Regional dealmakers came to life in the second half of 2024 as interest rates came down. Nonetheless, the volume of mergers and acquisitions in Central and southeastern Pennsylvania fell last year for the third year in a row, according to an annual report by professional services firm RKL LLP. This year began on an active note, according […]
The owner of a Harrisburg-area flooring company and a regional bank are trading allegations in Dauphin County court over the status of a $4 million loan. Mid Penn Bank claims the loan is in default and is seeking a judgement of just over $4 million, plus interest, according to court filings. Scott Appel, founder of flooring […]
During the 34 years he’s been a board member at F&M Trust, G. Warren Elliott has seen “too many” community banks disappear in mergers and acquisitions. Elliott, F&M Trust’s chairman since 2012, does not want the Chambersburg-based bank to join their ranks, but he knows the lender will have to work to preserve its independence. […]
A York tax preparer is facing charges for allegedly falsifying applications from businesses seeking loans under an emergency federal program designed to help businesses meet payroll after the Covid-19 pandemic tanked the economy in early 2020. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Harrisburg has indicated tax preparer Dommonick T. Chatman on 20 counts of bank fraud […]
Finanta, a nonprofit based in Lancaster, is expecting millions of dollars from the federal government this year to further its mission, which includes lending to businesses in poor communities. But the federal fund that provides those dollars is among several programs targeted for cuts or possible elimination under an executive order issued late Friday by President […]
State police broke up a bank-fraud ring that drained more than $3 million from accounts of customers at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, according to a criminal complaint filed in a Cumberland County magisterial district. The credit union, based in Hampden Township, Cumberland County, reimbursed the losses suffered by its members. News of the bust came […]
Wells Fargo is closing its branch in the heart of Red Lion. The San Francisco-based bank plans to close the branch at 1 N. Main St. at 11 a.m. on May 7, according to a bank spokesperson. Once it closes, customers can use a Wells Fargo branch at 2099 S. Queen St. in York Township. Like […]
After an early retirement scuttled its CEO succession plans last year, Orrstown Financial Services is back on track. The regional bank named a longtime executive, Adam Metz, as the successor to president and CEO Tom Quinn, who is slated to retire next year. Metz, Orrstown’s chief revenue officer since 2019, has been promoted to senior executive vice […]
In a budget proposal for the fiscal year that starts July 1, Gov. Josh Shapiro is proposing to eliminate the bank shares tax and subject banks to the corporate net income tax. First introduced in the 19th century, the tax is based on how much capital banks hold. The he corporate net income tax, or […]
During a court hearing yesterday, Lancaster-based Blackford ATM Ventures consented to a petition forcing it into Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. The next step is to appoint a bankruptcy trustee to oversee distribution of the company’s assets. The process is not likely to be straightforward, acknowledged an attorney for Silverview Credit Partners, the Florida-based lender that sought to force Blackford […]
A Lancaster-based ATM operator has struck a tentative deal with a creditor that wanted to force it into bankruptcy. Under the deal, Blackford ATM Ventures is getting time to file voluntarily for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, allowing it to reorganize, according to an attorney for the creditor, Silverview Credit Partners. The Tampa-based private lender had sought to impose a Chapter […]
A Tampa-based private lender is asking a bankruptcy judge to force Lancaster-based Blackford ATM Ventures into Chapter 7 bankruptcy and appoint a trustee to oversee the company. Silverview Credit Partners is arguing that a petition for what is called involuntary bankruptcy is the best way to preserve assets for creditors. Silverview floated two loans to […]
Fulton Financial is closing 15 branches this spring, including three in York County, in a move described by a Fulton spokesperson as aligning the bank’s services with trends in customer behavior. Like its peers, the Lancaster-based bank is seeing growth in the use of online and digital tools — reducing the need for physical branches […]
Investors hoping to recover money from Lancaster-based ATM operator Paramount Management Group are facing a new hurdle. In a legal filing this month, a Berks County bank claims it has a stake in some of Paramount’s ATMs, as well as any revenue they may be generating. Customers Bank is asking a Lancaster County judge to stay an earlier […]
The proverbial corner office at Conrad Siegel has a new occupant. The employee benefits consulting and investment advisory firm in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County has named Abigail Fortino as its next president, effective Jan. 1. She was also named chair of the firm’s management committee. She succeeds Mark Bonsall, who had been president of the firm since […]
Franklin Financial Services, the Chambersburg-based parent of F&M Trust, is rolling out a succession plan for its retiring chief executive. The bank has tapped Craig Best, the former CEO of a Scranton bank, as its next leader effective Jan. 14, according to a regulatory filing. Best, 64, is succeeding Tim Henry, who announced in November that he would retire […]
A court order on Friday gave some relief to investors in Paramount Management Group, a financially strapped ATM operator based in Lancaster. But the order did not give the investors everything they wanted. Notably, it stopped short of ordering Paramount to hire a forensic auditor to help recover funds for the investors, who argue they are […]
Since it was founded in 2019, Zimmermann Investment Management & Planning in New Cumberland has grown to more than $700 million in assets under management. But if it wanted to keep growing at the same pace, it needed a partner, said Curt H. Zimmerman, founder and president of the company. “We just needed a different way […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
It will be no surprise if the Federal Reserve keeps interest rates flat after it ends a two-day meeting today. There is nothing flat about the rest of the economy, with oil prices spiking and U.S. tariffs still above their historical average. The risks, however, are primarily to the downside, according to Jay Hawkins, senior […]
As tariffs went up throughout 2025, sales went down for JLS Automation, a York County company that assembles automated packaging lines for the food industry. The company is expecting a rebound in 2026. But the comeback faces renewed uncertainty after a Supreme Court ruling Friday that struck down the bulk of President Donald Trump’s tariff regime. […]
As classes continue this year on Penn State‘s branch campus in York County, students aren’t the only ones with homework. Economic development leaders are racing to craft options for reusing the campus after it closes in May 2027. “Whether it’s Penn State or the community, the longer that the campus sits there with no active use, […]
The economic outlook for 2026 depends on a range of variables ranging from tariffs to the strength of the boom in artificial intelligence, according to Curtis Dubay, chief economist in the economic policy division at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “If we could ever get tariffs down, we get a better immigration system, we could really […]
Pennsylvania’s population grew a negligible 0.1% for the year ending July 1 as international immigration plummeted, according to initial estimates released yesterday by the U.S. Census. The data is the first from Census to show the impact of the Trump administration’s tightened approach to border security. Nearly 27,000 people came to the Keystone state from other […]
Data centers need a lot of electricity. But they also need electricians — and pipefitters and steelworkers and HVAC specialists and general laborers, among others — to get them up and humming. Thus, the boom in data center construction is likely to squeeze the supply of labor in areas like Lancaster, where data center projects […]
A specialty clothing distributor is shuttering a warehouse and laying off 128 workers in northern York County just over a year after taking over the building from its former owner. In a notice to state and local officials, Illinois-based S&S Activewear said it plans to close its distribution center at 600 Industrial Drive in Fairview Township by […]
There were times it seemed too complicated to pull off. But after five years, the owners of Lancaster-area logistics business Founders Market & Co. found a way to start selling company shares to their employees. The owners — Scott Martino, Matt Stargel and Alex Thompson — began contemplating some form of employee ownership after they took […]
Confusion is giving way to a bit of clarity as employers wrap their heads around a new Trump administration policy enacting steep fees on visas allowing foreign-born workers to hold jobs in the U.S. When the policy was announced on Friday, employers worried they might have to pay to bring current visa holders back into the […]
As uncertainty over tariffs froze customer orders in the spring, JLS Automation in York County laid off 10% of its workforce. Business began to come back over the summer, JLS president and CEO Craig Souser said in an early August interview. The York-area company, which employs about 130 people, assembles automated packaging lines for food companies. “It’s […]
A higher minimum wage could be moving to the front burner in Harrisburg thanks to a Republican state senator who is hoping for action on the issue this fall. It is not a new issue for the lawmaker, state Sen. Dan Laughlin of Erie County. He has backed increases in the past. But with economic […]
The York Water Co., which serves more than 212,000 people in Adams, Franklin, Lancaster and York counties, is asking state regulators for permission to raise rates for water and sewer service. Under the proposal, residential water customers would pay an additional $14.16 per month, while sewer service would go up by an average of $35.85 […]
State lawmakers, city officials and the Capital Region Economic Development Corp. are launching a joint effort to revive downtown Harrisburg, which has yet to recover fully from the Covid-19 pandemic. The partners plan to assemble a steering committee that will begin work “immediately” on a downtown revitalization plan. “Everyone agrees that we need to provide some […]
Pennsylvania’s economy has been shaken by the rise of manufacturing in China and a shift in the U.S. population to the South and Southwest. But there are still levers the state can pull to boost its fortunes, and that’s where the focus is for Luke Bernstein, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business […]
Regional dealmakers came to life in the second half of 2024 as interest rates came down. Nonetheless, the volume of mergers and acquisitions in Central
State lawmakers yesterday began to put some legislative meat on the bones of an energy plan unveiled in January by Gov. Josh Shapiro. The lawmakers issued a series of memos seeking sponsors for elements of the six-point plan, which is designed to lower prices, speed up construction of new power sources and encourage environmentally friendly forms […]
When tariffs took effect last week, leaders at JLS Automation decided to hold off a few days on importing a piece of equipment due in from Canada. It was not the threat of the tariffs as much as it was the potential for congestion at the border as shippers tried to avoid the extra charges, said Craig […]
Shortages of labor and materials are giving companies headaches. Michael Bistline is hoping to bring some targeted relief through a new venture launched this month by his Harrisburg-area business, Phillips Workplace Interiors. The venture is called Condivx and it aims to serve as a one-stop shop for general contractors looking for subcontractors at a time […]
The founders of Middletown-based Soccer Shots are hoping an outside investor can help kick their company into new territory The investor is Susquehanna Private Capital. The Bala Cynwyd-based private equity firm has taken an undisclosed ownership stake in Soccer Shots, whose franchisees provide soccer programs for children ages 2 to 8. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. […]
Seeded by a $1 million donation from grocery chain The Giant Co., Harrisburg University is hoping to plant a new center for agricultural research in the capital city.
For centuries, farmers planted seeds and fed animals – and then hoped they would find a market when their produce and livestock were ready to sell. Agribusiness entrepreneur Larisa Miller has been pitching a different model – and she found her first taker in Karns Foods, the Cumberland County-based grocery store chain.
In fall 2019, a pair of doctors from WellSpan Health set up a table at an insurance enrollment fair for the health system’s employees. Their goal was to recruit the first customers for a new online primary care practice. It took a bit of explaining even to an audience familiar with the ins and outs […]
Jabron Taylor wanted to tempt local taste buds with something new. Inspired by the 2019 chicken war between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, Taylor settled on a recipe based on the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, the signature dish of America’s country music capital but a rarity in Central Pennsylvania. Since November 2019, he and several partners have […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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. […]
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. […]
Harrisburg city council this week unanimously approved acompany’s plans to convert a long-vacant building at 100 N. 13th St. into
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Column by Brandon Rogers There is a curious point in every leader’s journey when the room slowly becomes louder than
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 […]
After a hiatus of about 20 months, Pennsylvania is back in the RACP business. That would be the Redevelopment Assistance
Soon after Penn State announced last year that it would close seven branch campuses across Pennsylvania, questions swirled about what was next
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 […]
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 […]
For nearly two years, officials and residents in South Hanover Township, Dauphin County, have been debating ground rules for data
Plenty of people are willing to debate what it will take to rejuvenate downtown Harrisburg. Others may want to pick
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 […]
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 […]
Harrisburg nonprofit Wildheart is gearing up to break ground next month on a $3.3 million mixed-use project that will bring nine affordable
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Pennsylvania is earmarking additional funding for the cleanup of a former industrial site in Carlisle slated for a mixed-use redevelopment.
Following up on a promise he made earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro yesterday unveiled the details of a fast
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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
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 […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
The former head of UPMC‘s heart institute in Harrisburg is suing the health system, claiming he was fired last year after raising concerns about an alleged conflict of interest involving the system’s CEO. The fired executive, Dr. Hemal Gada, also alleges his termination followed his complaints about allegedly racist text messages sent by other leaders at the UPMC […]
After more than seven years on the job, Roxanna Gapstur is planning to retire from her role as president and CEO of WellSpan Health, a regional health system operating a dozen hospitals. Gapstur has not set a date but plans to step down once a leadership transition is complete. WellSpan has hired executive search firm Korn Ferry to […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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” […]
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 […]
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 […]
Jabron Taylor wanted to tempt local taste buds with something new. Inspired by the 2019 chicken war between Popeyes and
Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the April 22 issue of BizNewsPA What do a pizzeria, a dental practice and a bridal shop have in common? They are among the plaintiffs in a string of class-action lawsuits seeking to force insurers to reimburse businesses for income lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a joint […]
A Lancaster defense business with its origins in World War II is under new ownership. The business is Ampwave Defense, formerly
A defense contractor with two plants in the York area has added a third. San Diego-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions said
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Digital marketing agency WebFx unveiled plans yesterday for renovating and expanding into a historic mansion along the Harrisburg riverfront. The Harrisburg-based company
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
Palmyra-based specialty distributor DAS Companies Inc. has sold an Elizabethtown-area warehouse where it laid off workers at the end of 2024.
Soon after Penn State announced last year that it would close seven branch campuses across Pennsylvania, questions swirled about what was next
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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., […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A company that develops data centers is doubling down on the Harrisburg area. Last summer, Dallas-based Provident Realty Advisors agreed to pay
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
Column by Brandon Rogers The longer someone leads, the less impressed they become with raw talent alone. Experience has a
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 […]
For nearly six decades, McNees Wallace & Nurick has occupied a prime piece of Harrisburg real estate — a nine-story office building
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 […]
Column by Jayamohan Ecosystems aren’t designed. They emerge. We learn this early in biology (thanks to my son who is
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Column by Richard Randall As 2025 comes to an end, leaders will naturally be thinking about how to position their
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]