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, […]
In a class-action lawsuit filed in late June, a Penn State Health employee alleges the health system mismanaged employee retirement plans, diminishing their returns and overpaying vendors. The suit argues that the plans included investment choices with subpar returns and that they paid too much for certain administrative vendors in breach of the health system’s fiduciary responsibility […]
State lawmakers are proposing legislation that would cap fees for customers who overdraw their accounts at banks and credit unions. The goal is to protect lower-income consumers from the fees, according to state Rep. Benjamin Sanchez, a Montgomery County Democrat who is sponsoring the legislation. “Sometimes they fall into a cycle where they’re struggling to […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
Teresa Marino has joined Saxton & Stump as a shareholder and co-chair of the firm’s newly launched Pennsylvania family law practice. Marino brings nearly 20 years of experience in family law, advising clients in matters including divorce, equitable distribution, child and spousal support, child custody, and prenuptial agreements. She is particularly experienced in high-conflict and […]
Emily Consoletti has been named talent development coordinator at Boyer & Ritter. Jessica Brautigam has joined the Camp Hill-based accounting firm as a senior accountant on its internal finance team. Consoletti joined Boyer & Ritter in 2021 and will partner with practice groups to enhance training and development opportunities, lead firmwide learning initiatives and support […]
Legislation to create a paid family and medical leave program in Pennsylvania sailed through a Senate committee yesterday. The Senate Labor & Industry Committee approved the legislation on a vote of 9 to 2, overriding strenuous objections from the business community. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Devlin Robinson, an Allegheny County Republican. The […]
William Van Sant III has been named chief wealth officer of C&N, a Wellsboro-based bank. Based in Doylestown, Van Sant succeeds Matthew Bower, who left in October to become managing director of wealth management for Columbus, Ohio-based Northwest Bank. Van Sant has more than 20 years of wealth management leadership experience and worked most recently as a managing director […]
The state House gave near-unanimous approval yesterday to a measure that would award tax credits to small businesses that help their employees buy individual health insurance. A small-business lobbyist expressed support for the bill as it moved through a committee vote earlier this month, noting that incremental change is better than no change when it comes […]
After graduating with a degree in business from Juniata College, Adam Metz began his banking career as a credit analyst at the former Dauphin Deposit in Harrisburg. He enjoyed the analytical side of the industry. But he also came to enjoy the people side, a side that continued to resonate with him throughout his career. […]
Healthcare giant UPMC is firing back at a prominent Central Pennsylvania doctor who claims he was fired after complaining about an alleged conflict of interest involving the health system’s CEO and offensive text messages exchanged between other colleagues. The Pittsburgh-based health system said it fired the physician, Dr. Hemal Gada, for cause “based on deficient clinical performance […]
A Pennsylvania Senate panel is slated to vote this morning on legislation creating a statewide paid family and medical leave program. The move comes nearly three months after the state House narrowly passed a similar program, albeit with some differences. What’s the difference: One of the biggest is who pays for the program — whether […]
King’s AgriSeeds, a seed distributor based in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, is moving to new quarters after a real estate affiliate of the company paid $10 million for a nearly 100,000-square-foot warehouse in Upper Leacock Township. Scott Bradbury, senior vice president of Lancaster-based brokerage U.S. Commercial Realty, facilitated the sale. The warehouse is at 43 Graybill […]
Lindsey Stampone has been named president of Pennsylvania and New Jersey operations for Truist. She succeeds Travis Rhodes, who moved last year to a regional leadership role with Truist in North Carolina. Stampone has nearly 20 years of experience in commercial banking leadership and worked most recently as New Jersey market executive for Bank of […]
The state House approved legislation yesterday that would require special tax-collection software at businesses that are behind on sales taxes. The measure, which passed on a bipartisan vote of 153 to 48, would allow tax collectors to require the use of automated tax-payment software by businesses that are behind by at least $5,000 on sales […]
Tommy Kiedis is scheduled to move on from the role of president of Lancaster Bible College effective July 30, 2027. He’ll be succeeded by Jael Chambers, the college’s executive vice president. Kiedis has been the school’s president, its sixth, since 2020. He worked previously as a senior pastor at Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, […]
Bob Whalen felt like he was pitching a pipe dream when he first began describing employee ownership to companies he was hoping to fold into HB Global, a Mechanicsburg-based HVAC contractor that has been employee-owned since 2010. But over more than a decade, the pipe dream has turned 30 employee-owners into millionaires and allowed hundreds […]
Always Lancaster, the nonprofit publisher of LNP LancasterOnline has named digital media veteran Mike Orren as the news outlet’s CEO. He rounds out an LNP leadership team that includes executive editor Tom Murse and president Chris Stahl. Before moving to Lancaster, Orren founded Dallas-based digital publication Pegasus News and worked as chief product and marketing […]
The ball has landed in Penn State‘s court. After a year of planning and community engagement, York leaders pitched Penn State last month on a vision for the future of the university’s York campus, which is slated to close in May 2027. Penn State acknowledged receipt but made no commitments. “We appreciate the thoughtful process YCEA […]
Nearly four months after they started construction on a shared headquarters near Mount Joy, two Lancaster County companies landed a low-interest state loan to cover a portion of the nearly $17.2 million price tag. State officials said yesterday they approved a $2.25 million loan to Strickler Investments LLC, a real estate affiliate of solar installer Paradise Energy […]
Column by Brandon Rogers The longer someone leads, the less impressed they become with raw talent alone. Experience has a
Carroll Construction Supply, a building products supplier based in Ottumwa, Iowa, paid $6.2 million for a roughly 30,000-square-foot industrial property at 225 Hanover Road in West Manchester Township, York County, according to county deed records. It had been owned by a local investor doing business as 225 Hanover Partners LLC. Jason Grace, CEO of Camp Hill-based Landmark […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Gov. Josh Shapiro and allied lawmakers are taking aim at the role of private equity in healthcare, arguing there is a need for action after the fallout from hospital closures in suburban Philadelphia. They are pushing legislation that would give state officials greater say over deals between nonprofit healthcare providers and all for-profit buyers, not […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
The independent trustee overseeing the bankruptcy of Lancaster County business owner Daryl Heller wants to convert Heller’s case from a Chapter 11 reorganization to a Chapter 7 liquidation. It’s a matter of the finances, according to a filing this week by the trustee, Fred Stevens of New York-based law firm Klestadt Winters Jureller Southard & Stevens. […]
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 […]
A state appeals court has barred a Philadelphia-area community college from putting a project out to bid after a regional
Hanover-based food processor Hanover Foods Corp. has agreed to pay a civil penalty and take other measures to settle water pollution claims lodged by a regional environmental group and echoed by state and federal regulators. The Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association sued Hanover Foods in 2021 in federal court over wastewater discharges. State and federal regulators joined the suit […]
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
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. […]
After more than 40 years in business, the sibling co-founders of a Mount Joy packaging company decided to hand over the reins. Founded in 1983, Phoenix/Packaging has been acquired by Elkhart, Indiana-based Welch Packaging Group Inc. Welch was not the only buyer interested in Phoenix, according to John Davidson, a co-founder and vice president of marketing for Phoenix, […]
Spring Grove-based papermaker Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC has found a buyer for an Ohio plant it closed over the summer. Pixelle has agreed to sell the plant in Chillicothe, Ohio, to U.S. Medical Glove Co., an Illinois-based company that makes medical gloves. In a news release, Pixelle said it expects $5.5 million in net proceeds from the sale […]
Mantec, a York-based nonprofit that assists manufacturers across Central Pennsylvania, is facing an uncertain financial future for the second time this year. The uncertainty stems from a slowdown in federal funding for its sister centers in other parts of the U.S., as well as the government shutdown this week, according to Mantec president and CEO […]
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 […]
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 […]
After years with sellers in charge, the local residential real estate market is slowly regaining its balance, a shift underscored by recent data on home sales. The numbers for August show steady growth in the number of homes on the market and a slowing pace of price increases. “This is probably the best balance we’ve […]
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 […]
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 […]
When you’re shipping a $100,000 engagement ring, you don’t take any chances. That’s how Simone Kendle found herself on a
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]