Subscribe to our newsletters!

The Latest News

Banking & Finance

Lender wants to force Lancaster ATM company into bankruptcy

A Tampa-based private lender is asking a bankruptcy judge to force Lancaster-based Blackford ATM Ventures into Chapter 7 bankruptcy and appoint a trustee to oversee the company. Silverview Credit Partners is arguing that a petition for what is called involuntary bankruptcy is the best way to preserve assets for creditors. Silverview floated two loans to […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Fulton closing 15 branches

Fulton Financial is closing 15 branches this spring, including three in York County, in a move described by a Fulton spokesperson as aligning the bank’s services with trends in customer behavior. Like its peers, the Lancaster-based bank is seeing growth in the use of online and digital tools — reducing the need for physical branches […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Bank claims could complicate recovery for ATM investors

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Financial firm names new president

The proverbial corner office at Conrad Siegel has a new occupant. The employee benefits consulting and investment advisory firm in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County has named Abigail Fortino as its next president, effective Jan. 1. She was also named chair of the firm’s management committee. She succeeds Mark Bonsall, who had been president of the firm since […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Chambersburg bank unveils new leader

Franklin Financial Services, the Chambersburg-based parent of F&M Trust, is rolling out a succession plan for its retiring chief executive. The bank has tapped Craig Best, the former CEO of a Scranton bank, as its next leader effective Jan. 14, according to a regulatory filing. Best, 64, is succeeding Tim Henry, who announced in November that he would retire […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Order finds ATM operator in contempt

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

New Cumberland wealth advisory sold

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 access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Hearing raises new questions for beleaguered ATM network

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

$15M gift to speed growth of Lancaster-based lender

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Legal woes mount for Lancaster-based ATM operator

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. […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Studies see benefit in state-run retirement savings

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

F&M Trust leader sets retirement date

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Mid Penn to buy flagging Philly-area bank

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

State authority rolls $1M into new venture fund

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

What led a York bank to sell

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Retirement clouds leadership succession at regional bank

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Credit union to move Harrisburg branch to West Shore

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Community banks in northcentral PA to merge

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lancaster nonprofit juggles trio of housing projects

Chestnut Housing Corp., a nonprofit focused on affordable housing, is bringing one project to completion and shoring up funding for its next venture while laying the groundwork for a third. The project poised to open this summer is an eight-unit affordable housing complex called Milburn Apartments at 607-609 Rockland St. in Lancaster, according to Chad […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Grant backs mixed-use project

A Harrisburg nonprofit has landed a $500,000 state grant for a mixed-use project in Harrisburg’s low-income Allison Hill neighborhood. The $3.3 million project calls for erecting a 15,000 square-foot building at the corner of South 13th and Market streets in Harrisburg, according to Tannon Herman, executive director of Wildheart, the community development nonprofit behind the project, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Hanover contractor buys concrete company

Conewago Manufacturing LLC, an affiliate of Hanover-based contractor Conewago Enterprises Inc. has acquired Hanover Concrete Co., which has operations in Hanover, Gettysburg and Shrewsbury. Terms of the transaction, which was finalized on April 1, were not disclosed. David Albright, president of Hanover Concrete, is joining Conewago as vice president of ready-mix sales. The combined companies provide ready-mix […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

York, Lanco rehab projects land state grants

The state is pouring more than $1.3 million into a pair of renovation projects in York and Lancaster counties as part of a program to fund downtown revitalization. Lancaster-based nonprofit Community Basics Inc. landed $823,917 to rehab a 23-unit affordable-housing complex in Maytown called Three Center Square. The York County Industrial Development Authority is getting $504,050 to advance […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Harrisburg planners OK first steps in hospital redevelopment

Harrisburg’s planning commission unanimously approved a plan last week to subdivide the former Polyclinic Hospital campus last week, clearing the way for a developer to begin the first phase of a $45 million mixed-use project in the city’s Uptown neighborhood. The commission also approved a change to the property’s zoning from institutional to commercial neighborhood. […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lancaster hotelier inks deal to bring startup hotel brand to Central PA, Lehigh Valley

A local hotelier is planning to bring a startup hotel brand to Lancaster, York and other towns in Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. Shakher Patel, co-founder of Lancaster-based Destiny Partners LLC/Destiny Hospitality LLC has signed a franchise agreement with stayAPT Suites to open five of the brand’s extended-stay hotels. In an interview with biznewsPA, Patel said he hopes […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Zoning appeal ends as developer shifts focus

York-area developer Inch & Co. has dropped its appeal of a zoning decision barring a warehouse on land it owns in Manchester Township and is focused instead on fine-tuning plans for housing on the tract, according to company co-owner Jeff Inch. The dropped appeal is the latest move affecting a 52.7-acre tract at the center of […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Developer contests sewer fees

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Board rejects tax abatement for North York sports complex

Local school officials declined to award a tax abatement for a recreational sports center slated for construction in North York. York-area developer Inch & Co. has been asking the Central York school board for local tax relief for the $34.5 million project, which is backed by WellSpan Health. But at a meeting Wednesday evening, the board’s three-member business […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Beverage distributor pouring millions into new center

A regional beverage distributor is planning a $100 million-plus sales and distribution center in Lebanon County that will replace a smaller facility on the West Shore. ACCB Harrisburg RE LLC, a local subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based ABARTA Coca-Cola Beverages, is building the 240,000 square-foot center on a roughly 52-acre lot in South Lebanon Township. It would be the […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lebanon supplier relocates HQ

The corporate headquarters of APR Supply, a distributor of HVAC and plumbing supplies, is moving from Lebanon to an office building in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. In a statement, company president and CEO Scott Weaver attributed the move to the company’s growth. APR has acquired several firms in recent years and now has about 475 employees […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Panel denies zoning request for Inch & Co. housing plan

In a unanimous decision, the Manchester Township zoning hearing board rejected a request that they alter zoning rules for a proposed housing development along Pennsylvania Avenue south of Route 30. The board members said that -based developer Inch & Co. had not adequately justified its need for zoning relief. Inch proposed building 109 single-family homes on […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Warehouse-ready tracts in Harrisburg area change hands

Following a legal battle with local officials, San Francisco-based developer Prologis is taking the next step in its efforts to build a warehouse in suburban Harrisburg. The company shelled out $24.25 million for two tracts off Linglestown Road in West Hanover Township where it plans to erect the 1.1 million square-foot building, according to county deed records. […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Apartment-ready tract near E-town fetches $8.7M

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

PPL eyes $131M power-line project in southern York

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Developer eyes townhomes on former Dentsply campus

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court tosses developer’s lawsuit over township fees

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

West Shore electrical contractor changes hands

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Podcast: Workforce Development

Business leaders may be wondering where they will find the skilled people they need to keep their companies running and growing in the years ahead. This edition of the YCEA podcast, produced in partnership with biznewsPA, offers perspective from those in the trenches of training. It features Pedro Rivera, president of Thaddeus Stevens College of […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

New state park designated along Susquehanna

Amid a broader push to boost the outdoors economy in Pennsylvania, a new state park is coming to the banks of the Susquehanna River in York County. The tentatively titled Susquehanna Riverlands State Park is one of three new parks unveiled yesterday by Gov. Tom Wolf and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Podcast: Arts and the economy

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Podcast: Welcoming Workplaces

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Program aims to shower capital on small biz in PA

Pennsylvania’s small businesses are in line for a capital infusion of nearly $268 million under a program announced July 18 by the Wolf Administration The 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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

York venture fund adds to portfolio

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Budget delivers big win, some misses for business

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Podcast: Pain at the pump

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Podcast: Business leaders talk early childhood education

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

York leaders revive grant program for early childhood ed

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Widener law class grapples with pandemic’s legal fights

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.

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

The region’s top real estate deals of 2021

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.

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

State lawsuit over PCBs advances

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Armstrong Flooring mulls sale amid debt, supply chain challenges

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

A look back at M&A in Central PA

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

A $195M wish list for Central Pennsylvania

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. […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

A return to not-quite normal

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Venture firm takes root in York

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 Ventures Most importantly, he learned that York County’s would-be investors are indeed interested in backing local companies. They […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Text marketing firm moves to Lancaster

Last fall, Lancaster-based private equity firm PennSpring Capital bought a majority stake in Mobiniti, a text marketing firm based in Wilkes-Barre. This week, a PennSpring entity paid $1.55 million for a building in Lancaster where it plans to relocate the operations of Mobiniti, which employs about 20 people.The move brings Mobiniti closer to PennSpring, which offers support to […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Dame Leadership snaps up employee-assessment firm

Harrisburg-based management consulting firm Dame Leadership is hoping to take its services nationwide after acquiring an employee-assessment company with clients around the U.S. Dame Leadership said this week it has acquired Success Performance Solutions, a company born in Lancaster but now based in the Lehigh Valley. Terms of the deal — Dame Leadership’s first-ever acquisition — were not disclosed.“We’re […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

ReturnLogic raises capital to feed growth

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

York venture fund adds to portfolio

A York-based venture fund has added to its portfolio of regional startups as it aims to bolster entrepreneurship in Central

Lebanon startup readies medical device for market

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Harrisburg-area firm agrees to sale

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Hershey-area startup acquired by Pittsburgh firm

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lancaster entrepreneurs aim to tackle school-based mental health challenges

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Fledgling venture fund makes first investments

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

New venture aims to streamline project subcontracting

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Youth-soccer franchisor adds outside investor

The founders of Middletown-based Soccer Shots are hoping an outside investor can help kick their company into new territory The 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. […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Giant, Harrisburg U team up on new ag research center

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.

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Regional grocer grabs supply chain by the horns

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.

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

WellSpan seeks to make inroads with virtual primary care

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Law firm program gives Black entrepreneurs a legal leg up

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Hospital-to-apartment conversion blessed by Harrisburg planners

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

High Foundation

Vanessa Philbert and Janice Snyder have been named to the board of trustees of the High Foundation, a Lancaster philanthropy that owns High Industries and High Real Estate Group. They are replacing Mike Van Belle and Hilda Shirk, who completed their terms as trustees but will continue to serve as committee members, according to a foundation spokesperson. Philbert is […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Judges retained, mayors elected

The ayes have it. By a margin of roughly three to two, Pennsylvania voters retained three state Supreme Court justices yesterday, preserving the court’s Democratic five-to-two majority. Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht each garnered more than 2 million “yes” votes on the question of whether they should remain on the bench for […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

McNees Wallace & Nurick

Adam Santucci has been elected vice chair of the executive committee for Harrisburg-based law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick. Santucci joins chair Brian Jackson and co-vice chair Nicole Stezar Kaylor. Santucci succeeds Robert Weishaar Jr., who decided not to seek another term after five years on the committee. Santucci co-chairs the labor and employment law group […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Efforts to bolster food aid gather steam during federal lapse

Businesses and charities in Central Pennsylvania are scrambling to blunt the effects of a lapse in federal food benefits that sustain tens of thousands of local residents. Nonprofits are working to shore up alternative sources of sustenance, while grocers and other retailers navigate the impact on revenue, product purchasing and employee scheduling. Retailers also are […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Niche Electronics

Niche Electronics, an electronics manufacturing services company, has restructured its leadership team. The new framework elevates a new vice president and creates four directors who will oversee important facets of the growing Shippensburg-based business. Yancey Strickler has been promoted the new role of vice president. He has 20 years of industry experience: 16 as a […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

York-area warehouses sold

EQT, a Radnor-based real estate investment firm, said it has acquired a portfolio of 11 warehouses that includes two buildings in a recently constructed industrial park north of York city. An EQT spokesperson declined to disclose the terms, and no deeds were available online as of the end of last week. The York-area warehouses are […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

PA judges at center of high-profile retention race

Pennsylvania voters will decide tomorrow whether to retain three Supreme Court justices in what has become one of the state’s most expensive and partisan judicial races ever. Those arguing in favor of retention, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, warn that “no” votes could jeopardize abortion and voting rights. Those arguing against retention argue that the three justices in question […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Uncertainty surrounds shopping for health plans

Projections suggest that rising costs will dissuade Pennsylvania residents from buying health insurance through the state’s Obamacare exchange, known as Pennie. Those forecasts will now face a real-world test. Pennie’s open enrollment period starts tomorrow, Nov. 1, for people who want coverage in place for 2026. Enrollment through Pennie has been growing over the last […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Snack giant savors bigger slice of California market

Hanover may be the snack capital of the world. But the largest snack market in the U.S. is California, and Hanover-based Utz Brands wants to bite off a larger chunk. Utz said yesterday it acquired store delivery routes in the Golden State — and portions of the Midwest — from Colorado-based Insignia International. Terms of the transaction were not […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Saxton & Stump

David Chick has been hired as senior counsel in the appellate advocacy group of Lancaster-based law firm Saxton & Stump. He also is serving as a senior consultant with the firm’s human resources affiliate, TREW HR. Based in Harrisburg, Chick worked most recently served as deputy judicial clerk for both the Supreme Court and the […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court spurns contractor’s appeal over civil penalties

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

McNees Wallace & Nurick

Harrisburg-based law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick has hired lawyers for its offices in Maryland and suburban Philadelphia. Katherine Takhounts Bonato has joined the firm’s Frederick, Maryland, office as an attorney in the real estate group. Before joining McNees, Bonato worked with title companies in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Bonato has a law degree […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Penn State hails ‘transformative’ $50M gift to children’s hospital

A New York state business leader and philanthropist has bestowed $50 million on Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in what is being described as a “transformative” gift. But the gift, announced yesterday, is about more than just money. The 156-bed hospital in Derry Township, Dauphin County, is joining a new alliance of children’s hospitals named […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Pennian Bank

Suzy Teter has joined Pennian Bank as an assistant vice president and relationship banker based in the bank’s Lemoyne office. Teter, who lives in Duncannon worked most recently serving as a financial center manager for Mid Penn Bank. “Suzy’s commitment to serving as a trusted resource to businesses and organizations, as well her dedication to […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

NYC attorney named to oversee Heller assets

A federal court has officially named a trustee to oversee the assets of Daryl Heller, the Lancaster County business owner who declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February after the collapse of an ATM network he led. Heller also faces federal charges alleging he defrauded investors in the network, which did business as Paramount Management Group. The trustee […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Boyer & Ritter

Regional accounting and professional services firm Boyer & Ritter has hired seven staff members for a variety of roles. Darren Bailey joins Boyer & Ritter’s tax department as a supervisor. He worked most recently as a senior tax accountant with a York-based firm. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with concentrations in accounting […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Nonprofit buys York County land with goal of preservation

Nonprofit preservation group Lancaster Conservancy paid $3.5 million for a roughly 180-acre tract of forested land in Chanceford Township, York County, according to county deed records. The seller was a partnership called Stone Fence Acres LP, linked to Jeff Koons, an internationally acclaimed artist and York County native. The purchase price reflected the land’s appraised value, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court upholds reimbursement for CBD oil

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

House panel to vote on healthcare violence bill

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lawmaker pitches power plan

A state lawmaker is seeking support for legislation that would make it easier for regulated electric utilities to invest in and possibly own power plants, an idea recently floated by executives at Allentown-based PPL Electric Utilities. The concept responds to growing concerns that the electric grid is not adding enough new power to accommodate a surge in […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Trump order targets funding for nonprofit community lenders

Finanta, a nonprofit based in Lancaster, is expecting millions of dollars from the federal government this year to further its mission, which includes lending to businesses in poor communities. But the federal fund that provides those dollars is among several programs targeted for cuts or possible elimination under an executive order issued late Friday by President […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Guv, fiscal office diverge on revenue projections

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Central PA bank-fraud ring busted

State police broke up a bank-fraud ring that drained more than $3 million from accounts of customers at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, according to a criminal complaint filed in a Cumberland County magisterial district. The credit union, based in Hampden Township, Cumberland County, reimbursed the losses suffered by its members. News of the bust came […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

EV chargers completed amid funding uncertainty

State officials yesterday celebrated the opening of three new stations for charging electric vehicles amid uncertainty over the federal funding that helped pay for them. The new stations — in Cumberland, Franklin and Susquehanna counties — are funded by a $7.5 billion program designed to make it easier for drivers nationwide to find EV chargers. […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Auditor general urges cyber school funding reform

Revenue spiked nearly 90% for five statewide cyber charter schools as they attracted students during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. While the schools spent some of the money on gift cards, employee bonuses, lobbying and real estate, they were operating within the bounds of the law, according to an audit of the schools unveiled yesterday by […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

State aims to cut back on leased space

After nearly half a century, Harrisburg’s tallest building is set to lose its place as a destination for state employees. The state government is set to vacate the 22-story building over the next two years as part of a broader reshuffling designed to scale back its use of leased office space. The move reflects the […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Panel denies zoning request for Inch & Co. housing plan

In a unanimous decision, the Manchester Township zoning hearing board rejected a request that they alter zoning rules for a

Opening salvoes fired in budget debate

In a budget address yesterday, Gov. Josh Shapiro rattled off a series of ideas for the fiscal year that starts July 1. GOP lawmakers focused on the bottom line — a proposed budget of $51.47 billion that they decried as irresponsible and unsustainable. The governor and state lawmakers — along with plenty of lobbyists — […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Shapiro rolls out plan to spur energy development

Continuing efforts to put his stamp on state energy policy, Gov. Josh Shapiro outlined a six-point plan yesterday for tackling the basket of challenges plaguing consumers and producers of energy in Pennsylvania. The so-called “Lightning Plan” combines a mix of new and old ideas designed to lower prices for consumers, speed up construction of new […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Another reporting requirement looms for PA biz

Business owners are slowly waking up to a new reporting requirement in Pennsylvania. Under the requirement, businesses of nearly every stripe must report annually to the Pennsylvania Department of State their names, addresses and principal officers, among other things. It is separate from the federal reporting requirement enacted under the Corporate Transparency Act — a law […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

PA joins new deal to settle opioid claims against Purdue, Sacklers

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Regulators spurn requests to revisit permit for hydro project

In a brief notice yesterday, federal energy regulators denied petitions asking them to reconsider their approval of a preliminary permit for a controversial hydroelectric project in York County. The permit was issued last fall to York Energy Storage, a Reading-based company proposing a $2.3 billion pumped-storage energy facility along the Susquehanna River in Chanceford Township. The permit gives […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court backs Harrisburg vape shop in licensing spat

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court backs state claim to insurance fund surplus

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

What would it take to end PA taxes on overtime?

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Firms win fight over medical cannnabis recall

In a ruling handed down last week, a Pennsylvania court overturned an effort by health officials to recall hundreds of vaping products previously approved for use in the state’s medical marijuana program. The controversial recall, ordered in February 2022 by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, was tantamount to a regulation, according to the ruling in […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Five years in, WellSpan CEO looks ahead

In January 2019, Roxanna Gapstur became president and CEO of WellSpan Health, one of the largest employers in Central Pennsylvania. In little over a year after her first day on the job, she was guiding the health system through one of its most visible challenges, the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has subsided. But WellSpan and […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

PA’s top court to weigh coverage of CBD oil in workers’ comp

The state’s top court has agreed to hear a case that turns on whether employers must pay for CBD oil and other over-the-counter products under Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation program. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will consider several questions, including whether workers’ comp law requires employers and their insurers to reimburse injured workers who buy CBD oil and […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

WellSpan breaks ground on first of three ‘mini hospitals’

As they broke ground yesterday on a new “mini hospital” in southern York County, WellSpan Health officials identified the next two locations for the small-format medical centers: the Carlisle area and northern York County. The regional health system is opening the three mini hospitals — in partnership with Texas-based specialty operator Emerus — to bring […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

PA health systems sue insurer over value-based contract

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

WellSpan to acquire Lewisburg hospital

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Growing Lititz firm adds minority investor

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

WellSpan eyes drone-delivery service

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court voids price guide for workers’ comp drugs

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. […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

UPMC sued for allegedly misclassifying workers

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Senior-living organizations to merge

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Group pitches region as health-tech hub

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. […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

WellSpan to open ‘mini hospitals’ in York, Cumberland counties

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lawsuit puts cannabis testing rule on hold

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lanco practice eyes growth in telemedicine

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Can new fees fix EMS finances?

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Highmark hit by data breach

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Drayer HQ sold to home-care provider

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court backs denial of Hershey-area development

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Regional contractors clash over hospital project

A York contractor claims it has not been paid in full for work it performed earlier this year on a multimillion-dollar project to expand a local hospital. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in York County court, Kinsley Construction LLC says it was hired by other contractors in 2024 to provide concrete for the foundation of a new […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Flooring firm levels new charges in loan dispute

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court declines to reconsider solar case

Gratz Borough will not be getting another day in court for its long-running case against a proposed solar project – at least not in Commonwealth Court. In a short note last week, the appeals court said it would not reconsider arguments in a zoning-related dispute over the project. The decision is the latest legal setback […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

WellSpan, Inch settle sports center lawsuit

WellSpan Health and Inch & Co. reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed last week by WellSpan over a proposed sports complex on which they have been partnering, according to a WellSpan spokesperson and an Inch & Co. executive. The settlement includes transferring ownership of the sports complex site to WellSpan, according to health system spokesperson Ryan Coyle. […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Bank, business owner spar in court over loan

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lawsuit accuses high-profile Lancaster chef of misusing restaurant funds

A lawsuit is accusing one of Lancaster’s culinary stars of misappropriating money earned by the restaurant and bakery that he and a partner opened nearly a decade ago. The restaurant is Bistro Barberet & Bakery, which has garnered international acclaim since opening in 2015 at 26 E. King St. in Lancaster. In the lawsuit filed this […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Device maker settles federal charges

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Creditors raise questions about sale of Heller beach house

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court upholds reimbursement for CBD oil

Pennsylvania’s top court has backed the right of injured workers to reimbursement for CBD oil as long as it’s included

Feds indict York tax preparer on bank fraud

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Developer contests sewer fees

A Harrisburg-area developer is sparring with a Lancaster County township and authority over sewer tapping fees assessed on a recent

Groups sue over permit for Susquehanna hydro project

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Borough loses second case over proposed solar array

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Former business partners Hynes, Taylor settle defamation suit

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

ATM investors seek access to company office

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Heller bankruptcy filing met with allegations of fraud

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Personal liability of ATM company owner at issue

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Union drops charges against pork processor

A union representing workers at a Lancaster pork processing plant dropped labor charges it filed against Clemens Food Group, which bought the plant earlier this year and then closed it, idling more than 190 workers. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 152 filed a grievance in October with the National Labor Relations Boar alleging that Clemens […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

York-area manufacturer sued over alleged retaliation

Federal regulators filed a lawsuit against a York-area manufacturer for allegedly firing an employee who had raised concerns about safety. In a lawsuit filed in late October, the U.S. Department of Labor accuses Red Lion Controls of terminating the employee after he refused to carry out a task that he felt was unsafe. The agency is seeking […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lanco contractor buys Annville welding firm

GSM Industrial, an industrial fabrication and mechanical contractor based in East Hempfield Township, has acquired Annville-based Light’s Welding, a family-owned business specializing in the agricultural sector. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Light’s Welding was founded in 1948 by C. Alvin Light, growing from a local welding shop to a full-service fabrication and millwright business. “We’re […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Flooring maker trims jobs amid soft demand

AHF Products is eliminating about 30 white-collar jobs, with less than half the cuts affecting its staff in Lancaster County. In a statement, AHF president and CEO Brian Carson attributed the move to a stagnant market for home improvements and soft demand for residential building products. Based in West Hempfield Township, the company makes vinyl and […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Cabinetmaker closing Juniata County factor

Amid a projected slowdown in apartment construction, a Michigan-based cabinetry company plans to shutter a plant in Juniata County. Cabinetworks Group is closing the factory near Thompsontown and laying off 420 employees, a tally that includes 110 who were already laid off, according to a notice sent to state and local officials. The notice did not […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Union pushes back on Lancaster pork-plant closure

Clemens Food Group announced Friday that it plans to close its recently acquired pork plant in Lancaster and lay off 193 workers while it continues to look for a buyer that will keep the factory going. However, the reassurances, are not swaying the union representing production workers at the plant, the former Kunzler & Company factory acquired by […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lancaster manufacturer stakes growth on acquisitions, innovations in outdoor gear

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Family-owned container manufacturer bought by industry giant

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Utz CEO: Hoping ‘to get a whole lot bigger’

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lanco magnet manufacturer scooped up

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Former cabinet plant sold for $3.3M

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Union eyes strike amid contract talks with Hanover Foods

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

York-area manufacturer resolves harassment claims

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Ratings agency warns on Spring Grove manufacturer

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Spring Grove paper maker shores up finances

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Pallet company buying Chambersburg-area facility for relocation

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Snack maker unveils Hanover-area plant

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Manufacturer plans $45M innovation center in Carlisle

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Real Estate

Lebanon supplier relocates HQ

The corporate headquarters of APR Supply, a distributor of HVAC and plumbing supplies, is moving from Lebanon to an office building

State aims to cut back on leased space

After nearly half a century, Harrisburg’s tallest building is set to lose its place as a destination for state employees.

Downtown York apartments change hands

A former tobacco warehouse-turned-high-end apartment building in York City has sold for $3.7 million. The price for the 18-unit building, known as Courthouse Commons, works out to be about $205,000 per unit, which a real estate firm involved in the deal described as a record-setting price in York. The previous average sale price was just […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Partners form $30M real estate fund

Capital-area developer Drew Bobincheck believes 2025 is going to be a good year for real estate investing. And he’s hoping to convince others to join him for the ride. He and three partners have launched a real estate fund called Opes Capital that they are opening to outside investors. They want to raise $30 million and then […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Warehouse-ready tracts in Harrisburg area change hands

Following a legal battle with local officials, San Francisco-based developer Prologis is taking the next step in its efforts to build a

Apartment-ready tract near E-town fetches $8.7M

One of the nation’s largest apartment operators has scooped up a development-ready tract in northwestern Lancaster County. An affiliate of Greystar paid

Former West Shore factory sold to York firm

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Deal ends foreclosure threat dogging former Harrisburg school

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Developer eyes multibillion-dollar data center campus near Carlisle

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Logistics startup lands in York County

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Former West Shore law office sold

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court OK sought for bankruptcy sale of Harrisburg-area winery

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Harrisburg apartment owner asks court to block alleged meddling in bankruptcy sale

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Mixed-use project is ‘first phase of final phase’ for York tract

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Developer sketching in plans for 476-acre Lanco tract

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court docs disclose $2.8M offer for bankrupt winery

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Discount retailer buys former Big Lots leases

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Credit union to move Harrisburg branch to West Shore

PSECU is seeking permission to relocate its branch in Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg to a former FNB branch at 1249 Market St.

Technology

Podcast: Strengthening Cybersecurity

When people hear about data breaches, they may think the solution is more and better technology: How high can we build that firewall? After all, it is technology that creates the conditions for data breaches to arise and compromise your personal information. The solution, however, lies in people, according to Dr. James Norrie, who spoke […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Highmark hit by data breach

A phishing attack in December exposed personal information on about 300,000 members of Highmark insurance plans, including about 96,000 members in Pennsylvania.

ReturnLogic raises capital to feed growth

West Shore-born tech company ReturnLogic has raised $8.5 million from investors as it looks to exploit opportunities to streamline product returns in

Lawsuit settled over York fiber company

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Deal adds IT talent for West Shore Home

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

York-area firm buys former restaurant for new HQ

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lancaster entrepreneurs aim to tackle school-based mental health challenges

Barbara Grimm, above left, worked with David Cooper to create the School Responder app (photos/submitted). During more than a decade

Fledgling venture fund makes first investments

After raising roughly $10 million, a startup venture fund in York has disclosed an inaugural round of investments. Martin Fedorko,

Giant unveils Amazon-style marketplace

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Giant, Harrisburg U team up on new ag research center

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.

Lancaster firm pitches high-tech approach to tracking Covid-19 risk

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

York County teacher turns entrepreneur

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

West Shore firm partners with Wells Fargo to distribute new credit-application tech

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Investors pour $2M into Harrisburg-area startup

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Lancaster startup pivots to new market

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Five years in, WellSpan CEO looks ahead

In January 2019, Roxanna Gapstur became president and CEO of WellSpan Health, one of the largest employers in Central Pennsylvania.

Bank to form holding company

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Camp Hill bank to shed NJ branches

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, […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Amid improving finances, college misses bond payment

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Shippensburg-area plaza sells for $6.6M

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Manufacturer plans $45M innovation center in Carlisle

Building products manufacturer Carlisle Companies is planning a $45 million expansion of its research and innovation hub in Carlisle. The

Fulton buys failed Philly bank

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

PE-backed firm takes stake in Harrisburg baseball team

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

How realtors may adapt to a changing landscape

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Insurers sue local contractors over recycling-plant fire

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Engineering firm opens MD, western PA offices

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Another delay in sale of Harrisburg apartments

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Susquehanna dam operators oppose hydro project

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Shapiro labor directive triggers blowback

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Small housing group aims for bigger impact

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Court extends time for bankruptcy sale of Harrisburg apartments

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Hershey looks to cut jobs, costs

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

Select Medical mulls spin-off of workplace health unit

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 […]

To access this post, you must purchase biznewsPA Subscription or biznewsPA Team Subscriptions.

The Latest News

Banking & Finance

Construction

Economy

entrepreneurship

Food

Government

Health Care

Legal