February 2016 Momentum

FEBRUARY 2016

PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER THE RESOURCES YOUR SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS

www.scrantonchamber.com

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Chamber

Events

Small is BIG

President’s Message

our affiliates in The stories you see about the Chamber and area -- like the the for ” “wins big t abou ly usual the media are

by Crystal ment publicity surrounding October’s announce working to antly const are Window & Door Systems. While we focus main our area, the to oyers attract new and major empl ities that activ — thrive and grow esses busin ing is to help exist rarely find the spotlight! about how we In this month’s Momentum, you will learn more of nt perce ve nty-fi Seve help small businesses grow. variety a have we and esses busin our members are small of out most the get them help to place in of programs their membership.

For example: •

ess incubators Chamber affiliate SLIBCO operates two busin Center idge TekR and er Cent prise Enter — the Scranton ging emer in Jessup. Both facilities serve start-up and ts. businesses while offering space to anchor tenan

des Another Chamber affiliate, MetroAction, provi qualified to ,000 $100 to 0 $1,00 from microloans ranging eastern north t ghou throu ties coun nine in esses small busin Pennsylvania. (in conjunction • The “Powered by Lackawanna” initiative to use web easy an des provi ty) with Lackawanna Coun to a host esses busin up startor ng existi ect portal to conn of complementary resources and services. openings • The Chamber can also help with grand ber Cham of and ribbon cuttings, free use of networking meeting rooms, and of course a wide variety opportunities. our team of business These effor ts and more are supported by sion of your exten an development specialists who serve as to the ects prosp and bers mem organization – connecting ort jobs in supp and esses busin your grow to resources needed our community. scenes,” your So while much of what we do is “behind the to you. So check ble availa and Chamber is always working for, give us a call r and/o rces, resou our s out the website, acces we are here for you! continued effor ts As 2016 moves forward, I pledge to you our on your behalf.

•

2 • The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce

#ScrantonChamber See what we have been up to this month on behalf of our members and community!

Share your #ChamberMoments with us on social media. We’ll spread the word and you could be featured in Momentum!

The Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Program Class of 2015-2016 recently visited the campus of Johnson College for various STEM-related activities in the hopes that they could apply their newly-learned skills in real-life situations. STEM programming emphasizes the study of science, technology, engineering and math throughout the United States.

In 2015, 98.5 KRZ FM celebrated 30 years on air and deejay Jumpin’ Jeff Walker (right) celebrated his 30th anniversary with the station. @ScrantonChamber presented the station and Walker with certificates of recognition for the milestone anniversaries. Accepting for 98.5 KRZ FM is Ryan Flynn, vice president/market manager for Entercom Communications.

@ScrantonChamber was recognized by the board of directors of the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education for its support of Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week 2015.

Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week is a summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors to get the opportunity to see what it is like to run their own business.

TOMORROW’S LEADERS TODAY LEARN ABOUT STEM

Freshmen at Scranton and West Scranton High Schools recently heard presentations on educational offerings that lead to healthcare jobs. The program is part of Skills in Scranton’s Healthcare Career Academy and gives students the chance to explore careers in the healthcare industry. Lynn DeSanto, the dean of Lackawanna College’s Allied Health program, gave the presentations. Maura Kirchner coordinated the program at Scranton High School while Brad Turi coordinated it at West Scranton High School.

According to the United States Department of Education, all young people should learn critical thinking skills so that they become the innovators, educators, researchers and leaders who can solve both our nation’s and the world’s most pressing challenges. In order to address those challenges, officials say that youth should have access to quality STEM learning opportunities and learn how they can springboard their careers.

Tomorrow’s Leaders Today remains committed to fostering opportunities for our area’s youth to learn the skills they need for their futures. While at Johnson College, the students had the opportunity to participate in seven different activities and workshops, including creating holiday ornaments while using wood carving machines as well as testing horse blood to determine if anemia was present.

From left: Bill Schoen, administrator of Skills in Scranton; Bob Durkin, president of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce; and John Trombetta, president and CEO of the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education.

@ScrantonChamber

@ScrantonChamber recently presented Kanuik Oil with a certificate of recognition in honor of its 20th anniversary in business. From left: Lauren, Amanda, Joe and Rose Kanuik.

*All other photos courtesy of those featured unless otherwise noted.

www.scrantonchamber.com • 3

JET’S PIZZA Dickson City, PA (570) 382-8047 Member since 2015

When it comes to pizza in northeastern Pennsylvania, there is guaranteed to be at least one kind for every palate imaginable.

Jet’s Pizza in Dickson City hopes to appeal not just to the residents of “The Valley” but to the entire region, thanks to their signature deep dish square pizza that can’t be found anywhere else. Michigan native Jack Monas found himself longing for the taste he grew up with when he moved to the region and decided that it was the perfect opportunity to bring a new business—and a new taste—to the area. We recently had the chance to talk to Jack Monas about his store and what makes Jet’s Pizza a “must-taste” for pizza connoisseurs.

What made you want to own a Jet’s Pizza franchise? What perks come along with that?

Eugene and John Jetts opened their first Jet’s Pizza store a half-mile away from my family’s home in Sterling Heights, Michigan, in 1978. Jet’s Pizza has been around for most of my life. With all the choices of pizza available, I found that my friends and I would keep going back to Jet’s for a great pizza and customer service. It is consistently a quality pizza and that is important to everyone.

That’s why we wanted to bring Jet’s to northeastern Pennsylvania.

4 • The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce

OVER THE YEARS THE MOTTO OF JET’S PIZZA HAS DEVELOPED INTO “LIFE IS SHORT. EAT BETTER PIZZA.” What makes Jet’s Pizza’s food unique compared to other pizzerias?

Jet’s uses premium ingredients from start to finish. We make fresh dough daily; we also use premium mozzarella cheese, flavorful sauce and fresh toppings.

What is your favorite product you offer and what do you suggest new customers try?

My favorite product is the eight-corner signature deep dish pizza. Everyone wants the corner slice and this is the way that no one will be disappointed when you bring it home. It has a great flavor and the crunch just adds to the experience.

Do you have any advice for individuals who want to open their own franchise business?

Do your homework—research, ask questions and be prepared. Most of all, you have to have a passion for whatever it is you do. Success will follow.

How do you envision The Chamber helping your business in the future?

Throughout my career, I have worked with chambers of commerce in other areas and have always had success. The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce has a pulse on what is going on in the business community and is always working with its members to assist them in their goals.

Does your business have a motto or slogan they work by?

Over the years the motto of Jet’s Pizza has developed into “Life is short. Eat better pizza.” Our signature deep dish pizza has awesome flavor along with the “crunch” pizza lovers enjoy time and time again.

What’s the hardest part about owning a business?

There really isn’t a “hard part” because I really enjoy what I do. Some people say that owning your own business is a lifestyle. The rewards are fantastic—like when a customer takes the time to call after they received their order to tell us how much they enjoyed their food.

Each month, The Chamber highlights a member business that is making its mark in our community. To apply for the Small Business Spotlight award visit scrantonchamber.com.

The Small Business Spotlight award is sponsored by:

Top industry leaders will discuss the most pressing issues affecting women today, including: • Leadership • Finance

• Entrepreneurship • Small Business • Marketing

• Social Media

And more!

Thursday, April 21, 2016 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Mohegan Sun Pocono

Regional professionals from northeastern Pennsylvania will have the opportunity to lead, learn and connect at the second annual Northeast Pennsylvania Women’s Leadership Conference. This day-long conference will emphasize women’s ability to forge a positive change in their communities and in their personal and professional lives while highlighting the incredible energy created when women come together to support one another.

Highlights of this year’s conference include:

• Executive level and emerging professional level tracks • Nationally-known speakers on a wide range of topics • Breakout sessions • Motivational conference activities • Corporate and small business marketplaces • Networking mixer • Book signings • And more!

Register today to guarantee your spot in the region’s premier leadership conference!

This year’s conference will give you the tools and resources you need to tap into your personal power!

Members of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce can purchase discounted tickets through Friday, February 26, at scrantonchamber. com.

Presenting Sponsor

www.scrantonchamber.com • 5

Putting Pieces Together

How the Chamber provides resources for your small business Perhaps you or someone you know decided that 2016 was the year to start a small business. The Chamber has many resources to guide you along the way.

Chamber affiliate MetroAction provides microloans ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 that are available to qualified small businesses in nine counties throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. These loans were created to provide loans to start-up or expanding businesses that are unable to obtain traditional financing for a variety of reasons, including damaged credit, lack of collateral or lack of capital.

“MetroAction is there every step of the way – from helping businesses get off the ground to providing resources to businesses that want to expand,” said president Ray Ceccotti. “No two borrowers are alike and MetroAction understands the importance of meeting each individual’s unique financing and training needs.”

Finding the right location to start or grow your business is critical to an entrepreneur’s success. Whether you are looking for land, commercial or industrial space, The Scranton Plan’s searchable real estate database showcases available property within Lackawanna County for lease or sale.

In addition, SLIBCO operates two business incubators, the Scranton Enterprise Center and the TekRidge Center. These locations provide

office space within a supported, entrepreneurial environment.

The Chamber’s Incubator Program is an opportunity for start-up businesses to be in a professional environment at an affordable cost. The educational roundtables, access to funding, mentoring availability and access to a large business network give these businesses the tools to help them grow their business.

Leaving the comfort of a full-time job is terrifying, but we weren’t afraid of hard work then or now and we both were prepared to do whatever was necessary to make sure we were successful. Thanks to MetroAction, we were able to get funding easily to purchase our equipment.

- Amanda Kuhn and Kelly Slinger, Smart Blonde Creative 6 • The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber, in conjunction with Lackawanna County, can help keep a new small business on track thanks to the recently launched PoweredBy Lackawanna initiative. PoweredBy Lackawanna provides an easy-touse web portal connecting existing or start-up businesses to a host of complementary resources and services, such as the Northeastern PA Industrial Resource Center, the Small Business Development Center, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, TecBridge, the NEPA Alliance and more.

PoweredBy Lackawanna is available at poweredbylackawanna.org.

“Lackawanna County is home to a host of business development organizations that provide an array of support services to help budding and growing businesses,” said Amy Luyster, assistant vice president of The Scranton Plan. “We seek to strengthen the communications and interconnectedness between and among those entities, establish a gateway to resources for those looking to start or expand a business in the Greater Scranton area.”

222 Mulberry Street P.O. Box 431 Scranton, PA 18501

• 255,964 SF • Attached Parking Garage • Availble for Lease or Sale • KIZ Approved • Downtown Scranton

119 Wyoming Avenue

MetroTech Center, Scranton, PA

• 36,400 SF office space available • On-site parking

In addition, the Chamber also provides a variety of grass-roots marketing platforms to assist small businesses. With more than 10 free networking events like business card exchanges and member welcome events, the Chamber is always creating opportunities for members to make new contacts. The Chamber also offers complimentary seminars offering high-end legal advice. Members can also apply for the annual SAGE Awards, recognizing accomplishments of businesses in many categories.

Get your business started today by calling us at (570) 342-7711.

• Downtown Scranton • Business Incubator Suites available • KIZ approved

201 Lackawanna Avenue

Scranton Enterprise Center, Scranton, PA

• 45,249 SF • Parking for 220+ • Incubator suites • 30,000 SF Anchor Tenant space • Tax free through 12/31/2020 • KIZ approved

50 Alberigi Drive

TekRidge Center, Jessup, Pa

570-342-7711

scrantonplan.com www.scrantonchamber.com • 7

MemberNews Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Welcomes Two to Board of Directors Ronald R. Beer, MHA, FACHE, is the chief administrative officer for Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center (GWV) and its Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre campus (GSWB). Dr. Beer joined Geisinger in 2013 as the vice president of operations at GWV with system responsibilities for the emergency medicine service line. In April of 2014, he was promoted to his current position.

Gerald Maloney, DO, FACP currently serves as the chief medical officer for Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center (GWV) and its Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre campus (GSWB).

Board certified in internal medicine and palliative medicine, Dr. Maloney is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and he is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine with certifications in internal medicine, as well as hospice and palliative medicine.

PennDOT District 4 Employees Helps Others PennDot’s District 4 employees recently adopted two families from Catholic Youth Services and collected funds to purchase gifts for the children at a Head Start Center in West Scranton.

FNCB Employees Give Back to Those in Need

Employees from First National Community Bank (FNCB) recently held a clothing drive to benefit the Baby Pantry at St. Joseph’s Center, collecting more than 500 items and several hundred dollars for local families in need.

The Baby Pantry at St. Joseph’s Center is a free community service available to all families who need baby food, clothing, diapers and other baby items. Located in Dunmore, the pantry services families across northeastern Pennsylvania.

8 • The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce

Fidelity Bank Donates Scholarship Funds to TCMC

Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank recently presented a check for $20,000 to The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC) for the establishment of a scholarship to support a student from northeastern or north-central Pennsylvania. This year’s scholarship recipient was Mark Dunleavy of Scranton, who is a second-year medical student at TCMC.

United Way of Pike County Accepting Funding Applications The United Way of Pike County is now accepting applications from non-profit organizations for funding for the 2016 calendar year. Applications are available at unitedwaypike.org or by calling (570) 296-9980. The deadline for applications is Thursday, March 31.

WVIA and PPL Corporation Awards $1,000 to Empowering Educators Grant Winners

University of Scranton Names Business Partner of the Year

WVIA Public Media and PPL Corporation recently presented six winning Empowering Educators teams each with $1,000 that will be used as funds in the completion of a public service project in spring of 2016.

Empowering Educators, sponsored by PPL Corporation, encourages students in grades six through eight to make a positive difference in their communities by performing a public service tied to the fields of science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics.

Wright Center Receives National Recognition The Wright Center, a graduate medical education consortium and safety-net provider with primary care practices located within northeastern Pennsylvania, has been named a 2015 HIMSS Ambulatory Davies Award recipient.

The Wright Center was recognized for successfully leveraging inter-professional learners from its Family Medicine and Internal Medicine residency program, as well as trainees from local healthcare partners, to integrate health IT into daily practice. The Wright Center team developed and implemented the technological innovations in-house, utilizing dynamic workflow documents and suggestions from residents and providers to continuously improve patient care and increase accountability of providers and staff.

The University of Scranton recognized Hemmler + Camayd Architects, Scranton, as its 2015 Business Partner of the Year. The award recognizes an organization for contributing outstanding service and value to the University’s Jesuit mission.

Ttohank You our sponsors For February: Leadership Lackawanna’s Core and Tomorrow’s Leaders Today programs: Benco Dental January Women’s Network Luncheon: Community Bank NA and Kaiser Fine Photography

Welcome new members Crystal Window and Door Systems LTD E.L.C. Manufacturing Green Ridge Om & Wellness, LLC Thomas J. Scanlon www.scrantonchamber.com • 9

INSIDE THE INCUBATOR DISCOVERING DETAILS

twobytwo Solutions brings forensic investigation to the digital landscape

For Dennis Cheng, the founder of twobytwo Solutions, every day is a mission in search of the truth. twobytwo Solutions is a digital forensics and electronic discovery firm located in Jessup’s TekRidge Center. A Chamber incubator program client for the past oneand-a-half years, Cheng readily admits that no two days are ever alike in his office.

“Digital forensics is the examination of any digital device, normally a computer or cell phone,” he said. “A lot of times, we’re asked a question or to perform an investigation. A classic example is that an employer or lawyer might have a question about an employee that had allegedly been misbehaving, so they will call us and we will make a preservation of that computer and analyze it to reconstruct the employee’s behavior.”

Some of the questions that Cheng and his team need to address while analyzing devices include whether or not the employee was looking at inappropriate sites during work hours or if the employee was stealing confidential information.

“We’ve taken on a broad spectrum of cases,” he said. “We’ve represented clients involved in white-collar criminal matters, like tax fraud or misappropriation of funds, helped both major defense contractors and mom-and-pop shops resolve the issues threatening their 10 • The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce

businesses and performed internal investigations of municipal governments and law enforcement. ” In terms of electronic discovery for legal proceedings, twobytwo Solutions uses computers—an entire roomful—to do in a fraction of the time what used to take legal staffers days or weeks to do.

“The legal system itself—both lawyers and clients—is ill-equipped to handle large amounts of data,” Cheng said. “It would take dozens of people to go through the information or a lot of computing power, and computing approach is often more cost-effective.”

“I feel like we’re doing positive work,” he continued. “It is very exciting to work

“We’ve developed good relations with other tenants at TekRidge—it is a very collaborative environment here,” he said.

“We bounce questions off each other.

We also collaborate on projects and refer business. It is a collegial environment here.”

“Utilizing the network of Chamber members, not just in terms of gaining exposure, but also in terms of being mutually helpful, is where Chamber membership brings its value,” he added.

“There are also resources and programs the Chamber brings to the table. We’ve had useful sessions here that we might not have had if we were out on our own. For example, a fundraising specialist might not come directly to you but since you’re in

“UTILIZING THE NETWORK OF CHAMBER MEMBERS, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF GAINING EXPOSURE, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF BEING MUTUALLY HELPFUL, IS WHERE CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP BRINGS ITS VALUE,”

- Dennis Cheng, founder, twobytwo solutions in this field; a lot of the stuff that’s the headline in the paper, we have our hand in it.”

While combing through a computer’s files might seem like a solitary task, Cheng feels that his location at TekRidge and his participation in the Chamber’s incubator program provide him with a solid business network.

the incubator network, they will come and present to all of the tenants. The Chamber staff facilitates that and they have been helpful. They are interested in the success of all the businesses here at TekRidge.”

For more information on the Chamber’s incubator program, contact incubator program manager Aaron Whitney at (570) 342-7711.

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www.scrantonchamber.com • 11

2016

Wednesday April 6, 2016

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM All inquiries please contact:

Mari Potis,

Director of Membership & Events 570-342-7711 x130 mpotis@scrantonchamber.com

DISC O REGI UNTED STRA TION

C

LOS Marc ES h4

Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

225 Highland Park Blvd.

Wilkes-Barre PA 18702

P.O. Box 431 222 Mulberry St. Scranton, PA 18501 www.scrantonchamber.com

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