Semi-monthly report on business, community & economic news
DAUPHIN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Jeff Haste, Chairman, Nick DiFrancesco, Vice-Chairman, George P. Hartwick, III, Secretary
Commissioners’ corner
Dauphin County Commissioner Jeff Haste was re-elected as Chairman of the Board at a re-organizational meeting on Jan. 7. Nick DiFrancesco remains as Vice Chairman and George Hartwick III remains as Secretary. The oversight responsibilities of the commissioners also remained unchanged for the new four-year term. Haste has primary oversight of the Prison, Budget, Purchasing, Personnel, and Parks and Recreation. DiFrancesco has oversight of Juvenile Probation, the Emergency Management Agency, the Library, Veterans Affairs and Elections. Hartwick continues to have oversight of Human Services, Economic Development, Personnel, Tax Assessment and Housing and Redevelopment. The board pledged to continue operating in the same spirit of openness, camaraderie and fiscal restraint.
The Dauphin County Commissioners Jeff Haste, Nick DiFranceso, and George Hartwick, III honored the Steelton-Highspire football team, who recently won the PIAA Class A state championship after vanquishing the previously undefeated Serra Catholic by a score of 34 to 15. The 2007 football team had an impressive winning season of 13 – 3, scoring a total of 262 points in one season, a school record, ending with Steel-High’s state championship victory, bringing honor and recognition to themselves, their school, their community, and this very grateful county of Dauphin. The commissioners declared Jan. 16 as “Steel-High Rollers Day” in Dauphin County.
The Dauphin County Commissioners honored Michael A. Markowski for his tireless innovation and countless contributions to the aviation industry, which culminated in his recent induction into the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Hall of Fame. Mike turned his passion for aeronautics into an illustrious career. He created the first hang glider production company on the East Coast and found Aeronautical Publishers, a firm which has produced more than 35 books, eight of which Mike, himself, authored. Mike continues to exert a tremendous influence over the evolution of aviation, contributing two major works – The Hang Glider’s Bible and the Encyclopedia of Homebuilt Aircraft
Economy
The number of jobs and the unemployment rate in Pennsylvania rose in December compared with the figures for November. The net non-farm jobs in the state increased by 2,800 last month, but unemployment rate rose by half a percentage point over November numbers to 4.7 percent, according to the state Department of Labor and Industry. The trade, transportation and utilities sector had the largest growth, adding 2,900 jobs last month, or a 0.3-percent increase. Service-providing industries on the whole added 4,900 net jobs last month. Goods-producing industries had a net loss of jobs by 2,100, or about 0.3 percent less than November. Manufacturing lost 1,900 jobs, the most of any industry.
More travelers used Harrisburg International Airport last year, but less growth is expected in 2008. Ten percent more airline passengers used HIA last year than in 2006, despite 2 percent fewer seats available for sale on departing flights. Officials attribute much of the growth to a 10 percent reduction in the average fares charged by airlines that serve HIA. About 5 percent more passengers used the airport in December when compared with December 2006. But that was less than the double-digit growth HIA experienced during most months in 2007 when compared with 2006.
Wachovia Corp. reported a 98 percent drop in fourth-quarter 2007 profits, largely because of mortgage-related losses. The nation's fourth-largest bank posted a profit of $51 million for the quarter, down from $2.3 billion a year earlier. Officials at Wachovia, which has the fifth-largest share of deposits in the Harrisburg/Carlisle area, don't expect the setback to curtail operations in the midstate.
The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. reported that comparable-store sales, or sales at stores that have been open for at least a year, decreased 14.2 percent in December when compared to the year-ago period. Bon-Ton reported total sales of $558.2 million for the five-week period that ended Jan. 5. That is down 13 percent when compared to the $642 million that the company reported in the prior-year period. The company reported that its biggest disappointment in December was that the gift-giving businesses did not accelerate sales during the three weeks prior to Christmas. December sales also were hurt by the calendar shift that moved the week after Thanksgiving from the retail-calendar month of December into November in fiscal 2007, according to the company.
The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. reported net income of $178 million for the fourth quarter of 2007, down from $376 million in the same period of 2006. Fourth-quarter earnings were 52 cents per diluted share, down from $1.27 in the prior-year period. PNC reported that it earned $1.07 per share in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh-based PNC reported full-year 2007 earnings of $1.5 billion, down from $2.6 billion in 2006. The 2006 results were boosted by a $1.3 billion after-tax gain on a deal involving the investment company Blackrock Inc., in which PNC has a stake. PNC is acquiring Lancaster County-based Sterling Financial Corp. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008.
Community
Don Updegrave with Mione Family Design/Remodel, Inc. of Harrisburg, left for Biloxi, Mississippi on Saturday, January 19 to assist with the Hurricane Katrina re-building effort. The trip is a joint effort with Dauphin County Technical School and the students of the Building Construction Technology Dept.
Commerce Bank/Harrisburg announced that the bank is seeking high school senior applicants for Commerce Bank "Cash for College" scholarships. Commerce's "Cash for College" scholarship program recognizes and rewards high school seniors, who have demonstrated an appreciation for community service, with a $2,500 cash gift to help pay for college education expenses. High school seniors who reside within Commerce Bank's service area (Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties) are eligible. Additionally, applicants must enroll in a full-time course of study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school in the United States no later than the fall term of the 2008-09 school year. Commerce Bank "Cash for College" scholarship applications are available at Commerce Bank's 33 retail locations or at the bank's web site at commercepc.com.
John Sipics - president of Allentown-based PPL Electric Utilities until retirement a year ago - died Sunday...John is survived by his wife Diane and three children...he was 59.
Legis-latest
Workers can use more tax-free money each month to help them get to and from their jobs. The Internal Revenue Service has increased to $115 the monthly amount employers can exempt from workers' taxable pay for bus fare or a van pool. Employees also can exempt up to $220 monthly toward work-related parking. Nationwide, 17 percent of employers plan to offer the option this year, according to a survey done for TransitCenter Inc., a nonprofit group in New York City.
Pennsylvania announced it earmarked $75,000 in grants to develop and expand farmers' markets. Grants of up to $10,000 are available under the Farmers Market Development Matching Grant Program for eligible farmers, nonprofit groups, local governments and businesses or associations that run farmers’ markets. Each grant applicant must provide at least 10 percent of the grant amount in matching or in-kind services. Applications must be submitted to the state Department of Agriculture by Feb. 6. For more information call 800-468-2433.
New Business/Development
Gov. Ed Rendell announced the resignation of state Labor and Industry Secretary Stephen M. Schmerin. He will step down Jan. 31. Schmerin was appointed secretary in 2003.
Hersha Development Corp. announced it has become a joint-venture partner in a $420 million hotel project planned for Tampa, Fla. Hersha Development is a division of Harrisburg-based The Hersha Group. The company has joined Florida-based Orion Communities Inc. and R.L. Pearson & Associates Inc. to develop The Ritz-Carlton Tampa Bay and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton Tampa Bay. The three companies are equal development partners, with each owning a 33.3 percent interest in the project. The waterfront project, which is scheduled to open in 2011, will include 268 hotel rooms and 176 luxury residences. It also involves a spa and wellness center, boutique shops, a selection of dining options, cabanas, a boardwalk and a marina.
Nationwide Insurance this year will eliminate 190 customer service jobs at its facility in Susquehanna Twp. The auto and home insurance service staff will be phased out at the center at 1000 Nationwide Drive. Those jobs will be transferred to other facilities, although none is in this region. Employees losing their jobs locally will have the option to transfer to other Nationwide facilities. The company also will offer job-placement services.
Sazoushky LLC plans to build a warehouse on a 2/3-acre lot at 420 Milroy Road in Swatara Twp. The warehouse will be used by American Carpet, which sells and installs residential and commercial flooring. Ida McMurray of NAI/CIR handled sale negotiations for Sazoushky. Mike Leonzo from Straub Associates represented the seller.
Miles Bojanic has purchased an 11,000-square- foot industrial property at 2409 Herr St. in Harrisburg. Jeremy Shyk of Landmark Commercial Realty Inc. represented the buyer. Roy Brenner, also of Landmark, represented the seller, Herman Minkoff.
Dobson Family Partnership has acquired the Cameron Mansion at 407 N. Front St. in Harrisburg from State and Front Corp. The stone building houses law offices and a government relations business. Ray Thorn and Bill Rothman of RSR Realtors represented the buyer and seller.
Graystone Bank has broken ground for a branch at 1759 W. Main St. in Ephrata. The branch, the bank's ninth, is scheduled to open on June 1.
The Salvation Army leased 22,250 square feet of space at Union Square Shopping Center in Susquehanna Township. Manheim Township, Lancaster County-based LMS Commercial Real Estate handled the transaction.
Capitol Ministries, a lobbying firm, has opened a new office in the Cranberry Court Building, 212 N. 3rd St., across from the Capitol in Harrisburg. Jason Sourbeer of NAI CIR represented the landlord, Atcheson Properties, and Roy Brenner of Landmark represented the tenant.
Allied Irish Bank has relocated its Harrisburg office to 105 N. Front St., Suite 303. Andrew Kohr of NAI CIR handled the transaction for tenant and landlord
Baltimore-based insurance broker Riggs, Counselman, Michaels & Downes moved its area office to 3,100 square feet of space in the Wachovia Building at 30 N. Third St. in Harrisburg. Five employees work in the office, and several more are expected within a year.
Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute moved into a new, 20-bed inpatient unit at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Derry Township.
Perks 'N Bribes, a card and gift shop at 225 N. Second St. in Harrisburg, will close on Jan. 31. The store is running a going-out-of-business sale and plans to sell all merchandise and fixtures.
Robert Ford and Amber Topper will open an advertising and marketing company in 292 square feet of office space they leased at 114 Walnut St., Harrisburg. NAI CIR handled the transaction.
SJN Realty Holdings, dba Touch of Color Flooring, purchased the 22,400-square-foot flex building at 1591 S. 19th St., Harrisburg, from Prizio Enterprises. Touch of Color Flooring distributes floor coverings. Campbell Commercial Real Estate Inc. of East Pennsboro Township handled the transaction.
The American Indoor Football Association has granted an expansion franchise to Harrisburg for the 2009 season. The new team, which does not yet have a name, will play its games at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center on Cameron Street, according to the Baltimore-based association. Harrisburg will be the 17th team in the association league and the third team from Pennsylvania. Reading and Erie also field teams in the league, which runs from March to the July 19 championship. 2008 is the league’s second season. The last professional sports team to play at the Farm Show Complex was the Harrisburg Heat of the Major Indoor Soccer League. The Heat ceased operations in 2003. The new football franchise is owned by association co-founder John Morris.
The 109,645 SF PA Department of Environmental Protection facility at 2575 Interstate Dr, Susquehanna Twp, Hbg, PA was purchased by Roebling Investments of Hackensack, NJ. For $28.5 M. The award-winning facility, developed by the Vartan Group, earned a Gold LEED rating for its environmentally sustainable design and development. It was the first laboratory in the United States to achieve the Gold LEED rating. Justin Shoemaker of NAI CIR, Harrisburg, PA represented the owner. Hal Messer of NAI Hansen, Hackensack, NJ represented the buyer
Hyung Kim, a State Farm Insurance agent, has rented 1,200 square feet of office space in Beaufort Plaza, 2031 Linglestown Road, Susquehanna Twp. Justin Shoemaker and Denise Cass, of NAI CIR represented the landlord. Eric Swidler of NAI CIR represented the tenant in this transaction.
Affiliations/Appointments/Kudos
Nick DiFrancesco, Vice-chairman of the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners, has been elected to serve on the board of directors for District 6 of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP). DiFrancesco, of Lower Swatara Twp., replaces Bob Carl whose term ended recently. DiFrancesco will assume his seat at the board’s next meeting on Jan. 17. Since his election as a county commissioner in 2003, DiFrancesco led efforts to keep the county nursing home running smoothly while transitioning to private ownership, saving county taxpayers approximately $6 million a year, and also oversaw the county’s Emergency Management Agency. The district he represents includes Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton, Schuylkill and York.
David B. Blain, CPA was recently promoted to Principal with McKonly and Asbury, LLP. David's primary responsibilities are as a relationship manager for a number of our key clients in a variety of industries including manufacturing, construction, insurance, and non-profits. David has a diverse background having spent five years in private industry as the Director of Finance of a national insurance broker, as well as five years with an international public accounting firm.
Andrew Kenworthy, P.E., has been promoted to manage the Land Development Group across all nine office locations of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. In this role, he will oversee the group’s 55 engineers, landscape architects, designers and technicians in completing all commercial, industrial, residential, and institutional development projects the firm undertakes throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region.
John Bassounas of Harrisburg has been promoted to director of client services at Pavone, an advertising agency in Harrisburg. Bassounas joined Pavone in 1999. He had been an account supervisor.
Ann Marie Casey has been promoted to director of project management at Pavone. She has been with the agency for 10 years.
Michelle Brode has been promoted by WITF-FM to director of sales, electronic media. Brode will continue other roles she has in sales management.
Patricia Bucek has joined SeniorLIFE as executive director of LIFE programs. Bucek is responsible for developing the SeniorLIFE program in Dauphin and York counties. She has more than 23 years of experience in health care and aging services and most recently was a program director for PinnacleHealth Hospitals in Harrisburg.
Joe Nattans has been promoted to vice president of sales in the Harrisburg and York regions by HomeSale Mortgage Services, the mortgage provider for Coldwell Banker HomeSale Services Group. Nattans has been with HomeSale Mortgage Services since June 2006. He has worked from the Coldwell Banker office on Linglestown Road in Harrisburg as a loan officer and has been the mortgage loan originator at Coldwell Banker's Shrewsbury office.
Karen L. Bissell, office manager for Compassionate Senior Care in Harrisburg, has been appointed to the board of directors of Women Create! and will serve as secretary. Bissell has been involved with the organization for two years.
Matt Campbell of Mechanicsburg has been promoted to the newly created position of director of offline innovations at Neiman Group, an advertising firm in Harrisburg. Campbell has been with Neiman since 2002. He has been involved in many of the firm's services, including photo finishing and print production.
Christine Books has joined the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corp. as membership relations coordinator. Books had interned with the chamber and CREDC.
Jessica Rossman has been promoted by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber from membership relations coordinator to membership services manager.
Terry Jones has been promoted to vice president of small groups, associations and producer affairs at Highmark Blue Shield. He has more than 35 years of sales management experience.
Jack Jaroh has been promoted to vice president of middle market accounts at Highmark, responsible for sales and service to middle market groups in the insurer's south-central, north-central and Lehigh Valley regions of the state. Jaroh also manages the labor affairs and agent market staff. He has more than 25 years of sales management experience with the Pennsylvania and Michigan Blues plans.
Kelly Lieblein was promoted to vice president of strategic accounts for large regional clients in Highmark's central region. Lieblein has more than 23 years of experience in health care and health insurance.
Daniel Lebish has been named CEO of United Concordia Companies Inc. On March 1, he will replace Thomas Dzuryachko, the longtime head of the Susquehanna Twp.-based dental insurer. United Condordia is a subsidiary of Highmark Inc. Lebish is a former senior vice president of business development for Highmark. Since 2002, he has headed HM Insurance Group and will continue in that position while also heading United Concordia.
Dr. Andrew Richards has been elected president of the Dauphin County Medical Society. He is a colon and rectal surgeon and partner at Sollenberger Colon and Rectal Surgery in Harrisburg. Other officers for 2008 are Dr. Gwendolyn Poles, Dr. John D. Goldman, Dr. Robert A. Ettlinger and Dr. Lawrence L. Altaker, who had been president. The medical society, with about 1,000 members, lobbies on behalf of doctors and promotes health care quality.
Carl Lundblad, general counsel for Graystone Bank, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Pennsylvania Bankers Association Legal Affairs Advisory Committee. The committee advises the association on the needs of bank legal departments and outside counsel. It also recommends continuing education programs on legal issues and the publication of materials.
Events
TAILGATING WITH THE LIONS - The Big 33 presents "Tailgating with the Lions", Thursday, January 31st, at the Radisson Penn Harris. Invited guests include: Coach Larry Johnson, Sean Lee, Kevin Kelly, A.Q. Shipley, Abe Koroma, Jared Odrick and others. For tickets call 717.774.3303.
The National Civil War Museum will host a wine & cheese reception on Thursday, January 31 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. The reception will provide attendees the opportunity to get a sneak preview of the Museum’s new temporary exhibit, entitled: Escape from the Peculiar Institution: Slavery, Abolitionism & the Underground Railroad. The featured speaker for the reception will be Mr. Fred Morsell, a scholar on the life and times of Frederick Douglass. Tickets to the reception are available to the public for a fee of $5/person. Reservations are required by January 29. For more information about this event or to obtain tickets, please call 717.260.1861, or visit the Museum’s website at www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org.
MCKINLEY ECONOMIC FORECAST - Will 2008 be a financially solid year? Find out at the McKinley Economic Forecast Luncheon, Thursday, February 7th, 12 noon, at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg/Hershey, 604 Station Road in Grantville. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information regarding sponsorships, please contact Lindsey Marthouse at 717.213.5044 or lmarthouse@hbgrc.org. To register for the event, please call 717.232-4099.
SUNRISE EXCHANGE - Rise and shine at the next Sunrise Exchange, Wednesday, February 20, 7:30am at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey, 4650 Lindle Road in Harrisburg. Thanh Nguyen, CEO of Achieve it Now, will present "Tools for the 21st Century Entrepreneur". To register, please call 717.232.4099.
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS - Mix and mingle at the next Business After Hours, Thursday, February 21, 5:00pm, at the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area, 7790 Grayson Road . To register, please call 717.232.4099.
CBW - LOOKING BEYOND TITLES - The next CBW, Chamber Business Women, event will be held on Wednesday, February 27, 3:00pm, at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg East, 604 Station Road in Grantville. Kendra Ruhl, Director of Human Resources for Hershey Entertainment & Resorts will present "Looking Beyond Titles". For more information or to register, please call 717.232.4099.
Texas Hold’em Tournament to benefit The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will be holding the event at Colonial Country Club on LEAP day Friday February 29th. Registration at 5:00PM play begins promptly at 6:00PM. $200.00 buy-in (Must be made prior to event) includes fun, excitement, entertainment, food and beverages chance to win a $12,000.00 Golf trip to Boulders Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Prizes awarded to the Top 8 players, some of the prizes available; 4 box seats to the 76’ers; Overnight accommodations at Harrah’s in Atlantic City; Gold Sponsorship to The Phillips Group Golf Classic a $1250.00 value; Dinners around Town. Many, many more… Register with Erin Velazquez at 717-671-4000 or e-mail to evelazquez@cff.org Spectators are invited-enjoy the entertainment and buffet for only $20.00. Help us FIND A CURE. For more details about the Foundation and the disease and how you can help click the link www.cff.org