The past year has been a busy one for mergers and acquisitions in Central Pennsylvania. Take a closer look at the action in this month-by-month recap for 2021. Unless otherwise indicated, the deal terms were not disclosed. January: U-GRO Learning Centres, a Derry Township-based preschool chain, was purchased by Michigan-based Learning Care Group, one of […]
Martin Fedorko did not cross the finish line the first time he tried to create a venture fund in York County. But he came away with valuable lessons he is applying to his latest effort: White Rose Ventures Most importantly, he learned that York County’s would-be investors are indeed interested in backing local companies. They […]
For nearly two decades, Cumberland County tech company Versatile Credit has been making it easier for businesses to offer in-store credit. Its latest device, called Snap Sign, makes it as easy as pointing a mobile phone at a plastic sign. The signs are a secure, contactless alternative to in-store kiosks, tablets or paper applications that […]
A state court has reversed a decision that could have added millions of dollars in costs to construction projects financed with bonds issued by municipal authorities. The ruling last week by Commonwealth Court revolved around interpretations of the state’s prevailing-wage law, which sets a minimum wage for workers on projects funded by public money.The case arose […]
When Seth Hughes first stepped onto a construction site as a teenager, he didn’t think about owning a construction company someday. But as his career advanced, it started to emerge as a goal, Hughes said.The goal is now a reality. Hughes has purchased Mechanicsburg-based Mowery Construction from its previous owner, David Cross. The pair began laying the groundwork […]
Home remodeler West Shore Home has long described itself as a technology-enabled company. The Mechanicsburg-based firm now owns a technology company. West Shore Home said yesterday it has purchased Design Center Inc., a firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but it adds 23 employees to West Shore Home, which has been […]
RLS Construction Group LLC is investing nearly $1.5 million to buy and remodel the former Hampden Township municipal building at 230 S. Sporting Hill Road. The new location in Cumberland County will allow the company to consolidate operations that are currently at two locations, said Bob Schopfer, owner, president and CEO of RLS Construction.The company […]
A staple of downtown New Cumberland is poised for a makeover. New owners have taken over a group of properties that include the former Coakley’s Restaurant and Irish Pub, which closed in 2014 after going bankrupt.Plans are still taking shape. But Kara Pierce said she and her partner, engineering executive Bill Tafuto, plan to invest […]
Burkentine Builders is gearing up to finish a mixed-use project that will bring another brewery to southern York County. The Hanover-based builder held a topping-off ceremony April 25 for the roughly $5 million project, which is bringing two buildings totaling 10,000 square feet of commercial space and 20 apartments to the borough of New Freedom.Construction […]
State officials on Friday unveiled more than $50 million in grants earmarked for projects around Central Pennsylvania, including a life sciences incubator in Lancaster, a hotel renovation on the West Shore and a park along the Codorus Creek in York. Other beneficiaries include Rock Lititz and the partnership developing a mixed-use apartment building near the […]
A new developer is getting a crack at bringing life to a former industrial tract in York. At a meeting last week, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of York awarded a six-month option on a 4.4-acre site in the Northwest Triangle to Statewide Partners, a regional firm with offices in Harrisburg and York. Preliminary sketches from Statewide show […]
The warehouse project is still a long way from approval. But concepts floated by Missouri-based NorthPoint Development show roughly 1.5 million to 2 million square feet of warehouse space in multiple buildings, according to Tim James, manager of Manchester Township, where the project is being considered.
Shortages of labor and materials are giving companies headaches. Michael Bistline is hoping to bring some targeted relief through a new venture launched this month by his Harrisburg-area business, Phillips Workplace Interiors. The venture is called Condivx and it aims to serve as a one-stop shop for general contractors looking for subcontractors at a time […]
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.
The Pennsylvania Builders Association doesn’t oppose standards that ensure buildings are accessible to people with disabilities. It opposes the most-recent revision process, which could raise construction costs for multifamily buildings going forward,
In fall 2018, Dan Laird was crouching in a duck blind on Maryland’s Eastern Shore when a banker friend asked him about his plans for Commonwealth Fire Protection Co. Laird had taken over the Lancaster County company in 2017 after the death of his business partner and longtime friend, Paul Hoffnagle, in a chain-saw accident. […]
When the first cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania were announced March 6, schools and businesses were open. A holiday photo of the Keystone Contractors Association staff, from left: Seth Kohr, safety director; Jon O’Brien, executive director; Melody O’Brien, office manager. PHOTO/SUBMITTED But as the virus spread over the next week, the Keystone Contractors Association decided […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
McNees Wallace & Nurick is adding 24 attorneys and professionals, as well as a new Philadelphia-area office, in what’s being described as the largest number of people to join the law firm at once during its 91-year history. The new recruits come from the education law group at Fox Rothschild, one of the 100 largest law firms […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A state House panel has passed bills on party-line votes that would strengthen protections against workplace discrimination. One bill would lower the threshold for state anti-discrimination enforcement to businesses with as few as two employees, down from the current threshold of four. Another bill would tweak provisions covering gender-based wage discrimination. It would, for example, […]
Disgruntled taxpayers in Pennsylvania would have a new option for disputing their tax bills under legislation approved yesterday by a state Senate panel. Sponsored by GOP state Sen. Tim Hutchinson, the bill would create an independent settlement process, potentially avoiding protracted court battles over tax bills, according to its supporters, which include the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs and […]
Appearing March 13 at a Scranton union hall, Gov. Josh Shapiro laid out plans for speeding up Pennsylvania’s shift to cleaner forms of electricity while creating jobs and capping carbon emissions from the power sector. The plans aim to bridge differences that have long divided environmentalists, labor groups, lawmakers and others with a stake in […]
Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro rolled out a plan for economic development in Pennsylvania that is expected to unfold over the next decade. Progress is likely to be measured in shorter increments of time. State lawmakers, who are being asked to fund parts of the plan, could start asking for results by next year. […]
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 […]
State regulators have tweaked regulations that modify the professional licensing process for people with criminal backgrounds, following stiff pushback from critics of the original proposal. The rules implement a 2020 state law making it easier for people with criminal convictions to become accountants, barbers, nurses and real estate agents, among the many other professions that require a […]
State officials have narrowed the list of projects they are considering for a new funding program designed to prep industrial sites for development. The program, announced last fall by the Shapiro administration, drew more than 100 applicants seeking a total of more than $236 million. Officials are now focusing on a short list of 32 […]
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. […]
Absence makes the list grow longer. It has been more than a year since state officials dished out funding under the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, aka RACP, a state program that backs high-profile projects around the state. Now, for the first time under Gov. Josh Shapiro, the state is preparing to award funding once again […]
Gov. Josh Shapiro laid out a vision for jumpstarting economic development in Pennsylvania during an address yesterday at OraSure Technologies, a medical diagnostics company in Bethlehem The 52-page strategy includes a mix of new funding, a focus on key industries and a series of other steps designed to make Pennsylvania more competitive in retaining and attracting workers and […]
Educators love it because they would no longer depend on legislative approval for annual state funding. Families buffeted by inflation — and reluctant to take on debt — will appreciate its promise of college tuition as low as $1,000 per semester. But critics wonder how much it will actually cost. “It” is the blueprint for […]
Pennsylvania’s environmental agency is hoping to snag up to half a billion dollars in federal funding to start a grant program focused on cutting carbon emissions from cement kilns, steel manufacturers and other industrial operations. If funded, the program would be called Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania, or RISE PA, according to the Department […]
Lawmakers are floating legislation they argue could lead to better results for Pennsylvania residents and businesses that challenge their state tax bills. The legislation would allow taxpayers in certain situations to file appeals past a statutory deadline. And in an effort to settle disputes more quickly, the legislation would create a new, independent mediation process. […]
A new survey claims to show that three-quarters of Pennsylvania’s small-business owners support the creation of a state-backed retirement plan that would automatically enroll workers — the kind of plan that was approved earlier this year in the state House. Nearly a quarter, or 26%, “strongly support” the idea, according to the survey, conducted by The Pew Charitable […]
Gratz borough in Dauphin County failed to properly advertise a meeting where it set stricter zoning standards for solar energy systems even as a company was seeking permission to build a 17-megawatt project there. That was the ruling last week from a three-judge panel of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court, which upheld a 2022 decision by Dauphin […]
Under an executive order signed yesterday by Gov. Josh Shapiro, the state plans to marshal government and private-sector resources to help small, diverse businesses win a bigger share of state spending. The order builds on efforts by Shapiro’s predecessor, former Gov. Tom Wolf, to diversify the ranks of state contractors. The efforts have made progress but […]
Tired of waiting for that professional license? If it takes too long, Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to give you your money back, a pledge outlined in an executive order he signed on Jan. 31. First, state agencies have to figure out what is “too long.” The order directs state agencies to catalog all the licenses, certificates and […]
In a case that drew national attention, Pennsylvania’s highest court backed a married couple seeking a bigger award after winning a lawsuit against an insurer they accused of engaging in fraud and negligence when it sold them a life insurance policy. In 2020, an Allegheny County jury found the insurer, Ameriprise Financial, liable for $120,570 […]
Following a flurry of comments from customers and consumer advocates, state utility regulators altered the penalties imposed on electric utility PPL Electric Utilities over billing issues that led to overcharges for some customers, among other problems. In a 3-2 vote on April 25, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved a settlement agreement requiring PPL to provide more […]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Sheetz, arguing that the company’s use of criminal background checks in hiring is discriminatory. The agency noted that Sheetz was not motivated by race in making hiring decisions. However, the agency claims that the convenience-store chain’s hiring practices disproportionately screened out job applicants who are Black, Native American, […]
A network of healthcare providers in western Pennsylvania is suing Aetna over what the providers allege is unfair treatment under the terms of a value-based contract. The contract took effect in 2023 and is supposed to reward the network, Bridges Health Partners, for reducing the cost of care while improving the health of people enrolled in Aetna’s Medicare […]
A Harrisburg lobbying firm has formed a business affiliation with a Philadelphia-area law firm. Under the arrangement, lobbying shop The DT Firm and law firm Lamb McErlane will refer clients to each other, said Joel Frank, chairman and managing partner of Lamb McErlane. While many law firms have created in-house lobbying divisions over the last few years, Lamb McErlane […]
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 […]
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 […]
A state House panel has passed bills on party-line votes that would strengthen protections against workplace discrimination. One bill would
Manheim Township is firing back against a lawsuit aiming to hold it responsible for problems with the sewer system in neighboring Lancaster city. The lawsuit, filed in January by Lancaster city in Lancaster County court, argues that Manheim officials have not done enough to control stormwater from entering the city sewer system. The system serves homes […]
For more than a year, singer Ed Kowalczyk has been touring under the banner of Live, the platinum-selling rock band he co-founded more than 30 years ago in York. But the agreement allowing him to use the Live name is under fire in a York County court. Former Live drummer Chad Gracey is suing Kowalczyk […]
The legal fight continues over high-voltage power lines that would run through southern York and Franklin counties. The chief issue is whether state utility regulators overstepped constitutional bounds when they blocked the interstate project in May 2021. Proposed in 2017 by Ohio-based Transource, the $372 million Independence Energy Connection would ease congestion for power flowing from Pennsylvania to Maryland by […]
A state court has handed a preliminary legal victory to a business owner in a fight over the cost of connecting solar projects to the electric distribution system. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission had objected to the business owner’s lawsuit on procedural grounds. But in a ruling last week, Commonwealth Court overruled the objections, allowing the […]
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 […]
A locally based company allegedly broke state law by reselling internet service in what the state attorney general described in a lawsuit as a “sham business.” The company, Davis Communications Internet Inc., subscribed to business internet plans, then advertised itself as an internet provider in its own right, specifically targeting consumers in rural York County, where […]
Pennsylvania’s top court has backed a lower court’s decision in a closely watched case involving application of the state’s prevailing wage law. The case hinged on conflicting views of the law, which sets a minimum wage for workers on publicly funded projects. What’s the issue: Whether prevailing wages should be paid on a private-sector project […]
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. […]
State regulators have tweaked regulations that modify the professional licensing process for people with criminal backgrounds, following stiff pushback from
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, […]
Local shopping centers are continuing to attract interest from area buyers. The latest example is Penn Plaza, an 82,500 square-foot shopping center at 1019 Baltimore St. in Penn Township, York County, outside Hanover. The Trone Family Trust, based in Hanover, paid $2.2 million for the plaza, which counts an Ollie’s Bargain Outlet store and a Ninja Logic gym among […]
A Hanover-area mall is under new ownership. Plymouth Meeting-based real estate company Pennmark Management paid $28.75 million for Gateway Hanover, a 192,774 square-foot shopping center just north of the York County borough. It was developed starting in 2010.The seller was Hanover-based Conewago North Ridge Partners LP, according to Brad Rohrbaugh, retail director for York-based real estate firm Bennett Williams […]
Last fall, Lancaster-based private equity firm PennSpring Capital bought a majority stake in Mobiniti, a text marketing firm based in Wilkes-Barre. This week, a PennSpring entity paid $1.55 million for a building in Lancaster where it plans to relocate the operations of Mobiniti, which employs about 20 people.The move brings Mobiniti closer to PennSpring, which offers support to […]
A Harrisburg-based, youth-focused nonprofit has purchased the longtime home of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association at 3899 N. Front St. Youth Advocate Programs Inc. paid $2.235 million for the 18,000 square-foot building in Susquehanna Township, according to Dauphin County deed records.The nonprofit — which provides community-based services to at-risk youth — plans to move around 80 staff members there […]
A mixed-use development is taking shape along Route 15 in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County. Camp Hill developer Linlo Properties began site work in May for the project, dubbed The Mills at Shepherdstown Crossing.Once completed, it will bring 54 apartments, retail space, a Burger King and a Chick-fil-A to the intersection of Gettysburg Pike and South Market Street, which offers access to […]
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 […]
Seeking a more modern office environment for its York-area staff, a Lancaster-based residential real estate firm is moving down the street. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homesale Realty bought an office building at 2600 Eastern Blvd. in Springettsbury Township and plans to move its staff there in mid to late September, according to Rod Messick, the firm’s CEO.Homesale Realty plans […]
When Seth Hughes first stepped onto a construction site as a teenager, he didn’t think about owning a construction company
State officials are giving an $8.4 million boost to plans for an innovation park in Columbia. The Lancaster County borough is collecting a grant of nearly $3.4 million and a loan of just over $5 million to help cover the costs of developing the McGinness Innovation Park on the site of a former airport in the […]
A piece of Harrisburg history is on the market — and potentially headed for a makeover. Penn Center Harrisburg, the former Polyclinic Hospital campus, is being listed at an asking price of $22 million — and with a sketch plan showing the office property as an apartment complex. “I think that the office need in Harrisburg is low,” […]
One of the region’s largest residential real estate firms just got larger. As of July 12, Lancaster-based Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homesale Realty has absorbed Brownstone Real Estate, adding two offices and 38 agents in Lebanon and Hershey.Terms of the merger were not disclosed.“After 51 years in business, it was important for us to join a […]
RLS Construction Group LLC is investing nearly $1.5 million to buy and remodel the former Hampden Township municipal building at
A prime Carlisle Pike property has changed hands. A New York-based partnership paid nearly $5.5 million in June for the former home of N.B. Liebman Furniture at 4705 Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township, according to Cumberland County deed records. The site — which was owned by members of the Liebman family — was once eyed […]
Penn State trustees voted this week to move ahead with a deal to sell two on-campus hotels to a third-party operator, Ardmore-based Scholar Hotel Group. Under the proposed agreement, Penn State would keep the land and lease it, while Scholar would buy The Nittany Lion Inn and Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State […]
A developer is filling in some of the details on its plans to transform the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in Harrisburg into “The Federal” — a 200-unit luxury apartment building crowned with a rooftop bar and a pair of restaurants. Developer Global Ocean Investments had already unveiled a goal of remaking the 250,000 square-foot building […]
A staple of downtown New Cumberland is poised for a makeover. New owners have taken over a group of properties
Burkentine Builders is gearing up to finish a mixed-use project that will bring another brewery to southern York County. The
State officials on Friday unveiled more than $50 million in grants earmarked for projects around Central Pennsylvania, including a life