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Banking & Finance

Banks, retailers spar over swipe-fee legislation

Pennsylvania banks and credit unions are pushing back on proposed state legislation that would exempt the sales-tax portion of retail purchases from so-called swipe or interchange fees — the fees charged by financial services companies for processing credit card payments. The fees are typically 1% to 3% of a transaction. Under the exemption, on a […]

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Lanco financial firm merges with Denver peer

The slowdown in home lending has challenged banks and mortgage brokers over the last year. But it has created opportunities for the firms that offer them advice and technology to improve their operations. It is those opportunities that helped spur a merger for Teraverde, a financial software and consulting company based in East Hempfield Township Lancaster […]

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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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Regional benefits firms merge

Lemoyne-based insurance and benefits agency Gunn-Mowery is expanding its footprint in York County The firm has acquired Central Penn Benefits, an insurance and benefits agency in West Manchester Township, York County. Terms of the transaction, which closed May 1, were not disclosed. But Central Penn Benefits will continue to operate under its own name and from its existing […]

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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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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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York adopts new financing tool for green projects

York County commissioners last week approved the county’s participation in a program that offers specialized financing tools for clean-energy and energy-efficiency projects.  The program, offered in partnership with Schnecksville-based Sustainable Energy Fund, is called the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy program, or C-PACE. How does it work: Commercial and nonprofit property owners tap the program to […]

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First Dauphin branch in the works for F&M Trust

The chief banking subsidiary of Chambersburg-based Franklin Financial Services has broken ground on a new branch at 4765 Linglestown Road in Lower Paxton Township. It will be F&M Trust‘s first free-standing, full-service branch in Dauphin County.  “It’s a natural progression of our growth and activity in the capital region, specifically Dauphin County,” F&M Trust president and CEO Tim […]

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State rolls out home-energy loan program

Pennsylvania officials are tapping an Allentown-based lender to operate a statewide program funneling money to homeowners who want to make their homes more energy efficient. The program, called the Keystone Energy Efficiency Program, could provide up to $10 million in loans to eligible homeowners in amounts ranging from $2,000 to $25,000. The amounts are generally […]

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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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West Shore distributor sells stake to PE firm

R.F. Fager Co., a West Shore distributor of plumbing, heating, roofing and other supplies, has a new partner. New York-based private equity firm Tenex Capital Management has made an undisclosed investment in the company. Efforts to reach R.F. Fager and Tenex were not successful, But in a statement to trade publication PE Hub, Tenex managing director Gabe Wood […]

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Regional home-services company sold

New York-based private equity firm Broad Sky Partners has snapped up Punctual Pros, a regional franchisee for three high-profile consumer-facing brands. Based in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, Punctual Pros serves customers across Central Pennsylvania as an operator of One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Mister Sparky Electrical franchises. The company is hoping to expand its footprint through acquisitions, […]

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Inflation, rising rates weighed on dealmaking

Rising interest rates and record inflation stifled mergers and acquisitions last year, leading to an 18% drop in activity compared to 2022 for Central and southeastern Pennsylvania, according to a report this week by accounting and professional services RKL LLP. Lancaster and the capital area bucked the regional decline, which reflected the national scene.  Nonetheless, M&A […]

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Weis pressured over climate, supply chain disclosures

A nonprofit investor that tracks corporate performance on environmental, social and governance issues is asking Sunbury-based Weis Markets to beef up its disclosures on climate change and supply chain risks. The Massachusetts-based nonprofit, The Accountability Board, is seeking a shareholder vote on the issue during Weis’s annual meeting this spring. The resolution calls on Weis to produce a […]

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Local bank aims for the stars

Mid Penn Bancorp is fielding a sports and entertainment division designed to cater to the financial needs of high-profile athletes and entertainers. The unit formalizes an area where Mid Penn already has been making inroads, said Jordan Space, the bank’s COO. Many celebrities have come to know and trust the Harrisburg-based bank through its annual celebrity golf […]

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Statewide venture fund makes first investments

Four months after taking the field, a statewide venture fund is taking its first shots. The so-called GO PA Fund has invested in two companies, a financial technology firm based in Swarthmore and an advertising tech company based in New York, albeit with roots and some operations in Philadelphia. The fintech company is LoanStar Technologies, which […]

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Construction

Inch taps construction vet for ops/finance chief

Inch & Co. Holdings, a York County construction and real estate development firm, has hired Mike Benshoof as its first-ever chief operations and financial officer. Benshoof, a construction industry veteran, was most recently president of Berks Homes, a regional home builder with offices in Mohnton, New Cumberland and State College. “We’re very, very happy to have […]

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Building a national brand from a West Shore base

Soon after founding West Shore Home nearly 20 years ago, B.J. Werzyn envisioned turning the home-remodeling business into a nationwide brand. It was not a vision that was readily embraced, given the company’s humble beginnings in an industry long dominated by local contractors. “When you’re one location here in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, with 50 employees and […]

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Firms partner on $18.6M apartment project in Lebanon

Lebanon-based construction company Arthur Funk & Sons Inc. is teaming up with a Wisconsin-based developer to build a 48-unit affordable apartment complex on a roughly five-acre plot along Mount Pleasant Road in South Annville Township, Lebanon County A formal groundbreaking is scheduled for July 15, but site work already is underway, said Matthew Padron, managing director […]

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House OKs expansion to prevailing-wage law

A controversial effort to tweak Pennsylvania’s prevailing-wage law has cleared a key hurdle. The Democratic-controlled state House this week passed a bill containing the tweaks on a vote of 125 to 77, sending it to an uncertain future in the GOP-controlled Senate. What are the tweaks: The legislation, House Bill 2153, would apply prevailing wages […]

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Proposed tweaks to prevailing wage spur debate

Contractors and some lawmakers are pushing back against efforts to change how Pennsylvania officials apply prevailing wage law, which sets a floor for wages on publicly funded construction projects. Their target is legislation before the state House and Senate that critics argue will drive up costs for public works. “It’s simply the wrong solution for […]

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High court to hear dispute over prevailing wage

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving application of prevailing wages to a $17.2 million build-to-lease project for a State Police barracks and training center in Luzerne County. Administrative rulings sought to apply prevailing wages to the project, based on the notion that the state’s 20-year lease for the property essentially […]

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Retirement community plans $27M building project

Senior-living provider Landis Homes plans to erect 35 villa-style residential units on the western edge of its campus in Manheim Township, Lancaster County.  The $27 million project reflects continuing demand for retirement living — 34 of the units have already been pre-sold — said Corey Hamilton, CFO for the nonprofit. The units, mostly two-bedrooms, will range in […]

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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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Insurers sue local contractors over recycling-plant fire

On March 8, 2022, a fire ripped through a Penn Waste recycling facility in Manchester Township, York County, knocking it out of commission.  Now, three Penn Waste insurers are suing local contractors involved in building the facility and installing its sprinkler system. The insurers, which include Connecticut-based XL Insurance, are seeking to recover $26 million in damages from […]

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Engineering firm opens MD, western PA offices

A Harrisburg-area engineering firm has added two new offices, including its first-ever location in Maryland. HRG has opened offices in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and Hagerstown, Maryland, hoping to make greater inroads in both areas. The additions bring the firm, based in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, to a dozen offices, with 10 in Pennsylvania and one each […]

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Shapiro labor directive triggers blowback

Business groups are decrying a recent directive from Gov. Josh Shapiro designed to increase the state’s use of project labor agreements, deals that generally require the use of union labor on public projects. Issued last week, the directive calls on state agencies to review contract solicitations for capital projects to determine which ones would be good fits […]

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Deal brings Gannett Fleming a bigger piece of Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas, including spending on roads, bridges, pipes and other infrastructure. “It’s the place to be in our world,” said Bob Scaer, CEO of engineering firm Gannett Fleming. “And you can’t penetrate that by hiring a person to start growing. The only way in is acquisition.” For Camp Hill-based Gannett Fleming, that acquisition […]

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Economy

entrepreneurship

Food

NY firm buys Harrisburg-area property

QPG 19th Street Industrial LLC, an affiliate of  New York-based real estate investment firm Quad Property Group, paid $5.55 million for a roughly 64,000-square-foot industrial building at 1830 S. 19th St. in Harrisburg. The seller, Lancaster-based Scheler Realty LLC, paid $2.6 million for the property in 2007, according to county deed records. The building is 100% […]

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Mid Penn Bank

Dana Stewart has been named COO of Mid Penn Bank effective Jan. 5. He succeeds Jordan Space, who will continue to lead Mid Penn’s private bank and manage its insurance and wealth management subsidiaries under the umbrella of MPB Financial Services LLC. Stewart, who has more than 35 years of experience in financial services, worked most […]

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Adviser pushes back on agency penalty, wants jury trial

Should a Pennsylvania financial adviser accused of securities fraud be entitled to a jury trial before being subjected to a nearly $1 million civil penalty? A national legal watchdog hopes the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will say yes, even though a lower court already said no. “When the government seeks to impose life-altering financial penalties for […]

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Land, retail space leased

Mavis Tires & Brakes leased land on Old York Road near the Fairview Shopping Plaza in New Cumberland. The company plans to build and open a store there by the end of 2026. Laura Martin of SVN Latus Commercial Realty Group facilitated the lease transaction. An additional 2.6 acres are available for lease at the site. […]

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McNees Wallace & Nurick

Stephen Cerutti, a former assistant U.S. attorney, has joined the Harrisburg office of regional law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick. He is part of the firm’s white collar defense, public corruption and investigations group. Before joining McNees, Cerutti spent more than 25 years with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg. He worked […]

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‘It can’t be cookie-cutter’: New leader fine-tunes donut chain’s approach

Devon Mailey became interim CEO of Duck Donuts in January 2025 following the resignation of Betsy Hamm, who led the chain through a growth spurt following the Covid-19 pandemic. Growth continued this year under Mailey’s leadership — and the interim tag was removed from her title in December. But she has spent a good chunk […]

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Barley Snyder

Lancaster-based law firm Barley Snyder has hired three attorneys to start the year. Hyo Jin “Jinnie” Lee has joined the firm’s food and agribusiness group. A trained pastry chef and food entrepreneur, Lee worked most recently as a judicial law clerk for the Berks County Court of Common Pleas. Lee has a law degree from […]

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Lancaster company tacks on another specialty manufacturer

Building products manufacturer Armstrong World Industries Inc. is continuing a buying spree that began nearly a decade ago. The company, based in Manor Township, Lancaster County, said this week it purchased Parallel Architectural Products, its 14th acquisition since 2016. Based in Englewood, Colorado, Parallel employs about 25 people and makes extruded aluminum products used on building exteriors.  An Armstrong […]

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Donut shop planned for York-area tract

A Dunkin’ Donuts is slated to open this summer on a long-vacant tract at the intersection of Route 30 and Biesecker Road in Jackson Township, west of York city, according to Blake Shaffer, a senior associate at York-based Bennett Williams Commercial, who facilitated a sale of the property at the end of 2025. Red Lion-based GN Realty Thomasville […]

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SECCO Electric

Harrisburg-based contractor SECCO Electric has promoted two long-time employees to leadership roles. Darren Evanoff has been promoted to vice president of business development and estimating, while Dave Edmondson has been promoted to vice president of operations. Evanoff joined SECCO in 2005 and has been leading the company’s estimating team, building strong client relationships and supporting […]

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Orrstown Financial Advisors

Matthew Alpert has been named executive vice president and chief wealth officer of Orrstown Financial Advisors, the wealth management arm of Orrstown Bank. It’s a new position for the organization, according to an Orrstown spokesperson. Alpert worked previously in leadership roles at Wells Fargo, where he managed and developed teams providing financial solutions to high-net-worth individuals and […]

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Lawsuit targets West Shore Home over allegedly unpaid work

Home improvement contractor West Shore Home is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging it failed to pay hourly sales reps for work they performed before and after their shifts began, charges that have been lobbed at numerous companies over the years The lawsuit alleges that West Shore Home sales reps had to log into their computers and work-related […]

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McNees Wallace & Nurick

Susan Grosh has joined the family and collaborative law group of Harrisburg-based law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick. Grosh worked most recently at a Lancaster-based law firm and is based in McNees’ Lancaster office. She has spent more than 40 years representing clients in a wide array of family law matters, including divorce, custody, support, […]

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Job cuts hit Lancaster newspaper ahead of ownership change

Lancaster-based news publisher LNP Media Group is trimming staff ahead of its transfer to startup nonprofit Always Lancaster. The cuts affect 11 staff members, five from the news side and six from operations, according to a spokesperson for Always Lancaster. A spokesperson for LNP’s current parent, Pennon, declined to comment before the organization completes the deal with […]

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Manufacturer hands off asbestos liabilities

Lancaster County boiler maker Burnham Holdings Inc. has shaken off its liability for asbestos claims through what is an increasingly common type of transaction. Under the deal, Burnham sold subsidiaries housing the liabilities to affiliates of a firm that specializes in managing them, a Florida-based firm called Financial Asset Recovery Analytics LLC.  The transaction will have no […]

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REIT buys Harrisburg-area veterinary office

A Harrisburg-area office of veterinary practice Animal Hospital of Dauphin County was sold in a lease-back deal to Terramed Real Estate Solutions, a Bala Cynwyd-based real estate investment trust specializing in veterinary, ophthalmology and fertility properties.  Practice owner Dr. Rob Sarsfield received just over $1.9 million in equity in Terramed, which owns more than 650,000 square feet […]

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Feds delay picking new airline service for Lancaster airport

Southern Airways, a Dallas-based airline that operates federally subsidized flights out of Lancaster Airport, is getting an extension.  The airline’s current subsidies were slated to expire at the end of 2025, but they have been extended through the end of April, according to an order issued Jan. 2 by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The federal […]

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Investment Real Estate Group of Companies

Mark Gallo has been named district manager for the Jersey district of Investment Real Estate Group of Companies, a York-based operator of self-storage facilities. Gallo worked previously as district general manager at H&R Block in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, for 19 years, where he oversaw 30 retail offices. For Investment Real Estate, Gallo will oversee operations […]

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Government

Regional projects land state funding

High-profile construction projects around the region are in line for millions of dollars in state funding under grant awards disclosed Friday. Beneficiaries include a proposed sports complex in North York, a residential project underway in Lancaster County and the planned makeover of Harrisburg’s former federal building. They are among more than 400 projects statewide awarded […]

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Guv signs off on new tax-appeal option

Pennsylvania taxpayers are poised to get a new avenue for disputing tax bills they don’t like.  Under legislation signed into law yesterday by Gov. Josh Shapiro, state officials will be rolling out independent mediation as a way to settle tax disputes before they reach state courts. Under previous law, taxpayers interested in a settlement would negotiate […]

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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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State testing $10M program to boost housing supply

State officials yesterday unveiled a pilot grant program designed to fund mixed-use projects with a residential component. State officials see the $10 million program as a first step in addressing the shortage of affordable housing in Pennsylvania, a shortage that is drawing attention at every level of government. Funding is available for preparing sites for […]

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House OKs tax credits for new power generation

Companies that build or expand power plants in Pennsylvania stand to benefit from millions of dollars in tax credits under legislation approved in the state House. However, the companies would have to navigate complicated criteria to claim the credits, including requirements capping carbon emissions and setting minimum thresholds for capital spending. The legislation updates a […]

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PA revenue chief, state senator clash over tax-records request

A Pennsylvania state senator is escalating his dispute with the state revenue department over tax records related to an economic development zone in the Lehigh Valley. For the last few months, Sen. Jarrett Coleman has been seeking tax records related to a state-sanctioned improvement zone in downtown Allentown and questioning whether taxpayers are getting their […]

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State opens portal for reporting data breaches

Pennsylvania’s attorney general has set up an online portal where companies in Pennsylvania will be required to report data breaches under amendments enacted this year to the state’s breach notification laws. Signed into law in June, the amendments require companies to report breaches that affect at least 500 Pennsylvanians starting Sept. 26. In preparation for […]

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$450M project taking shape on former state hospital grounds

The grounds of the former Harrisburg State Hospital are heading for a makeover. The Pennsylvania Department of General Services yesterday unveiled plans to build a $450 million laboratory complex on the 30-acre property, which has been mostly vacant since 2006. The project includes a new $325 million, 300,000 square-foot joint lab to be shared among […]

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In York speech, Trump pledges ‘pro-American overhaul’ to boost manufacturing

In a roughly 50-minute speech yesterday afternoon at a York factory, former President Donald Trump argued that, if elected for another term, he would usher in a U.S. manufacturing boom driven by higher tariffs, lower taxes, better trade deals and a reduction in energy costs. “Together, we will reclaim our nation’s destiny as the No. […]

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York-area manufacturer resolves harassment claims

York County manufacturer AMZ Manufacturing has struck a deal settling federal allegations that it failed to take adequate action after two women complained about sexual harassment at one of its plants. The charges, filed last year, alleged violations of Title VII, the federal law barring discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin or religion. According to the […]

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Grant swells funding for $75M Codorus Greenway project

Federal funds are boosting plans to transform the banks of the Codorus Creek in York. The York County Economic Alliance has landed a $15 million infrastructure grant to help pay for the transformation plan, known as the Codorus Greenway project. “It’s certainly a big chunk, and it definitely helps propel the project,” said Kevin Schreiber, CEO of […]

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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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Panel OKs rules for professional licensing of ex-convicts

A state review panel signed off June 20 on rules designed to make it easier for people with criminal records to earn professional licenses. The approval is one of the final steps needed before the rules take effect. The Department of State, which oversees professional licensing in Pennsylvania, first proposed the rules in 2022. They […]

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Revamp of Harrisburg’s former federal office building snags affordable-housing funds

A state agency is showering about $7.4 million on Central Pennsylvania developers and nonprofits aiming to alleviate the shortage of affordable housing and combat homelessness. The grants announced this month by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency range in size locally from less than $50,000 to an award of $500,000, which is being given to a construction company […]

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Accenture, a major state contractor, opens Harrisburg office

Accenture, which has landed some big-ticket state contracts, has opened an office in downtown Harrisburg at 20 N. Second St. The international professional services firm is leasing about 3,100 square feet on two floors of the building, which is also home to lobbying and communications firm Bravo Group. Accenture, which also has an office in Philadelphia, […]

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House panel OKs controversial swipe-fee legislation

In a party-line vote, a House panel approved legislation on June 12 to exempt Pennsylvania sales taxes from so-called swipe fees — the fees assessed to process transactions involving credit cards. Fourteen Democrats on the committee voted for the legislation, House Bill 2394, while 11 Republicans were opposed. The exemption would mean that on a $1 […]

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Health Care

Court backs state claim to insurance fund surplus

For three years in a row, former Gov. Tom Wolf and state lawmakers tried to get their hands on surplus money held by Pennsylvania’s medical malpractice insurer of last resort. The insurer fought back, arguing that, as a private entity, its multimillion-dollar surplus should remain beyond the reach of public officials. Wolf and state legislators […]

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Legal woes mount for Lancaster-based ATM operator

Claims against a Lancaster-based ATM network took on new forms during a roughly one-hour hearing held Friday afternoon in a Lancaster County courtroom.   An attorney representing disgruntled investors in the network raised concerns about money flows involving the network’s operator, Paramount Management Group, and questioned whether the operator had inflated the number of ATMs it owned. […]

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Case tests corporate liability for defunct subsidiary

Is a company still liable for a subsidiary’s legal problems even after the subsidiary is legally dissolved? That’s an issue being taken up by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the context of asbestos class-action lawsuits filed against Dravo, a former shipbuilder and manufacturer based in Pittsburgh. The question is whether Dravo’s asbestos liabilities should pass to Carmeuse Lime Inc. […]

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Court tosses developer’s lawsuit over township fees

Plenty of developers have likely wondered how cities and townships calculate the fees they charge for construction permits. Harrisburg-area developer Triple Crown Corp. took its questions all the way to Commonwealth Court, where it argued that fees charged by Lower Allen Township in Cumberland County for two apartment projects were unreasonable and unconstitutional. The case was […]

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High court reverses ruling in tax-refund case

Pennsylvania is dodging a fiscal bullet thanks to a ruling handed down yesterday by the state’s highest court. At issue was a corporate taxpayer’s demand for a $2 million refund after a tax structure was declared unconstitutional. The Commonwealth Court ruled last year that the state should pay the refund. But a divided Supreme Court reversed the […]

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Deal would transfer control of beleaguered Harrisburg apartments

Under a proposed settlement filed in court last week, the owner of an embattled Harrisburg apartment complex is agreeing to cede control of the property to an independent receiver and to convert its bankruptcy case to a liquidation. The deal, which requires court approval, would end a festering dispute between the city and the apartment […]

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York-area manufacturer sued over alleged retaliation

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

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Court OK sought for bankruptcy sale of Harrisburg-area winery

The bankrupt owner of Spring Gate Winery in suburban Harrisburg is seeking court permission for a sale of the winery and some of its assets, including its beer and wine licenses. According to court filings this week, Schoffstall Farm LLC is asking for approval of a sale to Nitin Patel, who would pay $2.85 million for the winery. The […]

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

The bankrupt property owner trying to sell Governor’s Square apartments in Harrisburg has complained in the past that the city of Harrisburg is thwarting its sales effort, and it’s now asking a bankruptcy judge to intervene. In a court filing last week, Maryland-based Uptown Partners LP asked a judge to order the city to “cease and desist from […]

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Federal charges prompt suspension of York County judge

York County Judge Steven Stambaugh has been suspended without pay in the wake of federal allegations that he orchestrated an unemployment fraud scheme at his York-based personal-injury law firm, Stambaugh Law PC. The suspension was handed down yesterday by the state’s court of judicial discipline following a motion from the state judicial conduct board, th “The […]

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Court docs disclose $2.8M offer for bankrupt winery

A potential deal is on the table for Spring Gate Winery in suburban Harrisburg. A buyer named Nitin Patel has offered $2.8 million for the winery, whose parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, according to court records.  The offer sets a floor for other potential bidders in a bankruptcy auction slated to unfold this […]

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Developer appeals ruling that blocks York-area warehouse rezoning

Inch & Co. is appealing a York County court ruling that blocks the company from building a warehouse on land south of Route 30 in Manchester Township. The move continues a nearly two-year-old battle over the 52.7-acre site, which borders the Prospect Hill Cemetery. Some neighbors have opposed the warehouse plans since they became public, […]

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PA court rules in Covid-era insurance case

Insurers do not have to cover lost revenue for businesses that were forced to shut down during the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s according to a ruling handed down yesterday by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in a class-action lawsuit originally filed in Allegheny County court by a dental practice. The decision resolves conflicts between lower […]

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Lenders balk at bankrupt winery’s reorganization plan

The bankruptcy sale of Spring Gate Winery is facing some headwinds. In legal filings this month, two lenders came out against the reorganization plan filed by the Harrisburg-area winery’s parent company, Schoffstall Farm LLC. At issue is the distribution of the proceeds from a sale of the winery, should a buyer be found. One lender, Horizon Farm Credit, is objecting to […]

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Harrisburg seeks dismissal of apartment owner’s bankruptcy case  

The city of Harrisburg is asking a federal court to dismiss the bankruptcy case of Uptown Partners LP, the Maryland-based owner of the Governor’s Square apartment complex in uptown Harrisburg In a filing last month, the city argues that the deteriorating apartment complex is “unlikely” to find a buyer and that state court would be a […]

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Employment provision under scrutiny in PA

Noncompete clauses were the focus when federal regulators moved to outlaw most of them earlier this year. But there are other employment provisions that can have the same “functional effect” as noncompetes, according to the Federal Trade Commission. And one subtype of those provisions is coming under scrutiny in Pennsylvania. They are provisions that require […]

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Manufacturing

NEW UNION VOTE ORDERED AT HERSHEY PLANT

To settle allegations that it violated federal law during a union election at a Virginia plant, The Hershey Co. has agreed to a do-over under a settlement with federal regulators. In the original election, held in early 2022, workers at the Stuarts Draft plant rejected joining the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union. But the […]

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Box maker eyes big investments in PA

One of the worlds’ largest recycled cardboard-box makers is planning to plow $500 million over the next decade into its Pennsylvania operations, which include a plant in the Carlisle area. The company is Pratt Industries, which has annual sales north of $6 billion and Australian-born businessperson Anthony Pratt at its helm. In a statement, Pratt said his company’s investment in Pennsylvania […]

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Agency mulls deal for shuttered factory

A subsidiary of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corp. is exploring an acquisition of a recently shuttered Carlisle factory. The subsidiary, called the Real Estate Collaborative LLC, has signed a letter of intent to buy the plant formerly operated by The Frog, Switch & Manufacturing Co. at 600 E. High St. in the Cumberland County borough. But first, […]

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AMES parent to shutter local factories

Two capital-area factories are slated for closure as their parent company reconfigures its supply chain to boost profits in the face of slower sales and high U.S. overhead. New York-based Griffon Corp. said it plans to close Hampden Township and Harrisburg factories that make garden tools, wheelbarrows and other equipment for The AMES Companies, a Griffon subsidiary and longtime staple […]

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Firm to boost production of semiconductor materials in PA

A supplier to the semiconductor industry is plowing $300 million into an expansion of its operations in Schuylkill County. The investment by supplier EMD Electronics includes construction of a 96,500 square-foot facility near Tamaqua, expanding the company’s production of specialty gases used in semiconductor and electronics production. The company’s investment is expected to create at least 68 jobs […]

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Lancaster print plants to close

Citing a shrinking demand for catalogs and magazines — and rising costs for ink and paper — commercial printing giant LSC Communications is stopping the presses at its two plants in Lancaster County, laying off about 656 workers The closure comes more than two years after LSC was rescued from bankruptcy by a Connecticut-based conglomerate called Atlas Holdings. Executives […]

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Utz names next CEO 

After steering one of the region’s largest private companies onto the public market, Utz Brands CEO Dylan Lissette is stepping into a new role. After 27 years with the Hanover-based snack maker, Lissette will become executive chairman of the company’s board on Dec.15.Utz’s new CEO will be Howard Friedman, currently COO of St. Louis-based Post Holdings, a consumer-packaged […]

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Harsco Headquarters sold to local developer

As it gears up for a move to Philadelphia, Harsco has unloaded its longtime Wormleysburg headquarters this year for $4.3 million. However, the roughly 42,000 square-foot building will remain a corporate headquarters.A partnership that includes Lemoyne-based Rhodes Development Group bought the building and plans to move there, along with two of its operating divisions, according to Larry Kluger, president and […]

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York equipment manufacturer makes add-on acquisition

Graham Engineering, a York-based equipment maker, has purchased a Berks County company with a complementary business. Graham Engineering makes machinery used in producing — or extruding — plastic parts ranging from car bumpers to catheters.Its new acquisition, Birdsboro-based Kennedy Tool & Die, specializes in making molds and tooling used in plastics-manufacturing processes called blow molding, rim […]

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With jobs in limbo, judge OKs Armstrong Flooring sale

The bankruptcy case of Armstrong Flooring is nearing its end. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Mary Walrath approved the sale yesterday of the company’s North American assets to Mountville-based flooring manufacturer AHF Products and Boston-based Gordon Brothers. An AHF spokesperson said yesterday the company hopes to close on the $107 million deal by next Friday, July 22. Then what: AHF will […]

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Firms to pay $90M for overseas assets of Armstrong Flooring

After disclosing buyers for some of its operations in North America, Armstrong Flooring has unveiled deals to sell its remaining businesses. In a news release July 11, the company identified buyers for its operations in Australia and China. Who: The Australian assets — including a factory in Braeside, Victoria — are going to a group of companies identified […]

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Armstrong Flooring in $107M deal that preserves local operations

After two months in bankruptcy, Armstrong Flooring is on the verge of dealing its way out. The Lancaster-based manufacturer said yesterday it has agreed to sell its North American assets to a consortium that includes AHF Products, a former division of Armstrong Flooring. Mountville-based AHF and Boston-based Gordon Brothers have agreed to pay $107 million in cash and assume unspecified liabilities […]

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Following acquisitions, York-area firm forms holding company

The Conrad Co. is the name of a new holding company unveiled this year by Penn-Air & Hydraulics Corp., a growing manufacturing services company based in Springettsbury Township, York County. The holding company encompasses PennAir, a company acquired by PennAir in 2019 and three other companies acquired since then, according to Seth Bray, the CEO of PennAir and […]

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State lawsuit over PCBs advances

A state court has delivered a partial win for Pennsylvania in a year-old lawsuit seeking damages from ag giant Monsanto and related enitities over PCBs. An 84-page Commonwealth Court ruling on Dec. 30 swept aside six of Monsanto’s nine objections to the state lawsuit, paving the way for the next phase of litigation. Judges, however, did uphold two […]

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Marketing

Real Estate

Carlisle apartment complexes change hands

A Philadelphia-area apartment owner has scooped up a pair of Carlisle-area complexes alongside nine other properties around the state. The Carlisle-area properties — the 93-unit Hanover Manor and 80-unit Carlwynne Manor — are the two smallest properties taken in the deal, which includes more than 3,400 units overall, The other properties are in Allentown, Reading, […]

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Developer eyes mixed-use project for 26-acre Lanco tgract

Apartments and a hotel could be coming to the former Shawnee Resort property along Oregon Pike in Manheim Township, Lancaster County.  Property owners Surender Singh and Manjeet Kaur, doing business as Kirpa Estates LP, envision a mixed-use development on the 26-acre site incorporating apartment buildings, a hotel and other retail buildings, according to Matt Creme, their […]

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Pallet company buying Chambersburg-area facility for relocation

J&J Pallet and Recycling LLC is planning to purchase, upgrade and move into a 16,400 square-foot industrial building at 1690 Opportunity Ave. in the Cumberland Valley Business Park in Greene Township. The company, which sells recycled shipping pallets, is currently based in leased space at 1051 Sheffler Drive in Chambersburg. The company has been approved […]

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Former school for sale amid dispute between owner, tenant with redevelopment plans

The former Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg is on the market amid a dispute between its owner and its chief tenant, a development company led by a former NFL player. Owner Jeremy Hunter of William Penn Holdings Inc. announced the building was for sale in a Facebook post on May 24. The post has led […]

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Oregon Dairy property sold in leaseback deal

After a bruising legal battle to develop their land in Manheim Township, Lancaster County, the Hurst family has sold it to another developer. The family, which owns the Oregon Dairy supermarket and restaurant, sold the store’s land and building on May 10 to Jerry Horst and his sons, Mark and Chad, who operate Manheim Township-based Vanguard Development Group.  […]

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Bankrupty of Harrisburg apartment owner takes new turn

A new twist is complicating the bankruptcy case of Uptown Partners LP, the Maryland-based owner of Governor’s Square apartment complex in Uptown Harrisburg.  The company managing the affordable-housing complex, Landex Management LLC, is asking the court to void its contract with Uptown Partners, arguing that the owner is not providing enough resources to manage the beleaguered property […]

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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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Deal for Lanco tiny-homes startup changes shape

The potential buyers of a Lancaster County-based tiny-homes company are taking a new tack. Chase Packaging Corp., a New Jersey-based shell company, had been planning to take Tiny Estates LLC and two related entities public through a merger. The companies are led by CEO Abby Shank, a former KPMG auditor who started a tiny-home community outside Elizabethtown in 2018. But […]

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Harrisburg office complex sold to Philly-area firm

When Penn Center Harrisburg hit the market in summer 2022, the asking price for the three-building complex was $22 million.  The half-vacant property in the 2600 block of North Third Street ended up selling for $1.45 million late last month following the bankruptcy of its owner, Penn Center Harrisburg LP.  The buyer is an affiliate of Pennmark, […]

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Nonprofit shedding senior-living operations

A regional nonprofit is poised to spin off its senior-living operations to a larger peer based in Missouri. Topton-based Diakon, which has a finance and support center in Middletown, has agreed to merge its senior-living subsidiary into St. Louis-based Lutheran Senior Services.  Terms of the transaction, expected to close this summer, were not disclosed. “This was a […]

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Small housing group aims for bigger impact

About a dozen years ago, several members of East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster banded together to start a nonprofit focused on creating affordable housing, with a focus on people experiencing homelessness. Their first project was the purchase and conversion of a single-family home at 639 E. Chestnut St. Over the next decade, the […]

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Retail

Technology

Other Categories

Modeling compassion in the crucible of Covid-19

The consultants at Work Wisdom were used to the video-conferencing app Zoom, the instant-messaging service Slack and other tech tools that connect people remotely.  The team at Work Wisdom in Lancaster, from left: Mary Alice Fallon Feskey; Jamie Arroyo; Kate Coleman; Donunshae Sanders; Kedren Crosby; Kimberlee Peifer; Sarah Colantonio; Randy Berridge; and Anne Parmer. (PHOTO/SUBMITTED) […]

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Startup, interrupted

Sam Beiler and Jared Neff had been drawing up growth plans for their Lancaster-based startup, but the Covid-19 pandemic dashed their forays into raising outside capital. Now, their goal is to begin generating a profit more quickly. “That’s kind of the mindset of any startup right now,” said Beiler, co-founder and CEO of a social […]

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Winery follows tested formula but future still uncertain

Carl Helrich enjoys a glass of wine among the barrels at Allegro Winery in Chanceford Township, York County. PHOTO/SUBMITTED Carl Helrich took over Allegro Winery on Sept. 10, 2001. Family and hard work got him through the economic contraction that followed the terrorist attacks the very next day. He has been having flashbacks to those […]

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At work but not at ease for Wolfgang Confectioners

In early March, as the coronavirus spread into Pennsylvania, Wolfgang Confectioners beefed up its already strict regimen for sanitation and cleaning.  Employees at work in a Wolfgang Confectioners plant in Loganville, York County. PHOTO/SUBMITTED “People are constantly washing their hands. We have uniform changes on a regular basis, so there’s a lot of things that […]

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