Commerce Quarterly Winter 2014

Closing the Skills Gap

Berks Park 78 GainsNational Recognition

As Shovel-Ready Site

WINTER 2014

WHAT DRIVESYOUR BUSINESS?

COMMERCEQUARTERLY

Greater Reading Chamber

Small Business& Government:A Long Distance Relationship

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Ellen Albright, Editor201 Penn St., Suite 501, Reading, PA 19601

greaterreadingchamber.org • 610.376.6766

©2014 All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced electronically

or in print without the expressed written permission of the publisher.

Commerce Quarterly Magazine is published quarterly by

Hoffmann Publishing Group, Reading, PAHoffmannPublishing.com • 610.685.0914

For Advertising Opportunities: call 610.685.0914 Ext. 1

Read Commerce Quarterly Magazine Online

at GreaterReadingChamber.org

The opinions expressed in this material are for general information only and are

not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

COMMERCEQUARTERLY

Greater Reading ChamberGreater Reading Chamber

Special thanks to the Berks Career & Technology Center for providing access their facilities and students for some of the photos in this issue. We would also like to acknowledge the following Photo Imaging Technology student photographers who captured the images: Noah Rauch, senior, and Kaitlyn Waidelich, junior, from Kutztown School District, and Tate Bouffard, junior, from Tulpehocken Area School District, and their instructor, Glenn Riegel.

As the business voice of Greater Reading, the Chamber leads the business community, as the economic driver, to a vibrant community.

Your Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry…

» Partners with all other economic development organizations in creating an

environment for growth.

» Enables all businesses to take deliberate and decided action on issues affecting their welfare.

» Helps small business thrive and entrepreneurs strive.

» Develops employees through training and educational programs/alliances.

» Prepares tomorrow’s workforce with our involvement in education partnerships.

» Operates as a model business and pursues best practices.

» Maintains a five-star rating as one of the best chambers in Pennsylvania.

» Reflects our multicultural community at large.

Features:

6 Small Business Matters Family Business Advisory Boards —Outside Perspective For Ongoing Success!

8 Cover Story Location, Location, Location! Closing the Skills Gap

12 Entrepenuer’s Corner Q&A with David Vollmer & Steve Smith

13 Small Biz Thrives Patrick M. Borja, D.C., Owner and Director—Spine & Wellness Center

14 Made in Berks Reading Plastic Fabricators

16 Industry Trends Spotlight on Construction

18 Ben Franklin Invests in Our Community Custom Processing Services Succeeding with Support from Ben Franklin & Other Economic Developers

34 Effective Leadership Re-Igniting Berks Through The Work of Leaders

In Every Issue:

5 Letter From the President Why We Do the Things We Do…

20 Volunteer Spotlight

22 Winter 2014 Centerfold Scott L. Gruber President, CEO, Tompkins VIST Bank

24 Out & About

36 Member Spotlight

38 Member News

42 Upcoming Events

Departments:

26 In Your Community Berks Park 78 Gains National Recognition As Shovel-Ready Site

Business & Community Advocacy28 What Drives Your Business?

30 Small Business & Government: A Long Distance Relationship 32 November Election Debrief

5

GreaterReadingChamber.orgletter from the president

Welcome to the first edition of Commerce Quarterly!

Our goal for the magazine is to tell the story of economic activity in Berks through the stories and successes of the entrepreneurs and companies that thrive here.

diverse business community in Berks. We hope that fortifies our community’s confidence in the strength of our local economy.

In addition to company profiles, we share data on industry trends (this quarter features construction) and include articles that high-light best business practices, i.e. forming an advisory board. We plan to have some fun with the magazine as well. Did you check out our centerfold? Yep, there really is a centerfold!

I’d also like to give a shout out to Berks Career & Technology Center’s photography students for capturing the pictures for the feature article and cover, and the many other students who posed for the cover shot representing

Why We Do the Things We Do…the many skill-building programs available at BCTC.

We’d love to hear your feedback on this issue and suggestions for future story ideas. Send your comments and suggestions to me at [email protected]. You can also contact our edi-tor and recent addition to our staff, Ellen Albright, Communications Coordinator, at [email protected].

Onwards & upwards,

Ellen HoranEllen Horan, President, CEOGreater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry

We start with the premise that none of us is as smart as all of us. However, put

our minds together and there isn’t a business challenge we can’t overcome. A Vistage Private Advisory Board meets once a month to tackle some of today’s most challenging business issues. Is it right for you? The only way to find out is to give us a call.

Wish you could tap into today’s brightest business minds?

Joni NauglePresident, Naugle Associates, LLCVistage Executive Group Chair

610.780.5068www.NaugleAssoc.com

If you are a CEO, Key Executive or Business Owner, call:

In this inaugural edition our feature story focuses on local efforts that are building our work-force pipeline. The availability of skilled labor and talent is the number one issue that keeps our business owners awake at night. It’s also the number one issue in the rankings of site selection factors.

Rather than rehashing the problem, our article focuses on explaining what skills are lacking in our local labor pool and what companies are doing about it. Successfully expanding and enhancing the talent pool will be critical to supporting the economic health of the county. There are numerous companies featured throughout the articles and profiles that give you an idea of the depth and breadth of our

6 COMMERCE QUARTERLY WINTER 2014

small business matters

Family Business Advisory Boards —Outside Perspective For Ongoing Success!

Elaine McDevittThe Rose Corporation, CEO

Here’s the thing about family busi-nesses—they often mix all of the objectivity and reason of any other

business with all of the subjectivity and emotion of family relationships that have developed over time. And with approximately 65% of businesses in the United States being family-owned, this mix can be a recipe for very unique issues which may benefit from professional, non-family guidance.

Implementing and maintaining a Board of Advisors for a family business is an evolving venture. The predominant goals are to protect shareholder(s)’ interests, manage risk, secure continuity and provide insight and oversight to management. If you overthink it, you’ll probably never do it; yet, with some prior reading and planning it could be a successful part of your business strategy for growth.

My personal experience with Advisory Boards at my own family’s business has been a profound journey. Our first advisory board was “ad hoc.” My father and company founder passed unexpectedly in 2010. At his viewing, a friend in the business community took my hand and said, “Elaine, I’ve gotten a few of

your Dad’s business friends together and we are going to help you and your family.” Can you imagine the immediate gratefulness I felt in my very sad, very scared heart? It turns out this insightful group helped us to see the advantage of bringing on an interim president who, during his six-month term, helped us form a formal Advisory Board to move the company forward. And, ohh…the things we learned!

An Advisory Board can be a conduit for family members working inside and outside of your business to better understand the business, gain perspective on where their business is in the marketplace, and most importantly, hold shareholders accountable when there may otherwise be no one to fill that role. In my own experience, the Board also helped to even the playing field among family members, some of whom had more experience in business than others.

It is important to recruit competent professionals with integrity who will give independent oversight; provide objectivity; enforce follow-through; be sounding boards for management; ask questions and provide

wisdom; and ensure that all owners’ goals are considered. Above all, they must offer 100% honesty in a respectful way. Diversify your board with members who have expertise in various business sectors including sales/marketing, operations, human resources, finance, and industry-specific expertise. The best advisors should be people who were where you are ten years ago. This 5,000 foot perspective can help you focus on your goals and how to achieve them.

Ask other professionals for prospective can-didates including your attorney, CPA, or your personal network of business colleagues—the connections they can make for you will be outstanding! The new Family Business Alliance initiative at the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce is currently developing a referral list for this very reason which may also offer potential candidates.

Are you interested and have more questions? Great! To start, Google “family business advisory boards” and read through several articles of your choice. Choose from them the points that most appropriately serve your needs with regard to best practices for meeting schedules, compensation, board committees, etc.

The Rose Corporation Advisory Board typically meets quarterly, and non-family members are paid per meeting. We currently do not have sub-committees, however, the issue of compensation is the most prevalent. There are three family members on our board and two outside professional advisors, and we are currently looking to add expertise in the Sales Development.

When asked about Advisory Boards, my best advice is always two-fold. First, no matter what advice you are given, the final decision is yours (and your family’s) alone. Some of the decisions will work and some will not. It is all part of the process. Second, don’t learn the hard way how beneficial Advisory Boards can be. Use my education in the “school of hard knocks” and put a Board together to ensure the security of your business, your employees and your family before the unthinkable happens—and allow it to benefit everyone involved in the present!

7

GreaterReadingChamber.org

The Berks Family Business Alliance, founded by the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry, is a leading resource in Berks County serving family-owned and operated businesses of all sizes. Membership is open to all Berks County family-owned businesses, and their employees! It’s very easy to join. All you have to do is send an email with your name and business or organization to [email protected].

Our Mission: “Providing Resources and Support

for Family Businesses.”

Get in the Conversation with Facilitated Peer to Peer Exchange Groups. Family business owners face extraordinary challenges unique to running a family business. This is a great way to gather with your peers, share common problems and experiences, and learn how to deal with your unique situations. We allow only one participant per group from each industry segment in order to avoid competitive concerns.

For more information, contact Danielle Antos via email at [email protected] or by calling 610-898-7780.

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What, you might ask, does location have to do with a workforce skills gap? The answer is, ‘everything’

if you’re a business in the Greater Reading area. A skilled and intuitive workforce is the lifeblood of any business. Lack of such talent presents challenges for business retention and growth, and investment from companies exploring relocation markets.

Much has been written recently about the labor force in the Reading market, highlight-

ing the deficiencies in education attainment levels and the employment gap this creates in meeting the demands for the jobs of today and tomorrow. However, we can point to three distinct challenges that exacerbate the skills gap facing businesses: an aging workforce, emerging technologies and a disinterest in technical jobs.

Most employers and community leaders agree now is the time to improve the process, beginning with improved communications

Location, Location, Location!

Closing the Skills GapTracy HoffmannHoffmann Publishing Group

cover story

between parents, teachers, school counselors and business leaders regarding tangible career paths and workplace expectations.

So, What Skills Are Required?According to Steve Letcavage, HR Director,

and Andi Funk, CEO, Cambridge-Lee Industries, the technical skills required for today’s workforce are hard to measure and manage because they are constantly changing.

“We are asking more of what had once been low-tech jobs,” says Funk. “We want all our

Pictured, from left to right: Row 1: Eric Holleran, Hayley Martin, Marissa Faranda, Annya Lauck Row 2: Amanda O’Donohue, Neve Miller, Nathaniel Weller, Beth Meck, Andrea Boyer, Emily Witmoyer Row 3: Nicholas Schaeffer, David Reiss, Haley Hopewell, Desiree Giraldi, Cassandra Boss, Jesse Zook, Dr. Lisa Greenawalt Row 4: Isiah Pomales, Seth Boylan, Meghan Weldon, Benjamin Klein, Matthew Buchman, Jared George, Mr. Erik Damgaard Row 5: Nick Francone, Matthew Weston, Kenneth Rodriguez, Austin Ellefson, Rece Harman, Alberto Rivera

9


employees to be skilled at critical thinking and problem-solving, and to have good commu-nication skills.” Letcavage adds, “Character, responsibility and dependability are most in demand. Of 21 discharges Cambridge-Lee had in 2013, 14 were for absenteeism.”

“There are plenty of potential employees with basic skills in reading, writing and math to meet the requirements of today’s jobs,” confirms Letcavage, “but the skills in short supply are the ability to learn on the job; to understand and adapt to changing information technology; and the non-cognitive skills to fit it all together.”

“New technologies frequently require new skills that schools don’t teach and labor mar-kets don’t supply. Information technologies have radically changed (how work gets done) over the last several years, and employers have had difficulty finding workers who can make the most of these new technologies. Students are also often reluctant to invest in education until they can see a standardized skill path with a secure future,” concludes Letcavage.

Elaine McDevitt, CEO, The Rose Corporation, acknowledges the difficulty in filling positions. “Right now we’re looking to fill a technical skills sales and service posi-tion for our Drever line of furnace parts and service. This person needs a combi-nation of mechanical abilities to understand the drawings, technical abilities to process the orders through our accounting system, and people skills to work with customers, both in writing and verbally, to satisfy their require-ments. It’s very difficult to find all three skills in one person!”

The biggest challenge facing Mike Fromm, CEO, Fromm Electric, is finding talented employees to meet the demands of the expanding energy, automation, and supply/distribution industry. “To be most valuable to our customers we need to recruit people who possess at least a basic understanding of electrical systems, and in some cases hands-on experience with sophisticated automation technology,” says Fromm. “At the same time, we are looking for people with the personality traits to represent our company appropriately.

of those jobs will require an associate’s degree or certificate, nearly all require real-world skills.

WORKFORCESKILLS GAP:

The challenge created by a gap of skills available and skills needed for 21st century jobs.

Experts predict 47 million job openings by 2018.

Jobs requiring MORE THAN a high school diploma but

LESS THAN a 4-year degree account for:

of the country’s workers are trained at that level

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2018, there will be

a record 1.2 million unfilled jobs in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering & math)

Non-STEM jobs requiring an Associate’s Degree

54%

40days

31days37days

44%of U.S. labor

market

but only

Associate’s-level and high-school-level STEM jobs

Non-STEM jobs requiring a Bachelor’s Degree

AVERAGE JOB POSTING LENGTHS

600,000SKILLED JOBS ARE GOING UNFILLED

83% 69%of companies report a moderate to serious shortage of skilled workers

expect the shortage to grow worse in the next 3–5 years

https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/tll0zkxt0puz45hu21g6http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/publications/file/middle-skill-fact-sheets-2014/NSC-United-States-MiddleSkillFS-2014.pdfhttp://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2009/11/art5full.pdfhttp://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/2014/job-vacancies-and-stem-skills#/M10420http://www.iwnc.org

https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/tll0zkxt0puz45hu21g6

SOURCES:

3

This combination of requirements can narrow the field of available local candidates. As a result, we have developed robust internal training programs and expanded the geography of our recruiting efforts.”

“Throughout the country, there have been less students attracted to jobs that require individuals to work with their hands. Our employee base is aging without a pool of candidates to back fill from the next generation, thus we subsequently don’t have sufficient innovation from the new generation. Training will become more important—both training existing employees in these new-age skills, as well as training new entrants in the skilled trades that our current employees have taken decades to master,” says Funk.

Who’s Leading the Charge to Prepare a Skilled Workforce?

“Among the top competitive advantages a community can tout is a readily available work-force; particularly a skilled workforce,” says Jon Scott, CEO, Greater Reading Economic Partnership. “A skilled workforce is also an incredible economic development driver in terms of retaining existing Greater Reading

companies and attracting new ones.”

“As baby-boomers are reaching retirement age, we wanted to address the skills gap issue proactively versus reactively.

With this knowledge GREP has made working with our

workforce development partners a priority. We launched Careers in

Two Years in early 2012,” adds Scott. The goal of this campaign is to increase awareness and get more people, particularly high-school aged students, through the technical training pipeline so they are prepared to obtain existing, good-paying jobs in Greater Reading.

“We have seen an increase in the seats being filled at the Berks Career & Technology Center (BCTC), Reading Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center (RMCTC) and Reading Area Community College (RACC) in the high priority occupations that have been identified in our community,” indicates Scott. “These include welding, mechatronics and precision machining. Our work as a community is not

Continued on page 10


done; while there have been increases, seats remain open and the demand for technical skills is higher than ever.”

“The Home Builders Association of Berks County (HBA) has planned diligently and partnered carefully to diminish any ill effects of the graying of skilled tradesmen,” states Christian Malesic, Executive Officer. “The HBA works closely with each of the Berks County Career & Technology Centers, which are the skills-training high schools that used to be known as Vo-Techs. The HBA and Career & Technology Centers continuously offer training and certification courses to help keep the workforce current.

“Construction jobs are abundant, high-tech, are for those with strong math and science aptitudes, and pay very well,” says Malesic. “Within four years of starting in construction, most earn over $40,000/year. The best, who seek out specialized training and/or management opportunities, can easily double that within 10 years. Construction is one of the very few jobs that will NEVER be outsourced overseas.”

To further advance training oppor-tunities and narrow the skills gap, BCTC has implemented a program called Technical Academy (TA). The TA is a partnership between BCTC, RACC and Bloomsburg University. The TA provides a variety of career pathways that represent “high priority occupations” here in Berks County for students interested in continu-ing their education and earning an Associate of Science degree at RACC and, eventually, a Bachelor’s degree

through Bloomsburg or another university partner.

According to Bob Lees, Executive Director, BCTC, “The goal of the TA is to attract a large number of academically proficient students into career pathways that will eventually lead to high paying jobs right here in Berks County. The career pathways that comprise the TA include Mechatronics Engineering Technology, Healthcare Information Technology, Computer Networking, Computer Programming, and Technology-Based Entrepreneurship.”

Penn State Berks has made a large commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education locally according to R. Keith Hillkirk, Ed.D., Chancellor. “About 20% of the local workforce is employed in manufacturing and there is a need for engineers to work in companies in that sector of the economy. This is especially true since most of the manufacturers that remain in Berks County produce highly specialized products,” notes Hillkirk.

Penn State Berks continues to identify STEM disciplines and degree programs that may be attractive to prospective Penn State Berks students and the Berks business community. They recently added Mechanical Engineering and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology as baccalaureate degrees which can be completed at Penn State Berks.

“We are also open to forming partnerships with local companies to assist local school districts in improving how STEM subjects are taught,” interjects Walt Fullam, Director, Continuing Education.

“We’ve had a really significant relationship with Carpenter Technology over the past seven years to improve how STEM subjects are taught in local schools. In addition we have worked with many other com-panies on smaller initiatives and have begun to explore how we may be able to replicate our highly successful Learning Factory program, which involves Penn State Berks STEM students in researching and solving real-life industry problems and challenges, with high schools.”

“At the high school and middle school level,” says Paul Esqueda, Sr. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, “we are focused on

recruiting women and minority students into the engineering and technology fields. We are working with local school districts who are asking for assistance in engaging middle school and high school students in ways that make STEM

careers seem more interesting and attractive.”

Other technical programs have been strengthened and still more business/education programs have blossomed between several Berks County school districts and community organizations such as the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce, GREP, Workforce Investment Board (WIB), Berks Business Education Coalition (BBEC) and our local colleges.

Larger companies continue to develop a combination of strategies with in-house, apprentice-type, and outside training programs. According to Deb Antol, HR & Safety Manager, Sweet Street Desserts, “Sweet Street relies heavily on ongoing training as it’s critical in developing the soft and technical skills for employees. We have utilized the Chamber’s training programs, as well as many of those offered at RACC. The Mechatronics program at the Schmidt Center at RACC has been particularly beneficial for training employees in Maintenance technology,” says Antol.

“The state of technology in manufacturing has changed significantly over the last decade,” acknowledges Bob Harrop, Vice President, Human Resources, at East Penn Manufacturing. “Our production manufacturing operations, to a very great extent, employ comput-er-driven programming and controls. Also, many of the machine interfaces are computer-based. This means the people who install, monitor and repair our equipment must be knowledgeable and effective using computer-based diagnostics and understand the programming software used to drive machine operation, while the employees who operate our production equipment must be skilled and comfortable with moving through computer interfaces to review, interpret or adjust machine settings.”

East Penn is also a WorkKeys preferred employer, part of the WIB training regimen. “We believe the attainment of a WorkKeys Career Readiness Certificate demonstrates a significant level of commitment on the part of an applicant, and can set him or her apart from others. WorkKeys serves as an independent verification of an applicant’s skills in applied mathematics, locating information, and reading for information; all of which are important skills in today’s manufacturing environment.”

cover story continued…

11


The BBEC is also committed. Under Solomon Lausch, Ph.D., Executive Director, and retired superintendent of Schuylkill Valley School District, the BBEC has pulled leaders from our local school districts to participate in a ‘Students Interacting with Business’ program that reached more than 4,000 middle school students from across the county. In conjunction with the Greater Reading Chamber and GREP, the program was an opportunity for these students to visit one of over 21 manufacturers, contractors and service companies to see first-hand what jobs are in the community and what skills are required for employment.

And there are early adopter technical programs being introduced within our local school districts. Berks Catholic had a STEM day for 7th grade girls in the spring. “Because only 20% of women graduate with a degree in physics, engineering, or computer science,” says Tony Balistrere, principal, “we felt that it was important to address this issue by making girls aware, raising interest, and preparing students to study STEM in college.”

In addition, Berks Catholic is currently working on a STEM project in partnership with a professor from Penn State Berks; runs a science activity day once a year with 6th grade students; and will place emphasis on addressing STEM in the classroom by reaching out and forming additional partnerships with the local colleges and businesses. “We hope to have students shadow with local profes-sionals to see what engineers, computer programmers/engineers, and medical professionals actually do during a normal workday,” says Alice Einolf, assistant principal.

The Wilson School District runs an iSTEM academy, where Andi Funk had first-hand experience. “My oldest son, Bailey, was actually in the iSTEM academy his 9th grade year at Wilson, and I was very impressed. I think programs like this are vital—both to equip our youth with opportunities as they enter the workforce, as well as the benefit to our nation: to bring skills and innovation to the base of manufacturing currently here and also to birth new ideas and businesses we need for our future. The STEM program increases critical thinking, problem solving, engineering, and math skills. The program was excellent—cutting edge in terms of integrating these functions and providing hands-on projects.”

However, it’s important that we address the soft skills at a much earlier age to impart the desire to learn. “This becomes clear, when you realize national research identifies 3rd grade reading ability as a leading indicator of long-term educational and life success,” says Tammy White, President, United Way of Berks County. The statistics below make a compelling point, enough so that the United Way of Berks County

created a major initiative titled, Ready.Set.READ!, to help close the gap on the number of third graders not reading proficiently by the end of third grade, as measured by third grade PSSA test scores.

• Until the end of third grade, children learn to read. After that, they read to learn, making the end of third grade a critical point in the educational process.

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• Three-fourths of children who are not proficient readers by the end of third grade remain poor readers in middle school and high school. These students also experience more behavioral and social problems and have higher grade retentions.

• Children who do not read proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school and thirteen times more likely to drop out if they live in poverty.

How Can You Contribute to Narrowing the Gap?There are many things you can do to attack this issue. First, we

ask you to assess the strengths and weaknesses in your hiring and training processes. Next, we invite you to reach out to any of the local colleges, school districts, training partners and community organizations mentioned within this article or anywhere within the Greater Reading area to see how you may partner with them in fostering a partnership to building a sustainable workforce. And, last, we ask you to take an active role in communicating the importance of education and workforce development to your employees, and creating an environment where they take those ideas home to their children and their children’s teachers and school counselors. It all starts with increased communication and awareness.

If you would like to read more on what our interviewees contributed to this topic, we invite you to visit greaterreadingchamber.org to read all the comments. Enjoy and let us know what you think.


CQ: What is the single most critical talent you possess in your role as a business owner?

DV: Passion to never give up and never accept that it can’t be done.

SS: One of my strongest talents is problem identification and resolution. Identifying a business bottleneck and removing it before the client or customer see it is critical to any business.

CQ: What do you find unique about your field of work?

SS: A very unique aspect to our business is that we are challenged with commu-nicating, teaching and problem solving with a living, thinking, decision making pet that has noth-ing in common with our form of communication. As this process unfolds we must also remember the client is really the pet parents, not the pet.

DV: Business can be done profitably in the USA and there is so much that can be done to increase prof-itability with technology.

The Greater Reading Chamber celebrates the role of entrepreneurs in our community each and every day. We work with these small businesses to provide

suggestions, deliver solutions and expand their networks. But behind each of these businesses lies an untold story of perseverance, passion, and most importantly—the people responsible for creating vibrancy and innovation in our region. Looking for some business tips or a little inspiration? Check out the conversation below between Commerce Quarterly, David Vollmer, Isolator Fitness, Inc. and Steve Smith, Awesome Dawgs Dog Training, LLC.

CQ: What have you learned about yourself on your journey as a business owner?

SS: I have learned that my personal drive and determination to succeed will often interfere with my prioritizing of other parts of my life. Maintaining life balance outside of the business is my greatest challenge.

DV: That I don’t know anything yet!

CQ: What might someone be surprised to know about you, or your business?

DV: That I have a M.S. in Wildlife Biology, and knew nothing about manufacturing!

CQ: What is the best business advice you ever received from a mentor or peer?

SS: A very good piece of advice that was shared with me by a CEO of a very successful business that has been in Berks County for 75 years is

“You can never manage a project, you can only manage people.” I keep this thought with me every time I set out to identify and solve a business flow bot-tleneck I see coming up on the horizon.

CQ: What is one book you think everyone should read?

DV: The Goal, Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt

SS: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell

CQ: What resources in Berks County have helped you to be successful?

SS: Kutztown University Life Long Learning program, RACC courses, SCORE, Customers Bank, and the best resource of all, every single customer that has walked through our doors.

DV: Greater Reading Economic Partnership

David Vollmer is the President of Isolator Fitness, Inc. His company manufactures and distributes a Made in the USA Meal Management System (Lunch Cooler).

Steve Smith is the owner of Awesome Dawgs Dog Training, LLC, a dog training company committed to enhancing the lives of people and their dogs.

entrepreneur’s corner

13

GreaterReadingChamber.orgsmall biz thrives:

Dr. Borja started his office in May 2000, only two months after he bought his first house and six days

before his first child was born! That being said, a full plate has never discouraged Dr. Borja—and his thriving small business is a direct reflection of that!

The Spine and Wellness Center is a fully integrated healthcare facility utilizing pro-

viders of Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Massage, Physical Therapy, Personal Training, Counseling, Weight Loss, Spa Services, and various exercise classes. The providers are best known for their quality of service. Every person that comes in is treated like they would want their own families treated, and every individual receives a plan that is specifically designed just for their health needs.

An external challenge Dr. Borja has experienced remains to be healthcare as a whole with its ups and downs. From his perspective,

“Insurance can be difficult to deal with sometimes but with the collaborative efforts between the Chiropractic community and the medical community, the future is bright. Chiropractors treat only about 8% of the population today. With more research coming out showing the benefits of spinal manipulation and more coverage through insurance companies, Chiropractors should be able to start seeing more of the population.”

Before starting his business, Dr. Borja was inundated with people, consultants, and Chiropractors on what to do to build a business. As he recalls, “I was told to network but never was there an emphasis on doing that. My piece of advice for anyone who starts a business is to get involved with their local Chamber of Commerce, get involved in a networking group and continue to go out and meet people.”

When asked why people choose to come to the Spine and Wellness Center, Dr. Borja shared, “People choose my office because they trust us. Most of our new patients come from referrals from their family, their friends or their medical doctors. The reason people continue to use our services is that they are comfortable with my staff and they know they are getting what they need to get and stay healthy.”

Dr. Borja added, “The best part of my job is watching people become healthy whether it is them getting out of pain, eating healthier or getting stronger through exercise. It’s amazing to watch people be able to reduce their medications or in some cases eliminate their medications because they are healthy enough to do so.”

Patrick M. Borja, D.C.,Owner and Director—Spine & Wellness Center

Edited By Ellen Albright, Greater Reading Chamber

In a community comprised of so many small businesses, it is important to recognize the successes of those who are booming in Berks! This issue, we talked to Dr. Patrick M. Borja, Owner and Director of the Spine and Wellness Center, on the health and wellness not only of his patients, but also of his business! Advertise in

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Closing the Skills GapBerks Park 78 GainsNational Recognition

As Shovel-Ready Site

WINTER 2014

WHAT DRIVESYOUR BUSINESS?

COMMERCEQUARTERLY

Greater Reading Chamber

Small Business& Government:A Long Distance Relationship

Commerce Quarterly is mailed to 1,500Chamber-member business owners and C-Level

Executives, more than 1,500 non-memberbusiness owners, C-Level executives,

and education, government, municipal and community leaders, and nearly

500 high-traffic locations throughout the Greater Reading area.


Just a few feet off Route 222, atop a winding dirt driveway, sits one of Berks

County’s—literally hidden— manufacturing gems. Located on their own “mini-moun-tain” site, the 17-employee Reading Plastic Fabricators’ facil-ity machines and fabricates all different types of plastic and metal parts, specializing in high end tight tolerance jobs. In business nearly thirty-five years in Berks County, clients and suppliers are still shocked by the advanced machinery sitting on the floor of the plant when they come to visit!

Reading Plastic Fabricators

made in berks

Diane ReedGreater Reading Chamber

The team at RPF is optimis-tic and enthusiastic about the growth opportunities in their market currently, calling them,

“phenomenal.” They are extremely excited to see that manufacturing is returning to the States, and believe the economic forecast for manufacturing will spike in 2015, staying strong for years to come. To complement their anticipated growth, they also feel positive about the workforce in Reading, PA. Debbie Sanders, Sales/Marketing Director, commented, “We have found this is an excellent area to find skilled workers.”

Parts production ranges from playground pirate ships to fighter jet parts. RPF notes that their quality precision and old world craftsmanship blend with high-tech equipment allowing for their custom plastic machining operation to provide high-quality tight tolerance parts out of exotic plastic materials. 694 Reading Avenue

West Reading, PA 19611Phone: 610-373-2212

www.allcountyemployment.com

Reading Plastic Fabricators (RPF) products are used in pro-duction facilities across a wide spectrum of industries, rang-ing from the food industry, to medical/pharmaceutical, defense, and telecommunications. Many industries utilize RPF for finished parts, and they also distribute sheet and rod stock to end users. Currently competing primarily in the region, RPF also has parts that ship globally, and they hope to grow both markets as they expand.

Want a few more examples?Tire Buddy Surf fishermen worldwide use this product to deflate their vehicle tire pressure for beach driving.

Specialized Tyco Parts These parts contribute to a “repeater unit” that sits on the bottom of the ocean floor—allowing for the world to communicate!

Coin Sorter Back in the days prior to E-Z pass! Think you can fool the sorter with a wooden nickel? Not so! The precision spiral tube can determine not only nickels from dimes, but it can also sift out the arcade coins!

Carbon-filled PEEK Seals Used on Naval submarines with the ability to withstand high pressure and the abrasiveness of salt water.

“They are extremely excited to see that

manufacturing is returning to the

States, and believe the economic forecast

for manufacturing will spike in 2015, staying strong for

years to come.”

Grow your own.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?Those employees who are ready to be a lead worker or promoted to a supervisory position. These courses provide your new and prospective lead workers and supervisors the foundation for excelling in today’s manufacturing environment.

LEAD WORKER CERTIFICATE PROGRAM This program provides the tools necessary to lead a production team in today’s manufacturing environment. Topics include: Expectations of the Lead Worker; Coaching, communicating and productive feedback; Communicating Up; Improving Work Habits; Confl ict and Resolution; Business Writing.

12 WEEKS ON MONDAYS, START DATE January 5th, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. or 6:00–8:00 p.m. | $610 per person

BENEFITS OF TRAINING: Grooms your employees for the future of your company Engages your employees Develops skills to move your employees to the next level in your organization Empowers your employees to feel confi dent making important decisionsWith today’s shortage of skilled workers, don’t you need to establish strong internal training to develop more skills, decrease employee turnover and experience fewer labor problems with on-the-job training techniques?

It takes great people to grow and develop a great business—let us help

you get from good to great! Our Lead Worker Training and Supervisor

Modules were developed with the employee in mind—we take the whole

person concept offering curriculum not just for training your employees but

developing them to meet your goals and needs for today and tomorrow.

Visit our website GreaterReadingChamber.org for the complete training schedule.

OUR TRAINING PROGRAM QUALIFIES FOR WEDNET FUNDING! Please contact Diane Reed, Director of Business Services, @ 610-898-8387 to customize your program or to qualify

for WEDnet funding and Danielle Antos, Program Coordinator, @ 610.898.7780 for training information.

SUPERVISORY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM This program consists of three

modules, providing new and prospective supervisors the foundation for excelling

as a supervisor in today’s manufacturing environment. While these modules do not need to be taken in order, all three

must be completed to receive the Series Certifi cate of Completion.

THE ROLE OF A SUPERVISOR/MANAGER (MODULE I): Topics

include The Supervisor’s Role in Management; EEO & the Law; Selection,

Orientation & Training; Motivating the Average Performer; Discipline

& Recognition; Planning, Organizing & Controlling; Problem Solving &

Decision Making8 WEEKS ON THURSDAYS, START DATE

January 22nd, 8:30–11:30 a.m.or 6:00-8:00 p.m. | $495 per person

MANAGING & BUILDING WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS

(MODULE II): Topics include Communicating & Listening; Delegating;

Improving Work Habits; Understanding Groups & Developing Teams; Handling

Complaints; Emotional Intelligence8 WEEKS ON WEDNESDAYS,

START DATE January 28th, 8:30–11:30 a.m. | $495 per person

LEVERAGING WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS (MODULE III):

Topics include Understanding Yourself & Others (DISC assessment); Managing Relationships & Valuing Differences;

Confl ict Management; Communicating w/Diffi cult People4 WEEKS ON FRIDAYS, START DATE

January 30th, 8:30-11:30 a.m.$495 per person


(chart represented in thousands)

Single Family Multi-Family Total

August 14 YTD (annual % CHG)



United States 429.9 (0%) 259.8 (17%) 689.8 (6%)

Mid Atlantic 23.3 (-1%) 34.0 (19%) 57.2 (10%)

Pennsylvania 9.82 (-12%) 4.38 (17%) 14.4 (-5%)

Reading MSA .09 (-15%) .06 (68%) .15 (5%)

For more data on housing trends, go to http://www.census.gov/construction/bps/

Christian Malesick, Executive Director of the Home Builders Association Berks, is seeing growth among his

members—slow growth, but growth none-theless. One metric used to track economic activity in his industry is building permits for housing starts. Multi-family dwellings (i.e. apartments and senior living complexes) have been stronger than single family detached dwellings this past year.

Remodeling business metrics are not as easily tracked. Even before the May hail storm, local remodeling businesses were seeing an uptick in smaller scale projects, as opposed to major renovations and additions. That certainly accelerated after the hail storm with roof replacements, siding repairs and awnings needing replacement. Other remodelers did well as competition was diverted to hail repair work.

In the commercial construction industry, the “construction backlog report” is a key metric which gets national coverage when it is published every quarter. According to

John “Jack” R. Zimmer, CAE, ABC Keystone President and CEO, national nonresidential construction remains on a slow road to recov-ery. Nationwide, 16,000 new construction jobs were created in September of 2014, down from 20,000 in the previous month. Of those 16,000, only 20% were nonresidential jobs, indicating a sluggish bounce back from years of stagnation.

This national total incorporates a continued decline in construction backlog in southern states (down 2.8% from Q1, 2014) however, and a higher than average backlog in the northeast, particularly due to strong activity in New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

Statewide, construction job numbers bolster the regional trend; Pennsylvania reported 232,400 total construction jobs in September of 2014, up 2.5% from the year before. The Reading MSA is growing at roughly half that rate, reporting 7,600 construction jobs in September of 2014, or an increase of 1.3% over the year before.

What Our Members are Experiencing…

“New construction is now a viable option for Industrial users in Berks. Vacancy rates are at a 10 year low and lease rates are creeping up. Still more affordable than the Lehigh Valley, Harrisburg or Montgomery County, new construction permits a company to build in efficiencies and streamline processes.” – Steve Willems,

SIOR, NAI Keystone

“I’m gaining confidence in our Berks County real estate recovery, albeit a slow recovery. The average sale price has improved over the last three years to the point of recovering half of the losses it suffered. “Short Sales" (sales where the value of the property is less than the debt against it) have dropped significantly. This is indicative of the rising values which creates a positive equity position for home homeowners. Another significant market factor is the nationally estimated 3 million Gen Y+X/ first time home buyers that are sitting on the sideline for varies reasons (pent up demand). When they enter back into the market they will have a powerful positive impact. The last factor, but most critical to an improved local housing market, is the completion of Route 222 North. This will have a tremendous positive effect on values. Over all, I sense a local market that is picking up momentum.” – Jack Fry,

Broker/Owner, RE/MAX of Reading

“The outlook for our industry is POSITIVE; that being the residential housing market. Mortgage rates are still low and expected to remain low, employment has been steadily getting better, people have recouped their

industry trends

Building Permits by State and Metro Areas

ConstructionS P O T L I G H T O N :

17


wealth they lost back in the 2009 stock market crash, and housing prices have increased thus giving them better resale values of their own homes AND higher collateral to use for home improvement loans. All these ingredients are necessary for steady growth in this market.”

– Andy Wernick, President, Industrial Plywood

“The flooring industry nationally continues to experience subpar growth having increased about 4% YOY in the first 3 quarters of 2013 vs. over 7% YOY in the same period 2013. The hardest hit component of floor covering sales has been the residential replacement market which is down over 1% from last year. Locally, My Dad’s Flooring America, which primarily serves residential consumers and small to mid-size businesses, is seeing YOY sales up double digit percentages after being up over 20% in 2013. The exciting thing from my perspective is that we are seeing more of the middle part of the market coming back. For the past few years most of our customers were higher net worth individuals or businesses and individuals that had to replace their flooring. We are now seeing business and consumers making purchases not out of necessity but because they want to invest in improving their home or business. I interpret this as a sign that both business owners and consumers are feeling more confident about their personal financial situation and the recovering economy. –Ed Graefe,

Owner, My Dad’s Flooring America

What is one leadership/business book everyone should read?

• The Choice, Og Mandino – Marie Smith, Smith Enterprises

• Seeing What’s Next, Clayton Christensen – Kress Schwartz, Quadrant

• Mistakes were Made (But Not By Me), Carol Tavris & Elliot Aronson, and The Tipping Point, Malcolm Blackwell – Nicole Kocher, Reading Health System

• Daring Greatly, Brene Brown – Christin Kelley, SSM Group, Inc.

• 10X, Grant Cardone, Making Work Work, Julie Morganstern – Dennis Kintzer, DMKintzer Productions

• Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek – Trish Shermot, Visions Federal Credit Union

• Strength Finders 2.0, Tom Rath – Sara Stump, Suburban Testing Labs

• Good to Great, Tom Collins – Kathy Metrick, Kutztown Area School District

• Tough Calls from the Corner Office, Harlan Steinbaum – Toni Miller, Boscov’s, Inc.

• Bossypants, Tina Fey – Stephanie Shaak, Reading Public Museum

SIMPLY THE BEST TRUCK TOOLBOX& VAN STORAGE EQUIPMENT

levanmachine.com3417 Pricetown Rd • Fleetwood, PA • 610.944.7455

Installed and maintained by the region's best full-servicetruck equipment and repair facility.


Custom Processing Services, Inc., Reading, PA, specializes in micronizing both technical grade and cGMP materials into ultra-fine particles. Customers worldwide use the processed

materials in a wide range of products, including chemical powders, waxes, polymers, minerals, metals, fillers, and pigments.

In 1998, the young company applied for seed funding from the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP). While the financial investments from Ben Franklin were crucial to the company’s success,

CPS also found great value in the connections that BFTP/NEP helped forge. Ben Franklin introduced CPS to the Greater Berks

Development Fund, which helped the company access a number of federal and state investment programs to fund equipment and working capital needs. BFTP/NEP also connected the company with Penn State for analysis of its machinery, which validated its efficiency and provided an important endorsement.

Steadily increasing sales fueled the company’s purchase of additional facilities in 2004 and 2007. In fall 2011, CPS opened a state-of-the-art facility to process food—and pharmaceutical—grade products, serving new markets in those industries. The cGMP facility has several versatile clean rooms, which can be configured for each client’s needs. One GMP station has been outfitted with two large stainless steel double ribbon blenders for combining ingredients either as part of a size reduction campaign or as a stand-alone service.

ben franklin invests in our community

Custom Processing ServicesSucceeding with Support from Ben Franklin & Other Economic Developers

Laura S. EpplerBen Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania

19


More recently, CPS received another investment from Ben Franklin to work with Northampton Community College’s Emerging Technologies Applications Center. They investigated how the waste energy from a proposed thermochemical process could be used in the company’s manufacturing processes and as a potential fuel source for production of steam and/or a combined heat and power system. They also analyzed the economics, technical, and environmental issues involved with the process.

Just a few months ago, CPS teamed with BFTP/NEP and Lehigh University’s Enterprise Systems Center to create new processes to manage internal logistics and minimize material handling costs. This will allow the company to efficiently manage its projected continued growth.

Starting with two founders, Custom Processing Services now employs more than 120 people, with at least 20 new hires projected by the end of this year. Joining CPS in Ben Franklin’s current portfolio are other Greater Reading companies, including Ametek-Reading Alloys, Inc., Cambridge-Lee Industries, LLC, East Coast Erosion Control, LLC, Fidelity Technologies Corporation, GENPORE, and Suburban Testing Laboratories, Inc.

The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania creates and retains highly paid, sustainable jobs by linking early-stage technology-based firms and established manufacturers with experts, universities, funding, and other resources to help them prosper through innovation. It is part of an award-winning, four-center economic devel-opment initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and is funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority. The Ben Franklin Technology Partners has returned $3.60 to the Pennsylvania treasury for every $1.00 invested in the program. To learn how Ben Franklin can help your company, contact Connie Faylor, Regional Manager, Greater Reading/Berks and Schuylkill, at 610-390-7116 or [email protected].

610.372.7868 [email protected] www.bgglass.com

The Choicefor ALL Your Business Glass Needs!

Since 1963

Glass Storefronts & Entry Doors

Glass Conference Rooms & Railings

Exterior Window Repair & Replacement

Fleet Windshield Repair & Replacement

Emergency Glass Service to Secure Your Business

800.613.2665Fax: 610.544.6551

[email protected] OliverMechanicalServices.com

HVAC • Rooftop Units • Air Duct CleaningService & Repair • Preventative Maintenance • Boilers

Design/Build • Plan & Spec


Nancy HobanRole with the Chamber: W2W Council Member, Program Committee, Girls2Leaders Education Committee

Jeremiah SensenigFinancial Advisor, Customers Bank

Role with the Chamber: Business & Community Advocacy Council, Budgets, Spending & Tax Issues Committee, Endorsement Taskforce

Michele ReinertDirector of Development, South Mountain YMCA Camps

Role with the Chamber: Chamber Ambassador Committee

Ray MailletAVP/Branch Manager, First Priority Bank

Role with the Chamber: Chamber Ambassador Committee

After retiring from a 31-year career in education at

BCIU, Nancy wanted to work with and get to know the “movers and shakers” of the business commu-nity whose efforts directly impact the economy and the well-being of our county. She became very involved as a volunteer with the Chamber’s Women2Women Initiative, and enjoys taking the min-utes for the W2W Council, the Program Committee, and the Girls2Leaders Education Committee. (Some of the best meeting minutes we’ve ever seen!) Her favorite Chamber memory to date was helping out at the Spring Renewal Expo for Women2Women, despite the devastating hail storm that hit Berks on the same day! When Nancy isn’t busy taking notes at one of the three committees she sits on, she enjoys spending time with her husband of forty years, Jim, and their four cats—Mollie, Moe, Minnie, and Max. We appreciate your dedication, Nancy!

J eremiah serves as a Financial Advisor with Customers Bank,

where he assists individuals and small businesses with the discovery process of what their long-term financial vision is. He then illustrates and executes a plan to make that vision a reality! Jeremiah first came to the Chamber when he moved to the area in 2008 as a way to get involved with the business community and to be involved in the top issues facing the Greater Reading area. Through his volunteer work with the Chamber, Jeremiah notes that there is so much that can be gleaned from spending time with other business leaders, adding that not only can they share wisdom on what to pur-sue, but sometimes also on what not to do! You might be interested to know that while still in college, Jeremiah paid for part of his education by waiting tables. His current career path came about after being recruited by a group of brokers while enjoying a meal at the restaurant he worked at, further proving that first impressions can be crucial to your success! Keep up the great work, Jeremiah!

Michele is an energetic go-getter who joined the

Chamber Ambassador group in 2008. Michele says it was an easy “yes” when invited to participate, as she values the opportunities to network and build relationships with those in the community. A num-ber of these contacts have now become great friends and professional mentors, even joining together to do skits from 70’s TV shows at the Chamber’s Winter Picnic; a favorite memory of Michele’s! As Director of Development for South Mountain YMCA Camps, Michele is able to reach countless young people and families by providing camp-ing and educational programs that build personal leadership, character, life-skills, respect and responsibility. When she isn’t working, volun-teering, or inspiring others, Michele enjoys spending time outdoors with her three Labrador Retrievers—Nikko, Cyrus, and Chase. In her words, “There’s nothing better than coming home to three hundred pounds of fur babies that have spent all day missing you as much as you miss them!” Thanks for all that you do, Michele!

Ray works for First Priority Bank, a full-service bank

with locations in Berks, Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties offering a wide array of banking products for both the consumer and commercial customer. What you might not know about Ray is that he works part-time as an on-air personality for his hometown radio stations, AM-1270 WLBR and Soft Rock 100.1 WQIC. Ray says, “Volunteering for the Chamber has given me the opportunity to meet some great people and to not only refer business, but have business referred to me as well!” Ray believes that networking and educational opportunities are endless with the Chamber, and the chance to increase your business through participation is amazing. You’ll be sure to see Ray at our networking events, but if you miss him—you can always tune into his radio show!

volunteer spotlight

21


No one stacks up to

3330 N. 5th Street HwyReading

(Next to Sleepy’s and Carvel)

610-929-1063Mon-Sat 8 - 8, Sun 10 - 5

We’re the one store you can trust to have the exact battery and light bulb you need, right when you need

it. All topped off by helpful experts who can repair your smartphone, tablet, and iPod®.

www.batteriesplus.com

$10.00

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Off Any Purchase$50 or more

Limit 2. Offer valid on in-stock products at participating locations. Not valid with other offers or business pricing. Some exclusions may apply. Must present coupon in-store; not valid for online purchases. No cash value. See store for complete details. Expires 3.31.15. NP009

$20.00Off Smartphone or Tablet Screen Repair

Limit 2. Offer valid on in-stock products at participating locations. Not valid with other offers or business pricing. Some exclusions may apply. Must present coupon in-store; not valid for online purchases. No cash value. See store for complete details. Expires 3.31.15. NP077

© 2014 DURACELL, a division of the Gillette Company, Bethel, CT 06801. DURACELL is a registered trademark of the Gillette Company, used under license.

All rights reserved. All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Business accounts welcome!

www.QuarterNoteSystems.com • 610-621-5716

Quarter Note SystemsTechnology That Works

We’re Looking for aLong Term Relationship.

- Complex Website Design and Development- Mobile App Design and Development- Client/Server Applications- Local Area and Wide Area Networks- Creative Solutions to Complex Problems

MON 6:30 am–2 pm | TUES–FRI 6:30 am–4 pm | SAT 7 am–2 pm | (Closed Sunday)

610.320.9909

Cloud Nine Café always offers you something new & different to taste. No other cafe in the area has such a wide selection of freshly prepared baked goods, hot & cold drinks, salads, soups, and sandwiches.

We take great pride in being very “Un-corporate” and “Not fast food.” This allows us to fulfill almost every request our Beloved customers may have without consulting the “rulebook” or “manual.”

84 Commerce Dr., Village Square Shoppes, Wyomissing, PA 19610

Breakfast • Lunch • Catering

thecloudninecafe.com

Full Service

BusinessCatering

Outstanding


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out & about

W2W Launch Event with JJ Ramberg, Host of MSNBC’s Your Business & Co-Founder, GoodSearch.com.

RPA Engineering celebrated their new LEED certif ied remodeled corporate headquarters on 400 Spring Ridge, Wyomissing, PA 19610.

Gateway Ticketing Systems celebrated its new headquarters in Colebrookdale Township.

1847 Financial celebrated their ribbon cutting at 14 Commerce Drive, Spring Ridge, PA.

Riverview Bank celebrated the opening of their f irst full service Banking facility located at 2800 State Hill Road in Wyomissing.

25


FBA Fall Forum with Guest, Chris Martin, CEO, Martin Guitars.

Transportation Luncheon, October 2014

Rising Star Award CeremonyGateway Ticketing Systems celebrated

its new headquarters in Colebrookdale Township.


istory—In 2001, national site selection consultants evaluated Berks County’s economic development

potential. They found a major weakness to be a lack of shovel-ready sites. And it’s still true today. The weakness causes prospects attracted by Berks County’s location to pass it over. It hurts existing companies because they are left with very few options to expand.

The consultants said that organizations like Lehigh Valley Industrial Park Inc. (LVIP) were learning to correct this defect and rec-ommended that the Berks County Industrial Development Authority (BCIDA) follow their lead. The BCIDA’s initial effort would become Berks Park 78.

The approach was simple. Make it easy for an end user or developer to say yes by removing all the mystery from the site. No surprises meant that every aspect had to be thoroughly planned and every development obstacle removed.

Along with its staff, the BCIDA’s five-mem-ber board of business professionals put

together a team of legal, engineering, real estate brokerage and construction manage-ment expertise.

The team decided that the market for the 323-acre site was moving toward larg-er warehouse/distribution sites that could accommodate buildings in the range of 1,000,000 square feet. A site layout was created with lots large enough for these sizes while accommodating the need for internal roads, infrastructure and the preservation of natural features such as the number of wetlands on the property.

The concept was eventually turned into subdivision and land development plans.

in your community

Thomas C. McKeon, AICP, CEcDBerks County Industrial Development Authority

Berks Park 78 Gains National Recognition As Shovel-Ready Site

HFrom those plans, traffic, labor, environmental, endangered species, archeological, geology, soils, hydrology and storm water studies were generated. That work allowed the BCIDA to eventually acquire all entitlements (permit approvals) for the project.

With confidence in the market and a pathway to the completion of permitting, the BCIDA, with two loans, borrowed $20M to begin infrastructure construction. That was supplemented by an investment of the BCIDA’s own equity and a $3M state grant.

On August 17, 2012, the BCIDA sold two lots totaling 196 acres on the same day. One sold to Dollar General and the other to the developer of PetSmart. In April 2013, BCIDA sold another 89.2 acres to Dermody Properties (DP), a leading national devel-oper. DP is building a 750,000 square foot speculative building on the site. With these transactions, the BCIDA’s investment was recovered, the loans were paid back and a reserve was created for new job and tax base generating projects.

The BCIDA still has a 17-acre parcel capable of accommodating a 163,200 square foot building and a 2-acre parcel that remain for sale. Here are the results.

➤ Jobs: Dollar General built a 906,919 SF distribution center which became operational earlier this year. It will serve 1,000 stores in the Northeast. It will create 500 new jobs.

PetSmart cut the ribbon on a 870,000 SF distribution center with an expansion of 200,880 SF in 2016. Eleven states and Eastern Canada with 260 stores will be served. New job growth is projected at 542 jobs.

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Utilizing an economic and fiscal impact model, the combined job impact of

the two projects alone is: Direct Jobs, 1,045; Indirect Jobs, 266;

Induced Jobs, 356; and Total Jobs, 1,667. One-time construction jobs are

1,506. With the projected development of the remaining lots which comprise 913,200

square feet it is estimated that the total Berks Park 78 projected permanent job impact will be 2,200 jobs.

➤ Capital Investment: Dollar General’s total capital investment for building construction, machinery equipment and furniture, fix-tures and equipment is $90M. PetSmart’s is $87.1M, for a total capital investment from the two projects of $177.1M. Another $80M is expected from the development of the remaining lots making the projected total capital investment for Berks Park 78, approximately $257M.

➤ Economic Impact and Tax Benefits: Models show the combined economic impact for the region during the next ten years is estimated to be $1.39 billion from PetSmart

and Dollar General. It will close to $2 billion once end users occupy the remaining lots.

During 10 years, it is projected that $40M in tax revenue for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be produced from the two projects.

Despite the existence of a LERTA tax abatement district, it is estimated that $20M in real estate taxes over the next ten years will be collected for Bethel Township, Berks County and the Tulpehocken School District. Over the next 30 years it is projected the taxing bodies will collect over $100 million.

BP78’s success has won numerous awards and been featured in several national real estate magazines.

Ride to Prosperity:Beginning in 2009, eight leading local organizations began collaborating to develop a new economic development plan for Greater Reading and Berks County. This initiative culminated with the June 2010 release of the Ride to Prosperity: Strategies for Economic Competitiveness in Greater Reading. The original RTP plan has helped guide key county economic development initiatives for the past four years, and spurred a new spirit of collaboration around the important work of building a more prosperous and successful Greater Reading and Berks County.

Members include: The Berks County Industrial Development Authority, Berks County Planning Commission, Berks County Workforce Investment Board, the City of Reading, Greater Berks Development Fund, Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Greater Reading Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Greater Reading Economic Partnership.

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business & community advocacy

Transportation is quite literally the driving force of our local economy. Not only can traffic stall your morning commute, it also can stall the growth of your business. A sound multi-

modal transportation structure is imperative in order to efficiently and safely move people, goods, and ideas from place to place. It has been proven that a highly connected transportation system is directly correlated to increased economic prosperity and standards of living. On the other hand, consequences of poorly connected systems include increased costs, unreliable transport of goods/services, and inaccessibility to markets.

Your Business?Fred LeveringBerkshire Hathaway Home ServicesChairman, Chamber Transportation Committee

When a coalition of business and community members convene around an issue, real change and impact occurs. That has occurred around transportation issues and real progress is being made to ensure our regional community has a safe, reliable and efficient transportation system.

Many of these projects will take years to complete. PA’s Twelve Year Plan is designed to help Pennsylvania prioritize its many trans-portation projects within the available funding. It is a collaboration among the State Transportation Commission (STC), Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organizations, Federal Transportation Agencies and owners and operators of transportation services.

Over the last five years, we have made significant progress in bringing together the key stakeholders to achieve consensus that Route 222 North is our number one priority road project—just ask any local, state or federal official. This project has been ongoing for many years. The road in its current configuration presents significant public safety issues and environmental concerns for the region’s travelers and businesses. The 15-mile stretch between Reading and Interstate I-78 is the only portion which is NOT a four or five-lane highway.

In reviewing the current state and federal transportation-funding situation, a project with the scope and cost of US 222 North will require a phased approach. A tactical plan for this project focuses on regional transportation planning and funding strategies. It is our immediate goal to have PennDOT continue with its planned 222 North corridor projects for improved intersections on existing road alignment to enable future four to five lane highway to I-78.

There are other capacity, safety and maintenance issues on primary roads (i.e. West Shore Bypass, 422 West, 183, 61 and 176) within our region that also are being addressed. We have formed a public-private partnership between the Chamber and Berks County Commissioners (ReadingBridges.net) to keep our community vibrant during the much needed bridge construction work that will be occurring around Reading beginning November 2014 through 2018.

While real progress is being made on our road network, we still need to dream. The Reading Railroad is part of our heritage and rail

What Drives

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BUTTONWOOD ST. BRIDGEBerks County anticipates rehabilitation will begin in early 2015 and the bridge will remain closed during construction for approximately two consecutive seasons (or until late 2016). When reopened, there will be no restrictions on use.

*Buttonwood Street Bridge project letting has been moved back to January 29, 2015.

BACKGROUND:The Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Berks County Commisioners are proactively working together to ensure our entire community is kept informed concerning key bridge construction projects and potential impacts on traffic patterns, including the 2015 closure of the Buttonwood Street Bridge along with the subsequent Penn Street Bridge rehabilitation impact on traffic patterns. We have established a special workgroup as part of the Chamber Transportation Committee with key partners including but not limited to the Berks County Planning Department, PA Department of Transportation, City of Reading, West Reading, Commuter Services, and BARTA. The goal of this workgroup is to identify potential issues and ways to keep our Greater Reading economy and quality of place vibrant during the construction of the Buttonwood Street Bridge and Penn Street Bridge Rehabilitation Project.

REGIONAL INITIATIVE:We started by understanding the traffic patterns, construction plans and identifying other key stakeholders. Our business community (employers), emergency responders, educational institutions, art & entertainment venues, local government, residents and community at large all need to be kept informed. Commuter Services is working with employers to determine employee travel patterns and offer information on travel options (car-pooling, transit, park-n-rides, etc.) for commuters during the construction of the bridges. A communication strategy was evaluated and webpage ReadingBridges.net launched to provide a central resource center with updated information on the bridge construction and travel alternatives. This public private partnership group continues to work with all key stakeholders.

Estimated Bridge Schedules:

BINGAMAN ST. BRIDGE PennDOT anticipates the bridge repairs will be complete and travel lane restrictions will be removed by the end of November 2014.

PENN ST. BRIDGEPennDOT is advancing design of the bridge rehabilitation and anticipates construction will begin following the reopening of Buttonwood Street Bridge. During construction, the bridge will remain open but there will be lane restrictions. In particular, the ramp from westbound US 422 (West Shore Bypass) to Penn St. (downtown Reading) will be closed and detoured for the duration of the project (estimated 2–3 construction seasons).

PA 183 OVER SCHUYLKILL RIVER (SCHUYLKILL AVENUE BRIDGE)PennDOT anticipates travel lane restrictions will be removed by mid-2015.

will be a big part of our future. Restoring passenger service between Greater Reading and Philadelphia will be a real game-changer, enhancing quality of life and economic growth.

At the Chamber’s Transportation Luncheon in October, we celebrated the success of passing the PA Transportation Funding Act 89 and addressed the damaging impacts that inadequate federal transportation funding would have on Berks County priority projects. We heard from PA Secretary of Transportation Barry Schoch, Congressman Meehan, and Congressman Dent. In discussion with Mark Schlott from R M Palmer, an efficient transportation infrastructure is critical to ensure his products continue to be produced here and shipped to market. The same sentiment is echoed from others in our commu-nity whether it be shipping products, moving employees or clients, emergency response, schools, entertainment venues or an individual on an appointment. Our multimodal transportation infrastructure is critical to provide mobility for people, goods and commerce for our community’s wellbeing. This encompasses: roads/bridges, ports/waterways, freight/passenger rail, transit and bicycle/pedestrian.

To ensure our quality of place and enable resident businesses to thrive and expand, as well as attracting new business ventures, we must be involved. We have a shared responsibility to participate in the policy and solutions process to make US 222 North, among other connectors, a reality for our future.

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If you are reading this article, it is extremely likely that you run, or are employed by, a small business. How likely, you may

ask. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 99.7 percent of all employer firms are small businesses of less than 500 employees. As the backbone of the American economy, small businesses lead the country in innovation as well as job creation (64 percent of new net jobs over the past 15 years, to be exact).


Small Business & Government: A Long Distance Relationship

Katherine BoylanGreater Reading Chamber Volunteer

However, if you are one of the many who owns his or her own small business, you probably have some sort of distant, impersonal relationship with the government. Think Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in “You’ve Got Mail.” Ryan, the owner of a small independent bookstore, and Hanks, the owner of a Barnes & Noble-esque chain of mega bookstores, anon-ymously engage in philosophical dialogues via the Internet. Their online relationship

permeates their lives despite that fact they have yet to meet face to face.

Particularly in the relationship of govern-ment and business, it is hard for the pair to really get to know one another without that one on one interaction over cappuccinos in the corner of a quaint coffee shop. Fortunately for the GRCCI members who decided to take part in the Chamber’s Business Advocacy Day in DC, we were able to have that intimate conversation our relationship so desperately demanded.

After arriving to DC by bus, our first order of business was to awaken our tired legs with a trek up Capitol Hill. Once inside, we were met by Ben Taylor of the U.S. Chamber, who welcomed us and briefed us on the latest Chamber priorities. With many of us eager to talk healthcare, we learned the specifics of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and engaged in a dialogue with Paul Edattel of the Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. House of Representatives. PPACA, or the Affordable Care Act for short, mandates all businesses with more than 50 full-time employees provide health insurance. While ideally this would ensure all employees receive coverage, some companies circum-vent this legislation by utilizing part-time employees. This issue is a particular sticking point for non-profits and companies that operate seasonally.

Next we met with Senator Pat Toomey, who answered questions about transportation funding, tax reform, and other regulations affecting business. Mark Schlott of RM Palmer, a chocolate novelties manufacturer in West Reading, voiced his concerns regarding a sugar tax that charges the U.S. a rate 30 percent higher than the global price. “I left our meetings feeling reassured that solutions to issues like these, that affect businesses every day, are within reach,” said Schlott. When we met with Senator Bob Casey, the conversation shifted to federal regulations. Joe Dettinger of Bimax, Inc., a chemical

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manufacturing company in York, shared his negative experiences dealing with an extremely strict, hostile E.P.A. In addition to harsh federal regulations, Bimax, Inc. can only apply for research and development tax credits one year at a time, rendering long-term development efforts exceedingly difficult.

Daniel Fordice, a member of the board for the Greater Reading Young Professionals and an active Chamber member, also attended. When asked about the value of meeting with key policy makers, he said, “The trip provided valuable exposure for giving me a better understanding of the impact the constituents can have in bringing relevant

issues to the forefront that impact specific industries and local business.” Looking forward, Fordice is hopeful GRYP’s partnership with the Chamber will generate “a renewed effort of young professionals to make an impact on political decisions that directly affect the amount and quality of jobs available to young professionals in Reading.”

Despite our positive experience, most Americans are completely detached in their political relationships. When it comes to voter turnout for the 2014 mid-term elections, 63.6% of Americans chose not to exercise their most basic right. While few people take the time to simply cast their ballot, even fewer people makes their voices heard by directly interacting with federal and state policy makers. When “we the people” idly stand by, we relinquish the opportunity to voice our concerns, share our ideas, and shape our economic futures.

To find out more how you can advocate for your business and a vibrant economy, visit GreaterReadingVoice.com.

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What are your favorite Berks County winter activities?

• Certainly will hit the exciting, new Fire and Ice Fest! Concerts and hockey games at the arena, and carving a toboggan. – Kress Schwartz, Quadrant

• Bowling at Colonial Hills! – Caitlin Degler, Customers Bank

• Hiking at Grings Mill, open mic night at the Speckled Hen by the fireplace!

– Nicole Kocher, Reading Health System

• Cross-Country Skiing on all of the Greater Reading Trails.

– Christin Kelley, SSM Group, Inc.

• Taking part in all of the indoor venues, from the symphony to the hockey games, we have so many wonderful things to do indoors. And, if it’s not too cold—snow skiing! – Trish Shermot, Visions Federal Credit Union

• Christmas at Joanna Furnace, Exeter Women’s Club Holiday Tour. – Stephanie Shaak, Reading Public Museum



November Election Debrief

With the close of the midterm elections, speculation has begun. While Democrat Tom Wolf was elected 47th governor of Pennsylvania, Republicans have taken control of the legislative

chambers both at the federal and state levels. Though we can’t predict whether a political gridlock will continue, we can inform business owners to keep a pulse on these top 5 issues:

Taxes Ah, taxes. Much like the law of gravity, their presence is steadfast

in our ever-changing world. We can rest assured that no matter what, they will remain a permanent fixture in political discussions. Be on the lookout for shifts in federal corporate income tax as well as the personal income tax at the state level. We have been vocal with our legislators on the impact of a shift to a progressive personal income tax on subchapter S corporations.

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Education More is always more in education funding, right? Well, it depends.

The $1 billion number that has been thrown around in this year’s gubernatorial campaign is just that: merely a number. It’s only valuable insofar as its interpretation. Regardless of the $1 billion in question, one of the cornerstones of governor-elect Wolf ’s campaign has been his pledge to increase education funding. The source of this funding, however, has yet to be identified.

Transportation Pot holes. Crumbling bridges. In Pennsylvania we’ve schlepped

through it all. Despite increases in state funding over the past year, we still lack the federal funding necessary to keep goods and services moving efficiently across the commonwealth. Stay tuned for plans to keep the literal “driving force” of our economy running.

Healthcare It’s that time of year again. You guessed it: Healthcare Application

Season! Round two of enrollment for ObamaCare will run from November 15 to February 15. Whether your business already offers employees insurance coverage or not, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act provisions will definitely shake things up.

Labor LawTo raise, or not to raise? That is the question of the minimum wage.

All Shakespeare aside, governor-elect Wolf seems to be a proponent of increasing PA’s minimum wage. The strengthened Republican legislative leadership will make this a tough agenda item, but in politics you just never know. More concerning is the federal arena, where potential new regulatory measures could also tighten the federal fist around businesses large and small.

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Leadership. Undoubtedly one of the greatest studied areas within organizational development, and one of the most requested topics for training. With all of the work that leaders must accomplish, it is difficult to narrow the scope of what should be done to drive results. Julie Straw, author

of “The Work of Leaders,” provides insight and real-world scenarios on turning the goal of leadership into tangible steps.

Locally, “The Work of Leaders” has come to life through a program adopted by the Chamber’s Re-Ignite Berks initiative. “The Work of Leaders” program, based on Straw’s book, has a core curriculum of “crafting a vision, building alignment, and championing execution.” The program consists of leadership develop-ment for leaders at all levels within an organization to apply the simple concepts of vision, alignment,

and execution (VAE) to their jobs. Five Berks companies have recently completed “The Work of Leaders”: Appeeling Fruit; Descco; DWS Technologies; East Coast Erosion Blankets and Levan Machine—all with exciting results.

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the retail market. Steve Cygan, President, had this to say about the program. “I participated in the Re-Ignite Program because I was interested in the business assessment and looking at the business from a value standpoint. We were at a point of where do we go next and how do we get there.” His results were many: it gave him the knowledge that everyone on the management team has their own style and gained perspective on their differences. They also imple-mented a strategic plan for the company and developed a program of accountability. Appeeling now has a one and three year plan in place.

Dave and Cyndy Schrebeck, owners of DWS Technologies, also saw similar results. DWS is a machine shop which manufactures various parts for electronic cabinet systems—a broad range of products for diverse industries. They wanted help learning how to run their business, as neither had formal training or education on running a business. The business assessment helped them to identify their weak points; even some areas that they didn’t even realize needed attention. It also helped them to realize how important team building really is.

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“Finding the “perfect” employee isn’t easy. We now look differently when we are hiring people; we really concentrate on whether they will be a good fit for our organization and fit into our strategic plan,” the pair said.

East Coast Erosion Blankets is a privately-held company located in Bernville with a second location in South Carolina. They man-ufacture erosion blankets and sediment devices to the construction and transportation industries and their products are used anywhere soil is moved.

Diane Hitt, President, felt that the business assessment was helpful. “It highlighted areas for improved efficiencies and brought all of the segments of the company together.” They also developed short and long term goals and added personnel where they were lacking—continuing to build their team. “In Berks County, many are resistant to change; this program gives management teams a fresh look at their company and extends to them the opportunity to expand and grow their business.”

Levan Machine & Truck Equipment is a third generation family business located in Fleetwood. This two-part business consists of a machine job shop, which supplies parts and emergency service/equipment, and a truck equipment division. The program helped Brian Levan, President, on many levels. It helped him get a handle on the growth he was experiencing over the last ten years. “It’s easy to run a business when it’s small, but it’s a different story as growth happens.” The program helped the management team to understand the dynamics of the daily processes of running a business—not just keeping sight of their own daily tasks and responsibilities, but seeing the “big picture” of how everything ties together to make a company successful.

These business leaders realize that in order to be successful, you need to be open to new ideas and input from your team. We com-mend these companies for their efforts in helping to re-ignite Berks County’s economy through their leadership.

• To be consistent, and persistent! – Marie Smith, Smith Enterprises

• To bring more of my friends into downtown Reading for a night out. – Kress Schwartz, Quadrant

• Stop mindless internet cruising. – Nicole Kocher, Reading Health System

• I believe in daily devotions as opposed to yearly resolutions—so none! – Christin Kelley, SSM Group, Inc.

• Make five new contacts per week. – Dennis Kintzer, DMKintzer Productions

• At our company, continue to build strong company equity so we can further invest in our staff and additional revenue growth. Personally, get into a practical but effective fitness routine!

– Sara Stump, Suburban Testing Labs

• Healthy time management—balance between work and family. – Kathy Metrick, Kutztown Area School District

• Don’t make any. What works better for me is to set personal, spiritual and professional goals each year with the understanding that life can be fragile and I must learn to adjust and adapt to changes.

– Toni Miller, Boscov’s, Inc.

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

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Member SpotlightMember Spotlight is the Greater Reading Chamber’s forum for telling our members’ stories in their own words—sharing their successes, their challenges, and what it’s really like to be a small business owner in Berks County and beyond!

Do you love West Reading as much as Heather Clark does? The Owner of Go Fish! Seafood dished about the sense of community she feels in West Reading and across Berks, the fabulous mentors she’s had along her journey, and the exciting evolution of her business over the past 10 years!

Barry Schlouch, President of Schlouch Incorporated, dug up the “dirt” on his 31-year journey as a business owner in Berks. Inspired by his wife to reach his greater potential, Barry has built an employee-focused business with an emphasis on caring and creating opportunities for those in Berks rather than beyond!

Rob Wolf, Owner, Launch DM, discussed growing a small business by creating a “dynamic” culture with a great team.

Emmett Lien, President, Edge Insights, on how he acquired a business and went through an evolution and name change.

Ed Weaver, Owner of Weaver’s Orchard, discussed the four generations of his family business. Ed turned the business into a year-round business and shares the value of creating an experience.

Dave Skipper, Owner of Billy’s Candies, discussed carrying on the long-standing tradition of hand-crafting homemade, quality, & customizable chocolates for families in Berks County since 1935!

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Hamid Chaudhry, HIBS of Kenhorst, on business in Berks, giving back to the community, and finding a balance within a crazy schedule!

Bill Woolworth, Co-Owner of Dans at Green Hills, inspired us as he celebrates the growth of his contemporary American-French fine-dining restaurant! To provide a unique upscale experience, Bill believes the key to success is quality ingredients and exceptional staff and service, beginning as soon as guests pull into the parking lot!

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Adhezion Biomedical, LLC Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza BDO USA, LLP Berks County Parrot Head Club CMIT Solutions of Reading Elite Coach GAPS “The Gallery” Above Penn Square General Polymeric Corp, DBA GenPore Greater Reading Alliance of Community Theatres Keystone Property Services, LLC LedgeRock Golf Club Liberty Law Group, LLC Metropolitan Management Group Nutrition Works Educational Services PC Ninja PeopleShare Rapid Remedy Russell Stover Candies Thirty One Gifts–Mindee Zimmerman Tullyview Allergy, P.C. Unicast Company

Bellco Federal Credit Union Brewer’s Bar & Grill Greater Reading Young Professionals Hiester Lanes Interlace Communications, Inc. National Penn Servicemaster Assured Cleaning Solve IT Solutions, LLC

L & J Transportation Companies, Inc. TechniCom Audio and Visual, Inc.

Berkshire Psychiatric & Behavioral Health Services, PC Cianci & Roberts Clarence Sasso Interior Environments Kuzan’s Hardware & Rental Center Monterey Mushrooms, Inc.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County, PA Strategic Analysis, Inc.

ANNIVERSARIESSept 2014 – Nov 2014

1 Year

5 Years

10 Years

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• Automotive

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• Aerial Lift

• Pallet Jack

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• Floor Scrubber

• Emergency Lighting

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• Two Way Radio

• Laptop Computer

• Cell Phone

• Cordless Phone

• Bar Code Scanner

• Cordless Power Tool

• Custom Battery Packs

• PLC/CNC Equipment

• and more!

BatteriesThat PowerBusinesses

BatteriesThat PowerBusinesses

Chiropractic

Massage

Acupuncture

Physical Therapy

Personal Training

Counseling

Laser

Skin Care

Dr Patrick BorjaChiropractor

(610) 779-4588

Spine and Wellness Center

www.spineandwellness.org


Jon Fetzer has been promoted to Team Leader for Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc.SM In his new role, Fetzer will be responsible for providing leadership to crew members, facilitation of the quality of all restoration processes and procedures with a focus on me-chanical, maintaining projects produc-tion schedules and creating a positive working relationship with customers. Fetzer worked as a Mechanical Helper since joining the company in 2010.

Jonathan Vining has been promot-ed to Restoration Team Leader for Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc.SM In his new role, Vining will be responsible for providing leadership to restoration crew members, facilita-tion of the quality of all restoration processes and procedures with a focus on water remediation, maintaining projects production schedules and creating a positive working relationship with customers. Vining worked as a Restoration Technician since joining the company in 2013.

Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc.SM employee Erik Rockhold received the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and the Commercial Drying Specialist (CDS) Certification.Employee Adam Spiers received the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and the Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT) Certification.

member news

BCIU appointed Dr. Jill Hackman as Executive Director effective October 18. Dr. Hackman has contributed to the success of BCIU for many years in her role as Assistant Executive Director, and played a key role in ensuring a smooth transition as former BCIU Executive Director Dr. John George announced his new role with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU).

The Berks Community Television Board of Directors announced the appointment of Heather M. Adams as Executive Director, Managing Editor of BCTV.org beginning October 20, 2014. In her new position, Adams will manage a staff of six full-time employ-ees, numerous part-time employees and volunteers leading the effort to set and communicate vision and goals for the next stage of growth for BCTV. Prior to accepting her new position, Adams was Senior Sales and Marketing Manager for SMG/Santander Arena & Performing Arts Center. Her previous experience also included Advertising Sales Management at the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Clear Channel Radio.

Liquid has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list. They ranked 2692 position on the list of 5000 privately held, for profit, and independent companies across the United States—increasing their rank-ing by 1003 spots over 2013. For the past 33 years, Inc. has welcomed the fastest-growing private companies in America into the Inc. 5000 list. Making the list was as competitive as ever in 2014. The average company on the list grew an incredible 516 percent.

Herbein announced that Josh A. Pollet, CPA has been promoted to Senior Manager. As a Senior Manager in the Accounting and Auditing Department, Josh is responsible for supervising the audits of several of the firm’s largest clients. He works primarily within the dairy, cooperatives and manufacturing industries. He also specializes in provid-ing consulting services to clients in the dairy and food processing industries.

Benchmark Construction Company, Inc. announced that Eric Robertson and Robert Beiler have been promoted to Project Manager. Mr. Robertson and Mr. Beiler will oversee the daily operations of select projects. Their duties include coordinating field and administrative activities as well as ensuring that all parties involved in the construction process are working to serve the clients’ best interests.

Riverview Bank announced the promotion of Gregory T. Kline to President of the Berks Region. Kline previously served Riverview as Senior Vice President, Regional Senior Lending Officer. Formerly with Susquehanna Bank and CommunityBanks, he has over 25 years of commercial banking, business development, and executive management experience, Kline held the positions of Sr. VP—Relationship Man-ager, Regional President, and Regional Loan Administrator.

Hollenbach Construction, Inc. has been listed in the 2014 Top 100 Private-ly Held Businesses in the Greater Lehigh Valley. Hollenbach is ranked number 44 on the list. The list is compiled by the Lehigh Valley Business Journal.

Riverview Bank announced the addi-tion of Robert (Bob) Hoffman as Vice President, Commercial Relationship Manager, to their Berks County team of banking professionals. Previously, Hoffman was a Vice President, Senior Business Banker with PNC Bank. He also held similar positions at First Cornerstone Bank and Harleysville National Bank. With over 13 years of commercial banking and business development experience, Hoffman was also a business owner involved in commercial leasing.

Christopher Bostaph has joined Larson Design Group (LDG) as Vice President of the Energy Division. His responsibilities include strategy, busi-ness development, and high quality project delivery, overseeing all of LDG’s energy services. He will be focused on leading the growth and development of the Energy Division and will also be given assignments in his role as an executive management team member on the LDG Guiding Coalition. Chris has over 24 years of environmental consulting, engineering, and project management experience.

The Reading Downtown Improvement District (DID) announced that Carl W. Brown, Jr. has joined the DID staff as Special Projects Coordinator. Brown’s responsibilities include implementing and overseeing various projects relat-ed to improving and revitalizing the downtown area served by DID. Brown has extensive experience in public re-lations and communications. Previous positions he has held include public relations/communications manager at Sovereign Bank and communications specialist at Agere Systems.

NEWSMAKERS

41


Elbeco announced the promotion of David Adams to Executive Vice Presi-dent. In his expanded role, David will be responsible for identifying, devel-oping, implementing and maintaining operational policies and procedures to improve the overall operation and effectiveness of the company. Adams has been with Elbeco for over 15 years and was previously in the position of Vice President of Finance where he oversaw all operational and financial aspects of the firm.

The Reading Downtown Improvement District (DID) has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Main Street Center®, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Pres-ervation. Each year, the National Main Street Center and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street® programs in recognition of their exemplary commitment to historic preservation and community revitalization through the Main Street Four Point Approach®.

Associated Builders and Contractors recognized Hollenbach Construction, Inc. with two awards at its recent Achievement Dinner. Hollenbach Construction received an award for its long standing membership and support of ABC for the past 40 years. In addition, Hollenbach received the STEP SILVER award for its safety pro-gram. Glenn Ebersole, Strategic Vice President, Business Development/Marketing, accepted both awards on behalf of Hollenbach Construction.

Liquid has been named one of the Best Places to Work in PA for 2014. The survey and awards program, performed by a partnership of Pennsylvania organizations led by Team Pennsylvania Foundation, was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Pennsylvania, who are benefiting the state’s economy and its workforce.

Kautter & Kelley Architects announced that the Reading School District’s Amanda Stout Elementary School & Benners Court renovation and additions project has garnered pro-fessional recognition from four varied organizations; the most recent being Preservation Pennsylvania. Having received a Construction Project Award for Public and Institutional Projects, the project was honored at the 2014 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards on September 26th for the rehabilitation of an aging school that has revitalized its urban neighborhood.

Sarah C. Skillman was recently promoted to Chief Compliance Officer of Weik Investment Services, Inc., Wyomissing, PA. Sarah has been with Weik Investment since 2006.

Warren W. Weik was recently promoted to Portfolio Manager of Weik Investment Services, Inc., Wyomiss-ing, PA. Warren has been with Weik Investment since 2010.

Cynthia Bonney, NHA, has been appointed as Executive Director of Pathstones by Phoebe, a new inno-vation coming to the region to meet the needs of area seniors. Ms. Bonney has been an employee of Phoebe Ministries since 1999 and was most recently Executive Director of Phoebe Wyncote, a five star awarded Continu-ing Care Retirement Community in Montgomery County. Launching this fall, Pathstones by Phoebe will offer personalized plans for care coordina-tion and the services of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the comfort and security of a member’s home.

Accounting and advisory firms Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP (Baker Tilly) and ParenteBeard LLC announced the merger of the two firms, with an anticipated effective date of October 1, 2014. The name of the combined firm will be Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP.

“As independent members of Baker Tilly International, the two firms have worked collaboratively and successful-ly for many years and on many fronts,” said Baker Tilly Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Timothy L. Christen.

Liberty Environmental, Inc. an-nounced that Andrew R. Fetterman, P.G. has joined the firm as a Project Manager. With more than 16 years in environmental consulting as a geolo-gist and hydrogeologist, Mr. Fetterman has built a substantial portfolio of remediated sites in Pennsylvania, New York, and Georgia.

Follow us…Keep up with what’s new

at the GRCCI

Greater Reading Chamberof Commerce & Industry

Greater Reading Chamberof Commerce &Industry

@ReadingChamber

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upcoming events

Women2Know: Robin MK Shilling, Independent National Executive Director, Pampered Chef

Stokesay Castle 141 Stokesay Castle Ln. Reading, PA 19606

11:30 am –1:30 pm

DEC 16

Power Networking Lunch

Holiday Inn Morgantown 6170 Morgantown Rd. Morgantown, PA 19543

11:30 am –1:00 pm

DEC 17

W2W Path2Personal Development: Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

Center for Business Excellence 49 Commerce Dr. Wyomissing, PA 19610

4:30 pm –6:30 pm

JAN 14

Business at Breakfast

Inn at Reading 1040 N Park Rd.

Wyomissing, PA 19610

7:45 am –9:00 am

JAN 7

The Great 8! Process of Finding & Keeping Good Customers


8:00 am –11:00 am (Morning Sessions)

JAN 5

Lead Worker Certificate: Winter 2015



6:00 pm –8:00 pm (Evening Sessions)

JAN 5


Reading Fightin’ Phils 1900 Centre Ave.

Reading, PA 19612

11:30 am –1:00 pm

JAN 21

Supervisor Training: The Role of a Supervisor/Manager (Module I, Winter 2015)

Center for Business Excellence 49 Commerce Dr.



6:00 pm –9:00 pm (Evening Sessions)

JAN 22

Educating the Family Workshop Series: Value of Advisory Boards For Your Business



8:00 am –10:00 am

JAN 22

De Mujer a Mujer-Estableciendo Conexiones

The Abraham Lincoln A Historic Hotel of America 100 N 5th St. Hwy. Reading, PA 19601

5:30 pm –7:30 pm

JAN 27

Supervisor Training: Managing & Building Workplace Relationships (Module II, Winter 2015)



8:30 am –11:30 am

JAN 28

Supervisor Training: Leveraging Workplace Relationships for Organizational Success (Module III, Winter 2015)



8:30 am –11:30 am

JAN 30

Networking at Night

Davids Furniture & Interiors 4444 New Holland Rd. Mohnton, PA 19540

5:00 pm –7:00 pm

FEB 12

State of the Community

Crowne Plaza 1741 Papermill Rd.

Reading, PA 19610

8:00 am –9:30 am

FEB 3



7:45 am –9:00 am

FEB 4

Networking at Night

Berks Fire Water Restorations 1145 Commons Blvd.

Reading, PA 19605

5:00 pm –8:00 pm

FEB 5

Women2Know: TBD


8:00 am

FEB 17

All in the Family Gathering: WORLD electronics

WORLD electronics Headquarters 3000 Kutztown Rd. Reading, PA 19605

11:00 am –1:00 pm

FEB 18


TBD

11:30 am –1:00 pm

FEB 18

W2W Growth2Go: Time Management for Women Who Do Too Much

The Highlands at Wyomissing 2000 Cambridge Ave.


11:30 am –1:00 pm

JAN 20

FEB 24



5:30 pm –7:30 pm

MAR 11

W2W Path2Personal Development: Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Networking



4:30 pm –6:30 pm

MAR 18


TBD

11:30 am –1:00 pm

MAR 17

W2W Growth2Go: Negotiation Skill for Success

The Highlands at Wyomissing 2000 Cambridge Ave.


11:30 am –1:00 pm

MAR 19

Networking at Night

Fraser Advanced Information Systems

320 Penn Ave. Reading, PA 19611

11:30 am –1:00 pm

MAR 4


Reading Country Club 5311 Perkiomen Ave.

Reading, PA 19606

7:45 am –9:00 am

MAR 24



5:30 pm –7:30 pm

MAR 13

Young Leadership Conference Series

Penn State Berks 2080 Tulpehocken Rd.

Reading, PA 19610

10:30 am –1:30 pm

Spend 10 jazz- and blues-filled days and nights in the Greater Reading area! Over 120 scheduled events, plus great shopping and dining in one area, make the 25th annual Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest your perfect spring getaway.

For tickets, call Ticketmaster toll free at 1-800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com to order online.

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS • DAVE KOZ • INCOGNITO • BRIAN CULBERTSON • DIANNE REEVES • BONEY JAMES • PIECES OF A DREAM

MINDI ABAIR & THE BONESHAKERS WITH SWEETPEA ATKINSON • THE SOUL OF JAZZ FEATURING JEFFREY OSBORNE, NAJEE, MAYSA, NICK COLIONNE, GERALD VEASLEY, BRIAN SIMPSON

NEW YORK VOICES AND THE READING POPS ORCHESTRA • BILLY COBHAM ‘SPECTRUM 40’ BAND FEATURING DEAN BROWN, GARY HUSBAND, RIC FIERABRACCI • GERALD ALBRIGHT

GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAZZ CELEBRATION: KIRK WHALUM, YOLANDA ADAMS, KEVIN WHALUM, JOHN STODDART AND THE DOXA GOSPEL ENSEMBLE • MARC ANTOINE • ALEX BUGNON

STRINGS ATTACHED FEATURING LARRY CORYELL, JIMMY BRUNO, VIC JURIS, JACK WILKINS, JOE COHN • PHILADELPHIA JAZZ ORCHESTRA DIRECTED BY TERELL STAFFORD

REMEMBERING JOE SAMPLE: BOBBY LYLE, WILTON FELDER, RAY PARKER JR., JEFF BRADSHAW, NICHOLAS SAMPLE, LIONEL CORDEW, LIZ HOGUE • BRIAN BROMBERG

NICK COLIONNE • JAZZ ATTACK: RICK BRAUN, PETER WHITE, EUGE GROOVE, ELLIOTT YAMIN • MARION MEADOWS • PAUL TAYLOR • JAZZ FUNK SOUL: CHUCK LOEB, JEFF LORBER,

EVERETTE HARP • FOURPLAY: BOB JAMES, NATHAN EAST, HARVEY MASON, CHUCK LOEB • KIND OF NEW: JASON MILES, INGRID JENSEN, RAY RODRIGUEZ, MIKE CLARK, JERRY

BROOKS PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS LIONEL LOUEKE, GARY BARTZ • PAT MARTINO TRIO WITH PAT BIANCHI, CARMEN INTORRE • LIVE AT THE FILLMORE: TRIBUTE TO THE ORIGINAL ALLMAN

BROTHERS • URBAN JAZZ COALITION • TOMMY KATONA & TEXAS FLOOD • FRANK VIGNOLA & VINNY RANIOLO • THE JOST PROJECT: TONY MICELI, PAUL JOST, KEVIN MACCONNELL,

ANWAR MARSHALL • ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD FEATURING DEVON ALLMAN, CYRILL NEVILLE, CHARLIE WOOTEN, YONRICO SCOTT, BART WALKER • JAMES HUNTER SIX • MIKEY

JUNIOR BAND • ANDREW NEU WITH CAROL RIDDICK, DAVID P STEVENS • DANCE HALL DOCS FEATURING BRENT CARTER • THE UPTOWN BAND FEATURING ERICH CAWALLA & JENIFER KINDER

GREG HATZA & TIM PRICE ORGAN QUARTET • PAT TRAVERS BAND • CRAIG THATCHER BAND • THE ORIGINAL GROOVEMASTERS • REGGIE BROWN AND BUNCH A FUNK

THE ROYAL SCAM • DJANGOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: JOSH TAYLOR,CHRIS HESLOP, BILL NIXON, MICHAEL NIKOLIDAKIS, TREY LARUE • SAX SUMMIT: NATHAN BELLOTT, SETH EBERSOLE,

ANDY MOHLER, GREG WILSON • RANDY HANSEN • CELEBRATE SINATRA: LOU DOTTOLI AND THE SOUNDS OF SUNNYBROOK DANCE BAND • U.S. ARMY JAZZ AMBASSADORS AND MORE!*

* LINEUP AS OF 11/26/14. SUBJECT TO CHANGE

James Hunter

Six Dave Koz

Terell Stafford

Incognito

Wynton Marsalis

Yolanda Adams

Boney James

Brian Culbertson

Follow us on Twitter@berksjazzfest

April 10-19, 2015Reading, PA

berksjazzfest.com

PROUD SPONSOR OF THE BOSCOV’S BERKS JAZZ FEST

Commerce Quarterly Winter 2014

Documents

Transcript of Commerce Quarterly Winter 2014