Since it was founded in 2019, Zimmermann Investment Management & Planning in New Cumberland has grown to more than $700 million in assets under management.But if it wanted to keep growing at the same pace, it needed a partner, said Curt H. Zimmerman, founder and president of the company. “We just needed a different way to […]
Is it fraud or a failing business?That was one of the questions hanging over a court hearing held yesterday morning to consider contempt charges against Paramount Management Group, a Lancaster-based ATM network being sued by its investors.The investors want Paramount held in contempt for its alleged failure to abide by a court order issued earlier this month.Under […]
Earlier this year, leaders at Lancaster-based Finanta Credit Union put together a five-year growth plan.Thanks to a $15 million gift from a familiar benefactor, the plan is likely to move much faster.Finanta was one of 199 organizations nationwide to receive donations this year from MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and a growing philanthropic force.In 2020, […]
Claims against a Lancaster-based ATM network took on new forms during a roughly one-hour hearing held Friday afternoon in a Lancaster County courtroom. An attorney representing disgruntled investors in the network raised concerns about money flows involving the network’s operator, Paramount Management Group, and questioned whether the operator had inflated the number of ATMs it owned.The attorney, […]
State-backed retirement plans, which have been proliferating around the U.S., appear to boost savings among workers, according to a study released yesterday.Workers are 20% more likely to contribute to a retirement savings account if they work at a business in a state that has an auto IRA program, according to the study, undertaken by payroll […]
Tim Henry is planning to retire effective April 29 as president and CEO of Chambersburg-based Franklin Financial Services Corp., parent of F&M Trust. “It was time,” said Henry, who will turn 67 next year.The bank is in “great shape,” he added, making it a good time to step away. He also plans to leave his role as […]
Mid Penn Bancorp is deepening its reach in southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey with the acquisition of a Bucks County bank that has been squeezed by high interest rates.Harrisburg-based Mid Penn has agreed to pay about $127 million for Bristol-based William Penn Bancorporation. The all-stock deal is slated to close in the first half of 2025, pending shareholder […]
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 end […]
Traditions Bank earned record profits in 2020 and 2021. But when interest rates shot up between March 2022 and July 2023, the York-based bank ran into financial headwinds that called into question its ability to remain independent without cutting staff and trimming plans for growth.The resulting discussions among bank executives and directors led to the deal announced […]
An early retirement is throwing off leadership succession plans for one of the region’s largest banks.Craig Kauffman, who was in line to take the top job at Orrstown Financial Services next year, retired as of Sept. 30, according to a Sept. 25 securities filing from the bank.Kauffman, Orrstown’s COO, decided to retire due to personal reasons and not […]
PSECU is seeking permission to relocate its branch in Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg to a former FNB branch at 1249 Market St. in Lemoyne, according to a filing by the Department of Banking and Securities.The Harrisburg-based credit union picked the West Shore location, in part, because it is more accessible and convenient, said Adam Stewart, the credit union’s […]
Mifflinburg Bancorp and Northumberland Bancorp, a pair of small community banks in northcentral Pennsylvania. said yesterday they are combining in a merger of equals valued at $34.2 million. The all-stock deal is expected to close in the first half of 2025.Mifflinburg Bancorp has assets of about $568.5 million and operates seven branches in Mifflinburg, Lewisburg, Millheim, Milton, Selinsgrove […]
A seven-county swath of Central Pennsylvania has a new No. 1 when it comes to bank deposits.Lancaster-based Fulton Bank has eclipsed longtime leader PNC Bank for the top share of deposits in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties, according to the latest data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.As of June 30, Fulton had 15.44% of […]
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 helping to […]
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 manage their calendars, […]
Mid Penn Bancorp has snapped up a Dillsburg-area employee benefits firm as it seeks growth for its insurance unit.The Mid Penn unit, which does business as MPB Insurance and Risk Management, started in June 2020, primarily in property and casualty products, according to Rory Ritrievi, chair, president and CEO of the Harrisburg-based bank.The acquisition of Commonwealth Benefits Group, […]
Chase Bank, the retail banking arm of financial services giant JPMorgan Chase, is seeking permission to open a branch on the edge of Hampden Commons, a shopping plaza along Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township, Cumberland County. The bank is leasing a former M&T Bank branch at 5528 Carlisle Pike, according to Brad Rohrbaugh, retail director for York-based Bennett Williams Commercial, […]
Orrstown Financial Services is planning to shed six branches as it seeks to wring cost savings from its recent merger of equals with PeoplesBank parent Codorus Valley Bancorp.The closures, expected to take place in the fourth quarter, will result in a one-time pre-tax charge of $534,000 but yield annual pre-tax savings of about $1.7 million, according to a securities […]
Ripples from the data-center revolution are continuing to wash over Central Pennsylvania.The latest ripple is a $131 million project from PPL Corp. designed to upgrade power lines and build a new switchyard in southern York County.The project is designed to improve reliability of the electric system in light of growing demand, including from data centers, in […]
It has been nearly a year since the former Dentsply campus in York city changed hands, fueling hopes for the property’s redevelopment.Hopes are now turning into blueprints.Developer York Realty Partners LLC has outlined plans for 62 townhomes on a portion of the 17.3-acre campus.The townhomes, dubbed the Towns at York Creek, would rise on parking lots behind former Dentsply facilities […]
Plenty of developers have likely wondered how cities and townships calculate the fees they charge for construction permits.Harrisburg-area developer Triple Crown Corp. took its questions all the way to Commonwealth Court, where it argued that fees charged by Lower Allen Township in Cumberland County for two apartment projects were unreasonable and unconstitutional.The case was thrown out […]
Harrisburg-area business owner Anthony Worrall has added a third company to his portfolio. The owner of Reynolds Restoration Services and IT services company Everound has acquired SECCO Electric, a commercial contractor based in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County.Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.In an interview, Worrall said he was interested not in supercharging growth or changing SECCO, which employs 45 […]
Valley Supply Inc., a Mechanicsburg-area distributor of concrete accessories, fabricated rebar, chemicals and safety products for the construction industry. The company has been acquired by White Cap, a growing, Atlanta-based construction supplies distributor. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but Valley Supply will continue under its own name and existing leaders, Harvey Sipe and Linda […]
High-profile construction projects around the region are in line for millions of dollars in state funding under grant awards disclosed Friday.Beneficiaries include a proposed sports complex in North York, a residential project underway in Lancaster County and the planned makeover of Harrisburg’s former federal building.They are among more than 400 projects statewide awarded nearly $600 […]
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 the […]
State officials yesterday unveiled a pilot grant program designed to fund mixed-use projects with a residential component.State officials see the $10 million program as a first step in addressing the shortage of affordable housing in Pennsylvania, a shortage that is drawing attention at every level of government.Funding is available for preparing sites for development, converting […]
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 project […]
Inch & Co. is appealing a York County court ruling that blocks the company from building a warehouse on land south of Route 30 in Manchester Township.The move continues a nearly two-year-old battle over the 52.7-acre site, which borders the Prospect Hill Cemetery.Some neighbors have opposed the warehouse plans since they became public, arguing the […]
After her older brother died by suicide nearly 20 years ago, Kara McCaffrey felt drawn toward efforts to prevent others from following.“It’s just something that I’ve always cared about,” said McCaffrey, whose family owns Houck Group, a regional construction contractor based in West Hanover Township, Dauphin County.The personal became professional when she started working in […]
After about two years of planning, Inch & Co. held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a $35 million sports complex in North York, a facility expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the county each year and spark millions of dollars in economic impact.The event yesterday drew more than 150 guests, including leaders from York-based WellSpan […]
A Harrisburg-area construction equipment dealership is extending its footprint southward through the acquisition of a company with offices in Maryland and Virginia.Stephenson Equipment Inc. said last week it purchased Valley Supply & Equipment, a business founded in 1982 by Howard Klein and last owned by his two sons, Adam and Brandon.Terms of the transaction were not […]
The grounds of the former Harrisburg State Hospital are heading for a makeover.The Pennsylvania Department of General Services yesterday unveiled plans to build a $450 million laboratory complex on the 30-acre property, which has been mostly vacant since 2006. The project includes a new $325 million, 300,000 square-foot joint lab to be shared among the […]
A New York City investor has acquired a former law office on North Front Street in Harrisburg and plans to convert the former mansion into an eight-unit apartment building to be called Front Street Lofts.The investor, a family office called Generational Wealth Organization that also has a presence in California, paid $633,000 for the building.It had been […]
Business owner Jared Mizrahi is planning a $5 million makeover of a mixed-use property in downtown Lancaster.He just needs to finalize the financing.A big piece came through last month in the form of a low-interest $1.4 million loan from the state’s Building Pennsylvania program, arranged by Lancaster-based EDC Finance.Mizrahi said he is hoping to close soon on […]
Engineering firm Gannett Fleming is roughly doubling in size thanks to a merger with a Kansas City, Missouri-based peer, TranSystems. Together, the two private equity-backed firms create a business with more than 5,000 employees and annual revenue of about $1.3 billion. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.For Camp Hill-based Gannett, the deal continues a path of growth that […]
Messiah Lifeways is planning to build a new campus in northern York County, with a groundbreaking slated for October. The campus will occupy 85 acres of farmland tucked into a bend of the Yellow Breeches Creek in Fairview Township, about 10 minutes from Camp Hill.Based in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County, Messiah paid $5.9 million last year […]
When Covid-19 struck in March 2020, it upended the livelihoods of people who built careers around art, music, theater and other cultural pursuits that thrive on live audiences.Arts and culture are bouncing back, like other sectors of the economy. But they still have some ways to go to reach their pre-pandemic state, according to Karl […]
Last fall, the York County Economic Alliance rolled out an initiative called Welcoming Workplaces. Its end goal is to promote inclusion, diversity and shared prosperity in the region.But the initiative also involves something of a journey for the organizations that have elected to take part.Marissa Bankert, executive director of IEC Pennsylvania; Anika Jackson, vice president […]
Pennsylvania’s small businesses are in line for a capital infusion of nearly $268 million under a program announced July 18 by the Wolf AdministrationThe money is coming from the federal government via the American Rescue Plan ActBut it will be distributed by the state, specifically the state Department of Community and Economic Development.Other hands also […]
A York-based venture fund has added to its portfolio of regional startups as it aims to bolster entrepreneurship in Central Pennsylvania.Founded in 2020, White Rose Ventures disclosed an inaugural round of investments in four companies earlier this year.At the end of last week, it unveiled investments of nearly $1.3 million in three more startups.Which are: ReturnLogic, Evermind and TEAMology.Based in Carlisle, ReturnLogic is a software firm […]
State lawmakers last week delivered a tax cut long sought by Pennsylvania’s business community. But in adopting a $45.2 billion budget on July 8 for the current fiscal year, they left out other sought-after provisions.The headline news is the immediate cut and subsequent phase-down of the state’s corporate net income tax, which had been 9.99%The […]
You don’t need a headline to tell you that fuel prices are high. But you can listen in to the latest edition of the York County Economic Alliance podcast produced in partnership with biznewsPA. Richard Farr, executive director of rabbittransit, describes how of one of Central Pennsylvania’s largest public transit providers is adapting. Mark Wisniewski, […]
Listen in as a panel of experts discusses the importance of quality, affordable and accessible childcare in the region: Tony Campisi, chairman of Glatfelter Insurance Group; Andrea Heberlein, executive director of the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission; Jim Hoehn, regional president pf PNC Bank; and Heather Miller, chief education officer at the York Jewish Community […]
Business and childcare leaders in York County have raised more than $500,000 for a grant program designed to improve the quality of early childhood education in the county, replacing a state program that was cut during the pandemic.Leading the charge have been Anthony Campisi, chairman of York-based Glatfelter Insurance Group; Pete Brubaker, president of York-based […]
The Covid-19 pandemic has fueled a range of legal battles in Pennsylvania. Those battles are now the subject of a seminar at Widener University Commonwealth Law School.
The past year in Central Pennsylvania real estate was punctuated by some high-profile deals, as well as a torrid market for warehouses and other industrial properties. Here’s a look at what transpired in 2021.
A state court has delivered a partial win for Pennsylvania in a year-old lawsuit seeking damages from ag giant Monsanto and related enitities over PCBs.An 84-page Commonwealth Court ruling on Dec. 30 swept aside six of Monsanto’s nine objections to the state lawsuit, paving the way for the next phase of litigation.Judges, however, did uphold two of the […]
Armstrong Flooring, one of Central Pennsylvania’s largest manufacturers and a long-time staple in the Lancaster economy, said late Friday it is considering a sale or other strategic alternative.Company leaders had been working to set Armstrong Flooring on a more profitable path, which included cutting down on its product portfolio and moving to a new, smaller headquarters in the […]
The past year has been a busy one for mergers and acquisitions in Central Pennsylvania. Take a closer look at the action in this month-by-month recap for 2021. Unless otherwise indicated, the deal terms were not disclosed.January:U-GRO Learning Centres, a Derry Township-based preschool chain, was purchased by Michigan-based Learning Care Group, one of the country’s […]
Every year, developers and local officials around Pennsylvania ask for funding from a state program called the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, or RACP.Last year, projects in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties took home more than $39 million.But grants are not guaranteed. The program is competitive and many projects walk away empty-handed. This year, […]
As people trickle back into the workplace around Central Pennsylvania, it may feel like a return to normal. But the feeling could be deceptive.The return to the workplace is a change. And while the change is welcome, people still need time to adjust.“It’s not like you can just pick up where you left off,” said […]
Martin Fedorko did not cross the finish line the first time he tried to create a venture fund in York County. But he came away with valuable lessons he is applying to his latest effort: White Rose VenturesMost importantly, he learned that York County’s would-be investors are indeed interested in backing local companies. They just […]
As elected officials debate another government-led kickstart to the U.S. economy, business leaders are optimistic about their own prospects but resigned to slower growth overall.That’s the gist of two recent surveys gauging the outlook of executives who have spent the last six months grappling with the crippling impact of a pandemic that has taken more […]
West Shore-born tech company ReturnLogic has raised $8.5 million from investors as it looks to exploit opportunities to streamline product returns in the growing world of ecommerce.The new capital will allow the company to hire more people and develop more products, according to a press release.ReturnLogic makes software and other tools that help online retailers manage returns, a […]
A York-based venture fund has added to its portfolio of regional startups as it aims to bolster entrepreneurship in Central
When Seth Pheng began working at a medical cannabis dispensary in 2019, the longtime pharmacist noticed two things.One was that people really were coming in for the medicine, not for the marijuana.Two was that it was an industry crying out for standards similar to what he was used to in the traditional pharmacy business.Three years […]
Ritter Insurance Marketing, a Harrisburg-area firm that provides products and services to independent insurance agencies, has been sold.Dallas-based Integrity Marketing Group said May 18 it has agreed to buy Ritter, which employs about 280 people in Susquehanna Township and at satellite offices around the U.S.Terms of the deal were not disclosed. But Craig Ritter, an owner and […]
A Pittsburgh-based life sciences company has acquired Fathom Pharma, a Hershey-area startup focused on developing safer pain medications.As a result of the deal, Fathom is now a subsidiary of Consegna Pharma. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Together, the two companies hope to develop innovative products that treat overdoses, addiction and pain.They rely on […]
Barbara Grimm, above left, worked with David Cooper to create the School Responder app (photos/submitted). During more than a decade working in the Lampeter-Strasburg School District in Lancaster County, Barbara Grimm saw a growing problem. More and more students needed help grappling with behavioral health issues, said Grimm, who worked in a variety of administrative […]
After raising roughly $10 million, a startup venture fund in York has disclosed an inaugural round of investments.Martin Fedorko, left, and Alexa Born founded White Rose Ventures in 2020 (photo/submitted).White Rose Ventures has plowed $1.73 million into companies in Lancaster, Harrisburg and YorkThe firm also unveiled a nonprofit, Braided River Collective, designed to support entrepreneurs around the region.They […]
Shortages of labor and materials are giving companies headaches.Michael Bistline is hoping to bring some targeted relief through a new venture launched this month by his Harrisburg-area business, Phillips Workplace Interiors.The venture is called Condivx and it aims to serve as a one-stop shop for general contractors looking for subcontractors at a time of high […]
The founders of Middletown-based Soccer Shots are hoping an outside investor can help kick their company into new territoryThe investor is Susquehanna Private Capital. The Bala Cynwyd-based private equity firm has taken an undisclosed ownership stake in Soccer Shots, whose franchisees provide soccer programs for children ages 2 to 8. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. But […]
Seeded by a $1 million donation from grocery chain The Giant Co., Harrisburg University is hoping to plant a new center for agricultural research in the capital city.
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.
In fall 2019, a pair of doctors from WellSpan Health set up a table at an insurance enrollment fair for the health system’s employees. Their goal was to recruit the first customers for a new online primary care practice.It took a bit of explaining even to an audience familiar with the ins and outs of […]
Jabron Taylor wanted to tempt local taste buds with something new. Inspired by the 2019 chicken war between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, Taylor settled on a recipe based on the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, the signature dish of America’s country music capital but a rarity in Central Pennsylvania.Since November 2019, he and several partners have launched […]
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 PLCB, […]
Robert “Teke” Drummond has joined United Disabilities Services Foundation as senior vice president of business development.Drummond worked most recently in leadership roles at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, including as stint as director of outpatient services.At Lancaster-based United Disabilities, Drummond will focus on building new partnerships, driving sustainable growth and advancing the nonprofit’s mission.Drummond, a […]
Frederick, Maryland-based WLR Automotive Group is planning to build a car wash at the northeast corner of Route 30 and North Hills Road in Springettsbury Township, York County, one of the busiest intersections in the county. WLR operates car washes under The Auto Spa and The Auto Spa Express brands.Township supervisors signed off on land development plans earlier this year, and […]
Regional nonprofit Pennon is juggling two media operations amid stiff financial headwinds.Its signature public media station, WITF, is facing a loss of federal funding.Its newspaper business, LNP Media Group, is laboring under declining ad sales and relatively stable fixed costs.Pennon’s board is eyeing operational changes, but leaders are not yet ready to share details.“We are constantly evaluating how to […]
Vitetta, a DRG Architects Company, is leasing 3,250 square feet of office space on the second floor of an office building at 211 House Ave. in Camp Hill. Vitetta will be relocating from their existing office on North 12th Street in Lemoyne. Jessica Gasper and Art Campbell of Campbell Commercial Partners represented both parties in […]
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 about […]
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 Menges. The […]
Michael Killion has been named vice president of McNees Government Relations, the lobbying arm of Harrisburg-based law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick.Killion worked most recently as deputy general counsel for Canonsburg-based Equitrans Midstream Corp., where he led state and federal government affairs. He previously worked as corporate director of government affairs for Pittsburgh-based EQT Corp.After […]
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 sale to an […]
Chief executive is not the only job turning over at The Hershey Co. this week. Kirk Tanner took over on Monday as president and CEO, succeeding Michele Buck, who is retiring after leading the candy and snack maker for eight years.But Hershey also named a new chair for its board and a new chief human resources officer.Who’s taking the […]
Warren Pattison has been named vice president of digital experience at PSECU, a Harrisburg-based credit union.Pattison worked most recenty as general manager of digital servicing for Alliant Credit Union, where he led business units focused on productivity and operational excellence. He worked before that as vice president of emerging technology and innovation at United Federal […]
A real estate investment firm based in East Syracuse, New York, paid $4.7 million last month for Newberrytown Auto Salvage in Newberry Township, York County. according to Keith Kahlbaugh, an agent with York-based real estate firm Bennett Williams Commercial. Kahlbaugh and Bennett Williams agent Denny Neiman represented the salvage company’s sellers, who are retiring.The new owner, investment firm Ironhorn […]
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 Perko and […]
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 years as […]
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. The subsidiary, […]
Column by Martin Fedorko Pennsylvania has always been a place defined by ambition. From steel and rail to robotics and
Grace Ford has joined Landmark Commercial Realty as a brokerage coordinator.Ford brings more than 20 years of experience in elementary education and nonprofit leadership, including a stint as executive director of Vickie’s Angel Foundation Grace, a New Cumberland-based nonprofit that supports families facing cancer diagnoses.Ford has a bachelor’s degree in elementary and childhood education from […]
Business owner Daryl Heller has blamed several factors for the collapse of Paramount Management Group, the Lancaster-based ATM network that imploded last year in a morass of lawsuits.Those factors include rising interest rates, declining ATM usage and tighter regulatory requirements for the cash-dispensing machines, according to a report released this week by an examiner appointed by […]
For three years in a row, former Gov. Tom Wolf and state lawmakers tried to get their hands on surplus money held by Pennsylvania’s medical malpractice insurer of last resort.The insurer fought back, arguing that, as a private entity, its multimillion-dollar surplus should remain beyond the reach of public officials.Wolf and state legislators countered that […]
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 eliminate state income […]
Pennsylvania may have one of the highest gas taxes in the country, but the levy is delivering shrinking returns, according to a research brief this week from the Independent Fiscal Office, a state agency monitoring budgetary and economic trends. The culprit is declining gasoline usage in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which pretty much froze […]
A federal court in Texas suspended enforcement of a controversial business-reporting regulation four weeks before it was slated to take effect.In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant said the rule is “likely unconstitutional” and issued an order blocking its implementation pending further court review.Adopted under a law known as the Corporate Transparency Act, […]
Do you know who your owners are?It’s a question millions of businesses will have to answer by the end of the year under a federal law known as the Corporate Transparency Act.Enacted in 2021, the law requires corporations, LLCs, LPs and other business entities to report information about their owners and managers to a federal […]
Plenty of developers have likely wondered how cities and townships calculate the fees they charge for construction permits.Harrisburg-area developer Triple Crown
Pennsylvania is dodging a fiscal bullet thanks to a ruling handed down yesterday by the state’s highest court.At issue was a corporate taxpayer’s demand for a $2 million refund after a tax structure was declared unconstitutional.The Commonwealth Court ruled last year that the state should pay the refund. But a divided Supreme Court reversed the decision.Justices argued, […]
Gov. Josh Shapiro is hoping to ensure ambitious developers have a friend in Pennsylvania — or at least an easier time securing permits for construction.At an event in Philadelphia yesterday, the governor signed an executive order creating a transparent, fast-track permitting program for what are being described as “complex and impactful economic development and infrastructure projects.”State officials […]
Under a proposed settlement filed in court last week, the owner of an embattled Harrisburg apartment complex is agreeing to cede control of the property to an independent receiver and to convert its bankruptcy case to a liquidation.The deal, which requires court approval, would end a festering dispute between the city and the apartment owner, […]
In a ruling Friday, a Texas judge scuttled an expansion of overtime pay that took effect in July.The decision sinks a Biden administration regulation that lifted the salary threshold for determining who is eligible for overtime pay.Another increase was slated to take effect in January, but that is now off the table, pending any potential […]
State-backed retirement plans, which have been proliferating around the U.S., appear to boost savings among workers, according to a study
High-profile construction projects around the region are in line for millions of dollars in state funding under grant awards disclosed
Pennsylvania taxpayers are poised to get a new avenue for disputing tax bills they don’t like. Under legislation signed into law yesterday by Gov. Josh Shapiro, state officials will be rolling out independent mediation as a way to settle tax disputes before they reach state courts.Under previous law, taxpayers interested in a settlement would negotiate directly with […]
Life sciences heavyweight GSK is investing up to $800 million into its Marietta-area campus with plans to boost capacity and produce cutting-edge
State officials yesterday unveiled a pilot grant program designed to fund mixed-use projects with a residential component.State officials see the
Companies that build or expand power plants in Pennsylvania stand to benefit from millions of dollars in tax credits under legislation approved in the state House.However, the companies would have to navigate complicated criteria to claim the credits, including requirements capping carbon emissions and setting minimum thresholds for capital spending.The legislation updates a $2 billion-plus […]
A Pennsylvania state senator is escalating his dispute with the state revenue department over tax records related to an economic development zone in the Lehigh Valley.For the last few months, Sen. Jarrett Coleman has been seeking tax records related to a state-sanctioned improvement zone in downtown Allentown and questioning whether taxpayers are getting their money’s […]
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 the […]
A network of healthcare providers in western Pennsylvania is suing Aetna over what the providers allege is unfair treatment under the terms of a value-based contract.The contract took effect in 2023 and is supposed to reward the network, Bridges Health Partners, for reducing the cost of care while improving the health of people enrolled in Aetna’s Medicare Advantage […]
WellSpan Health has expanded to the east, west and south of its base in York County. The regional health system is now poised to reach north. WellSpan has agreed to acquire Evangelical Community Hospital, whose leaders have been looking for a partner that could shore up its ailing finances.Terms of the transaction, expected to close this summer, were […]
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 equity firm […]
A regional health system is laying the groundwork for an aerial delivery service.WellSpan Health said yesterday it is partnering with San Francisco-based Zipline to offer a service that would ferry patient prescriptions, lab samples and medical products via autonomous drones.The health system offered no timeline for when service would begin.When it does, it would likely be the first […]
A state court has shelved the Red Book, a compendium of wholesale drug prices that state officials routinely use to settle disputes over drug costs in Pennsylvania’s worker’s comp program. In a ruling this week, Commonwealth Court disqualified use of the book after an insurer challenged it, claiming the book’s listed prices were not accurate. […]
UPMC is facing a class-action lawsuit filed by a respiratory therapist who claims she was misclassified as an independent contractor when she worked at the health system’s Harrisburg hospital in 2022. The suit, filed last week in an Allegheny County court, claims the therapist should have been classified as an employee and paid overtime when she […]
Garden Spot Communites, a New Holland-based senior-living provider, is extending its footprint into the Philadelphia suburbs.The nonprofit has agreed to affiliate with Frederick Living, a senior-living community in Montgomery County. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. But it is expected to close in early 2024. Garden Spot CEO Steve Lindsey will lead the combined organization, […]
Can Central Pennsylvania become a hub for innovations in telemedicine and other health care technologies?That’s the hope of a new consortium coming together to craft a plan for getting us there. The group includes a who’s who of local economic development agencies, health systems, colleges and private-sector players, including Lancaster-based Emerald Asset Management and Siemens Medical Solutions USA. But […]
WellSpan Health is partnering with a Texas company to open three mini hospitals in York and Cumberland counties that will focus on providing emergency care.The regional health system is still finalizing the locations of the new facilities, said Dr. Anthony Aquilina, executive vice president and chief physician executive for York-based WellSpan. But, he said, they will […]
Companies that test, grow and process medical cannabis in Pennsylvania are suing to block a rule they say could cost them millions of dollars and ultimately raise prices for patients.The rule, which had been slated to take effect this week, alters the requirements for testing cannabis before and after it is processed into medication But […]
A Lancaster County medical practice is bellying up to the browser bar.US Digestive Health at Lancaster is rolling out a telemedicine service that could become a template for sister practices in its gastroenterology network, known as US Digestive Health. The service builds on the network’s experience with telemedicine during the pandemic and its growing acceptance among both patients and providers, […]
Many ambulance companies have opted for mergers and consolidations to offset the crushing financial pressures they face.In northwest Lancaster County, local leaders have come up with another option. They are proposing a regional authority that would levy fees on property owners to support an ambulance service. “There’s pushback on the fees,” acknowledged Marc Hershey, president […]
A phishing attack in December exposed personal information on about 300,000 members of Highmark insurance plans, including about 96,000 members in Pennsylvania.The Pittsburgh-based insurer disclosed the breach last week in a notice to the office of the Maine attorney general. In a statement, Highmark said it “immediately responded” to the incident and launched an investigation. So far, […]
A Lancaster-area home-care company has purchased the corporate headquarters of Drayer Physical Therapy Institute in Swatara Township, Dauphin County.Druk Homecare Services, a home-care provider based in East Hempfield Township, paid $1.7 million for the 20,812 square-foot office building at 8205 Presidents Drive, according to county deed records. Druk plans to relocate to the second floor of the building […]
State health officials have dropped a legal action seeking to reinstate their controversial recall of medical marijuana vapes.The move before the state Supreme Court doesn’t end the legal fight. It simply means the Department of Health is no longer appealing a lower-court ruling that put the recall on holdNonetheless, it was welcomed by the medical cannabis […]
Under a partnership announced Aug. 15, Rite Aid and WellSpan Health plan to share data so they can better coordinate care for the roughly 100,000 patients they share in Central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland.They may eventually share space, with York-based WellSpan operating inside Rite Aid pharmacies, according to Chris Bohrer, senior vice president of payer and strategic initiatives for […]
Health insurance premiums are set to jump for people and small businesses shopping for policies offered under the Affordable Care Act in 2023.Insurers are asking for an average increase of 7.1% on individual policies and 5.2% on policies for small groups, according to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, which has to sign off on the premium […]
When Seth Pheng began working at a medical cannabis dispensary in 2019, the longtime pharmacist noticed two things.One was that people really were coming in
Orrstown Bank is asking a federal bankruptcy court to delay a hearing on the sale of a New Jersey beach house owned by Daryl Heller, the Lancaster County businessperson at the center of multiple legal and financial disputes.Heller is seeking court approval to sell the house, which is under contract at a price of $6.43 […]
Pennsylvania’s top court has backed the right of injured workers to reimbursement for CBD oil as long as it’s included in a doctor’s plan for treating their injuries.The unanimous ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court comes in a case that has been winding through administrative and legal processes since 2019.Among the issues was whether CBD […]
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 and […]
A Harrisburg-area developer is sparring with a Lancaster County township and authority over sewer tapping fees assessed on a recent apartment project.In a lawsuit filed at the end of last year, the developer, an affiliate of Lower Paxton Township-based Triple Crown Corp., argues that the fees were excessive, and it demands a partial refund.“They were charged […]
The legal fight over a proposed hydroelectric project along the Susquehanna River is ramping up.Regional conservation groups are asking a federal court to take another look at a preliminary permit granted in November to the $2.3 billion project, which would take up about 1,000 acres in Chanceford Township, York County. The permit allows Reading-based developer York Energy Storage LLC up […]
Gratz, a borough in northern Dauphin County, has lost a second case challenging its opposition to a proposed solar project within its borders.In the first case, decided in October 2023, a state court ruled that the borough failed to properly advertise a meeting where it tightened standards for solar energy systems.The revised standards would have impeded […]
Former York-area business partners Bill Hynes and Chad Taylor have settled a defamation lawsuit triggered by a 2023 article in Rolling Stone magazine in which Taylor accused Hynes of stealing from him and his fellow bandmates in the rock group Live.The settlement was revealed in a court filing this week in Philadelphia County court, where Hynes […]
Investors in Paramount Management Group, the financially insolvent ATM network operator, are seeking access to the company’s former Lancaster city offices in order to inspect paper and computer files on the premises, according to a legal filing last week in Lancaster County Court.The filing follows a story in LNP describing the condition of the abandoned office at 415 N. […]
Lancaster business owner Daryl Heller filed for personal bankruptcy on Monday, a move met a day later by allegations of fraud from a creditor allegedly owed more than $8 million.Heller, a principal in all-but-defunct ATM operator Paramount Management Group, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey, where he owns a beach house.The filing follows months […]
Business owner Daryl Heller is appealing a court order seeking to hold him personally liable for a $2 million civil contempt penalty assessed as part of an investor lawsuit against his company, Lancaster-based ATM operator Paramount Management Group. The penalty was imposed Jan. 10 by Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Judge Leonard G. Brown III, who found […]
During a court hearing yesterday, Lancaster-based Blackford ATM Ventures consented to a petition forcing it into Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.The next step is to appoint a bankruptcy trustee to oversee distribution of the company’s assets.The process is not likely to be straightforward, acknowledged an attorney for Silverview Credit Partners, the Florida-based lender that sought to force Blackford into bankruptcy.“It’s […]
Pennsylvania’s top court has upheld an employee’s right to sue an employer over a workplace illness even if it’s diagnosed after a time limit for filing a claim under worker’s comp laws.The ruling stems from a civil lawsuit filed by the estate of a retired engineer who died from mesothelioma traced to his workplace exposure […]
State attorneys general, including Pennsylvania’s newly installed Dave Sunday, are taking another crack at settling opioid-related claims against bankrupt drugmaker Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family that owns it.In an announcement yesterday, Sunday and other attorneys general said they reached a $7.4 billion settlement in principle with the company and the family.The deal does not shield the […]
Investors hoping to recover money from Lancaster-based ATM operator Paramount Management Group are facing a new hurdle.In a legal filing this month, a Berks County bank claims it has a stake in some of Paramount’s ATMs, as well as any revenue they may be generating.Customers Bank is asking a Lancaster County judge to stay an earlier court agreement […]
A court order on Friday gave some relief to investors in Paramount Management Group, a financially strapped ATM operator based in Lancaster.But the order did not give the investors everything they wanted.Notably, it stopped short of ordering Paramount to hire a forensic auditor to help recover funds for the investors, who argue they are owed tens […]
Commonwealth Court has tossed out state rules requiring licensing of companies manufacturing e-cigarettes and the liquids used in them.The court found that the rules gave the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue too much discretion in deciding how they would be enforced.The decision came Friday in the context of a lawsuit filed by East Coast Vapor, a Harrisburg-based […]
Is it fraud or a failing business?That was one of the questions hanging over a court hearing held yesterday morning
For three years in a row, former Gov. Tom Wolf and state lawmakers tried to get their hands on surplus
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 business, which has […]
Klinge Corp., a York-area company making specialized shipping containers, has been sold.The buyer is Trane Technologies, an Ireland-based company that makes HVAC and refrigeration systems, and its transportation-focused subsidiary, Thermo King.Terms of the transaction, which closed Aug. 1, were not disclosed.In a statement, Thermo King Americas president Adam Wittwer described the acquisition as “a natural extension” of […]
When Utz Brands Inc. announced in fall 2023 that it was closing one of its plants in Hanover, executives were prepared to answer questions about how many people worked there, what would happen to them, where production was moving and when.They did not expect as many questions about the fate of the company store tucked […]
Over the last decade, revenue doubled for Electron Energy Corp., a specialty magnet manufacturer in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County.But if it wanted to keep growing, the company realized that it needed a partner, said Scott Murr, the company’s vice president of revenue operations.That partner, announced yesterday, is Magnetic Holdings LLC, which has taken a majority stake […]
A growing metal fabrication company in York County has purchased the former Wayneco Cabinetry plant, which has been idle since the cabinetry business shut down this spring.BMB Holdings LLC paid $3.3 million for the 81,000 square-foot facility, which is at 800 Hanover Road in Jackson Township, west of York city.The new facility is roughly three times the size […]
Union members voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike at Hanover Foods if they cannot agree on a new contract with the Hanover-based company by the end of this month, according to Wendell Young, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776.The most recent labor contract expired at the end of 2023, said Young, whose union represents […]
York County manufacturer AMZ Manufacturing has struck a deal settling federal allegations that it failed to take adequate action after two women complained about sexual harassment at one of its plants.The charges, filed last year, alleged violations of Title VII, the federal law barring discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin or religion.According to the original charges, […]
Spring Grove-based paper maker Pixelle Specialty Solutions recently unveiled steps to bolster its finances. But they do not appear to be enough to satisfy a ratings agency concerned about the company’s liquidity.S&P Global initially downgraded the company following the refinancing.The agency then restored the original rating but added a negative outlook, warning that “continued operational weakness could pressure Pixelle’s cash […]
Pixelle Specialty Solutions, a specialty paper maker based in Spring Grove, said June 12 it landed “significant new funding” that positions it for future growth. The financing includes amended credit facilities and an infusion of new capital from the company’s private equity backer, H.I.G. Capital. “With this new support, we are well-positioned to take advantage of several […]
J&J Pallet and Recycling LLC is planning to purchase, upgrade and move into a 16,400 square-foot industrial building at 1690 Opportunity Ave. in the Cumberland Valley Business Park in Greene Township. The company, which sells recycled shipping pallets, is currently based in leased space at 1051 Sheffler Drive in Chambersburg.The company has been approved for […]
Executives at G&S Foods opened the doors yesterday on a 351,000 square-foot plant outside Hanover that they expect will employ at least 1,000 people within the next three years.The factory will begin production later this summer with a staff of about 400 to start, according to G&S Foods CEO Dan Morgan.It will make and package pretzels, puffs […]
Building products manufacturer Carlisle Companies is planning a $45 million expansion of its research and innovation hub in Carlisle. The project will entail construction of a 42,000 square-foot building alongside the company’s existing R&D center, which is at 1557 Ritner Highway, according to Carlisle Companies spokesperson Mehul Patel. The site is near the headquarters and […]
Armstrong World Industries, paid $95 million in April to acquire 3form LLC, a manufacturer of architectural resins, glasses and other materials based in Salt Lake City, Utah.Products from 3form, such as acoustic wall tiles, translucent glass and textured wall coverings, are expected to complement existing products from Armstrong World’s architectural specialties division, which accounts for about […]
The steel-fabrication business is thriving in York County as two companies expand operations there, one from Dallastown and one from Maryland. Yoe Construction, the Dallastown-based company, is leasing space for a new steel fabrication shop at 775 Lombard Road in Windsor Township, York County. The 23,142 square-foot shop is an extension of the company’s existing shop at […]
A longtime Lancaster County manufacturer is under new ownership.Greiner Industries, a structural steel fabricator in Mount Joy Township, Lancaster County, has been acquired by IES Holdings Inc., a Houston-based company that designs and installs electrical and technology systems for data centers, residential housing and industrial facilities, among other end markets. The acquisition includes the Greiner business […]
The Hershey Co. plans to shed jobs this year as it battles higher cocoa prices and sluggish sales.The cuts will amount to less than 5% of the company’s roughly 20,000 workers worldwide, according to a Hershey spokesperson. “We do not expect significant disruption or impact to our employee base,” the spokesperson said, declining to detail […]
In a bid to reduce debt and cut expenses, Hanover-based Utz Brands is unloading some of its snack brands and plants, including a facility in the Lititz area.In a deal valued at $182.5 million, the snack maker is selling plants in Manheim Township and Littletown, N.C. as well as the lease for a plant in Las Vegas, […]
A York County pretzel maker is looking to boost sales in both new and existing channels following a fresh infusion of venture capital. York-based White Rose Ventures has poured $500,000 into The Pretzel Co., which was founded in 2014 as York City Pretzel Co. White Rose previously invested $250,000 in the soft-pretzel maker, which is based in Manchester Township. […]
One of the nation’s largest apartment operators has scooped up a development-ready tract in northwestern Lancaster County.An affiliate of Greystar paid nearly $8.7 million for the tract, which is poised to house an 11-building, 280-unit apartment complex, according to county deed records.The seller was 1376 Campus Road Associates LLC, an affiliate of Catalyst Commercial Development, a West Conshohocken-based developer that […]
After closing last year, a former West Shore factory for The AMES Companies has been sold.An affiliate of York-based Kinsley Properties paid $18 million for the plant at 465 Railroad Ave. in Hampden Township, according to Gerry Blinebury, a broker with real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. Cushman & Wakefield is listing the 397,000 square-foot building for lease on behalf of Kinsley Properties, […]
A foreclosure case hanging over the former Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg appears to have ended. The case in Dauphin County court pitted the building’s owner, William Penn Holding Inc., against private lenders seeking to collect on their debt.Jeremy Hunter, William Penn’s owner, confirmed an agreement was reached, but he declined to share the details.A resolution […]
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 Middlesex […]
Warehouses in Central Pennsylvania often sport household names like Amazon and Chewy, or the logos of logistics giants like XPO, UPS and FedEx.A new player is muscling in.Toronto-based Shipfusion is leasing a 350,000 square-foot warehouse in the newly developed Core5 Logistics Center at Codorus Creek on the site of a former quarry straddling Manchester and East Manchester townships in York County.The space complements existing […]
The former Camp Hill office of Reager and Adler law firm was sold for $1.7 million to Community Options, a Princeton, New Jersey-based nonprofit that provides housing and job opportunities to people with disabilities, according to Bill Rothman, founder of Lemoyne-based RSR Realtors. Rothman represented the seller, the estate of the late attorney David Reager. Community Options has an existing office […]
The bankrupt owner of Spring Gate Winery in suburban Harrisburg is seeking court permission for a sale of the winery and some of its assets, including its beer and wine licenses.According to court filings this week, Schoffstall Farm LLC is asking for approval of a sale to Nitin Patel, who would pay $2.85 million for the winery.The winery entertained […]
The bankrupt property owner trying to sell Governor’s Square apartments in Harrisburg has complained in the past that the city of Harrisburg is thwarting its sales effort, and it’s now asking a bankruptcy judge to intervene.In a court filing last week, Maryland-based Uptown Partners LP asked a judge to order the city to “cease and desist from interfering” […]
Officials in York have toiled for more than two decades to bring development to the Northwest Triangle, a former industrial
High Associates is starting to sketch in its plans for a 476-acre tract bordering the headquarters of Armstrong World Industries in Manor Township, Lancaster County.The plans, which could change with market conditions, call for a flexible mix of single-family homes, apartment buildings, retail space, industrial space and green space, according to Ken Hornbeck, senior vice president of development […]
A potential deal is on the table for Spring Gate Winery in suburban Harrisburg.A buyer named Nitin Patel has offered $2.8 million for the winery, whose parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, according to court records. The offer sets a floor for other potential bidders in a bankruptcy auction slated to unfold this month, pending […]
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings is scooping up leases for seven former locations of its bankrupt rival, Big Lots. The stores include one each in Georgia, Illinois and Louisiana and four in Wisconsin, according to court documents. The price is about $620,000, subject to potential adjustments by the landlords.“These stores are the right size, located in good […]
PSECU is seeking permission to relocate its branch in Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg to a former FNB branch at 1249 Market St.
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 working on […]
A Cumberland County agency has taken another step toward the purchase of a Carlisle factory that shut down last year.The Real Estate Collaborative LLC, a subsidiary of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corp., has struck a tentative agreement to buy the Frog, Switch & Manufacturing Co. site at 600 E. High St. in the Cumberland County borough.No price was […]
Regional real estate firm Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homesale Realty has scooped up Sailhamer Realty, an eight-person firm in Shippensburg. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Sailhamer was headed by John Dyson, a son-in-law of the firm’s original founders.The firm’s Shippensburg office will close, and Dyson and the rest of the Sailhamer team will work out of Berkshire’s […]
The city of Harrisburg is asking a federal court to dismiss the bankruptcy case of Uptown Partners LP, the Maryland-based owner of the Governor’s Square apartment complex in uptown HarrisburgIn a filing last month, the city argues that the deteriorating apartment complex is “unlikely” to find a buyer and that state court would be a better […]
In one of the largest commercial deals in the region this year, a real estate investment trust paid $170.5 million for a 1.2 million square-foot warehouse in the Middletown area.The warehouse is at 3327 E. Harrisburg Pike in Londonderry Township.The buyer is affiliated with Radnor-based advisory EQT Exeter. The seller was an affiliate of Atlanta-based warehouse […]
West Shore-born tech company ReturnLogic has raised $8.5 million from investors as it looks to exploit opportunities to streamline product returns in
After trading legal blows for more than a year, the feuding owners of United Fiber & Data have reached a settlement.The confidential deal ends legal sparring that began in 2020 over the company, which was founded in York by members of the rock band Live and their business partner, Bill Hynes. The fight had narrowed in recent months to one between […]
Home remodeler West Shore Home has long described itself as a technology-enabled company.The Mechanicsburg-based firm now owns a technology company.West Shore Home said yesterday it has purchased Design Center Inc., a firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota.Terms of the deal were not disclosed but it adds 23 employees to West Shore Home, which has been expanding nationally from […]
Doceo, a York-based technology services company, plans to move its headquarters this fall to a former Ruby Tuesday restaurant in York Township.The 6,000 square-foot space is larger than the 4,300 square feet the company currently rents in a multi-tenant building at 1499 S. Queen St. in Spring Garden Township, according to spokesperson Maya Miller. It […]
Barbara Grimm, above left, worked with David Cooper to create the School Responder app (photos/submitted). During more than a decade
After raising roughly $10 million, a startup venture fund in York has disclosed an inaugural round of investments.Martin Fedorko, left,
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 supermarket […]
Seeded by a $1 million donation from grocery chain The Giant Co., Harrisburg University is hoping to plant a new center for agricultural research in the capital city.
Contact tracing is turning into a mess rather than an effective tool to stop Covid-19. People aren’t cooperating, contact tracers are becoming overwhelmed and the virus continues to spread at a record rate.“It’s almost like we’re at a dead end with that approach,” said Victor Owuor, chief product officer at Lancaster-based investment firm Aspire Ventures.The […]
Teachers face a captive audience for their talents every day. But it’s not the kind of audience that can point them to the next networking event or business opportunity — or raise their professional profile.That’s what led York County teacher Erin Lapore to create Noble Space, a professional networking site designed with educators in mind.Erin […]
For nearly two decades, Cumberland County tech company Versatile Credit has been making it easier for businesses to offer in-store credit. Its latest device, called Snap Sign, makes it as easy as pointing a mobile phone at a plastic sign.The signs are a secure, contactless alternative to in-store kiosks, tablets or paper applications that typically […]
Data helps online retailers figure out what you want to buy, but it’s not foolproof. Sometimes, you buy things that don’t fit or don’t work — and back they go.But even when shoes or shirts make a return trip, there is data to be gleaned. That’s the premise behind ReturnLogic, a tech firm founded in […]
A Lancaster startup is taking a new tack in distributing its product, an app that helps people improve their health through better eating, sleeping and exercising.The company, Fizika Group LLC, had focused on senior-living communities, said its founder, Martha Lester Harris. But the communities often have their own resources, like gyms and fitness programs, for […]
Lancaster County-based Bank of Bird-in-Hand is seeking shareholder and regulatory approval to form a holding company, a common step for banks as they grow. The holding company would be called GELT Bancorp Inc., incorporating the Amish word for money. The bank also uses the word for its mobile branches, called Gelt buses.Existing bank shareholders would become shareholders in […]
LinkBancorp is selling its newly acquired operations in South Jersey for an after-tax gain of about $10.5 million, according to LinkBancorp CEO Andrew Samuel. The buyer is Philadelphia-based American Heritage Federal Credit Union, which has more than 310,000 members and assets of more than $4.8 billion.Expected to close in the second quarter of this year, the […]
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology failed to make a monthly loan payment on May 1 in default of its loan agreement, according to a disclosure last week to its bondholders.Under the agreement, monthly payments to the bond trustee roll up into semiannual payments on interest and principal on the university’s bonds.Those semiannual payments are still being […]
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 Bennett Williams […]
Building products manufacturer Carlisle Companies is planning a $45 million expansion of its research and innovation hub in Carlisle. The
Fulton Bank was on the receiving end on the afternoon of April 26 when state regulators shut down and brokered a sale of Republic First Bank, a troubled Philadelphia-based lender that does business as Republic Bank. As a result, Fulton has acquired most of the assets and branches of Republic First, expanding the Lancaster bank’s footprint in the competitive […]
A private equity-backed holding company is buying a majority stake in Harrisburg’s minor league baseball team from the family of the late Mark Butler, a co-founder of Harrisburg-based discount retailer Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings. Butler, who died in 2019, bought a majority interest in the Harrisburg Senators in 2014. That stake is now being sold to Diamond Baseball […]
Over the last few weeks, real estate agents have begun bracing for the end of a common practice in home sales.It’s not the 6% commission, which agents argue is something of a misconception. It is the ability to signal that a homebuyer’s agent will be paid from the proceeds of a sale along with the […]
On March 8, 2022, a fire ripped through a Penn Waste recycling facility in Manchester Township, York County, knocking it out of commission. Now, three Penn Waste insurers are suing local contractors involved in building the facility and installing its sprinkler system.The insurers, which include Connecticut-based XL Insurance, are seeking to recover $26 million in damages from York-based Kinsley Construction, York-based Susquehanna […]
A Harrisburg-area engineering firm has added two new offices, including its first-ever location in Maryland.HRG has opened offices in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and Hagerstown, Maryland, hoping to make greater inroads in both areas. The additions bring the firm, based in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, to a dozen offices, with 10 in Pennsylvania and one each in […]
It could be another four weeks before a bankruptcy court decides the fate of the beleaguered Governor’s Square apartment complex in uptown Harrisburg.The court had been scheduled to hold a hearing April 2 on a proposed sale of the 222-unit complex But the hearing has now been moved to April 30 at the request of the property’s […]
Operators of the Holtwood and Safe Harbor dams are weighing in against a proposed hydroelectric plant along the Susquehanna River in an area known as Cuffs Run in Chanceford Township, York County.’The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is currently weighing whether to issue a permit allowing the developer, York Energy Storage LLC, to study the project’s feasibilty.Holtwood […]
Business groups are decrying a recent directive from Gov. Josh Shapiro designed to increase the state’s use of project labor agreements, deals that generally require the use of union labor on public projects.Issued last week, the directive calls on state agencies to review contract solicitations for capital projects to determine which ones would be good fits for […]
About a dozen years ago, several members of East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster banded together to start a nonprofit focused on creating affordable housing, with a focus on people experiencing homelessness.Their first project was the purchase and conversion of a single-family home at 639 E. Chestnut St. Over the next decade, the nonprofit […]
A court hearing on the bankruptcy sale of Governor’s Square apartment complex in uptown Harrisburg had been scheduled for Feb. 29. However, it has been moved to April 2 per an order from Chief Bankruptcy Judge Henry Van Eck of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.Why is this happening: The complex’s […]
The Hershey Co. plans to shed jobs this year as it battles higher cocoa prices and sluggish sales.The cuts will
Mechanicsburg-based Select Medical Holdings Corp. is preparing to spin off its occupational health services division, which does business as Concentra. Select Medical’s board approved the spin-off this week and expects the deal to close in late 2024. Select Medical shareholders would receive stock in Concentra in amounts yet to be determined but in a transaction that is […]
The new year is poised to bring new digs to two local companies. Reynolds Restoration Services bought a flex property in suburban Harrisburg for its new headquarters. York County-based construction firm Wagman also has purchased a building for a new HQ, a property in Manchester Township, York County. Both companies said they are outgrowing their current spaces. Starting with: […]
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