From PA Chamber of Business & Industry A package of bills that would offer commonsense, long overdue reforms to Pennsylvania’s regulatory and permitting processes cleared the state House last week. The bills are part of a broad effort to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and clarify what are often described by the state’s regulated community as confusing, unpredictable and lengthy permit approval processes. “Fundamental and thoughtful change to the state’s regulatory development and permitting process is necessary to ensure that Pennsylvania’s government is operating with respect to the constitutional separation of powers, and that further clarity and predictability is provided to the regulated community as they work to complete projects in communities across the Commonwealth and grow our economy,” PA Chamber President Gene Barr said a statement applauding House lawmakers for passing the legislation. A brief description of each bill is as follows. All three now await consideration in the Senate. House Bill 209 — establishes an Independent Office of the Repealer to conduct periodic reviews of the state’s regulations and recommend efficiencies and repeals. House Bill 1792 — amends the Regulatory Review Act to ensure that the legislative branch, through its respective standing committees, has proper oversight of the various executive agencies developing and finalizing regulatory rulemakings. This includes appropriately considering public comment, adequately demonstrating statutory authority, accurately balancing costs and benefits and faithfully exercising the delegation of powers by the legislative branch by conforming to legislative intent and statutory language. House Bill 1959 — provides transparency throughout the permitting process and affords state agencies the ability to contract with third parties to assist in clearing permit backlogs.
Local businesses are being invited to sponsor prizes for the Husky Prize Patrol during the summer orientation experiences for new Bloomsburg University freshmen, new transfer students, and their families. The Husky Prize Patrol is a spirit-based set of contests designed to generate enthusiasm around the new students’ life as a Husky. The University is interested in partnering with local businesses as a means of introducing the new students and families to not only the campus community, but also the local Bloomsburg community.
For every prize donated, the business name, services, and location will be introduced to 600-800 new students and families daily. With six orientation dates, the University is asking for a minimum donation of six prizes, or multiples of six, to have consistency with the spirit competitions day-to-day. Anyone with questions can contact Kayla May, assistant director of New Student Orientation, at 570-389-4659 or email. If you do wish to participate, prizes are needed in hand by Friday, June 8, and can be picked up or mailed to Bloomsburg University, 400 East Second Street, 112 Elwell Hall, Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301.
Chamber members and the public are invited to attend the Leadership Central Penn graduation luncheon as the LCP class of 2018 completes the Chamber’s annual community leadership program for working professionals, which is run by the Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber.
Date: May 17, 2018
Location: Pine Barn Inn, Danville
Time: 11:15 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The year’s keynote speaker is Ed Edwards, former president of the Columbia Montour Chamber, who retired in 2010. A full buffet lunch will be served and the cost is $25 per person. See the menu, register and pay online, or by calling 570-784-2522.
Leadership Central Penn is sponsored by Kawneer, SEKISUI SPI, Bloomsburg University and USG. Members of the Leadership Central Penn Class of 2018 include:
The 2017-18 class at its first meeting/retreat back in September.
Matt Beltz
Columbia Montour Chamber
Tamara Collae
PPL Electric Utilities
Stephanie Gryboski
Geisinger
Vanessa Hales
Geisinger
Sharon Haverlak
SEKISUI SPI
Brandi Hoffman
Service 1st Federal Credit Union
Jordan Ikeler
First Keystone Community Bank
Amanda Jarski
First Keystone Community Bank
Michael Maylath
Autoneum North America, Inc.
Eric McCabe
Bloomsburg University
Scott Near
Kawneer
Jalon Orzolek
Kawneer
Brandon Stauffer
Autoneum North America, Inc.
Teresa Peters
For the Cause
Brian Rakauskas
Girton Manufacturing
Adam Robinson
Geisinger
Candy Ryan
Bloomsburg University
Carol Walters
Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital
Rhonda Wieners
The Hope Center
McKayla Zimmerman
First Columbia Bank & Trust
Member News
- PA CareerLink Columbia/Montour Counties will hold its 2018 job fair tonight, May 9, from 4-7 p.m. at Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School, located at 5050 Sweppenheiser Dr., Bloomsburg. There will also be a job fairs just outside of the area at the Selinsgrove VFW on May 30. Later in the year, there will be one at the Best Western in Lewisburg on Sept. 6. All of these events are open to the public to attend. See the flyer for more information.
- The Bucknell Small Business Development Center will present the second of a three-part series on marketing to customers tomorrow, May 10, from 9-10:30 a.m. at its facility on 416 Market St., Lewisburg. This presentation is titled “Marketing to Your Customers: The Who, What, Where, Why and When.” Attendees will learn about targeting the right audience, get an overview of traditional and social media and the importance of relevant content in targeting their business’s core customer base. The third and final part of the series is scheduled for next Thursday, May 17, and is titled “Marketing Online: Getting Under the Hood With the Tools of the Trade.” For more information on all three programs, visit the the Bucknell SBDC’s events page. Cost is $35 and registration can be done online or by calling 570-577-1249.
- The Bloomsburg Municipal Airport will host a Fly-In/Drive-In breakfast and pig roast this Saturday, May 12 at the airport, located at 301 Airport Rd., Bloomsburg. The breakfast will be from 8-11 a.m., with the pig roast to follow from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. There will also be an FAA safety seminar from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. featuring Al Hubler, a retired air traffic controller, who will share his insight and what it’s like from the “other end” of the communication radio. There is no cost or registration required to attend the breakfast or pig roast, however donations are accepted, and registration is requested for the FAA safety seminar. For more information, email BJ Teichman, airport coordinator, or call 570-317-2481.
- The Wilkes Small Business Development Center will hold its next First Step workshop for aspiring entrepreneurs on Wednesday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at its location at 85 South Main St., Wilkes-Barre. This event is intended to help aspiring business owners begin the process of successful business ownership, including evaluating business ideas, developing a business plan and exploring financing options. Cost is $20. To register, visit the link above or call 570-577-1249.
- Red Rock Job Corps Center invites interested parties to bid on a repair project at its building in Lopez. The job requires the removal of flooring, constructing of a trench drain system in the crawlspace below the floor, connection of the drainage system to the main drain/sump pump, and installation of the new floor and repair of the remainder of the existing floor. See the scope of work for more information, and for additional information or questions, call 570-477-0203. A mandatory pre-bid walk through will take place next Thursday, May 17 at 10 a.m., during which a complete bid packet will be distributed. the bid due date is June 1.
- Penn College and WVIA Public Media invite K-12 students, teachers and parents to create their own original board games or video games in the Game On! Art Challenge. Inspired by the documentary “Working Class: Game On! Why Math Matters,” which aired on WVIA and can be viewed on WVIA On Demand, YouTube and the series website, this challenge invites entries of original games created by students in grades K-12, as well as teachers and parents in either classic board game style or in a video game format. The entry deadline is May 18. There are three categories: Grades K-6, 7-12 and teacher/parent. Email entries to Elaine Lambert, executive producer of the the documentary. For more information, visit here.
- CSS Industries, Inc. (Berwick Offray) will conduct a job fair at the Columbia Montour Chamber building, located at 238 Market St., Bloomsburg, on Friday, May 18 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more about the company and the positions available. Whether you’re looking for full-time, part-time or even summer work for students, CSS has a spot for you.
- Montour Area Recreation Commission staff and volunteers are planning a major cleanup of the 6.2-mile long North Branch Canal Trail in Columbia and Montour Counties on Sunday, May 20, from 1-5 p.m. This is MARC’s most ambitious cleanup effort yet along the trail, therefore it is seeking additional volunteers, who are asked to wear boots or other sturdy footwear, long pants and gloves. Children may attend but must be supervised by a parent or adult at all times. Light refreshments will be provided and the event will be held rain or shine, unless thunderstorms or other severe weather in anticipated. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Danville Soccer Park across from the Danville State Hospital at 1 p.m., and from there, the group will be broken into teams and head out to the trail. Volunteers aren’t required to stay until 5 p.m. and may leave whenever needed. For more information, please contact Bob Stoudt at 570-336-2060 or email.
- The Weis Center for the Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau and the Susquehanna River Arts initiative, is hosting a free art exhibit and installation featuring the work of 10 local artists from now through Friday, May 25 in the Weis Center’s upper Atrium Lobby. The exhibit is free and takes place on the upper level of the Atrium Lobby, which is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Participating artists will include: Annie Barnhart, Robert Brown, Pete Grimord, Joan Grimord, Gail Fox, Glen Klein, Abigail Kurecian, Sara Mika, Pam Thomas and William Whitmoyer. Each artist will have several samples of artwork on display.
- Geisinger Health Plan and the Columbia-Montour Aging Office, Inc. are teaming up to bring “A Matter of Balance,” an award-winning program, to the area for a series of presentations in April and May. This program for older adults and is designed to manage falls and increase activity levels. It is available to the public at no cost and will be held each Monday, through May 21, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Maria Joseph Continuing Care Community, located at 1707 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11), Danville. The program will also be held on Tuesday, May 29 due to Memorial Day, and this will be the last class. Attendees will learn to view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risks at home and exercise to increase strength and balance. Registration is required, and to do so, call the GHP wellness team at 866-415-7138.
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, the Penn State World Campus, to help us fulfill our mission.
Penn State World Campus is the centralized online delivery unit of Penn State that works with academic units and colleges to deliver more than 150 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs online to learners at a distance. Penn State launched the World Campus in 1998 in order to make online degree programs available to students beyond the reach of its physical campuses. Today, Penn State World Campus specializes in serving adult learners, corporate partners, and the military. Penn State World Campus is composed of units skilled in developing and delivering high-quality degrees as well as teams of professionals focused solely on providing students with the custom academic and support services necessary for success. Its teams work closely with Penn State faculty and academic departments residing within the colleges to develop and deliver high quality programs online to learners who choose not to attend a physical Penn State campus due to geography or life factors.
Nathaniel Treichler of Northampton, 1st place winner at BU’s Dog Pound
Students from Bloomsburg University and high schools from across the state recently participated in a “Shark-Tank” style business competition on campus. Ideas ranged from regenerating human limbs to an app to help drivers find parking to running a café. The 2nd Husky Dog Pound competition was held April 26 at the Zeigler College of Business.
The University student portion of the competition consisted of several rounds of judging, starting with video presentations, followed by in-person presentations and judging. High school students had three minutes to present their ideas before three-person panels which included Chamber representatives Karen Wood, Board Chair (Service 1st Federal Credit Union); Fred Gaffney, President, and Jeff Emanuel, Director of the Chamber Foundation. The team of Tanner Vandermark and Connor Eyerly from Central Columbia High School finished third with their Rapido Pasta idea. Sawyer Kemp from Berwick High School placed eighth.
Tristan Peace of Watsontown, 2nd place at BU’s Dog Pound
The top B.U. student finishers received cash awards plus a one-year membership in the Chamber and access to the Chamber’s low-interest loan program. First place was Nathaniel Treichler from Northampton for Sleazy Greetings. Nathaniel also won the inaugural competition last year. Second place went to Tristan Peace from Watsontown with Creative Way Films. The team of Jimel Calliste and Dorron Hunt from Bloomsburg finished third with People’s Top Choice Transportation.
“As part of the Chamber’s purpose is to encourage new business development, we were pleased to be a part of the Husky Dog Pound which encourages entrepreneurism,” said Gaffney. Look for these students at upcoming Business After Hours.
Jimel Calliste and Dorron Hunt from Bloomsburg, 3rd place at BU’s Dog Pound
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
When the Pennsylvania Chamber was founded over a century ago, it recruited one of the rising stars in the chamber world from Massachusetts – Daniel Casey – to visit locales across the Commonwealth and impress upon business owners the value of having their own local chamber of commerce. Newspaper columns from the era raved about the inspirational messaging in Casey’s speeches. To a crowd in Tyrone, Pa. in November 1919, Casey asked them to “Look at any municipality that is thriving and you will find that it is thriving because there is some dynamic power behind it. The Chamber of Commerce is that dynamic power.” The power behind Casey’s words, as described in this article that highlighted Casey’s influence in the PA Chamber’s earlier years, was that he recognized the extent to which employers were interested in public policy, and the impact their interest had on economic growth.
Nearly 100 years later, the PA Chamber still understands the power behind engaging local chambers in the ongoing effort to promote this economic growth. Also of importance is the real-world experience they bring as we work with them to craft the public policies we advocate for every day in the halls of the state Capitol. The majority of the almost 10,0000 members the PA Chamber represents are small business owners who belong to local chambers, and those chambers are acutely aware of the challenges they face operating in Pennsylvania.
“What are you hearing from your members?” is a question that comes up at nearly all of the meetings we have with our local chamber partners throughout the year, and at events where we present updates on the PA Chamber’s legislative priorities. We’re also proud of our ongoing partnership with the PA Association of Chamber Professionals in hosting Chamber Day at the State Capitol. Of course, our local chamber partners don’t have just this one day a year to weigh in on the issues that matter to them the most – we keep the line of communication open 365 days a year so you can always reach out, stay informed and rally alongside us when we need you to.
The most recent example in which we’ve enlisted the backing of local chambers was in garnering support for an important prescription drug bill. Senate Bill 936 – which was a leading PA Chamber priority this session – aimed to implement a prescription drug formulary within Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system and would have been a critical piece of the puzzle in addressing the state’s ongoing opioid and prescription drug abuse crisis as it relates to injured workers. In dozens of communications to state lawmakers, the PA Chamber listed more than 70 local chambers across Pennsylvania as being in favor of the bill because it would help to mitigate an epidemic that has hit every corner of the state. The term “all politics is local” is truly driven home when discussing the power of local chambers’ support for an initiative such as S.B. 936, because of the impact it has on lawmakers when they realize how the collective business community in their district has weighed in on the issue. It was the extensive support of these local chambers, as well as medical, business and local government groups across the state that helped to get the bill through the state legislature. Unfortunately, despite the aggressive push we made to get S.B. 936 to the finish line, Gov. Wolf ultimately vetoed the bill on April 27 in favor of a series of executive actions that we believe are woefully inadequate to address a crisis of this magnitude. You can read more about our reaction to the veto in this press release.
Despite the disappointing outcome on S.B. 936, the PA Chamber’s shared mission with our local chamber partners – to guide Pennsylvania toward a stronger economy – will continue unabated. We remain focused on working together toward other important workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation reforms. There are other pro-business topics of importance to focus on that Daniel Casey so eloquently referenced in his speeches so long ago – like establishing a competitive tax climate; reducing regulatory red tape; advancing a fair and efficient legal system; among many other issues on which we’ll be enlisting your expertise, opinions and support. Thank you for all you have done to create a pro-business Pennsylvania thus far and we look forward to the number of ways we can work together in the future.
The latest recipients of Williams‘ Atlantic Sunrise Community Grant program were recently announced, and in this round, the seventh overall, 41 organizations across 10 Pennsylvania counties will receive a total of $264,300 in funding.
Two cycles of Atlantic Sunrise grant awards are announced each year – spring and fall. This cycle’s grant dollars were dispersed in the following categories: emergency response ($107,000), education ($64,500) and recreation or community enhancement projects ($92,800). All grant awards are given to organizations in counties in which the pipeline project crosses.
Since the program’s inception in 2015, Williams has granted more than $2.2 million to 309 organizations in Pennsylvania.
This round of grant recipients included Chamber members the Columbia-Montour Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which received $10K for updates to its Trading Post store, and $4K to WVIA Public Media to support educational programs.
Other Chamber members that have previously received grants through the Atlantic Sunrise Community Grant programs include: Benton Rodeo Association, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Buckhorn Volunteer Fire Co., Camp Victory, Columbia County Traveling Library, Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School., Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber, Hemlock Township and the Pennsylvania College of Technology Foundation.
For complete lists of previous grant recipients, visit one of the links below.
1st round grants (spring 2015)
2nd round grants (fall 2015)
3rd round grants (spring 2016)
4th round grants (fall 2016)
5th round grants (spring 2017)
6th round grants (fall 2018)
The deadline for the fall applications is Sept. 1. Please visit the Atlantic Sunrise Community Grant program page to learn more about the application process, eligibility guidelines, and how organizations are utilizing grant funds to improve their local communities.
On Wednesday, May 2, the Chamber was on hand to help the team at Atlantic Broadbrand complete its rebranding from MetroCast with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and rebranding ceremony. Atlantic Broadband acquired MetroCast at the beginning of 2018 and Wednesday marked the final transition to the Atlantic Broadband era. Local elected officials and dignitaries were on hand to commemorate the occasion.
At the ceremony, Tom Carey, general manager of Atlantic Broadband’s Berwick office, announced that effective immediately, Atlantic Broadband is now delivering automatic internet speed upgrades to all of its business and residential customers. This is just the first of several new enhanced services that Atlantic Broadband will be rolling out to its customers throughout the remainder of the year.
The Chamber is excited to continue it long and mutually-beneficial relationship with Atlantic Broadband, as well as work with it and other broadband and utility providers as well as local, state and federal elected officials to help provide broadband internet service to many of the rural areas in our region.
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
On Friday, April 27 – nine days after the General Assembly had sent him a bill to help address opioid addiction among Pennsylvania’s injured worker population – Gov. Tom Wolf issued his veto of S.B. 936. The PA Chamber was at the forefront in support for this legislation, which aimed to implement a prescription drug formulary within the state’s workers compensation system. Formularies are standard in healthcare and states that have established them within workers’ comp have seen a notable decrease in the number of opioid-dependent injured workers. Joining the PA Chamber in support for this bill was a broad array of stakeholders, including the Hospital & HealthSystem Association of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Occupational and Environmental Medical Society, Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, Concentra (the largest provider of occupational medicine in the country), addiction treatment professionals, other groups representing employers, school districts and municipalities, as well as more than 70 local chambers of commerce, including the Columbia Montour Chamber.
“The Governor’s veto message is puzzling,” PA Chamber President Gene Barr said in a press release on Friday. “He does not appear to recognize that under S.B. 936 his own Department of Labor & Industry would have selected the formulary. I’m also disturbed that the message insinuates that a prescription drug formulary could encourage opioid use. This flies in the face of overwhelming evidence that drug formularies have helped reduce opioid use and addiction in state workers’ compensation systems across the country.”
The Governor’s decision to veto this important legislation is particularly disturbing in light of the revelations in a series of investigative articles by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The series described allegations involving a workers’ compensation law firm that partnered with a small network of doctors to prescribe their clients exorbitantly priced and unproven compound creams; and then sent these unsuspecting patients to pharmacies that were co-owned by the lawyers and doctors themselves. The articles exposed these individuals as the opponents aggressively fighting to defeat S.B. 936.
The day before he vetoed S.B. 936, Gov. Wolf announced his intent to issue Executive Orders related to the opioid crisis that appear to be woefully inadequate. In its press release, the PA Chamber listed the reasons why his action is not an adequate alternative to the bill. For example, the announcement mentions plans to regulate the cost of “topical opioid compounds,” but appears to ignore whether they actually help patients and could allow pharmacy arrangements like the one described by the Inquirer to continue unchecked. The announcement further mentions possible implementation of opioid prescribing “guidelines,” while failing to explain if these “guidelines” can even be enforced. Executive Orders do not carry the full force of the law; they are inherently temporary solutions and their implementation can be fraught with delays and loopholes. This is simply not an adequate alternative to S.B. 936.
“Governor Tom Wolf has spoken eloquently about addressing the opioid crisis and twice declared it an official state emergency,” PA Chamber President and CEO Gene Barr said. “But policymakers must also pursue all reasonable and responsible action to fight this tragic situation…We look forward to working with the legislature and the governor to implement an approach that will truly protect workers by getting them medications that are safe and effective, and will allow them to return to full health and work in a timely manner.”