New Member Highlight – Balanced Bear Bookkeeping
Balanced Bear Bookkeeping, LLC, established in February of 2022, brings a unique, personalized approach to the realm of bookkeeping services. While the business has a special focus on supporting health and allied health professionals, it also extends its specialized services to other service-based businesses.
Founder Torie Brabander, with her decade-long experience in healthcare and certified bookkeeping skills, offers exceptional support tailored to the needs of each business.
At Balanced Bear Bookkeeping, it's not just about numbers. The philosophy is centered around treating each client as a unique individual. This approach is deeply rooted in Torie's background in patient care, emphasizing the importance of compassionate, individualized service.
Balanced Bear Bookkeeping is committed to alleviating the bookkeeping burden for small businesses, enabling them to concentrate on their passions, their work, and their clients.
Reach out to Torie today if you are in need of bookkeeping services!
A spoonful of sugar
By Chris Berleth and Taryn Crayton
You know the story well. Following a debacle with the latest of several nannies, a desperate father named George put an ad in a London newspaper for a replacement. With a little magic, the help of the East Wind upon which she flies, a hysterical uncle and a jack-of-all trades most famous for his work as a chimney sweep, a certain Ms. Poppins turns the hearts of the two youngsters in her charge to their father, and turns the heart of their father, to his children. To a child, the wonder of the story may be the spoonful of sugar, the self-cleaning room, or a certain super...long word. Our perspective shifts as adults though, doesn’t it?
The ultimate beauty of Mary Poppins is not even depicted on screen. Rather, it’s the happy ending that we never witness, and the promise of years of bliss made possible by Mary’s work.
Sometimes, it’s really easy to see the impact of the Chamber. At events like the Business After Hours, leadership workshops, seminars, and more, pictures often tell the tales that match the children’s perspective, that Chamber members connect at Chamber events. Those aren’t the best stories though.
Our favorite stories, and the ones we long to tell, are the second and third degree of a Chamber connection when something happens behind the scenes between members because of a great conversation, or a first-time introduction, a referral inquiry, or a handshake between new acquaintances. These stories are indicative of a substantive impact on the community and serve as evidence that the Chamber is a community-building tool. You may have heard us say it:
“Businesses don’t join Chambers to engage with the staff. They join the Chamber to connect and do business with other members. The strongest Chambers know this, make it happen, and get out of the way.”
Done right, your Chamber is a business version of this magical facilitator. Here’s what we mean:
In 2022, Apollo Point staff met with the Chamber to discuss how to make better use of their membership. They jumped at the suggestions we offered, and got right to it, connecting with other members through referrals, Chamber events, publications, and through a little staff-led strategy. In May, they hosted an incredible Business After Hours to bring all of their new connections together, and now, they’re sharing about amazing dividends – that over the weekend of July 8th, their outdoor
patio and pool area hosted new Chamber friends from the Pine Barn Inn and Neighbor Lady Vino to provide food and wine for a fundraising event for the Geisinger Auxiliary on their property.
In an email to the Chamber, Jen Larsh of Apollo Point said this:
“We wanted to send you pictures of this event that was a HUGE success, and we thought you might want to have this info to show how important it is for chamber members to promote their fellow chamber businesses so that we can all win, and grow our community.”
Four separate businesses intersected at the Chamber, and after connecting, worked together to build something beautiful, “off-screen”.
If we may say so, it sure sounds like a spoonful of sugar.
To collaborate in ways in new ways with organizations in our community, consider chatting with us about your goals and shared vision.
Looking to start collaborating with other chamber members? Check out our events page, the member news section of E-Biz Weekly, or give us a call to brainstorm. If you do, we might even tell you about a man with a wooden leg named Smith.
Did we take the analogy too far?
Member News – July 19, 2023
NEPIRC Enters Alliance Agreement with OSHA
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) announced that it has entered into a two-year Alliance Agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Read full press release here.
Geisinger Janet Weis Children's Hospital receives National Recognition
Dr. Alfred P. Kennedy from Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital talks about Geisinger’s recent Level II National Verification from the American College of Surgeons and what it means to the surgical team as well as Geisinger’s patients and families. Via Eyewitness News WBRE WYOU
Penn College Receives $2 Million, Federal Grant
Awarded by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration, the grant aims to attract and upskill the current and future workforce to meet the increasing demand for clean energy, architecture, construction, and concrete science professionals. Learn More about the grant here.
North Shore Railroad Wins Jake Safety Award with Distinction
The American Short Line Railroad Association recognized North Shore Railroad with the Jake Award with Distinction for performing better than the Class II and III industry average injury frequency rate as reported by the Federal Railroad Administration. Read more about this award.
Columbia Montour Visitors Bureau's Digital Quarterly Magazine
Enjoy the Summer edition of the Columbia Montour Visitor's Bureau's Quarterly Digital Magazine.
Teen Center and Children's Museum Team Up
Teen Center and Children's Museum Team UpTuesdays the center and Bloomsburg Children's Museum, with support from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs Foundation, host “How Did You Make That?” summer camp, an exciting and innovative opportunity designed to inspire and educate youth who are interested in various manufacturing techniques and potential career options.
Sekisui Kydex - what do they do?
Check out this cool YouTube Short to find out.
Summer Concert Series Continues in Danville, Bloomsburg, Berwick, Catawissa
Have you connected with this midweek fun? Check out the concerts in Danville (Tuesdays, 7 PM at Memorial Park), Bloomsburg (Wednesdays, 7 PM at the Bloomsburg Town Park), Berwick, (Thursdays 7 PM at Jackson Mansion) and Catawissa (Tuesdays, 7 PM at Cara Park, South 4th St.
Miller-Keystone Blood Centers in Need of Donations
Blood supplies drop in the summer and Miller-Keystone Blood Centers are in need of all blood types. To learn more about giving blood and finding a donation center click here.
Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak Named to PA Business Central's "Fifty to Follow" Women-Owned Businesses
Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, an elder law and special needs law firm has been named to an annual list of the top 50 women-owned organizations in its coverage area. Learn more about their third straight year appearing on this list.
Webinar: Manufacturing Panel Discussion
On July 27 at 2:00 pm, the manufacturing team at McKonly & Asbury will host this roundtable discussion with Janice Snyder, Brett Bauer, Dave Hammarberg, and Jeremy Peachy. Attendees will gain insight on cybersecurity concerns, recent tax changes impacting manufacturers, and attracting and retaining staff. The webinar is free and one "specialized knowledge" CPE credit is available for this webinar. Register today.
Third Thursday's Happening In Danville July 20th
Check out all the activities happening in Danville tomorrow.
Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg Offers Parking Help
Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg is making their hospital parking lot available until classes start on August 21, 2023, for those customers and business owners who are losing their parking spaces due to the construction on the East Pine Avenue lot construction. Thank you to Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg for the help to Bloomsburg businesses.
Mark Sassani Show at The Exchange
Now through July 21st Mark Sassani's Solo Show will be at The Exchange. His fine-art expression consists mainly of colorful landscapes of east-central and northern-tier Pennsylvania. See full show details here.
Geisinger Wellness Article: Can you Cure GERD Permanently?
"It's easy to brush off chronic acid reflux, especially if it's mild, but excessive GERD symptoms should be taken seriously, explains Amitpal S. Johall, MD, FASGE, chair of gastroenterology at Geisinger. Read more.
Drive-through Senior Expo Planned
On Wednesday, August 2, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, a Drive through Senior Expo will be sponsored by State Representative Robert Leadbeter's office. See flyer for more details.
CSIU To Hold Free Training
Educators, First Responders, and Community Members register today for free trainings on Youth Mental Health First Aid and QPR Suicide Prevention. See a full list of dates and times here.
IMC to host Webinar Series
The Innovative Manufacturers' Center will be hosting a free four-part webinar series about attracting and retaining employees. The series starts July 25th. See full details.
NEPIRC Manufacturing Day: October 13
Join NEPIRC on Friday, October 13th to celebrate the many contributions of our region’s manufacturing industry! At Manufacturing Day, you’ll be able to see product demonstrations; learn more about the cool products made right here in our local communities, and more!
Coming in October...Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc.'s Chili Cookoff & Fall Festival!
Stunning fall foliage and cooler temperatures create the perfect atmosphere for this first annual, family-friendly downtown Bloomsburg event. Read more.
Have remote meetings taken over your calendar? Try this.
Meetings are notoriously seen as a waste of time; many employees cite "too many meetings" as one of the reasons their workplace morale is low. In fact, the average office worker attends more than 60 meetings each month! And, work-from-home employees aren't exempt either – they may have even more meetings because they lack the on-premises collaboratory aspect of office work.
If you're concerned about the number of remote meetings taking over your calendar, you aren't alone. We've developed three strategies you can implement today to help you make the most out of meetings. Take note, these are tips to make the most out of meetings.
Disclaimer: Not Our Only Guidance
This is NOT advice on how to host better meetings. If you're a supervisor, manager, or a business owner hoping to make the most of the meetings you're hosting, we've got other guidance for you, in the form of training tools and education, like the five-module certificate program sponsored by the Chamber and Commonwealth University- Bloomsburg Campus, called, "Management & Leadership", or the nine-month Leadership Central Penn program, facilitated by the Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber.
What Makes Meetings So Frustrating?
Several commonalities surface when workers are asked about their biggest frustration with meetings:
- Meetings that start late or run over the scheduled end time waste time that you could be using for other tasks
- A meeting without an agenda doesn't have a clear point and often leads to discussions about things that aren't relevant
- Too many questions from attendees, especially things that could have been asked and answered in an email
Sometimes, you cannot fix someone who is chronically late or a "Chatty Cathy" that asks dozens of questions, but three key ways exist to make even the most mundane meeting part of a career success.
Improve Your Focus
Focus during meetings is a big problem – many people walk into the meeting already convinced it's a waste of time and will check emails or complete other work during the meeting. Even those ready to pay attention and contribute begin losing focus after just 10 minutes – and only about 4% of meeting attendees are still paying attention after an hour.
Instead of discreetly multitasking, use your meetings as an opportunity to hone your ability to focus. Repeatedly doing something difficult, like focusing on a long meeting, builds your mental muscles and improves your ability to concentrate. This skill carries over to other aspects of your job.
Invest in Your Professional Network
Building relationships with your colleagues and leadership team and developing a large professional network helps bolster your career prospects. Is your team sizeable? Does it include different departments? If so, you can use your meeting time for relationship-building. Meetings can be a good way to meet new people or talk to people you don't engage with daily.
Focus on the speakers in the meeting and ask them questions about the topics that allow them to elaborate further, or ask them to clarify certain points so that you understand their thought process and approach to problem-solving. Being one of the few people who is clearly engaged in the meeting can make you stand out in a good way.
Develop a Greater Depth of Knowledge
Collaboration in meetings, when done right, can often lead to greater success and problem-solving than individuals can alone. You may not realize the information that others in the meeting are privy to; with this extra info, you may be able to better solve a team problem since you have greater knowledge now.
When you learn how to collaborate effectively with others and demonstrate these skills in meetings, you earn a reputation as someone who can work with other personalities and focus on finding a solution that makes sense for everyone on the team. Information you glean from meetings can be used in other ways, too, like adding depth to a report or cluing you into a potential shift in the company.
Final Thoughts
If you treat work meetings as an exercise in building focus and a built-in way to improve your professional network, you'll be surprised at how your own morale improves, and your job success grows.
New Member Highlight – Cookies and More by the Tea Ladies
Cookies and More was started in December 2018 by Lucy Hergan, Sharon Shultz and Deb Barnhart who have worked in the food industry for about 20 years.
Starting out with cookies for Christmas and trays of lasagna and growing into a food-to-go business featuring a rotating menu every week.
Most Tuesdays from 2:30 - 6:30 you will see a line of cars in the parking lot of the Caldwell Consistory in downtown Bloomsburg filled with hungry patrons picking up their orders.
Menus are posted on the Cookies & More by the Tea Ladies Facebook page and orders can be placed through their page or by giving them a call at 570-317-6187. Orders need to be in no later than noon on Sundays.
The Five Levels of Entrepreneurship
It's a big day for entrepreneurship in Columbia and Montour Counties, and you need to look no further than the excellent work of our friends at DRIVE, the Bucknell Small Business Development Center, their incubator Startup Danville, and our partners at 1 Million Cups for proof. Today, following a gathering of the Chamber's Montour County Task Force, where we discussed ways to best serve businesses in Montour County, I had the privilege to join a burgeoning crowd at StartUp Danville's office in the DRIVE Professional Building for an amazing gathering of community members whose sole interests lay in helping entrepreneurs succeed. If you're unfamiliar with the 1 Million Cups program, check out more on their website, but suffice it to say - there's nothing better to help a local entrepreneur than to brainstorm with like-minded business owners who have tackled similar challenges in setting up their businesses. After the group heard from two small businesses and brainstormed ways to help them grow, the group of more than 30 professionals continued to celebrate entrepreneurship with an interactive podcast recording, a networking lunch, and they'll culminate their day in an open house at the Ben Franklin Technology Center, who is honing in on innovation in their space next-door to the (current) Chamber home on Market St. (Stop by between 4 pm and 7 pm to say hello!)
In honor of this entrepreneurship-themed day, take a moment and consider what the road of entrepreneurship looks like, and how valuable Chamber members can be as resources to this always-in-development community of business owners.
Embarking on the road of entrepreneurship can be frightening, uncertain, and turbulent — especially at the start. On your journey, it's helpful to have a mental roadmap and to know what to expect from yourself along the way. Nobody is 100% clear and consistent from the onset and you'll naturally have fluctuating states of mind about the whole thing. Author and entrepreneur, Farshad Asl, provides such a roadmap called the "Five Levels of Entrepreneurship", which we'll summarize for you here.
Level One: Encouragement
At this stage of your entrepreneurial journey, you're just slightly over the fence and have convinced yourself to leave regular job safety behind. You're feeling a combination of fear and anticipation for what lies ahead and sometimes worry about financial security and whether your plans will work out. During this stage, it's important to clarify to yourself why you're doing this.
Develop a clear business plan, start researching and developing marketing strategies, and put the first pieces of the puzzle together. Ask yourself "Why should consumers be interested in my product?", "What value can I bring to them?". (Need help with a business plan? No worries, the Small Business Development Centers have free consulting that can help!)
Level Two: Engagement
During the engagement stage, you're off the fence and are fully invested in your new entrepreneurial life. However, that doesn't mean that you don't have moments of compromised confidence, but it's equally as exhilarating as it is terrifying! You're fully emerged in your future vision and are beginning to foster a growth-positive mindset. You're making developments every day and are gaining a clearer vision of the task at hand.
Level Three: Established
This is the middle stage of your entrepreneurial journey and you're about to cross the bridge between conceptual and practical. You're experiencing a lot of mental clarity and you're focusing on expanding your network and vision. The more time you spend with a mentor at this stage to soak up and valuable lessons you can, the better.
The next stage awaits you, but passing from level three to level four is the biggest transition on the whole journey. You're already making money at this stage, which is why many entrepreneurs get too comfortable at this level. Don't let your progress stop here.
Level Four: Expert
This is a hard-won level to achieve and it's also the most transformative. At this stage, you're realizing the value of delegating authority to others to free up your own time. You're helping others step into leadership roles and have developed a zest for bringing out the best in people you work with. You're focused on creating new opportunities and can easily catch the attention of investors.
Fully settled into your new life as an entrepreneur, you're helping and encouraging others to do the same. It took a great deal of maturity and flexibility to reach this stage and you're enjoying the fruits of your hard work.
Level Five: Entrepreneur
This is the highest level of your entrepreneurial journey and you've broken free from an array of limitations. You're no longer bound by financial difficulties and you'll never doubt your own abilities again. The years of hard work, late nights and the stress of uncertainty have paid off and you're life is everything you dreamed it could be.
The road to entrepreneurial actualization is long and arduous. With enough confidence, intelligence, and perseverance, you'll make it. Better yet, with resources like the Bucknell SBDC, Wilkes SBDC, business incubators across the region, networking groups like One Million Cups, BNI, Penn State Extension, Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg Campus and the Ziegler Institute for Professional Development, and clearinghouses (like your Chamber hopes to be), you've got a leg up where you might not realize you had one.
Five Steps to a Well-Designed Benefit Strategy
Source: MyBenefit Advisor
A well-designed employee benefit strategy can help build a significant advantage for any company seeking to grow through the acquisition and retention of key talent. The inability to hire and retain a strong workforce will affect an organization’s performance and inhibit its ability to achieve corporate goals and objectives. The ability to understand employee needs and craft a customized strategy is one of the more critical components of successful human resource management.
The following five steps will aid in the development of a successful benefit design strategy.
Be Sure to Develop a Benefit Strategy that Aligns with the Company Mission Statement…
A company’s benefit strategy should not be thought of as distinct and unrelated to the long term business goals of the company, but should instead compliment the ideological philosophies the business was built on.
Set Benefit Plan Goals and Budget…
Establishing objectives for the company benefit program will enable decision makers to select the right plans, plan designs and services to round out their overall portfolio. As a general guideline, an employee’s benefits cost is approximately 30% of their overall compensation.
Analyze Employee Demographics and Benefit Needs…
Benefit portfolios should be relevant and match the specific demographics and needs of each company’s diverse workforce
Choose Plans and Providers that Match the Above Criteria…
With the help of a benefits broker or consultant, create a benefit portfolio based on the established strategy, budget and needs of the company.
Develop an Effective Communication Strategy…
An effective communication strategy, involving a variety of media formats, allows employees to take full advantage of the benefits provided. Communication should extend beyond open enrollment periods and provide updates, reminders and education throughout the plan year.
Once the strategy has been developed, plans chosen, and employees enrolled, company leaders should analyze and review the program on a regular basis and be prepared to modify the strategy and its components as needed. Employee feedback can be a valuable resource for this process. A sound benefit strategy should not be carved in stone but should be fluid, adapting to evolving needs, company development and any changes to the business environment and socio-economic conditions.
The Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at cmcc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Stephen Lylo at (800) 377-3539.
Small Businesses Optimistic Despite Inflation Concerns
Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Author: Thaddeus Swank, Senior Writer and Editor, Strategic Communications, US Chamber of Commerce
Small business owners have record-breaking optimism about the future
right now, according to new data in the Q2 2023 MetLife and U.S. Chamber Small Business Index. The report comes amid the news in June of the Federal Reserve pausing interest rate hikes, and robust housing starts data. Both hiring plans and revenue expectations reached record highs for the Index this quarter, which began in 2017. A record-high share of small business owners (71%) expects their revenue to increase in the next year. In addition, a record-high share anticipates hiring more staff in the next year (47%, up from 37% last quarter). Also, almost half (42%) of small businesses say they plan to increase investment in the next year, consistent with last quarter (38%). Other recent small business surveys echo this optimism. In TD Banks’ 2023 Small Business Survey released June 21, 80% of small businesses voiced optimism about how they will do in the next 12 months.
Higher Interest Rates Dampen Growth Plans
Fully half (50%) of U.S. small businesses report that they have delayed plans to grow their business in response to higher interest rates. In the face of higher rates, small businesses are turning to a diverse range of financing to grow. A majority of small businesses still report relying on their personal savings (71%) and credit cards (67%) as the top sources for funding their small businesses. A lesser amount—but still a majority (59%) of small businesses—seek funding from local banks or credit unions. Majorities of small business owners say it’s harder to borrow money for their business from banks because they are tightening lines of credit (73%) and express concern about rising interest rates making it harder to pay back current business loans (74%). While rising rates have implications for the broader economy, nine in ten (91%) small business owners agree that small businesses are the most vulnerable to rising interest rates (including 52% that strongly feel this way).
Inflation Remains Top Concern
This is the sixth consecutive quarter where inflation tops the list of challenges for small business owners. More than half (54%) say inflation is a top challenge followed by interest rates rising (23%), supply chain issues (23%) and revenue (20%). However, more small businesses (23%) indicate that rising interest rates are a top concern this quarter, after this measure plateaued at about 15% throughout 2022. Since Q3 2021, when this was first asked, concerns over rising interest rates have climbed 16 percentage points. The Index’s overall score rose slightly to 63.1 from 60.0 last quarter. This is near findings in Q4 2022 (62.1).
The Q2 2023 SBI survey was conducted between May 8-24, 2023. For more findings from this quarter, and to explore and browse years of small business data, visit: https://www.uschamber.com/sbindex/.
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Thaddeus Swank is a senior writer and editor of the MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index. He works on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's strategic communications team.
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is a longstanding member of the U.S. Chamber, upon whom it relies for high-quality, expert perspectives on national economic trends, policy, and data.
Build It In America Act
Source: McKonly & Asbury
In a bill that seems almost custom-made for manufacturers, the House of Representatives recently introduced HR 3938, or the Build It in America Act – which would immediately address three timely tax provisions left over from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Research and Development Expenses
The first issue addressed in the bill (which also just happens to be the timeliest) is the mandatory capitalization and amortization of research and development expenses. Prior to 2022, these expenses could be immediately deducted. After 2021, they must be capitalized and amortized over 5 years for domestic costs, or 15 years for foreign costs. This bill would delay this provision until 2026 – which is when numerous tax issues will need to be addressed. This would be much-needed relief, as this addback has the potential to be very damaging, as we previously discussed here.
Interest Expense
Next up is a tweak to the 163(j) rules that limit the deductibility of interest expense. Currently, interest expense is limited to 30% of adjusted taxable income. This bill would extend the provision that allows depreciation and amortization to be added back to adjusted taxable income – effectively allowing more interest expense to be deducted. Coincidentally enough, this can is also kicked down the road until 2026.
Bonus Depreciation
The final significant tax item addressed is one that is near and dear to our hearts – Bonus Depreciation. We’ve seen the phase-out of the phase-out before, and it looks like they’re trying to phase out the phase-out again. Assets acquired in 2023 and later are subject to something less than 100% bonus depreciation in year one. It’s a gradual step down from 100% until we get to zero – and back to regular MACRS. Section 103 of the bill extends 100% bonus deprecation until – you guessed it – 2026.
Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends in this bill (at least as it relates to taxes). As with most tax-related information, where there’s good news for someone, there’s bad news for someone else. Up in the 300 level of the Build It in America Act is the repeal of four “clean” credits that were enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act. The clean electricity production credit, the clean electricity investment credit, the credit for previously owned clean vehicles, and the credit for qualified commercial clean vehicles would all be repealed. In addition to these, the clean vehicle credit would be modified in a way that limits its applicability.
While we’re always hopeful about provisions that will help businesses invest more money back into themselves and their people, many are skeptical about the chances of this bill becoming law. I’m still confident (although admittedly I’m not sure why) that – at the very least – the R&D amortization rule will be fixed, but anything beyond that I see as highly unlikely.
For more information regarding our manufacturing experience, be sure to visit our Manufacturing Services page, and don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of our manufacturing team.
The post of this article, "Build It in America Act", appeared first on McKonly & Asbury's website.
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McKonly & Asbury is a member in good standing of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce, and their regular submissions of critical tax, accounting, and financial articles are an asset to Chamber members' success.
Member News – July 12, 2023
Ronald McDonald House of Danville Hosts Camp Dost
Congratulations to the Ronald McDonald House of Danville, which is hosting another successful year of Camp Dost, a summer camp for pediatric cancer patients. This year, the Chamber had an opportunity to visit the camp (which takes place at Camp Victory in Millville during media day. Well done!
Encina Leadership Team Provides Updates, Answers Questions from Community
In June, Encina’s leadership team hosted a community outreach event in neighboring Sunbury to discuss the project’s benefits, including job creation and economic impacts, protecting the environment, and community safety. Encina reported great conversations with members of the community and answered nearly two hours of questions. For more information on the project, visit the Encina website, here.
Check out the economic impact study conducted by the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association in April 2022.
Berleth Speaks to Danville Borough Council
Special thanks from the Chamber to the Danville Borough Council, who hosted Chamber President Chris Berleth for public comments on July 11, 2023. Hoping to connect with Chamber staff about programming and events? We'll be using the Fall to connect with members left and right!
Benton Frontier Days Celebration Championship Rodeo and Bull-A-Rama July 11-16
The Benton Rodeo is considered one of the best of over 65 rodeos east of the Mississippi River, as voted by the American Professional Rodeo Association and draws cowboys and cowgirls from all over the country as well as Canada. They come to the rodeo to show what they've got and to compete with the best of the best. The Benton Area Rodeo Association is a non-profit organization whose goal is to stimulate tourism to the Benton area to provide fundraising opportunities to Local Charities, Service Groups, Fire Companies, Ambulance Associations, Scouts, and Churches. This event is growing each and every year, so don't sit at home. Come be a part of this awesome event. You won't be disappointed.
WWII Weekend Happening in July
The annual WWII weekend hosted by the Stuart Tank Memorial Association will be happening July 14th - July 16th. This free event features battle and weapon demonstrations, and military and food vendors. Learn more.
Columbia Montour Visitors Bureau's Digital Quarterly Magazine is out now
Enjoy the Summer edition of the Columbia Montour Visitor's Bureau's Quarterly Digital Magazine.
McBride Library to host Penn State Extension
Join Penn State Extension Master Gardener Leen Pham for a free, in-person presentation on “Houseplant Care” on Tuesday evening, July 18, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at McBride Memorial Library, 500 Market Street, Berwick. Advance registration is not needed. Learn more about the McBride Library's programs.
Miller-Keystone Blood Centers in Need of Donations
Blood supplies drop in the summer and Miller-Keystone Blood Centers are in need of all blood types. To learn more about giving blood and finding a donation center click here.
Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg Offers Parking Help
Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg is making their hospital parking lot available until classes start on August 21, 2023, for those customers and business owners who are losing their parking spaces due to the construction on the East Pine Avenue lot construction. Thank you to Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg for the help to Bloomsburg businesses.
Kawneer helps with Visitor Bureau Upgrades
The Columbia Montour Visitors Bureau welcome center at 121 Paper Mill Rd. in Bloomsburg got some much-needed front and back door upgrades with the help of fellow chamber member Kawneer. Stop in and see the new doors Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm and Saturday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.
Drive-through Senior Expo Planned
On Wednesday, August 2, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, a Drive through Senior Expo will be sponsored by State Representative Robert Leadbeter's office. See flyer for more details.
Celebration Villa of Berwick Collecting Pet supplies
From now until the end of July Celebration Villa of Berwick will be collecting the following supplies for Rescue Pets Serving Vets in Benton, PA: Clorox, Odiban, Paper Towels, Small Dog Collars, Leashes, Pee Pads, Gallon Sized Plastic Zip Lock Bags, 50/30/13 Gallon Garbage Bags, Laundry Detergent (HE), (4) Health Puppy Food From Tractor Supply.
The donation box will be inside the front door of their facility at 2050 W. Front St. Berwick.
Mark Sassani Show at The Exchange
Now through July 21st Mark Sassani's Solo Show will be at The Exchange. His fine-art expression consists mainly of colorful landscapes of east-central and northern-tier Pennsylvania. See full show details here.
CSIU To Hold Free Training
Educators, First Responders, and Community Members register today for free trainings on Youth Mental Health First Aid and QPR Suicide Prevention. See a full list of dates and times here.
IMC to host Webinar Series
The Innovative Manufacturers' Center will be hosting a free four-part webinar series about attracting and retaining employees. The series starts July 25th. See full details.
NEPIRC Manufacturing Day: October 13
Join NEPIRC on Friday, October 13th to celebrate the many contributions of our region’s manufacturing industry! At Manufacturing Day, you’ll be able to see product demonstrations; learn more about the cool products made right here in our local communities, and more!
Coming in October...Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc.'s Chili Cookoff & Fall Festival!
Stunning fall foliage and cooler temperatures create the perfect atmosphere for this first annual, family-friendly downtown Bloomsburg event. Read more.