Ronn Cort

Providing children the best opportunity for healthy development and success as adults requires a deliberate balance between structured activity and play. Family and trained professionals play important roles in a child’s development. Leaders in business and child care advocacy spoke about the importance of nurturing young people at the recent Columbia Montour Early Child Care Summit.

The event, held April 24 at Rolling Pines Golf Course and Banquet Facility, was organized by the Columbia Montour Early Learning Investment Committee to highlight the short and long-term benefits of quality early child care. The recently-formed Committee is comprised of representatives of member businesses, child care providers and advocates, the United Way of Columbia and Montour County, and the Chamber. Diana Verbeck, executive director of Danville Child Development Center and former Chamber Board member, is chairing the committee.

Gene Barr

Guest speakers at the Summit included Roberta Schomburg, PhD., executive director of the Fred Rogers Center, Gene Barr, president of the PA Chamber of Business & Industry and member of the PA Early Learning Commission, and Ronn Cort, COO & president of SEKISUI SPI. M. Holly Morrison, D.Ed., president and CEO of the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation and Chamber board member, emceed the event and reinforced the messages of the speakers with anecdotes from her 30-year career in education.

Dr. Schomburg provided a foundation for the discussion by speaking about the importance of positive family and interpersonal relationships, outlining the principles of learning readiness, and highlighting the role of educators in recognizing the development level of each child. Healthy development includes balances between structured activities and play, as well as between group activity and solitude. Children should have ample opportunities to explore and be creative. 

Creativity, critical thinking, and healthy interaction skills carry forward for success in the workplace. Barr and Cort reinforced that these qualities in people cannot be replaced by automation or artificial intelligence. Research also shows that exposing children, particularly females, to STEM fields is critical to developing interest.

Roberta Schomburg

“Early learning is a workforce issue, and workforce is the number one issue of members of the PA Chamber,” Barr said. Workforce is also the number one issue of members of the Columbia Montour Chamber. Pennsylvania needs to better align its funding priorities to invest in early learning and education, according to Barr. He was recently appointed co-chair of the Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center by Governor Wolf to assess the educational and workforce development infrastructure.  

SEKISUI is taking matters into their own hands by building a 24/7 child care facility at the South Campus in Scott Township, Columbia County.

Cort stressed that the millions of dollars in new investment in the company’s local facilities and significant increase in productivity in recent years is a direct result of their people. The investment in a child care facility will support their working families now and help foster the future workforce for generations, according to Cort.

Following the Summit, the Committee is finalizing a survey for employers to distribute to their employees with child care needs. The results of the survey will help guide the work of the Committee to improve quality child care resources in Columbia and Montour counties.

The evening prior to the event, the movie Won’t You Be My Neighbor was shown at the Berwick Theatre. The documentary explores the decades of work of television personality Fred Rogers, who was driven to instill a sense of self-worth in children and encourage understanding. The Fred Rogers Center was established in Latrobe, Pa. in 2003, the year of Rogers’ death, to carry his legacy forward. Information about the Center is available at FredRogersCenter.org.

Both events were sponsored by The Berwick Health and Wellness Fund, the United Way of Columbia and Montour County, and the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission.

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, Northeast Pennsylvania Business Center, to help us fulfill our mission.

Northeast Pennsylvania Business Center (NPBC) is a new business founded last year that is owned by Marr Development. It provides full service business solutions primarily for small businesses to help them begin and grow. These business solutions include accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, human resources, management consulting, web design, information technology, marketing and advertising. Located at 825 Central Rd., Suite 1 in Bloomsburg, NPBC can be reached at 570-245-6377, by email or visit its website or Facebook page.

From ChamberChoice and Smart Business Pittsburgh

Considering changes to your employee benefits plan can be a perplexing process. And the risk associated with making any plan modification is heightened when the supporting data are not available.

In today’s health care environment, however, plan design adjustments need to be considered far more frequently due to the pressures of managing costs.

“Providing a comprehensive benefits package is a vital component to attracting and retaining employees. Employers need to carefully consider how changes to the benefits plan design can affect their current and future workforce,” says Aaron Ochs, managing consultant at JRG Advisors. “When considering plan changes, partner with an experienced benefits professional who can utilize plan modeling to determine your best benefits strategy.”

Smart Business spoke with Ochs about how plan modeling helps employers to identify the best use of resources and to engage in experimentation without taking on risks.

What is plan modeling?

Plan modeling makes it possible to create scenarios that consider how medical claims would be paid given various plan design modifications. The analysis also identifies problem areas within the plan. With the results of the professional analysis, employers can consider the realistic solutions that are aligned with their coverage and cost objectives.

For instance, if emergency room costs were disproportionately high, an employer could consider raising the emergency room co-pay, while educating employees about 24/7 telemedicine and urgent care facilities. This would create a lower out-of-pocket cost for these more convenient options to the expensive ER visit.

Even if an employer is just thinking about making plan design adjustments because it suspects it would drive better claims results, the use of modeling can help the employer test-drive those changes before implementing them. The results of the modeling will help an employer see the outcome of suggested changes to its current benefit structure, before actual implementation.

How specifically might the plan benefit from modeling?

Plan modeling gives employers the ability to see the likely impact of plan changes beforehand.

With access to the data provided by plan modeling, employers can identify the strategies that fit the employee population coverage needs and the company goals. Employers mitigate the risk of a benefits design misstep like implementing drastic changes to popular — and necessary — benefits offerings.

With these data points, an employer can make educated, strategic decisions that balance the financial benefit with employees’ coverage and access needs. Some models even illustrate how many employees will be affected by each change, allowing employers to truly balance value and cost.

What are the popular plan changes?

Some of the more popular plan modifications include adjustments to deductibles and co-insurance, office visit versus specialist co-pay, urgent care versus emergency room co-pay, tiered rates for prescription drugs and Health Savings Account plans.

Identifying and managing even just a fraction of costs can generate significant savings year-over-year. That is because the smallest percentages of identified high-spending areas represent the most promising potential for savings. And, the more models employers run, the more likely they will find hidden ways to curb benefits costs.

In a burgeoning area where employers are trying to manage expenses, plan modeling is essential. With this approach, employers can consider changes without having to wait until after implementation to measure success.

Insights Employee Benefits is brought to you by JRG Advisors

From Brewers Association

We interrupt our normally scheduled email routine to bring you some very exciting news. The Brewers Association recently released state wide beer statistics for 2018….and Pennsylvania did it again.

Congratulations to all of you Pennsylvania beer drinkers out there. Because of your tireless dedication to PA craft beer, our state has been named the number one beer producer in the country (again)! See all of the statistics.

According to a study by the Brewers Association, Pennsylvania ranks number 1 in the U.S for barrels of beer produced at 3,719,475 million. The next highest state is California at 3,421,295 million. To put that into perspective, that means CA is producing 1 barrel of beer for every 11.5 people in the state, whereas PA is producing 1 barrel for every 3.4 people in the state!

That’s not the only area that PA ranks in the top part of the country. In fact in most major categories the state ranks no lower than #6. Pennsylvania is #2 in economic impact, #4 in gallons produced per 21+ year old adult, #4 in impact per capita and #6 in Craft Breweries per state (however that last number is always rising as more open!)

Congratulations Pennsylvania beer drinkers. We have a lot of work to do to keep this trend going in 2019. So reward yourself with a delicious craft beer at your favorite brewery!

Numbers such as these are a big reason why the Columbia Montour Chamber recently called for fairness in the assessment of a craft brewery sales tax. If the tax is allowed to go into effect on July 1 as currently written in the regulation, it will adversely affect craft brewers that also have tasting rooms and/or restaurants as part of their brewing operations, including Chamber members Berwick Brewing, Marley’s Brewery and Grille, Rock God Brewing, and Turkey Hill Brewing.

Leadercast Live is the largest one-day leadership event in the world, and the Columbia Montour Chamber is making this inspiring and educational event available for the first time in the Columbia/Montour region. Central Columbia High School will host the event in its auditorium, while Service 1st Federal Credit Union is the Leadership Sponsor. 

This year’s theme is Leading Healthy Teams. What defines a team’s success? Is it based solely on achievement, or is there more to the story? The best leaders know a successful team is made when focus, care, attention and development is directed to its members. Healthy teams yield fulfilled employees, effective collaboration, high organizational engagement and greater long-term success. In 2019, Leadercast Live will bring experts in organizational health to help attendees master the art and science of developing and leading healthy teams.

Feature speakers include:

Register today and use the promo code “VBiz” for a special 20% off registration. The registration cost includes lunch. 

Chamber members – $75
Non-members: $95

Media sponsors

Silver sponsors
Bloomsburg University
Geisinger
Kawneer
PPL Electric Utilities
SEKISUI SPI
USG

Front: Fady Smouni, Marketing Intern; Keara Hozella, Corporate Storyteller; Max Good, Office Administrator (black shirt, khakis); Dennis Kelso, appLab™ Manager
Second row: Angie Beaver, Administrative Assistant; Jeff Otter, Costing Manager
Third row: Keri Lebo, Marketing Manager; Jym Kauffman, Infused Imaging™ Manager
Back row: Dr. Bashar Hanna, President Bloomsburg University; Brooke Felker, Accounting Specialist; Kristin McVicar, Financial Controller; Kahla Manning, Customer Collaboration Specialist; Ronn Cort, COO & President

From Bloomsburg University and SEKISUI SPI

The Bloomsburg University Foundation announces that SEKISUI SPI made a $500,000 gift to construct a state-of-the-art professional experience workspace for students in downtown Bloomsburg.

“For us, it was an easy decision,” said SEKISUI President and Chief Operations Officer Ronn Cort. “We already partner with the university in campus events, panels and professional development opportunities for students. Our deeper connection to BU and the local community is part of our business strategy. We were considering building a space like this at one of our manufacturing campuses, but when we learned of BU’s plans for a Professional Experience Lab at the Greenly Center, we thought it would make perfect sense to help them build it there. This allows us to enhance our partnership with BU while also helping them to better serve students, the community and local businesses.”

Construction of the SEKISUI Professional Experience Lab (PEL), which will be located on the third floor of the Greenly Center, will begin in May. The goal is to have the space ready for returning BU students and community members to use in fall 2019, with a dedication ceremony set for September.

“We cannot thank SEKISUI enough for this tremendous gift and their continued commitment to growing their partnership with the university,” said BU President Bashar W. Hanna. “This facility will serve as a collaborative learning space for our students, faculty and community members to share ideas and experiences that will improve professional development opportunities.”

The PEL will include five individual soundproof rooms designed to provide students and community members with the opportunity to practice, record and receive feedback on professional interactions via in-person interviews along with virtual interviewing and meeting tools such as Skype and Zoom. These facilities will provide students with resources to help them train in several areas including job interviewing, virtual presentations, competitions, and conflict resolution.

The creation of the PEL is the result of discussions that began several years ago when an innovation committee comprised of BU faculty and staff, board members and community volunteers came together to share ideas on how to increase student activity in downtown Bloomsburg. The group began exploring opportunities to maximize the Greenly Center’s location in a way that could best benefit BU students and the overall Bloomsburg community.

The gift from SEKISUI brings the BU Foundation’s total amount raised in the 2018-2019 fiscal year up to more than $9M, putting the fundraising arm of the university on pace for a record-setting year of giving.

Joining BU President Bashar Hanna and Ronn Cort, SEKISUI COO and president, were employees and interns at SEKISUI who are BU graduates and current students.

• Lightstreet Rd. will be closed and a detour will be in place beginning on Monday, April 29 and running through Wednesday, May 15 for construction of the new pedestrian bridge. The Bloomsburg University campus and surrounding local roads will still be accessible, and crews will be working seven days a week to keep the closure and detour as short as possible. The formal detour will go down East Street, U.S. Route 11 and up Central Road. 

• Bloomsburg University’s IT Outreach Webinar Series has a pair of upcoming webinars on IT-related issues scheduled in the coming weeks. On Wednesday, May 1, at 1 p.m., Jim Walker, chief security officer at Syntervision Inc. will present “The Real Cyber Threats a Big OS Vendor Won’t Tell You.” Then, on Wednesday, May 22, at noon, Ronald Fussell, program manager at Zel Technologies, LLC, will present “Software Systems Design Considerations. BU’s IT Outreach Webinar Series engages its local constituents in a purposeful manner about the trending topics in the IT field. Webinars are approximately 30 minutes in length. There is no cost to participate, however participants must register. For more information on these webinars or the series, visit BU’s dedicated website page. 

• PA CareerLink Columbia/Montour Counties will host its annual job fair on Thursday, May 2, from 1-5 p.m. at Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School, located at 5050 Swpeenheiser Dr., Bloomsburg. The entire event is open to both the general public and students. Employers interested in attending as an exhibitor/vendor should register online. For more information, see the flyer. 

• The Northern Tier Partners for the Arts, a partner of the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts, will provide a free workshop on Wednesday, May 15, at the Bloomsburg Public Library, from 2-3 p.m., on grant writing for arts programming. This workshop will educate attendees on grant guidelines, application processes and criteria. For additional information, call 570-268-2787 or email. 

Attendees had an opportunity to enjoy a relaxing and laid back late afternoon over music from a local band and delicious food from Lucy’s Craft Catering while also having an opportunity to hear some information about business growth financing and assessing net worth at April’s Business After Hours held at G.S. Woods Financial Solutions in Danville on April 17.

A local acoustic band, Damon & The Gregs, which includes a realtor from fellow Chamber member RE/MAX Edge, performed a series of 80’s selections throughout the evening. G.S. Woods owner Graeme Woods also gave a brief presentation about business growth financing.

Business After Hours provide regular opportunities to build business relationships while learning about the services offered by other Chamber members. The next Business After Hours will be held at Ken Pollock Ford Lincoln, located at 1120 West Front St., Berwick, on Thursday, May 9, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.  

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, Hilltops Services, LLC, to help us fulfill our mission.

Hilltops Services is an excavation, hauling and materials business that is locally owned and based in Bloomsburg. Founded in 1990, it provides excavation services, as well as sales and delivery of materials such as mulch, sand, stone, topsoil and much more. It can provide quantities from as small as one scoop of those materials to several dump truck loads, with discounts available based on quantity. Located at 105 Cross Rd. in Bloomsburg, HillTops Services is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. It can be reached at 570-387-1772 or by email, or visit its website.

Jeff Emanuel, Foundation director

Jeff Emanuel, director of the Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce, has been selected to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leads Fellowship Program.  The program will consist of interactive classes taught by expert faculty on a variety of education and workforce topics, and includes a field trip to an innovative school. The agenda will include plenary classes, breakout classes, and is designed to provide grounding on the issues, as well as, practical tools that can be used to advance policies and programs in our communities. The first workshop focuses Fellows’ attention on early and K-12 education, as well as college and career readiness. The second workshop completes the talent pipeline with coverage of post-secondary education and a wide range of workforce development topics.