HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS SPRING 2016 EDITION
/ ENTREPRENEUR EDITION
UPCOMING CHAMBER & CREDC
INSIDE
E V E N T S •
2 WELCOME Considerations from David Black FEATURE 4 COVER Entrepreneurship in the Region – HRN Spring 2016 & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT 10 EDUCATION Encouraging the Entrepreneurial Spirit: 2016 Chamber High School Business Challenge DEVELOPMENT NEWS 12 ECONOMIC The Entrepreneurial Support System in South Central PA SPOTLIGHT 14 NOT-FOR-PROFIT A Caring Home in our Community FEATURE 16 SPECIAL After Gaining Wall Street Experience,
Family Values Bring Couple Home
18 20 WELCOME New Members
MAKING STRIDES Members in The News
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APRIL..
21 APRIL BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Brenner Nissan 28 CHAMBER HIGH SCHOOL BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Harrisburg University of Science & Technology MAY..
3 LEADS OVER LUNCH Buffalo Wild Wings 5 CINCO DE MAYO REGIONAL MIXER FIESTA
The Conference Center at Shippensburg University 12 GOVERNOR’S BREAKFAST Radisson Hotel Harrisburg 19 MAY BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Keystone Technical Institute JUNE..
7 LEADS OVER LUNCH Country Club of Harrisburg 9 LADIES WHO LEAD Best Western Premier – The Central Hotel & Conference Center 23 CELEBRATE DIVERSITY RECEPTION The State Museum of Pennsylvania AUGUST..
23 TRANSPORTATION BRIEFING Radisson Hotel Harrisburg 25 AUGUST BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Penn National Insurance
ON THE COVER Row 1 – Left to Right: J. Alex Hartzler, WCI Partners, LP, 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year; Andrew Samuel, Sunshine Bank, 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year; Aaron and Adrian Fang, MenuDrive, TechCelerator Clients. Row 2 – Left to Right: Jennifer Delaye, The JDK Group, 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year; Gary Nalbandian, NAI CIR, 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year; Jeannine Peterson, Hamilton Health Center, Not-for-Profit Entrepreneur. Row 3 – Left to Right: Joshua Kesler, The Millworks, 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year; Bill and Karie Craig, WebpageFX, 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year; Ryan Keith, Forgotten Voices International, 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year.
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to the above. For more information or to register for these and other events, contact us at 717-232-4099 or visit www.HarrisburgRegionalChamber.org. HRN
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WELCOME
CONSIDERATIONS FROM DAVID BLACK PRESIDENT & CEO, HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC
WE ARE AN AGE OF GREAT IDEAS. Great ideas can be marketed and become instant successes or may take a little time. Milton Hershey failed several times before perfecting his formula and product, but great ideas are just that, ideas, until someone gets them to market. The television show Shark Tank has had a profound impact on entrepreneurs, inspiring some innovative and creative people to stick with things a little longer with the hope of a Shark-supported investment of talent and money. Successful startups have key individuals who are creative, open to ideas, collaborative in nature, but a little stubborn as well. We have seen startups using intellectual capital from former places of employment as they’ve downsized. At our business incubator, the TechCelerator@ Carlisle by CREDC,
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we have had former equipment operators from larger manufacturers start their own specialty operations using equipment to create a new product line. We have seen engineers and product developers buy or obtain permission to advance technology being developed at a larger firm. The challenge with both of these examples is taking equipment and/or ideas out of a large corporate support network, and applying them to a much smaller business operation. Assuming the equipment or idea works, they are faced with growing infrastructure to sup-
port the operation and sell the product. Another exciting type of entrepreneur is the first time, often young, entrepreneur. They have never had a support network. These new entrepreneurs are creative and use technology to create a product and support. Often times, the challenge is getting their idea ready to market to the masses before someone else comes up with the same or similar idea. When a plan comes together, it’s a wonderful thing. There are numerous examples in our region, for example companies like WebpageFX and Andculture. Both were started by teams of young people recently out of college with a strong belief in their idea. Andculture is a group of young college graduates from Messiah College who over 10 years ago had an idea about a marketing firm offering unique services and products. Andculture is now an experienced design firm, crafting digital, brand and service
A PUBLICATION OF THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC
HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS P U B L I S H E D Q U A R T E R LY
Distributed by
Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC 3211 N. Front Street, Suite 201, Harrisburg, PA 17110-1342 717-232-4099 Fax: 717-232-5184 www.HarrisburgRegionalChamber.org Christine Brindle, Editor, Harrisburg Regional News 717-213-5048 / cbrindle@hbgrc.org David E. Black, President & CEO Deb Suder, Chair of the Board, Chamber Jewel Cooper, Chair of the Board, CREDC
The mission of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC is to be a catalyst for policy change, for job creation and for business growth in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties that enhances the quality of life in our region. ______________________________________________________________________________
experiences that resonate with users and solve business challenges. Andculture is still located here in Harrisburg, but now they are doing business on a national and international level. WebpageFX came to the TechCelerator @ Carlisle by CREDC by way of a young married couple, relatively recent Shippensburg graduates with an idea about a web-based services company focused on website optimization. That was also over 10 years ago. Today, they are located on Front Street in Harrisburg with a workforce approaching 100 employees in a high-tech environment focused on creativity. We also have had our share of companies that have created their product or service and cashed out. On Shark Tank, one of the Sharks will occasionally suggest selling the product to a larger company of similar nature because they do not have enough momentum to build a company around the product. That may be the biggest challenge today. It’s both an opportunity and a challenge for the entrepreneur who has put their heart and soul into commercializing their idea only to give it up, even in exchange for a big payday. Not only
HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS / SPRING 2016
does a sale create wealth, but it creates the opportunity for the entrepreneur to become a “serial entrepreneur” – a person who over their working life will create multiple products or services and, in turn, create wealth multiple times to reinvest in innovation. We are at a time in history with advancing technology and change creating more opportunities for more products driving the need for more entrepreneurs. More entrepreneurs in our region mean additional opportunities for new businesses, new jobs, and enhancing the reputation of our region as a place known for creativity in business formation, entrepreneurial ideas and collaboration. Selfishly, for the region we serve, I want people around the country to associate the Harrisburg Region with entrepreneurial innovation. The Susquehanna Valley can indeed be the east coast version of Silicon Valley.
For advertising opportunities in Harrisburg Regional News, contact Frankie Clayton, Sales Manager 717-213-5043 frankie.clayton@atlantic4us.com ______________________________________________________________________________
Produced & Published by
Atlantic Communications Group, Inc. 800-832-3747 Fax: 800-599-6420 www.atlantic4us.com / www.KnowThisPlace.com Proud to be a member of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC Hayden M. Wilbur, CEO Gretchen Lindberg, Art Director Stephan Vegoe, Writer/Photographer Frankie Clayton, Advertising Sales ©2016 Atlantic Communications Group, Inc. and Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any format or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo copying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. The information in this publication has been gathered and carefully compiled to ensure maximum accuracy. However, because completeness cannot be guaranteed, Harrisburg Chamber & CREDC and Atlantic Communications Group, Inc. cannot accept responsibility for omissions and errors. ISSN 1530-4051 / Spring 2016 / Volume 26 / Issue 67
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COVER FEATURE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP in the REGION
By: Stephan Vegoe, Writer/Photographer, Atlantic Communications Group, Inc.
AS YOU LOOK AROUND THE HARRISBURG REGION you’ll notice new businesses popping up in every corner of this threecounty region; new businesses that for the most part are being started by entrepreneurs who are native to the region, who have ideas they want to implement, and they are finding money/investors to help them get started. This issue of HRN, The Entrepreneur Edition, looks at three local entrepreneurs who in just the past four to eight years have looked at opportunities and converted those opportunities into successful small businesses that are now employing, combined, more than 100 people – 100 new jobs in the Harrisburg region. We’ll look first at the Chamber & CREDC’s 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year, Joshua Kesler, whose exciting Midtown Harrisburg development, The Millworks, just celebrated its first year. Then we’ll visit with Jennifer Delaye, the Chamber & CREDC’s 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year, whose The JDK Group in Camp Hill has made a real name for itself in hospitality management. Our third entrepreneurial company was started by a pair of brothers, Aaron and Adrian Fang, who operate their tech startup, MenuDrive, out of the Chamber & CREDC’s TechCelerator in Carlisle.
First Stop – MIDTOWN HARRISBURG Four years ago, Joshua Kesler looked at the abandoned and long-neglected Stokes Millworks building in Midtown Harrisburg, across the street from the historic Broad Street Market (the nation’s oldest farmers market), and saw opportunity. “I saw this derelict building in a different light,” Kesler said. “I saw it as a place where I could create a place where lots of people would want to hang out.”
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Joshua Kesler, Owner, The Millworks
“I’m really a musician,” he said. “That’s what I have done all my life, playing classical guitar and writing music. After my wife, Rachael, and I spent a year in a cabin with no running water near Big Sky, Montana in 2002-2003 (she worked for the forest service and I wrote a screenplay), we moved back to Pennsylvania and I began a successful career in real estate development here in central Pennsylvania, working as a partner with my mentor’s mentor. I spent ten good years with KDR Investments until we decided to liquidate our holdings in 2012.” Then, after failing to convince his wife and their children that they should move to Italy, Joshua Kesler decided he could be an entrepreneur. “I didn’t consider myself an entrepreneur while we were doing real estate development, but then, four years ago, I decided I wanted to do something special, and I knew it had to be something I perceived as a life-long interest and that was closely related to my personal passions – Art, Food, Music.” Kesler commented that he found the Stokes Millworks building at the end of 2012 and started working on his vision. “By the second visit to this derelict building, I knew how I wanted to transform it” Joshua Kesler said. “It was important to me that this project was on my own, with no partner, other than Rachael and our family.”
A PUBLICATION OF THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC
“I remember one day shortly before I closed on the purchase,” Joshua Kesler said, “when I walked around the side of the Broad Street Market and looked at what soon would be my building and I said to myself, Joshua, do you really need to do this?… and the answer that came back was yes, so that’s when I started to convert this 25,000 square foot, long-abandoned, industrial building, with a leaking roof and piles of rubble scattered inside, into the vision I had already created in my head.” Joshua Kesler commented that as he was getting ready to begin his thirty-month building project, Eric Papenfuse was elected Mayor of Harrisburg. “The Mayor’s election gave me confidence that there would be a visionary in City Hall, that the City of Harrisburg was headed in the right direction… and I wanted to be part of the rebirth of Midtown Harrisburg.” It took thirty months for the renovation and repurposing of the Stokes Millworks building to be completed. Kesler commented that he had plenty of wood to work with so he and his carpenters built everything they needed to build from those available supplies. The staircases to the three floors of artists’ galleries were all built with found lumber. The large bar next to the dining room was built from the roof beams and roof trusses that were salvaged when Kesler created the open-air beer garden. The tables in the dining room and the dividers scattered throughout the building were from similarly found lumber. Kesler said, “We had lots of well-aged lumber available to us so we designed
and built everything you see here at The Millworks from lumber we found and salvaged in the building.” “I think my favorite acquisition was the dark green light fixtures that hang over our large bar. Those fixtures used to hang in the Broad Street Market. A neighbor here in Midtown had them in storage and asked me if I wanted to use them. Of course, I said yes.” “We opened the artists’ studios first, in November 2014, as soon as they were ready,” Joshua Kesler said. Paul V, now our resident photographer, was the last tenant to sign on. Paul V came to The Millworks on a photo assignment for Harrisburg Magazine a few months before we were ready to open, asked about a rental space while he was taking photographs and when we told him we thought we were going to create one more, odd-shaped studio he signed on as a tenant.” The full building – artists’ studios, bar, restaurant, and live-music venue – opened on March 12, 2015. Joshua Kesler said that initial reaction from customers was enthusiastic. “I think those first guests were in awe of what we had created. The high ceilings and the timber-framing are not what anyone expects to find.” A year later, The Millworks is definitely a destination. The artists’ studios, the farm-to table restaurant, and live music bring guests from all over central Pennsylvania. A craft brewery is being constructed in a 2,000 square foot space next to the existing outdoor beer garden, and a second outdoor beer garden, on the roof above the dining room, is just waiting for spring to arrive. Joshua Kesler said, “We now employ sixty people here at The Millworks and we are proudly working with two dozen central Pennsylvania farms and agriculture-related businesses that provide us with almost everything we need to produce our farm-to-table menu. Today, a year Continued on page 6
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after we opened, we have the right tools and the right people in the right places to keep this unique destination restaurant, art gallery, and music venue growing.” If you have not yet been to The Millworks, try to come for Third in the Burg. The Millworks rocks with artists, food, a great bar filled with happy people of all ages, music, and, of course, fun. Just what Joshua Kesler imagined when he decided to make his dream a reality.
Second Stop – ALONG ROUTE 581 IN CAMP HILL Jennifer Delaye, owner of The JDK Group in Camp Hill, readily admits she is a serial entrepreneur. Jennifer has always been an innovator, an entrepreneur, and a visionary.
Jennifer Delaye, Owner, The JDK Group
Jennifer, Drew and Kirstin operated their concession businesses on City Island from 1988 to 1992 during the summer and went to college the rest of the year. (Jennifer earned a graduate degree in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison). By 1992 they decided to give up their City Island businesses and also the sibling partnership. “Thanks to an entrepreneurial father and a highly-educated mother,” Jennifer said, “we three siblings got a great start in life. We ran a successful business for five summers on City Island and then moved on. City Island was a great place to start our careers.”
After the siblings split up the partnership, Jennifer kept the JDK name and started to develop the small business that would eventually make her a well-known business leader in Central Pennsylvania – as JDK Catering. “Back when I started the catering business,” Jennifer said, “I was doing everything, but now we have a great team with a vision.” “By 2007, JDK Catering was the biggest caterer, by far, in the Harrisburg region,” Jennifer Delaye said. “We were doing as many as 30 to 40 events per day. We had become everything to everybody, but it felt like the more events we did the more money we lost, and this was before the Great Recession hit the catering world – hard.” Jennifer Delaye said that she and her team looked into the future in 2007 and did not like what they saw. “That’s when we embraced the 80/20 rule. We told ourselves we needed to change our model and focus on a new destination.” That new destination required some major changes to her business plan. “We decided to focus on specialty events, which we knew we could deliver very well, and on weddings, for which we had a great reputation,” said Jennifer Delaye. “We decided to refocus this small business on events where we could ‘accelerate happiness’ – to give our clients once-in-a-lifetime experiences, but that also meant we needed to get out of the business we knew so well – corporate catering – which was such an important part of this small business, more than $1 million per year in revenue.” Starting in 2007, Delaye and her team recommended other local caterers to their long
“The Cultural Enrichment Fund worked with The JDK Group to design our signature fundraising event – Red Carpet Soirée – from the start. Based on their stellar reputation and active engagement in the community, we knew they were the partner for us.” Chad Barger, Executive Director, Cultural Enrichment Fund
list of corporate clients and began to market The JDK Group as a special events company providing full-service catering events, floral design and decor, and event management and production. “We developed a new brand, very quickly, and by the time the Great Recession hit us in 2009,” Jennifer Delaye said, “we had multiple legs under our financial table, so even though the recession was a killer for most businesses, we stayed stable. Even with the recession we continued to innovate and develop our new brand.” Today, eight years after making the decision to restructure the business, The JDK Group still operates a successful catering division, but they also offer floral and event design services, specialty event rentals, venue management, and, most significantly, wedding planning. The JDK Group, once known as the region’s largest and best caterer, has completely transformed itself. JDK now offers the region “fully-produced events worth celebrating” – like the annual Red Carpet Soirée for the Cultural Enrichment Fund. Now, The JDK Group is known as the company that redefined weddings in Central Pennsylvania by significantly expanding their wedding business into Lancaster and York Continued on page 8
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COVER FEATURE Continued from page 6
Counties. The JDK Group is also the exclusive caterer/manager at three well-respected venues in the region – Linwood Estate, The Vineyard and Brewery at Hershey, and The Bond in York. In 2012, Jennifer Delaye decided to expand her business in a different direction. She created a new division, Metalaye Hospitality, which manages the banquets and events at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center and also operates two award-winning restaurants – The Garlic Poet and Grain + Verse Bottlehouse (the Harrisburg region’s first bottle shop). “Today,” Jennifer Delaye said, “we have 40 people working for The JDK Group who are driving their own ship, creating the life they want to live.” (There are perhaps 200 more people in her extensive part-time pool.) At 21 years of age,” Jennifer said, “my definition of success was to graduate from college, get married, etc. Now, almost thirty years later (with at least another thirty good years ahead of me, she says) my definition of success is to not let down these fabulous employees.” Jennifer Delaye concluded by saying, “What we value above all else here at The JDK Group are our clients in this fabulous community. This community believes in this little company and without this community, JDK would not exist. We have always given back to this community and we always will.”
“We started to explore the idea of creating MenuDrive after talking to a relative who owns a restaurant,” Aaron said. “Back in 2006, we discussed creating a software service that would give independent restaurants the same online ordering capabilities as the large national pizza chains. It's hard to imagine now, but at the time, ordering food online was a novel idea. “Some of our friends didn't get the idea and told us they'll just stick to calling,” said Adrian. “But we believed this was going to be the future.” At the time, Aaron was obtaining an MBA at Penn State, while Adrian was studying IT Security at Johns Hopkins, so they had the requisite talents to explore a technology product for restaurants. “We were always close growing up, so we knew we could work together on a business, and since we both had decent jobs that could support us, we set out to build a beta version that would eventually become MenuDrive,” Adrian said. “From the beginning, MenuDrive worked,” said Aaron. “By 2009, we had converted some of our early-adopters into our first paying customers and began to market our product to more and more pizza shops and take-out restaurants.” Adrian soon quit his full-time job to move into an office at the Chamber & CREDC's TechCelerator in Carlisle and hired their first part-time employee. “It took some time, but our market has just really opened up. We now have thousands of restaurants across North America. Our business model is a SAAS (Software as a Service),” said Adrian. “We charge our customers a one-time set-up fee, and then they pay us an affordable monthly fee to use our software.”
Third Stop – TECHCELERATOR IN CARLISLE Back in November 2015, Adrian Fang, co-founder of MenuDrive in Carlisle, traveled to Manhattan with his wife and visited as many of his software clients as possible. “It was great to stroll through Manhattan and meet some of our restaurant clients and also see them promote our product in their stores,” said Adrian. That product is MenuDrive – the brainchild of two brothers from Chambersburg, Adrian and Aaron Fang. The software that MenuDrive offers is a cloud-based platform, which includes an online ordering system and mobile apps for restaurants of all types from delis and cafes to pizza stores; to help restaurants improve their sales and operations in the area of take-out through their Ecommerce platform. 8
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Aaron and Adrian Fang, Co-founders, MenuDrive
Aaron and Adrian Fang commented that they have been extremely pleased with the Chamber & CREDC's TechCelerator. "We tell everyone that this is a great place to learn and grow a business," Aaron said, "now that we are occupying three offices, it's time for us to expand into a larger space. There is plenty of room for us to grow here." Orders placed on the restaurant's website (or on a smartphone app) are processed by MenuDrive, and then electronically sent to the restaurant. The store can receive the online order in a variety of ways through email, fax, Point of Sale machine, and increasingly on a portable wireless smart printer provided by MenuDrive. “With or without internet,” Aaron said, “they can use MenuDrive and be up and running in a very short time.” In addition to the ease of use, MenuDrive also has features to increase a restaurant's take out sales. “We developed several up-sell and marketing tools in MenuDrive A PUBLICATION OF THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC
that help generate more revenue for our clients. We also see MenuDrive orders to be about 20% higher than phone orders, because customers have more time to look at the menu online and choose options.” Today, rather than going door-to-door to visit neighborhood restaurants, MenuDrive markets their software via the internet. “Word of mouth has always worked well for us,” Aaron said, “but now our new clients are finding us through internet searches. We also built a strong network of distributors across the U.S.” What's the future look like for MenuDrive? Adrian explained that online food ordering is rapidly becoming mainstream. “The top 3 pizza chains (Pizza Hut, Dominos, and Papa John's) are now doing more than $6 billion a year in online ordering – and more than 50% of their sales are online. Fast casual restaurants are also launching online ordering. Panera Bread and Starbucks are now pushing it hard, because more and more people want self-serve. Mobile ordering and voice ordering are the next wave. It's a pretty exciting time for restaurant tech. This is a huge market that's just getting started.” The Fang brothers anticipate a major surge in new clientele in 2016 and beyond. “We are set up to grow rapidly and are planning to go international soon, so we expanding our team and looking to hire more people.” they said. “There are a lot of restaurants across the world, and we want to help as many as we can.”
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EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
ENCOURAGING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT: 2016 CHAMBER HIGH SCHOOL BUSINESS CHALLENGE By: Larissa Bailey, Government Relations Manager, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
Five students from Hershey High School claimed first place at the 2015 Challenge.
IN RECENT YEARS, entrepreneurship has become a transformational 21st century trend, serving as a key driver for economic growth both domestically and abroad. Entrepreneurship requires creativity and innovation, demands risk, and ultimately yields our business leaders of tomorrow. Each year the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC’s Chamber High School Business Challenge encourages the entrepreneurial spirits of local high school students. From generating written business proposals to pitching their plans to a panel of judges “Shark Tank style,” the competition provides youth in grades 9 through 12 with the opportunity to see the business planning process through from start to finish. Twenty-seven teams from seven different school districts are participating in this year’s competition. Schools like Big Spring, Central Dauphin, Derry Township, Gettysburg Area, and Susquehanna Township are challenge veterans, while Halifax Area and Middletown Area are participating in the program for the first time. Mr. Sean Burke, co-advisor S D ! at Middletown Area High School, believes the Chamber GOVERNOR’S BREAKFAST High School Business Challenge MAY 12, 2016 provides a great platform for 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM students to showcase their Radisson Hotel Harrisburg entrepreneurial skills and to
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apply their classroom knowledge to work in a real-world environment. “Middletown Area High School was looking for an opportunity for students with a future in business to showcase their skills, foster an original business idea, and test themselves against other students in the area,” shared Burke. “When literature about the Challenge came across our desks, we jumped at the opportunity to get as many teams on board as possible.” In addition to the academic support provided by the school advisors, the student teams are paired with professional business
mentors who offer industry expertise and counsel on realworld scenarios and applications as the students complete their plans. Kurt Twiford, President & CEO of Conexus, Inc. and former Challenge judge, is a mentor to a team from Hershey High School. “So far, my experience has been great. My team has some really innovative ideas and it’s really rewarding to help them put a little real-world experience into the mix with their ideas,” exclaimed Twiford. “I love the energy and the enthusiasm these kids have for what they’re doing.” The student teams completed the first round of the competition in March by submitting their written business plans for evaluation. Judges then reviewed the proposals and determined the top four teams who will advance to the second and final round of competition. On April 28, this year’s finalists – two teams from Big Spring High School and two from Hershey High School – will pitch and defend their plans to a panel of judges who will then determine the ultimate Challenge champion. Scholarship dollars will be awarded to each member of the first and second place teams; members of the third and fourth place teams also receive a small monetary prize.
Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC members and the greater business community are encouraged to attend and cheer on the final four teams at the Chamber High School Business Challenge event on Thursday, April 28, 2016 from 9 am to 12 pm at Harrisburg University. To register for this free event, visit www.HarrisburgRegionalChamber.org.
A PUBLICATION OF THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEWS
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SUPPORT SYSTEM IN SOUTH CENTRAL PA By: Melissa McLaughlin, Director of Business Finance, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
A
t the Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC), entrepreneurship is part of our mission. Development and expansion of locally
owned businesses is a high priority for the organization. Entrepreneurs wishing to start a business often approach CREDC asking for direction and assistance. Providing technical assistance, business plan reviews, finance structuring, and beneficial loan terms to eligible new ventures impacts our regional economy and is personally rewarding to CREDC’s staff. When our toolbox doesn’t have something to assist a business directly, we are the primary point of connection to the broader community of entrepreneurial support. When it comes to startups, that community is strong and provides assistance at low or no cost. Let’s explore!
Did you know that CREDC owns the TechCelerator Incubator in Carlisle, home to 17 emerging growth companies mostly in the technology field? The Incubator offers a nurturing environment to startups providing them with the necessary resources to help them grow and prosper. Through CREDC’s partnership with the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, aspiring entrepreneurs are provided a 60-day boot camp program at the incubator, called The TechCelerator Program, where they learn the important components of starting and growing a successful venture. Ben Franklin Technology Partners, as a broader resource to entrepreneurs, has been investing in innovation since its inception in 1983. Their mission is providing access to knowledge, networks and capital, often through direct investment, for tech-based startups and small manufacturers. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) across the nation provide technical assistance to businesses of all ages. Serving our region of Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties are three centers including Kutztown SBDC (with offices located at the Chamber & CREDC), Shippensburg SBDC (with offices located at TechCelerator in Carlisle) and Bucknell SBDC. CREDC has found them to be exceptionally helpful to budding startups. From professional
counseling, access to business knowledge, insight into government contracting and exporting, to business planning assistance, the SBDCs in this area impact startups every day. SCORE is another valuable resource to startups. Connecting entrepreneurs with mentors is the organization’s focus. The chapter serving our region is Susquehanna SCORE, and they conveniently hold mentoring appointments at the Chamber & CREDC offices. The US Small Business Administration (SBA) is so vast that it would take more than a few lines in an article to summarize. Our region is lucky to have a branch office located right in Harrisburg. The SBA’s 7a loan guarantee program is a frequently used tool to help startups gain access to capital during their most risky and formative years. All of our banking partners have access to this tool. The SBA 504 direct loan program is a tool used more often for existing businesses, but CREDC has facilitated access to this program for both existing and startup businesses. Community First Fund (CFF) has over 20 years experience impacting our communities by helping entrepreneurs, developers and community leaders. They provide access to capital, business training and counseling with the mission to create sustainable prosperity for low wealth communities and individuals. CFF has a local office located with the Chamber & CREDC, which makes it easy for CREDC to partner on financing deals. Financing startups and young businesses can be tricky. Yet startup financing is nothing new to CREDC’s loan portfolio. Extensive experience with the governmental loan programs that we facilitate helps tricky deals get done while providing beneficial terms to our clients. Attention to entrepreneurial support is only part of CREDC’s role in building our region’s future. The projects CREDC facilitates impact our region in a measurable way. Since 2001, CREDC facilitated 385 projects to completion, which created $445 million in economic impact and created or retained 13,400 jobs. While these projects yield some fee revenue to the non-profit organization, not all efforts in our mission produce income. Thus, CREDC embarks upon a Capital Campaign every four years to raise funds toward our mission: “…to be a CATALYST for policy change, for job creation and for business growth in Cumberland Dauphin and Perry counties that enhances the quality of life in our region.” The 2016 CREDC Capital Campaign will support our continuing efforts leading to more results and even bigger impact. Questions about how to support CREDC’s efforts in building our region’s future can be directed to Linda Goldstein at 717-213-5031 or by email at lgoldstein@hbgrc.org , or Dave Black at 717-213-5032 or by email at dblack@hbgrc.org.
Visit www.HarrisburgRegionalChamber.org/CREDCPLEDGE to learn more! 12
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NOT-FOR-PROFIT SPOTLIGHT
A CARING HOME IN OUR COMMUNITY
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY: PAXTON MINISTRIES
By: Nicole Keiner, Writer, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
“There are few safe, affordable personal care homes for people with no financial resources who have a persistent mental illness and who need that daily support,” stated Jodie Smiley, Executive Director of Paxton Ministries. “We sometimes refer to Paxton Ministries as a ‘safety net’ for our community. We are glad to be a place where people find a caring home.”
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Paxton Ministries (www.paxtonmin.org), now in its 35th year, currently serves 101 people in its four facilities: Paxton Street Home, a licensed personal care facility housing 85 adults who need help with daily living; Boas Street Lodge and Scenery Lodge, two peer-support homes with a total of nine mental health consumers; and Hudson Street Apartments, an apartment building housing seven more independent mental health consumers.
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At Paxton Street Home, each person receives a fully-furnished, private room, giving each resident a space to call his or her own. They are served three daily meals, provided laundry service, assisted with room care, personal hygiene and financial management as needed. Paxton Ministries also provides accountability in monitoring the medication of its residents who need assistance – helping residents stabilize their mental health. Staff members help residents schedule and attend appointments, and connect them with needed services in the local community.
Individuals and businesses who are interested in volunteering with Paxton Ministries can email volunteer@paxtonmin.org, or call Paxton Ministries at (717) 236-5508. They currently have over 600 volunteers who serve each year and are always looking for more. Opportunities are available every day of the week from resident activities to operational support. Businesses can also help by informing employees about matching-gift programs and how to contribute to Paxton Ministries through the United Way.
Paxton Cleaning Solutions (PCS) is a for-profit company owned by Paxton Ministries. The purpose of this small janitorial company is to provide employment for adults with disabilities.
Paxton Cleaning Solutions (PCS) is a for-profit company owned by Paxton Ministries. The purpose of this small janitorial company is to provide employment for adults with disabilities. PCS was launched to provide jobs to people living in their Lodges, in which people live independently and need to have employment. They have expanded beyond their residents to also employ people who do not live in a Paxton Ministries facility and are in need of employment. Most of PCS employees have a diagnosed mental illness, which can create significant barriers to obtain meaningful employment. PCS was created to help these individuals who typically struggle to enter the workforce. Residents of Paxton Ministries range in age from their late 20s to late 80s. Some residents are employed or volunteer and leave daily. Those who stay home often participate in activities Paxton Ministries provides for its residents. “People come to Paxton Ministries for a wide range of reasons, but the common denominator is that each person needs some type of daily assistance without which he or she would not be safe or healthy,” noted Smiley. “Eighty percent of our residents have a diagnosed mental illness; some have an intellectual or physical disability, and some are challenged with multiple disabilities. The majority of our residents have little to no financial resources, and receive SSI or less in income.” Prospective residents find out about the organization through word-of-mouth and individuals in churches who are familiar with and support their work. “We also receive referrals from the Dauphin County Office of Mental Health, as well as psychiatric providers in this area,” added Smiley. Smiley also indicated, “It is important to note that Paxton Street Home is not an emergency shelter. The application process is intended to see if the person could be content here and if we can meet their needs.” About one third of its residents have been living there ten or more years.
HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS / SPRING 2016
“I’ve been here now almost six years, and count it a privilege to be able to lead this organization in helping people in our community who too often are stigmatized or ignored,” Smiley said. “Each person has a story, and in getting to know them, I’m often inspired by their strength and resilience.”
Zelenkofske Axelrod LLC ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Certified Public Accountants and Management Consultants
Serving the Accounting, Auditing, and Consulting Needs of the Public Sector Financial and Compliance Audits Performance Audits & Consulting Health Care and Pension Cost Containment Bond Verifications Management & MIS Consulting GASB Implementation Services (Including GASB 34) Cost Allocation Plans
Jeffrey Weiss Partner
Jamison Office 2370 York Road, Suite A-5 Jamison, PA 18929 Phone 215.918.2277 Fax 215.918.2302
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Cory W. Johnson Partner
Pittsburgh Office 3800 McKnight East Drive Suite 3805 Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Phone 412.367.7102 Fax 412.367.7103
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Patrick A. Kirk Managing Partner
Corey Troutman Partner
Harrisburg Office 830 Sir Thomas Court, Suite 100 Harrisburg, PA 17109 Phone 717.561.9200 Fax 717.561.9202
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SPECIAL FEATURE
After Gaining Wall Street Experience, Family Values Bring Couple Home David and Kristen Del Grosso tell their story of why they call the Harrisburg region home.
David Del Grosso is an Institutional Client Advisor for PNC Institutional Asset Management, Kristen Del Grosso is a Senior Banking Advisor for PNC Wealth Management. PNC is a Project Partner with the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC’s Live the Life You Want Campaign.
David and Kristen Del Grosso, two very career-driven and motivated individuals thought there was no better place to gain financial sector experience than on Wall Street. So…..they both moved to the Big Apple. 16
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They always knew that the move was temporary and their long-term plan was to start a family and raise their children in an environment that was similar to how they both grew up. Kristen hails from Mechanicsburg and graduated from Cumberland Valley High School. She then attended Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, PA) and obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a finance emphasis and a minor in information systems. David is originally from the Garden State. He attended Brick Township High School in Brick, New Jersey and graduated from Salisbury University in Maryland. David received his degree in finance with a concentration in investments. You may be wondering how their paths crossed. Well, both were hired by J.P. Morgan in Delaware after college. “We actually met at a local bar in Wilmington,” David said. “We had shared several mutual friends but never
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met each other. She claims that I used to stare at her in the cafeteria, but I don’t think that was true.” “It’s true!” Kristen laughed. “That being said, I couldn’t be happier. I think our drive and values are very much aligned and it makes us a good match.” After several years of working 14+ hour days in New York City and getting married in 2013, they wanted to start the next chapter of their lives. David and Kristen soon packed up their tiny apartment and moved to Central Pennsylvania in the spring of 2014.
granted. I knew I ultimately wanted to raise my children near my extended family, but I realized I was getting much more than that by moving back.” Kristen believes the community is so welcoming and inviting. “It is also nice that the cost of living is very reasonable – which makes a banker very happy.” David and Kristen are self-described foodies and think the Harrisburg region has a great selection of restaurants to choose from. Kristen said, “The geography in the region is beautiful and there is a great amount of culture and history here. We are so glad to call Central PA home.”
“We wanted to move to Central PA because of the great school system, centralized location to major cities, close proximity to family and the opportunity to be successful in our careers.” David noted. “We both accepted positions at PNC Bank because we liked the community-oriented culture and wanted to work for a bank that offered the sophisticated capabilities that are typically associated with larger banks.” “They say absence makes the heart grow fonder,” added Kristen. “Growing up in Central PA, I took how great my hometown was for
HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS / SPRING 2016
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MAKING STRIDES
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS Two BOYER & RITTER LLC accountants, Casey Surridge and Jordan Hileman, recently earned their CPA credentials. Surridge, who earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in accounting at Bloomsburg University, is a senior associate with Boyer & Ritter and focuses on government audits. Hileman, a recent addition to Boyer & Ritter, earned her undergraduate degree in accounting and financial management and her master’s in accounting at Juniata College. BROWN SCHULTZ SHERIDAN & FRITZ (BSSF) continues to grow their ranks with new additions in 2016. Jennifer Witmer joined the Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz team as a Tax Manager. She has ten years of experience working in Big 4 accounting firms and regional public accounting firms, dealing with companies in the manufacturing industry, retail, and financial institutions. Pinky Bender joined the Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz team as a Staff Accountant on the Insurance Team. She received her Bachelor degree in Accounting from Saint Paul’s School of Business and Law in the Philippines. She joins the BSSF team with a breadth of experience in accounting for large corporations and insurance services companies. CUMULUS HARRISBURG donated a portion of ticket sales from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert
in Hershey to Goodwill Keystone Area. The donation of $6,432 will help people with disabilities learn life and job skills. Regional Vice President of Cumulus, Ron Giovanniello presented a donation check to Sr. Director of Marketing and PR, Jennifer Ross of Goodwill Keystone Area.
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HERBERT, ROWLAND & GRUBIC, INC. (HRG) has formally tapped Steve Lyncha, P.E., to oversee its services to the oil and gas industry. Since 2009, Mr. Lyncha has managed the design and permitting of numerous well pad sites and gathering pipelines throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio and has played a key role in the growth of this service for HRG. He has also recently been appointed co-lead of the Marcellus Shale Coalition’s Planning and Permitting Work Group for their Surface Use Committee. This group is responsible for improving the planning and permitting of natural gas facilities. Sister Romaine Niemeyer, SCC, FACHE, Chief Administrative Officer of HOLY SPIRIT−A GEISINGER AFFILIATE, announced that she will retire on June 30, 2016. Sister Romaine served as President and CEO of Holy Spirit Health System for 25 years, and then as Chief Administrative Officer of Holy Spirit−A Geisinger Affiliate. Prior to that she held senior administrative positions for 20 years under the direction of Sister Ursula Frei, SCC, Holy Spirit Hospital’s first administrator. NAI CIR, the Lemoyne based commercial industrial real estate brokerage firm, has been recognized by the CoStar Group as a Philadelphia Region Power Broker for 2015. This is the 15th consecutive year that NAI CIR has received this award. NAI CIR is the only independently owned firm in Pennsylvania to have been awarded Power Broker status since CoStar began recognizing the leading commercial real estate firms in 2001. NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH is excited to welcome Lori Hoffnagle as the new Part-Time Development Officer. Lori brings with her a lot of experience in the non-profit community as an employee and faithful volunteer. She will be responsible for identification of funding sources, grant writing, identification and cultivation of donors and solicitation of gifts. In
addition, she will promote the Center to its constituencies and stakeholders. Nirmal Joshi, MD, senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer at PINNACLEHEALTH, was named in the 2016 edition “100 Hospital and Health System CMOs to Know” list by Becker’s Hospital Review. The list features esteemed clinical leaders from healthcare organizations from across the nation who have exhibited dedication to clinical leadership and have contributed to establishing standards of excellence. A professional services leader in Central and Eastern Pennsylvania once again stands among the top 100 firms in the nation, according to industry publication Accounting Today. REINSEL KUNTZ LESHER LLP (RKL), Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, climbed three spots from its 2015 ranking to claim the 67th spot on the “2016 Top 100 Firms” list. In addition to the “Top 100” ranking, Accounting Today also placed RKL 18th among its 30 “Pacesetters for Growth,” in recognition of the firm’s 14.9 percent growth in 2015, and once again named it the 14th largest CPA firm in the Mid-Atlantic region. The RHOADS ENERGY Family of Companies announced it has promoted Jennifer Goldbach to Vice President of Business Development. The new position was designed to manage the company’s pace of growth and emerging opportunities. Rhoads offers a wide range of energy services in Central Pennsylvania through Rhoads Energy and its related companies. Thomas Wedeking joined AMS of SKELLY AND LOY as an Assistant Construction Project Manager/ Estimator. In addition to his project management and bidding/estimating functions, Mr. Wedeking will assist field construction and surveying crews as needed. Harrisburg’s first coworking space, ST@RTUP, will relocate a few blocks away from its current 1519 N. 3rd Street home to the former Moose
Lodge also previously used as the Ronald Brown Charter School at 922 N. 3rd Street. Anchoring the first floor of the historic city building, ST@RTUP will offer a range of workspaces from shared desks to private offices available to members on a daily or monthly basis. The opening is expected to be this summer. As a mixed-use development project by WCI Partners, this will be Harrisburg’s first live/work building. Not only will membership be open to the public, but residents of the upscale apartments on the upper floors can also take advantage of incentives that will be offered to them. THE TUCKEY COMPANIES (Middlesex Township) congratulate Sharon Glass of Gardners, PA on her 50th work anniversary at Tuckey. Sharon joined what was then called Frank Black, Inc. of Carlisle in March 1966 as a secretary, shortly thereafter joining Denver Tuckey in the company’s newly-established mechanical service department in 1968. In her 50 year tenure with the organization, Sharon has seen transition from Frank Black, Inc. to Tuckey Mechanical Services, as well as the establishment of sister companies Tuckey Metal Fabricators, Tuckey Restoration, and their related entities. In her five decades of service, Sharon has served in various capacities in each company, including accounts payable, administrative assistant, systems coordinator, and service manager. WOHLSEN CONSTRUCTION’S Hamilton Health Center project was honored with three National awards at the Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2015 Excellence in Construction Awards Gala. Wohlsen teamed with Murray Associates Architects, PC, of Harrisburg, Pa. to design and build the new medical and dental clinic located in the Allison Hills Neighborhood in Harrisburg, Pa. The awards earned for the project include a first place Eagle Award in the Renovation $10 – $100 million category, one of two national Design/Build Awards, recognizing the project team for their combined efforts and innovative design/build practices, and one of three national Greener Tomorrow awards, recognizing the project for its sustainable features. The Hamilton Health Center provides the Federally Qualified Health Care Provider with a modern and functional facility easily accessed by the members of the community it serves.
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NEW MEMBERS A B C Lanes West 717-545-4254 www.abcwest.com ABC Lanes has three great locations in Harrisburg, PA and provides fun and entertainment for the whole family! A B C Lanes West is located on the Carlisle Pike and offers great family prices.
A Neumann & Associates 973-801-3913 www.neumannassociates.com A Neumann & Associates, LLC is a professional mergers & acquisitions and business broker firm in New Jersey having assisted business owners and buyers in the business valuation and business transfer process through its affiliation for the past 30 years.
RSR, REALTORS® has the experience and knowledge to meet all your real estate needs, including commercial and residential real estate sales and leasing, real property appraisals, consulting, counseling and property management.
Scratch Made Awesomeness, LLC 717-635-9464 Scratch-Made Awesomeness is an affiliated company with Aroogas. which has had great success in franchising their brand nationwide. The new affiliated company will provide central commissary products to the company owned and franchised stores providing consistency to the Aroogas brand.
Sigma Resources
717-761-0211 www.bakertilly.com More than 2,500 professionals strong, Baker Tilly is a full-service accounting and advisory firm with specialized professionals who connect with you and your business through refreshing candor and clear industry insight.
717-614-0605 www.sigma-resources.com Sigma Resources provides a full range of high quality IT services to businesses in virtually every major US market. Sigma Resources broad project experience includes companies in both the public and private sectors and spans a wide range of industries and businesses.
BioGuard, Inc.
Stoner Graphix, Inc.
855-888-5008 www.bioguardinc.com BioGuard is the most efficient and effective sanitizing/disinfecting service available. BioGuard saves you time and money and helps keep you safe from pathogens.
717-469-7716 www.stonergraphix.com For years Stoner Graphix has been solving mysteries for clients by providing high quality innovative solutions to meet their signage and visual communication needs.
Delta Dental of Pennsylvania
Szeles Real Estate Development Company
Baker Tilly
717-766-8500 www.deltadentalins.com For more than 60 years, Delta Dental has offered quality, value-based dental benefits coverage. Delta Dental’s diverse list of satisfied clients ranges from Fortune 100 companies and public agencies to individuals and families.
H. B. McClure Co., Inc. 717-232-4328 www.hbmcclure.com Since 1914, the McClure family has helped Central Pennsylvanians (Harrisburg, Carlisle, & Hershey) stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Today, over 200 blue and gold trucks travel the region every day to see that your comfort is assured.
Hynum Law 717-774-1357 www.hynumlaw.com Hynum Law strives to provide each client with individualized attention. Hynum Law provides you with the superior service you deserve and, they only hire seasoned attorneys and support staff with practical experience and top-notch training.
Kegerreis Outdoor Advertising 717-263-6700 www.kegerreis.com Kegerreis Outdoor Advertising, LLC is a MidAtlantic, regional billboard company operating in 6 states (PA, MD, WV, NC, NJ and NY) with over 2,400 displays.
Meridian Recycling 1-201-399-4881 www.meridianrecycling.com Meridian Recycling represents the 4th generation of recycling excellence, united under a common theme: Buying, selling, and manufacturing quality ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal with a focus on stakeholder satisfaction.
MetLife 717-690-0945 www.metlife.com MetLife offers life insurance, disability income insurance, car insurance, employee benefits and more.
RSR Realtors 717-763-1212 www.rsrrealtors.com RSR, REALTORS® is Central Pennsylvania’s largest locally-owned real estate company.
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717-561-1967 www.Szelesre.com Szeles Real Estate Development Company provides high-end facilities for the corporate, professional, and medical community. For over 30 years, Szeles Real Estate Development Company has offered superior quality office spaces at fair, competitive prices.
The Mill in Hershey 717-580-2797 www.themillinhershey.com The Mill Restaurant is located in what was once the historic Curry Feed Mill, a distinctive building in Hershey, Pennsylvania that dates back to the early 1900s. The Mill Restaurant strives to deliver the best in food, drink and service to every guest, every time.
The Sales Zone 717-960-0249 www.TheSalesZone.com The Sales Zone is an executive search firm focused on senior executive placements and positions that are customer-facing and revenue-affecting. From the Global 50 & Fortune 500 to start ups, we are here to help grow businesses and careers!
ThermoFisher Scientific 717-692-2104 www.thermofisher.com Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science. Thermo Fishers Scientific Inc. helps customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity.
Save-the-Date! LADIES WHO LEAD JUNE 9, 2016 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Best Western Premier The Central Hotel & Conference Center
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