From PA Chamber of Business & Industry

The growing skills gap in the Commonwealth is a major concern for the state’s business community. In fact, the PA Chamber’s 2018 Economic Survey found that finding qualified employees is the top of mind issue for job creators. It’s an issue that stretches across all industry sectors in every region of the state – and is something I’m sure you’ve heard from your members as well. Since 2016, workforce development has been a cornerstone of the PA Chamber’s mission. We’ve been proud to work with legislators on both sides of the aisle and with groups that we aren’t always aligned with to come up with innovative, outside-the-box solutions to address this skills gap. While there is no silver bullet to solving the problem, one important area of focus is criminal justice reform.

A major step forward in this arena was the enactment of the Clean Slate Act. This first-of-its- kind law will help former, non-violent offenders who have learned from their past mistakes a second chance by automatically sealing criminal records that are 10 years old or older. This legislation – which received broad bipartisan support – will help these individuals to enter into the workforce, which in turn helps to reduce recidivism rates.

While signed into law in 2018, the Act didn’t officially go “live” until June 28 – a date that was heralded at a press conference by Gov. Tom Wolf, our organization, the bill’s sponsors and several other advocacy and non-profit organizations. There were three main reasons why the PA Chamber supported this initiative: first, it’s the fair thing to do for Pennsylvanians; second, it makes sense for taxpayers to have more people become contributing members of society rather than risk their return to jail; and third, it is truly a workforce issue that will help Pennsylvania become more competitive by expanding the number of applicants for in-demand positions.

According to statistics from the Wolf administration, over the course of the next year, 2.5 million records will be processed every month. By June 2020, 30 million cases are anticipated to be sealed, helping these Pennsylvanians pursue their chosen career path. More information on the Act can be found at MyCleanSlatePA.com.

In other workforce news, the Governor’s Keystone Workforce and Economic Development Command Center – on which PA Chamber president Gene Barr serves as co-chair – continues to meet and discuss ways in which the various elements of state government that oversee workforce development programs can collaborate with the private sector to identify ways to close the jobs skills gap; fill the many open positions that exist throughout the state and make Pennsylvania more competitive on a national and global scale.

We look forward to continuing to work with elected officials, the wide-range of advocacy and non-profit groups dedicated to this issue and our local chamber partners on ways to remove barriers to work and ensure that the Commonwealth’s workforce is able to meet the needs of our changing jobs climate.

• The Bucknell University Small Business Development Center invites interested businesses in need of website development to connect with Bucknell students in the “Markets, Innovation, and Design 300” class in the Freeman College of Management. Each semester, these students make websites free of charge for local small businesses. These projects provide a hands-on learning experience for the students while bringing new ideas to these organizations. In early September, the students will be introduced to this assignment and divided into teams. Then the teams will have the liberty to choose with which businesses and organizations they would like to work. By early October, each student team will meet with their client to learn about the specific needs and goals of the organization and the purpose that the site should serve. Over the course of the semester, the students will then design and build the website with an online website software program, incorporating text and photographs provided by the organization. If your business or organization is in need of a website, or if it would benefit from a redesigned site, then please fill out this online form by Aug. 15 to ensure your organization is considered. Additional information is available on this form. 

• Each year at the Little League World Series, Beiter’s Home Center, located right across the street from the Little League Complex in South Williamsport, allows a nonprofit organization to manage its parking lot, with the nonprofit keeping the proceeds from the parking fees. For the next two years beginning with next month’s event, Beiter’s has selected the Ronald McDonald House of Danville to be the nonprofit beneficiary. RMHD is in need of several volunteers to help run and manage the parking lot for the entirety of the event, which runs Aug. 15-25. There are several shifts available on each day of the event. If you would be interested in volunteering at the LLWS to help benefit the RMHD, please call Michael Jacobs at 570-214-1792 for more information. Volunteers must be 18 or older. 

• Larson Design Group was recently named to the Giants 300 Top 100 Architecture Engineering Firms ranking by Building Design+Construction, an industry group. Larson came in at No. 92 on the list, which is based on architecture and engineering revenue, a seven-spot jump from last year, when LDG ranked No. 100. 

• Service 1st Federal Credit Union held its eighth annual Charity Duck Derby on Saturday, Aug. 3, raising $17,000 for three local charities. During the event, Service 1st held a random drawing of over 3,500 duckies to select six finalists. A large crowd turned out to join Service 1st’s Mascot Crissie and cheer on the six rubber duckies as they raced down the Susquehanna River toward the finish line at the Danville/Riverside Bridge. Funds raised by this year’s Derby will be combined with those raised during Service 1st’s 26th Annual Charity Golf Tournament being held on Friday, Aug. 23 to benefit Bridges Out of Poverty, Geisinger’s Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, and the Mifflinburg Hose Company. Among others, sponsors for this year’s event included fellow Chamber members Bear Rental, Chip Adams Sewer & Drain Cleaning and Kornerstone Custom Builders.

• Wild For Salmon will holds its annual Fishtival on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at its retail store at 521 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11) in Bloomsburg. The annual event, which welcomes back the fishermen from a successful fishing season in Alaska, features an assortment of delicious dishes with the signature sockeye salmon and other fish and seafood, as well as several other vendors. There is no cost to attend. 

• The Penn State World Campus have hold a webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 28, from 8-9:30 p.m. specifically for women interested in the Penn State Online MBA program offered through the World Campus. Faculty Director Dr. Janet Duck and Managing Director Stacey Dorang Peelerwill share important information about the program, and will answer questions about program curriculum. They will review application requirements and explain the admissions process, while also sharing insight as to what you can expect as an online student. In addition, they will explain how this specific program can help women succeed and grow both professionally and personally. Current Penn State online MBA students will also share advice on how women interested in this program can fit it into an already busy schedule, and will give tips for balancing school, work, and family responsibilities. Register online. 

• Camp Victory will host its annual Community Open House on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 12-3 p.m. This free afternoon of family fun includes its rock climbing wall, zip line and paddle boats on the pond as well as hot dogs, ice cream, drinks, an arts and crafts project, a moon bounce, wagon rides and live music. at 1 p.m., there will also be a ribbon cutting to celebrate the recent expansion of the Welcome Center. 

The annual Bloomsburg Nationals car show will be held this Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 8-11 at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. The event gets started on Thursday, Aug. 8, with Gridlock, the parade of cars down Main St. in downtown Bloomsburg, which will kick off the event and result in Main St. being closed from 6-8 p.m. to accommodate the event. Main St. will reopen at 8 p.m.

During Gridlock, there is also a Quaker Steak & Lube wing eating contest  that is held at the front of the Columbia County Courthouse to raise money for charities. Two of the charities supported by Bloomsburg Nationals are also fellow Chamber members Camp Victory and the Ronald McDonald House of Danville. Following Gridlock, the cars will cruise to Quaker Steak & Lube for a “welcome party.”

The main event begins on Friday morning, Aug. 9 and runs through Sunday afternoon. Gates open at 8 a.m. each day until the festivities end. Tickets for Friday and Saturday can be purchased at the gate or online. Children 12 and under are free. Sunday is by donation at the gate. 

Sponsors of the event include Chamber members Quaker Steak & Lube, Perkins, the Fairfield Inn & Suites, Ken Pollock Ford Lincoln, Commercial Stainless, A&A Auto Stores and Service 1st Federal Credit Union.

More information on Bloomsburg Nationals, including a complete schedule, is available on its website or Facebook page. 

By Lisa Z. Leighton

When a call is placed to 911 in Snyder, Union or northern Northumberland Counties, the end user doesn’t think about the behind-the-scenes infrastructure needed to quickly and accurately route the call to the appropriate responding agency.

For nearly two years, the dedicated teams at MePush and NRG Controls North have collaborated with the new regional emergency call center, Central Susquehanna Regional 911 (CSR911), to overhaul network, server, security and surveillance infrastructure.

“The merge between Snyder and Union 911 has taken years of planning.” remarked Cheryl Stiefel, Executive Director, CSR911.  “MePush and NRG Controls North have worked with us every step of the way by providing expert opinion and labor from design to implementation.”

The primary goal of the project was to update their existing server network after the merger of the two agencies, leading to more efficient routing and quicker response times for those placing a call to the 911 network.

The upgrades included four new servers in a high availability cluster (HAC), a 10 Gbps network backbone for server connectivity and data storage, and a new computer aided dispatch (CAD) vendor. Of particular note is the HAC, which is a group of hosts that act like a single system, providing continuous uptime – critical for an emergency response agency.

MePush handled the planning and installation of the new wiring, servers, and network infrastructure for the upgraded system.

Their partner in the project, NRG Controls North, managed the security needs including exterior and interior surveillance cameras as well as an access control system that includes RFID tags on all doors.

The upgraded system will have a tremendous impact on callers to the 911 system, as well as first responders who rely on timely communication when responding to an emergency. 

From rabbittransit

You’re invited! Join us for Transportation Partnership on Mobility (TPOM) meetings on the second Thursday of each month, rotating throughout various counties within the rabbittransit service area. The groups meet to discuss solutions for issues related to local and regional public transportation. Individuals with disabilities, seniors, families, advocates, community members and service providers are all welcome to join us in improving mobility services. Meetings are held at various community agency locations. We also connect with community organizations and providers by conducting round table discussions in an effort to identify links and to streamline service between providers in an effort to create a more accessible environment for our consumers. To find out details of the next meeting including time and location, visit rabbittransit’s website or email.

From ChamberChoice & Smart Business Pittsburgh

Voluntary benefits are in high demand as employers recognize that a robust benefits portfolio helps them meet the diverse coverage needs within today’s workforce. The demand is also driven by the popularity of employee choice and low cost.

“There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to meeting the needs of a multiple-generational workforce. Competition is fierce when recruiting and retaining the best talent. This makes voluntary benefits a must-have in today’s employee benefits packages,” says Michael Orangis, sales executive at JRG Advisors. “By offering a spectrum of coverage options, employers send the message, ‘We listen, we care and our company is worth working for.’”

Smart Business spoke with Orangis about how voluntary coverage options can enhance your overall benefits program.

What do companies need to know about voluntary benefits?

Voluntary benefits have proven to be a popular, cost-effective method for an employer to offer a broad palette of benefits that provide employees choice. These types of benefits feature guaranteed issue and simple enrollment. And because premiums are paid through employee payroll deduction, there are no checks to write, making these benefits easy to administer.

Further, difficult economic times in the wake of rising health care costs mean tough health plan design choices for business owners. For many, adding voluntary benefits to compensate for benefits cutbacks elsewhere or to enrich a health plan with a high deductible makes good sense.

How do these benefits work?

With a voluntary benefits portfolio, employees are encouraged to focus on their coverage and affordability needs. Instead of employer-sponsored group accident, critical illness, disability, life, vision and dental insurance, business owners see the wisdom of providing these benefits on a voluntary, a-la-carte basis for employees to choose.

Not only will offering voluntary benefits cost employers virtually nothing, it will also help to level the playing field with competing employers. And, employees gain access to unique types of insurance coverage at group rates that are lower in cost than buying on their own.

What should an employer consider when offering voluntary benefits?

First, employers must show their support for the benefits program if they want the employees to see the value of voluntary benefits for themselves and their families.

An employer should talk to employees to help determine what offerings would be most useful. Employers need to carefully examine their current benefits package to determine which benefits are popular and those that are not. Most importantly, employers need to determine the type(s) of voluntary benefits that offer the most value for the lowest cost. This is crucial to the success of the voluntary benefits program.

As the program is implemented, education is key. Employers should educate employees on what voluntary plans are available and the benefits of enrolling. Employers also should follow up with employees on a regular basis throughout the plan year to ensure they are satisfied, there are no problems and that no changes need to be made with the plans offered.

In the end, voluntary benefits are special because they meet the specific needs of the valued workforce. Employers can easily offer these benefits and keep costs down, while enhancing the complete package of benefits and coverages. Employees are able to make informed selections of benefits that meet their unique needs, ultimately increasing their engagement and satisfaction with the benefits program.

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry

PA Chamber President Gene Barr was in attendance at a Capitol event last week where Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law a bill that will allow Pennsylvania to establish its own health insurance exchange for the purchase of individual market plans under the Affordable Care Act. 

This legislation – which had strong bipartisan support – was made possible due to an Executive Order issued by the Trump Administration that allowed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to issue new guidance for states seeking more flexibility through waivers.  This encouraged greater innovation in finding tools and solutions to help reduce premium costs.  Act 42 of 2019 (formerly H.B. 3) does this by replacing the federally operated Healthcare.gov with a state-operated website in an effort to get more people into the system and lower their costs.  According to a story in the Associated Press, the Wolf administration expects that this change will lower premiums anywhere from 5 to 10 percent for the 400,000 people who buy policies in the marketplace – particularly the large segment of those people who currently buy policies through Healthcare.gov but whose incomes are too high to qualify for a federal tax subsidy. The square jaw procedure is something that people would like to opt for and have it included these days.

As the bill was moving through the legislative process, the PA Chamber sent numerous memos to House and Senate lawmakers urging their support because it helps to achieve our organization’s goal of creating stability in the state’s healthcare market and making health insurance more affordable for the Commonwealth’s citizens. “The creation of a state based exchange couple with a reinsurance program that is properly managed and remains solvent can benefit many individuals,” the PA Chamber wrote.  “We commend the Administration and legislative leadership for their commitment and swift legislative action.” 

• The Weis Center for the Performing Arts has announced its 2019-20 season schedule.
  

  Weis Center for the Performing Arts at Bucknell University.

  It includes 25 professional performances, eight of which are free admission, beginning with a free jazz concert by the Ryan Flannery Trio on Thursday, Aug. 29. The schedule includes world music from Zimbabwe, Ghana, Hawaii, Ireland and Nova Scotia, as well as classical, jazz and Americana music, modern and folk dance, and five family-friendly performances. For more information, visit the Weis Center website, view the season summary, and watch the promotional video. 

• Employees of GAF recently toured the Ronald McDonald House of Danville and made a donation towards RMHD’s Share-A-Night program, which helps families stay together at a time when they need each other most. GAF’s donation will sponsor a family for five nights at the RMHD. Additionally, some GAF employees will also be volunteering during the Little League World Series to assist in parking vehicles for RMHD’s fundraiser with Beiter’s Home Center (see below for information if you’re interested in volunteering to help with this fundraiser).

• Commonwealth Health Berwick Hospital Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Acute Stroke Ready Hospital Certification. The hospital recently underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review by the Joint Commission. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards including program management, supporting self-management, and delivering and facilitating clinical care. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews. Berwick Hospital Center is also part of the Jefferson Neuroscience Network, a collaboration that uses telemedicine technology to provide local patients with access to Jefferson Health’s comprehensive stroke program and an immediate link to the top neuroscience specialists in the country. The Jefferson Neuroscience Network connects community hospitals with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, providing around-the-clock access to neuroscience specialists and further advancing Commonwealth Health’s stroke care in the region.

• The Bucknell University Small Business Development Center invites interested businesses in need of website development to connect with Bucknell students in the “Markets, Innovation, and Design 300” class in the Freeman College of Management. Each semester, these students make websites free of charge for local small businesses. These projects provide a hands-on learning experience for the students while bringing new ideas to these organizations. In early September, the students will be introduced to this assignment and divided into teams. Then the teams will have the liberty to choose with which businesses and organizations they would like to work. By early October, each student team will meet with their client to learn about the specific needs and goals of the organization and the purpose that the site should serve. Over the course of the semester, the students will then design and build the website with an online website software program, incorporating text and photographs provided by the organization. If your business or organization is in need of a website, or if it would benefit from a redesigned site, then please fill out this online form by Aug. 15 to ensure your organization is considered. Additional information is available on this form. 

• Each year at the Little League World Series, Beiter’s Home Center, located right across the street from the Little League Complex in South Williamsport, allows a nonprofit organization to manage its parking lot, with the nonprofit keeping the proceeds from the parking fees. For the next two years beginning with next month’s event, Beiter’s has selected the Ronald McDonald House of Danville to be the nonprofit beneficiary. RMHD is in need of several volunteers to help run and manage the parking lot for the entirety of the event, which runs Aug. 15-25. There are several shifts available on each day of the event. If you would be interested in volunteering at the LLWS to help benefit the RMHD, please call Michael Jacobs at 570-214-1792 for more information. Volunteers must be 18 or older. 

• Wild For Salmon will holds its annual Fishtival on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at its retail store at 521 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11) in Bloomsburg. The annual event, which welcomes back the fishermen from a successful fishing season in Alaska, features an assortment of delicious dishes with the signature sockeye salmon and other fish and seafood, as well as several other vendors. There is no cost to attend. 

• Camp Victory will host its annual Community Open House on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 12-3 p.m. This free afternoon of family fun includes its rock climbing wall, zip line and paddle boats on the pond as well as hot dogs, ice cream, drinks, an arts and crafts project, a moon bounce, wagon rides and live music. at 1 p.m., there will also be a ribbon cutting to celebrate the recent expansion of the Welcome Center. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has recently announced the opening of an application period for the Small Business Advantage grant program, according to Senator John R. Gordner (R-27).

Eligible projects include adopting or acquiring equipment or processes that reduce energy use or pollution, including boiler or HVAC upgrades, high-efficiency LED lighting and waste recycling systems.  Eligible entities include farmers and Pennsylvania-based small business owners with 100 or fewer full-time employees.  Applicants can apply for 50 percent matching funds of up to $7,000.

“I encourage farmers and small business owners in my district to take advantage of this program,” said Senator Gordner.  “These funds will allow businesses to upgrade their facilities while becoming more environmentally friendly at the same time.”

A total of $1 million will be available through this program until April 12, 2020 or until funds run out, whichever comes first. To be eligible, costs must be incurred between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.

Complete application packets and more information about the program are available on the DEP Small Business Ombudsman page at the DEP website. For questions or application assistance, please contact the Small Business Ombudsman’s office by phone at 717-772-5160 or by email.

More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, Mathias Educational Leadership Consulting, LLC, to help us fulfill our mission.

Mathias Educational Leadership Consulting is a new consulting business founded by Harry Mathias, the former Superintendent of the Central Columbia School District and a former Chamber board member. It works with school district administrators and school boards to help optimize their working relationships in order to provide an opportunity for the school district and all of the individuals that make it up – administrators, faculty, students and staff – to reach their full potential. MELC also can provide assistance with special projects that come up that require an outside consultant, including support in setting up foundations and with fund raising efforts. It is located in Bloomsburg and can be reached at 570-380-0481, or by email.