to other facilities. The decision follows an internal review finding that consolidating production is the best way to match the company’s factory capacity with the current and projected demand for its products, according to a company release. The Kentucky plant employs […]
After announcing layoffs last month and trying unsuccessfully to find a buyer for its operations, a Lebanon County lumber company filed for bankruptcy this month. Based in South Annville Township, Weaber Inc. saw annual sales climb above $100 million in the late 2010s, according to the company’s bankruptcy filing. But sales plunged over the last two […]
When electrical components manufacturer SESCO outgrew its Mont Alto plant in the mid-2010s, the company leased a second facility in Waynesboro. The company has operated in both buildings for a decade, according to SESCO founder, owner and president David Souders. But now, SESCO’s 87 employees are poised for a reunion. The company is buying a former TE Connectivity plant […]
Lancaster-based flooring maker Ecore International has purchased an Ohio-based company that specializes in playground surfacing. Based in Copley, Ohio, near Akron, Pro-Techs Surfacing LLC sells, designs and installs the surfacing. Terms of the transaction — Ecore’s second in as many months — were not disclosed. Pro-Techs, which employs 22 people, does no manufacturing. But the company’s sales and installation […]
Hanover-based snack food company Utz Brands Inc. plans to wind down operations at a plant and warehouse in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as part of an ongoing effort to concentrate production at its larger, more efficient factories. Manufacturing at the Grand Rapids plant is slated to end by Jan. 30, followed by the end of warehouse operations on […]
Less than a month after deciding to close a lumber operation in northwestern Pennsylvania, Weaber Inc. is consolidating operations in Lebanon County and laying off 145 workers. The lumber company is vacating a distribution center at 25 Keystone Drive in South Annville Township and shifting work to its headquarters location at 1231 Mount Wilson Road, also […]
Lancaster-based flooring manufacturer Ecore International has acquired a firm based in New York state with operations in Franklin County. The company is HTI Recycling, a tire collection, recycling and crumb rubber manufacturing company based in Lockport. The deal also includes HTI subsidiaries D&G Heavy Equipment Leasing and Edge Rubber Recycling, which has a plant in Chambersburg. Terms of the deal were […]
A York-area candy company has more than doubled its factory footprint after taking over a peer based in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County. After six decades of family ownership, The Warrell Corp. and its 230,000-square-foot plant have been sold to Wolfgang Confectioners, which operates out of a150,000 square-foot facility in Loganville. Terms of the transaction, which closed […]
MITER Brands, a Harrisburg-based manufacturer of doors, windows and other products, has divested a Florida-based unit that makes porch enclosures. Known as Eze-Breeze Porch Enclosures, the unit was acquired by its president, Bob Keller, in partnership with investment firm Jewell Hollow LLC and its managing partner, Zach Coopersmith. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. MITER acquired Eze-Breeze […]
A Lebanon-area lumber company is closing an affiliate in northeastern Pennsylvania due to sluggish demand for its products. Between Aug. 25 and Sept. 8, South Annville Township-based Weaber Inc. is shuttering a facility in Titusville doing business as ChoiceWood and laying off its 46 workers, according to a notice filed with state and local officials. […]
Spring Grove-based Pixelle Specialty Solutions has revised the timeline for closing its plant in Ohio. The papermaker said yesterday it plans to cease production at the plant in Chillicothe on Aug. 10. The plant employed more than 800 people earlier this year, but it is not clear how many work there now. The company initially […]
As sales of its signature bone broth boomed over the last several years, Kettle & Fire struggled to keep its products on store shelves. A new production facility in Lancaster County, unveiled during a ribbon-cutting yesterday, is expected to help meet the demand and then some, according to company founders and executives. The $19.1 million plant is […]
Spring Grove-based papermaker Pixelle Specialty Solutions missed an interest payment on its debt due April 30, triggering a ratings downgrade from S&P Global. However, lenders are giving the company more time so it can close on the sale of a plant in Wisconsin and use the proceeds to make the interest payment and pay down debt. […]
Manufacturer Breeo is eyeing an expansion at its site in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, where it assembles smokeless fire pits, products poised for a bump in sales thanks to the impact of tariffs on foreign-made competitors. “We’re still working through our plans, so it’s not set in stone yet,” said Breeo’s CEO and majority owner, Amos Stoltzfus. […]
One of the capital region’s oldest and largest factories will be closing indefinitely this summer due to weak demand for its products, which include steel rails for trains, cranes and trolleys. Ohio-based steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs said Friday it plans by June 30 to wind down production at its plant in Steelton, along with plants in Conshohocken and Riverdale, […]
A partnership affiliated with Daryl Heller, the business owner charged with defrauding investors in an ATM network, has unloaded office space in downtown Lancaster. In a court-approved transaction, Premier Prince Street LLC sold just over 16,000 square feet of office space at 415 N. Prince St. for $2.8 million, according to York-based ROCK Commercial Real Estate. ROCK agent Patten […]
Leaders in York County are kicking off a seven-month process that they hope ends with a master plan for reusing the Penn State York campus, which is scheduled to close in less than two years. This week, the York County Economic Alliance issued a request for proposals from consultants interested in assessing the campus and crafting the […]
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 […]
When electrical components manufacturer SESCO outgrew its Mont Alto plant in the mid-2010s, the company leased a second facility in Waynesboro. The
Local and national firms are poised to pick up some of Rite Aid‘s real estate in Cumberland and York counties following an auction held last week as part of the pharmacy chain’s bankruptcy. Two of the properties changing hands are industrial space on the West Shore. Which ones: One is a 78,200-square-foot industrial space at 451 […]
A Singapore-based real estate investor has scooped up a shopping center in Dover Township, York County. United Hampshire US REIT said it paid about $16.4 million for the roughly 61,000-square-foot Dover Marketplace, which is anchored by a GIANT grocery store. It’s at the corner of Carlisle and Palomino roads, south of Dover Borough. The plaza is the investor’s […]
A regional developer toiled for nearly a decade to bring a mix of uses to an 84-acre tract in Fairview Township, York County. Now, the company, Fairview Crossroads LLC, is hoping to plant a data center on the site, which is off Lewisberry Road, west of Interstate 83 and south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. “It’s been […]
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 […]
The owner of a former Catholic school in Harrisburg has three more months to avoid a forced sale of the property. A sheriff’s sale of the former Bishop McDevitt High School was scheduled for this morning. But according to a notice from the Dauphin County sheriff’s office, the sale has been pushed back to Oct. 16. […]
High Real Estate Group took a step forward this week in its ambitious plan to develop a 476-acre tract west of Lancaster where the company envisions a mix of homes, apartment buildings, shops and light industrial space. Supervisors in Manor Township voted 4-1 this week to change zoning on nearly 400 acres of the property from […]
As client needs evolved in an era of hybrid and remote work, leaders at Phillips Workplace Interiors came to a realization. “We were too big to be small and too small to be big,” said Michael Bistline, a co-owner of the office furnishings and interior services company based in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County. He and co-owner […]
A state appeals court last week upheld a decision by local officials to deny a mixed-use development that included a proposed Sheetz store in Derry Township, Dauphin County. Dubbed Governor’s Crossing, the project was proposed for the southwest corner of West Governor and Fishburn roads south of downtown Hershey. But in November 2023, supervisors in Derry Township […]
The former Frog, Switch & Manufacturing plant in Carlisle has officially changed hands. The Real Estate Collaborative, an arm of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corp., closed May 29 on its acquisition of the roughly 26.7-acre site at 600 E. High St. The sale price has not yet been recorded in county deed records, and Real Estate Collaborative chair […]
It wasn’t long after he joined the board of Carlisle Country Club in late 2023 that business owner Mark Toigo grasped the venue’s financial challenges. “It was just burning cash,” Toigo said in an interview with biznewsPA. Rather than see the club and its golf course close, Toigo assembled a group of investors who bought the club […]
Home365, a property management company with offices in Lancaster and Las Vegas, has agreed to pay $45,000 to settle allegations by Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday that it was slow to make repairs in response to tenant requests and, in other cases, did not return tenants’ security deposits. Both are violations of state law. Two-thirds […]
Leaders in York County are focused on helping students, faculty and staff bracing for the closure of Penn State York. But they also have their eyes on what might come next for the 51-acre campus straddling York city and Spring Garden Township. “We obviously hope that it would continue to be of service to the […]
A Dauphin County authority is reviewing six proposals to buy the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course in suburban Harrisburg but is declining to share any additional details. The Dauphin County General Authority requested the proposals after receiving unsolicited bids from entities interested in putting data centers on the 228-acre course in Swatara Township. Authority board chair Barbara Zemlock refrained from […]
A Dauphin County school district has agreed to buy a vacant office building at 4401 Deer Path Road in Susquehanna Township. Due to overcrowding in its existing spaces, the Susquehanna Township School District plans to use the 102,000-square-foot building for offices and classrooms, district superintendent Tamara Willis said in an interview with biznewsPA. The lender-owned […]
A court order is paving the way for Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc. to purchase 11 stores in Texas from discount retailer 99 Cents Only Stores, which filed for bankruptcy in April. A Delaware bankruptcy judge this week approved Ollie’s as a stalking-horse bidder for the properties as part of a court-supervised sale, meaning the company is […]
A buyer with a growing portfolio of Pennsylvania shopping centers has added another one. A partnership led by Leo Ullman of New York-based retail developer Vastgood Properties paid $6.63 million at the end of April for Shippensburg Marketplace, according to Brad Rohrbaugh, executive vice president and retail director for York-based Bennett Williams Commercial. Rohrbaugh and […]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Sheetz, arguing that the company’s use of criminal background checks in hiring is discriminatory. The agency noted that Sheetz was not motivated by race in making hiring decisions. However, the agency claims that the convenience-store chain’s hiring practices disproportionately screened out job applicants who are Black, Native American, […]
The Stewart Companies has agreed to sell its Apple Automotive dealerships to a Lehigh Valley company, as the York-based holding company focuses on its other businesses, The buyer is Allentown-based Ciocca Dealerships, which operates 42 dealerships and 12 collision centers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including in the Harrisburg and State College markets. Apple operates 10 dealerships, six collision […]
One of Pennsylvania’s most illuminating companies is under new ownership. Keystone Fireworks, which has stores across the region, has been acquired by Argonne Capital Group, a private equity firm based in Atlanta. The transaction closed earlier this year, according to an Argonne spokesperson, who declined to provide additional details. Financing was provided by Alignment Credit, a New York-based […]
Pennsylvania has many of the ingredients for an economy powered by innovation and entrepreneurship, according to a report released today by Brookings Institution, a prominent think tank in Washington, D.C. However, the state has struggled to bake them into a dynamic, high-growth economy, putting large swaths of Pennsylvania at risk of stagnation, said the report, which offers […]
The Giant Co. president Nicholas Bertram is leaving the company Aug. 31 to pursue “new opportunities,” the regional grocery chain’s parent company announced yesterday. Bertram, who has been president of Carlisle-based Giant since 2018, did not disclose what those opportunities might be. Giant spokesperson Christy Phillips-Brown described it as a personal decision. John Ruane, Giant’s chief […]
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has joined a string of retailers accused of improperly denying overtime pay to people who hold management jobs in their stores. Two salaried employees in New York have filed lawsuits claiming Ollie’s should have paid them overtime since their duties were “virtually indistinguishable” from those of hourly workers. The suits, filed in a […]
A prime Carlisle Pike property has changed hands. A New York-based partnership paid nearly $5.5 million in June for the former home of N.B. Liebman Furniture at 4705 Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township, according to Cumberland County deed records.The site — which was owned by members of the Liebman family — was once eyed as […]
The Giant Co. is adding new aisles to its virtual supermarket. The Carlisle-based company unveiled a new Amazon-style service yesterday that brings tens of thousands of new items to its online shoppers.Called Ship2Me by Giant, the new service is an online marketplace developed by sister company Peapod Digital Labs. The marketplace features items not normally found on […]
For centuries, farmers planted seeds and fed animals – and then hoped they would find a market when their produce and livestock were ready to sell. Agribusiness entrepreneur Larisa Miller has been pitching a different model – and she found her first taker in Karns Foods, the Cumberland County-based grocery store chain.
Pennsylvania is one of three states where a prominent data-center startup is looking to site facilities, according to a LinkedIn post earlier this week from Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI, one of the companies backing the startup. The Stargate Project — also backed SoftBank, computer company Oracle and investment firm MGX — iburst out of the gate last month with […]
The sale of United Fiber & Data, a York-based fiber optic company co-founded by former members of the rock band Live, has been finalized. The deal had been held up by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which had some questions about the transaction. But in a Jan. 10 letter, the agency signed off on the company’s sale […]
Central Pennsylvania is home to big buildings that store stuff. A Virginia-based company is eyeing construction of big buildings that store data, reflecting a national race to boost data center capacity. PowerHouse Data Centers, an arm of Virginia-based American Real Estate Partners, has been discussing a potential multibillion-dollar data center development on a 700-acre tract in […]
Life sciences heavyweight GSK is investing up to $800 million into its Marietta-area campus with plans to boost capacity and produce cutting-edge
Like many entrepreneurs ready to take their startups to the next level, Josh Dominguez knew he needed more capital. He found a source in PennSpring Capital, a Lancaster-based investment firm. PennSpring said yesterday it has acquired a majority stake in Dominguez’s company, Refresh LED. Based in Hampden Township, Cumberland County, the company designs, installs and services LED […]
State utility regulators are putting an indefinite hold on the proposed sale of York-based United Fiber & Data, a deal valued at about $37.5 million, according to filings with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. The PUC said it needs more time to complete its review of the deal, according to a Sept. 18 letter from the […]
Pennsylvania’s attorney general has set up an online portal where companies in Pennsylvania will be required to report data breaches under amendments enacted this year to the state’s breach notification laws. Signed into law in June, the amendments require companies to report breaches that affect at least 500 Pennsylvanians starting Sept. 26. In preparation for […]
In a union billed as a merger of complementary technologies, Lancaster-based software startup AutoOps has joined with Boston-based Steer, which develops and sells
Andy Kochanowski was looking for a business to buy when he came across a listing on BizBuySell that caught his eye. It was for a data center in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, operated by Elevated MSP LLC, an IT services company in Lemoyne. Elevated was looking to exit the business in order to focus on its […]
Danville-based Geisinger health system this week disclosed a data breach that could affect more than a million of its patients. In its disclosure, Geisinger said it learned on Nov. 29 that a vendor’s former employee had accessed patient information two days after being fired. The vendor, Microsoft subsidiary Nuance Communications, cut off the ex-employee’s access to Geisinger records, notified […]
Zirtual, a portfolio company of Lancaster-based investment firm PennSpring Capital, is branching out. The virtual-assistant service has acquired Del.Trust, a company that offers virtual paralegal services to attorneys and law firms nationwide. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Del.Trust founder Jaclyn Foster is joining Zirtual as president of its newly established paralegal services division. “She is […]
United Fiber & Data, a York-based fiber optics firm that once promised to bring jobs and data centers to eastern Pennsylvania, is selling “substantially all” of its assets to a New York-based company. Those assets include the signature project of United Fiber & Data, or UFD, a company founded in 2012 by former members of […]
John Dolmetsch believed wireless connectivity would become a staple of modern life. He just didn’t expect it would happen so
The slowdown in home lending has challenged banks and mortgage brokers over the last year. But it has created opportunities for the firms that offer them advice and technology to improve their operations. It is those opportunities that helped spur a merger for Teraverde, a financial software and consulting company based in East Hempfield Township Lancaster […]
After striking a deal with ViacomCBS, now Paramount, Lititz-based MajorMega created a virtual-reality game based on popular cartoon character SpongeBob
A Massachusetts-based company has agreed to pay $270 million in cash for a London-based firm that sells anti-counterfeiting products and services. The firm is OpSec Security, which has operations at two locations in the Greenfield business park in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County. OpSec had been on a path to go public this year by merging […]
TEAMology, an education technology startup based in Chambersburg, has hired Gretchen Thompson as its first-ever chief revenue officer, where she
A locally based company allegedly broke state law by reselling internet service in what the state attorney general described in a lawsuit as a “sham business.” The company, Davis Communications Internet Inc., subscribed to business internet plans, then advertised itself as an internet provider in its own right, specifically targeting consumers in rural York County, where […]
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 […]
The flurry of litigation around defunct ATM operator Paramount Management Group and its former principal, Daryl Heller is thickening. Investors in the ATM network are suing a South Dakota bank that signed off on Paramount’s financial condition, alleging the bank should have warned them about shortcomings at the Lancaster-based ATM company. A company that sold ATMs to […]
The sale of United Fiber & Data, a York-based fiber optic company co-founded by former members of the rock band Live,
It wouldn’t be a story about an insurance brokerage if it didn’t start with the volume of calls asking if the company is for sale. “It’s five a week,” said Mike Harter, CEO of McConkey Insurance & Benefits in Springettsbury Township, York County. But despite a wave of consolidation sweeping through its industry, McConkey is […]
The owner of a Gettysburg-area hotel prevailed in a court case that turned on questions of when to apply a state tax on real estate transfers. At issue was a transfer of properties between entities controlled by the same owner. State tax collectors argued that transfers in 2018 by Kunj Harrisburg LLC, which operates the Eisenhower Hotel […]
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 […]
York County-based South County Brewing is planning to take over the former Pressroom restaurant in downtown Lancaster. The spot at 26 W. King St. will be the third for South County. Founded in 2011, the brewery also has locations in Fawn Grove and York Township in York County. When is this happening: The roughly 22,000 square-foot venue […]
A York-area school board turned down a request by developer Inch & Co. to secure tax relief for a $35 million sports complex the company is building in North York. York-based company Inch & Co. was asking the Central York School District for relief through the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance program, which phases in property tax […]
A 3,000 square foot Victorian-style brownstone at 1924 Market St. sold for $585,000 in an investment sale. Built in 1870, the home now is a mixed-use property. Tenants include Beyond Beauty Skin Therapy, a restorative skin care and facial salon, and two residential units. Tyler Matisse of Campbell Commercial Partners represented the seller in the […]
Officials in York have toiled for more than two decades to bring development to the Northwest Triangle, a former industrial tract along the Codorus Creek in the city’s northwest corner. They filled in pieces here and there over the years. On Oct. 10, they celebrated what is likely to be the final piece: a mixed-use […]
Community First Fund has been awarded $40 million in new market tax credits, which it can use to support economic-development projects around the region. The credits are awarded annually by the U.S. Treasury on a competitive basis. Based in Lancaster, Community First was awarded $30 million in new market tax credits last year. Those credits are […]
State utility regulators are putting an indefinite hold on the proposed sale of York-based United Fiber & Data, a deal valued
Restaurateur Victor Claffey is gearing up to open a restaurant called Bloom in the former Left Bank Restaurant and Bar in downtown York. Claffey, an Irish native with two decades of restaurant experience in Ireland and the U.S., hopes to infuse new life into the space, which is one of the oldest fine-dining establishments in York. “I think there […]
The adoption of driverless vehicles in Pennsylvania depends on resolving a host of legal, regulatory and technical challenges. But it also may rest on cultivating a more positive public perception, judging by the reaction to draft guidelines for highly autonomous vehicles, or HAVs, published last month by PennDOT. HAVs include vehicles monitored and operated from a […]
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg is planning a birthday celebration this week designed to reintroduce the 25-year-old center to the community. The celebration kicks off Monday Sept. 9 with a private lunch for the center’s founding board and staff members, as well as other community leaders who helped bring Whitaker to Harrisburg. Tuesday […]
Phoenix Contact USA, based in Middletown, restructured its leadership team as of Sept. 1. The changes are in preparation for the Dec. 31 retirement of President Jack Nehlig after 23 years with the company. Heath Scoggin has been promoted to president of device connectors for the business area and will lead Phoenix Contact development and […]
The land-use dispute between Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery and neighboring homeowners is taking a new twist. In a legal filing last week in York County court, the neighbors, Amanda Perko and Matthew Balsavage argue that the winery in Lower Windsor Township appears to be violating limits on its operations set by a recent court order. […]
Hanover Foods agreed on a new labor contract this week with a union representing about 300 employees at its Hanover-area plants. The union — United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 — had threatened to strike, with its leader arguing that the company was proposing unacceptable changes to health and pension benefits, as well as inadequate raises. The […]