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Banking & Finance

State rolls out home-energy loan program

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

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PE-backed firm takes stake in Harrisburg baseball team

A private equity-backed holding company is buying a majority stake in Harrisburg’s minor league baseball team from the family of the late Mark Butler, a co-founder of Harrisburg-based discount retailer Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings. Butler, who died in 2019, bought a majority interest in the Harrisburg Senators in 2014. That stake is now being sold to Diamond […]

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West Shore distributor sells stake to PE firm

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

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Regional home-services company sold

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

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Inflation, rising rates weighed on dealmaking

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

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Weis pressured over climate, supply chain disclosures

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

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Local bank aims for the stars

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

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Statewide venture fund makes first investments

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

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PNC unveils $1B plan to upgrade, open branches

After closing more than 200 branches in 2023, PNC Bank said yesterday it is aiming to spend $1 billion over the next four years to renovate 1,200 branches nationwide and open 100 new ones in some of the country’s fastest-growing cities Banks are cutting branches. But they also have been opening them in markets where they see […]

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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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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 […]

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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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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, […]

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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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Harrisburg greenlights residential rehab project

Harrisburg city council this week unanimously approved acompany’s plans to convert a long-vacant building at 100 N. 13th St. into 12 apartments in a renovation project valued at $900,000, according to city records. Erected in 1922, the roughly 11,580-square-foot building is a former publishing company office that has been vacant for decades, according to Jarred […]

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Townhomes coming to former hospital site

Miami-based homebuilding giant Lennar is ramping up construction of new townhomes on the site of a former Lancaster city hospital. Lennar plans to build 53 townhomes behind a former UPMC/St. Joseph’s hospital on College Avenue in the city’s West End neighborhood. Dubbed The Towns at West End, the townhome community will feature three-story units starting at 1,872 square […]

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Data center plans roil Dauphin County township

For nearly two years, officials and residents in South Hanover Township, Dauphin County, have been debating ground rules for data centers, large buildings full of computer equipment used in artificial intelligence and related applications. Now, with the ordinance still in draft form, the township is being asked to consider plans for a pair of data centers […]

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State grants fund regional housing projects

Harrisburg nonprofit Wildheart is gearing up to break ground next month on a $3.3 million mixed-use project that will bring nine affordable apartments to Allison Hill, one of the state capital’s poorest neighborhoods. The nonprofit is laying plans for a similar project nearby — and just landed $200,000 in state grants as a kickstart. Wildheart is one […]

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Apartments on tap for West York Borough

York-area developers are nearing the finish line on approvals for building a 60-unit apartment building in West York Borough. The project recently won key zoning variances and could wrap up the land development process by the end of this summer, according to one of the developers, Jordan Ilyes, who has worked on other multifamily projects […]

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‘More and more invigorated’: Local exec reflects on new book, ongoing mission

Bob Whalen felt like he was pitching a pipe dream when he first began describing employee ownership to companies he was hoping to fold into HB Global, a Mechanicsburg-based HVAC contractor that has been employee-owned since 2010. But over more than a decade, the pipe dream has turned 30 employee-owners into millionaires and allowed hundreds […]

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State loan backs $17.2M office project in Lancaster County

Nearly four months after they started construction on a shared headquarters near Mount Joy, two Lancaster County companies landed a low-interest state loan to cover a portion of the nearly $17.2 million price tag. State officials said yesterday they approved a $2.25 million loan to Strickler Investments LLC, a real estate affiliate of solar installer Paradise Energy […]

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Carlisle redevelopment project gets more state aid

Pennsylvania is earmarking additional funding for the cleanup of a former industrial site in Carlisle slated for a mixed-use redevelopment. The state has awarded $750,000 toward environmental remediation on the site of the former Frog Switch & Manufacturing plant at 600 E. High St. in the borough. The company closed in July 2023 after more than a […]

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York developer unveils $4.6M hotel project

Another boutique hotel is coming to downtown York. Royal Square Development and Construction is unveiling plans for Mural Arts Hotel, a 20-room venue occupying a prominent, five-story building at 1 S. George St. on York’s Continental Square. It’s the first hotel project for York-based Royal Square, which has focused previously on retail and multifamily developments in […]

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Self-storage coming to former furniture store on West Shore

People used to swing by the former N.B. Liebman store on the Carlisle Pike in search of stuff that they wanted to fit inside their homes. They will soon be able to use the building to store stuff that doesn’t fit. An investor group led by developer Drew Bobincheck paid about $6.7 million for the […]

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Shapiro seeks conditions on lucrative tax break for data centers

Following up on a promise he made earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro yesterday unveiled the details of a fast track for data centers seeking state permits. In return for a speedier review, developers would have to meet minimum standards for protecting the environment, benefiting communities and creating jobs. The governor’s pitch includes a stick […]

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As sales fall, flooring firm files bankruptcy

A Harrisburg-area flooring supplier is heading for liquidation. Frontier Surfaces filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in mid-April after seeing its revenue cut by two-thirds in 2025, according to legal filings. It’s unclear what triggered the filing. Efforts to reach company founder and owner Scott Appel and his bankruptcy attorney were not successful. But the flooring industry, […]

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Court backs prevailing wages in build-to-lease deal

Pennsylvania’s top court reversed a lower court ruling in a case involving prevailing wages, a form of minimum pay applied to government-funded construction projects Commonwealth Court ruled in 2023 that prevailing wages should not apply to the construction of a building leased to the Pennsylvania State Police. But the decision was overturned this week by […]

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Township OKs apartments at suburban York mall

Local officials signed off last week on a 98-unit apartment building slated to rise on a parking lot at the York Galleria shopping mall in suburban York. At a meeting Thursday night, supervisors in Springettsbury Township approved subdivision and land development plans for the four-story building, dubbed Signature Flats at Galleria. “We were pleased with […]

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Mixed-use makeover of former Dentsply campus nets state grant

Projects in Lancaster and York are among a handful that snagged a share of state funding from a $10 million pilot program designed to encourage mixed-use developments with housing components around the state. The Redevelopment Authority of the City of York landed nearly $1.6 million toward the rehabilitation of a sprawling campus along the Codorus Creek that […]

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Apartment conversion on tap for York city

After converting a former bakery into apartments, a pair of developers are moving on to their next residential conversion in York city. Kinsley Properties and Royal Square are collaborating on a roughly $5.1 million project to transform what was once a refrigerated warehouse into 20 affordable one-bedroom apartments. The project also calls for about 750 square feet of street-level […]

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Digital marketing firm unveils $10.7M rehab plans for riverfront mansion

Digital marketing agency WebFx unveiled plans yesterday for renovating and expanding into a historic mansion along the Harrisburg riverfront. The Harrisburg-based company plans to spend $10.7 million on the project, which is unfolding inside the former Tracy Mansion at 1829 N. Front St. in the capital city. Based a block away at 1705 N. Front St., WebFx […]

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Self-storage proposed for vacant Harrisburg office

A former office building at 1171 S. Cameron St. in Harrisburg could soon become a self-storage facility. Building owner Storage Five Harrisburg LLC has filed land development plans calling for conversion of the roughly 118,000-square-foot building into a self-storage facility with about 950 units. The construction work is expected to cost about $6.7 million, according to a resolution […]

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Carlisle-area warehouse linked to Apple set to close

A Carlisle-area warehouse that has served as a destination for Apple products is slated to close in March, idling nearly 500 workers. German company DB Schenker told state and local officials this week it plans to close the warehouse at 45 Logistics Drive in South Middletown Township. In a statement, a company spokesperson cited the expiration of a customer […]

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Contractor to lay off workers at Amazon sites

A vendor is laying off nearly 300 workers after Amazon ended its contract to provide janitorial and facilities services to eight of the ecommerce giant’s warehouses in Pennsylvania, including four in Cumberland and York counties, according to a notice filed with the state. South Carolina-based Newbold Services LLC plans to lay off 294 people as of March 5, according […]

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PUC TO PROBE REQUEST FOR DOUBLE-DIGIT WATER HIKE

State regulators plan to take a closer look at a double-digit rate increase being sought by Pennsylvania American Water to cover investments in its water and sewer systems. The move was approved yesterday in a unanimous vote by state utility commissioners. As a result, the increase will be suspended for up to seven months while officials from the Pennsylvania Public Utility […]

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PODCAST: INCLUSIVE HIRING

When Michael Coy joined Wolfgang Confectioners as its workforce development manager, the candy maker employed about five people who spoke Spanish. Now, the Loganville-based company employs more than 100, a change Coy attributes to the company’s willingness to listen to employees and meet their needs, regardless of their background and experience. Coy shares Wolfgang’s experience […]

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Podcast: Logistics

Supply chains used to be something of an afterthought for most companies. They would fix it and forget it. But over the last couple of years, supply chains have emerged as a critical element of business strategy, in part because they have been so hard to get right. In this episode of the York County […]

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Effort aims to diversity city contracting

The city of Harrisburg spent about $150 million on contracts for goods and services between 2017 and 2021. Slightly more than 7% of the total went to Black-, women- veteran-, and other minority-owned contractors, according to estimates in a study published last fall on contracting disparities in Pennsylvania’s capital. If spending had been in line with […]

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Lancaster ag firms scoop up farm assets

A longtime Lancaster County farming family has sold off most of its operations to a pair of local ag companies. The Esbenshade family sold its feed mill, swine operations and related properties to The Wenger Group and its shell-egg operations to Kreider Farms. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed in yesterday’s announcement of the two deals. The […]

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Podcast: The business of farming

Advanced technology is sowing the seeds, often literally, for the future of farming. Automated and AI-powered tools can plant seeds, assess crop health and pick the finished product from the field — or greenhouse. But technology alone won’t save farmers. They also need to rethink and reinvent their business models. This edition of the YCEA […]

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Podcast: Workforce Development

Business leaders may be wondering where they will find the skilled people they need to keep their companies running and growing in the years ahead. This edition of the YCEA podcast, produced in partnership with biznewsPA, offers perspective from those in the trenches of training. It features Pedro Rivera, president of Thaddeus Stevens College of […]

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New state park designated along Susquehanna

Amid a broader push to boost the outdoors economy in Pennsylvania, a new state park is coming to the banks of the Susquehanna River in York County. The tentatively titled Susquehanna Riverlands State Park is one of three new parks unveiled yesterday by Gov. Tom Wolf and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy […]

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Podcast: Arts and the economy

When Covid-19 struck in March 2020, it upended the livelihoods of people who built careers around art, music, theater and other cultural pursuits that thrive on live audiences. Arts and culture are bouncing back, like other sectors of the economy. But they still have some ways to go to reach their pre-pandemic state, according to […]

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Podcast: Welcoming Workplaces

Last fall, the York County Economic Alliance rolled out an initiative called Welcoming Workplaces. Its end goal is to promote inclusion, diversity and shared prosperity in the region. But the initiative also involves something of a journey for the organizations that have elected to take part. Marissa Bankert, executive director of IEC Pennsylvania; Anika Jackson, […]

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Program aims to shower capital on small biz in PA

Pennsylvania’s small businesses are in line for a capital infusion of nearly $268 million under a program announced July 18 by the Wolf Administration The money is coming from the federal government via the American Rescue Plan ActBut it will be distributed by the state, specifically the state Department of Community and Economic Development.Other hands […]

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York venture fund adds to portfolio

A York-based venture fund has added to its portfolio of regional startups as it aims to bolster entrepreneurship in Central Pennsylvania. Founded in 2020, White Rose Ventures disclosed an inaugural round of investments in four companies earlier this year. At the end of last week, it unveiled investments of nearly $1.3 million in three more startups. Which are: ReturnLogic, Evermind and TEAMology. Based in Carlisle, ReturnLogic […]

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Budget delivers big win, some misses for business

State lawmakers last week delivered a tax cut long sought by Pennsylvania’s business community. But in adopting a $45.2 billion budget on July 8 for the current fiscal year, they left out other sought-after provisions. The headline news is the immediate cut and subsequent phase-down of the state’s corporate net income tax, which had been […]

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Podcast: Pain at the pump

You don’t need a headline to tell you that fuel prices are high. But you can listen in to the latest edition of the York County Economic Alliance podcast produced in partnership with biznewsPA. Richard Farr, executive director of rabbittransit, describes how of one of Central Pennsylvania’s largest public transit providers is adapting. Mark Wisniewski, […]

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Podcast: Business leaders talk early childhood education

Listen in as a panel of experts discusses the importance of quality, affordable and accessible childcare in the region: Tony Campisi, chairman of Glatfelter Insurance Group; Andrea Heberlein, executive director of the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission; Jim Hoehn, regional president pf PNC Bank; and Heather Miller, chief education officer at the York Jewish Community […]

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York leaders revive grant program for early childhood ed

Business and childcare leaders in York County have raised more than $500,000 for a grant program designed to improve the quality of early childhood education in the county, replacing a state program that was cut during the pandemic. Leading the charge have been Anthony Campisi, chairman of York-based Glatfelter Insurance Group; Pete Brubaker, president of […]

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Supply deal bolsters wood-to-gas startup

As it finalizes plans for its first refinery, a Pennsylvania startup aiming to make vehicle gasoline from wood has forged a key agreement with a regional fuel supplier. Tioga County-based Woodland Biomass Innovations has signed a memorandum of understanding with Shipley Energy committing the York-based distributor to buy and distribute up to 100% of Woodland’s output for five years. […]

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AI meets executive coaching

As leadership coach Chad Harvey came to grips with the potential for AI to change everything, he started learning as much as he could about the technology. Then he started using it to build tools. “Not just your standard chatbot-type things but really investing in the technology in ways that meaningfully enhanced the work that […]

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Lancaster-area startup brings better data to racquet sports

When John Weinlader was learning to swing a golf club, simulators generated plenty of information that helped him hone his approach and figure out if he was making progress. Tennis, not so much. “I had no way of knowing if I was improving,” Weinlader said. After he and his brother sold their two Lancaster-area companies […]

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Lancaster beverage startup plots recovery after production setback

Dr. Jordan Balencic raised nearly $1.7 million for ERApeutics LLC, a Lancaster-based beverage startup he co-founded in 2018 with his wife, Tessa. But after a costly series of production setbacks, exacerbated by the post-pandemic supply chain squeeze of the early 2020s, he didn’t think he could raise more. Nonetheless, he was not ready to pack it […]

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Collaborative seeks coordinated system to bolster innovation, entrepreneurship in PA

Keystone Innovation Collaborative, a York-based nonprofit that aims to sweep away barriers frustrating entrepreneurship in Pennsylvania, held a launch event last week at its new home, a former coworking space overlooking Continental Square in downtown York. The nonprofit’s general goal is to make it easier for entrepreneurs statewide to find the capital, connections and other resources they […]

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Beyond bankruptcy: Cookie entrepreneurs pin hopes on protein, ice cream, ecommerce

In fall 2024, Doug and Sara Taylor traveled to Philadelphia to open the first of two stores in the city for their Lancaster-based cookie company, Taylor Chip. The stores were opening 18 months later than expected, and the Taylors had taken on seven–figure debt to keep things moving. But they were hopeful it would all work […]

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West Shore Home launches in New England

Mechanicsburg-based home improvement contractor West Shore Home is moving into New England with the opening of its first branch in the region. The office in the Boston suburb of Franklin, Massachusetts, will cover an area encompassing most of Massachusetts as well as parts of Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Founded in 2006, West Shore […]

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Recycling biz expands York-area operations

Over the last several years, Utah-based waste collector recyclops has been sending plastic to a small plant in York city that converts the waste into a building material. In September, recyclops launched its own operation in the region. “We just needed more space to move our elbows,” said recyclops founder and CEO Ryan Smith. Where is this […]

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York-area entrepreneurs plan indoor climbing gym

A small retail building near the York Galleria mall in Springettsbury Township, York County, is heading for a makeover. Entrepreneurs Hale and Kate Milano are converting the property at 1955 Whiteford Road/1201 Memory Lane into one of the region’s first dedicated indoor rock-climbing facilities. It’ll be called Off Grid Climbing & Fitness. Avid climbers, the Milanos […]

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Startups supporting seniors, caregivers draw spotlight

By 2030, the youngest baby boomers will be 65 years old. With 74 million people in this group, coupled with a worsening physician shortage, the need for tech innovation to address care gaps is critical. To address this need, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin CNP) hosted the AgeTech Techcelerator […]

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Plastics recycler cleans up at York ballpark

Fans at WellSpan Park this summer found new places to pitch their plastic spoons, water bottles and other plastic items. The home of the York Revolution baseball team set up bins to collect plastics under a partnership with CRDC Materials, a Costa Rica-based plastics recycler with an operation in York city. CRDC takes the plastic to its plant, shreds […]

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Lititz yogurt maker closes seven-figure seed round

Painterland Sisters, an organic yogurt maker based in Lititz, just raked in a seven-figure sum from a bevy of investors, according to company spokesperson Chloe Schwartz. Schwartz declined to share the precise amount raised in the seed funding round, which was disclosed yesterday. But the money will provide working capital to support innovation and operations for […]

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West Shore startup lands venture funding

Mark Small and Brad Curran quit their day jobs in 2022 so they could devote more time to their Mechanicsburg-based startup, which is developing cutting-edge strength-training equipment. The company, Poseidon Strength, closed its first sale in May 2024 and has now landed its first financing outside of friends and family. York-based venture capital firm White Rose Ventures has […]

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Spring Grove firm tees up software for national sales

After nearly a decade of fine tuning, a Spring Grove software company believes its main product is ready for prime time. CFA Solutions debuted an early version of the software — designed to root out errors in the manufacturing process — in 2017. The company spent the last few years testing it with local manufacturers. But […]

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York winemaker partners with Harrisburg-area distiller

The expanded opportunity to sell canned cocktails in Pennsylvania has lured another player into the market. Carl Helrich, owner of York County-based Allegro Wine Co. LLC, has become a minority partner in Spring Gate Spirits LLC, a Harrisburg-area distillery founded by entrepreneur Martin Schoffstall. Helrich has been named president of the distiller, and its operations are moving […]

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Urban greenhouse firm tied to York project among winners in new PA grant program

Local farms and businesses — including a Harrisburg-area company involved in an urban greenhouse in York — landed thousands of dollars in state grants from a new program designed to spur innovation in agriculture. The grants were unveiled yesterday by state officials during a press conference at a Lancaster County farm. Why is this happening: […]

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Startup aims to bring soccer back to Harrisburg

Professional soccer is returning to Harrisburg’s City Island. A startup called Capital City Sports Group is launching a team called the Capital City Islanders that will compete this spring in a division of the United Premier Soccer League, a semiprofessional development league. The idea was born from conversations among people who missed seeing outdoor pro soccer in […]

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Regional lawn-care company sold

Green Image Lawn Care, a regional lawn-care company with offices in York and Lancaster counties, has been acquired by LawnPRO Partners, a platform backed by HCI Equity Partners, a private equity firm based in Washington, D.C. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Green Image is led by Luke Zimmerman and Ryan Freed, who are continuing to […]

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Flagger Force

Josh Sargent has been named COO of Flagger Force. He is expected to help the Hummelstown-based company strengthen operational consistency, support field employees and enhance the client experience. The COO duties were previously handled by Flagger Force president and CEO Mike Doner, according to a company spokesperson. Sargent has nearly three decades of leadership experience […]

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Defense contractor with ‘storied history’ in Lancaster sold

A Lancaster defense business with its origins in World War II is under new ownership. The business is Ampwave Defense, formerly known as Photonis Defense. The business was spun out last year by its former parent company, Exosens, a French defense contractor formerly known as Photonis Group. Ampwave’s new ownership is affiliated with a Los Angeles-based family investment firm […]

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Benchmark, JV partner buy Lehigh Valley building

A joint venture between Lancaster-based Benchmark Real Estate and New York-based Regal Ventures acquired an Easton-area industrial building occupied by an expanding manufacturer of ergonomic workspace products for offices, stores and other commercial environments. The purchase price for the roughly 85,000-square-foot building at 100 Kuebler Road in Forks Township, Northampton County, was $7 million, according to deed records. […]

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Specialty distributor sells Elizabethtown-area warehouse after downsizing

Palmyra-based specialty distributor DAS Companies Inc. has sold an Elizabethtown-area warehouse where it laid off workers at the end of 2024. A real estate partnership linked to Chicago-based investment firm Industrial Outdoor Ventures paid $15.1 million for the 86,000-square-foot warehouse on a 17.5-acre tract at 48 Industrial Road in West Donegal Township, Lancaster County, according to county deed records. […]

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Millions in state grants land on local projects

After a hiatus of about 20 months, Pennsylvania is back in the RACP business. That would be the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, a grant initiative that regularly hands money to high-profile community and economic development projects around the state. State officials disclosed the latest round of grants yesterday. The last RACP announcements came in November 2024. […]

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Harrisburg greenlights residential rehab project

Harrisburg city council this week unanimously approved acompany’s plans to convert a long-vacant building at 100 N. 13th St. into

Housing nonprofit buys 51-unit complex in Lancaster County

HDC MidAtlantic, a nonprofit housing developer based in Lancaster, paid nearly $3.9 million for Nathan Village in a bid to preserve the affordable housing status of the 51-unit senior apartment community in Upper Leacock Township, Lancaster County. The affordable rental complex at 47 Laura Lee Blvd. was previously owned by a partnership called N.L. Associates, according […]

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Defense contractor builds on York-area footprint

A defense contractor with two plants in the York area has added a third. San Diego-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions said yesterday it opened a 167,000-square-foot factory on the former York International campus at 631 S. Richland Ave. in Spring Garden Township. Kratos did not disclose its total investment in the plant, which will support the company’s […]

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Feds OK fuel purchases for Crane nuclear plant

Federal regulators have cleared energy company Constellation to buy fuel for the Crane Clean Energy Center, the mothballed nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island in Dauphin County. The Baltimore-based company aims to restart the reactor next year and sell power to Microsoft, which needs electricity for its data centers. Why does it matter: The approval to buy and […]

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18 Dollar General stores sold

A real estate investment firm has acquired a portfolio of 18 Dollar General stores in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Realty Income Corp. paid $22.7 million for the stores, which include locations in Fawn Grove, Greencastle, Jersey Shore and Tioga, according to CBRE. Agents from CBRE represented both Realty Income and the seller, Miller Bros. Construction Inc., a contractor based in […]

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McGrew Management Co.

Joseph Muth has been named CFO of McGrew Management Co., a holding company for trucking and equipment sales businesses based in North Codorus Township, York County. He joins McGrew in a new role for the company following a growth spurt, including the 2018 formation of subsidiary Crownstone Equipment, a regional chain of Bobcat equipment dealerships. Muth worked […]

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Pennsylvania Data Center Partners

Grant Denham has been named chief of staff at Pennsylvania Data Center Partners, a Harrisburg-based data center developer, in a newly created role. Denham will help guide acquisition, development and capital markets strategy as the company advances data center development across Pennsylvania and other U.S. markets. He will coordinate cross-functional workstreams to advance site entitlements, […]

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Lawmakers topple barrier to Penn State campus sales

Soon after Penn State announced last year that it would close seven branch campuses across Pennsylvania, questions swirled about what was next for the properties. A question also arose about Penn State’s freedom to divest the campuses, at least to something besides another school. While the larger question of “what’s next” remains unsettled, state lawmakers answered the narrower […]

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Barley Snyder

Evdoxia “Xia” Madonis has joined Barley Snyder as an associate in the Lancaster-based law firm’s business practice group. Madonis advises clients on corporate and business matters including complex transactions, corporate governance, regulatory compliance and contract drafting and negotiation. She joins Barley after practicing at an AmLaw 100 firm in New York City, where she worked […]

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Land, former church sold in Harrisburg area

Rock City Building Support Inc. paid $1.15 million for a 36,000-square-foot building at 951 S. 13th St. and a parking lot at 100 S. 13th St. in Harrisburg, the former home of From the Heart Church Ministries, according to county deed records. Dustin Isbert of RSR Realtors represented the buyer. Chuck Heller and Adam Boussatta […]

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Supply deal bolsters wood-to-gas startup

As it finalizes plans for its first refinery, a Pennsylvania startup aiming to make vehicle gasoline from wood has forged

The cost of consensus

Column by Brandon Rogers There is a curious point in every leader’s journey when the room slowly becomes louder than

Lender breaks ground on Lanco branch

Belco Community Credit Union broke ground this month on a branch in East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County. Slated to open next spring, the branch will be Belco’s 13th overall and fourth in the Lancaster area. The branch is at 237 Centerville Road, near pet products retailer That Fish Place That Pet Place. Belco paid $1.35 million […]

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Millions in state grants land on local projects

After a hiatus of about 20 months, Pennsylvania is back in the RACP business. That would be the Redevelopment Assistance

Lawmakers topple barrier to Penn State campus sales

Soon after Penn State announced last year that it would close seven branch campuses across Pennsylvania, questions swirled about what was next

Township hits pause on data centers

At a meeting this week, supervisors in a York County township passed an ordinance saying they will not accept any applications from data center developers for the next 180 days. The moratorium in Conewago Township comes amid speculation about potential data center development in the municipality, as well as efforts to draft rules to fill […]

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Court upholds rejection of West Shore warehouse expansion

Officials in Silver Spring Township were justified in denying plans to expand a warehouse on a former IBM campus between Carlisle and Mechanicsburg, a state appeals court ruled this week. The owner of the roughly 478,000-square-foot warehouse at 180 Kost Road, just off Carlisle Pike, wanted to tack on another 210,000 square feet. But the request was […]

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Data center plans roil Dauphin County township

For nearly two years, officials and residents in South Hanover Township, Dauphin County, have been debating ground rules for data

Can microgrants help fuel Harrisburg rebirth?

Plenty of people are willing to debate what it will take to rejuvenate downtown Harrisburg. Others may want to pick up a hammer or paint brush and make a concrete contribution to the revitalization effort that has been gathering steam over the last year. City and regional leaders hope to inspire the latter group through […]

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Data center standards squeeze through House panel

State lawmakers moved yesterday to give some teeth to standards that Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed last month for data centers, including conditions on a lucrative tax break enjoyed by the facilities. The House Finance Committee narrowly approved legislation giving developers speedier state permit reviews in return for meeting minimum standards for protecting the environment, benefiting […]

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Clock ticks on state budget, gaming regulation

Thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, state lawmakers now face two deadlines: one to pass a budget and one to figure out whether and how to regulate and tax skill games. Skill games — slot-like devices said to require some element of skill in order to win — have been operating in legal limbo for […]

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State grants fund regional housing projects

Harrisburg nonprofit Wildheart is gearing up to break ground next month on a $3.3 million mixed-use project that will bring nine affordable

Paid-leave bill clears Senate hurdle

Legislation to create a paid family and medical leave program in Pennsylvania sailed through a Senate committee yesterday. The Senate Labor & Industry Committee approved the legislation on a vote of 9 to 2, overriding strenuous objections from the business community. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Devlin Robinson, an Allegheny County Republican. The […]

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House OKs bill offering tax credits for health plan costs

The state House gave near-unanimous approval yesterday to a measure that would award tax credits to small businesses that help their employees buy individual health insurance. A small-business lobbyist expressed support for the bill as it moved through a committee vote earlier this month, noting that incremental change is better than no change when it comes […]

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Lawmakers set to vote on paid family leave

A Pennsylvania Senate panel is slated to vote this morning on legislation creating a statewide paid family and medical leave program. The move comes nearly three months after the state House narrowly passed a similar program, albeit with some differences. What’s the difference: One of the biggest is who pays for the program — whether […]

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Mandate for tax-collection software advances in PA House

The state House approved legislation yesterday that would require special tax-collection software at businesses that are behind on sales taxes. The measure, which passed on a bipartisan vote of 153 to 48, would allow tax collectors to require the use of automated tax-payment software by businesses that are behind by at least $5,000 on sales […]

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House panel OKs small-biz tax credits for health plan costs

A state House panel yesterday passed legislation authorizing tax credits for small businesses that help their employees pay for health insurance. The legislation, which was adopted on a party-line vote, is designed to offset higher costs faced by people buying insurance through the Affordable Care Act. How would it work: Under House Bill 2550, businesses with […]

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Agency shelves controversial tax proposal

Pennsylvania’s tax collectors have dropped a controversial proposal designed to clarify the corporate income they believe should be taxed. Put forward in spring 2024, the proposed rule aimed to settle long-running sources of friction between the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and corporate taxpayers by defining just what kinds of business income are subject to taxation […]

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Case over property tax appeals divides high court

Pennsylvania’s top court split over a landmark decision allowing school districts to appeal property valuations based on the amount of fresh tax revenue the appeals might generate. The appeals are most likely to affect higher-value commercial, industrial and multifamily properties. But as long as school districts pick properties based on a policy designed solely on […]

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Carlisle redevelopment project gets more state aid

Pennsylvania is earmarking additional funding for the cleanup of a former industrial site in Carlisle slated for a mixed-use redevelopment.

Shapiro seeks conditions on lucrative tax break for data centers

Following up on a promise he made earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro yesterday unveiled the details of a fast

Doc drops retaliation case against UPMC

A lawsuit brought against UPMC by a cardiologist who alleged he was fired after reporting alleged conflicts of interest involving the health system’s president and CEO has been dismissed. The dismissal follows a resolution of the matter, though the details are unclear. A UPMC spokesperson said no money or other compensation was paid to the cardiologist, Dr. […]

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Carlisle-area cannabis biz sold to workers

Nearly a decade after co-founding one of Pennsylvania’s first medical marijuana businesses, Mark Toigo has handed the keys to employees. Toigo and Jaime Toigo, his wife and co-owner, have sold 100% of Organic Remedies to its 450-plus workers through an employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP. The company had been courted by growing multistate cannabis operators, but […]

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State authority wrestles with fraud in ACA marketplace

A wave of fraud has been hitting Pennsylvania’s Obamacare marketplace amid an upsurge in suspicious activity in marketplaces nationwide. The state’s market overseer, the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, has tightened controls over the last few months in an effort to block fraudulent insurance enrollments. State lawmakers also are looking to clamp down, with one measure […]

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Ruling clarifies ban on doctor self-referrals in work comp

In 1993, state lawmakers passed workers’ comp reforms barring doctors from referring injured workers to a menu of services in which the doctors have a financial stake. What’s on the menu has been the subject of a lengthy legal dispute settled last week by Pennsylvania’s highest court. In a 5-2 ruling, the state Supreme Court […]

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House OKs bill offering tax credits for health plan costs

The state House gave near-unanimous approval yesterday to a measure that would award tax credits to small businesses that help their employees buy individual health

UPMC denies retaliation, says local doc fired for cause

Healthcare giant UPMC is firing back at a prominent Central Pennsylvania doctor who claims he was fired after complaining about an alleged conflict of interest involving the health system’s CEO and offensive text messages exchanged between other colleagues. The Pittsburgh-based health system said it fired the physician, Dr. Hemal Gada, for cause “based on deficient clinical performance […]

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House panel OKs small-biz tax credits for health plan costs

A state House panel yesterday passed legislation authorizing tax credits for small businesses that help their employees pay for health insurance. The legislation, which was

Health insurer bucks decline in ACA market

High premiums have squeezed enrollment this year in health insurance plans sold in Pennsylvania under the Affordable Care Act, a federal law designed to make individual health plans easier to afford. The decline has been attributed primarily to the expiration of enhanced federal tax credits that lowered premiums for thousands of people. Other federal credits remain […]

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Enrollment drops in ACA plans in Pennsylvania

Fewer state residents are enrolling in health plans sold under the Affordable Care Act in Pennsylvania. As of April 9, enrollment in the plans stood at 462,751, down nearly 5% from 486,577 at the end of the open enrollment period on Jan. 31, according to a spokesperson for Pennie, aka the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority. The authority […]

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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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Western PA health system joins WellSpan-led network for Medicare

Penn Highlands Healthcare, a health system based in DuBois, is joining a regional network formed by WellSpan Health to improve medical care and lower costs for people on Medicare, a network known as an accountable care organization, or ACO. ACOs work to better coordinate treatment for Medicare patients. If they can deliver higher quality care at a […]

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Select Medical co-founder leads consortium in $3.9 billion buyout

Mechanicsburg-based rehab giant Select Medical Corp is going private in a buyout deal valued at $3.9 billion. The buyer is a consortium led by Select Medical co-founder and executive chairman Robert Ortenzio; Martin F. Jackson, Select Medical’s senior executive vice president of strategic finance and operations; and private equity firm Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe. The buyout prices outstanding shares […]

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WellSpan mini hospital poised to open

WellSpan Heath is preparing to admit the first patients to Newberry Hospital, the first of three mini hospitals being developed by the regional health system. Located next to the Newberry Commons shopping center in Newberry Township, York County, the small-format hospital is set to open in early March, according to WellSpan leaders, who offered a behind-the-scenes look […]

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Officials urge enrollment in ACA health coverage ahead of deadline

At a press conference in Lancaster yesterday, state and local officials urged eligible Pennsylvania residents to enroll in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act before a deadline coming at the end of January. At the same time, officials acknowledged that thousands of state residents are facing higher premiums thanks to the expiration of enhanced […]

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Co-founder pitches deal to take rehab chain private

Robert Ortenzio is looking to put the rehab company he cofounded with his late father back into private hands. Ortenzio proposed this week to buy out shareholders in Select Medical Corp., which is based in Mechanicsburg but operates healthcare facilities around the U.S. In a letter to the company’s board, Ortenzio described himself as “uniquely positioned” […]

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Uncertainty surrounds shopping for health plans

Projections suggest that rising costs will dissuade Pennsylvania residents from buying health insurance through the state’s Obamacare exchange, known as Pennie. Those forecasts will now face a real-world test. Pennie’s open enrollment period starts tomorrow, Nov. 1, for people who want coverage in place for 2026. Enrollment through Pennie has been growing over the last […]

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Penn State hails ‘transformative’ $50M gift to children’s hospital

A New York state business leader and philanthropist has bestowed $50 million on Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in what is being described as a “transformative” gift. But the gift, announced yesterday, is about more than just money. The 156-bed hospital in Derry Township, Dauphin County, is joining a new alliance of children’s hospitals named […]

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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 […]

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Court ruling could prompt millions in corporate tax refunds

Thanks to a recent court ruling, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania could be on the hook for more than $100 million in tax refunds to businesses. The ruling came in a case that arose over provisions outlining how companies can use past losses to lower their tax bills. Some corporate taxpayers have claimed, successfully, that provisions […]

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Court rules local stormwater fee is a tax

West Chester University and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education do not have to pay an annual six-figure stormwater fee imposed by West Chester Borough. Why? Because Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court ruled yesterday that the fee is a tax — and state entities don’t have to pay taxes. In a lawsuit filed in 2018, the borough argued that the assessments […]

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York law firms link up

Three York-based law firms are becoming one in a merger slated to close Oct. 1. The firms are Blakey Yost Bupp & Rausch; Griest Himes Herrold Reynosa; and MPL Law Firm. “We all have great respect for each other and we have always worked well together even when on opposing sides,” said James Sanders, an attorney at MPL. “We decided […]

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Online retailers win sales-tax fight

A state court has sided with online retailers who say they are being unfairly targeted by Pennsylvania tax collectors. In a ruling Friday, Commonwealth Court blocked efforts by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue to collect state sales and personal income taxes from the retailers, which sell their products through Amazon.At issue are back taxes the state […]

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State ends appeal in medical cannabis recall

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

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Banks seek more time, info on Welkowitz deal

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

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Ollie’s hit with overtime lawsuits

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

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Court rejects expanded view of prevailing-wage law

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

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Lawsuit settled over York fiber company

After trading legal blows for more than a year, the feuding owners of United Fiber & Data have reached a settlement. The confidential deal ends legal sparring that began in 2020 over the company, which was founded in York by members of the rock band Live and their business partner, Bill Hynes. The fight had narrowed in recent months to […]

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Facing insolvency, Welkowitz estate floats deal to settle debts

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

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Harrisburg law firm opens HR consulting firm

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

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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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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 […]

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Widener law class grapples with pandemic’s legal fights

The Covid-19 pandemic has fueled a range of legal battles in Pennsylvania. Those battles are now the subject of a seminar at Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

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Renaissance Faire sues SBA over grant denial

A popular Lancaster County attraction has joined a growing throng of companies taking a federal agency to court after being denied grants designed to help live-event venues survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Lawsuit challenges revised PA building standards

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,

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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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Defense contractor with ‘storied history’ in Lancaster sold

A Lancaster defense business with its origins in World War II is under new ownership. The business is Ampwave Defense, formerly

Defense contractor builds on York-area footprint

A defense contractor with two plants in the York area has added a third. San Diego-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions said

Lancaster-area startup brings better data to racquet sports

When John Weinlader was learning to swing a golf club, simulators generated plenty of information that helped him hone his

Data center demand drives growth for Lancaster firm

The hunger for cooling products is heating up, and a Lancaster-based specialty manufacturer is vying to meet the need. Advanced Cooling Technologies plans to add 50,000 square feet of space to support high-volume production of cold plates used in liquid cooling, a newer technology rapidly being adopted by data center developers. The expansion is the first […]

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Co-founders of manufacturing company tap uncommon exit strategy

After several would-be buyers took a pass on their manufacturing business, Tim Horning and Greg Kimble found an option that appealed to them far more than closing up and walking away from the company they built over a quarter century. Horning and Kimble decided to sell Signature Vacuum Furnaces to its roughly 15 employees. “It just seemed […]

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Flooring maker axes production line at Lancaster plant

Flooring manufacturer AHF Products plans to cease production of sheet vinyl at its plant in Lancaster effective June 28 Based in West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, AHF will continue operating the Lancaster plant but shift focus to its other chief product, luxury vinyl tile, which is in greater demand. A company spokesperson did not disclose how many […]

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Package maker closing plant, laying off workers amid business decline

Prompted by dwindling volume, a packaging company is closing a plant in Cumberland County and laying off 83 workers effective July 6, according to a notice sent to state and local officials. Nearly half of the workers are line operators, with the rest including forklift operators, production managers and quality control inspectors, among others, according […]

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Layoffs triggered by end of vitamin production at York-area plant

More than a decade after expanding production of gummy vitamins at its factory in York County, a New Jersey-based consumer products company is shutting it down. As a result, Church & Dwight Co. Inc. expects to lay off up to 195 people at the plant, which is in West Manchester Township just north of Route 30. Why […]

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York manufacturer sold amid demand for its nuclear industry products

A major defense contractor has agreed to buy Precision Components Group LLC, a storied York manufacturer with a foot in the nuclear power industry. Indeed, Precision’s nuclear business is part of the attraction for the buyer, Lynchburg, Virginia-based BWX Technologies Inc., or BWXT, which supplies nuclear components and fuel to the U.S. Navy and commercial reactors. Precision’s products […]

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York-area saw manufacturer sold

A Canadian company has acquired Oleson Saw Technology, a saw-blade manufacturer in Manchester Township, York County. The buyer, Comact, provides equipment and services for wood-processing industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Comact plans to maintain the business, which employs about 35 people and makes blades used in sawmills, according to Comact spokesperson Anne-Marie […]

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Growth-minded Ohio firm buys York-area chain manufacturer

York County manufacturer Campbell Chain & Fittings has been acquired by Hillman Solutions Corp., a Cincinnati-based company looking to expand its industrial and commercial chain business. Campbell had been owned by Apex Tool Group LLC, which has been struggling to manage its debt in the face of weak revenue in some tool categories, according to S&P Global Ratings. Terms of the […]

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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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Production boost planned at York-area snack plant

Say hello to Hello Panda. Snack manufacturer Meiji America plans to invest $65 million into its York-area Stauffer’s plant in an effort to boost production of Hello Panda cookies, one of the company’s signature products. Meiji America currently feeds U.S. demand for the cookies from a West Coast plant. But the company wants to bring production capacity to the […]

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Lancaster firm sells stake to investment giant

One of the largest investment firms in the U.S. is buying into a Lancaster County company at the leading edge of trends in energy efficiency. New York-based Blackstone is planning to acquire a majority stake in Advanced Cooling Technologies Inc., whose portfolio includes products that help keep data centers from overheating. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, […]

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Company to up yogurt processing at Shippensburg plant

A global dairy processor plans to pour nearly $133 million into expansion of a plant in western Cumberland County. Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Schreiber Foods aims to boost yogurt processing at the Shippensburg plant and add at least 47 jobs, according to the Shapiro administration, which is backing the project with a $1 million grant. State […]

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State funds expand school-to-work programs

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry is awarding grants of more than $4.1 million to support 17 projects that help students graduate with a clear career path. The grant dollars support partnerships among school districts, career and technical centers, employers, workforce boards and training providers. Regionally, grants were awarded to: Harrisburg Area School District ($250,000) – to […]

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Armstrong World snaps up specialty fabricator

Building products manufacturer Armstrong World Industries Inc. said yesterday that it acquired a Chicago-based company called Eventscape Inc., which specializes in designing, making and installing complex architectural features. Terms of the transaction — which continues a multiyear string of deals for Armstrong — were not disclosed. Based in Toronto and New York City, Eventscape employs 150 […]

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Is a sale in the works for Steelton plant?

Executives at Cleveland-Cliffs said this week they have buyers for some of their idled plants, a group of assets that includes a massive factory in Steelton. On a conference call with stock analysts, company execs said they expect to generate $425 million from selling the idle plants — and that the Ohio-based steelmaker already closed on one deal […]

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Digital marketing firm unveils $10.7M rehab plans for riverfront mansion

Digital marketing agency WebFx unveiled plans yesterday for renovating and expanding into a historic mansion along the Harrisburg riverfront. The Harrisburg-based company

Longtime employee buys Camp Hill marketing/production agency

Travis Snyder has gone from employee to owner of Triscari Productions Inc., a Camp Hill-area marketing company doing business as Triscari Video | Web | Marketing. Snyder became the company’s owner in December, taking over for its late founder, Sebastian Triscari. Triscari, who launched the company in 1983, died in April 2025. In an interview, Snyder […]

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West Shore Home inks $50M deal for Beaver Stadium naming rights

Over the last few years, Mechanicsburg-based West Shore Home has been striving to build a national brand in the historically fractured home improvement business. The company took a major step yesterday toward raising its profile: A 15-year, $50 million deal with Penn State University to stamp the West Shore Home name on Beaver Stadium. The venue is […]

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Merger unites Lancaster marketing firms

Two Lancaster-based digital marketing agencies have come together as one. But for now, they are continuing to operate under their existing names. The firms are YDOP and WTM Digital, which offer similar services but for different clients. YDOP, which trademarked the term “near-user marketing,” works primarily with companies around ther U.S. seeking locally focused digital marketing. WTM Digital, […]

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Harrisburg marketing firm files bankruptcy

Merit Marketing, a Harrisburg-based advertising and marketing firm, filed last month for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, setting it on a path to liquidation. “The economic times are such the company is unable to survive and operate profitably,” Merit owner Adam Vasquez wrote in an email to biznewsPA. Vasquez has owned the company since 2015, when the […]

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CPA giant snaps up Harrisburg’s Andculture

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

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Regional marketing firm changes hands

Fourteen years after launching her own marketing agency, Julie Lando-Cross has sold it to one of her first employees, Lissa Taylor, the agency’s COO and creative director.

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Specialty distributor sells Elizabethtown-area warehouse after downsizing

Palmyra-based specialty distributor DAS Companies Inc. has sold an Elizabethtown-area warehouse where it laid off workers at the end of 2024.

Lawmakers topple barrier to Penn State campus sales

Soon after Penn State announced last year that it would close seven branch campuses across Pennsylvania, questions swirled about what was next

Hanover bank buildings sold

A pair of former bank buildings on Carlisle Street in downtown Hanover were sold in separate transactions expected to bring new life to both. According to county deed records, the Hanover Area Historical Society paid $550,000 for the building at 25 Carlisle St. The classical early 20th-century building was a branch for the former Bank of Hanover, which […]

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Dunkin’ franchisee buys former bank office

Machines will soon be dispensing coffee instead of cash at a former Fulton Bank branch in eastern York County. A Dunkin’ franchisee paid $975,000 for the shuttered Fulton branch at 599 W. Market St. in Hellam Township, York County, according to county deed records. The franchisee, GN Realty Hallam LLC, plans to convert the branch into a Dunkin’ donut shop […]

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Developer buys scrapyard at center of environmental dispute

A York-area scrapyard at the center of an environmental dispute is under new ownership. An affiliate of York-based developer Inch & Co. has acquired the property of J&K Salvage, a metal recycling operation shut down by a state order in March following a fire. The affiliate, Codorus Creek Renewal LLC, paid $2.7 million for J&K parcels at 1099 and […]

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Seed distributor pays $10M for Lanco industrial property

King’s AgriSeeds, a seed distributor based in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, is moving to new quarters after a real estate affiliate of the company paid $10 million for a nearly 100,000-square-foot warehouse in Upper Leacock Township. Scott Bradbury, senior vice president of Lancaster-based brokerage U.S. Commercial Realty, facilitated the sale. The warehouse is at 43 Graybill […]

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West Shore broker sues to end state’s real estate office requirement

Should licensed real estate agents in Pennsylvania be required to keep a physical office? A lawsuit from Kevin Gaughen, a real estate agent based in Lemoyne, argues that they should not. Backed by a Virginia-based public interest law firm called the Institute for Justice, Gaughen filed a lawsuit this week in Commonwealth Court in hopes of […]

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Harrisburg-area golf course could change hands ahead of schedule

The Dauphin County General Authority has tweaked the agreement governing the pending $45.6 million sale of the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course to Dallas-based data center developer Provident Realty Advisors. In a vote yesterday, the authority — which owns the 228-acre course in Swatara Township and Steelton — amended the agreement to allow the sale to close earlier than the original date […]

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Appearing closed, Wolf company warehouse on the market

A warehouse used by a prominent York-based building products supplier is on the market. Formerly emblazoned with the name of Wolf Distributing Co., the nearly 340,000-square-foot building at 3400 W. Market St. in West Manchester Township is listed for sale or lease by real estate firm CBRE. No prices or rates are listed. But a brochure indicates the potential […]

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Sheriff’s sale looms for suburban Harrisburg hotel

A Harrisburg-area hotel is heading for a sheriff’s sale in June after allegedly defaulting on its debt. The owners of Holiday Inn Harrisburg East in Swatara Township, Dauphin County, a New Jersey-based partnership called Shri Sai Middletown LLC, owe nearly $11.3 million, according to a foreclosure notice filed last fall by its lender, Oregon-based Standard Insurance Co., […]

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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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Prominent Harrisburg law firm relocating to West Shore

For nearly six decades, McNees Wallace & Nurick has occupied a prime piece of Harrisburg real estate — a nine-story office building overlooking the Susquehanna River. But sometime in 2027, the law firm expects to cross the river into somewhat smaller digs in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County. McNees has inked a 20-year lease for a roughly […]

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Local warehouses sold as part of multistate $575M deal

Warehouses in Cumberland and Franklin counties are changing hands as part of a larger $575 million deal involving a string of 25 warehouses stretching from Connecticut to Florida. The buyer is Radnor-based EQT Real Estate, an active player in the regional market for warehouse space. The seller is Mapletree Investments, a Singapore-based real estate investment firm managing […]

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Rock Lititz lands corporate HQ for Nashville campus

Rock Lititz’s Nashville business has snagged an audio equipment manufacturer as the latest tenant for its Rock Nashville campus. Sennheiser, based in Germany, has tapped the Tennessee campus as the site of its Americas headquarters, which is currently in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The move, representing an investment of $2.5 million, will add at least 25 jobs to […]

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Bank sheds admin building in sale-leaseback deal

With fewer employees reporting the office, Lancaster-based Fulton Financial Corp. sold its administrative services building in East Petersburg and is leasing back a little less than half of the space. The building at 1695 State St. in the Lancaster County borough spans about 100,000 square feet, according to Fulton spokesperson Steve Trapnell. It houses a range […]

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Capital-area farmland sold. Data centers could follow.

A company that develops data centers is doubling down on the Harrisburg area. Last summer, Dallas-based Provident Realty Advisors agreed to pay $45.6 million for the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course, a 228-acre property west of Route 283 in Swatara Township and Steelton where Provident is expected to build data centers. In late January, the company paid $50 million […]

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Carlisle-area warehouse fetches nearly $142M

One of the biggest warehouses in Cumberland County has changed hands. An arm of California-based investment firm PCCP LLC paid $141.6 million for a 1.2 million-square-foot building at 3419 Ritner Road off Interstate 81 in West Pennsboro Township, according to real estate firm JLL, which represented the seller, an affiliate of Radnor-based Exeter Property Group. Exeter paid $85 million for […]

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Area mobile home parks fetch millions of dollars

A trio of Lancaster County mobile home parks changed hands over the past month in deals totaling more than $20 million. A Florida-based investor called Nebula Realty Trust sold parks in Earl and Penn townships for a combined $14.55 million, while a Conestoga-based partnership sold a Providence Township park for nearly $6.9 million, according to county deed […]

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Dunkin’ franchisee buys former bank office

Machines will soon be dispensing coffee instead of cash at a former Fulton Bank branch in eastern York County. A Dunkin’ franchisee paid $975,000

Township, garden center feud over events

Hueter’s Greenhouses LLC and Springettsbury Township, York County are locked in litigation over events held at the garden center, which is at 3465 Deininger Road near Rocky Ridge Park. Since at least 2023, Hueter’s has been hosting spring and fall festivals featuring vendors, food trucks and live music, as well as events for holidays like Mother’s […]

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Lawmakers hit controversial pricing method with bans, probes

So-called surveillance pricing is drawing scrutiny in Pennsylvania and around the U.S. State lawmakers have introduced bills to ban the practice, and a New Jersey Congressman is demanding answers about it from 25 retailers, including Carlisle-based grocery chain The Giant Co. What is it: Surveillance pricing refers to the use of personal customer data to set […]

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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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Turkey Hill affiliate buying western PA c-stores

Cumberland Farms, a regional convenience store chain that shares a corporate parent with Turkey Hill Minit Markets, has agreed to acquire Coen Markets, one of the oldest convenience store chains in the Pittsburgh area. Terms of the transaction, expected to close this year, were not disclosed. Founded in 1923 and based in Canonsburg, Coen operates 54 stores […]

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Restatement trims profits for regional grocery chain

Grocery chain Weis Markets shaved millions of dollars off its profits over the last several years due to an inventory error that the company attributed to “misconduct” by a former non-executive employee The Sunbury-based company did not disclose the nature of the misconduct or whether it would lead to any legal action. But in its annual report […]

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Pennsylvania gets a slice of $100M Walmart settlement

Walmart has reached a $100 million settlement in a multistate complaint over compensation for delivery drivers in its eight-year-old Spark Driver Program. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday was part of a bipartisan group of attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission that pressed the complaint, according to a press release. The settlement, filed on Feb 26, resolved allegations […]

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Inventory error could ding earnings for grocery chain

In a regulatory filing, Weis Markets disclosed that it overstated some of its inventory and plans to restate its financials going back to 2022. As a result of the accounting miscue, the Sunbury-based grocery chain said investors could no longer rely on its financial reports covering fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024 and the first three quarters of […]

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Giant in deal to buy Bedford County grocery stores

Carlisle-based The Giant Co. said yesterday it agreed to buy Everett Foodliner and Saxton Market, a pair of Bedford County grocery stores owned by brothers Bob and Joe Appleby. Giant is buying the real estate and related grocery and fuel business assets for what will become its first stores in the county. Terms of the transaction, expected to close […]

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Giant closing ecommerce fulfillment centers in Lancaster, other PA locations

Carlisle-based grocery chain The Giant Co. is closing ecommerce fulfillment centers in Lancaster and four other places in Pennsylvania as it changes its approach to delivering groceries ordered online, a service known as Giant Direct. Giant is dropping its centralized model in favor of a store-based approach, according to company spokesperson Ashley Flower. Giant employees […]

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Chicago restaurateur taking former Iron Hill spots

Life could be returning to Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant locations in Hershey and Lancaster following the regional chain’s sudden bankruptcy in October. Chicago-based Ciao Hospitality Group is taking over leases at the two locations and plans to reopen them within a few months, according to Ciao CEO Jeff Crivello. What to name the venues is still up in […]

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Regional home improvement biz sold

Renewal by Andersen of Central PA, an independently owned retail affiliate of Minnesota-based door and window manufacturer Andersen Corp., has been acquired by another Andersen affiliate, St. Louis-based The Birner Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Central PA Andersen affiliate was owned by Joe Zisman, who is retiring after five decades in the industry, […]

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Weis picks up scrips from 11 Rite Aid stores

Weis Markets has won court approval to take over prescriptions for customers at 11 Rite Aid stores in Pennsylvania and New York, according to a spokesperson for the Sunbury-based grocery chain. The stores include Rite Aid locations in Dover and Hanover, as well as Altoona, Brodheadsville, Fogelsville, Honesdale, Montoursville, Mountain Top, Wellsboro and Williamsport, Weis spokesperson […]

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Weis wants part of Rite Aid pharmacy biz

Weis Markets, whose pharmacy business has been growing by double digits, is making a play for pieces of Rite Aid. Legal filings in the Rite Aid bankruptcy case reveal that Sunbury-based Weis is among those bidding for the pharmacy chain’s assets. A Weis spokesperson declined to comment, and legal filings offer no details. But Weis joins […]

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Rite Aid files bankruptcy, preps for sale

Rite Aid said yesterday it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in two years. While the pharmacy chain emerged as a smaller, leaner company after its last trip through bankruptcy court, it is bracing this time for a sale. “While we have continued to face financial challenges, intensified by the rapidly evolving […]

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Discount retailer to reopen across region

Big Lots is coming back to Central Pennsylvania. The retail brand’s new owner, North Carolina-based Variety Wholesalers, plans to reopen more than two dozen former Big Lots in Pennsylvania over the next two months, including locations in Cumberland, Lebanon, Lancaster and York counties. Variety is reopening three Big Lots on May 1 in Dunmore, Eynon and […]

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CEO departs Mechanicsburg-based donut chain

Four years after taking the helm at Duck Donuts, Betsy Hamm has resigned. Hamm had led the Mechanicsburg-based donut shop franchisor as CEO since it sold a majority stake in April 2021 to NewSpring Capital, a private equity firm based in Radnor. “Duck Donuts appreciates Hamm’s leadership she provided throughout her years with the company,” said a company […]

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Ollie’s loads up on stores from bankrupt rival

OIlie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings is grabbing another clutch of former Big Lots stores in a bankruptcy auction. Pending court approval and price adjustments from landlords, the Harrisburg-based discount retailer will pay $188,838 for seven Big Lots leases, according to court filings. Two of the locations are in Florida and two are in Missouri, with one each […]

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AI meets executive coaching

As leadership coach Chad Harvey came to grips with the potential for AI to change everything, he started learning as

Saxton & Stump establishes new AI role within the firm

As more organizations explore the practical implementation of machine learning and artificial intelligence models to solve real-world business problems, law firms are taking note. Phil Saunders, the CEO of Relativity, a legal data intelligence company, noted in an interview with Law360 that, “AI has become a defining part of how legal tasks get done.” Regional […]

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Capital-area farmland sold. Data centers could follow.

A company that develops data centers is doubling down on the Harrisburg area. Last summer, Dallas-based Provident Realty Advisors agreed to pay

Can regulators prevent sticker shock over data centers?

State regulators are crafting guidelines designed to address one of the chief risks of the data center construction boom — that Pennsylvania residents and businesses get stuck with a hefty tab for building out the substations and power lines that feed electricity to the centers. The guidelines, proposed by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, are currently […]

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Local law firm hit by data breach

A data breach struck a Lancaster law firm this fall, exposing personal information on about 2,200 people, according to a notice filed with the Maine Attorney General’s office. Law firm BCGL LLC discovered the breach in October after identifying suspicious activity in its network, according to the notice, which the firm filed this month. The firm said it […]

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Lancaster, developer forge deal over data center standards, community benefits

At a press conference yesterday, Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace unveiled an agreement between the city and Chirisa Technology Parks, the Virginia-based company spearheading development of data centers on the site of former printing plants in the city. The 32-page community benefits agreement requires Chirisa to meet standards in areas such as noise, power and water usage for […]

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Is there a middle way for data centers? Team PA bets on it

Advocates embrace data centers as engines of economic opportunity and a symbol of Pennsylvania’s appeal to high-tech industries, drawn, in part, by abundant supplies of energy. Critics are fighting back, citing the centers’ potential harm to the environment and quality of life in the communities where they are being proposed. Team Pennsylvania is hoping to […]

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Harrisburg-area golf course sold to data center developer

A suburban Harrisburg golf course is preparing to swap drivers for data. The Dauphin County General Authority voted yesterday to sell the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course for $45.6 million to a Texas company planning a data center on the 228-acre property in Swatara Township and Steelton. But there’s time for a few more rounds of golf. The […]

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Data center plans provoke debate over impact, process

At a meeting last night, developers shared more details on their plans for a $15 billion data center complex near Carlisle. Residents shared a barrage of doubts. Over two hours, they questioned how much water and electricity the centers would use. They questioned how the developers picked the 700-acre tract of farmland in Middlesex Township where […]

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Costs seen mounting for data center tax exemption

In 2022, Pennsylvania waived sales taxes for computer equipment purchased for use in data centers, provided the centers met certain requirements. Following a slew of announcements about new data center projects around the state, the price tag for that exemption may be going up. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is revisiting its forecasts on the […]

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Data center boom redefining industrial real estate

A few years ago, the phrase “industrial real estate” likely conjured an image of massive warehouses spreading across the open fields of Central Pennsylvania. Now, the phrase might just as easily bring up images of data centers — buildings packed with computer servers composing your emails and delivering answers to your ChatGPT queries. The announcement of more […]

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Developer details data center plans

One of the companies behind a $6 billion data center project in Lancaster is filling in some of the blanks surrounding the project. Early reports indicated data centers would be constructed at two former printing plants, at 216 Greenfield Road and 1375 Harrisburg Pike. The developers are Virginia-based Chirisa Technology Parks and New York-based Machine Investment Group, […]

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Where’s the data? Firms mum on York County data center plans

It’s been a week since New Jersey-based investment firm Energy Capital Partners announced it was planning a $5 billion data center in southern York County. But the precise location remains unknown, even to the manager of Peach Bottom Township, where the data center is widely expected to be built. “Your guess is as good as mine,” township […]

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Demo approved, sites confirmed for Lancaster data centers

The dust is still settling on the flurry of announcements for massive data and energy projects proposed this week for Pennsylvania. Actual dust could soon start flying on one of those projects — a $6 billion data center investment in Lancaster. The city has issued demolition permits for the first phase of the project, according […]

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Big tech showering billions on local data, energy projects

Major tech companies yesterday disclosed billions of dollars in new investment in Central Pennsylvania, though some key details remain to be filled in. Data center giant CoreWeave said it plans to sink $6 billion into developing a data center in Lancaster in partnership with a company that recently acquired two former printing plants in the city. A […]

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Amazon bringing more data centers to PA amid growing concerns over cost

The data center boom made a big bang yesterday in Pennsylvania. Tech giant Amazon said it plans to invest at least $20 billion to build data centers in Pennsylvania, starting with a pair of locations in eastern Pennsylvania. The Shapiro administration described the company’s move as the largest private-sector investment in state history. “This is not just […]

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Authority tees up potential golf course sale amid data center demand

A suburban Harrisburg golf course is the latest plot of land in the region to draw attention from developers of data centers, power-hungry computing facilities that are vital to the growth of artificial intelligence. Would-be buyers with data centers in mind have shown an appetite for the Dauphin Highlands Golf Course, according to Jeanette Krebs, […]

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Heller-linked IT firm sells unit to California company

A California tech firm has acquired portions of a Lancaster-based IT company co-founded by Daryl Heller, the business owner at the center of a legal vortex. The Lancaster company is AVAIL Technology Solutions, which traces its roots to a venture called Premier Management Group. Premier was founded in 1990 by Heller and entrepreneur Bob Horst. But the […]

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What great leaders notice first

Column by Brandon Rogers The longer someone leads, the less impressed they become with raw talent alone. Experience has a

Dauphin County CASA

Beth Siegfried has been named executive director of Dauphin County CASA, a Harrisburg-based nonprofit that provides volunteer advocates for children in foster care. She succeeds Kim St.Clair, who had been acting executive director and continues as program supervisor. Siegfried has more than two decades of experience in communications, advocacy and nonprofit leadership. She worked most […]

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Prominent Harrisburg law firm relocating to West Shore

For nearly six decades, McNees Wallace & Nurick has occupied a prime piece of Harrisburg real estate — a nine-story office building

United Concordia Dental

Jake Lewis has been named vice president, government programs and strategy, for Harrisburg-based dental insurer United Concordia Dental. In this new role, he will oversee the strategic direction and execution of the company’s government relations and contracting efforts. Lewis worked most recently as the acting deputy assistant administrator for acquisition and business services at the […]

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Pennsylvania doesn’t need the next Silicon Valley. It needs an ecosystem that actually works.

Column by Jayamohan Ecosystems aren’t designed. They emerge. We learn this early in biology (thanks to my son who is

Beyond bankruptcy: Cookie entrepreneurs pin hopes on protein, ice cream, ecommerce

In fall 2024, Doug and Sara Taylor traveled to Philadelphia to open the first of two stores in the city

Foundation leader steps up as grantmaking capacity swells

Over the last three years, Robin Stauffer has overseen a dramatic growth in resources at one of Lancaster’s County’s largest charities. Effective Jan. 1, she has a new role to match. Stauffer, the longtime executive director of the High Foundation, has been named its president and CEO. “For more than two decades, Robin has led High […]

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Regional bank agrees to $354M sale

Camp Hill-based LinkBancorp opened in 2018 following a round of consolidation that took out several banks in Central Pennsylvania. Now, with bank mergers again on the upswing, LinkBancorp is on the sell side. Alexandria, Virginia-based Burke & Herbert Financial Services Corp. has agreed to buy the bank in an all-stock deal valued at $354.2 million. The transaction, expected […]

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Leadership resolutions for the New Year

Column by Richard Randall As 2025 comes to an end, leaders will naturally be thinking about how to position their

Pennian Bank

Suzy Teter has joined Pennian Bank as an assistant vice president and relationship banker based in the bank’s Lemoyne office. Teter, who lives in Duncannon worked most recently serving as a financial center manager for Mid Penn Bank. “Suzy’s commitment to serving as a trusted resource to businesses and organizations, as well her dedication to […]

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New chief to run paper company in turnaround mode

A Spring Grove paper maker is tapping a new CEO as it works to turn around its finances. Pixelle Specialty Solutions has named Julie Schertell as its CEO. She succeeds Ross Bushnell, who led the company for two years but is leaving for undisclosed opportunities. He is staying on through September as an adviser to Pixelle’s board. The […]

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Winery loses appeal in fight to stay open

A state court rejected an appeal from a York County winery fighting orders that it shut down. The decision last week by Superior Court of Pennsylvania forestalls one of the last legal avenues available to Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery in its long-running battle with neighbors who want the venue to cease operations. The neighbors — Amanda […]

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Museum complex slated for $55M upgrade

The State Museum of Pennsylvania is getting a facelift. State officials yesterday unveiled plans for a $55 million makeover of the 62-year-old museum complex on state Capitol grounds. The goal is to modernize exhibits, displays and storage areas, while creating an environment matching the expectations of 21st-century visitors. Planned changes include creation of a large-scale […]

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State House advances controversial tax policy

State lawmakers are plowing ahead once again with tax changes that have long drawn the ire of business lobbyists but never made it into law. The changes would subject more corporate profits to taxes in Pennsylvania by curtailing the ability of companies to report those profits in other states. Two committees in the Democratic-controlled state […]

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Barley Snyder

Alice Solomon has joined the Malvern office of Lancaster-based law firm Barley Snyder. With a background in environmental, energy and land use law, she is a member of the firm’s real estate and litigation practice groups. Before joining Barley Snyder, Solomon worked at an environmental law firm based in the Philadelphia suburbs. She has a […]

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Consumer advocates want do-over for price-spiking power auction

Consumer advocates in Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey are asking federal regulators to rerun an auction that is sparking a hike in electricity prices set to take effect in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest — including Pennsylvania — starting June 1. At issue is the auction process used by regional power grid operator PJM to set the price of electricity […]

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Elizabethtown beverage brand, distributor sold

T.J. Foltz founded Humankind Beverage in 2011 with a goal of funneling profits from sales of bottled water into a charity bringing clean water to poverty-stricken areas of the world. He’s hoping to make a lot more sales now that the Elizabethtown-based brand — and its regional distribution arm — have been acquired. The buyer is Odeko, a […]

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West Shore warehouse complex moves forward

Developers have acquired land off the Carlisle Pike in Cumberland County where they plan to build three warehouses. The warehouses will span nearly 2 million square feet under plans approved in 2023 under the previous owner of the property, part of Hempt Farms in Silver Spring Township. The developers — a joint venture between New York-based Rockefeller […]

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