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‘We can’t stand still’: Growth-minded bank passing baton to new leader

During the 34 years he’s been a board member at F&M Trust, G. Warren Elliott has seen “too many” community banks disappear in mergers and acquisitions. Elliott, F&M Trust’s chairman since 2012, does not want the Chambersburg-based bank to join their ranks, but he knows the lender will have to work to preserve its independence. […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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Bank closing Red Lion office

Wells Fargo is closing its branch in the heart of Red Lion. The San Francisco-based bank plans to close the branch at 1 N. Main St. at 11 a.m. on May 7, according to a bank spokesperson. Once it closes, customers can use a Wells Fargo branch at 2099 S. Queen St. in York Township. Like […]

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Regional bank resets succession plan

After an early retirement scuttled its CEO succession plans last year, Orrstown Financial Services is back on track. The regional bank named a longtime executive, Adam Metz, as the successor to president and CEO Tom Quinn, who is slated to retire next year. Metz, Orrstown’s chief revenue officer since 2019, has been promoted to senior executive vice […]

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Bank tax on the chopping block

In a budget proposal for the fiscal year that starts July 1, Gov. Josh Shapiro is proposing to eliminate the bank shares tax and subject banks to the corporate net income tax. First introduced in the 19th century, the tax is based on how much capital banks hold. The he corporate net income tax, or […]

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Lancaster ATM operator agrees to liquidation

During a court hearing yesterday, Lancaster-based Blackford ATM Ventures consented to a petition forcing it into Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. The next step is to appoint a bankruptcy trustee to oversee distribution of the company’s assets. The process is not likely to be straightforward, acknowledged an attorney for Silverview Credit Partners, the Florida-based lender that sought to force Blackford […]

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Lancaster ATM operator strikes deal with creditor

A Lancaster-based ATM operator has struck a tentative deal with a creditor that wanted to force it into bankruptcy. Under the deal, Blackford ATM Ventures is getting time to file voluntarily for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, allowing it to reorganize, according to an attorney for the creditor, Silverview Credit Partners. The Tampa-based private lender had sought to impose a Chapter […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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$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 […]

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Deal broadens reach of Harrisburg-area engineering firm

A regional engineering firm based in the Harrisburg area is expanding its reach in Central and eastern Pennsylvania. Herbert Rowland & Grubic Inc. in Swatara Township has scooped up Becker Engineering LLC, a smaller firm based in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. But HRG is retaining Becker’s office at […]

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Groundbreaking for the Gardens at Millbourne

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on Wednesday to mark the commencement of work converting the private grounds of the Appell family into a public garden. Louis and Jody Appell were well-known in the York community for their philanthropy and their passion for horticulture. The Powder Mill Foundation was established by Louis J. Appell, Jr. in […]

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Perry County concrete plants sold

A pair of concrete plants in Perry County are under new ownership. Bedford County-based New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc. bought the Duncannon-area plants as part of its acquisition of Marstellar Holding Co., which also owned a heating oil delivery business. Both Marstellar Concrete and Marstellar Oil are now part of New Enterprise, according to a person who answered the phone […]

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Plastics recycler cleans up at York ballpark

Fans at WellSpan Park this summer found new places to pitch their plastic spoons, water bottles and other plastic items. The home of the York Revolution baseball team set up bins to collect plastics under a partnership with CRDC Materials, a Costa Rica-based plastics recycler with an operation in York city. CRDC takes the plastic to its plant, shreds […]

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Lanco firm picks up two businesses

EHC Associates, an environmental services contractor based in Upper Leacock Township, Lancaster County, has acquired two companies for undisclosed terms. The first is ecoservices LLC, an

Apartment project eyed at York mall

Over the last few years, the York Galleria mall has replaced retail anchors with a mini casino, a gym and a self-storage facility. Could an apartment building be next? This spring, developers pitched local officials on plans to erect a four-story, 98-unit apartment building on an underused parking lot in front of the self-storage facility. […]

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Data center plans provoke debate over impact, process

At a meeting last night, developers shared more details on their plans for a $15 billion data center complex near Carlisle. Residents shared a barrage of doubts. Over two hours, they questioned how much water and electricity the centers would use. They questioned how the developers picked the 700-acre tract of farmland in Middlesex Township where […]

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Lanco contractor taps new prez amid family ownership transition

A Lancaster County contractor is under new leadership as it transitions to the next generation of family owners. Speedwell Construction Inc., based in Penn Township, Lancaster County, has promoted Jon Sensenig to president. Sensenig, who joined Speedwell 10 years ago, worked most recently as vice president of design/build. He succeeds company owners Keith Ebersole, and […]

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Hotel, restaurant envisioned for York city landmark

New developers are embracing the challenge of bringing life to one of York city’s most prominent buildings. John and Denise Gilliland paid $650,000 for the stately bank branch at 1 N. George St., and they aim to convert it into a boutique hotel and high-end restaurant in the heart of the White Rose city, John […]

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Contractor fires back in suit over concrete for hospital project

A contractor is disputing claims it’s liable for defective concrete used during construction of a new hospital tower in York. The contractor, New Holland-based Stief Concrete Work Inc., denies the claims, which were raised in a lawsuit filed in May by York-based Kinsley Construction LLC. Kinsley claims it’s owed $935,000 for the concrete, which the company delivered for […]

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West Shore engineering firm acquired

Aiming for a bigger slice of business in Pennsylvania, an Ohio-based engineering firm has acquired Dawood Engineering, a firm based on the West Shore. The deal brings together two companies with complementary services and creates opportunities to build on them, according to Neil Churman, president and CEO of the Ohio-based buyer, Woolpert. Woolpert, for example, has a […]

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New owners, new outlook for Lancaster contractor

Aimee Deraco hesitated when she was first approached about becoming chief executive of Brubaker Inc., a family-owned contractor in Lancaster County that was mulling a transition to employee ownership. She wasn’t sure, at first, what role would be played by the company’s then-owners, brothers Dave, Don and Gerry Brubaker. They had taken over the company […]

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Demo approved, sites confirmed for Lancaster data centers

The dust is still settling on the flurry of announcements for massive data and energy projects proposed this week for Pennsylvania. Actual dust could soon start flying on one of those projects — a $6 billion data center investment in Lancaster. The city has issued demolition permits for the first phase of the project, according […]

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Feds charge fired West Shore Home VP with extortion

A vice president overseeing supply chains for Mechanicsburg-based West Shore Home LLC allegedly tried to extort a severance payment from the company after he was fired, according to a federal criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office and a civil lawsuit filed by the company. The home improvement company fired the VP, Bryan Chapman, in August […]

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Major mixed-use project in Lancaster secures zoning OK

High Real Estate Group took a step forward this week in its ambitious plan to develop a 476-acre tract west of Lancaster where the company envisions a mix of homes, apartment buildings, shops and light industrial space. Supervisors in Manor Township voted 4-1 this week to change zoning on nearly 400 acres of the property from […]

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Firm eyes hotel use in part of former York-area hospital

The developer that converted the former Memorial Hospital in suburban York into apartments is asking Spring Garden Township to allow a hotel/motel use in a portion of the building, according to a zoning application before the township. In a zoning request for a special exception, BHI Properties LLC said it wants to create a hotel […]

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Court ruling freezes bidding on state lab project

A state appeals court has halted the bidding process for work on a $325 million state laboratory near Harrisburg after a builders group challenged a labor requirement attached to the project. The requirement, known as a project labor agreement, would require contractors to use mostly union workers. But the Lancaster County-based Keystone chapter of the Associated Builders […]

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PE-backed firm scoops up West Shore utility contractor

A firm sponsored by private equity has purchased JMF Underground, a West Shore contractor that specializes in repair and maintenance of underground utility infrastructure. The Mechanicsburg-based contractor is now a part of Ohio-based Delphi Infrastructure Group, which is backed by MPE Partners, a private equity firm with offices in Boston and Cleveland. Terms of the transaction were not […]

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Contractor to lay off workers at Amazon sites

A vendor is laying off nearly 300 workers after Amazon ended its contract to provide janitorial and facilities services to eight of the ecommerce giant’s warehouses in Pennsylvania, including four in Cumberland and York counties, according to a notice filed with the state. South Carolina-based Newbold Services LLC plans to lay off 294 people as of March 5, according […]

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PUC TO PROBE REQUEST FOR DOUBLE-DIGIT WATER HIKE

State regulators plan to take a closer look at a double-digit rate increase being sought by Pennsylvania American Water to cover investments in its water and sewer systems. The move was approved yesterday in a unanimous vote by state utility commissioners. As a result, the increase will be suspended for up to seven months while officials from the Pennsylvania Public Utility […]

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PODCAST: INCLUSIVE HIRING

When Michael Coy joined Wolfgang Confectioners as its workforce development manager, the candy maker employed about five people who spoke Spanish. Now, the Loganville-based company employs more than 100, a change Coy attributes to the company’s willingness to listen to employees and meet their needs, regardless of their background and experience. Coy shares Wolfgang’s experience […]

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Podcast: Logistics

Supply chains used to be something of an afterthought for most companies. They would fix it and forget it. But over the last couple of years, supply chains have emerged as a critical element of business strategy, in part because they have been so hard to get right. In this episode of the York County […]

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Effort aims to diversity city contracting

The city of Harrisburg spent about $150 million on contracts for goods and services between 2017 and 2021. Slightly more than 7% of the total went to Black-, women- veteran-, and other minority-owned contractors, according to estimates in a study published last fall on contracting disparities in Pennsylvania’s capital. If spending had been in line with […]

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Lancaster ag firms scoop up farm assets

A longtime Lancaster County farming family has sold off most of its operations to a pair of local ag companies. The Esbenshade family sold its feed mill, swine operations and related properties to The Wenger Group and its shell-egg operations to Kreider Farms. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed in yesterday’s announcement of the two deals. The […]

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Podcast: The business of farming

Advanced technology is sowing the seeds, often literally, for the future of farming. Automated and AI-powered tools can plant seeds, assess crop health and pick the finished product from the field — or greenhouse. But technology alone won’t save farmers. They also need to rethink and reinvent their business models. This edition of the YCEA […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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.

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New PA venture fund in the works

Two regional venture capital firms are joining forces to raise a new investment fund that will funnel early-stage capital to startups across Pennsylvania, with a focus on rural areas of the state. State College-based 1855 Capital and York-based White Rose Ventures hope to raise about $40 million for the new fund, dubbed Keystone Innovation Fund II, which they will co-manage. […]

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VC firms land government funding

State officials are directing federal funds toward venture capital firms they hope can jumpstart early-stage tech companies in Pennsylvania. The firms are Allegheny County-based BTVC Fund I LLP, which is receiving $1.5 million, and Atlanta-based Metallum Ventures LP, which is getting $2.25 million. The funding, announced yesterday, comes from the State Small Business Credit Initiative, a federal program that […]

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Hotel company Hersha poised to go private

A publicly traded hotel company founded in Harrisburg is going private in a deal valued at roughly $1.4 billion. Hersha Hospitality Trust, now based in Philadelphia, has agreed to be acquired by KSL Capital Partners, a Denver-based private equity firm that specializes in travel and leisure businesses. Under the deal, KSL is paying $10 per share […]

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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. […]

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Black-owned firms tapped for legal services program

McNees Wallace & Nurick has picked 10 small, Black-owned businesses to receive free legal services in the third annual installment of the Harrisburg-based law firm’s program to overcome barriers to business growth and success. The small businesses, introduced last week at a reception at the King Mansion in Harrisburg, hail from across Central Pennsylvania, as well […]

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Podcast: Support for diverse entrepreneurs

While much has been said about the barriers faced by women in business, you are likely to come away surprised nonetheless by what Sandy Bialek, Jen Heasley and Ashana Taylor have to say. The three York County women share their experiences as entrepreneurs in this edition of the YCEA Podcast, produced in partnership with biznewsPA. […]

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Report: PA lags on innovation, entrepreneurship

Pennsylvania has many of the ingredients for an economy powered by innovation and entrepreneurship, according to a report released today by Brookings Institution, a prominent think tank in Washington, D.C. However, the state has struggled to bake them into a dynamic, high-growth economy, putting large swaths of Pennsylvania at risk of stagnation, said the report, which offers […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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. […]

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House panel OKs small-biz tax credits for health plan costs

A state House panel yesterday passed legislation authorizing tax credits for small businesses that help their employees pay for health insurance. The legislation, which was adopted on a party-line vote, is designed to offset higher costs faced by people buying insurance through the Affordable Care Act. How would it work: Under House Bill 2550, businesses with […]

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HACC trustees OK sale, lease of more campus buildings

Trustees of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College voted yesterday to shed more real estate as they seek to close the school’s budget deficit. The school, which is getting a new president this week, already is selling two buildings in the York area. Joining them on the market are buildings in Gettysburg, Harrisburg and Lancaster. They include HACC’s […]

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Agency shelves controversial tax proposal

Pennsylvania’s tax collectors have dropped a controversial proposal designed to clarify the corporate income they believe should be taxed. Put forward in spring 2024, the proposed rule aimed to settle long-running sources of friction between the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and corporate taxpayers by defining just what kinds of business income are subject to taxation […]

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Guilty plea lodged in broadband subsidy fraud

The owner of a Lititz-area wireless company pleaded guilty yesterday to defrauding a federal program that subsidized broadband internet access during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Krandon Wenger allegedly claimed falsely that hundreds of his company’s customers lived on tribal lands, enabling it to collect […]

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TMI restart overcomes speed bump tied to grid connection

Baltimore-based power company Constellation Energy overcame a crucial hurdle yesterday in its bid to restart an idled nuclear plant on Three Mile Island in Dauphin County. Federal energy regulators gave Constellation clearance to connect the plant — now known as the Crane Clean Energy Center — to the grid by transferring connection rights held by […]

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Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc.

Jared Shure has been named general counsel and corporate secretary at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc. He succeeds James Comitale, who stepped down last month after five years with the Harrisburg-based discount retailer. Shure joins Ollie’s from specialty apparel retailer The Children’s Place, where he was chief administrative officer, general counsel and corporate secretary. Shure, who […]

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WellSpan Health

Dr. Kevin Lewis has been named chief physician executive at WellSpan Health. He succeeds Anthony Aquilina, who is retiring in July after a six-year stint as the top doctor for the regional health system based in York. In addition to his role as chief physician, Lewis will be president of WellSpan Medical Group and a board […]

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Case over property tax appeals divides high court

Pennsylvania’s top court split over a landmark decision allowing school districts to appeal property valuations based on the amount of fresh tax revenue the appeals might generate. The appeals are most likely to affect higher-value commercial, industrial and multifamily properties. But as long as school districts pick properties based on a policy designed solely on […]

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Saxton & Stump

Yuan Han has joined Saxton & Stump as senior counsel in the firm’s intellectual property and business litigation groups. Han focuses on drafting, prosecuting and managing patent portfolios across industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, semiconductors and medical devices. He is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese and provides training in U.S. patent law to firms […]

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Community Progress Council

Kim Soderberg has been named director of community relations at Community Progress Council, a York-based nonprofit community action agency. She succeeds Tom O’Connor, who was promoted to chief development officer. Soderberg will lead the organization’s grant strategy, identify new funding opportunities and collaborate across departments to strengthen community relationships and expand awareness of CPC’s programs. […]

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Court orders regulators to reconsider sewer merger

A decision by state regulators to block a utility deal involving Mechanicsburg-based Pennsylvania American Water is headed for a do-over. In a ruling last week, Commonwealth Court vacated the decision and asked regulators to take another look at the deal. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission relied on outdated legal precedents when it nixed Pennsylvania American’s roughly […]

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Carlisle redevelopment project gets more state aid

Pennsylvania is earmarking additional funding for the cleanup of a former industrial site in Carlisle slated for a mixed-use redevelopment. The state has awarded $750,000 toward environmental remediation on the site of the former Frog Switch & Manufacturing plant at 600 E. High St. in the borough. The company closed in July 2023 after more than a […]

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York developer unveils $4.6M hotel project

Another boutique hotel is coming to downtown York. Royal Square Development and Construction is unveiling plans for Mural Arts Hotel, a 20-room venue occupying a prominent, five-story building at 1 S. George St. on York’s Continental Square. It’s the first hotel project for York-based Royal Square, which has focused previously on retail and multifamily developments in […]

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The Hershey Co.

Mitchell Arends has been named chief supply chain officer at The Hershey Co., effective June 22. He succeeds Jason Reiman, who is retiring after a 30-year career with the company. Reiman will remain through April 2027 to ensure a smooth transition. Arends is currently executive vice president, principal operating officer and chief integrated supply chain […]

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Self-storage coming to former furniture store on West Shore

People used to swing by the former N.B. Liebman store on the Carlisle Pike in search of stuff that they wanted to fit inside their homes. They will soon be able to use the building to store stuff that doesn’t fit. An investor group led by developer Drew Bobincheck paid about $6.7 million for the […]

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Shapiro seeks conditions on lucrative tax break for data centers

Following up on a promise he made earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro yesterday unveiled the details of a fast track for data centers seeking state permits. In return for a speedier review, developers would have to meet minimum standards for protecting the environment, benefiting communities and creating jobs. The governor’s pitch includes a stick […]

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Catering business on the move

Lancaster-based Enck’s Plus Catering is planning to relocate next month to the Brossman Building in Ephrata as part of a broader investment by company owner Jim Hecker, according to manager Kylie Shea. In addition to moving his catering business to the building, Hecker also plans to open an authentic Italian American restaurant, called JaKob’s, there. The […]

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As sales fall, flooring firm files bankruptcy

A Harrisburg-area flooring supplier is heading for liquidation. Frontier Surfaces filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in mid-April after seeing its revenue cut by two-thirds in 2025, according to legal filings. It’s unclear what triggered the filing. Efforts to reach company founder and owner Scott Appel and his bankruptcy attorney were not successful. But the flooring industry, […]

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Jobless benefits bill clears final legislative hurdle

Tweaks to jobless benefits in Pennsylvania are heading to the governor’s desk. The state House yesterday followed the Senate in approving legislation that makes it easier for victims of domestic violence to qualify for unemployment benefits and delays benefit cuts that were scheduled to take effect next year. The changes drew bipartisan support, with Philadelphia-area Democratic […]

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Court upholds $55M sewer sale amid conflicting takes on customer impact

In 2022, state utility regulators approved the $55 million sale of a Chester County sewer system. A state appeals court overturned the approval in 2023 over concerns that the transaction would boost costs for customers. In a ruling yesterday, Pennsylvania’s highest court reversed the appeals court and approved the deal between Aqua Pennsylvania‘s wastewater arm and the […]

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PA Senate OKs bill to delay cuts in jobless benefits, ease access for domestic violence victims

State lawmakers from both parties are backing legislation that would make it easier for victims of domestic violence to qualify for unemployment benefits and delay benefit cuts that were scheduled to take effect next year. The measure, which passed in the Senate this week, was designed initially to help people who might be forced by a […]

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Feds take aim at PA highway funds over CDL claims

The U.S. Department of Transportation is threatening to withhold $75 million in federal highway funding earmarked for Pennsylvania after accusing the state of illegally issuing commercial driver’s licenses to what the agency describes as “dangerous foreign drivers.” The warning comes days after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an illegal immigrant from Uzbekistan who was […]

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Lancaster, developer forge deal over data center standards, community benefits

At a press conference yesterday, Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace unveiled an agreement between the city and Chirisa Technology Parks, the Virginia-based company spearheading development of data centers on the site of former printing plants in the city. The 32-page community benefits agreement requires Chirisa to meet standards in areas such as noise, power and water usage for […]

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PA budget a billion-dollar miss for business

After more than four months of gridlock, state lawmakers and Gov. Josh Shapiro sealed the deal yesterday on a state budget. The nearly $50.1 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that began in July delivers tax savings for lower-income state residents and pours $25 million into the childcare sector, which suffered from lapses in state […]

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Inch & Co. wins preliminary nod for York-area housing plan

York County developer Inch & Co. cleared an early hurdle in its new plan for a tract in suburban York that has been at the center of controversy for more than three years. At a meeting last night, supervisors in Manchester Township voted 4 to 1 to conditionally approve a preliminary plan for 83 detached single-family […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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Federal shutdown freezes SBA lending

The shutdown of the federal government is stalling a critical pipeline for loans to small businesses. Like the rest of the government, the U.S. Small Business Administration has been closed since Oct. 1. As a result, the agency is unable to formalize its guarantee to repay loans if small-business borrowers cannot. The guarantees encourage lenders to […]

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Attorney general pushing forward with power-line fight

Pennsylvania’s top lawyer plans to press ahead in a lawsuit over controversial power lines proposed for York and Franklin counties even after a federal court ruled in favor of the company behind the project. The decision by Attorney General Dave Sunday opens a new chapter in the four-year-old legal battle over the power lines, proposed […]

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Camp Hill restaurant proposal, other West Shore projects join hunt for state funds

One of Camp Hill’s most foreboding properties could be the key to a more prosperous future for the West Shore borough’s main commercial thoroughfare. Financial adviser Tony Conte and attorney Brian Hinkle are hoping to convert the former Masonic Temple at 2211 Market St. into a full-service restaurant with liquor license. The project aims to […]

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Lanco firms seek state funds for HQ upgrades, other projects

Some of Lancaster’s highest-profile companies are hoping to persuade state officials that their plans to upgrade corporate headquarters deserve a dose of public funding. Manufacturer Armstrong World Industries, event technology company Clair Global and flooring maker Ecore International are among applicants statewide angling for funds from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, or RACP, a grant program that backs projects statewide. […]

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Officials vie for funds to revive York city landmarks

Officials in York hope state funding can help them revive two city landmarks — a dilapidated church and a downtown post office that has been mostly vacant for more than a decade. Economic development agencies in York are seeking $4 million for the Post Office and $3 million for the church through a competitive state […]

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Money sought for high-profile Harrisburg-area projects

Developers are applying for state funds to upgrade some of the capital region’s largest underused buildings. They include an idled steel mill in Steelton and two vacant office towers in downtown Harrisburg — former state offices at 333 Market St. and the former federal building at 228 Walnut St. The state funds would come through […]

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City residents receptive to data center rules

Lancaster city residents voiced cautious optimism about proposed rules regulating data centers within the borders of one of the region’s most populous municipalities. But they worried the new zoning regime would be too late to govern data center proposals already on the table for the city. “I’m very happy to see the direction we’re heading […]

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Court orders further review in case over medical cannabis testing

In a 5-2 ruling last week, the state Supreme Court upheld the authority of state regulators to issue rules for testing medical marijuana products before they hit the shelves. The ruling overturns a 2023 decision by Commonwealth Court that found regulators had exceeded their authority. Nonetheless, Pennsylvania’s top court sent the case back to the lower […]

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Budget gridlock strains childcare programs

Childcare providers were already struggling to keep up with the demand for their services. Then came the deadlock over the state budget, which has lasted nearly three months. For each week without a state budget, providers in Central Pennsylvania are missing out on about $1.1 million in state subsidies, according to Christy Renjilian, executive director […]

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Pharma giant plowing millions into Lancaster County campus

Life sciences heavyweight GSK is investing up to $800 million into its Marietta-area campus with plans to boost capacity and produce cutting-edge vaccines targeting illnesses like pneumonia and meningitis. The project, described as the British company’s largest-ever investment in U.S. manufacturing, entails construction of a new 300,000 square-foot facility and refurbishment of an existing building, along with […]

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WellSpan, UnitedHealthcare remain locked in contract dispute

With less than three weeks before their contract expires, WellSpan Health and UnitedHealthcare remain embroiled in a war of words. UnitedHealthcare has been focused on what WellSpan charges for health care. For the York-based health system, the issue is the administrative hassles posed by working with the insurer. What’s the latest: In an online notice, UnitedHealthcare claimed WellSpan declined […]

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WellSpan, health insurer clash over contract renewal

Health insurer UnitedHealthcare and regional health system WellSpan Health are sparring over a new contract governing their relationship, affecting about 36,000 patients in the region. Both entities say they are negotiating in good faith and hope to reach a deal before the current contract expires at the end of October. Nonetheless, they are taking aim at each other’s business models. […]

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Study shows benefits from short-term medical cannabis use

Pennsylvania residents using medical cannabis to treat anxiety, chronic pain and other conditions saw improvements in their general health, emotional well-being, physical functioning and other quality-of-life measures over a three-month period, according to a study undertaken by researchers from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and funded by Organic Remedies, a Cumberland County medical-cannabis provider. Researchers recruited nearly […]

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Lancaster specialty medical practice sold

An equity-backed management company and one of its affiliated medical practices have acquired Keystone Urology Specialists, a medical practice with offices in Lancaster, Lebanon and Ephrata. The buyers are Solaris Health Holdings and The Centers for Advanced Urology, which does business as MidLantic Urology. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Following a short transition period, physicians […]

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WellSpan partnering to bring med school campus to York area

WellSpan Health has forged an agreement with Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University to develop a York area campus for the medical school in time for the 2027-28 school year. The campus would be the second outside of Philadelphia for the Katz School, which also has one in Bethlehem in partnership with St. Luke’s […]

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Highmark, specialty medical practice spar over reimbursement

Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health and a regional GI practice have been unable to negotiate a new reimbursement contract, resulting in the practice’s exit from the Highmark network. The financial sticking points have not been disclosed but the two sides said they are continuing to negotiate. The practice is US Digestive Health, which has a clinical headquarters in Lancaster County […]

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Data breach at Geisinger vendor affects 1M patients

Danville-based Geisinger health system this week disclosed a data breach that could affect more than a million of its patients. In its disclosure, Geisinger said it learned on Nov. 29 that a vendor’s former employee had accessed patient information two days after being fired. The vendor, Microsoft subsidiary Nuance Communications, cut off the ex-employee’s access to Geisinger records, notified […]

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Health-equity proposal spurs questions from state lawmakers

Insurers could soon be facing a new requirement if they want to sell policies through Pennsylvania’s subsidized health insurance marketplace, known as Pennie. The operator of the marketplace is proposing a regulation that would require insurers to become accredited in health equity. The Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority argues that health equity is a “well-recognized […]

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Select Medical’s workplace health unit files for IPO

Concentra, the occupational health subsidiary of Mechanicsburg-based rehab chain Select Medical, filed last week for an initial public offering of stock, though many of the details remain to be filled in — including the timing and share price for the IPO. Nonetheless, the filing presents a fairly detailed overview of Concentra, its operations and its outlook on the […]

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Construction begins on Carlisle-area mini hospital

WellSpan Health broke ground yesterday on the second of three mini hospitals it is opening in Cumberland and York counties. The latest small-format medical center is going up at 1201 Walnut Bottom Road in South Middleton Township, Cumberland County — expanding WellSpan’s reach in one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania. Dubbed WellSpan Carlisle Hospital, the […]

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Harrisburg U draws $5M gift to boost PT programs

Select Medical Corp., a national rehab chain based in Cumberland County, is giving $5 million to Harrisburg University of Science and Technology over the next five years. The gift, announced yesterday, will support the school’s undergraduate program in exercise science and a doctoral program for physical therapists. “We are thrilled to partner with Harrisburg University to shape the future […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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Court orders further review in case over medical cannabis testing

In a 5-2 ruling last week, the state Supreme Court upheld the authority of state regulators to issue rules for

Judge blocks hearing on data center appeal

In a one-page order issued yesterday morning, a Lancaster County judge agreed to block Lancaster’s zoning hearing board from considering issues related to multibillion-dollar data center projects in the city. The board was scheduled to hold a hearing Monday to air the appeal of a city resident who questioned how the data centers were being […]

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Zoning spat deepens over Lancaster data center

The developers behind a data center taking shape at the site of a former printing plant in Lancaster are pushing back in a fight over zoning for the facility. In a legal filing this week, the developers are asking a Lancaster County judge to rule in a dispute over whether the data center was classified […]

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Creditor cites criminal case in Heller bankruptcy

The indictment of Daryl Heller on federal fraud charges is spilling over into his bankruptcy case. A creditor in the bankruptcy case is citing the charges, filed earlier this month, as grounds for the court to appoint a trustee to oversee Heller’s finances or even to convert the case to a Chapter 7 liquidation. Heller filed […]

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Regional law firm sets CEO succession

After a decade leading the law firm he co-founded in 2015, James Saxton is preparing to take on a new role. Saxton plans to step down as CEO of Lancaster-based Saxton & Stump at the end of this year and become its chairman, where he will continue to work on strategic initiatives for the firm. The next […]

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Embracing change, creating value

James Saxton was working as a healthcare attorney at the law firm Stevens & Lee when he partnered with Christopher Stump to start a new firm in Lancaster in 2015. But the law was not Saxton’s only focus. “I was a big, big believer in marketing and business discipline,” he said. Saxton has put those […]

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Operations of troubled apartment complex handed to receiver

An independent receiver is now overseeing the beleaguered Governor’s Square apartments in Uptown Harrisburg. Under a court order finalized in late August by a Dauphin County judge, Midtown Asset Consulting LLC is taking over daily operations of the 222-unit affordable apartment complex, whose owner filed for bankruptcy more than two years ago. Midtown Asset’s first step is […]

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Lawsuit targets credit union over data breach at vendor

A local lawsuit related to a data breach at insurance and employee benefits brokerage Alera Group has prompted a local lawsuit. The lawsuit is not targeting Illinois-based Alera, however. It was filed last month against Members 1st Federal Credit Union, based in Hampden Township, Cumberland County. Filed in Cumberland County by a Members 1st employee, the lawsuit […]

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Feds lodge civil, criminal charges against Heller

Federal authorities have filed a pair of complaints against Daryl Heller alleging that the Lancaster County business owner defrauded investors in an ATM network that operated as a ponzi scheme. The charges, from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, echo accusations made over the […]

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York County winery cleared to reopen

A York County winery is back open after facing yet another court order to shut down. In a brief decision Friday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court cleared Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery in Lower Windsor Township to reopen while it pursues its appeal of a long-running case over its right to operate. Lower courts have consistently ruled […]

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ATM investors take aim at former Heller partners

A new lawsuit aims to implicate former business partners of Daryl Heller in the alleged ponzi scheme at the center of his legal troubles. The class-action lawsuit, filed in federal court this week, accuses Jerry Hostetter, Mir Jafer Ali “Buck” Joffrey, Randall Leaman and Dave Zook of helping Heller carry out the scheme, which the […]

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‘Resounding win’ for PA restaurants in suit over liquor fees

Restaurants in Pennsylvania overcame a key obstacle in their long-running effort to recover tens of millions of dollars in fees from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board that the restaurants argue they never should have been charged. In a 31-page ruling last week, a Commonwealth Court judge said the restaurants could pursue a class-action lawsuit against the […]

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Winery ordered to shut down after court hearing

It took a York County judge about 25 minutes to approve the closure of a business that has operated for more than 20 years. Barring any last-minute legal twists, Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery in Lower Windsor Township must close “immediately” under an order approved at a hearing yesterday morning before Court of Common Pleas Judge Matthew […]

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Winery loses appeal in fight to stay open

A state court rejected an appeal from a York County winery fighting orders that it shut down. The decision last week by Superior Court of Pennsylvania forestalls one of the last legal avenues available to Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery in its long-running battle with neighbors who want the venue to cease operations. The neighbors — Amanda […]

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Firm wins round in tax refund fight

A Pennsylvania appeals court sided last week with a corporate taxpayer that claimed state tax authorities were wrong to reject its petition for a refund. The company, a subsidiary of California-based electric utility Edison International, sought a refund for state taxes it paid in 2008 after an IRS audit in 2017 reduced its federal taxable income. […]

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Report finds signs of ponzi scheme at Heller ATM business

Business owner Daryl Heller has blamed several factors for the collapse of Paramount Management Group, the Lancaster-based ATM network that imploded last year in a morass of lawsuits. Those factors include rising interest rates, declining ATM usage and tighter regulatory requirements for the cash-dispensing machines, according to a report released this week by an examiner appointed […]

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Former controller accused of theft from regional business

A woman who worked as a senior controller at York-based Kinsley Enterprises allegedly funneled more than $95,000 from the company into an account for a Lancaster-area restaurant she and her husband own, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Pennsylvania State Police. The woman, Kathryn Khuc of Red Lion, allegedly disguised the payments so they […]

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Slowdown prompts more layoffs for lumber company

Less than a month after deciding to close a lumber operation in northwestern Pennsylvania, Weaber Inc. is consolidating operations in Lebanon County and laying off 145 workers. The lumber company is vacating a distribution center at 25 Keystone Drive in South Annville Township and shifting work to its headquarters location at 1231 Mount Wilson Road, also […]

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Lancaster flooring maker buys firm with Chambersburg plant

Lancaster-based flooring manufacturer Ecore International has acquired a firm based in New York state with operations in Franklin County. The company is HTI Recycling, a tire collection, recycling and crumb rubber manufacturing company based in Lockport. The deal also includes HTI subsidiaries D&G Heavy Equipment Leasing and Edge Rubber Recycling, which has a plant in Chambersburg. Terms of the deal were […]

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York-area confectioner buys West Shore firm

A York-area candy company has more than doubled its factory footprint after taking over a peer based in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County. After six decades of family ownership, The Warrell Corp. and its 230,000-square-foot plant have been sold to Wolfgang Confectioners, which operates out of a150,000 square-foot facility in Loganville. Terms of the transaction, which closed […]

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Harrisburg manufacturer sheds Florida porch division

MITER Brands, a Harrisburg-based manufacturer of doors, windows and other products, has divested a Florida-based unit that makes porch enclosures. Known as Eze-Breeze Porch Enclosures, the unit was acquired by its president, Bob Keller, in partnership with investment firm Jewell Hollow LLC and its managing partner, Zach Coopersmith. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. MITER acquired Eze-Breeze […]

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Lebanon lumber firm closes northwest PA operation

A Lebanon-area lumber company is closing an affiliate in northeastern Pennsylvania due to sluggish demand for its products. Between Aug. 25 and Sept. 8, South Annville Township-based Weaber Inc. is shuttering a facility in Titusville doing business as ChoiceWood and laying off its 46 workers, according to a notice filed with state and local officials. […]

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York County papermaker sets date to shutter Ohio plant

Spring Grove-based Pixelle Specialty Solutions has revised the timeline for closing its plant in Ohio. The papermaker said yesterday it plans to cease production at the plant in Chillicothe on Aug. 10. The plant employed more than 800 people earlier this year, but it is not clear how many work there now. The company initially […]

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Food biz unveils $19.1M plant in Lancaster

As sales of its signature bone broth boomed over the last several years, Kettle & Fire struggled to keep its products on store shelves. A new production facility in Lancaster County, unveiled during a ribbon-cutting yesterday, is expected to help meet the demand and then some, according to company founders and executives. The $19.1 million plant is […]

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Spring Grove papermaker gets more time on loan payment

Spring Grove-based papermaker Pixelle Specialty Solutions missed an interest payment on its debt due April 30, triggering a ratings downgrade from S&P Global. However, lenders are giving the company more time so it can close on the sale of a plant in Wisconsin and use the proceeds to make the interest payment and pay down debt. […]

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Lanco firm drawing up new digs

Manufacturer Breeo is eyeing an expansion at its site in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, where it assembles smokeless fire pits, products poised for a bump in sales thanks to the impact of tariffs on foreign-made competitors. “We’re still working through our plans, so it’s not set in stone yet,” said Breeo’s CEO and majority owner, Amos Stoltzfus. […]

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Steelton plant to close indefinitely, idling hundreds of workers

One of the capital region’s oldest and largest factories will be closing indefinitely this summer due to weak demand for its products, which include steel rails for trains, cranes and trolleys. Ohio-based steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs said Friday it plans by June 30 to wind down production at its plant in Steelton, along with plants in Conshohocken and Riverdale, […]

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Funding for manufacturing services restored

A federal agency restored funding for organizations that assist small and midsized manufacturers in 10 states. The Trump administration ended contracts with the organizations at the end of March but decided to restore their funding for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, according to a spokesperson for the National Institute […]

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Facing blowback, York County paper biz pauses plant closure

Following a fierce public outcry from elected officials in Ohio, Spring Grove-based papermaker Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC is hitting pause on plans to close its factory in Chillicothe, about 100 miles east of Cincinnati. Pixelle said last week it planned to close the plant over the next several weeks. The move threatened to idle the 800 people who […]

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York County papermaker closing Ohio plant

Spring Grove-based papermaker Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC said yesterday it is closing its plant in Chillicothe, Ohio, where about 800 people work. The move follows Pixelle’s sale earlier this month of a Wisconsin plant that employs about 260 people. “Each decision regarding Pixelle operations has been made after careful evaluation of what is best for […]

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Federal cuts hit manufacturing services providers

The federal government has canceled contracts with organizations that assist small and midsized manufacturers in 10 states, cutting off a major source of funding. Pennsylvania is not one of the 10. Nonetheless, the cancellations raise questions about the fate of similar organizations in the Keystone State, including York-based Mantec. The nonprofit receives federal funding via a […]

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Lancaster manufacturer winding down Philly subsidiary

Lancaster manufacturer Burnham Holdings Inc. is planning to wind down a subsidiary operating out of a plant in Philadelphia. Burnham’s move to shutter its subsidiary Crown Boiler is designed to streamline company operations and enhance efficiency. But it also reflects rising demand for more efficient boilers made by other Burnham subsidiaries, including U.S. Boiler, New Yorker Boiler and Velocity Boiler Works. Crown […]

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York County mulch business changes hands

A York County contractor has sold its mulch and soil division to a conglomerate that has been scooping up similar operations around the U.S. The deal includes mulch production facilities in West York Borough and Jackson Township, where the contractor, H&H General Excavating Co. is based. The buyer is Atlanta-based Oldcastle APG, a unit of Ireland-based building […]

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Capital-area manufacturer closing California plant

MITER Brands, a Harrisburg-based window and door manufacturer, plans to shutter a factory in Simi Valley, California, in early June and shift operations to plants in Arizona and California where the company has invested in expanding production, according to company spokesperson Nick Board. The Simi Valley plant, which is about 225,000 square feet, employs 397 […]

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Tariff uncertainty rattles factory sector

When tariffs took effect last week, leaders at JLS Automation decided to hold off a few days on importing a piece of equipment due in from Canada. It was not the threat of the tariffs as much as it was the potential for congestion at the border as shippers tried to avoid the extra charges, said Craig […]

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Real Estate

Developer closes on former factory sale

The former Frog, Switch & Manufacturing plant in Carlisle has officially changed hands. The Real Estate Collaborative, an arm of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corp., closed May 29 on its acquisition of the roughly 26.7-acre site at 600 E. High St. The sale price has not yet been recorded in county deed records, and Real Estate Collaborative chair […]

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Carlisle Country Club sold, renovations planned

It wasn’t long after he joined the board of Carlisle Country Club in late 2023 that business owner Mark Toigo grasped the venue’s financial challenges. “It was just burning cash,” Toigo said in an interview with biznewsPA. Rather than see the club and its golf course close, Toigo assembled a group of investors who bought the club […]

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AG settles claims against Lancaster-based property manager

Home365, a property management company with offices in Lancaster and Las Vegas, has agreed to pay $45,000 to settle allegations by Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday that it was slow to make repairs in response to tenant requests and, in other cases, did not return tenants’ security deposits. Both are violations of state law. Two-thirds […]

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What’s next for Penn State York?

Leaders in York County are focused on helping students, faculty and staff bracing for the closure of Penn State York. But they also have their eyes on what might come next for the 51-acre campus straddling York city and Spring Garden Township. “We obviously hope that it would continue to be of service to the […]

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Authority mulls offers for Harrisburg-area golf course

A Dauphin County authority is reviewing six proposals to buy the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course in suburban Harrisburg but is declining to share any additional details. The Dauphin County General Authority requested the proposals after receiving unsolicited bids from entities interested in putting data centers on the 228-acre course in Swatara Township. Authority board chair Barbara Zemlock refrained from […]

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School district to buy vacant office

A Dauphin County school district has agreed to buy a vacant office building at 4401 Deer Path Road in Susquehanna Township. Due to overcrowding in its existing spaces, the Susquehanna Township School District plans to use the 102,000-square-foot building for offices and classrooms, district superintendent Tamara Willis said in an interview with biznewsPA. The lender-owned […]

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Carlisle factory rehab snares state funds

Officials in Cumberland County cleared a major hurdle yesterday in their efforts to redevelop a former factory at the edge of Carlisle. They were awarded more than $10.2 million from a state program designed to prepare former industrial sites for reuse. “We’re super excited,” said Andrew Notarfrancesco, chair of the Real Estate Collaborative, a subsidiary of […]

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York-area industrial property goes for $7M, gets new tenant

A York County industrial property is changing hands and changing occupants. West Shore developer Drew Bobincheck paid $7 million for a tract at 3490-3510 Board Road in Manchester Township that includes a roughly 143,700-square foot building, according to county deed records. It also includes two small rental homes. The seller was an entity affiliated with Cardinal […]

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Authority eyes purchase of former Lancaster factory

The Lancaster City Revitalization & Improvement Zone Authority is putting together an offer to buy a former meat processing plant at 652 Manor St. and related office building at 655 Manor, according to Jeremy Young, the authority’s acting managing director. The properties were home to Kunzler & Company but closed last year after the company was acquired by […]

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Former Harrisburg Catholic school slated for sheriff’s sale

A plan to open a farmer’s market at the former property of Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg is going forward, even though there is now a foreclosure notice posted for the property, according to court records and the owner of the property. On March 19, a $2.2 million mortgage foreclosure notice was filed on […]

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Regional retail portfolio on the block

A portfolio of 16 shopping centers across Central and eastern Pennsylvania is hitting the market. The centers, including some in Cumberland, Lebanon and York counties, are managed by Vastgood Properties LLC, a Port Washington, New York-based firm that owns them alongside other investors, according to Vastgood CEO Leo Ullman. Ullman referred questions about the sale listing to the […]

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Authority tees up potential golf course sale amid data center demand

A suburban Harrisburg golf course is the latest plot of land in the region to draw attention from developers of data centers, power-hungry computing facilities that are vital to the growth of artificial intelligence. Would-be buyers with data centers in mind have shown an appetite for the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course, according to Jeanette Krebs, […]

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Industrial building sells for $9M

An industrial park in northern York County has attracted another out-of-state investor. An affiliate of New York-based real estate investment firm The Lightstone Group paid $9 million for an industrial building at 503-509 Industrial Drive in the Fairview Industrial Park in Fairview Township, according to county deed records. The seller was an affiliate of High Street Logistics Properties, […]

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As buying season nears, rates weigh on regional housing market

The residential real estate market is poised to enter the traditionally busy spring and summer season. But buyers in Central Pennsylvania are still waiting for interest rates to slide before making the move to a new home, according to local real estate agents and lenders. The hesitation is showing up in statistics showing homes sitting […]

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Harrisburg-area mall up for sale again

The Colonial Park Mall, a suburban Harrisburg retail destination being eyed for redevelopment, is back on the market. The 31-acre mall property, which changed hands last fall at a price of $8.8 million, is listed for sale by R.J. Brunelli & Co., a real estate firm based in Old Bridge, New Jersey. “We’re currently marketing it to developers,” Mario […]

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West Shore office building changes hands

A local firm paid $10 million for a renovated office building on the West Shore. The building at 275 Grandview Ave. in East Pennsboro Township was owned by a partnership headed by developer Drew Bobincheck. He sold it this week to an affiliate of Select Capital Commercial Properties LLC, a Mechanicsburg-based real estate investment firm that has […]

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Gannett Fleming to relocate to smaller HQ

One of the region’s largest engineering firms is on the move. Gannett Fleming TranSystems is planning to relocate from its longtime offices in East Pennsboro Township to new space in Silver Spring Township, according to real estate firm CBRE. Gannett Fleming will be leasing 100,000 square feet at 100 and 300 Sterling Parkway, part of an office […]

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Owner plans farmers’ market at former Harrisburg school

Jeremy Hunter, owner of the former Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, is pivoting. Hunter had been trying to sell the building in order to satisfy an agreement with creditors, who moved to foreclose on the property. Under the agreement, he must pay off about $2 million in debt attached to the building or face […]

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Technology

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 […]

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Doceo leader talks succession, expansion

When John Lewis interviews younger job applicants these days, he fields questions he did not typically hear a decade ago. Applicants are asking more pointed questions about the future of Doceo, the regional office equipment and IT services company that he leads as president and CEO. “There’s no question that, when we are talking to […]

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PA STARTUP TAPS INTO THE POWER OF HOME INSPECTIONS

Home inspectors gather reams of information as they poke around houses that are about to change hands. In some cases, the information prompts buyers to back out of a deal or demand concessions, such as a new roof or a lower price. But in many cases, the information is simply dumped into a binder or […]

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Region left out of federal tech hub awards

For the second time this month, a local group has come up short in a bid to attract high-profile federal funding. The first was an effort led by Harrisburg-based Team Pennsylvania to land money for a clean-hydrogen hub. The Team PA effort was not among those given awards. The second was an effort by a diverse group to […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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.

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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AAA Central Penn

AAA Central Penn has welcomed Shaun Balani, Tracy Grajewski, Shanice Mariluz and Velma Redmond to its board of directors. Balani, now retired, was CEO and majority shareholder of Travel Time Travel Agency Inc. for 32 years. He most recently worked as a Vistage chair, helping a community of CEOs of small to mid-size companiesnetwork and […]

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Retiring health system CEO hailed as ‘transformational leader’

Steve Massini is planning to retire this fall as CEO of Penn State Health following a five-year tenure marked by significant growth for the health system but also challenges for its transplant programs. Massini oversaw the construction and opening of new hospitals in Cumberland and Lancaster counties, two of the region’s most competitive healthcare markets. Massini also […]

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The LGBT Center of Central PA

Amber Roadcap has been named executive director of The LGBT Center of Central PA. Roadcap worked most recently in a marketing role at Malvern Health. She began her career as a crisis intervention counselor at Geisinger Holy Spirit Hospital. Roadcap previously volunteered at the LGBT Center, which is moving this year to a permanent home at […]

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Appell Center for the Performing Arts

Six new board members have been named to the board of directors for the Appell Center for the Performing Arts in York. They are: Suzanne Becker, Traditions Bank Mark Holman, retired from Susquehanna Township School District Juliet Kinsley, Ellis Lee Marketing & Graphic Design Eric Menzer, York Professional Baseball Christine Nentwig, CGA Law Firm Brian […]

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Saxton & Stump

Robert Pontz has joined Lancaster-based law firm Saxton & Stump as chair of the bankruptcy and financial restructuring group. Pontz also is now a shareholder of the firm and a member of its business/corporate and banking/financial services groups. Pontz, who has more than three decades of legal experience, was most recently a partner at Lancaster-based Brubaker […]

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Officials embrace upcoming auction as chance for mall rebirth

Officials in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, are hoping that an online auction for the Colonial Park Mall yields a buyer interested in redeveloping the roughly 31-acre site. As a reminder of the site’s potential, they held a press conference June 19 to note that the retail property was zoned in 2020 to encourage mixed-use […]

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Barley Snyder

Kyle M. Kelly has joined the Lancaster office of Barley Snyder as a member of the law firm’s business practice group. Before joining Barley Snyder, Kelly worked at a Pittsburgh law firm where he managed middle-market M&A for private equity and corporate clients. He also worked as a judicial intern for the North Carolina Court […]

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Ollie’s poised to buy stores from bankrupt retailer

A court order is paving the way for Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc. to purchase 11 stores in Texas from discount retailer 99 Cents Only Stores, which filed for bankruptcy in April. A Delaware bankruptcy judge this week approved Ollie’s as a stalking-horse bidder for the properties as part of a court-supervised sale, meaning the company is […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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