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Banking & Finance

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 and […]

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Industry vet to guide bank’s capital-area expansion

Mansfield-based First Citizens Community Bank has hired a veteran business lender to lead its expansion into the capital region.Dragan Dodik, who has worked for several other banks in the Harrisburg area, has joined First Citizens as a senior lender and market leader.He recently played a similar role for Mifflintown-based Pennian Bank, which went on to […]

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CPA giant snaps up Harrisburg’s Andculture

Harrisburg-based Andculture is poised to become part of Chicago-based accounting and advisory firm RSM US LLP.RSM said Thursday it has reached an agreement to buy Andculture, which specializes in marketing strategy, design and technology, Terms of the deal were not disclosed. But it is expected to close June 1, according to a press release. RSM was advised […]

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Local banking leader named to top job at PA chamber

Pennsylvania’s statewide business chamber has tapped a local banking executive as its next leader.Luke Bernstein, an executive at Shippensburg-based Orrstown Financial Services, is poised to become the next president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. As of June 15, he will be taking over for Gene Barr, who announced his retirement last fall after more […]

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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 the region.They […]

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Investor wants new board members for PeoplesBank parent

The war of words over a regional bank is morphing into a war over board seats.An activist investor is nominating three members to the board of Codorus Valley Bancorp, a trio of executives the investor believes would better represent the interests of shareholders.The investor, Abbott Cooper of New York hedge fund Driver Management, has been pushing since last summer for […]

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A look back at M&A in Central PA

The past year has been a busy one for mergers and acquisitions in Central Pennsylvania. Take a closer look at the action in this month-by-month recap for 2021. Unless otherwise indicated, the deal terms were not disclosed.January:U-GRO Learning Centres, a Derry Township-based preschool chain, was purchased by Michigan-based Learning Care Group, one of the country’s […]

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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 typically […]

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Construction

Economy

entrepreneurship

Food

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, a Boston-based […]

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Investment Real Estate Group of Companies

Peter Wisniewski has been hired as director of investor relations for Investment Real Estate Group of Companies, a York-based self-storage operator.Wisniewski has over 10 years of expertise in financial strategy and cross-sector collaboration. Most recently he worked as a development manager, where he streamlined operations and cultivated relationships within the real estate industry. His background […]

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Ephrata National Bank

Jose Lopez has been named to the board of Ephrata National Bank. He is a new addition to the board, according to a spokesperson for the Ephrata-based bank.Lopez worked most recently as president and CEO of the Lancaster-based social services nonprofit Spanish American Civic Association and its affordable-housing arm, SACA Development Corp. An Army veteran and Lancaster native, Lopez oversaw […]

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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 and […]

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WellSpan Health

Mark Kandrysawtz has been promoted to senior vice president and chief innovation officer at York-based health system WellSpan Health. He was previously vice president and chief innovation officer.Kandrysawtz leads innovative solutions that reimagine healthcare to allow for faster adaptation, scale and, ultimately, impact for consumers and patients. He is credited with helping WellSpan position itself […]

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Lancaster amusement park getting new owner

A change in ownership is coming to Dutch Wonderland, a theme park along Route 30 in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County. The park’s parent, Spain-based Parques Reunidos, is selling it and other U.S. properties to family-owned amusement company Herschend, based in Atlanta. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.The sale follows a strategic review of Parques’s U.S. […]

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Developer contests sewer fees

A Harrisburg-area developer is sparring with a Lancaster County township and authority over sewer tapping fees assessed on a recent apartment project.In a lawsuit filed at the end of last year, the developer, an affiliate of Lower Paxton Township-based Triple Crown Corp., argues that the fees were excessive, and it demands a partial refund.“They were charged […]

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HIA notches passenger increase in 2024

Passenger traffic was up in 2024 at Harrisburg International Airport. More than 1.44 million people passed through the Dauphin County airport last year, up 10.8% from about 1.3 million in 2023, according to airport statistics. American Airlines and Allegiant Air drove much of the growth, according to HIA spokesperson Scott Miller.“Travel in this region has been pretty strong over the […]

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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 on […]

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URL Insurance Group

Harrisburg-based insurance agency URL Insurance Group has promoted eight staff members.Matt Allina has been promoted to life markets manager. He joined URL as a life markets specialist in 2004. He was the life markets final expense manager for several years and will now use his knowledge of all life insurance products to drive growth and […]

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Members 1st Federal Credit Union

Jeff Balestrini has been hired chief consumer lending officer for Members 1st Federal Credit Union, an Enola-based lender, effective March 10. He succeeds Jeff Ernst, who retired last year after more than three years in the role, according to a credit union spokesperson.Balestrini worked most recently as chief lending officer at Service 1st Federal Credit Union in […]

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Saxton & Stump

Doug Barton has been hired as the first-ever CFO for Saxton & Stump, a Lancaster-based law firm.Barton worked most recently as director of financial planning and analysis at Harrisburg-based Orrstown Bank, which merged last year with York-based Codorus Valley Bancorp. Over his nearly four-decade career, Barton also has worked for accounting firms Baker Tilly and Beard & Co., as well as Sterling […]

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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 Donald […]

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McNees Wallace & Nurick

Daniel Hicks has joined the litigation group in the Radnor office of law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick.Hicks will focus on fiduciary litigation, guardianship matters and Orphans’ Court proceedings, further strengthening the firm’s presence in the Greater Philadelphia area.Before joining McNees, Hicks practiced in the areas of general liability, personal injury and medical malpractice. Hicks […]

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WellSpan Health

Patricia Donley has been named chief nursing executive for WellSpan Health, a regional health system based in York. She succeeds Kasey Paulus, who was named WellSpan’s COO in November.Donley began her career at WellSpan as a candy striper volunteer assisting nurses at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon.Trained as a nurse, she rose through the ranks to […]

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York College

Michael Doweary has joined York College as its next CFO and vice president for finance, effective July 1. Doweary, a graduate and trustee of York College, is succeeding interim CFO Matthew Smith. “Michael’s financial acumen, leadership experience and deep commitment to organizational leadership make him the ideal choice to guide the college’s financial strategy,” York College […]

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Groups sue over permit for Susquehanna hydro project

The legal fight over a proposed hydroelectric project along the Susquehanna River is ramping up.Regional conservation groups are asking a federal court to take another look at a preliminary permit granted in November to the $2.3 billion project, which would take up about 1,000 acres in Chanceford Township, York County. The permit allows Reading-based developer York Energy Storage LLC up […]

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Borough loses second case over proposed solar array

Gratz, a borough in northern Dauphin County, has lost a second case challenging its opposition to a proposed solar project within its borders.In the first case, decided in October 2023, a state court ruled that the borough failed to properly advertise a meeting where it tightened standards for solar energy systems.The revised standards would have impeded […]

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Government

Deal closes on Reagan building

A buyer has finalized the $10.01 million purchase of the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in downtown Harrisburg.However, the buyer’s identity remains a mystery.A deed filed with Dauphin County lists the buyer as R.R.F. Building LLC,which has a tax billing address at a law firm in South Carolina.Efforts to reach the law firm, De Bruin Law, were not successful.The LLC […]

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Health Care

State ends appeal in medical cannabis recall

State health officials have dropped a legal action seeking to reinstate their controversial recall of medical marijuana vapes.The move before the state Supreme Court doesn’t end the legal fight. It simply means the Department of Health is no longer appealing a lower-court ruling that put the recall on holdNonetheless, it was welcomed by the medical cannabis […]

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Banks seek more time, info on Welkowitz deal

Local banks are telling a Lancaster County court that they need more time and information to assess a deal that would settle debts from the estate of the late developer Richard Welkowitz.The estate has proposed selling off its stake in ventures that own more than 5,000 ATMs for $13.8 million to a Lancaster-based private equity firm, Heller Capital […]

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Ollie’s hit with overtime lawsuits

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has joined a string of retailers accused of improperly denying overtime pay to people who hold management jobs in their stores.Two salaried employees in New York have filed lawsuits claiming Ollie’s should have paid them overtime since their duties were “virtually indistinguishable” from those of hourly workers.The suits, filed in a federal court […]

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Court rejects expanded view of prevailing-wage law

A state court has reversed a decision that could have added millions of dollars in costs to construction projects financed with bonds issued by municipal authorities.The ruling last week by Commonwealth Court revolved around interpretations of the state’s prevailing-wage law, which sets a minimum wage for workers on projects funded by public money.The case arose in […]

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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 one between […]

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Facing insolvency, Welkowitz estate floats deal to settle debts

The estate of late Lancaster County developer Richard Welkowitz is hoping to make a deal to settle its debts, according to a filing in Lancaster County court.The proposed deal would funnel money to the estate’s secured and unsecured creditors and it would allow the estate to avoid a potential tax hit, according to the filing.The […]

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Harrisburg law firm opens HR consulting firm

McNees Wallace & Nurick has launched HR Influenced, a subsidiary that will offer HR consulting services under the umbrella of the Harrisburg-based law firm, which also houses a labor and employment legal practice.The new venture is headed by Kristen Evans, an experienced HR executive.Her career includes stints at York-based PACE Resources, Cintas, Harrisburg-based developer Triple […]

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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 in exchange for […]

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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 of the […]

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Law firm program gives Black entrepreneurs a legal leg up

Jabron Taylor wanted to tempt local taste buds with something new. Inspired by the 2019 chicken war between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, Taylor settled on a recipe based on the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, the signature dish of America’s country music capital but a rarity in Central Pennsylvania.Since November 2019, he and several partners have launched […]

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Insurers sued over business interruption coverage

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the April 22 issue of BizNewsPAWhat do a pizzeria, a dental practice and a bridal shop have in common? They are among the plaintiffs in a string of class-action lawsuits seeking to force insurers to reimburse businesses for income lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a joint press […]

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Manufacturing

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Real Estate

York-area office building sold for nearly $6M

Seeking a more modern office environment for its York-area staff, a Lancaster-based residential real estate firm is moving down the street.Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homesale Realty bought an office building at 2600 Eastern Blvd. in Springettsbury Township and plans to move its staff there in mid to late September, according to Rod Messick, the firm’s CEO.Homesale Realty plans to […]

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Regional construction firm changes hands

When Seth Hughes first stepped onto a construction site as a teenager, he didn’t think about owning a construction company someday.But as his career advanced, it started to emerge as a goal, Hughes said.The goal is now a reality. Hughes has purchased Mechanicsburg-based Mowery Construction from its previous owner, David Cross. The pair began laying the groundwork for […]

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Former Harrisburg hospital for sale, eyed for apartments

A piece of Harrisburg history is on the market — and potentially headed for a makeover.Penn Center Harrisburg, the former Polyclinic Hospital campus, is being listed at an asking price of $22 million — and with a sketch plan showing the office property as an apartment complex.“I think that the office need in Harrisburg is low,” said Michael […]

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Regional real estate firms merge

One of the region’s largest residential real estate firms just got larger.As of July 12, Lancaster-based Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homesale Realty has absorbed Brownstone Real Estate, adding two offices and 38 agents in Lebanon and Hershey.Terms of the merger were not disclosed.“After 51 years in business, it was important for us to join a company […]

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West Shore construction firm on the move

RLS Construction Group LLC is investing nearly $1.5 million to buy and remodel the former Hampden Township municipal building at 230 S. Sporting Hill Road.The new location in Cumberland County will allow the company to consolidate operations that are currently at two locations, said Bob Schopfer, owner, president and CEO of RLS Construction.The company has […]

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Developer lifts curtain on plans for federal building

A developer is filling in some of the details on its plans to transform the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in Harrisburg into “The Federal” — a 200-unit luxury apartment building crowned with a rooftop bar and a pair of restaurants.Developer Global Ocean Investments had already unveiled a goal of remaking the 250,000 square-foot building it […]

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New owners plan facelift for former Coakley’s

A staple of downtown New Cumberland is poised for a makeover.New owners have taken over a group of properties that include the former Coakley’s Restaurant and Irish Pub, which closed in 2014 after going bankrupt.Plans are still taking shape. But Kara Pierce said she and her partner, engineering executive Bill Tafuto, plan to invest about […]

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Brewery on tap for mixed-use project

Burkentine Builders is gearing up to finish a mixed-use project that will bring another brewery to southern York County.The Hanover-based builder held a topping-off ceremony April 25 for the roughly $5 million project, which is bringing two buildings totaling 10,000 square feet of commercial space and 20 apartments to the borough of New Freedom.Construction is […]

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Regional projects land $50M-plus in state funds

State officials on Friday unveiled more than $50 million in grants earmarked for projects around Central Pennsylvania, including a life sciences incubator in Lancaster, a hotel renovation on the West Shore and a park along the Codorus Creek in York.Other beneficiaries include Rock Lititz and the partnership developing a mixed-use apartment building near the new […]

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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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York taps new developer for vacant industrial tract

A new developer is getting a crack at bringing life to a former industrial tract in York. At a meeting last week, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of York awarded a six-month option on a 4.4-acre site in the Northwest Triangle to Statewide Partners, a regional firm with offices in Harrisburg and York. Preliminary sketches from Statewide show […]

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