commerce quarterly spring 2015

SPRING 2015

COMMERCEQUARTERLY

Greater Reading Chamber

in Berks?

Is Business Really

2015 OUTLOOK: What You Need to Know

STRONGERLOAN DEMAND

—Stable Interest Rates

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C O N T E N T S

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©2015 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

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COMMERCEQUARTERLY

Greater Reading ChamberGreater Reading Chamber

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:

IN EVERY ISSUE:

5 Letter From the President

22 The Chamber Chew Bear Creek Mountain Resort & Conference Center

23 Entrepreneur’s Corner Q&A with Susan Levan & Edward F. Anewalt, IV

26 Spring 2015 Peter Rye, Lisa Lavender, & John Craig

32 Volunteer Spotlight

37 Out & About

41 Member Spotlight

42 Member News

50 Upcoming Events

DEPARTMENTS:

13 Business & Community Advocacy 2015 Outlook: What You Need to Know

34 In Your Community Business Friendly Incentives— All Aboard Opportunity!

On the Cover:

Brian Levan, Levan Machine and Truck Equipment, sitting on a newly up-fitted municipal truck ready for delivery to Rucombmanor Township.

Cover & center spread photos provided by Willow Street Pictures. Select additional photography provided by Dave Zerbe Studio of Photography.

16 HR Matters “Social Recruiting: Are You Connected?”

18 DIY Solutions Marketing Plan 101 For Small Business Owners

21 Small Biz Thrives Doug & Bryan Shinn, Co-Owners of The Water Guy

24 Made in Berks Joe Jurgielewicz & Son, Ltd.

Industry Trends28 SPOTLIGHT ON BANKING Stronger Loan Demand— Stable Interest Rates

30 Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest: Not a Zero Sum Tune

33 Under the Radar: A Look at Local Innovation

38 Effective Leadership Cultivating Growth with a Team Approach

6 Cover Stor y Is Business Really Booming in Berks?

5

GreaterReadingChamber.orgletter from the president

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

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With the arrival of Spring, we thought this issue

was rightfully focused on “What’s Blooming—or Booming—in Berks!” The

issue features a number of growing businesses, large and small. There does indeed seem to be an uptick in confidence and economic activity. Loan activity is up. Hiring is active and temp agencies are experiencing increased demand.

With growth in mind, we have included several small biz tip articles including recruiting via social media and creating a marketing plan. Additionally, we feature a number of entrepreneurial companies because we know our members like to learn from other businesses. Our Member Spotlight videos are highlighted on page 41. The videos can be accessed on the Chamber website and feature an interview with a small business owner on how the business got started, and what challenges and opportunities are seen in Berks and beyond.

I noted that most of the businesses featured in this issue are family businesses. The Chamber has initiated the Berks Family Business Alliance to specifically address the unique dynamics and challenges of working in a family business. Look for details inside on the upcoming Spring Symposium featuring a unique family operation—Listrak—where the father has gone to work for the business that his son started!

Manufacturers will also be highlighted in each of our issues. Did you know that Joe Jurgielewicz & Son distributes 20,000 ducks worldwide—every day—from the Hamburg area? And sure enough, they are also a family business.

The Ride to Prosperity initiative, encompassing eight economic development agencies in Berks, highlights The City of Reading in this issue with Lenin Agudo, Director of Community Development, sharing the incentives and tools the City has put together to attract new enterprises and assist established businesses to grow within the City.

Coming up soon in the community is the 2015 Berks Jazz Fest, April 10 to 19. Keri Schultz, President of the Reading Music Foundation, shares a great perspective on the economic impact of Jazz Fest for Berks.

Of course, at the Chamber, we are looking forward to our Annual Dinner on June 1 where we will celebrate our fastest growing companies in Berks and hear what is promising to be an energetic and inspiring keynote from Daymond John of Shark Tank fame. Save the date:

JUNE 1: 102nd Annual Dinner honoring Top companies and a night with Daymond John, Shark Tank

Thanks for reading Commerce Quarterly to keep on the pulse of Business in Berks. Thanks to Ellen Albright, the Chamber’s Communications Coordinator, for pulling together a fantastic issue! Please drop us a line with suggestions for articles for future issues; your input is very welcomed!

Onward & Upward!

6 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

cover story

A quick glance at regional, national and international news, the stock market’s steady rise to uncharted territories, and local and regional building projects could lead one to believe

the economy is improving. We wanted to know whether it’s only perception or if businesses in Berks are experiencing the boom, and how it may be impacting our community.

First, it’s unanimous; business is good! From commercial contractors and realtors, to healthcare and service providers, to regional and international manufacturers, the demand for goods, services, space and employees has been on the upswing. And the activity is good for the Greater Reading area.

Locally, Reading Health System’s Seventh Avenue Project, the EnerSys and Brentwood Industries expansions, and regional trans-portation and infrastructure projects are visible signs of activity but are they adding jobs, and providing trickle-down opportunities?

A Collaborative Report

in Berks?

Is Business Really

Eric Burkey, president of the Burkey Group, a general contractor located along the Morgantown Road in Reading, said his firm experienced an increase in activity during the fourth quarter of 2014,

but Berks County has been relatively quiet. He noted there are many construction projects in Philadelphia and surrounding counties, but project opportunities are lagging here. However, he does see “growing interest in the warehousing and industrial markets for Berks County later this year, going into 2016.”

7

GreaterReadingChamber.org

The future for construction companies in Berks would be stronger if the local leaders would emulate their neighbors, said Burkey. “Lancaster County is very committed to using their local construction firms and it shows because it is very difficult to break into that market,” he said. “The Greater Reading Community must stay committed to using local companies.”

So, how does that translate into the local facilities’ leasing and purchase activity? “The market is seeing an uptick across the board,” stated Bryan Cole, NAI Keystone. “Most of the interest is within the industrial sector and this is really a 50/50 on leasing versus sales.”

Cole said the local office mar-ket continues to see activity; but there is a dearth of good office buildings for sale. “We have great spaces for lease, but because financing is so attractive at the moment, companies are looking to purchase facilities,” he said. “Many owners find it easier to refinance their portfolios rather than sell. If they sell their properties, where do they put the money? Quality investments are hard to find right now because the ones that are for sale are at very low cap rates.”

Spring Township and Wyomissing continue to dominate the office market, he said. “There are numerous proposed developments and a few newly built facilities like National Penn Bank and Penn National Gaming,” noted Cole. “Those buildings were built for end users which is great because it’s not new space coming to the market. The caveat to that is National Penn did ultimately vacate three buildings in Wyomissing to consolidate to Spring Ridge, but overall they took a lot more space.”

One of the prime properties Cole markets is the Gateway building at Second and Penn Streets in Reading. Recently, Entech Engineering Inc. leased space in the building for expansion and will relocate from the American House at Fourth and Penn Streets. Leasing office space in the city remains a challenge, said Cole, but he’s hopeful that positive change is coming.

Echoing Eric Burkey’s earlier comments, activity in the local industrial and warehousing sectors is thriving but there are challenges, stated Cole. “There is a lack of product within the local marketplace which is causing some concern. It takes years to get a piece of land approved and ready for construction. The reason: businesses tend to look at relocating with six or more months left on existing leases, which does not allow sufficient time for flexibility. Companies should start looking at alternatives with 10 to 12 months, or more, left on their leases,” cautioned Cole.

“Muhlenberg and Morgantown seem to be experiencing most of the activity within the industrial sector, not including, of course, the I-78 Corridor and the big box development,” Cole said. “But most of the smaller, flex, small warehouse/manufacturing facilities are concentrated in the two markets indicated.”

Cole praises the efforts of GREP, the Greater Berks Development Fund, and the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce in supporting and promoting local businesses.

Physical expansion, personnel growth and improved delivery of services are three themes these next three larger, local businesses share.

In December 2015 Reading Health System officials unveiled the biggest project in its 147-year history—a 476,000-square-foot addition adding more than 20 percent of space to its campus. With an estimated cost of $354 million, and completion expected in October 2016, it is the most expensive hospital construction project in the state.

Continued on page 8


cover story continued…

“Our new building, known as the Seventh Avenue Project, will provide an optimal working environment for our staff,” said Daniel Ahern, senior vice president, strategy and business development. “The 24 new operating rooms will house state-of-the-art lighting and video equipment. This new building will also bring new surgical techniques to the area and will allow Reading Health System to recruit addi-tional highly skilled physicians to the area to benefit the community we serve.”

“Reading Hospital has one of the busiest emergency departments in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania with more than 120,000 visits last year. The new building will allow for 15 additional care rooms and the Trauma Center will receive four additional trauma bays.” The new building will also include eight outpatient procedure rooms as Hospital officials believe ever-evolving technology allows for quicker recovery which will lead to an increase in outpatient services, including surgical procedures.

“Healthcare forecasts include a shift from inpatient to outpatient procedures, including cardiovascular services and neurologic services,” Ahern said. “The combination of our new surgical suites and the

Reading Hospital SurgiCenter at Spring Ridge allows us to continue to provide these services.”

Continuing the theme of growth through space expansion is Brentwood Industries. Peter Rye, president of Brentwood Industries, said the perception of the company’s recent growth runs in tandem with its recent real estate changes.

“It took us decades to outgrow the previous headquarters (on Morgantown Road in Reading, just south of the Burkey Group),” he said. “The Reading area is home to our Specialty Products Division, both manufacturing and management, contained in two buildings on Morgantown Road. Our company headquarters is now at

“Successful businesses & successful communities go hand-in-hand.”

Spring Ridge (the former Ehrlich Pest Control corporate building).” Brentwood employs about 300 individuals locally, with its key group of entrepreneurial people based in Berks.

Brentwood is a manufacturer of thermo-formed plastic solutions to a wide variety of consumer, manufacturing, and environmental industries. Everything Brentwood does and makes is in B2B markets, he said. And while the local area does serve as a marketplace, the firm is far more likely to sell nationally and internationally. The company’s strongest growth opportunities are in storm water and medical products in North America, cooling tower products in India, and water and wastewater products in Latin America, he said.

Rye said his firm is on track for what it has been doing for the past half century: continuing to be a sustaining family-owned business based in the community. “Our definition of sustaining means that

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we grow in a profitable and generally conservative way,” he said. “With our diversity of products and markets, we weather recessions pretty well. Brentwood’s future depends on our community’s ability to grow, retain and attract great employees at all levels,” he continued.

“Successful businesses and successful communities go hand-in-hand.”

The last of the three larger companies is EnerSys, located along Route 183, across from the Reading Regional Airport. John Craig, chairman and chief executive officer, explained his company’s significant growth.

“Since 2000, EnerSys has grown in sales from $400 million to over $2.5 billion today,” he said. “The company does business in over 100 different countries and has over 10,000 customers. Since 2000 the company has completed 27 acquisitions and remains active in pursuing additional companies to acquire. EnerSys’ goal is to increase sales to $4 billion by 2018.”

“With this goal, the worldwide corporate headquarters located in Berks County will be adding approximately 75,000 square feet of building space and expanding our professional employment,” said Craig. “This space and increased positions are required in order to manage our U.S. and global expansion.”

And there are signs for growth. Craig said that orders for new electric forklifts are very strong domestically. Those orders, he said, are linked to industrial production and are a good sign for U.S. economic growth. “For our business we typically see a pickup in orders for forklift truck batteries in about two to five months after new forklift trucks are ordered,” he said. “So this should be good for our business this year.”

Craig also noted the European market initiating its telecommu-nications 4G LTE build out, something in which the continent has lagged behind much of the world. “We believe this will lead to double digit growth in our telecommunications reserve power business for at least the next two years,” he said.

EnerSys and its predecessor companies have been manufacturers of industrial batteries for more than a century. The current company was formed in late 2000 to acquire the North and South American reserve power and motive power battery businesses from Japan-based Yuasa Corp.

Reserve power batteries are marketed and sold principally under the PowerSafe, DataSafe, Hawker, Genesis, ODYSSEY, and CYCLON brands. Motive power batteries are marketed and sold principally under the Hawker, IRONCLAD, General Battery, Fiamm Motive Power, Oldham, and Express brands. EnerSys also manufactures and sells related direct current DC power products including chargers, electronic power equipment, and a wide variety of battery accesso-ries. The battery products span a range of sizes, configurations, and electrical capabilities to meet a wide variety of applications.

Like Brentwood, much of the EnerSys market is outside Berks. But the firm’s leaders belief in the county is evident by its huge bricks and mortar investment.

“As we planned our headquarters building expansion, the local municipal community was instrumental in partnering with EnerSys to provide for a smooth permit approval process and project assis-tance,” he said.

Intangible elements and infrastructure investment spurred growth activity for two other local firms. Berks Fire Water Restoration, Inc., owned by Ted and Lisa Lavender, and now based along Tuckerton Road in Muhlenberg Township, experienced increased growth in 2014 as a direct result of Mother Nature.

Lisa Lavender, chief operating office of the company, shared that winter’s extreme weather, and the May 22, 2014 hail storm that wreaked havoc throughout the area, had significant impacts on her business. Berks Fire Water Restorations specializes in disaster recovery and remediation work, and disasters, natural and manmade, keep demand for her company’s services high.

“We’ve definitely been on the upswing in the last year to year and a half,” she said. “We are weather sensitive and the hard winters and hail storm really kept us in demand.” Most recently, the firm made headlines for the extensive work it performed on the main building at Reading Country Club in Exeter Township after pipes burst from the extreme temperatures.

Continued on page 10

“One of the greatest gifts in Berks County is the way people come together—they reciprocate to help each other.”

While much of its work and many of its 50 employees focus on response to disaster and emergency situations, the firm also han-dles mold remediation. That, said Lavender, has been a focus since the late 1990s when more regulations occurred regarding mold in structures.

Lavender is also busy expanding into com-plementary avenues. She points to her newer company venture, the Restoration Technical Institute. The institute offers industry certi-fications and credits for those attending its programs. She said the curriculum is constantly being upgraded to comply with increasing and often changing governmental regulations.

An advocate for community growth, Lavender encourages local businesses and economic development organizations to continue


developing synergies by collaborating with training organizations like the Schmidt Center at RACC, the Career and Technology Centers and the Greater Reading Chamber.

“One of the greatest gifts in Berks County is the way people come together—they reciprocate to help each other,” Lavender said. “The people and businesses here have strong core values and that’s a great thing when it comes to doing business.”

Brian Levan of Levan Machine and Truck Equipment Company agrees. The loyalty of and to employees is also critical to his business success and growth, he said. Of his 27 employees, many of whom are now on the younger end of the work force, the average time on the job is approaching a decade. And that relates directly to the steady growth of business.

Levan is the third generation leader of his family’s 78-year-old business located on the Pricetown Road outside Fleetwood. The company offers a full line of truck, truck body and trailer equipment, including snowplows and salt spreaders, providing fleet management, up-fitting and general maintenance services. In addition, they do custom machining and fabricating, prototyping and fully engineered products with their full complement of CNC machining, complete driveline service and MIG, TIG, and stick welding services.

Brian has seen his business boom in the past 18 months, coming largely from opportunities in Lehigh and Lancaster counties and the Greater Reading area.

“The upswing in construction activity really affects us,” said Levan. “After 2008, it seemed like things came to a screeching halt in terms of spending. Now firms are faced with fleets of trucks and equipment that are greatly aged. They are seeing an upswing and need to buy new trucks and equipment.”

Both of the firm’s divisions are seeing increased business activity. The machine shop, especially, is seeing a lot of rebuilding of equipment, particularly for manufac-turers ramping up their operations.

“If you look back at our business, it’s been steady growth for the past 10 years, an upswing in the last three, and really starting to jump in the last 18 months,” Levan said. The growth, he said, is reflected among the many smaller firms with which Levan does business—his vendors and clients. Many of these relationships span two decades. More than 80 percent of these are still family operated businesses like his.

Levan hopes to grow his business for the next generation and he sees market

cover story continued…

We’re Greater Reading Economic Partnership. Here to help you resolve your business challenges. From managing growth to finding new space, we’ll connect you to the right people from our extensive network of resources so you can achieve Greater things. Contact us today.

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niches yet to be explored. His business plans center on aligning market projections and the strategy to go with them. “Before we pull any trigger, we do our market research, see where alignments are possible, and make sure all our ducks are in a row,” he said. Of particular note, Brian credits the Chamber’s Ignite Grant Program as the catalyst for his management team’s strategic planning process.

Statistics for 2014 compared to 2013 show activity was up 25 percent, accounting mostly for existing clients who are getting busier, he said. Demand for new employees has grown for local manufacturers, particularly in the candy, apparel, steel, battery, and warehousing sectors. “They are all doing well,” confirmed Gage.

Though Gage has offices in Ephrata, Lancaster, and Lebanon, 75 to 85 percent of its business occurs in Berks. He has big hopes for the future. “I see a real uptick continuing in the next few years,” he said. “Overall the economy is a rising tide lifting all boats.”

So where is all this leading?

While there are no crystal balls to predict short-term or long-term growth our local workplaces are moving in the right direction. With a solid report of manufacturing growth and strong service sector activity we can only suggest that the Greater Reading community is poised for increased business growth within the foreseeable future. Transportation and infrastructure investments, a renewed focus on workplace training and education and a strong economy should lead to more opportunities for large and small businesses throughout the community.

Perhaps now would be a good time to invest in some additional workforce training and capital improvements for your company?

Many companies forecast anticipated busi-ness activity by watching the employment numbers and the increase in temporary help. For Bill Gage, president of Gage Personnel, the upswing in staffing started about five years ago.

“Last year was actually better than the years before the uptick started in 2010,” said Gage.

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“I see a real uptick continuing in the next few years, overall the economy is a rising tide lifting all boats.”


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Senior economist Jay Bryson with Wells Fargo Bank told a Chamber audience in December that he predicted economic growth will slowly strengthen through 2015. That presumption

aligns with what we are hearing from businesses throughout Berks. Sales are on the upswing and so is hiring. There is increased mobility in the labor market and signs of increased competition for hiring talent.

business & community advocacy

Outlook

With contributions from: Ellen Horan & Gail Landis, Greater Reading Chamber

GreaterReadingVoice.com: Get Connected

• Identifies the Chamber’s pro-business priorities

• Provides information on your elected officials & candidates

• Monitors key local, state and federal relevant news and topics

• Enables you to contact officials on important issues & votes

Speaking as one voice, Chamber members have the power to strengthen the prosperity of the business community. Speaking up and making your thoughts known to public officials is vital to our political process. Regardless if you are a large corporation, small business or start-up, you are focused on business matters and the time to deal with political issues is limited.

The biggest drag on the economy is consumer confidence or lack thereof. This slows the purchase of goods and services. Businesses are also being very cautious with their reinvestments in their business. Seeing the uptick in hiring, however, is a good sign that businesses are moving forward with perhaps slightly more confidence. At the Chamber, we are hopeful that increased consumer confidence will follow as the labor market tilts more in their favor.

Uncertainty is never good for business and promotes a general lack of confidence. The financial markets are stronger and even the housing market has ended its freefall. But the biggest contributor to uncertainty remains the regulatory environment. Regulatory creep has become the #1 competitive threat to economic growth.

Since 2000, there have been 4,468 significant federal rules approved. Even crazier, since 1976, there have been over 180,000 new regulations approved—with the most costly hailing from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Perhaps that is because 98% of EPA rules are proposed with no estimated compliance cost. Further, EPA regulations are frequently subject to lawsuits from activists that often result in settlements in the form of new regulations.

Numerous other federal agencies have their share of regulatory creep as well. Granted, some level of regulation to protect the health and safety of our nation is legitimate. But should the FDA dictate what a restaurant menu looks like? Should the FAA prohibit commercial research on the use of drone technology? Should the NLRB have the right to require employers to hand over employees’ personal information to union organizers?

Businesses have also been significantly impacted by financial regulation, specifically Dodd-Frank. The web of regulations this legislation created has impacted lending practices. And don’t even get a business owner started on the topic of Obamacare (a.k.a. the Affordable Care Act). Small employers with an aging workforce are


What You Need to Know


seeing the most significant premium increases, and are at risk of being priced out of the market. Both of these regulatory areas are directly undermining employers’ ability to hire more employees.

Interestingly, the public seems to agree. A recent New York Times poll showed 54% of the population feel that there was significant overregulation by the federal government. Another recent Gallup poll showed 50% of those surveyed feel the nation is overregulated.

We need to hold our Congressional leaders accountable and not allow them to abdicate their role as appointed regulatory bureaucrats. We also expect them to show leadership in areas that will have a direct impact on our country’s economic growth. Key leadership opportunities include:

• Immigration Reform – The current system is broken. People are not necessarily illegal immigrants by choice; rather they become illegal immigrants due to lack of options. Immigrants play an important role in our country’s workforce, and they always have.

• Transportation Funding – Our aging infrastructure demands investment. The flow of raw materials, products, and talent all rely on a strong transportation network. Our quality of life is also tied into our mobility. At the state level Act 89 passed providing transportation funding for critical road and bridge projects. However, if federal transportation funding is not addressed it will impact our Pennsylvania transportation priorities as our state projects require additional federal funding to make them a reality.

• Corporate Tax Reform – What country has the highest business taxes on the planet? You guessed it: the United States. A simpler tax code would enable the rate to be dropped to more competitive levels and create a healthier economy.

• Energy – The Keystone XL pipeline is key to our nation’s energy independence. We have abundant energy resources, but if we can’t get them to the end user, we cannot reduce our dependence on foreign sources in an increasingly volatile world.

• Workforce Skills and Education – The United States should lead the world in education attainment, but we do not. Our citizens are losing out on opportunities as a result. We need strong academic standards, increased access and affordability of post-secondary education and adult training opportunities to match skill gaps.

In addition to these federal issues and priorities, Harrisburg is giving us plenty to think about as well. Pennsylvania has new faces in the Governor’s Office and Administration, as well as changes in the makeup of the PA General Assembly and leadership positions that will bring a new dynamic to policy issues in our state. There are several key issues that need to be addressed to ensure we have a competitive business climate.

Governor Tom Wolf recently delivered his first budget address. The proposed 2015–2016 Pennsylvania Budget focused around a theme of: ‘Jobs that Pay’, ‘Schools that Teach’ and ‘Government

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that Works’. The details are now being negotiated and must receive the approval of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Our Senators and Representatives are also lining up their priority policies and issues. As the debates begin, we need to look at cost drivers, spending and proposed revenue sources.

Improving the business climate for PA should be on everyone’s priority list and includes:

• Public Pension – A looming crisis that threatens the state’s fiscal stability. Public pensions are impacting state and local revenues, prompting cutbacks in programs and services, while simulta-neously driving tax hikes. Transforming public pensions is critical to ensuring a thriving economy.

• Comprehensive Tax Reform – Tax reform is needed to amend our state corporate tax policies and tax rates, which currently continue to put us at a competitive disadvantage. We hear continually how taxes, spending and regulations have placed unnecessary strangleholds on businesses. Pennsylvania has the 10th highest state and local tax burden in the country, which is up from 1991 when PA ranked 25th in the nation. This trend must be reversed. With the proposed 2015–2016 PA Budget under review, there are proposals to change and implement corporate taxes, personal income tax, sales tax, property tax and natural gas severance tax.

We must also address our spending policy, not just look for additional revenue sources. State government must identify ways to discover additional savings. Like in business, government needs to look at streamlining administrative processes, utilize the best available technology and adopt competitive procurement strategies to create efficiency.

Many of the state issues align with our federal priorities including reliable and competitively priced energy along with safe and modern delivery

infrastructure. A properly trained workforce requires us to address appropriate skill sets, identify the role and structure of our educational institutions and determine sustainable education funding formulas. We also expect to hear about privatizing or modernizing the state’s liquor stores as a source of revenue. Labor laws, minimum wage and health care will all be part of the discussion.

We need to make our voice heard on these and other issues to ensure our community’s economic vibrancy. The Chamber continues to advocate for business and our community. The

Business Advocacy & Community Leadership Council recognizes we must be engaged in the process. Get

connected at GreaterReadingVoice.com to be engaged on policy issues and connect with elected officials

and community leaders.

2015 can be a year of increased oppor-tunity and progress with guided leadership, political courage and a sense of urgency to

get things rolling. As your Chamber, it is our goal to model these qualities ourselves and hold our officials and regulators to those same standards as well. It is no less

than our members, our community and all Pennsylvanians deserve.

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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At the BCIU, providing quality resources, innovative programs, and responsible leadership to meet the educational and social service needs of our children, schools, and

community is our mission. In order to fulfill this mission, our team knows that one of the most important things we can do is to hire the right people.

So, how does an organization hire the right people? According to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), “…the world of recruiting has dramatically changed. Not only must we know how to source and assess candidates throughout a global network, we must learn how to differentiate ourselves through brand, candidate experience and the candidate relationship management process.” (SHRM, HR Magazine, January/February 2015)

So, how does an organization manage candidate relationships? They build strong and meaningful connections with candidates well before a job is posted. How? They redefine their recruitment strategy to include Social Media tools. And they do so, thoughtfully and with the advice of legal counsel to avert legal pitfalls.

Social Media tools include LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and more. Social Media tools allow organizations to build a forum for candidates to communicate with them, learn about them and give them a chance to get to know the candidate as well.

“Social Recruiting: Are You Connected?”

Antonia Cramp, BCIU Assistant Human Resources Director

Reasons Why You

Can’t Rely Solely on

ACTIVE Candidates

17


VOLT Workforce Solutions offers the following tips for making your social media recruitment effort productive (http://www.volt.com/Recruiting_with_Social_Media.aspx):

❶Start where the people are. Browse sites thoroughly to get a sense of the people who use the site: large social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook offer access to a larger database, while industry-focused sites and blogs offer smaller, more focused audiences.

❷Online recruiting starts in your office. Have your employees help announce job openings in their LinkedIn and Facebook status updates to expand your reach to people who aren’t directly connected with your company.

❸ Treat others as you would like to be treated. As you develop your social network, help others when you can. If a connection is looking to fill a position or seeking advice in your area of expertise, and you can provide valuable help, make that effort.

❹Quality vs. Quantity. It’s standard social media debate: Is it better to build the quantity of one’s contacts, or the quality of the relationships with those contacts? The answer is yes. Grow your network, but grow it organically.

❺ Get LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a dedicated business networking site and offers the easiest access to resume-style information. Make sure your company and personal pages are current and build your network by connecting with current and former employees who you respect.

❻ Job seekers are looking at you too. Social Media is a two-way street. Make sure your company’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages are current and relevant and provide job seekers with an accurate view of your company.

“This is the year to take a broad, strategic look at your talent acquisition strategy…have you built the most authentic, compelling and meaningful brand and candidate experience you can?” (SHRM, HR Magazine, January/February 2015)

Though skilled and experienced employ-ees are in high demand in today’s workforce, employers seeking top talent are getting creative by recruiting outside of the norm. By utilizing a variety of hiring methods, including social media, websites, referral programs, community networking and more, employers are recognizing that the ideal candidate may not have exact on-the-job experience, but they just might have the right attitude and the willingness to learn.

In identifying ideal traits such as enthusiasm, work ethic, drive, willingness to learn and more—hiring managers are finding success in hiring the next generation of employees as their business evolves.

Employers are recognizing that training and developing key staff within their orga-nization has its added benefits, including: fresh perspectives and ideas, opportunities for growth, paced salary growth and potentially even the next generation of leadership within their organization.

As shared by Abby Perkins, www.recruiter.com/i/the-evolution-of-social-media-re-cruiting, there is an expanding list of social media options for recruitment:

While many companies are involved in recruiting via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, Indeed, and Snagajob, there are plenty of other opportunities out there when it comes to utilizing social media. Here are two additional social media platforms recruiters can utilize:

1. FourSquare lets recruiters find out whether candidates are attending relevant confer-ences or classes. It can also help human resources professionals tailor their conversations with candidates to highlight the benefits that would matter most to the individual.

2. Instagram gives recruiters the opportunity to learn more about people who are passionate about their company. These individuals will follow

the company and allow hiring managers to find out if they have what it takes to be an asset.

Kristi Gage-Linderman, Gage Personnel, on Creative Hiring:


DIY solutions

Most small businesses do not have a marketing plan. In fact, most small business owners hate marketing. They tell me that all the time. They love what they do, and that’s

why they got into business, but necessary tasks such as accounting, human resources, and marketing are a dreadful thought.

If you don’t have a plan to get paying customers in the door, your business will most likely fail. In order to plan for getting paying customers, you should develop (GASP!) a Marketing Plan.

Marketing Plan

101

Sara Kuzma-Stump, Suburban Testing Labs

Full disclosure —they teach many high level college courses on marketing. I couldn’t possibly cover how to create every type of Marketing Plan in one short article, but here are the basics that have worked for me. It may seem complicated, but there’s a secret you may find surprising: for small businesses, it doesn’t have to be super complicated! And, it’s not too late to start right now if you don’t have one.

So, face your fear. Open a Word document, and start typing. You can use these basic tips as a starting point to face your fear head-on and finally complete the dreadful task of creating a Marketing Plan.

A Simplified Marketing Plan…In Five Easy Steps

BRAINSTORMINGFirst, come up with goals. Take a moment to ask some basic

brainstorming questions to get started. Here are some examples:• What do you want your annual revenue to be this year?

• How does that revenue compare to last year, in percentages?

• If you sell goods, how many units did you sell last year?

• If you sell various types of goods, is there a product you want to grow more than others?

• Do you want to expand geographically?

• Do you have a new product or service coming out this year that you want to market?

for Small Business Owners

❼

❺❻Increase

Geographic Coverage

Area

Increase Customer Referrals

Increase Revenue

❹

❽Introduce

A New Product

Increase Customer

SatisfactionRates

❸

Increase Numberof New

Customers❷

Increase Numberof Units

Purchased❶

Increase Customer

Loyalty

It’s okay if you don’t know the answer right now, but start thinking. Come up with a goal, and then you can start building the actual Plan.

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STEP ONE OBJECTIVESCreate 2-5 objectives for the next 12 months based on your goals,

but assign a measurable target so you know if/when you’ve reached them. They should be S.M.A.R.T. = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely.

Example: Achieve 5% sales growth and increase customer satisfaction by 10% over the next 12 months.

STEP TWO STRATEGIZEBuild your strategy in two parts.

First, look at your competition. What are they doing well? What are they not doing well? Is there a gap in your industry where, based on consumer feedback, consumer needs are not being met? Can you fill those gaps? What is the market pricing? What is your unique selling proposition? What makes you different? There are three elements to business: being the fastest, being the cheapest, or having the highest quality product. But you can’t satisfy all three. Pick the two that are right for you, and build your strategy accordingly.

Second, look at your target market. What market segments are you going after? In other words, who will buy your product or service? Just as you built your objectives, make sure you’re specific (who), measurable (where do they live/what age?), achievable, realistic, and timely.

STEP THREE TACTICS Here’s where the magic happens. What are you actually going to

do? What type of marketing, sales and public relations activities do you think would best support meeting your objectives and strategies? Put a specific plan together for each relevant item, including budget,

activities with timelines, and measurable objectives. You shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket here. Consider a balanced approach with efforts in many areas suitable for reaching your target market.Example marketing tactics you can use:

• Media: Print (magazines, billboards, newspaper), TV, Radio

• Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram

• Direct Sales: Cold Calling, Face-to-Face, Emailing, Mass Mail

• Expert: Tradeshows, Professional Associations, Educational Presentations

• Goodwill: Volunteering, Sponsorship, Board Involvement

• Public Relations: Events, promotional products, new product/service launches

STEP FOUR BUDGET Take your total annual marketing budget and assign a specific

dollar amount that you can spend on each of your tactics. Periodically revisit your budget throughout the year and monitor the progress of your spending. Adjust accordingly.

“There are three elements

to business, but you can’t

satisfy all three. Pick two that

are right for you, and build

your strategy accordingly.”


The Best Quality

The Cheapest

The Fastest

Pick2❸ ❷

❶


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STEP FIVE EVALUATION Talk about each tactic and discuss what has and has not worked.

Sometimes it’s difficult to identify, but often there’s at least one tactic that’s a smash hit, and one that’s a big loser. Dump the loser and focus more energy on the smash hits. When creating your plan the following year, review what went well, and what could have gone differently, and adjust your investments accordingly.

Overall, putting together a Marketing Plan doesn’t have to be dreadful. Follow these five easy steps, and your business can be on its way to achieving really great things!

SOME HELPFUL WEBSITES: US Small Business Administration: https://www.sba.gov/content/developing-marketing-plan

PA Small Business Development Center: http://www.kutztownsbdc.org/course_listing.asp (Visit Marketing Category)

SCORE: https://www.score.org/resources/marketing-plan-guide

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DIY solutions continued…

21

GreaterReadingChamber.orgsmall biz thrives

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Celebrating 25 years in business, brothers Doug and Bryan Shinn are no strangers to the many challenges that owning a family business can present. What has truly set their com-

pany’s success apart, however, is their ability to identify solutions to these issues and grow as industry leaders. In fact, the challenges are what motivate Principal Doug Shinn most. When asked what excites him most about his business each day, Doug stated, “The opportunity to challenge myself with new learning opportunities. Every day brings a tough decision and I have learned to not be afraid to make those decisions.”

After seeing a potential for growth in the bottled water industry, Doug and Bryan Shinn began the business in 1990. Growing up working for their father’s family-owned Garden and Flower business as young boys, they were both inspired and educated with the knowledge on how to run a business. As Doug mentioned, “I guess it was destined to happen.”

However prepared they may have been, they were also met with their own set of challenges. Not only did they learn to overcome, but ultimately feel it molded them into better business owners. “We started with limited capital and learned to work within our cash flow. It was a challenge to borrow capital to grow so we had to be savvy and put in the time to be successful in attaining our goals.” And succeed, they did…

Ellen Albright, Greater Reading Chamber

In a community comprised of so many small businesses, it is important to recognize the success of those who are truly booming in Berks! This issue, we talked with Doug Shinn, Principal of The Water Guy, on how he and his brother have remained inspired to perpetually evolve their business over the years.

The Water Guy, a brand of the Shinn Spring Water Company, has proven to be a leader in the industry as the largest American family-owned spring water company in Southeastern and Central PA, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, providing home and office water delivery to residential, commercial, and wholesale customers, while also offering office coffee service and water filtration coolers. When asked what three words describe the business, Doug referred to, “Challenging. Diversified. Freedom.”

When asked what one thing Doug wishes he would have known before starting the business, he discussed that water bottling regulatory issues are often testing. The bottled water industry is highly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. In fact, bottled water is one of the most highly regulated industries in business—who knew?

Doug then proudly explained what positions their company over others in the market—“We are devoted to exceptional customer loyalty and challenge ourselves to

be better than our competition. We pride ourselves on great tasting water and delivering exceptional service.” Customers also enjoy that The Water Guy is a family-owned business that does everything from bottling to treating to transportation.

With consumer trends continuing towards healthier food and beverage choices, bottled water is one of the fastest growing beverage industries. As a leader in the market and the largest regional supplier, we can expect to continue to see our office break rooms and home refrigerators stocked with The Water Guy’s refreshing, healthy option for hydration!

Doug & Bryan Shinn,Co-Owners of The Water Guy, a brand of the Shinn Spring Water Company


the chamber chew: Bear Creek Mountain Resort & Conference Center

If you love skiing or snowboarding, you are probably familiar with Bear Creek Mountain Resort and Conference Center in Macungie.

But did you know that it offers more than just a venue for winter sports?

Diane Reed, Director of Business Services, and I have one thing in common when it comes to winter—neither of us can stand the cold, providing us with little to no experience when it comes to tackling the slopes! So, when we were asked to spend an afternoon noshing and exploring Bear Creek on one of the coldest days of winter, we were a bit uncertain of the afternoon we had in store for us. Turns out, we could not have been more pleasantly surprised!

Bear Creek is a stunning place—situated on over 300 wooded acres. Just a stone’s throw from our downtown Reading Chamber office, our road trip took 40 minutes. As we pulled in, we were in awe of the beautiful views and clean facilities hosting the multitude of people skiing and snowboarding! (Naturally, we wondered how they could all look so cheerful despite the wind chill!)

Chamber staffers team up to dine at our member restaurants to uncover Berks County’s best spots!

A Great WAy to Spend the day

After exploring the sports areas and gift shop, we decided to check out The Grille at Bear Creek. It was the perfect place to linger over lunch on a cold winter day, right by the roaring fireplace.

Our waiter, Anthony, was excellent. He explained the menu options and provided us with excellent service. The restaurant offers a variety of appetizers, entrees, salads, burgers and sandwiches—perfect for lunch and dinner. The Grille also boasts a wide selection of wine and craft beers. George Pitsilos, Grille Manager, said, “Guests are often surprised at our menu. Many of our entrees are not what they expect.”

Menu options like the Grille’s Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf, Spicy Vegetarian Kung Pao Spaghetti and English Pea Ravioli are not the usual “ski slope” menu items. Since we were visiting for lunch, I decided on the Bear Creek Cheeseburger (grilled fresh chuck burger with Wisconsin cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion, mustard, mayonnaise on a house baked bun, served with French fries). Diane opted for the California Chicken Club (grilled marinated chicken breast, bacon, lettuce,

tomato, avocado, Monterey jack cheese and chipotle mayonnaise with French fries). Both entrees were fantastic! We ended our meal with dessert—a homemade apple tart with vanilla ice cream. What could be better?

After lunch we wandered through the Resort, checking out additional amenities including hotel accommodations, the gym, two swimming pools (one is even open year-round) and The Spa at Bear Creek, offering a plethora of indulgent services rivaling any in the area. We inquired about room availability as coincidently we both have birthdays coming up, and found that despite being in-season, there was some short-notice availability.

For those thinking spring like we are, the spa and outside decks make for a terrific spring-sum-mer getaway, delivering beautiful, blooming mountainside scenery and fresh mountain air for rejuvenation! Mountain biking, hiking and nearby golf courses are just a few of the many activities for visitors to take advantage of during their stay in the off-season.

The Resort also offers conference meeting facilities. With ballrooms perfect for large groups, in addition to conference rooms and suites for smaller groups or board meetings, space is available to fit the needs of any size company.

Bear Creek is an impressive, family-friendly hot spot year round, offering many activities and options for the whole family. (Believe it or not, the Resort even has a babysitting service for children too young to ski!) It is definitely a “must see” destination—whether or not you enjoy winter sports, much like Diane and myself! We recommend it for a romantic weekend get-away or for a family fun destination to keep the kids occupied. Visit their website at www.bcmountainresort.com for more information, and be sure to check out The Grille’s menu for a treat to your tastebuds!

Danielle Antos,Greater Reading Chamber

23

GreaterReadingChamber.orgentrepreneur’s corner

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. As our local businesses owners continue to blossom into 2015, we checked in with two entrepreneurs who truly rely on the changing of the seasons for their success. Read the conversation below between Commerce Quarterly, Susan Levan, Petals on Penn, and Edward F. Anewalt IV, Anewalt’s Landscape Contracting.

Susan Levan is the Owner/Manager of Petals on Penn, providing a large variety of fresh flower arrangements and gift delivery to the Sinking Spring, PA area.

Edward F. Anewalt, IV, is the President of Anewalt’s Landscape Contracting, specializing in creating beautiful out-door living spaces for residential and commercial areas.

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

SL: When opening the shop I knew nothing about floral design. If it wasn’t for our designer Ray, we would never have been able to open the doors!

EA: My vision for the business began when I was 10 years old. I started cutting grass in Green Fields across from the Berkshire Country Club.

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

SL: I have learned how much I enjoy going to work now that I’m doing what I truly love and was put on this earth to do.

EA: So much! As a business owner, I have learned to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Business owners are going to encounter uncomfortable situations. It’s what we do in those uncomfortable situations that can take us higher or bring us lower.

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

SL: Building relationships with my customers and fellow business owners and managers.

CQ: Whatdoyoufindunique about your fieldofwork?

SL: Flowers are a part of the most memorable moments in our lives. From birth to weddings to death.

EA: There is plenty of variety in what I do daily. No two days are alike. In the ‘green industry’ as we commonly refer to the landscape industry, we must be very flexible. The scope of a project can change anytime due to the client’s desire or due to Mother Nature.

CQ: What did you learn from your biggest failure?

EA: The value of perseverance. Abe Lincoln failed over and over before aspiring to become one of the greatest presidents this country has ever seen.

CQ: What did you learn about leadership from the worst boss you ever had?

SL: To never reprimand an employee in front of others. Praise will go so much further than negative comments.

CQ: How do you use social media to promote your business?

SL: I use Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to showcase our weddings. Facebook works best to promote our special deals.

EA: We approach social media in a conservative fashion. Although we believe it is a powerful tool, too much, too quickly and without research can work as a detriment.

CQ: Howdoyoufindinspiration?

EA: It’s easy for me to be inspired when outdoors. Our country and county are loaded with natural beauty which stimulates inspiration in me.

Compiled by: Ellen Albright, Greater Reading Chamber


made in berks

Folklore has it that duck farming got its start in the United States thanks to a shipwreck off Long Island in 1873

where 20 ducks swam to safety in Long Island. For the Jurgielewicz family, their journey to the US was also by boat, as Polish immigrants in 1915. With expertise in potato and poultry farming, they looked to make a life in New York as farmers.

Duck farming in the US was concentrated in Long Island through the 1960s. The

price of land and environmental regulation eventually drove the industry—and the Jurgielewicz family—out of Long Island. The Jurgielewicz family chose to move to Pennsylvania because there was great land at a reasonable cost, plenty of water, and an interstate transit system—all within proximity to the most populated part of the country.

In 1984 Dr. Joe Jurgielewicz and his dad started the company, Joe Jurgielewicz & Son, Ltd, with the purchase of 400 acres of land

Joe Jurgielewicz Son, Ltd.

Ellen Horan, Greater Reading Chamber

near Hamburg. Acquired from Met-Ed, the property was no longer part of Met-Ed’s long range plan for a nuclear power plant.

The father and son team started the busi-ness as most entrepreneurs do; with an eye towards maximizing every dollar. Dad was very handy and built much of the new facility himself. Dr. Joe readily admitted that he was not as handy as his father, and dedicated his efforts to procuring the needed machinery by scouring chicken and turkey processing plants for cast offs. Dr. Joe and his dad opened their doors in 1985 with 12 employees and reached production of 750 ducks per day.

Today, the company operates as a vertically integrated operation cultivating 200,000 eggs per week and distributing 20,000 ducks per day worldwide, with 95% of their distribution domestic. They choose to hatch, grow and process to control quality.

One of the unique aspects of their business is that they are veterinarian-owned. Dr. Joe earned his veterinarian degree from Cornell

25


Reading, Pennsylvania

YEARS1 9 6 5 - 2 0 1 5

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progess. Working

together is success. – Henry Ford

University. He feels this provides a compet-itive advantage with a focus on the health and welfare of the ducks, in addition to his ability to produce a consistently high-quality, flavorful duck.

Dr. Joe’s father has since retired, watching on as the company continues to evolve with the ever-changing techniques of duck farming. Jurgielewicz & Son has gone on to develop their own strain of Pekin Duck, working with a geneticist to hone their product to create sustainable egg layers, and operating their own hatchery with 80% of the eggs hatching in 28 days. A nursery then takes over, providing a warm and dry precision climate controlled environment coupled with a high protein feed for the next stage of development.

The ducks grow to 7 pounds in six weeks. Jurgielewicz grows a duck with slightly higher fat content than some of their competitors on purpose. They could lower their cost in providing a cheaper feed, but feel that the higher fat content produced in the duck provides a tastier duck. Like many industries, theirs is heavily regulated. They are USDA inspected daily on-site. Waste is also heavily regulated, which is why they have upgraded to 500 acres now. Animals produce waste which must be managed for the effect on soil and water (due to runoff).

Marketing is directed primarily to the Asian consumer. Restaurants specializing in Asian cuisine feature many duck dishes. The Asian market prefers a whole duck unlike chicken, which is sold more heavily in pieces. Distribution is mostly trucked from Reading to major metropolitan areas with Asian markets such as NYC, DC, Florida, Texas and California.

Optimism for the future market demand is strong. Dr. Joe continues to see the

following trends—people are begin-ning to eat out more, duck demand continues to increase as Chinese food grows in demand, and Asian Fusion cuisine also continues to

increase in popularity.

With an eye to the future, the Jurgielewicz family is working with a Chicago-

based consultant on succession

planning. Dr. Joe and his wife Rita have four sons. One son is following in his footsteps in attending veterinarian school and one son is working on the sales team. All may someday have an interest in eventually working in the business. The family is prudent to be thinking through the ground rules for the future, and are making the time now to plan for tomorrow’s transitions. While the succession planning is underway, Dr. Joe also plans to form an Advisory Board to help navigate the growth and future of the family business.


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industry trends SPOTLIGHT ON: BANKING

Snapshot: Commercial bank loan growth was on the upswing through 2014 as the country experienced the strongest growth in a decade. Loan growth has

come primarily from the commercial and industrial markets with consumer lending lagging behind. That being said, consumer lending has improved at the fastest rates since 2009. As consumers have improved their balance sheets, increasing their net worth and decreasing their debt as a percentage of disposable income, confidence is higher. At the same time banks are gradually loosening credit standards.

Real estate loans have experienced a modest upward trend. While encouraging, the growth is very modest.

While increased loan demand often puts pressure on interest rates, we are not seeing that currently. International investment in US treasuries remains strong as the US Treasury yield, at about 1.8 percent, is higher that most advanced economies globally. US Treasuries are still viewed as one of the safest investments in the world. The rise in foreign portfolio holdings of US assets has trumped upward pressure for the cost of borrowing. Source: Summarized from Wells Fargo Securities Economics group newsletter, January 2015.

Here is What is Happening in Our Local Markets:

“Commercial and industrial loan growth is expected to be similar to last year as companies are projecting modest growth overall with those clients associated with construction services and building materials seeing the highest growth. The impact of lower oil and gas prices on growth has yet to be seen in a significant way.”

– William C. Long, Admin. Vice President, M&T Bank

STRONGERLOAN DEMAND—Stable Interest Rates

Compiled by: Ellen HoranPresident & CEO, Greater Reading Chamber

7IlIoStartups and small enterprises created about 7 million of the 10.9 million private-sector jobs added back.

2,0 jBsIndustries like construction

are on the rise, adding back 210,000 jobs in the last year.

8F0OrErEight out of every ten workers are employed by small firms.

$1.2BiLiN

SBA loans have been on the rise since the recession;

$19.2 billion in lending under 7a program reached

all-time high in 2013.

$5.4IlIoOver the last year, we invested a record $5.4 billion in investment capital in our high-growth small businesses through the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program.

Sb

29


“Despite the slow local economy, we’ve seen a nearly 10 percent growth in new customer loans over the past year. We attribute this to our community-banking model of community involvement, relationship building and local decision-making. Our newly-formed agribusiness group, for example, already is making an impact thanks to our ag lender’s strong connections with the farm community.”

– Gary Moyer, Executive Vice President & Chief Lending Officer, Tompkins VIST Bank

“As we visit with customers throughout our market, we would characterize customer sentiment to be cautiously optimistic about the economic recovery. Generally in 2014, we saw multiple customers make significant investments in capital spending and saw a continuing increased trend in merger and acquisition activity. This resulted in increased loan demand for us, in particular in the second half of 2014. We see this trend continuing in the early stages of 2015. The new home construction market remains challenged along with businesses that are tied to this sector.”

– Barbara Pattison, SVP and Commercial Team Leader, National Penn Bank

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recently merged most of their financing programs into one, and we are the only organization in Berks County able to apply for these funds. We are hoping that this change in 2015 will allow us to better serve more businesses. We expect to partner with the banking, accounting, legal, real estate and other professionals to get the word out that we can help their clients access low cost, fixed-rate financing they need to grow and operate.”

– Ed Swoyer, President & CEO, Greater Berks Development Fund

“Our recent Executive Pulse survey response from entrepreneurs in Berks County shows that a little over 30% expect their capital requirements to increase over the next 12 months, 54% expect it to remain the same, 8% expect a decrease and the remaining are unsure at this time. A little over 55% of our local entrepreneurs expressed somewhat of a concern to being extremely concerned about their ability to access credit in the future. Clearly, access to capital is better than it was in 2008 through 2012. However, the extra regulations on our banking industry are still making it a challenge for lending to small businesses. And clearly our Berks County businesses are concerned about their ongoing ability to access capital.”

– Dr. Ernie Post, D. Ed, Director, Kutztown University Small Business Development Center

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industry trends

For 25 years, Greater Reading has offered a spring safe haven for jazz aficionados and musicians, thanks to the 10-day Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, coordinated through Berks Arts Council. With

a backlog on the Penn Street bridge and impossible-to-find dinner reservations, it’s easy to assume that Berks Jazz Fest is great for the Greater Reading economy.

But, just how great? The Jazz Fest 2014 Visitor Perception Study, an independent study prepared by Tweed-Weber, highlights the major impact of the 35,000 visitors to the festival (all numbers reflect 2014 visitors/patrons).

DOLLARSIn 2014, it was estimated $5.03M of greatness, $4.46M of which

came from people outside of Berks County, not including ticket sales.

To break down the numbers even further, data suggests that 70% of visitors from outside of Berks County will go out to dinner during Berks Jazz Fest and spend an average of $72, while 59% of Berks residents will dine during Berks Jazz Fest, spending closer to $80. Additionally, of the estimated 35,000 visitors to Berks Jazz Fest, 68% of them will stay in a hotel, with over half staying two or three nights.

VISITORSBerks Jazz Fest attracts the majority of its visitors from outside of

Berks County, with 62% of patrons coming in from areas within a three-hour radius. The largest draw represents Greater Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York City (71%), but the festival attracts from Delaware, Northeast PA, Central PA and Western PA.

Even though Berks Jazz Fest was the primary reason for their visit, visitors took advantage of other venues and locations Greater Reading has to offer, with 30% of visitors seeking out other attractions. Visitors reported going to VF Outlet Center, Boscov’s, Berkshire Mall, West Reading Shopping District, GoggleWorks and the Reading Public Museum.

This tourism and financial data highlights the financial assets Berks Jazz Fest brings to our community. However, in addition to the hard tourism dollars, there are other avenues of resources available, particularly for those entrepreneurs who have found reward in maximizing the festival and its visitors, regardless of their industry.

TEN-MINUTE SWITCH FROMFINE DINING TO LOUNGE

Three years ago, Mark Woodward, Owner/President of West Reading Tavern, booked a local jazz ensemble for an evening per-formance during Berks Jazz Fest. Following dinner, servers quickly transformed the modest dining area into a lounge, breaking down tables and adding chairs. The night was such a success it was doubled the following year and will double again for 2015. Still using local jazz musicians, Woodward and his team will host five non-ticketed concerts in their intimate and acoustic-friendly back room. A growing menu of fine food, craft beer and themed cocktails adds special flair for patrons, divided almost evenly between those local to Berks and those traveling in for the festival.

Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest: NOT A ZERO SUM TUNE

Keri Shultz, President of Reading Musical Foundation

TYPE OF SPENDING NON-BERKS BERKS RESIDENTS TOTAL DOLLARS

Lodging $1.99 million --------- $1.99 million

Dining $0.73 million $0.29 million $1.02 million

Other activities (parking, shopping,

clothing, etc.)$1.74 million $0.28 million $2.02 million

TOTAL ESTIMATED SPENDING

$4.46 MILLION $0.57 MILLION $5.03 MILLION

Understanding the Link between Local Arts & Economics

31


“The jazz series during Berks Jazz Fest has been a success for West Reading Tavern. We’ll most likely turn away 40–50 people each night for dinner,” said Woodward. “The bartenders and waitstaff know these nights will be big for them.”

No stranger to “experience-themed” events, Woodward participated in the Reading Theater Project Speakeasy play last summer by offering a special Roaring 20s-themed menu. He also planned the 2014 West Reading Santa Crawl, where 165 people decked themselves out in Christmas gear and toured area bars in West Reading. For Berks Jazz Fest 2015 and beyond? Woodward has the musicians lined up, but stayed mum on the special menu and other plans for the week.

WRIST-WORTHY JAZZJustin Bortz, a jeweler in West Reading, now has the City Charm

Company’s newest charm available, a special 25th Anniversary Berks Jazz Fest charm (available through Berks Arts Council and City Charm Company). The City Charm Company, owned by Bortz and two others, has created 12 charms representing icons of Reading as well as a multitude of iconic charms for seven other cities. A musician himself, Bortz approached Berks Arts Council a few years ago about creating a Berks Jazz Fest charm, and it materialized in 2014 to celebrate the festival’s 25th anniversary.

KERI’S TWO “ART CENTS” ABOUT BERKS JAZZ FEST

Berks Jazz Fest goes beyond “build it and they will come.” While it may not be evident to all, Berks Arts Council spends a great deal of time and effort in planning the lineup, performance venues, accessi-bility and ease, thinking of both the musicians and the patrons. This, coupled with the quality and tenure of Berks Jazz Fest, has shaped

the festival into one of the main attractions in Greater Reading and a model festival other cities try to replicate.

And while Berks Jazz Fest soothes the jazz gene in all of us, my excitement for Berks Jazz Fest is boosted when I see the local impact. Hearing about local musicians getting extra gigs or seeing individuals like Mark Woodward and Justin Bortz use music in their work brings out the sense of small-time community during a large-scale event. This blend of business and art, regardless of which came first, ensures the stability and sustainability for us all.

For a complete listing of all Berks Jazz Fest shows and events, visit www.berksjazzfest.com. The Jazz Fest runs April 10–19, 2015.

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volunteer spotlight

Marilu RodriguezRB Legal Counsel, LLC, Attorney—Managing Partner

Role with the Chamber:Member, Board of Directors; Women2Women

Providing legal counsel for businesses and entrepreneurs, Marilu is no stranger to the needs of the small business owner! In fact, one of her reasons for joining the Chamber was to become more engaged and aware of the issues faced by small business owners in the community. Assisting with building and operational structure, as well as protecting intellectual property and providing legal assistance for trademarks, copyright, patents and related business issues, Marilu has grown her business beyond the United States into Europe and the Caribbean, with great connections in Latin America. A favorite memory of Marilu’s volunteer work with the Chamber came out of a Latina initiative for women in the community—De Mujer a Mujer, providing them with a sense of belonging by allowing them to meet other women that could relate to their personal stories, struggles, and an opportunity to professionally network. She is so proud to be a part of this initiative that has had such a positive impact on these women—and we couldn’t be happier to have her leading the program!

William C. LongM&T Bank, Middle Market Banking Senior Region Executive

Role with the Chamber: Treasurer, Board of Directors; Chairman, Business and Community Advocacy Council

Bill chose to volunteer for the Chamber with the belief that it is the best organization geared towards helping businesses prosper in our community, contributing to making our community a great place to live—something he feels passionate about. With his dedicated interest in making Greater Reading a better place to work and live, the Business and Community Advocacy Council was a natural fit for Bill to assume a leadership role. He has especially enjoyed addressing key issues such as taxes, energy, workforce development, and government regulations, providing Chamber members with access to our local state and federal representatives. When he’s not balancing his volunteer work with his role at M&T Bank, he enjoys fly fishing, golfing, traveling, reading, and hiking. We wonder how he has time to do it all, but thank him for his commitment to the Chamber and its initiatives!

Teri HettingerTownship of Spring Parks & Recreation, Recreation Program Coordinator

Role with the Chamber: Ambassador

It comes as no surprise to us that Teri enjoys an active lifestyle, both at work and outside of her role as Recreation Program Coordinator with the Township of Spring. The Township of Spring Department of Parks and Recreation is dedicated to creating a vibrant sense of community and enriching the lives of the citizens by providing beautiful parks, innovative programs, and events for youth, adults, and senior citizens. Teri has taken this mission a step further by personally giving back to the community she works and plays in with the Chamber as an Ambassador, which she says is the “perfect fit” for her—and we couldn’t agree more! Teri suggests that for anyone considering joining the Chamber, they must be active, participate and take advantage of the benefits that the Chamber has to offer. The opportunities are endless for networking, continued education, member resources, and business support. Keep your eyes open for Teri at our networking events and ribbon cuttings—she’ll be there to welcome you with open arms!

Fred LeveringBerkshire Hathaway Home Sale Realty, Broker

Role with the Chamber: Chair, Transportation Committee; Member, Business and Community Advocacy Council

Selling real estate means selling Berks County as a great place to live, work and raise a family—a message Fred shares with potential homebuyers daily. While he is busy encouraging others to settle down in our area, he also deeply values family time spent in the community he calls home. Fred believes that we have a better chance of getting things done by working together under one voice, and shares this position in his role as Chair of the Transportation Committee, working on projects such as Route 222N, a priority road project, and readingbridges.net. Fred’s biggest advice to others considering joining the Chamber is “stop thinking, and get involved,” encouraging others to share a vision and accomplish great things!

33


Innovation comes in so many forms. Creating more effective processes, products, and services, remaining adaptable in your environment, seeking advice and partnerships with like-minded

resources, and leading with a transformative approach through training and empowering employees to buy-in to the culture will all lead to the ultimate success of any business. Many of the most innovative businesses in Berks are practicing these steps every day, and we’re here to uncover these “under the radar” companies.

Everything we touch…someone, somewhere creates. Think of that handy soup-on-the-go container or the bottle of water you are drinking, or that package of bacon you’ll open up for a big Saturday morning breakfast. Today, the manufacturing plants creating these packages and goods are automated, process-based marvels. So how exactly do the Plant and Production Managers keep up with what the machines are doing, at times even from a remote location? We know it happens all day, every day—but how does it run so seamlessly?

Enter: Ai Control SystemsTucked back on Water Street in Muhlenberg Township, Ai Control

Systems designs and fabricates custom control and electrical systems for

under the radar: A LOOK AT LOCAL INNOVATION

customers in a wide range of industries and environments. In addition, they offer plant floor solutions, and customized software solutions for their customers’ needs. Most specifically, Ai Control Systems utilizes a web-based product called Inductive Automation Ignition.

Inductive Automation Ignition can best be compared to what Microsoft is for computer systems. The program breaks down man to machine interface from single proprietary devices into easily coded and understood programming. Why is this important? Manufacturing plants can rely on their standard IT department for support, enabling diagnostics or indicators to be sent when something has gone awry on that line. For example, think of remotely-located water or sewer plants. If a pump were to stop pumping, how will the operator know when they are not physically on site? The answer: through systems such as these, also referred to as SCADA systems.

To learn more about this technology, call Douglas Albright at Ai Control Systems, or visit them on the web at www.aicontrols.com.

Control Systems

in·no·va·tion ˌinəˈvāSH(ə)n/noun

1. the action or process of innovating. synonyms: change, alteration, revolution, upheaval, transformation, metamorphosis, breakthrough

2. a new method, idea, product, etc.

694 Reading AvenueWest Reading, PA 19611

Phone: 610-373-2212www.allcountyemployment.com

Diane Reed, Greater Reading Chamber


in your community

As part of Mayor Spencer’s Business Friendly Reading, and the City’s five year plan for Main Street implementation, the City of Reading is proud to launch several programs designed

to help expand qualifying existing businesses and attract new ones while creating a more vibrant and business-friendly city.

All programs are funded through Reading’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. For information, please visit the Community Development Department website at www.readingpa.gov, call 610-655-6211, or email at: [email protected].

The following loan programs, grant programs and technical assis-tance programs are geared to assist qualifying businesses operating within the city and its commercial core in particular.

Micro-Enterprise Assistance Grant (MAG)The Micro-Enterprise Assistance Grant (MAG) was created to

strengthen the commercial core of the City of Reading and is geared to increase the vibrancy of our downtown.

The overall goal of the program is to provide existing business owners with financial and technical assistance that will result in business expansion and increased revenues.

In addition, this grant also aims to attract new businesses and to expand the mix of retailers, restaurants and employers in our commercial core.

Business Friendly Incentives – All Aboard Opportunity!

GRANT OPPORTUNITY BY AREA

LOCATION MAX. GRANT AMT. MATCH REQUIREMENT

Penn Square Up to $30,000No private matching funds are required

Main Street Area Up to $20,000No private matching funds are required

DID Area Up to $10,00025% in private matching funds is required

City-Wide Up to $2,50075% in private matching funds is required

This program is funded through Reading’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

Micro-Enterprise Loan Program The Community Development Department provides micro-

enterprise loans to businesses and low- and moderate-income residents with an entrepreneurial spirit.

The program provides loans up to $40,000 to help small businesses start and expand. The interest rate for the loan is 3%, the loan term is for a period of 5–7 years and the funds may be used for working

Lenin Agudo Director of Community Development

35


GRANT OPPORTUNITY BY AREA

LOCATION MAX. GRANT AMT. MATCH REQUIREMENT

Penn Square Up to $70,000No private matching funds are required

Main Street Area Up to $35,000No private matching funds are required

DID Area Up to $35,00025% in private matching funds is required

Outside of the DID Area

Up to $35,00075% in private matching funds is required

capital, acquisition of fixed assets and machinery and equipment, new construction and renovation expenses.

Special Economic Development Assistance (SEDA) Grant

The goal of the program is to provide businesses with financial assistance that will result in business expansion, increased revenues and economic development of the city and target areas. Funds are provided to create economic benefit through increased revenues, creation or retention of jobs and capacity building. For every $35,000 in assistance provided, one full-time job must be created.

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Micro-Enterprise Technical Assistance Program

Start-up and existing small businesses can access no-cost, confi-dential, one-to-one business consulting, technical assistance, and educational programs via our Technical Assistance Program. This program is designed to:

• Increase the capacity of existing entrepreneurs to expand in the city and, specifically, strengthen the commercial core.

• Increase the number of business starts within the city.

• Increase the level of customer service and customer experiences of business in the targeted zone.

• Increase awareness and participation in government contract opportunities among clients through networking opportunities, assistance with government contract bids, and attainment of Women Business Enterprise, Minority Business Enterprise, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, and Historically Underutilized Business Zone Certifications.

Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) Program

The LERTA Program provides property owners with a prorated ten year tax break on the assessed valuation of improvements made to the real property.



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.

This program is available for any industrial, commercial, or busi-ness property owner that is contemplating repair, construction, or reconstruction of such property within the City of Reading.

The prorated ten year tax break on the assessed valuation of the improvements to the real property are as follows: (see chart to the right).

Family Business Loan Program

This program helps to expand and attract family-owned and small businesses to the City of Reading. The program provides below-market fixed interest rates on commercial loans and offers terms of up to 20 years for quali-fied businesses. The main goal of this program is to enhance the economic vitality of the City of Reading by encouraging business-es to locate within the City and by helping established small and family-owned businesses to grow.

• The total of all loans to any one business through this program will be between $50,000 and $2,000,000. For fixed asset financing, there will be no cap.

• Typical SBA underwriting and approval standards apply.

• The maximum working capital line of credit to be offered will be $150,000.

• The maximum fixed interest rate term is 20 years. (Long-term fixed rate loans will be funded through the FHL Bank’s Community Lending Program, in which case FHL Bank’s criteria will apply.)

Facade Improvement Grant ProgramThe City of Reading Facade Improvement Grant Program provides

financial incentives (grants) to owners of properties to rehabilitate their building facades with funds provided through the Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

• COMMERCIAL CORE/MAIN STREET/DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT The Facade Improvement Grant Program was established to support and encourage small business to reinvest in the downtown and neighborhood business districts. The Program provides up to $2,500 in grants to small business owners and property owners to assist them in restoring or beautifying their facades or storefronts. No match is required, however, preference will be given to projects that substantially improve the appearance of the property.

• COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES/(MIXED USE STRUCTURES) Funding for commercial structures is provided in the form of a 50/50 matching grant up to a maximum grant of $20,000. For multiple contiguous facades the maximum grant will be $20,000. Structures undergoing a commercial façade improvement project must comply with the Davis Bacon Prevailing Wage Act.

• RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Funding is provided in the form of a 50/50 matching grant up to a maximum grant of $5,000.

PRORATED 10 YEAR TAX BREAK

YEAR TAX EXEMPTION

1st 100%

2nd 90%

3rd 80%

4th 70%

5th 60%

6th 50%

7th 40%

8th 30%

9th 20%

10th 10%

TAX EXEMPTIONTERMINATES THEREAFTER.

in your community continued…

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.

37

GreaterReadingChamber.orgout & about

Business@Breakfast: All Eyes on Reading

Stokesay Castle

Wells Fargo 2015 Economic OutlookStokesay Castle

State of the Community: Benchmarking PA

& Berks’ CompetitivenessCrowne Plaza Reading

2014 HR Conference:Small Business Focused

Crowne Plaza Reading

Taste of the Chamber 2015Reading Regional Airport

Congressional Conversation 2015Reading Health System


effective leadership

Growth—one of the biggest challenges facing businesses today. You’ve seen success and met your goals, but how

do you take your company to the next level? How do you expand? How do you identify your next generation of leaders on your management team? Good questions, right?

DESCCO Design & Construction, Inc., a multi-division construction company located in Berks County, was asking these same questions. DESCCO pro-vides both design and building services for commercial, industrial, municipal and government clients. They offer commercial construction of office buildings; building maintenance; industrial work; concrete foun-dations; equipment installation and piping; water and waste water treatment facilities and concrete bridges.

For Nick Stoltzfus, DESCCO President, the Chamber’s program The Work of Leaders was the answer. Based on the book The Work of Leaders by Julie Straw, the program has a core curriculum founded on

“crafting a vision, building alignment, and championing execution.” It is a six-session program which consists of leadership development for leaders at all levels in an organization to apply the simple concepts of vision, alignment, and execution (VAE) to their jobs.

“We are a strong small business that is positioned to expand and grow. This program appealed to us because it focused on finding our weaknesses, gave us guidance on setting goals and building a proper management team to get us there,” said Nick.

The Work of Leaders begins with a business assessment. This tool allows the company to review the whole business and identify where improvement is needed as well as highlighting the business’ strengths. For Nick, this assessment shed light on many areas. “What I found interesting and a bit unsettling is that our management team was

not aligned on how we rated certain aspects of the company.”

Let’s face it—in any company, there are many different personality types. How do you get all of these types working together? The people assessment is completed by key management team members and the results

show where conflicts lie and give insight into the personalities of the group. Understanding

the many temperaments within the group, as well as your own, can improve lead-ership abilities immensely. “Some of our internal conflicts were simply the result of a difference in personality types. Understanding my own personality type and that of the others has helped me to be a better leader.”

The program inspires change and identifies areas that can be improved.

Communication has been improved at DESCCO through daily management team huddles where they get together and review goals that are tracked visually and reviewed weekly with staff. “We are also looking at metrics now that we’ve never tracked in the past,” said Nick.

Whether you are a small business looking to develop your team and position your company for growth, a large company looking to better align your teams, or you have experienced growth but are having issues with employee retention and engagement, companies need to be open to new ideas and input from within the organization.

“Education and training is so valuable; an investment that always pays off. All companies hit walls as they grow and surprisingly independent of industry type, these walls are the same for most companies. The Work of Leaders program give you the plan and tools to help push through the $5–10 million wall,” said Nick.

CultivatingGrowthDanielle AntosGreater Reading Chamber

39

GreaterReadingChamber.orgRe-Ignite BerksManufacturing:Grant Funding Available LOOKING FOR SMALL, HIGH-GROWTH POTENTIAL, ESTABLISHED MANUFACTURING COMPANIES!

How is your business doing?

O Are you working towards maximizing the value of your investment?

O Is your leadership team aligned with each other and your company’s mission?

O Does your team share the vision for the company’s growth strategy?

O Do you have goals for the company?

O Are you effectively executing a plan to reach your goals?

If you answered NO to any of these questions, we can help you turn the NO’s into YES’s!

Re-Ignite Berks— The Work of Leaders program includes:

O A comprehensive assessment done with your key team members

O Develops a vision for your team

O Tools to get your team aligned

O Creates an execution plan and gets it accomplished

Join us for an information session, while also networking with similar companies, and enjoy light refreshments as you learn how we can help. Limited funding opportunities are available.

Date: Tuesday, March 31 Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Location: The Chamber’s Center for Business Excellence, Wyomissing

Please contact Diane Reed, Director of Business Services, 610-898-8387, or [email protected], to RSVP for this FREE information session, or to learn more about the program.

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41


Suzy Lysczek, owner, Suzy Rae Design, celebrates

ten years of being in business this year—listen

in to hear more about her exciting journey!

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!

Ellen Horan speaks to Brenda Gaul about her

strategies for success at Furniture Soup!

Enjoy a few memorable moments with Greg Miller, Co-Owner of Knight’s Rental,

and get some planning ideas for your next big bash!

Trish Shermot shares the benefits of credit unions, and VISIONS’ commitment to giv-ing back to the community.

Hear from Dental Arts of Wyomissing Berks native, Dr. Michael Balthaser, a

2014 Top 40 Under 40 Dentist in the USA!

Karen Norheim, Exec. VP of American Crane &

Equipment Corp., provides over 40,000 parts and

supplies globally to over 15 industries—who knew?!

Albert VanMaanen, President of Reading Coffee Roasters, discusses the road

to perfecting his unique coffee roasting methods!

Tim Meade, owner of CertaPro Painters, talks about his journey and what he has learned along

the way to his success!

Bill Bainbridge of CJ Tires talks about the

family-owned business, and how they believe they’re changing more than tires.

SAH Incorporated Owner, Beth Hahn, as she discusses

the evolution of the company’s business model.

Keith Walbert discusses the name behind

his business, White Bear Technology Services.

Alan Shuman, President of Shuman Development Group, shares commercial real estate development

projects focused on revital-izing downtown Reading.


NOVEMBER 2014 – FEBRUARY 2015

member news: new members

AFLAC – ALEX BELFORTSinking Spring, PAInsuranceContact: Alex Belfort

BERKS COUNTY PRIDEReading, PAAdvertising SpecialtiesContact: Terry Snyder Sr

BLAKINGER, BYLER & THOMAS, P.C.Lancaster, PALegal ServicesContact: Patricia Wanger

BRICKS4KIDZReading, PAEducational ServicesContact: Darren Douglas

BUILT TO LAST LLCMuhlenberg, PAContractors–GeneralContact: Casey Schearer

CPA TECHNOLOGYBernville, PAConsultants – Computers & SoftwareContact: Mark Duchan

CRAVE CAFÉ Sinking Spring, PACaféContact: Sonia Marchio

CREATIVE WEDDING CEREMONIES Fleetwood, PAWedding ServicesContact: Nancy Clark

DC INVESTIGATION & SECURITY SOLUTION, LLCStroudsburg, PASecurityContact: Phil Carter

DICKEY’S BARBECUE PIT1153A Berkshire Blvd.Wyomissing, PA 19610484.709.2577RestaurantsContact: Frank Caloiaro

DOUBLETREE HOTELWyomissing, PAHotelsContact: Craig Poole

DYNAMIC PHYSICAL THERAPY – 5TH ST. HIGHWAYReading, PA Physical TherapyContact: Michael Lehr Sr, DPT, MBA

DYNAMIC PHYSICAL THERAPY – MT PENNReading, PAPhysical TherapyContact: Michael Lehr

EDWARD JONES TERRE HILLTerre Hill, PAFinancial ServicesContact: R. Jeffrey Burroughs

EDWIN M. YODER INC.Reading, PAMechanical ContractorsContact: Chris Ernst

EGGZACKBethlehem, PAWeb & App DesignContact: Peter Collipp

ELITE PRESSURE WASHING, LLCSinking Spring, PAPressure WashingContact: Jim Holler

FORINO CO., L.P.Sinking Spring, PAConstructionContact: Nathan Pletscher

GRAVITY PRINT SOLUTIONSBirdsboro, PAPrintersContact: K. Douglas Paugh

HAPPINESS PROJECT OF READINGFleetwood, PA Non-profit OrganizationsContact: Nancy Clark

HOMES FOR HEROES®– CHERYL MOLINA, REALTOR®

Wyomissing, PAReal EstateContact: Cheryl Molina

IM ABLE FOUNDATIONWyomissing, PANon-profit OrganizationsContact: Alexy Posner

IMPERIAL CONTRACTING GROUPShillington, PA Contractors – GeneralContact: Rodney Simmons

IMPERIAL MONUMENTS LLCShillington, PACemeteriesContact: Tracy Christmann

KCK PHOTO & ENTERTAINMENTReading, PA Wedding ServicesContact: Kevin Kline

KEYSTONE BUSINESS TRANSITIONS, LLCLancaster, PAConsultants – FinancialContact: Donald Feldman

KEYSTONE IRON WARRIORSSinking Spring, PA Non-profit OrganizationsContact: Kyle Hummel

KIM R LEWIS GRAPHIC DESIGNReading, PA Graphic DesignersContact: Kim Lewis

LIL SOIRÉE POSH EVENTSWyomissing, PAEvent PlanningContact: Rachel Jones

MC SPA MASSAGE – HAMBURGHamburg, PASpas – Beauty, Day & HealthContact: Sarah Nguyen

MC SPA MASSAGE – WYOMISSINGWyomissing, PABeauty SalonsContact: Sarah Nguyen

MISSION BBQWyomissing, PARestaurantsContact: Jerry Sullivan

MY DESI KITCHEN LLC, DBA MOMMA PATEL Wyomissing, PAFood Products – Manufacturers & DistributorsContact: Neil Patel

NATURAL PACK INCSanta Barbara, CADistributorsContact: Guy Markus

OPTIMUM CARE COUNSELING & WELLNESS SOLUTIONS, LLCSinking Spring, PAMental Health ServicesContact: Marie Laurent

PA MEDIA GROUP/PENN LIVE/THE PATRIOT-NEWSMechanicsburg, PAMarketing ServicesContact: Chris-Michael Carangelo

PANERA BREAD LLCReading, PACaterersContact: Camellia Eddy-Natalini

PRECIOUS LIFE MASSAGE LLCReading, PAMassage TherapistsContact: Katie Nowotarski

PREMIER FLEET SERVICEShoemakersville, PATruck Equipment & PartsContact: Richard Andrietta

RICOH, USABethlehem, PABusiness ServicesContact: JD Schweizer

SPRINT BY iMOBILEReading, PARetailContact: Robert Pollard

SPRUCE LAW GROUP, LLCPhiladelphia, PALegal ServicesContact: Andrew Howe

ST. FRANCIS HOMEShillington, PAHospice CareContact: Nancy Schwartz

STITZEL FAMILY FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORYLaureldale, PAFuneral HomesContact: Matt Stitzel

SWEET RIDE ICE CREAM, LLCSinking Spring, PAIce Cream ParlorsContact: Chris Farrell

SWEET SURPRISESWest Reading, PACandy – RetailContact: Jennifer Bednez

TEMPSTAR STAFFINGTemple, PAEmployment ServicesContact: Audrey Heinze

TENDERCARE HUMAN SERVICES, INC.Mohnton, PASocial Service OrganizationsContact: Yolanda Vitulli

THE SPA AT SPRING RIDGEReading, PASpas – Beauty, Day & HealthContact: Lauren Cassano

THE WANDERING BEADSReading, PAJewelryContact: Kim Lewis

THIRTY-ONE GIFTS – KATIE FRANTZBlandon, PAPromotional Products & AccessoriesContact: Katie Frantz

TOTAL PUBLIC ADJUSTINGBensalem, PAInsuranceContact: Richard Ryan

URBAN CHARMReading, PAJewelryContact: Kim Lewis

WALTCO LIFT CORP – MARK ROBINSONMiami, FLManufacturers RepresentativesContact: Mark Robinson

WATERSTONE MORTGAGE CORPORATIONWyomissing, PAMortgagesContact: Jamie Ware

WE AGAPE YOU, INC.Wernersville, PANon-profit OrganizationsContact: Randolph Simmons

WYOMISSING ATA MARTIAL ARTSWyomissing, PAMartial Arts InstructionContact: Lauren Minnich

YOUTH ADVOCATE PROGRAMS, INC.Reading, PANon-profit OrganizationsContact: Ann Brackett

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GreaterReadingChamber.orgmember news: anniversaries

1 Year Abraxas Academy Aurum Holistic Skincare Bear Creek Mountain Resort Black Lab Apparel (Division of Wind-lock) Brasler Properties Cast & Crew Chamber Discoveries CLEAResult DSW Shoe Warehouse, Inc. Dynamic Physical Therapy–Sinking Spring El Palo Magazine LLC Erwin Marketing Systems FASTSIGNS JT’s Gourmet Kautter & Kelley Architects Kline Associates Ltd. Literacy Council of Reading–Berks, Inc. Mobile Communications (AT&T Authorized Retailer) National Multiple Sclerosis Society Nxtbook Media Offsite Advantage dba Offsite Assistants OMG! Party Store LLC OneSource Business Solutions LLC Payroll & Accounting 4 You, Inc. Reynolds H20 Plus, Inc. Spark Solutions & Support, Training & Facilitation St. Joseph’s Creative Beginnings Child Care Center Steamfitters Local Union 420 Tulpehocken Chapter Trout Unlimited

5 Years AFLAC-Denton Quick Awesome Dawgs Dog Training, LLC Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles Country Inn Motel Everstaff L & L Services and Rentals, LLC Liberty Tax Service M&T Bank–Exeter M&T Bank–Reading M&T Bank–Shillington M&T Bank–South Heidelberg

NOVEMBER 2014 – FEBRUARY 2015

M&T Bank–Wyomissing Maillie, LLP Quarter Note Systems, LLC Renninger & Associates, LLC Richard A. Zuber Realty Stokesay Castle The Baltimore Life Companies Unique Pretzel Bakery, Inc. Yellow House Hotel

10 Years Adventist Whole Health Network AriVan Research, LLC Electro-Space Fabricators, Inc. John Paul II Center for Special Learning, Inc. Susquehanna Trust & Investment Company

15 Years GAF Gimont & Associates JRS Wire Management, Inc. Keystone Tees, Inc. PenTeleData Remcon Plastics, Inc. S&W Metal Products, Inc.

20 Years Antietam School District Mosteller & Associates Reading Equipment & Distribution, LLC Sandra J. Fishman, MS, RDN, LDN Valtech Corporation Will Business Applications

25 Years Alcon Research, Ltd. Bellco Federal Credit Union Bulk Chemicals, Inc. ClearChoice Federal Credit Union Eastern Technologies, Inc. Governor Mifflin Apartments Green Giant Lawn Care, Tree Care & Pest Control Judson A. Smith Company Lehigh Valley Business Journal Reading Country Club Reading Musical Foundation

30 Years Goodwill Keystone Area Olivet Boys & Girls Club of Reading and Berks County Pennsylvania American Water

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member news: ribbon cuttings

Massage Envy Spa’s Grand Opening at the Shoppes of Wyomissing,

718 Woodland Road, Wyomissing.

Dynamic Physical Therapy’s new Mt. Penn location .

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Wyomissing, PA.

Located in the Wal-Mart shopping center.

Reading Accident & Injury Care Ribbon Cutting on November 20th.BDO celebrates their new office on

Broadcasting Road, Wyomissing!

Good Life Financial Group.

November 2014–February 2015

Tuesday, April 7th 7:45—9:30 am

Stokesay Castle 141 Stokesay Castle Lane, Reading

SPRING SYMPOSIUM

7:45 a.m. Breakfast 8:15 a.m. Keynote Speakers 9:00 a.m. Q&A Session 9:15 a.m. FBA Programming Update

Our Keynote Speakers will be Ross Kramer, CEO and co-founder of Listrak along with his father, Howard Kramer, COO and co-founder. Their dynamic story began in 1996, in Ross’s dorm room at Penn State University when he launched Vertex Internet, a web hosting company. What began with local businesses quickly grew as companies like Movies Unlimited trusted Ross to not only host their websites, but to add e-commerce features as well. In 1999, Ross and his father Howard founded Listrak, a new venture offering email marketing capabilities. Ross and Howard believed that email marketing would work better if clients delivered the content subscribers cared about, and in turn, built solutions based on that philosophy. Join us to hear the story of how they built a technology company in Central PA from zero to $30M in annual sales. This engaging father and son duo will share the secrets to their success, give the audience an inside look into the company and will offer actionable in sights and tactics that business owners can take away and implement immediately. Topics will include building a foundation of leadership; how they tripled the size of the company in 4 years with sales techniques any B2B company can employ; and their approach to making sure you hire the absolute best talent possible.

Approximately 65% of businesses in the US are family -owned and operated and Berks County is no exception! In addition to working in an ever changing business climate, family -owned companies face a host of unique challenges

that often complicate the day to day running of the business. Berks Family Business Alliance was created to address these pressing issues, helping businesses find solutions to the complex, unique issues that families working

together often struggle to overcome.

Our Mission – “Providing Resources and Support for Family Businesses.”

LEARN CULTIVATE GROW Primary Sponsor: National Penn Major Sponsors: Kozloff Stoudt Attorneys, Murray Securus, RKL and WFM

Program Sponsor: Mosteller & Associates 201 Penn Street, Suite 501 Reading, PA 19601 Tel: 610-376-6766

Register today online at Greaterreadingchamber.org or call 610-376-6766.

Only $20

,


The law firm of Barley Snyder announced that Christopher S. Dodson has passed the Pennsylvania Bar

Examination and has transitioned from a registered patent agent to an associate attorney effective immediately. As a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Law group, he focuses on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in chemical, medical, biotechnological, and mechanical fields, including organic and inorganic chemical compounds and processes, chemical compositions, chemical formulations, emulsions, organic polymers, medical devices and processes and mechanical devices.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Rodri-guez of Reading, Berks County, who was the Berks County winner of the Commuter Service of PA Fourth Annual

‘Try Transit’ Month, supported by the Chamber. She logged 18.9 miles riding BARTA. ‘Try Transit’ encourages local commuters to try bus or other options

member news: newsmakers

rather than driving alone. This year, a total of 271 participants logged their transit trips. Sixteen counties were represented with participants logging a total of 277,656 miles traveled by bus or train instead of automobile.

The International Bottled Water Asso-ciation (IBWA) announced The Water Guy, Pennsylvania based bottled wa-ter company, has won the prestigious Environmental Stewardship Award for 2014. The Water Guy co-founders Bryan and Doug Shinn were handed the award at IBWA’s Annual General Meeting as part of the 2014 IBWA Annual Business Conference in Dallas, TX. The prestigious award recognizes member companies who have excelled in creating and implementing sus-tainable environmental projects and conservation measures.

Tompkins VIST Bank announced that Jena Lawrence has been pro-moted to vice president,

Market Sales Manager. She previously was assistant vice president. In her new role, she will manage bank-wide sales programs and strategies for all business products and services. A vet-eran of 13 years in banking, Lawrence joined Tompkins VIST Bank in 2004.

Liquid Interactive is pleased to an-nounce that they have combined forces with local creative agency Killer Inter-active. Jason Pijut, owner and Creative Principal of Killer, has joined the team.

Tompkins VIST Bank announced that Carmen Gambone has joined the company as vice pres-

ident, commercial banking manager with an emphasis on commercial real estate lending. In his position, he is responsible for developing new com-

mercial loan and deposit relationships with customers in the Delaware Valley.

Tompkins VIST Bank an-nounced that agri-busi-ness specialist and farmer Travis A. Werley

has joined the company as its first agricultural lender. As Vice President, Agricultural Banking Officer, he will develop relationships with production farms and agri-businesses through-out Tompkins VIST Bank’s market-place. Werley has more than 20 years of commercial banking experience.

Herbein+Company, Inc. announced the hire of Senior Consultant Joel K. Delewski, CPA to

Herbein’s Reading, PA office. Prior to joining Herbein + Company, Inc., Joel was partner at a large regional firm, and before that he founded and man-aged his own firm, Delewski & Shurr. As a Senior Consultant in the Tax and

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47


Small Business Department, he will be responsible for working closely with family-owned businesses.

Weidenhammer announced it has successfully completed the Service Organization Control 1 (SOC 1), State-ment on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) 16 Type II audit from an independent CPA firm. This audit is an internationally-recognized standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accoun-tants (AICPA) and is the recognized mark of IT service quality. Weiden-hammer’s SOC 1-SSAE 16 Type II audit is for one year, and covers 7 specific areas, including: controlled environ-ment, physical security, environmental security, computer operations-backup and storage, computer operations-up-time and maintenance, information security, and data communications.

New Castle Lawn and Landscape announced that Brad Stephenson, CLT, ICPI, has been

promoted to partner. Brad has been in the green industry for over 20 years. He achieved his ‘Certified Landscape Technician’ recognition in 2004, and is a certified ICPI contractor and a certified NCMA installer. As General Manager of New Castle Lawn and Landscape, Inc., Brad is respon-sible for overseeing the day to day operations of the designers, and the landscape and hardscape crews at New Castle. He also manages the company’s sales and client relations.

Traffic Planning and Design, Inc.’s President Kevin Johnson, P.E. has joined Governor-Elect

Tom Wolfe’s Transportation Review Team. In this capacity, Kevin will join 18 other transportation thought leaders in assessing the issues and challenges that face the incoming executive branch.

The law office of Barley Snyder announced that Michael Mixell has been elected to serve a

two-year term on the Board of Directors for Prospectus Berco, an organization dedicated to inspiring people with disabilities or other special needs to lead meaningful lives by providing innovative services that promote dignity and respect. Michael is a partner with Barley Snyder where he focuses his practice on business law and trusts and estates.

Metro Bank business banking officer Dale-Ann Farina presents Olivet Boys & Girls Club chief development officer Camille Stock with donations from the Bank’s Giving Tree program. Metro Bank recently contributed a monetary donation and essential items to Reading’s Olivet Boys & Girls Club as part of the Bank’s holiday Giving Tree program. Through the Giving Tree program, Metro Bank team members collect thousands of household necessities which are do-nated to local non-profits along with a monetary donation from the Bank for the holiday season.

Tompkins VIST Bank announced that it donated $215,000 for 2014-2015 to youth education organizations that qualify under the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. The donations are being given to pre-kindergarten, scholarship programs and education-al improvement initiatives throughout the bank’s Southeastern Pennsylvania marketplace. Including the 2014-2015 amount, the bank has donated more than half a million dollars to EITC to date.Albright College PreK Program, As-sumption B.V.M. School, Berks Busi-ness Ed Coalition, Berks Christian School, Berks Women in Crisis, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berks County, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Historical Society of Berks County, John Paul II Center, Oley Valley Community Education Foundation, Olivet Boys and Girls Club, Opportunity House, Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (P.F.E.W.), Reading Symphony Orches-

tra, Schuylkill YMCA, St. Ambrose School, St. Anne’s School, St. Cecelia School, St. Ignatius School, St. Joseph Center for Special Learning, The King’s Academy, United Way of Berks County, Wilson Educational Founda-tion, YES Program (NEPA Manufactur-er & Employers Council) and YMCA of Reading and Berks PreK Program.

Reinsel Kuntz Lesher LLP (RKL) announced that the firm has promoted Michael P.

McGinley, CPA, MT, to the role of prin-cipal. McGinley brings over 20 years in public and private tax experience to the position. Working with clients in the retail, manufacturing and services industries, McGinley specializes in tax planning and compliance for corpo-rations and partnerships as well as multi-state taxation and consolidated returns. McGinley also has tax out-sourcing experience with multi-nation-al companies. Hired in 2008, McGinley previously served as a manager in the firm’s Tax Services Group.

Breyer Construction and Landscape, LLC (BC&L), won first place in the Freestanding Project Over 25k cate-gory, and second place award for the Porch Under 26k category at the 2014 NADRA Deck Competition. In addition, Matt Breyer, CGR, MDP, owner of BC&L was also presented with a 2014 Recognition Award for his personal efforts to support the industry.

Benchmark Construction Company, Inc. announced that Darryl Blantz and Kenneth Ray have been promoted to Project Superintendent. In their new role, Mr. Blantz and Mr. Ray will coor-dinate all site construction activities, supervise and train all field personnel and administer good construction safety practices with all on-site activ-ities. Mr. Blantz joined Benchmark in 2002 as a Carpenter.

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:



The law firm of Barley Snyder announced that Joseph R. Falcon, III has been elected to serve

on the board of directors for Newtown Square Petticoat League (NSPL). Joe Falcon is an intellectual property, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office registered patent attorney. He is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Law group and the Business group.

I-LEAD, Inc. and the I-LEAD Charter School announced the launch of the Talent Growth Initiative (TGI), an initiative of Accenture and Ashoka that equips unemployed and underem-ployed individuals with skills needed by employers in today’s economy. Through the initiative’s training and placement partners, Accenture and

Entech Engineering, Inc. announced that they will be moving their corpo-rate offices to the Gateway Building located at the corner of 2nd and Penn Streets in Reading, PA. The move to a larger office space, scheduled for early May, will allow the company to continue to support its growing operations. For the past 20 years the company’s headquarters have encompassed several floors within the American House also located in Reading, at 4 S. Fourth St.

Murray Securus has announced the following promotions: Phillip Massa has been promoted to

Vice President, Client Services Man-ager for Commercial Solutions. Massa holds producer’s licensing in Property & Casualty, Life, Fixed Annuities and Accident and Health. He brings over 35 years of experience in commercial underwriting, marketing and servicing for mid-market and large commercial accounts to Murray Securus.

Amy Mitchell has been promoted to Vice President, Account Executive for Commer-

cial Solutions. Mitchell has earned her Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Insurance Service Represen-tative designations.

Marla Redding has been promoted to Vice President, Client Services Director for

Construction Solutions. Redding has earned her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) desig-nation. She is the past President and a current active member of the PA Dutch Chapter of CPCU.

McCarthy Engineering Associates, Inc. and N.E. Fisher & Associates joined forces creating a comprehen-sive engineering solution.

member news: newsmakers continued…

Ashoka will equip approximately 5,800 individuals with professional and technical skills to get a job as well as provide them with leadership, team-work and negotiation training. The effort is part of Accenture’s corporate citizenship initiative, Skills to Succeed, which is equipping more than 700,000 people around the world with the skills to get a job or build a business.

Metro Bank announced that Donald McCarty has joined the Bank as senior vice president

and market president for the Reading region. In his position, McCarty will oversee the overall development of the Bank’s commercial lending activi-ties throughout Berks County and east to the Philadelphia and the Greater Delaware Valley markets. He most recently served as market CEO for the Delaware Valley division of Susque-hanna Bank where he was responsible for the delivery of all products and services within the market.

Murray Securus hired Debra Franklin as Vice President for Human Resource Solutions. As

the leader of the Human Resource Solutions division, her primary respon-sibilities will be managing the provi-sion of value-added human resource consulting to clients in manufacturing, services, education, hospitality and other business sectors, as well as new business development. In addition, Franklin will serve as a member of the Murray Securus Benefits Leadership Team. Franklin is the only attorney leading a human resource consulting practice in the central and southeast-ern Pennsylvania regions.

Edward F. Anewalt IV, CLP, presided over the Board of Directors at his first meeting as Chairman of the Board of the Home Builders Association of Berks County (HBA). Having been sworn in by 2014 President Patrick J. Dolan, AIA, LEED AP, on January 16th, 2015 at Stokesay Castle in Reading, this was Anewalt’s first official duty since taking office. Anewalt, who is also the President of Anewalt’s Land-scape Contracting of Bernville, has served on the HBA’s Board of Directors since 2011 and will represent the HBA as its 59th President since its formation in 1957.

The Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS® (R-BAR) brought home two awards from the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® (PAR) Winter Business Meetings on January 27 for their financial commitment to the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC). R-BAR took first place in the Large Association (700-1499 members) category for Highest Per Capita Fundraising and the award for Highest Membership Participation in the Large Board category with 37.48% member participation.

49


The Berks County office of the Amer-ican Cancer Society recently received two national awards for its Relay For Life performance in 2014. It was recognized as a Nationwide Top Ten Per Capita award winner for overall fundraising in counties of its size. It was also awarded the Nationwide Pow-er of Hope award for having the most cancer survivors per capita involved in its Relay For Live events of any county of its size in the nation. Berks County hosts 7 Relay For Life events that raise approximately a million dollars each year thanks to the dedication of thousands of volunteers.

Greater Reading Economic Partner-ship announced that Pamela J. Shupp,

AICP CEcD, Vice President, has been elected President of the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (PEDA) Board of Directors. Over the course of the two-year term as President, Shupp will also represent PEDA on the Team PA Board of Directors. As the President of the Association, Shupp has prioritized the following value propositions for PEDA - Leadership, Advocacy, Education, and Collaboration. She will be actively growing and engaging membership to identify the next generation of economic development leaders in PA.

Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. (TPD) announced that they have been ranked the #20 firm on the 2015 Phil-adelphia Business Journal’s Top 25 Engineering Firms list based on 2014 fiscal year gross billings. TPD first made PBJ’s list in 2000 and is proud to have been consistently ranked over the years, jumping up three spots from last year.

Suzy Rae Design .................................... Logo DesignWyomissing Foundation ............................. $10,000County of Berks ........................................... $10,000Berks County District Attorney’s Office Drug Forfeiture Funds ................................... $5,000Greater Reading Chamber ............................ $5,000Greater Reading Economic Partnership ........ $5,000Brentwood Industries .................................... $5,000Penske Truck Leasing ..................................... $5,000SafeGuards Foster Care Reading Specialists Educational Assn ........... $5,000Stevens & Lee ............................................... $5,000Met-Ed, A First Energy Company ................... $2,500National Penn................................................ $2,000Remcon Plastics ............................................ $1,000All About Children Pediatric Partners ............ $1,000EthoSource, LLC ............................................. $1,000The Standard Group....................................... $1,000St. John’s Lutheran Church ................................$800Comcast .............................................................$750The Drawing Board ............................................$500Cianci & Roberts ................................................$500Craig Poole ........................................................$500

Herbein & Company ..........................................$500DeCarlos Bar & Grill ...........................................$500Reading Royals ..................................................$500Peter Barbey ......................................................$500Albright College ................................................$5003B Services ........................................................$250Julia Klein ..........................................................$250Berks Fire Water Restorations, Inc. ....................$200Gage Personnel ................................................$100Joni Naugle .......................................................$100Bulk Chemicals ..................................................$100David Zerbe .......................................................$100Judson & Lisa Meinhart .....................................$100Automotive Service, Inc. ...................................$100Brown Engineering ...........................................$100Reading Elevator Service, Inc. ...........................$100Diane Hill ............................................................$50John + Aaron Gantz ............................................$50Rose Rossello ......................................................$50Wes Stefanick ......................................................$30

Total .................................................... $70,770Goal .................................................... $80,000

To make a tax deductible donation, please make check payable to Berks County Chamber Foundation and mail to:

Ed Gundersen, Controller Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry,

201 Penn Street, Suite 501, Reading PA 19601

For an updated list of donors, please visit www.gofundme.com/alleyesonreading.

All Eyes on Reading is an awareness campaign to raise funds for mobile cameras in Reading. It is a joint partnership between Chief of Police William Heim and District

Attorney John Adams. The Greater Reading Chamber was tasked with a goal of raising a total of $80,000 to provide 8 new wireless cameras for use in downtown Reading. The Wyomissing Foundation has pledged $10,000. Combined, Greater Reading Chamber and Greater Reading Economic Partnership pledged $10,000.

Thanks to the following All Eyes on Reading Rock Star Contributors!

To Help Us Reach Our Goal…


upcoming events

Business at BreakfastSpeaker: Kimberly J. Murphy, President, Berks Conservancy

Inn at Reading 1040 N. Park Rd. Wyomissing, PA 19610

7:45 am –9:00 am

APR 1

Berks FBA – Spring Symposium

Stokesay Castle 141 Stokesay Castle Ln. Reading, PA 19606

7:45 am –9:30 am

APR 7

Power Networking Lunch

The Heritage of Green Hills 200 Tranquility Ln. Reading, PA 19607

11:30 am –1:00 pm

APR 15

Annual Legislative Breakfast

Inn at Reading 1040 N. Park Rd. Wyomissing, PA 19610

7:30 am –9:30 am

APR 10

Lead Worker Certificate

Center for Business Excellence 49 Commerce Dr.

Wyomissing, PA 19610

9:30 am –11:30 am (Morning Sessions)

6:00 pm –9:00 pm (Evening Sessions)

APR 20

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

APR 28

Career Prep Fair

Reading High School 801 North 13th St. Reading, PA 19604

7:30 am –11:30 am

APR 29

Supervisor Training: The Role of a Supervisor/Manager (Module I Spring 2015 Morning)




MAY1

Networking at Night

South Mountain YMCA Camps Bynden Wood Lodge 201 Cushion Peak Rd. Wernersville, PA 19565

5:00 pm –7:00 pm

MAY5

Energy Issues Forum

Penn State Berks 2080 Tulpehocken Rd.

Reading, PA 19610

7:30 am –9:30 am

MAY5

Business at Breakfast


7:45 am –9:00 am

MAY6

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





MAY7

Annual Dinner 2015Speaker: Daymond John of Shark Tank

The Santander Performing Arts Center 136 N. Sixth St. Reading, PA 19602

5:00 pm –9:00 pm

JUN1

Women2Know Toni Miller, Senior Executive Vice President — Boscov’s Department Stores


11:30 am –1:00 pm

JUN9

Berks FBA Educatingthe Family Workshop: The UndiscussablesDealing with the Elephants in the Family Business?



8:00 am –10:00 am

JUN10

Health Care Summit


7:45 am

MAY8

W2W Path2PersonalDevelopment Having the Difficult Conversation



4:30 pm –6:30 pm

MAY13

DC Transportation Fly-In

Washington, DC

All Day

MAY13

W2W Growth2Go Navigating the Minefields of Workplace Dynamics

The Highlands at Wyomissing 2000 Cambridge Ave. Wyomissing, PA 19610

11:30 am –1:00 pm

MAY19

Supervisor Training: Leveraging Workplace Relationships for Orginizational Success (Module III Spring 2015)





MAY20

Power Networking Lunch

The Inn at Centre Park 730 Centre Ave. Reading PA 19601

11:30 am –1:00 pm

MAY20

De Mujer a Mujer –Estableciendo Conexiones


5:30 pm –7:30 pm

MAY26

MAR 19

Networking at Night

Fraser Advanced Information Systems

320 Penn Ave. Reading, PA 19611

5:00 pm –7:00 pm

MAR 24

De Mujer a Mujer-Estableciendo Conexiones


5:30 pm –7:30 pm

MAR 25

Berks FBA Educating the Family Workshop: The Importance of Clearly Defined Roles and Boundaries to Avoid Conflict



8:00 am –10:00 am

MAR 26

Networking at Night

Berks Digital 2620 Hampton Blvd. Reading, PA 19604

5:00 pm –7:00 pm

MAR 31

Goal Setting, Prioritization & Time Management Skills



8:00 am –12:00 pm

Commercial Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Restaurant EquipmentSales, Service & Maintenance

Jeremy Bu�, Owner phone: 610.401.5069 email: [email protected]

Reach 3,500 C-Level Decision-makers & Nearly 25,000 Readers!

Publishing GroupHoffmannPublishing.com

Tracy Ho�mann Tracy@Ho�Pubs.com // 610.685.0914 ext 201

Alicia Lee Alicia@Ho�Pubs.com // 610.685.0914 ext 210

Brad Hess Brad@Ho�Pubs.com // 610.685.0914 ext 204

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT:

ReCh2,0+

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT:

Closing the Skills Gap

Berks Park 78 Gains

National RecognitionAs Shovel-Ready Site

WINTER 2014

WHAT DRIVESYOUR BUSINESS?

COMMERCEQUARTERLY


Small Business

& Government:

A Long Distance Relationship

Advertise in Commerce Quarterly, mailed to 1,500 Chamber-member business owners and C-Level Executives, more than 1,500 non-member business owners,

C-Level executives, and education, government, municipal and community leaders, and nearly 500 high-traffic locations throughout the Greater Reading area.

Closing theClosing the Skills Gap Skills Gap

Berks Park 78 Gains

National RecognitionAs Shovel-Ready Site

WINTER 2014WINTER 2014

WHAT DRIVESWHAT DRIVESYOUR BUSINESS?YOUR BUSINESS?

COMMERCECOMMERCECOMMERCECOMMERCEQUARTERLYQUARTERLY

Greater Reading ChamberGreater Reading ChamberGreater Reading ChamberGreater Reading ChamberGreater Reading ChamberGreater Reading ChamberGreater Reading ChamberGreater Reading ChamberGreater Reading ChamberGreater Reading ChamberGreater Reading Chamber

Small Business

& Government:

A Long Distance RelationshipA Long Distance Relationship

SPRING 2015

COMMERCEQUARTERLY


in Berks?

Is Business Really

2015 OUTLOOK: What You Need to Know

STRONGERLOAN DEMAND—Stable Interest Rates

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and the Bull Symbol are trademarks of Bank of America Corporation.Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA®) is the owner of the certification marks CIMA® and Certified Investment Management Analyst®. Use of CIMA® and Certified Investment Management Analyst® signifies that the user has successfully completed IMCA’s initial and ongoing credentialing requirements for investment management consultants.Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM and CRPC® are registered service marks of the College for Financial Planning. Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A., member FDIC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.Investment products:

Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value

MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. © 2014 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.MLWM-14-02523_local ad ARTWT4FC 10/2014

Serving Clients and Our Community

985 Berkshire Boulevard Wyomissing, PA 19610

Phone: 610.320.5462

E-mail: [email protected] www.fa.ml.com/maggs

Maggs & AssociatesWealth Management

Maggs & Associates has been helping affluent individuals and families develop customized long-term wealth management strategies since 1993. Our team members possess advanced training and academic and professional credentials—including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®), Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) and Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®) designations—which enable us to address the different aspects of your financial life, from investments and wealth transfer, and through Bank of America, home financing and philanthropic desires. Even more important, we have substantial experience that we bring to bear in developing strategies to address your unique needs.

We are honored that so many of the clients we work with have been with us for years. We enjoy working with and spending time with them, deepening our understanding of their lives. We also volunteer with and serve on the boards of many of the same local organizations. Reflecting our shared commitment to the community in which we live and work, team members are proud to support nonprofit organizations within Berks County not only financially but also with their time, talents and ideas. Our goal is to be good neighbors and cultivate relationships with all generations of the families we serve, being there for them through every life event, every triumph and every transition.

commerce quarterly spring 2015

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