Central Penn Business Journal back issues from October 2008:
Bon-Ton holds on
Oct 03, 2008; ... CRISIS ON WALL STREET Midstate faces down market If Anthony Liuzzo had to bet, he would wager that The Bon- Ton Stores Inc. will weather the economic storm taking place across the country. But the York County departmentstore operator is inching closer to the edge, where ...
Adaptation, teamwork spark Sting Communications' success
Oct 03, 2008; ... LEBANON COUNTY Nowhere in business is the need for adaptation more evident than in the telecommunications sector, where technology and trends change constantly. Lebanon-based Sting Communications - like many other successful communication and technology companies - has fashioned ...
Developers prepare for stricter financing
Oct 03, 2008; ... Midstate developers face an even tighter lending market as Wall Street awaits a historic bailout from the federal government. Some well-positioned developers are prepared to wrestle with a down market as interest rates climb and tougher lending standards areputin place, they ...
Gov't Web sites honored
Oct 03, 2008; ... Cumberland County and Pennsylvania have broken into the top-10 lists of the best technology use by governments in the nation. Cumberland County ranked eighth in this year's survey of U.S. counties with a populationof 150,000-249,000, accordingto the Center for Digital Government, a ...
Courthouse goes green
Oct 03, 2008; ... The York County Administrative Center has become York's first certified green building. The building, formerly known as the York County Courthouse, has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The LEED rating system was designed by the U.S. Green ...
Firm pens first chapter
Oct 03, 2008; ... DAUPHIN COUNTY New publisher's book to hit shelves next month A journalist moves from Manhattan, N.Y., to Carlisle after separating from his wife. A man from Carlisle is shunned by his Mennonite church. The two stories collide inside the pages of "Shunned," the first book to be ...
Bay gets cleaning plan
Oct 03, 2008; ... The Chesapeake Bay Foundation recently released a guide for the next U.S. president and Congress to restore the water quality of the bay, which runs through Pennsylvania. "Restoring Clean Water and the Chesapeake Bay: A Plan for America's Next President" includes 16 recommendations the ...
Tutu to do
Oct 03, 2008; ... Halloween is still weeks away, but midstate residents will have the chance this weekend to don ballerina costumes for a good cause. Sweet Melissa's Dream, 51 N. Beaver St., York, is hosting "Tutus for Tatas" Oct. 3-4 to raise awareness for P.I.N. K., aYork-based nonprofit organization ...
Remove your clients' doubts, and achieve a 'yes'
Oct 03, 2008; ... PEAK YOUR PROFITS Prospects and customers can be very clever about the creative ways they delay de- cisions. They're hesitant about offending you with a defiant "no," so instead, they say things like: "I'd like to think it over!" "Boy it sounds ...
Applebee's operator awarded for service
Oct 03, 2008; ... A Cumberland County company that operates eightmidstateApplebee's restaurants was recently recognized by the National Restaurant Association for its community- service efforts. Lower Allen Township -based Keystone Ap pie Inc. operates two restaurants in Cumberland County, three in ...
Crisis is real
Oct 03, 2008; ... So it looks like the original Paulson plan, or whatever variation Democrats in Congress had come up with, might be dead. After two weeks of heated rhetoric and talk of being on the edge of an enormous financial meltdown, We the People get nothing from our federal government. At least for ...
Not so unusual
Oct 03, 2008; ... With approximately 3,500 franchise brands across the world, a variety of unusual concepts are popping up. More than 40 percent of operating franchise concepts were created since 2000, according to the International Franchise Association in Washington, D.C. Most individuals may think it's ...
Consolidated fire-and-rescue department blazes new trail
Oct 03, 2008; ... YORK COUNTY Plenty of people are probably watching Robert McCoy, and he knows it. McCoy is chief of the fledgling York Area United Fire & Rescue (YAUFR) , Pennsylvania's first regional fire department with both paid and volunteer firefighters. The attention is ...
SOUND OFF: HOW YOU SAID IT
Oct 03, 2008; ... Last week's question: Is the federal government's proposed bailout of Wall Street banks an appropriate response to the crisis in the financial markets? Why or why not? YES 21 percent NO 79 percent NO: "Not an appropriate response in a 'free ...
Water-company president talks economy, women in U.S.
Oct 03, 2008; ... DAUPHIN COUNTY Kathy Pape has only been the president of Pennsylvania American Water Co. (PAW) for a little more than a year. But she's taken the Derry Township, Dauphin County-based water company on a path for growth. This year, PAW has acquired three water systems, including ...
SWITCH FOR SUCCESS
Oct 03, 2008; ... Company benefits from converting to franchises From 1959 through 2003, the plumbing, heating and air-condi- tioning business created by B. Scott Rohrer's grandfather was handed down through the generations as an independent small business in Lancaster County. At the beginning of ...
LETTER
Oct 03, 2008; ... Planned Parenthood not 'health care' 1 was disgusted to see Planned Parenthood officials listed under the title "health care" in the Newsmakers section of the Sept. 19 issue of the Central Perm Business Journal. Planned Parent- hood is the nation's largest provider of abortion on ...
Economic climate inspires more efficient building designs
Oct 03, 2008; ... REGION The struggling economy and soaring raw-materials and energy costs have caused building designs in Central Pennsylvania to go smart, regional architects said. Property owners are spending as much money to put up residential, health care, retail and educational buildings as ...
Proceeding with caution
Oct 10, 2008; ... CRISIS ON WALL STREET Credit crunch squeezes new firms first Strong, established midstate companies appear to be doing business as usual in the midst of struggles on Wall Street. But some of the smaller, less-experienced firms are feeling the pinch. Banks have tightened ...
What happened?
Oct 10, 2008; ... The warnings from Washington, D.C., in recent weeks were about as dire as they come. "Our entire economy is in danger," President George W Bush said Sept. 24. But to many Americans, it is not obvious that the Wall Street crisis likely will spread. See pages 6 and 7 for a chart ...
Dauphin County might have spoken too soon about parking
Oct 10, 2008; ... DAUPHIN COUNTY If a private operator leases Harrisburg's parking system, Dauphin County intends to assess real estate taxes on the city's leased parking properties. County Office of Tax Assessment Director Steven L. Howe recently sent a letter to Harrisburg Parking Authority ...
AT&T, Verizon expand service in Central Pa.
Oct 10, 2008; ... If you've noticed better wireless- Internet and cell-phone services in the far reaches of Dauphin and York counties lately, don't worry. You're not in the Twilight Zone. You're simply experiencing progress. New York-based Verizon Wireless and Texasbased AT&T Inc. have ...
Bon-Ton relocates, renames Wis. store
Oct 10, 2008; ... The Bon- Ton Stores Inc. recently announced it would move its store within the Heritage Village Mall in Beaver Dam, Wis. The York County company signed a lease for the 71,500-square-foot building formerly occupied by Wal-Mart at the mall. The Bon- Ton will take possession of the space in ...
Members 1st to support CREDC
Oct 10, 2008; ... Members 1st Federal Credit Union recent- ly announced it will give $20,000 to the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & Capital Re- gion Economic Development Corp.'s (CREDCs) CREDC Campaign. CREDC is the chamber's economicdevelopment branch. CREDC startedits campaign in March in hopes of ...
Bethesda Mission launches partnerships
Oct 10, 2008; ... Bethesda Mission, the Harrisburg-based Christian charity launched a new campaign to foster long-term relationships with businesses for support. Bethesda shifted to what it's calling Businesses for Bethesda. The campaign allows the charity to partner with a range of local companies for ...
CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS
Oct 10, 2008; ... Rutter's Holdings Inc. reported $440 million in revenue in 2007. The revenue was stated incorrectly on page 19 of the Aug. 1 issue of the Business Journal. The ...
REACHING SKYWARD
Oct 10, 2008; ... Harrisburg University's architecture reflects modern goals Harrisburg University of Science and Technology's first permanent home will resemble the school's mission, the building's designer and school officials said. "It's a building that's reaching skyward," said Alex Wing, the ...
Questions cloud parking deal
Oct 10, 2008; ... DAUPHIN COUNTY Many questions surround the proposed 75-year lease of Harris- burg parking facilities to a private developer. The New York City developer who wants to lease Harrisburg's parking system last week extended the time he will give City Council to make a decision about ...
Wall St. collapse reaches builders
Oct 10, 2008; ... REGION There's anxiety brewing among the region's general contractors as Wall Street continues its skid. Some projects that contractors lined up were canceled because of the credit crunch, contractors said, and some developers killedplans because market conditions scared them ...
Plan now for retirement from your small business
Oct 10, 2008; ... 2 CENTS: ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS By necessity, many busy small-business owners spend all of their time thinking about the here and now, with little opportunity to focus on the future. But your company's long-term survival - and your own retirement security - depend on establishing a ...
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: IN THIS WEEK'S CPBJ
Oct 10, 2008; ... "If you like what you're doing, you'll never have to retire. I don't ever intend to ...
NUMBERS OF THE WEEK
Oct 10, 2008; ... 24.5 pounds the per-capita consumption of candy by Americans In 2007. SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU $125 million is spent on marshmallows each year in America. 40 percent of the almonds produced in the U.S. are used by U.S. chocolate ...
Cancer-care store opens doors in Hanover
Oct 10, 2008; ... A cancer survivor from Hanover has opened a boutique to help other women living with the disease. LifeChanges, at the Hanover Community Health & Education Center, carries post-mastectomy and post-surgery supplies. Resource materials also willbe available to borroworbuy Diana ...
What happened, and how could it spread?
Oct 10, 2008; ... Wall Street enters a downward spiral 1 The subprime-mortgage mess triggers a cascade of worries ... a) Mortgage loans sour. That takes down the value of securities tied to mortgages - essentially big bundles of loans. Financial firms holding those bundles take losses. * ...
The lending crunch hits high-level forms of credit first
Oct 10, 2008; ... Key forms of debt are choked Bonds - Debt issued by a government, company or authority. Buyers of the bond are guaranteed principal and interest payments over several years. Securitization - Securities that provide payments based on an underlying loan. These can have many layers ....
SOUND OFF: HOW THEY SAID IT
Oct 10, 2008; ... 'The financial system works on confi- dence. It's like you go through a green light because you assume the person who's got the red light will stop." -Joel Naroff, chief economist for Commerce Bank "We tend to like to know our borrowers, be able to kick the ...
The impact on community banks, credit unions is mixed
Oct 10, 2008; ... It is particularly hard to see the impact on the institutions that are most visible to Main Street - brick-and-mortar community banks. Here are some possible consequences. External borrowing Community banks also borrow from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, which accesses ...
U.S. economy reaping problems that many banks have sown
Oct 10, 2008; ... TAKING STOCK Dear Mr. Berko: Can you explain to me in simple English how this banking crisis hap- pened? I believed that U.S. banks were the strongest in the world, and now they seem to be collapsing while banks in Europe and Asia remain healthy. My brother, who lives and works in the ...
ARE YOU IN THE CUBE?
Oct 03, 2008; ... the gadget cube Make your shiny work for you Managing editor-news Andréa Maria Cecil funnels her gadget obsession into a Business Journal blog: the gadget cube. Learn how your "shinies" can make you more productive and efficient on the job. Here are some excerpts: Ever ...
Don't bet against Goldman Sachs; firm has enviable intelligence
Oct 03, 2008; ... TAKING STOCK Dear Mr. Berko: In early May, I bought 50 shares of Goldman Sachs at $201, believing it would split 2- for-1, double its dividend to $2.80 and, within a year, run back up to its pre-split price. In respond- ing to my letter, you told me that I should sell the stock because ...
Readers sound off on the Wall Street crisis
Oct 03, 2008; ... We asked readers to answer the question: What do you think of the upheaval on Wall Street and the financial markets? And how do you feelabouttalkofaproposed $700 billion bailout of Wall Street by the federal government? Here are some of their responses. My feeling on this is that ...
In tough economic times, United Way needed more than ever
Oct 03, 2008; ... I remember a conversation I had a little while ago with David Black, chief executive officer of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corp. We were talking about economic development and the role charities play in the life of our community. Black told me ...
Communication matters, whether it's with employees, customers or community
Oct 03, 2008; ... ENGAGING WAYS Businesspeople who maybe confused over the value of public relations - is it hype or helpful? should consider what Ken Robinson has learned over more than 30 years in the field. Robinson, president of Robinson Group Communications in HampdenTownship, says PRis aform ...
Grants to help Harrisburg improve neighborhoods
Oct 03, 2008; ... The state Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) awarded Harrisburg $300,000 in grants for improvements and neighborhood planning, Mayor Stephen R. Reed's office recently announced. The grants were delivered through DCED's Elm Street program. The city will use $250,000 ...
Housing slump hits Lancaster County homebuilders
Oct 03, 2008; ... LANCASTER COUNTY In 2006, Cooper Custom Homes built about 40 houses. This year, things are different. Much different. "I haven't been doing a lot of them, let's put it that way," said Lisa Cooper Cot- ter, owner and president of Cooper Custom Homes in East Hemp field ...
In brief
Oct 03, 2008; ... Remodeling Whether remodeling a kitchen, adding a family room, installing replacement windows or simply changing a light fixture, millions of Americans each year undertake some type of home-improvement project. For society as a whole, homeimprovement spending bolsters annual ...
How to make a home green
Oct 03, 2008; ... Environmentally friendly commercial properties are turning up with increasing frequency but the residential market is greening more slowly Homebuyers are less able to see the long-term value of the initial costs, and designing homes with green elements takes more time. For local homebuyers ...
How to turn gray into green - Embrace the boomers who live, work here
Oct 03, 2008; ... GUEST COLUMN The Graying of America via the baby boomer effect is being felt throughout the na- tion. Pennsylvania ranks No. 3 in the nation behind the likes of Florida and Arizona. Additionally, Central Pennsylvania has the largest concentration of those age 50 and older and has one of ...
BEHIND THE LIST WITH PAUL D. LOOSMANN
Oct 03, 2008; ... Senior vice president of ProLogis Q: What is the business climate like right now in Central Pennsylvania for distribution facilities ProLogis invests in? A: No one can argue that the current economic climate slows real estate business. Yet, for every downturn, there is an ...
Reduced interest rates, prices help move upscale homes
Oct 03, 2008; ... REGION The midstate market for upscale homes - those carrying a price tag of at least $500,000 - languished in 2007. But industry players are optimistic that better days lie ahead. One local real estate agent said he started seeing some evidence of a turnaround in early ...
Calendar
Oct 03, 2008; ... Fourth Annual Capital Area Prayer Breakfast, 7:30-10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, Central Pennsylvania College conference center in East Pennsboro Township. "Integrating Faith in the Workplace," with Anthony J. Schiano, retired president and chief executive officer of Giant Food Stores. To register, ...
Emerge in an emerging market: Create context, connection, meaning
Oct 03, 2008; ... GUEST COLUMN "If we build it, they will come," an aphorism that could have been coined in the halls of MIT in those heady days when Route 128 was a lot more than the connecting link between two bits of 1-95, is now more appropriate in its opposite configuration: "It's not enough just to ...
NEWSMAKERS
Oct 03, 2008; ... PEOPLE: promotions, appointments and hires ACCOUNTING KPMG LLP named Matt Detar, Wayne Groff, Kyle Horst, Scott Moody and Robert Smith to the management team of its Harrisburg office. Detar and Groff are with the audit practice; Horst and Smith are with the taxpractice; and Moody ...
ON THE MOVE
Oct 03, 2008; ... REAL ESTATE NEWS: openings, contracts, transactions, relocations Helen Botterbusch of LB Fitness Enterprises Inc. purchased Shapes Plus Fitness of Middletown from Shapes Plus Inc. MCA Business Brokers of Lower Paxton Township handled the transaction. An Apple Store, which will ...
What to do now
Oct 10, 2008; ... Grim national economic news has been dominating the headlines for months. Pennsylvania's economy has so far been able to fight off a lot of the trouble that has plagued other states, in the form of job losses and dips in tax collections. Until now. Pennsylvania Secretary of the ...
SOUND OFF: HOW YOU SAID IT
Oct 10, 2008; ... Last week's question: Do you think government action related to the financial markets will help the economy? Why or why not? NO: "The federal government should allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to fail and allow capitalism to work the way it always has. When a business fails, ...
When it comes to politics, Marx was right (Groucho, that is)
Oct 10, 2008; ... GUEST OPINION Washington, D.C.'s response to the financial trouble on Wall Street and the credit markets has affirmed Groucho Marx's definition of politics: "The art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." To be ...
In brief
Oct 10, 2008; ... Lancaster County fast facts * Consumers spend nearly $1.5 billion annually in Lancaster County. That translates into $711 million in direct economic impact, $1.4 billion in total economic impact and $393 million in tax ...
DOWNTOWN SHIFT
Oct 10, 2008; ... Doneckers shrinks, while downtown Ephrata pushes ahead LANCASTER COUNTY Buildings and businesses owned by Bill Donecker are peppered along State Street in Ephrata. But the real estate he has purchased over the ? ast 50 years extends beyond the street. And the number of square ...
Lancaster, Lebanon value KOZs
Oct 10, 2008; ... REGION Two Central Pennsylvania cities are taking advantage of the state's Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) progr am and lo o king forward to continued success as the program expands. The KOZ tax-incentive program, created in 1999, enables companies to reduce their state and local ...
Officials hope convention center attracts more visitors
Oct 10, 2008; ... LANCASTER COUNTY As the Lancaster County Conven- tion Center nears completion, offi- cials hope the new center will draw more people to the area for meetings and conventions, boosting the local economy. "This really adds a whole new overlay to the tourism in Lancaster County," ...
Calendar
Oct 10, 2008; ... Harrisburg Regional Chamber Mid-Day Lunch Break, 11:30 a.m.-l p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, Homewood Suites Harrisburg East, 3990TecPort Drive, Swatara Township. Free. For details, call 232-4099. Lebanon Valley Chamber Business EDGE Workshop, 7:45-10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, MetEd Auditorium, ...
BEHIND THE LIST WITH DICK NAYLOR
Oct 10, 2008; ... President of Naylor Wine Cellars Inc. Q: What's the best part of being in the wine business? A: Meeting people that enjoy your wine. They are interesting people, outgoing people, and they're people that love life. People that drink wine are generally well traveled and are more ...
NEWSMAKERS
Oct 10, 2008; ... PEOPLE: promotions, appointments and hires ACCOUNTING Beard Miller Co. named Kris- tine Copenheaver and Gina Webb managers with the audit and ac- counting depart- ment of its York of- fice. Both are cer- tified public accountants and graduates of York College. Abby Norris was ...
ON THE MOVE
Oct 10, 2008; ... REAL ESTATE NEWS: openings, contracts, transactions, relocations Keystruct Construction Inc. of Manchester Township signed a design/build contract for a 6,000-square-foot expansion of Montessori Academy of Lancaster on Weaver Road in Manheim Township. The project will include four ...