HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS SUMMER 2014 EDITION
/ AGRICULTURE
INSIDE
UPCOMING
CHAMBER & CREDC
2 FEATURE 4 COVER Spiral Path Farm - Certified Organic Produce FOCUS 8 LEGISLATIVE Nationwide Debate: Labeling of WELCOME From the Desk of David Black
GMOs Continues in Pennsylvania FARM TO TABLE: 10 FROM The Food Processing Industry
in the Harrisburg Region
12 Corporate Farming vs. Agribusiness DEVELOPMENT NEWS 14 ECONOMIC CREDC Supports Agribusiness Expansions SPOTLIGHT 16 REGIONAL The Greater Harrisburg Region's Three Counties In This Issue: Perry County
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AUGUST..
14 BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Penn National Insurance 21 MAKING IT HAPPEN! CASH FLOW & KPI - HOW TO INTERPRET YOUR BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
Lower Allen Township Building 26 TRANSPORTATION BRIEFING Radisson Hotel Harrisburg SEPTEMBER..
2 SEPTEMBER LEADS OVER LUNCH Best Western Premier The Central Hotel & Conference Center 11 SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS CONFERENCE Radisson Hotel Harrisburg 18 BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Brenner Nissan 29 2014 MEMBERSHIP GOLF OUTING West Shore Country Club OCTOBER..
7 LEADS OVER LUNCH Hilton Garden Inn - Harrisburg East
18 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS STRIDES 20 MAKING Members in The News
8 STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS Hilton Harrisburg 16 BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Highmark Blue Shield 23 HARRISBURG REGIONAL JOB AND INTERNSHIP FAIR
Dixon University Center
Save-the-Date! TRANSPORTATION BRIEFING AUGUST 26, 2014
BECOME A CHAMBER & CREDC MEMBER TODAY! If you are interested in membership with the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, please call us at 717.232.4099 or visit us at www.HarrisburgRegionalChamber.org.
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7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Radisson Hotel Harrisburg Keynote Speaker: Sheryl Connelly, Global Consumer Trends and Futuring of Ford Motor Company Chamber & CREDC members, check your emails regularly for changes or additions 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.
HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS / SUMMER 2014
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WELCOME
FROM THE DESK OF DAVID BLACK
HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS
PRESIDENT & CEO, HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC WHEN WE THINK OF AGRICULTURE, the images of
corn or wheat fields, dairy cows, cattle and other livestock come to mind. As we drive around our region, the many miles of interstate highways are bordered by farmland and if you drive down I-283 in the springtime with your windows down, you know for sure you are in farmland. Agriculture, however, as an industry is not all farms. Sure Milton Hershey owned dairy farms and bought milk from Derry Township farmers for his wildly successful milk chocolate. In fact, The Hershey Company is an agriculturalbased business with cocoa beans and milk as the main ingredients of their world-renowned chocolate. Over in Cumberland County, we have a significant Land O’Lakes plant on the
product to take to market, which helped plant the seeds of our transportation industry and allow us to grow into the 5th largest population area in Pennsylvania. When combined with our neighbors in Lancaster, York, Lebanon, Franklin and Adams Counties, our region ranks in the top 40 of the largest in the nation, but sure doesn’t feel that crowded here! That’s because we have a nice mix of business, industry and agriculture. We still have family farms and quite a few of them have been financed by CREDC over the years. We also have successful agriculture related businesses like the Warrell Corporation, makers of assorted confectionary delights and Appalachian Brewing Company, maker of fine beers (and another CREDC client). If you think of our larger region, we have a number of potato chip and pretzel makers in York County; apple orchards and processing and packaging plants in Adams County; and Specialty Bakers in Perry County. Are agricultural and related products important to our region? Yes they are. This issue of HRN magazine focuses on agriculture and related products. We hope you will enjoy learning more about agriculture’s impact on our region. More importantly, take some time this summer to support our local farmers and buy products that are grown and processed locally.
Are agricultural and related products important to our region?
YES THEY ARE. back roads of South Middleton Township that benefits from local dairy farms and up in Perry County there is an organic farm you can read more about in this edition of HRN. To our immediate west, our region sits at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. The ice age, and the thaw that followed, shaped the terrain and provided us with some relatively flat, rich soil (with chucks of limestone intermixed). This flat, rich soil created a great place for earlier pioneers to settle, produce crops, and raise livestock to sustain themselves. Over time, these pioneers were able to create enough
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 H. Glenn “Bub” Manning, Chair of the Board, Chamber Jim Nulton, 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. ______________________________________________________________________________
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 ©2014 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 / Summer 2014 / Volume 21 / Issue 62
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A PUBLICATION OF THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC
HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS / SUMMER 2014
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COVER FEATURE
SPIRAL PATH FARM
- CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCE by: Stephan Vegoe, Writer/Photographer, Atlantic Communications Group, Inc.
Three Generations of the Brownback Family
A
fter spending a couple of hours with Terra and Mike Brownback at Spiral Path Farm, there is no doubt that the process of bringing
fresh produce to consumers takes a great deal of planning, logistics and hard work. Whether you are getting your Spiral Path Farm certified organic vegetables in a clamshell container or bunched at your local Wegman's, from a farm market stand, or delivered to your CSA pick-up point, you can be assured that a great deal of thought and effort went into that ziplock bag of fresh spinach or Tasti-Crisp salad mix, bunch of fresh kale or
Spiral Path Farm's team of thirty-five employees starts early every day – April through early December. Every day they have potting soil to create, seeds to plant in trays of that prepared potting soil, seedlings to harvest from those trays and then hand-transplant into the fields, weeding, feeding, tending and irrigating as the plants grow and mature, harvesting every day during the growing season as the plants reach their peak of maturity. As the freshly harvested produce comes in from
fresh-picked dill, or bag of new potatoes. 4
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A PUBLICATION OF THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC
the fields, their team washes and prepares more than forty different vegetables (and herbs and fruits like melons and strawberries and raspberries) so they can quickly pack them for their two primary customers. It's normal for everyone who works at Spiral Path Farm, family members and seasonal, full-time employees, to put in forty to fifty hour weeks for about forty weeks per year.
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We were learning about organic farming and slowly converting our farm into what it would become – a fully certified organic farming operation.
“”
In 1978, Michael and Terra Brownback were in their twenties and living in suburban Philadelphia, in Montgomery County, when they saw an ad in Lancaster Farming Newspaper for a 60-acre farm in rural western Perry County and they decided to investigate it as their home and their new way of life. “We bought an Old McDonald's farm without having plowed a field before we moved here,” is how Terra Brownback explained how she and her husband got started as farmers. “This was an old, rundown 60-acre farm with an 1870 stone farmhouse (no running water, just an outhouse), a couple of dilapidated barn buildings in a beautiful valley. I think Mike and I were too young and too inexperienced to realize how gorgeous this location was. We bought this farm because the seller was willing to finance our purchase and because it was what we wanted to do. We saw potential here in Sherman's Valley between the Blue and Tuscarora Mountain ranges. Nearly forty years later, looking back on all we have done, Mike and I would do it again.” The only farming knowledge the Brownback's brought to their new Loysville farm was some farrowing and feeding experience
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with pigs that Mike had picked up working with his uncle and gardening time spent with his grandmother in Montgomery County. Other than that, they were rookies. “We borrowed equipment from our neighbors the first few years as we plowed our land and planted our crops (row crops of corn, soybeans, wheat and barley to feed their pigs and generate cash income), and for the first sixteen years,” Terra said, “we were marginally conventional farmers. But we were learning about organic farming and slowly converting our farm into what it would become – a fully certified organic farming operation.” “We always had a large vegetable garden that fed our growing family and after awhile we realized we were good vegetable farmers. That vegetable garden was always 100% organic; we used no chemical fertilizers or toxic sprays on those vegetable crops, so we had sixteen good years of organic vegetable
ON THE COVER The importance of agriculture in our region is the timely theme for our summer issue of HRN. Learn the story behind Spiral Path Farm’s beginnings and transition to organic farming, the food processing industry in the Harrisburg region, how CREDC supports agribusiness expansion… and much more.
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THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA) MODEL FLIPS THE FARM PARADOX. CSA farmers focus on the production of high quality foods for their local community, with a sharedrisk membership-marketing structure – offering consumers the opportunity to share in the inherent risks of production agriculture. The CSA members who agree to pay in advance for a season's worth of produce provide the CSA farm with whole-farm, whole-budget support so farmers like the Brownback family can focus on food quality, reducing the risk of food waste or financial loss.
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COVER FEATURE Continued from page 5
farming under our belts when we made the decision in 1993 to move from livestock farming to vegetables and fruits.” Terra further explained, “We knew about the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement and decided we could find enough members to support our fledgling family produce farm.” In 1993, the Brownback family's CSA started with 22 members who paid them about $450 for a full share of weekly deliveries of a box of organic produce – picked fresh at Spiral Path Farm – for twenty-five weeks. Now, twenty-one years later, Spiral Path Farm's CSA membership is greater than 2,200 members (for either a full or medium share for 36 weeks – April through December). Their CSA members are located all around central Pennsylvania and in suburban Washington, DC. The Brownback's younger son, Lucas, their farm market manager, travels to the farmers market in Silver Spring, Maryland every Saturday with boxes for their members (as well as produce he sells at the market) and he does the same thing on Sunday morning at the farmers market in Bethesda, Maryland. Deliveries to their central Pennsylvania CSA members are made on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to 42 locations across Perry, Lebanon, Lancaster, Dauphin and Cumberland Counties. Their Spiral Path Farm delivery trucks make about a dozen stops on Tuesdays and Thursdays and two trucks go out on
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Wednesdays with full and medium share boxes. Their members come to their designated collection points (like the Cinderella Shoppe in Palmyra) to collect that weeks' share, taking the plastic bag in the box home with them filled with produce that was picked fresh from the Brownback's fields a day or two before. The delivery trucks then return the following day to collect the empty boxes so they can be refilled with fresh produce the next week. “In addition to being very good at produce farming, we have also learned over the past twenty-one years as this business has grown to be very good at logistics,” Terra said. “We
run an efficient fleet of delivery vehicles, whether that's throughout our CSA delivery area or for the almost-daily 180-mile round trip to the Wegman's distribution center in Pottsville.” In 1983, the Brownback's added 120 acres of adjacent farmland and later added an additional 60-acres located two miles from their home base. Seven large greenhouses near the original stone farmhouse are used for starting vegetable transplants and herbs that are later hand-transplanted into the family's 100 acres of vegetable fields. They even start their sweet corn, every two weeks for about ten weeks, in the greenhouses and then hand transplant 3-4 inch sweet corn plants into the fields. Following the devastating floods of September 2011 (21 inches of rain fell in Sherman's Valley) the Brownback family decided they needed to try to control nature and to also extend their season (on both ends). They built four acres of farming greenhouses large enough to work with tractors, on the land that's two miles from the main farm. “These new large farming green houses are passively solar heated,” Terra said, “so we can grow cool weather crops – like spring onions, baby greens, arugula, turnips, carrots, beets and peas – and significantly extend the length of the season for our CSA members and for Wegman's. Now, rather than a 25-week CSA season, we deliver high quality, organic produce for 36 weeks. Plus, our seasonal, full-time employees get to work another four months of the year.”
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Along with the large new farming greenhouse operation, in 2010 the Brownback's added an impressive array of solar panels. As Terra explained, “Thanks to these new solar panels, we are close to self-sufficient with electricity. We sell electricity to the grid whenever the panels are producing more Kilowatts than we are using on sunny days and buy electricity during peak use periods when our coolers and irrigation systems are drawing more than we are producing. In fact, our solar panels produce more electricity than we actually use here at Spiral Path Farm.” In addition to their younger son, Lucas, Mike and Terra Brownback's older son, Will, and his wife Deirdre (and their two young
children) also work on the farm. Mike and Terra's 17-year old granddaughter, Ivory, lives with Mike and Terra and works on the farm as well. Terra concluded, “Mike and I made a commitment to the environment by choosing to be organic farmers. We specifically chose to not use chemicals or fertilizers and we don't use animal manures. We feed our plants with the compost we generate right here on the farm. Today, this produce farm is almost 100% sustainable and we are proud of that. We are also especially proud that so many families in central Pennsylvania and Maryland are willing to support our farm and we, in turn, are proud to support them. We are
also pleased with our partnership with Wegman's; we supply organic produce to a large number of their southern region stores, making it possible for us to employ many more people from right here in Perry County. In 2007, the Brownback family decided to permanently restrict development of their farm by donating a conservation easement to the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy.
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HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS / SUMMER 2014
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LEGISLATIVE FOCUS
Nationwide Debate: Labeling of GMOs Continues in Pennsylvania by: Larissa Bailey, Government Relations Manager, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
been a major part of AGRICULTURE has Pennsylvania's economy since its founding, and it is no surprise that farmers and agribusinesses are still the leading economic driver in our state today. Because of agriculture's importance to the Commonwealth, the General Assembly passed legislation in late the 1800s which established the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA). As part of the executive branch, the PDA encourages, protects, and promotes agriculture across the state, as well as provides for consumer protection. Legislatively, the General Assembly continues to play a role in the regulation of the industry by considering several agriculture-related bills each year. In 2013, legislation was introduced in both the Senate and House Agriculture & Rural Affairs committees regarding genetically modified organisms, commonly known as GMOs. Senate Bill 653 and House Bill 1770 require the labeling of genetically modified foods and/or foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. Both pieces
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of legislation have yet to be voted out of their respective committees; however, this past May, Senator Daylin Leach, the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 653, held a press conference on his legislation, which once again shined the spotlight on this contested issue. Generally speaking, the biotechnology and agricultural industries, as well as the food production and retail industries, oppose legislation mandating GMO labeling, while many consumer groups and organic food producers support the legislation.
The common consensus among those who oppose such legislation believe that mandatory labels on products will only mislead and confuse consumers because groups like the Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, and the American Medical Association all support the use of genetically modified crops for food production. It is suggested that if labels are mandatory, consumers may be led to believe all GMO products are dangerous. There are also concerns that consumers may be faced with higher
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food costs. Supporters, on the other hand, say it is a basic right of consumers to know if their food has been genetically engineered, thus demanding transparency in the food system. On May 8, 2014, Vermont became the first state to enact a law that requires the labeling of food produced entirely or partially from GMOs, while California and Washington state recently rejected similar legislation. Connecticut and Maine have passed GMO bills that are conditional on neighboring states passing similar legislation. According to Right to Know GMO, in sixtyfour countries around the world, including Russia, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and
all of the countries in the European Union, GMOs are either labeled or even banned. Between the supporters and those in opposition of the labeling of GMO products, the debate rages on surrounding this controversial agricultural issue. From the local business perspective, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, as well as the Pennsylvania State Chamber of Business & Industry, have not taken a formal position on Senate Bill 653 or House Bill 1770. We will, however, continue to keep our members informed of the facts as this issue moves its way through the legislative process. Stay tuned!
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AGRICULTURE SPOTLIGHT
FROM FARM TO TABLE:
The Food Processing Industry in the Harrisburg Region by: Shaun Donovan, Economic Development Specialist, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
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A PUBLICATION OF THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC
...a strategic location for food manufacturing with our proximity to major cities along the East Coast South Central Pennsylvania has a strong heritage in agriculture and food production. The region has a strategic location close to both the raw materials, as well as the final consumer. This has created an environment for the food processing sector to become a large part of our regional economy. Many companies in the food production sector select this area for its access to farms and fresh ingredients for their products. In addition to access to raw materials, the region also has a great transportation infrastructure connecting our region to many major cities in the Northeastern United States, as well as Eastern Canada. This strategic advantage helps companies quickly get their products to the consumer, which is very important for fresh food processors. Today there are 129 companies in the HarrisburgCarlisle MSA food processing sector. Ranging in size from small businesses to large corporations, these page 12 >
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AGRICULTURE SPOTLIGHT Continued from page 11
companies collectively have revenues of over $3.9 billion and employ 5,996 people. This makes food processing an important part of our local manufacturing sector accounting for 51% of total sales and 35% of jobs. Major companies within this sector include, Land O' Lakes, Pepsico, Specialty Bakers, The Hershey Company, The Warrell Corporation and Verdelli Farms. They make a wide array of products from butter, to baked goods, chocolate, and fresh packaged vegetables that are distributed throughout the Northeast region and around the world. Many of these businesses rely on other local suppliers for fresh ingredients, which support our local agricultural communities. South Central Pennsylvania has always been a strategic location for food manufacturing with our proximity to major cities along the East Coast, and the readily available supply of fresh agricultural products. The food process-
ing sector continues to remain strong thanks to the constant demand of larger cities in the Northeast. Continually developing our region’s infrastructure helps keep both the raw materials from farms, as well as the final products to consumers moving in an efficient manner in and out of factories. The food processing industry has a long history throughout our region and the promise of a bright future.
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CORPORATE FARMING VS. AGRIBUSINESS What is corporate farming? What is agribusiness? Well, to understand both concepts, let's start at the beginning – how does the food system operate? The food system includes growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing (retail), consumption and disposal. The term also includes the contributions needed and production generated at each stage. Farms can be very expensive to operate. Costs include the purchase and maintenance of farm machinery, insurance, fertilizers/feed, seeds, irrigation, pesticides and fuel. In the food system, farmers are responsible for growing and harvesting. Corporations step in at the processing stage and assist in the packaging, transporting and marketing of the product. Corporate farming is the business based on agriculture – beginning at the processing phase ending at the
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retail phase. “In the United States, 90% of farms are owned by individuals or families,” stated David Swartz, District Director for Extension at Penn State University. “Farmers own and operate everything from growing to harvesting. Corporations do not control what the farmers do at this level. They step in at the processing step. Corporations, do however, own the animals in the pork and poultry industry.” Swartz added that there are very few corporations that own everything from production to retail. “In the dairy and crop industry corporations do not even own the animals.” Two examples of corporations that work directly with farms beginning at the processing level are Bell & Evans
Chicken (Lebanon County) and Hatfield Quality Meats (near Philadelphia). Agribusiness refers to firms providing supply and marketing services to production agriculture. Swartz describes it as a company that provides services or supplies to those producing food – the farmers. “Some examples are Cumberland Valley Co-op in Shippensburg and Land O'Lakes in Carlisle. Cumberland Valley Co-op provides fertilizer or feed to the farmers for the first stage to take place – growing. Land O'Lakes takes fluid milk and manufactures butter and milk powder.” by: Nicole Keiner, Writer, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEWS
CREDC SUPPORTS AGRIBUSINESS EXPANSIONS by: Melissa McLaughlin, Director of Business Finance, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
The picture of agribusiness reaches beyond the farming homestead and impacts thousands of jobs.
AGRICULTURE – With this term one may picture rolling hills, green pastures, quaint farm houses, and red barns. It can describe a farming lifestyle that is alive and well in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In fact, Pennsylvania sets records in farm production such as mushrooms and dairy, but the business of agriculture extends beyond the scenic picture of rural PA. Agribusiness is much more diversified across our state. Using the broadest definition of agribusiness, this industry includes entities that significantly affect how food is grown, processed, and distributed; thus entailing farm commodity production such as crops, food processing, and agricultural technology such as farming software management tools and agricultural chemical advancements. The picture of agribusiness reaches beyond the farming homestead and impacts thousands of jobs. The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC facilitates access to many financing tools designed to support and foster the Commonwealth's leading position in agriculture. Our organization is a certified Area Loan Organization by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development to deliver one of the most beneficial and widely used loan programs, First Industries Small Business First for Agriculture. This program, like many of the economic development loan programs, is designed to stimulate private sector investment and offer businesses many benefits such as lower than market interest rates, longer fixed rate terms, and often times lower equity injection requirements. Since 2001, CREDC has provided loan financing to 53 companies or individuals related to agribusiness. This financing, which totaled $12.3 million, leveraged another $23.7 million of investment into this industry and retained or created 459 jobs. Todd Chestnut is one such farming project that CREDC financed. In 2004, the Chestnuts embarked upon the purchase of 169 acres of farmland. Partnering with Fulton Bank,
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CREDC provided $180,000 using the Small Business First loan program to support a total investment of $360,000 in Cumberland County. Todd is a great example of diversification at the farm production level. Starting as a crop farming operation, CREDC supported the
Inc. This company, originally started by Aziz Sahovic in 1997 as a small New York retail meat store, steadily grew into New Jersey and changed focus to smoking and producing processed meat products. In 1998, they obtained their USDA certification and estab-
Pennsylvania has been nicknamed the “Snack Food Capital of the World” due to our 2,300 food processing companies. farm's purchase of additional land to grow feed for beef cattle. Later the Chestnuts diversified into poultry and today are diversifying further by investing in barns for hog farming. As mentioned above, however, agribusiness reaches beyond farm commodity production. In fact, Pennsylvania has been nicknamed the “Snack Food Capital of the World” due to our 2,300 food processing companies. Together they top all 50 states in the shipment value of canned fruit and vegetable specialty products, chocolate and cocoa products, potato chips and pretzels according to the PA Department of Agriculture's website. CREDC has provided financing to numerous food processors as well. One such company is Brother and Sister Food Service,
lished a marketing and distributorship relationship to export their ethnic products overseas. In 2002, Aziz purchased the Dutchmaster Meats facility in Harrisburg and incorporated Brother and Sister Food Service. A repeat client of CREDC financing, Brother & Sister's most recent project, completed in 2013, was to expand their storage and distribution capacity by purchasing a 146,000 square foot building in Cumberland County. Using the SBA 504 loan program, CREDC facilitated a $1.1 million loan which leveraged another $1.6 million in capital investment from M&T Bank financing and equity sources. This project further supports the steady growth of Brother & Sister from their inception.
Wendell Berry, coined by the New York Times as the “prophet of rural America,” stated, “Eating is an agricultural act.” Pennsylvania agribusinesses impact the delivery of our nation's and the world's food supply. From farm to table, CREDC can facilitate beneficial financing terms to expanding agribusinesses using multiple state and federal loan programs. If you have a business expansion financing need in Cumberland, Dauphin or Perry counties, please contact Melissa McLaughlin, CREDC's Director of Business Finance at 717-213-5042 or melissa@hbgrc.org to answer your questions.
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HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS / SUMMER 2014
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REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT
THE GREATER HARRISBURG REGION’S THREE COUNTIES CUMBERLAND
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DAUPHIN
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PERRY
In each issue of the Harrisburg Regional News magazine, “Regional Spotlight” will highlight one of the three counties (Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry) served by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC. Regional spotlights will include unique county information and fun facts, as well as the latest county news and events to help you discover what makes the Harrisburg region a great place to live, work and play. The winter issue featured Cumberland County; this issue features Perry County, followed by Dauphin County in the Fall 2014 issue.
IN THIS ISSUE:
P E R R Y
C O U N T Y
Carson Long Military Academy 16
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PLAY
Consisting of 555 square miles of picturesque, rolling countryside, Perry County boasts beautiful mountains, ridges, and flowing rivers and streams. Affordable housing and easy commutes offer its nearly 46,000 residents the ability to reside in the predominantly rural area with “city life� just a stone's throw away. Perry County is bordered by Juniata County to the north, Dauphin County to the east, Franklin County to the west and Cumberland County to the south.
Wineries, antiques, outdoor recreation and unique eateries are just a few of the many highlights of Perry County. By foot, take advantage of one of the many hiking trails; by boat, explore the area by floating down the Susquehanna or Juniata Rivers; by automobile, discover one of its fourteen covered bridges. Perry County's forests and woodlands are recognized as prime hunting areas, especially for outstanding fishing sites. PHOTO : LAURIE JEAN HOUCK
LIVE
Mark Your Calendar! Perry County Fair August 19-23 Tues. - Fri.: 4:00 p.m., rides start at 6, Sat: 8:00 a.m., rides start at 4 248 Fairground Rd, Newport, PA 17074 www.pecofair.org
Perry County Council of the Arts (PCCA) Country Casual August 31 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Hunters Valley Winery, Liverpool, PA 17045 www.perrycountyarts.org
DID YOU KNOW? Clays Bridge at Little Buffalo State Park
WORK Perry County's major industries are agriculture, construction, education, healthcare, government, retail and manufacturing. The county's largest employers are Rohrer Bus, West Perry School District and Susquenita School District. In March of this year, Governor Corbett's Administration announced funding for infrastructure improvements will add approximately 250 new jobs in the County. The new infrastructure will support new development in the identified planned growth area, located in Howe Township, including 250,000 square feet of commercial and retail space developed by HAMM Equities LLC that is projected to attract 200 jobs. Newport Medical One LLC will develop a 30,000-squarefoot medical center that is projected to add 50 new jobs.
Founded in 1836 and located in New Bloomfield, Carson Long Military Academy is the nation's oldest boarding school to provide military training. Carson Long enjoys a diverse student population, each year representing about a dozen foreign nations and 12 to 15 states in the United States. Enrolling boys in grades 6-12, Carson Long provides a safe, supervised campus environment; small classes that allow for individualized instruction; and a variety of academic enrichment opportunities, leadership activities, and educational and recreational programs. Carson Long was first established as Bloomfield Academy in 1836. The Rockville Bridge, at the time of its completion in 1902, was, and remains, the longest stone masonry arch railroad viaduct in the world. Constructed between April 1900 and April 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, it has forty-eight 70-foot spans, for a total length of 3,820 feet.
PHOTO : LAURIE JEAN HOUCK
Rockville Bridge
HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS / SUMMER 2014
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NEW MEMBERS
THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC WELCOMES ALL OF OUR NEW MEMBERS who joined in the months of March, April, and May. We are so pleased to see the commitment these business have made to be catalysts for economic growth in the Harrisburg Region. Stop by, give them a call, or send them an email to welcome these regional champions to our organization! 5LINX (717) 421-5305 WWW.5LINX.NET/L548073
The ultimate one-stop shop for products and services that improve lives.
AMORE ARTISAN GELATO AND YOGURT (717) 919-0738 WWW.LOVEAMOREGELATO.COM
Harrisburg’s first Euro-style gelato café at The Point Shopping Center on Union Deposit Rd.
company with over thirteen (13) years of progressive clinical research experience in site, vendor, personnel and data management.
BRICKHOUSE CARDIO CLUB (570) 995-1348 WWW.BRICKHOUSECARDIO.COM
Brickhouse Cardio Club is a fitness studio offering the hottest cardio classes like ZUMBA, BOOTCAMP, INSANITY, BODYPUMP, and many more!
CARRICATO HOMES BUILDER, LLC
CLASSIC ROCK FABRICATION, LLC (717) 766-6011 WWW.CLASSICROCKFAB.COM
CLASSIC ROCK offers an expansive selection of beautiful rock in our mission to create the look you’re after. Whether your desire is a bathroom retreat, a breathtaking yet well-designed kitchen, or custom architectural stonework for your business, think CLASSIC ROCK.
COUNTRY MEADOWS MECHANICSBURG (717) 975-3434 WWW.COUNTRYMEADOWS.COM
AUTOMATED LOGIC HARRISBURG
(717) 930-8750 WWW.CARRICATOHOMES.COM
(717) 909-7000 WWW.AUTOMATEDLOGIC.COM
Automatic Logic helps their clients maintain comfortable, efficient buildings through the use of innovative energy management systems, and maintenance services.
Tom Carricato and sons Jeff, Scott and Steve have been building custom homes since 1970. The award-winning Carricato homes are distinguished for their timeless style, striking curb appeal, and careful attention to detail.
At Country Meadows, our philosophy is to understand the needs of our residents and offer them ways to improve their lives. We offer a broad range of choices including independent retirement living, assisted living and personal care options, and more.
BAILEY LANDSCAPE & MAINTENANCE, INC.
CH@TTERBOX COMMUNICATIONS
DISTINCT TREASURES
(717) 541-0544
(717) 805-7419 CHATTERBOXCOMM.BIZ
Bailey’s Landscape & Maintenance, Inc. was established in 1984 and will take care of any exterior landscaping needs your company might have.
BANKS GROUP LLC (717) 545-3948 WWW.BANKSGROUPLLC.NET
Banks Group, LLC is a fully insured and certified clinical research
Ch@tterbox pairs innovative, creative strategy with rock-solid media relations and consulting skills. Ch@tterbox can handle your PR needs such as media relations, event planning, social media, media training and outreach campaigns.
(717) 233-3807 WWW.DISTINCT-TREASURES.COM
We provide top quality, elegant solutions for your bed and bath décor.
EPIC CREATIVE (717) 620-9804 WWW.GETEPICCREATIVE.COM
EPIC Creative is an innovative think tank for all your marketing, graphic design and web solution needs.
NOMINATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED Each year the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC honors member businesses and individuals for their outstanding contributions to our organization and the community during our annual awards event. This year’s event, the 2014 Chamber & CREDC Catalyst Awards, will feature the following awards: Athena Award, Business Diversity Champion Award,
Catalyst Award, Corporate Citizen of the Year Award, Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Small Business of the Year Award, Workforce Development Leader of the Year Award. Show your appreciation for business associates and clients by nominating them for one or more of the awards to be presented at the 2014 Chamber & CREDC Catalyst Awards – “100 Years of Excellence!” scheduled for December 4 at the Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts! Deadline for submissions is September 8, 2014.
HARRISBURG CITY ISLANDERS (717) 441-4625 WWW.CITYISLANDERS.COM
The Harrisburg City Islanders are a professional outdoor soccer team located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, participating in the USL PRO soccer league.
KP DISTRIBUTIONS (717) 766-0336 WWW.KPDISTRIBUTIONS.COM
The services we provide are warehousing, kitting, pick and pack, ground and express shipping, and order tracking. KPD also helps its clients by providing specialized printing services, supplying packing materials, and offering shredding services.
L B M RESEARCH & INFORMATION MANAGEMENT (717) 319-4843 WWW.LBMRIM.COM
We collect data for consumer goods and services for the Council for Community Economic Research's (C2ER) Cost of Living Index (COLI) for regional representation in the national quarterly ACCRA Cost of Living Index Publication.
LATINO HISPANIC AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER (LHACC) (717) 599-0781 WWW.LHACC.ORG
Located at 13th and Derry Street in Harrisburg, Latino Hispanic American Community Center serves the people of Central Pennsylvania by providing bilingual legal and welfare services.
MCQUAIDE BLASKO LAW FIRM (717) 533-4444 WWW.MQBLAW.COM
For more than 85 years, the attorneys of McQuaide Blasko have provided Central Pennsylvania clients with expert legal solutions. From State College to Altoona and Hollidaysburg to Hershey, clients depend on McQuaide Blasko for accessible, affordable legal services.
NHS HUMAN SERVICES (717) 441-9507 WWW.NHSONLINE.ORG
NHS provides innovative solutions to support the unique needs of the individuals we serve by striving to create a caring and responsive environment that promotes the highest standards of integrity and quality.
Visit www.HarrisburgRegionalChamber.org/events to nominate someone today! 18
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OLD SLED WORKS (717) 834-3031 WWW.SLEDWORKS.COM
Old Sled Works, a unique market featuring over 125 antique and craft vendors. A sled museum is also inside. Amuse yourself in the working penny arcade and have a milkshake at our vintage soda fountain.
PANERA BREAD CATERING (717) 572-2765 WWW.PANERACATERING.COM
Panera specializes in delivering fresh, authentic artisan bread served in a warm environment by engaging associates.
POOLE ANDERSON CONSTRUCTION (814) 237-6667 WWW.POOLEANDERSON.COM
Poole Anderson Construction maintains a highly skilled team of craftsmen and management personnel devoted to new construction, renovations, expansions and tenant fit-out work throughout the region.
POWER MANAGEMENT COMPANY (585) 249-1360 WWW.POWERMGT.COM
From energy procurement and demand response programs, to power saving and sustainability
services, we work to harness consumption, control costs and plan for a brighter future.
RKL REINSEL KUNTZ LESHER, LLP (717) 525-7447 WWW.RKLCPA.COM
RKL stands apart from other accounting and business consulting firms in Central PA for our broad range of capabilities and unmatched talent.
RLS CONSTRUCTION GROUP (717) 502-6680 WWW.RLSCG.COM
RLS Construction Group (RLS) is a Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) providing comprehensive general contracting, integrated design/build, construction management, and building maintenance services.
SELECT STAFFING (717) 480-8431 WWW.SELECT.COM
At Select Staffing, we understand our clients’ unique workforce challenges and are able to propose effective solutions.
SKY ZONE HARRISBURG INDOOR TRAMPOLINE PARK (717) 208-8909 WWW.SKYZONE.COM
Sky Zone is the Ultimate 3-D Play Experience and unmatched
HARRISBURG REGIONAL NEWS / SUMMER 2014
high-flyin' FUN...and it's not just for kids either! Sky Zone is enjoyed by just about any age, shape or physical ability on a regular basis.
THE VINEYARD AT GRANDVIEW, LLC (717) 653-4825 WWW.THEVINEYARDATGRANDVIEW.COM
The Vineyard at Grandview is a family owned vineyard located amid the rolling hills of northwest Lancaster County. The Kennel family has been growing premium vinifera grapes since 2009.
TITLENGO (717) 724-0744 WWW.TITLENGO.COM
TitleNGo has been recognized as one of the Central Penn Business Journal’s TOP 50 Fastest Growing Companies 2010. See why companies are choosing TitleNGo for their electronic titling and online messenger needs.
TRANSITPARK (855) 872-6748 WWW.TRANSITPARK.COM
VECTOR SECURITY (717) 285-0050 WWW.VECTORSECURITY.COM
For more than 40 years, Vector Security® has protected people and property by providing intelligent security solutions tailored to the needs of the customer.
W. M. BUFFINGTON COMPANY INC. (717) 657-2451 WWW.WMBUFFINGTONCO.COM
WM Buffington Company, Inc. is a family owned and operated business since 1952, specializing in energy efficiency and home comfort upgrades.
WELCOME WAGON (717) 497-1948 WWW.WELCOMEWAGON.COM
Although the day of door-to-door neighborly visits are a thing of the past, Welcome Wagon is still committed to connecting local businesses with new home buyers through their mailboxes and the internet.
Transitpark is a new, affordable public parking lot with state-of-the art parking control equipment, located adjacent to the Harrisburg Transportation Center (Amtrak, Trailways and Greyhound service) in the City of Harrisburg, PA.
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MAKING STRIDES
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS BDO USA, LLP, one of the nation's leading accounting and consulting organizations, announced that Kevin Kline has joined the firm's Harrisburg office as audit director. The addition of Mr. Kline to BDO further grows the firm's commercial practice throughout eastern and central Pennsylvania Yvette Luster-West, Realtor®, joined the Harrisburg office of BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES HOMESALE REALTY. A veteran of the real estate industry, LusterWest will specialize in residential sales throughout Central Pennsylvania. She is a native of Harrisburg and currently resides in Lower Paxton Township. COMMUTER SERVICES OF PENNSYLVANIA'S recently completed Earth Day challenge grew by 30% over the previous year, with area commuters logging nearly 70,000 miles of alternative transportation during the week of Earth Day. Each year, Commuter Services challenges commuters to try an alternative to driving to work alone during the week of Earth Day. Throughout the week, participants reduce noise and air pollution in the south central PA region by trying transit, carpooling, biking, walking, vanpooling and even telecommuting. More than 330 commuters participated in this year's challenge with an official total of 69,115 miles logged in alternative transportation. CONRAD SIEGEL ACTUARIES, delivering comprehensive employee benefits services, is pleased to announce its founder, Conrad “Connie” Siegel, has been honored by The Foundation for Enhancing Communities as the recipient of the second annual Champion of Philanthropy Award. Selected for his commitment to nonprofit growth and sustainability, Siegel has been a vital asset to The Foundation for Enhancing Communities. DAWOOD ENGINEERING, INC. (Dawood) announced the opening of their first office in Pleasanton, Texas, which is situated at the center of the Eagle Ford shale play. Dawood has made a strong commit-
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ment to hire locally and support all of the communities in which they are located. Dawood has added professionals that possess a wide range of experience in the energy industry to meet the needs of this growing area. The Telly Awards named FGV MEDIA as a winner in the 35th Annual Telly Awards for their pieces titled “Gettysburg 150th Address”, “Sheetz Test Kitchen: Meet Chef Dan” and “Higashi Eyewear”. With nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries, this is truly an honor. These videos combined a series of skills and technology, from animation to live event production and worldwide live video streaming. HALLER ENTERPRISES is proud to announce the addition of three new employees at its Lititz and Mechanicsburg locations. Joining the team are seasoned professionals Kurt Meckley, Niles (Chip) Drexler, and Dave Hessen. Meckley joins Haller Enterprises as a Commercial Sales representative. Niles (Chip) Drexler joins Haller as a Commercial HVAC Sales Consultant at its Mechanicsburg branch. Dave Hessen joins Haller as Marketing Director. HB MCCLURE COMPANY, a leading commercial and residential mechanical contractor based in Harrisburg, PA, celebrates its 100 Year Anniversary in business this year. HB McClure's 100th year in business is a landmark achievement with HVAC service companies and among 3rd generation businesses. HB McClure has experienced phenomenal growth in the past 20 years, due in part to strategic acquisitions, service and product expansions and the transition from family-owned to employee-owned in 2010. HERBERT, ROWLAND & GRUBIC, INC. (HRG) was named one of the top 500 design firms in the United States by Engineering News-Record magazine (ENR). The firm has held this distinction for over a decade. ENR is a well-respected source of industry-related information and
compiles this notable list annually based on the revenue earned by engineering and architectural firms from services performed in the preceding year. HRG employs 200 engineers, surveyors, geologists, landscape architects, environmental specialists and related personnel that staff 8 offices throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. HOLY SPIRIT HOSPITAL was honored with an “A” grade in the latest update to the Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections. The Hospital Safety Score is compiled under the guidance of the nation's leading experts on patient safety and is administered by The Leapfrog Group (Leapfrog), an independent industry watchdog. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the Score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay. METRO BANK, subsidiary of Metro Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: METR), recently broke ground on its new 3,175 square foot Store during a ceremony in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster. The new Lancaster Store will be the Bank's first to feature its latest 21st century prototype design. The new design maximizes customer convenience with ATMs in both the lobby and drive-thru. This will be the first Metro Bank location to include an ATM in its drive-thru. The Store will open this fall with a grand opening celebration slated for November. It will be the Bank's 34th location across Central Pennsylvania and its fourth in Lancaster County. NETREPID President/CEO Sam Coyl was named Veteran Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Philadelphia District Office in recognition of the company's achievements as well as his advocacy for small business in Eastern Pennsylvania. RETTEW'S community development and planning services have led to one of its clients receiving the 2014 Great Design Award. Given to Blossburg Borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, the award is part of
the Champion of the PA Wilds Awards, presented to organizations making significant contributions to develop outdoor recreation via economic development and conservation goals. The TEAM PENNSYLVANIA FOUNDATION has a new leader. The private nonprofit organization, which works to bridge the gap between state government and business to improve the state's economy, has named Laura Williams as its president and CEO. Laura was SVP & General Counsel at Ahold USA. She also served as 2013 Chair of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber. THADDEUS STEVENS COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY announced that it has become the first College in the state to offer a two-year associate degree in Water and Environmental Technology, which has also been accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The program, which begins classes in August of this year, will focus on water and wastewater treatment at both the municipal and industrial levels. With the accreditation from the PA DEP, graduates of the program will be on a fast track to obtaining employment in this field and gaining the necessary state certifications. York County-based WAGMAN CONSTRUCTION, INC. named Christopher Chesko an Estimator. He has over 25 years of experience in estimating commercial construction projects including educational, healthcare, industrial, religious, institutional and retail. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Penn State University. Wagman Construction, Inc. also named Jim Paschke a Senior Project Manager. He has 25 years of experience with healthcare, mission critical, hospitality, and federal/state government. He has a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering/ Construction Management from Penn State University, and is a Certified Healthcare Constructor, Certified Professional Constructor, and Certified LEED AP associate.
A PUBLICATION OF THE HARRISBURG REGIONAL CHAMBER & CREDC