Subscribe to our newsletters!

The Latest News

Banking & Finance

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 […]

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

Banks more cautious with lending

A bumpy financial road is prompting local banks to tap the brakes on lending. Banks are still making loans. However, they may not be as aggressive in courting new business. Nor are companies eager to add debt, with interest rates still elevated and the economic outlook uncertain. A quarterly survey of bank loan officers by the […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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, […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

Court OKs settlement in data breach

A federal court has approved a settlement in a data-breach lawsuit brought against Fulton Bank. Under the agreement, the Lancaster-based bank will pay $750,000 to set up a fund to compensate victims of the breach, which hit a Fulton Bank vendor rather than the bank itself. The bank is not admitting any liability for the breach, […]

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

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, […]

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

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 […]

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

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, […]

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

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 […]

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

Nonprofit sues bank after alleged account fraud

Fraudsters drained nearly $250,000 from bank accounts of the Center for Independent Living of Central PA, and the Harrisburg-based nonprofit wants its bank, Mid Penn Bank, to refund the money, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Dauphin County court. The Harrisburg-based bank allegedly failed to enforce “commercially reasonable” security controls on the accounts and thus […]

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

PA Court OKs tax refund over location issue

In a case that could have far-reaching implications for corporate taxpayers, the state’s highest court has awarded a $2.1 million tax refund to a Pennsylvania-based arm of Johnson & Johnson. Reached last week, the decision hinged on what sounds like a simple question: Whether the company owed taxes in Pennsylvania based on services produced in this […]

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

Camp Hill bank to merge with Delmarva peer

Camp Hill-based LinkBancorp has struck a deal that will extend its footprint into Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia. The bank said yesterday it has agreed to a “merger of equals” with Partners Bancorp, a Salisbury, Maryland-based bank with a long history in the Delmarva region. The all-stock deal is valued at $167.8 million, according to a press […]

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

PennSpring scoops up STEM camp operator

A Lancaster-based private equity firm is taking a third shot at the youth-enrichment market, a space where it has found success in the past. PennSpring Capital has acquired Emagination Tech Camps, which has been rebranded as Emagination STEM Camps, according to Lou Castelli, PennSpring’s managing partner. The previous owner was a private investor who bought the company during […]

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

Suit aims to stop Centric merger

A shareholder of Centric Financial is seeking to block the Harrisburg-area bank’s planned merger into a western Pennsylvania bank. In a class-action lawsuit filed this month in Cumberland County court, shareholder Charles Reinhardt claims the $144 million deal undervalues Centric, which is based in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County. The lawsuit also takes aim at other terms of […]

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

State College bank launches in capital region

A State College bank is making its first play in the capital region, where it hopes to drum up home and business loans. Centre 1st Bank has hired Bob Rader, a longtime capital-area banker, to head up a new loan office at 1017 Mumma Road in Wormleysburg. Rader, who lives in Mechanicsburg, is president of the […]

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

$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 […]

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

Former Harrisburg law office headed for residential conversion

A New York City investor has acquired a former law office on North Front Street in Harrisburg and plans to convert the former mansion into an eight-unit apartment building to be called Front Street Lofts. The investor, a family office called Generational Wealth Organization that also has a presence in California, paid $633,000 for the building. It […]

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

Financing is among ‘biggest challenges’ for Lancaster rehab

Business owner Jared Mizrahi is planning a $5 million makeover of a mixed-use property in downtown Lancaster. He just needs to finalize the financing. A big piece came through last month in the form of a low-interest $1.4 million loan from the state’s Building Pennsylvania program, arranged by Lancaster-based EDC Finance. Mizrahi said he is hoping to […]

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

Camp Hill firm combines with K.C. peer

Engineering firm Gannett Fleming is roughly doubling in size thanks to a merger with a Kansas City, Missouri-based peer, TranSystems. Together, the two private equity-backed firms create a business with more than 5,000 employees and annual revenue of about $1.3 billion. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. For Camp Hill-based Gannett, the deal continues a path of […]

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

Nonprofit plans $65M senior-living campus in northern York

Messiah Lifeways is planning to build a new campus in northern York County, with a groundbreaking slated for October. The campus will occupy 85 acres of farmland tucked into a bend of the Yellow Breeches Creek in Fairview Township, about 10 minutes from Camp Hill. Based in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County, Messiah paid $5.9 million […]

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

State funds boost projects in York, Adams, Lancaster, Lebanon

Developer Ben Sutton has been working for more than a year to bake new life into a former bakery plant in West York. This week, he secured a key ingredient: a low-interest state loan and accompanying grant totaling nearly $2.5 million in all. “It was the missing part,” Sutton said in an interview with biznewsPA. […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

Harristown undertaking $750K reno project

An affiliate of the nonprofit developer Harristown Enterprises is carving up a pair of vacant rowhomes at 104 and 106 Walnut St. in Harrisburg into four apartment units, ranging in size from 910 square feet to 1,690 square feet. The Harristown affiliate, Charming on Walnut LLC, bought the two Depression-era buildings in December 2023 in a […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

York developer names CEO as founder moves to CFO

After 15 years of leading York-based Royal Square Development and Construction, Josh Hankey is stepping into a new role at the company he founded in 2009. Hankey is poised to become CFO and pass the CEO baton to Dylan Bauer, who joined Royal Square in 2014. In an interview, Hankey said the two executives had been […]

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

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 […]

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

Nashville twin in works for Rock Lititz

Rock Lititz, the live-entertainment campus in Lancaster County, is erecting a twin in Nashville, the longtime capital of country music and home to the Grand Ole Opry. Rock Lititz announced May 1 that it broke ground last month on Rock Nashville, a 40-acre campus that will feature 514,000 square feet of rehearsal space for touring musicians, […]

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

WellSpan breaks ground on first of three ‘mini hospitals’

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

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

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 […]

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

entrepreneurship

Food

More vacant Harrisburg office buildings headed for apartment makeover

A developer is proposing to transform a pair of empty Harrisburg office buildings into apartments, continuing a string of office-to-residential conversions in the capital city’s downtown area. The roughly $6 million conversion plan, submitted by developer Adam Breneman and Breneman Commercial Properties LLC, would put 38 apartments into buildings in the 100 block of North Second […]

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

Report sees spike in data center power demand in PA

The territory served by PPL Electric Utilities is ground zero for a projected surge in power demand from data centers over the next five years, according to an annual forecast published yesterday by state utility regulators. The forecast projects electricity demand in PPL’s territory will rise at an annual rate of 20.51% per year between 2026 and […]

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

Shuttered York County winery renews new legal bid to reopen

The legal battle over a shuttered York County winery still has some juice. In late August, Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery launched another legal effort to reopen, arguing that a majority of its neighbors are now on board with its operations. A York County judge rejected a similar claim earlier this year after two conflicting votes by […]

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

State ups limit on small-biz loans

A state authority has raised the lending cap for borrowers tapping a low-interest loan program to cover real estate and construction costs. The statewide cap for the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority‘s Small Business First lending program is now $1 million or 50% of a project’s cost, whichever is less. The limit had been $400,000, in place […]

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

F&M Trust

F&M Trust, a Chambersburg-based community bank and subsidiary of Franklin Financial Services Corp., has announced five officer promotions and appointments. Dave Long was promoted from chief technology officer to chief information and technology officer, adding responsibility for guiding the bank’s technology and data strategy and operational infrastructure. Matt Berger was promoted to senior vice president […]

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

State tax proposal draws flak

If you sell a new car in Pennsylvania, it’s pretty clear where the profits should be taxed. But when you’re selling a service, the picture gets foggier. State tax collectors are trying to clear things up, but they’re facing pushback from business lobbyists. At the heart of the dispute is how much leeway the state […]

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

Barley Snyder

Victoire Djuidje has been promoted to patent agent in the intellectual property practice group in the Malvern office of Lancaster-based law firm Barley Snyder. She had been a technical adviser with the firm. Djuidje helps inventors, entrepreneurs and businesses protect their innovations through the patent process before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She worked […]

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

Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency

James Steeley is stepping down as president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, known most often by its acronym, PHEAA. His departure, scheduled for the end of this year, follows recent turbulence at the student financial assistance agency, including delays in rolling out a new state grant system in 2024. The agency also has […]

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

The Giant Co.

Jim Saccary has been named vice president of human resources at The Giant Co., a Carlisle-based grocery chain. He reports to president John Ruane. Saccary will oversee all HR functions including team member relations, learning and development, recruitment and talent and culture. He began his career in store operations at Giant and held a variety […]

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

McNees Wallace & Nurick

Macy Laster has joined the education and litigation groups in the Plymouth Meeting office of Harrisburg-based law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick. Laster represents school and educational entities, with a focus on special education, student discipline and pupil services. She has worked as lead special education and pupil services counsel, guiding clients through due process […]

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

Settlement ends lawsuit over recycling plant fire

After a fire devastated a York County recycling facility in March 2022, the facility’s insurers tried to recover $26 million in damages by suing local contractors involved in the plant’s construction. After more than two years of litigation, the lawsuit has been settled, according to filings this month in York County court. The details were […]

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

Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association

Patrick Carney has been named executive director of the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association effective Aug. 17. He succeeds Dave Smith, who will remain with the organization as an adviser during the transition. Carney will lead the association in advancing its mission to support dairy farmers, promote the value of dairy across Pennsylvania and strengthen the organization’s […]

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

Barley Snyder

Jordan Davis and Erika Firestone have joined the real estate practice group of Lancaster-based law firm Barley Snyder. Davis works from the Lancaster office, while Firestone is in the firm’s Lebanon office. Davis focuses on real estate, land use and zoning matters, helping clients navigate development projects, regulatory requirements and business-related real estate issues. He […]

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

York retail plaza sells for $12.7M

A regional real estate investor has scooped up a York-area strip mall that has had one owner since it was built in the 1970s. Partnerships headed by investor Drew Bobincheck of Cumberland County paid nearly $12.7 million for the mall, known as North West Plaza. The seller was a widow of the plaza’s original developer, […]

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

Highmark Health

Gustavo “Gus” Giraldo has been named president of Highmark Health subsidiary Highmark Health Plan, effective immediately. He succeeds Tom Doran, who led the unit for more than three years but is leaving for a new, undisclosed opportunity. Giraldo joins Highmark from CVS Health insurance subsidiary Aetna, where he was senior vice president of individual and family plans. Over a […]

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

Regional coffee chain adding new shops in York, Lancaster counties

One of Central Pennsylvania’s oldest independent coffee shops is handing over the keys to two of its locations. Lancaster-based Prince Street Cafe is transferring ownership of its shops in York and Columbia to Denim Coffee, a growing chain based in Chambersburg. Terms of the transaction, which takes effect Sept. 16, were not disclosed. The deal will bring the total […]

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

Bank closes branches across region

Truist, one of the largest banks doing business in Central Pennsylvania, has shuttered six branches around the region. The offices include three in Lancaster County and one each in Dauphin, Franklin and York counties. “The decision to close these branches was guided by multiple factors, including how and where clients choose to bank, local market […]

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

United Way of York County

Emily Seitz has been named president and CEO of United Way of York County effective Sept. 8. She succeeds Brian Grimm, whose last day will be Sept. 4. Seitz joined the United Way in January as vice president of philanthropy, a new role for the nonprofit. Seitz, who has more than a decade of experience, worked before […]

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

Shapiro rolls out plan to spur energy development

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

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

Another reporting requirement looms for PA biz

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

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

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

State attorneys general, including Pennsylvania’s newly installed Dave Sunday, are taking another crack at settling opioid-related claims against bankrupt drugmaker Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family that owns it. In an announcement yesterday, Sunday and other attorneys general said they reached a $7.4 billion settlement in principle with the company and the family. The deal does not […]

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

Regulators spurn requests to revisit permit for hydro project

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

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

Court backs Harrisburg vape shop in licensing spat

Commonwealth Court has tossed out state rules requiring licensing of companies manufacturing e-cigarettes and the liquids used in them. The court found that the rules gave the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue too much discretion in deciding how they would be enforced. The decision came Friday in the context of a lawsuit filed by East Coast Vapor, […]

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

Court backs state claim to insurance fund surplus

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

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

What would it take to end PA taxes on overtime?

President-elect Donald Trump made hay during the campaign with pledges to end taxes on tips and overtime pay. It’s unclear whether the proposals will gain traction in the U.S. Congress, given their potential cost. But the debate is likely to play out in Harrisburg, as well. In recent weeks, Pennsylvania lawmakers have floated proposals to […]

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

State revenue down from decline in gassing up

Pennsylvania may have one of the highest gas taxes in the country, but the levy is delivering shrinking returns, according to a research brief this week from the Independent Fiscal Office, a state agency monitoring budgetary and economic trends. The culprit is declining gasoline usage in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which pretty much […]

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

Court puts business-reporting rule on hold

A federal court in Texas suspended enforcement of a controversial business-reporting regulation four weeks before it was slated to take effect. In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant said the rule is “likely unconstitutional” and issued an order blocking its implementation pending further court review. Adopted under a law known as the Corporate […]

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

Deadline nears for business-reporting requirement

Do you know who your owners are? It’s a question millions of businesses will have to answer by the end of the year under a federal law known as the Corporate Transparency Act. Enacted in 2021, the law requires corporations, LLCs, LPs and other business entities to report information about their owners and managers to […]

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

Court tosses developer’s lawsuit over township fees

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

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

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 […]

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

Guv aims to speed permits for ‘complex and impactful’ projects

Gov. Josh Shapiro is hoping to ensure ambitious developers have a friend in Pennsylvania — or at least an easier time securing permits for construction. At an event in Philadelphia yesterday, the governor signed an executive order creating a transparent, fast-track permitting program for what are being described as “complex and impactful economic development and infrastructure projects.” […]

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

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 […]

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

Court shoots down overtime expansion

In a ruling Friday, a Texas judge scuttled an expansion of overtime pay that took effect in July. The decision sinks a Biden administration regulation that lifted the salary threshold for determining who is eligible for overtime pay. Another increase was slated to take effect in January, but that is now off the table, pending […]

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

Studies see benefit in state-run retirement savings

State-backed retirement plans, which have been proliferating around the U.S., appear to boost savings among workers, according to a study released yesterday. Workers are 20% more likely to contribute to a retirement savings account if they work at a business in a state that has an auto IRA program, according to the study, undertaken by […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

Legal

Court backs right to sue over workplace illness

Pennsylvania’s top court has upheld an employee’s right to sue an employer over a workplace illness even if it’s diagnosed after a time limit for filing a claim under worker’s comp laws. The ruling stems from a civil lawsuit filed by the estate of a retired engineer who died from mesothelioma traced to his workplace […]

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

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

State attorneys general, including Pennsylvania’s newly installed Dave Sunday, are taking another crack at settling opioid-related claims against bankrupt drugmaker Purdue

Bank claims could complicate recovery for ATM investors

Investors hoping to recover money from Lancaster-based ATM operator Paramount Management Group are facing a new hurdle. In a legal filing this month, a Berks County bank claims it has a stake in some of Paramount’s ATMs, as well as any revenue they may be generating. Customers Bank is asking a Lancaster County judge to stay an earlier […]

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

Order finds ATM operator in contempt

A court order on Friday gave some relief to investors in Paramount Management Group, a financially strapped ATM operator based in Lancaster. But the order did not give the investors everything they wanted. Notably, it stopped short of ordering Paramount to hire a forensic auditor to help recover funds for the investors, who argue they are […]

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

Court backs Harrisburg vape shop in licensing spat

Commonwealth Court has tossed out state rules requiring licensing of companies manufacturing e-cigarettes and the liquids used in them. The

Hearing raises new questions for beleaguered ATM network

Is it fraud or a failing business? That was one of the questions hanging over a court hearing held yesterday morning to consider contempt charges against Paramount Management Group, a Lancaster-based ATM network being sued by its investors. The investors want Paramount held in contempt for its alleged failure to abide by a court order issued earlier […]

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

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

Legal woes mount for Lancaster-based ATM operator

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

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

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. […]

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

Deadline nears for business-reporting requirement

Do you know who your owners are? It’s a question millions of businesses will have to answer by the end

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

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

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

York-area manufacturer sued over alleged retaliation

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

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

Court OK sought for bankruptcy sale of Harrisburg-area winery

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

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

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

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

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

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 […]

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

Court docs disclose $2.8M offer for bankrupt winery

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

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

Armstrong Flooring gets more time for sale

Armstrong Flooring has once again pushed back the deadline for wrapping up a sale. The Lancaster-based manufacturer now expects to finalize a sale by a court hearing slated for Tuesday, July 12.In a statement issued early on Friday, July 8, a company spokesperson said the company has finalized a deal to sell its operations in […]

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

Vehicle-parts manufacturer moving operations to York area

Mobile Climate Control, which already has a distribution Center in York County, is consolidating all of its U.S. operations at a new facility in West Manchester Township.

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

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 […]

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

State lawsuit over PCBs advances

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

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

Real Estate

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, […]

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

How realtors may adapt to a changing landscape

Over the last few weeks, real estate agents have begun bracing for the end of a common practice in home sales. It’s not the 6% commission, which agents argue is something of a misconception. It is the ability to signal that a homebuyer’s agent will be paid from the proceeds of a sale along with […]

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

Another delay in sale of Harrisburg apartments

It could be another four weeks before a bankruptcy court decides the fate of the beleaguered Governor’s Square apartment complex in uptown Harrisburg. The court had been scheduled to hold a hearing April 2 on a proposed sale of the 222-unit complex But the hearing has now been moved to April 30 at the request of the […]

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

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 […]

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

Small housing group aims for bigger impact

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

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

Court extends time for bankruptcy sale of Harrisburg apartments

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

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

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. […]

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

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

Shapiro budget includes $500M focus on industrial sites

As part of his budget proposal for the state’s next fiscal year, Gov. Josh Shapiro is offering a remedy to the shortage of ready-for-business industrial spaces in Pennsylvania. It is a $500 million, bond-funded expansion of PA SITES, a program the governor rolled out last year on a pilot basis with $10 million in funding. […]

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

Lebanon judge backs vote against solar project

A Lebanon County judge has sided with a North Annville Township decision shooting down developers hoping to plant a roughly 858-acre solar farm in the rural municipality west of Lebanon city. The ruling, handed down last week, upholds a 2022 vote by North Annville supervisors to deny a conditional use permit to Lebanon Solar I LLC, […]

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

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, […]

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

Court OK sought for NJ firm to buy Harrisburg apartments

The bankrupt owner of an apartment complex in uptown Harrisburg is seeking court approval to sell the property to a New Jersey firm. ANCDI Properties is offering to pay just over $9.6 million for Governor’s Square, beating out two competing bids, according to a filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “My […]

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

State court backs developer in warehouse spat

A state appeals court has sided with a local developer aiming to build a warehouse complex in Swatara Township, Dauphin County. The decision is the latest in a long-running battle over whether warehouses should be allowed on tracts along Route 322 east of Harrisburg, near Penhar Drive. State court shot down a previous developer’s efforts in […]

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

Realty startup focuses on second-chance renters

Chris Dreisbach believes in second chances. He has made the most of his after succumbing to substance-use disorder and landing in jail in his native Lehigh Valley. The path to recovery led Dreisbach to a halfway house in Lancaster County, where he has since built a life, several businesses and a reputation as someone passionate […]

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

Dentsply’s York campus sold, with rehab on tap

A York city authority has purchased the former Dentsply Sirona campus and plans to turn it over to a developer expected to bring new life to the 17.3 acre site between West College Avenue and the Codorus Creek The $4.25 million sale, which closed in late December, is the culmination of more than a year of talks […]

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

York, Harrisburg firms on the move

The new year is poised to bring new digs to two local companies. Reynolds Restoration Services bought a flex property in suburban Harrisburg for its new headquarters. York County-based construction firm Wagman also has purchased a building for a new HQ, a property in Manchester Township, York County. Both companies said they are outgrowing their current spaces. Starting with: […]

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

Highs donate real estate biz to family foundation

The High family is presenting a second major gift to their family foundation. The family’s ownership of Lancaster County-based High Real Estate Group is being transferred to High Foundation, the foundation announced on Dec. 20. The year-end gift follows the donation last year of High Industries, which was valued at nearly $115.2 million. The value of the real estate company was not disclosed but […]

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

Technology

Other Categories

"We had a great experience working with Joel and biznewsPA. The content we placed in his newsletter significantly outperformed similar content placed in newsletters with similar audiences. The data clearly demonstrated that his readers are engaged and represent the executive audience we wanted to reach."

The Latest News

Banking & Finance

Construction

Economy

entrepreneurship

Food

Government

Health Care

Legal

Manufacturing

Marketing

Real Estate

Retail

Technology

Other Categories

• David Peck, Vice President of Business Development, Industrial Resolution

NEWS THAT MATTERS IN YOUR INBOX: