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Banking & Finance

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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Fulton names new finance, risk chiefs

Fulton Financial has named an interim CFO following the resignation last week of Mark McCollom, who had been the bank’s finance chief since 2018. A regulatory filing and press release issued Friday did not disclose the reason for McCollom’s departure. Lancaster-based Fulton has named Beth Ann Chivinski as interim CFO while it conducts a formal search process to fill the […]

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Nonprofit lender hires finance, credit chiefs

Lancaster-based nonprofit lender Community First Fund has filled a pair of C-suite roles.  Elizabeth Bennett has been named the lender’s CFO, while Ed Gallagher has been named chief credit officer. Bennett worked most recently as CFO for Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in Lancaster and has also held finance roles at Lancaster Theological Seminary and Ephrata-based D&E Communications. Bennett succeeds Lloyd […]

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Orrstown, PeoplesBank to merge in $270M deal

A pair of longstanding local banks are coming together in a merger valued at $207 million. Under the all-stock deal, dubbed a merger of equals, the York County-based parent of PeoplesBank is merging into Shippensburg-based Orrstown Financial. The combined bank — which will take the Orrstown name — would have assets of roughly $5.2 billion and a network of 51 […]

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What’s ahead for Camp Hill bank

Thanks to a single deal, Linkbancorp went this year from doing business in one state to doing business in five. That deal was the bank’s merger this fall with Maryland-based Partners Bancorp. The all-stock deal closed at the end of November, followed by a bankwide conversion to the Linkbank brand over the first weekend in December, according to Andrew Samuel, […]

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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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Defamation claim raised in suit over fraud loss

Mid Penn Bank is firing back at claims it did not adequately protect a nonprofit from fraud. In a legal filing this month, the Harrisburg-based bank alleges that the Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania harmed the bank’s reputation in a press release issued in February announcing a lawsuit against the bank. In the press release, the center claimed […]

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Alleged bank fraud hits local, national targets

State authorities on Friday disclosed what they say was a widespread bank-fraud operation in Central Pennsylvania that drained nearly $2 million from the accounts of victims. Two men have been arrested in connection with the fraud but a criminal complaint lists nine other people. More charges are expected, according to the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office, […]

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Brokerage buys capital-area advisory firm

A Harrisburg-area financial advisory has joined the wave of consolidation washing over the industry. Comprehensive Financial Associates, based in Susquehanna Township, has been acquired by insurance and benefits brokerage AssuredPartners, according to a press release from Wise Rhino Group, the M&A firm that advised Comprehensive Financial. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. But it also includes […]

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Lancaster advisory firm sold 

Amid a wave of consolidation in the financial planning sector, Lancaster-based Domani Wealth has been purchased by a larger firm based in Illinois. The acquisition is the fourth this year for the firm, Savant Wealth Management, which is based in Rockford, west of Chicago. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Domani will keep its existing leadership, […]

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Mid Penn filing blames Citi for nonprofit’s loss

New York-based Citibank should be held liable for any losses suffered by a Harrisburg-based nonprofit that claims it was the victim of fraud, according to a legal filing by Mid Penn Bank.  The nonprofit, the Center for Independent Living of Central PA, sued Mid Penn over the loss in February. Fraudsters allegedly managed to access two of the nonprofit’s accounts at […]

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Construction

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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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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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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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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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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Zoners turn down housing plan for former country club

Efforts to redevelop the former Red Lion Country Club in York County have taken a second hit. At a meeting on Feb. 27, zoning officials in York Township voted 3-2 to deny a developer’s request for a special exception to allow age-restricted housing under the property’s current zoning, which is for commercial office. “I don’t […]

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Economy

entrepreneurship

Food

F&M Trust

Kevin Leibold has been named a wealth adviser at F&M Trust, a Chambersburg-based community bank and subsidiary of Franklin Financial Services Corp. He is based in F&M Trust’s regional headquarters in Harrisburg. Leibold will work with clients in Greater Harrisburg and Cumberland County, focusing on trust, investment, estate and retirement planning. He brings 25 years […]

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Wealth advisory launched by Lancaster pharmacy exec

A new investment advisory debuted in January under the leadership of Gregory Ganse, whose family founded specialty pharmacy Ganse Apothecary in Lancaster. Based in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. ARX Private Wealth caters to high- and ultra-high-net-worth families through what its partners describe as a relationship-based approach. “We’re in a unique position to serve those kinds of clients […]

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HACC names new president amid financial, enrollment challenges

HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College has hired Daniel Lufkin as its eighth president, effective June 3. He succeeds outgoing leader John Sygielski, who is retiring this summer after about 15 years in office. Lufkin, who began his career as an elementary school teacher in Arizona, worked most recently as president of the south campus at […]

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Barley Snyder

Kacey Jennings Fonner has joined the business practice group of Barley Snyder in the Lancaster-based law firm’s Harrisburg office. Fonner worked most recently at an AmLaw 100 firm, where she handled corporate matters and complex transactions. A military veteran, Fonner worked in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard for more than a decade, providing cyber systems […]

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Suit claims health system fired local doc for complaining about offensive texts, alleged CEO conflict

The former head of UPMC‘s heart institute in Harrisburg is suing the health system, claiming he was fired last year after raising concerns about an alleged conflict of interest involving the system’s CEO. The fired executive, Dr. Hemal Gada, also alleges his termination followed his complaints about allegedly racist text messages sent by other leaders at the UPMC […]

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Regional health system chief sets retirement plans

After more than seven years on the job, Roxanna Gapstur is planning to retire from her role as president and CEO of WellSpan Health, a regional health system operating a dozen hospitals. Gapstur has not set a date but plans to step down once a leadership transition is complete. WellSpan has hired executive search firm Korn Ferry to […]

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Court cancels awards in $17.5B state health insurance program

State officials failed to provide a rational explanation for how they scored insurers aiming to land contracts with a publicly funded health insurance program covering mostly older state residents, a state court ruled last week. Based on that finding, the court canceled awards made under the roughly $17.5 billion program in 2024 but not yet […]

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Printing switch aims to cut costs for newspaper under new ownership

News publisher LNP Lancaster Online is changing printers in a bid to cut costs under its new nonprofit owner, Always Lancaster. The new printer is Advance Local Media in Mechanicsburg. While the change lowers costs, it also changes the timing of production, according to an announcement earlier this week by LNP executive editor Tom Murse. As a result, […]

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State funds cover solar installs at local manufacturers

Three businesses in Central Pennsylvania are installing solar systems thanks to grants from a state program designed to cut carbon emissions from factories and other industrial concerns. The grants are some of the first authorized under the program, dubbed Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania, or RISE PA. Engle Printing & Publishing Co. Inc. is receiving $493,114 […]

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Messiah University

After nearly a year as interim president of Messiah University, Jon Stuckey has been named permanently to the leadership post, effective May 1. Stuckey was named interim last spring following the retirement of Kim Phipps, who led Messiah for two decades. Stuckey has worked at Messiah since 2000, including as the Cumberland County college’s vice president for advancement. As […]

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Planners narrow options for reusing Penn State York campus

After months of research and community engagement, the York County Economic Alliance is narrowing the list of options for reusing the campus of Penn State York after its scheduled closure in May 2027. The three leading contenders include a healthcare/higher education hub, a conference/hospitality hub and a vo-tech/workforce development hub, YCEA chief strategy officer Silas […]

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Iron Hill restaurants slated to reopen under new management

Former Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant locations in Hershey and Lancaster are among five former Iron Hill restaurants slated to reopen by summertime under a new ownership group backing a management team that includes one of Iron Hill’s founders, Mark Edelson, and several former executives. The other locations opening under the new group are in Philadelphia, Huntingdon Valley, […]

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Seattle investor scoops up Harrisburg-area medical office 

A medical office in suburban Harrisburg has changed hands.  An affiliate of Seattle-based real estate investment firm Elliott Bay Capital Trust paid $8.5 million for the nearly 23,000-square-foot office at 820 Sir Thomas Court in Lower Paxton Township, according to county deed records.  The 11-year-old building is fully leased by Arlington Orthopedics-UPMC, according to Zuestra Healthcare Real Estate. Zuestra […]

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Regional appliance retailer opening branch in York area

Business in York County has been growing for Lancaster County-based L.H. Brubaker Appliances & Water Treatment. The company is now planning its first retail branch there. L.H. Brubaker expects to open this fall in leased space at the West Manchester Town Center in West Manchester Township, according to company owner and president Donnie Frank.  “There’s not […]

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Lancaster County Association of Realtors

Tom Blefko has been named executive director of the Lancaster County Association of Realtors, effective April 7. He succeeds Michael Berk, who left in November to lead Longleaf Pine Realtors, a regional real estate trade group in southeastern North Carolina. Blefko worked most recently for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homesale Realty. He managed five Lancaster County offices for the […]

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Wood-to-gas refinery clears engineering hurdle

A Pennsylvania startup that aspires to make gasoline from wood is celebrating a critical milestone. A third-party engineering firm has validated the system that Tioga County-based Woodland Biomass Innovations plans to use in its pilot plant, according to company co-founder and CEO, Luca Pandolfi.  That allows the company to move into a final engineering and design stage […]

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State childcare bonuses come in higher than expected

Childcare workers in Pennsylvania are in line for larger bonuses than initially projected. Last year, when the Shapiro administration unveiled a $25 million program designed to help retain and recruit people in the historically low-paid industry, officials forecast bonuses of about $450 per worker. Based on the number of applicants to the program, workers can […]

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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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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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Health Care

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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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

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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Real Estate

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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Court extends time for bankruptcy sale of Harrisburg apartments

A court hearing on the bankruptcy sale of Governor’s Square apartment complex in uptown Harrisburg had been scheduled for Feb. 29. However, it has been moved to April 2 per an order from Chief Bankruptcy Judge Henry Van Eck of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Why is this happening: The […]

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Feds object to bankruptcy sale of Harrisburg apartments

Federal housing officials are objecting to the proposed sale of Governor’s Square, a beleaguered Harrisburg apartment complex whose owner declared bankruptcy last year In a court filing this week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development argues there are not enough guarantees that the potential deal will preserve the complex’s status as affordable housing. […]

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Deal could take Lanco tiny-home firms public

A tiny-home startup in Lancaster County is poised for the big time. A publicly traded shell company has agreed to buy Tiny Estates LLC and two related companies, Endeavor Tiny Homes LLC and Tiny Communities Fund LLC.  The companies are led by CEO Abby Shank, a former KPMG auditor-turned-entrepreneur who started a tiny-home community outside Elizabethtown in 2018. Shank, who went on to […]

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Project dubbed ‘significant addition’ to Lancaster’s affordable housing stock

Lancaster-area officials, nonprofit executives and business leaders gathered yesterday to mark the next step in a nearly four-year journey to redevelop the former UPMC Lancaster campus along College Avenue. Nonprofit developer HDC MidAtlantic broke ground Feb. 7 on the first phase of redevelopment — a $23 million, 64-unit affordable-apartment building at 213 College Ave., the site of a vacant […]

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Concerns raised over pending sale of Harrisburg apartments

Tenants are raising a legal hurdle to the proposed sale of an affordable-apartment complex in uptown Harrisburg. A New Jersey firm bid just over $9.6 million to buy the complex, known as Governor’s Square, from its current owner, Uptown Partners, which filed for bankruptcy protection last year. The tenants, represented by an attorney from a Harrisburg-based nonprofit, […]

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