Commerce Quarterly Spring 2015

Greater Reading Chamber

COMMERCE QUARTERLY

SPRING 2015

Is Business Really

in Berks?

STRONGER LOAN DEMAND

—Stable Interest Rates

2015 OUTLOOK: What You Need to Know

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CONTENTS Greater Reading Chamber

COMMERCE QUARTERLY

FEATURES:

Ellen Albright, Editor 201 Penn St., Suite 501, Reading, PA 19601 greaterreadingchamber.org • 610.376.6766

6 Cover Stor y

The opinions expressed in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

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

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.

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.

©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 Hoffmann Publishing Group, Reading, PA HoffmannPublishing.com • 610.685.0914

DEPARTMENTS:

13 Business & Community Advocacy 2015 Outlook:

What You Need to Know

34 In Your Community

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

Is Business Really Booming in Berks?

Industry Trends 28 SPOTLIGHT ON BANKING

30

Stronger Loan Demand— Stable Interest Rates

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

Business Friendly Incentives— All Aboard Opportunity!

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

On the Cover: For Advertising Opportunities: call 610.685.0914 Ext. 1 Read Commerce Quarterly Magazine Online at GreaterReadingChamber.org

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.

letter from the president

W

ith the arrival of Spring, we thought this issue was rightfully focused on “ W h a t’s Bl o o m i n g — o r 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!

GreaterReadingChamber.org

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!

Ellen T. Horan

Ellen T. Horan, President, CEO

Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Let our family

SECURE

your family

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:

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cover story

Is Business Really

in Berks?

A Collaborative Report

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 transportation and infrastructure projects are visible signs of activity but are they adding jobs, and providing trickle-down opportunities?

6 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

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.”

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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.”

“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.

Cole said the local office market 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.

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 7

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 additional 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 thermoformed 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 telecommunications 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 accessories. 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 assistance,” 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.

“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 handles 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 complementary avenues. She points to her newer company venture, the Restoration Technical Institute. The institute offers industry certifications 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 Continued on page 10 9

COMMERCE

cover story continued…

QUARTERLY

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.

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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 manufacturers ramping up their operations.

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“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

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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.

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

Many companies forecast anticipated business 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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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?

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Outlook What You Need to Know With contributions from: Ellen Horan & Gail Landis, Greater Reading Chamber

S

enior 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.

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.

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.

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 Continued on page 14 13

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.

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• 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.

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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

GreaterReadingChamber.org

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 simultaneously driving tax hikes. Transforming public pensions is critical to ensuring a thriving economy.

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• 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.

Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry

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 opportunity 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.

@ReadingChamber

grcci

15

HR matters

“Social Recruiting:

Are You Connected?”

Reasons Why You Can’t Rely Solely on ACTIVE Candidates

Antonia Cramp, BCIU Assistant Human Resources Director

I

ntrigued? At Berks County Intermediate Unit we are too!

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.

16 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

GreaterReadingChamber.org

Kristi Gage-Linderman, Gage Personnel,

on Creative Hiring:

VOLT Workforce Solutions offers the following tips for making your social media recruitment effort productive (http://www.volt.com/Recruiting_with_Social_Media.aspx): where the people are. Browse sites thoroughly to get a sense of the people who ❶ Start 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.

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

Treat others as you would like to be treated. As you develop your social network, help ❸ 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.

Though skilled and experienced employees 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.

LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a dedicated business networking site and offers the easiest access ❺ Get to resume-style information. Make sure your company and personal pages are current and

Employers are recognizing that training and developing key staff within their organization 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.

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

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

vs. Quantity. It’s standard social media debate: Is it better to build ❹ Quality 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.

build your network by connecting with current and former employees who you respect.

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)

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 conferences 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.

17

DIY solutions

Marketing Plan

101

for Small Business Owners

Sara Kuzma-Stump, Suburban Testing Labs

M

ost 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.

We’re Looking for a Long Term Relationship.

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

BRAINSTORMING First, 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?

Increase Customer Loyalty

❶

Increase Number of Units Purchased

❷

Increase Number of New Customers

❸ Introduce A New Product

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❽

❹

❼ Increase Geographic Coverage Area

Increase Customer Satisfaction Rates

❻ Increase Revenue ❺

Increase Customer Referrals

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.

GreaterReadingChamber.org

STEP ONE  OBJECTIVES Create 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  STRATEGIZE

Build 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.

“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.”

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

The Fastest

• Goodwill: Volunteering, Sponsorship, Board Involvement

❶ Pick ❸ 2 ❷

The Best Quality

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.

The Cheapest

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,

• 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.

Continued on page 20 19

DIY solutions continued…

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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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small biz thrives

GreaterReadingChamber.org

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.

Doug & Bryan Shinn,

Co-Owners of The Water Guy, a brand of the Shinn Spring Water Company 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?

Ellen Albright, Greater Reading Chamber

C

elebrating 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 company’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…

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!

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21

the chamber chew: Bear Creek Mountain Resort & Conference Center Chamber staffers team up to dine at our member restaurants to uncover Berks County’s best spots!

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.

A Great Way to Spend the Day Danielle Antos, Greater Reading Chamber

I

f 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!)

22 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

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,

For those thinking spring like we are, the spa and outside decks make for a terrific spring-summer 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!

entrepreneur’s corner

GreaterReadingChamber.org

T

he 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.

Compiled by: Ellen Albright, Greater Reading Chamber

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

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

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

SL: When opening the shop

SL: Building relationships

SL: To never reprimand an

EA: My vision for the

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

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

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.

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

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.

with my customers and fellow business owners and managers.

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.

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: How do you find inspiration?

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.

23

made in berks

Joe Jurgielewicz

Son, Ltd. Ellen Horan, Greater Reading Chamber

F

olklore has it that duck farming got price of land and environmental regulation its start in the United States thanks to eventually drove the industry—and the a shipwreck off Long Island in 1873 Jurgielewicz family—out of Long Island. where 20 ducks swam to safety in Long Island. The Jurgielewicz family chose to move to For the Jurgielewicz family, their journey to Pennsylvania because there was great land the US was also by boat, as Polish immigrants at a reasonable cost, plenty of water, and an in 1915. With expertise in potato and poultry interstate transit system—all within proximity farming, they looked to make a life in New to the most populated part of the country.

York as farmers.

In 1984 Dr. Joe Jurgielewicz and his dad Duck farming in the US was concentrated started the company, Joe Jurgielewicz & Son, in Long Island through the 1960s. The Ltd, with the purchase of 400 acres of land

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 business 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 24 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

GreaterReadingChamber.org

University. He feels this provides a competitive 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.

YEARS 1965-2015

Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progess. Working together is success. – Henry Ford

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.

Reading, Pennsylvania

Optimism for the future market demand is strong. Dr. Joe continues to see the following trends—people are beginning 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 Chicagobased 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.

25

26 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

Berks Fire Water Restorations, Inc.

COO,

Lisa Lavender

EnerSys

CEO,

Brentwood Industries

President,

John Craig

Peter Rye

Spring 2015

Tracy Hoffmann, Hoffmann Publishing Group

Booming in Berks GreaterReadingChamber.org

27

industry trends SPOTLIGHT ON: BANKING

STRONGER LOAN DEMAND —Stable Interest Rates

7IlIo Compiled by: Ellen Horan President & CEO, Greater Reading Chamber

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

2,0 jBs

S

napshot: 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.

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

8F0OrEr Eight out of every ten workers are employed by small firms.

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

28 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

Sb

$1.2 BiLiN

SBA loans have been on the rise since the recession; $19.2 billion in lending under 7a program reached all-time high in 2013.

$5.4IlIo Over 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.

GreaterReadingChamber.org

“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, fixedrate financing they need to grow and operate.”

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

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“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

29

industry trends

Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest:

NOT A ZERO SUM TUNE Understanding the Link between Local Arts & Economics Keri Shultz, President of Reading Musical Foundation

F

or 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.

VISITORS

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).

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.

DOLLARS In 2014, it was estimated $5.03M of greatness, $4.46M of which came from people outside of Berks County, not including ticket sales.

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

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.

30 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

Berks 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.

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 FROM FINE DINING TO LOUNGE Three years ago, Mark Woodward, Owner/President of West Reading Tavern, booked a local jazz ensemble for an evening performance 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.

GreaterReadingChamber.org

“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.”

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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 JAZZ Justin 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

• the area’s only locally-owned community bank

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, accessibility 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.

• seasoned commercial bankers • flexible & diverse product array

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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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fleetwoodbank.com 610.944.7666 EQUAL HOUSING

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What you want your bank to be 31

volunteer spotlight

William C. Long

Marilu Rodriguez

Fred Levering

M&T Bank, Middle Market Banking Senior Region Executive

RB Legal Counsel, LLC, Attorney—Managing Partner

Role with the Chamber:

Member, Board of Directors; Women2Women

Chair, Transportation Committee; Member, Business and Community Advocacy Council

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!

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!

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!

Role with the Chamber:

32 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

Berkshire Hathaway Home Sale Realty, Broker Role with the Chamber:

Teri Hettinger

Township 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!

under the radar:

GreaterReadingChamber.org

A LOOK AT LOCAL INNOVATION

Diane Reed, Greater Reading Chamber

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.

I

nnovation 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?

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 Enter: Ai Control Systems Tucked back on Water Street in Muhlenberg Township, Ai Control Systems designs and fabricates custom control and electrical systems for

694 Reading Avenue West Reading, PA 19611

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

33

in your community

Business Friendly Incentives –

All Aboard Opportunity!

Lenin Agudo Director of Community Development

A

s 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.

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

GRANT OPPORTUNITY BY AREA

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: businessfriendly@readingpa.org.

LOCATION

MAX. GRANT AMT.

MATCH REQUIREMENT

Penn Square

Up to $30,000

No private matching funds are required

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

Main Street Area

Up to $20,000

No private matching funds are required

DID Area

Up to $10,000

25% in private matching funds is required

City-Wide

Up to $2,500

75% in private matching funds is required

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.

34 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

Micro-Enterprise Loan Program The Community Development Department provides microenterprise 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

GreaterReadingChamber.org

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.

GRANT OPPORTUNITY BY AREA LOCATION

MAX. GRANT AMT.

MATCH REQUIREMENT

Penn Square

Up to $70,000

No private matching funds are required

Main Street Area

Up to $35,000

No private matching funds are required

Up to $35,000

25% in private matching funds is required

Up to $35,000

75% in private matching funds is required

DID Area Outside of the DID Area

Micro-Enterprise Technical Assistance Program Start-up and existing small businesses can access no-cost, confidential, 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.

Continued on page 36

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in your community continued…

This program is available for any industrial, commercial, or business 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 qualified businesses. The main goal of this program is to enhance the economic vitality of the City of Reading by encouraging businesses 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.

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 EXEMPTION TERMINATES THEREAFTER.

• 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 Program The 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.

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

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

36 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

out & about

GreaterReadingChamber.org

2015 e C h am bAeirrport h t f o e t s a l T na ding Regio Rea

Congre ssio nal Con versat ion 2015 Reading Health System

Wel ls Fa rg o 2015 Ec on om ic O u tl oo k St okesay Castle

State of the Community: Benchmarking PA & Berks’ Competitiveness Crowne Plaza Reading

2014 HR Co nfe ren ce:

Small Business Focused

Bus ine ss@Bre akf ast: All Eyes on Reading Stokesay Castle

Crowne Plaza Reading

37

effective leadership

Cultivating Growth Danielle Antos Greater Reading Chamber

G

rowth—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 provides both design and building services for commercial, industrial, municipal and government clients. They offer commercial construction of office buildings; building maintenance; industrial work; concrete foundations; 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.

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 leadership 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.

The Work of Leaders begins with a business assessment. This tool “Education and training is so valuable; an investment that always pays allows the company to review the whole business and identify where off. All companies hit walls as they grow and surprisingly independent improvement is needed as well as highlighting the business’ strengths. of industry type, these walls are the same for most companies. The For Nick, this assessment shed light on many areas. “What I found Work of Leaders program give you the plan and tools to help push interesting and a bit unsettling is that our management team was through the $5–10 million wall,” said Nick.

38 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

GreaterReadingChamber.org

Re-Ignite Berks Manufacturing:

JUMP

Grant Funding Available LOOKING FOR SMALL, HIGH-GROWTH POTENTIAL, ESTABLISHED MANUFACTURING COMPANIES! How is your business doing?

Get a on the Real Estate Market

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 dreed@greaterreadingchamber.org, to RSVP for this FREE information session, or to learn more about the program.

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GreaterReadingChamber.org

Member Spotlight Member 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!

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!

Suzy Lysczek, owner, Suzy Rae Design, celebrates ten years of being in business this year—listen in to hear more about her exciting journey!

Karen Norheim, Exec.

VP of American Crane & Equipment Corp., provides over 40,000 parts and supplies globally to over 15 industries—who knew?!

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.

Ellen Horan speaks to Brenda Gaul about her strategies for success at Furniture Soup!

Hear from Dental Arts of Wyomissing Berks native, Dr. Michael Balthaser, a 2014 Top 40 Under 40 Dentist in the USA!

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 revitalizing downtown Reading.

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 giving back to the community.

41

member news: new members NOVEMBER 2014 – FEBRUARY 2015 AFLAC – ALEX BELFORT Sinking Spring, PA Insurance Contact: Alex Belfort

DYNAMIC PHYSICAL THERAPY – MT PENN Reading, PA Physical Therapy Contact: Michael Lehr

KEYSTONE BUSINESS TRANSITIONS, LLC Lancaster, PA Consultants – Financial Contact: Donald Feldman

EDWARD JONES TERRE HILL Terre Hill, PA Financial Services Contact: R. Jeffrey Burroughs

KEYSTONE IRON WARRIORS Sinking Spring, PA Non-profit Organizations Contact: Kyle Hummel

EDWIN M. YODER INC. Reading, PA Mechanical Contractors Contact: Chris Ernst

KIM R LEWIS GRAPHIC DESIGN Reading, PA Graphic Designers Contact: Kim Lewis

BRICKS4KIDZ Reading, PA Educational Services Contact: Darren Douglas

EGGZACK Bethlehem, PA Web & App Design Contact: Peter Collipp

LIL SOIRÉE POSH EVENTS Wyomissing, PA Event Planning Contact: Rachel Jones

BUILT TO LAST LLC Muhlenberg, PA Contractors–General Contact: Casey Schearer

ELITE PRESSURE WASHING, LLC Sinking Spring, PA Pressure Washing Contact: Jim Holler

MC SPA MASSAGE – HAMBURG Hamburg, PA Spas – Beauty, Day & Health Contact: Sarah Nguyen

CPA TECHNOLOGY Bernville, PA Consultants – Computers & Software Contact: Mark Duchan

FORINO CO., L.P. Sinking Spring, PA Construction Contact: Nathan Pletscher

BERKS COUNTY PRIDE Reading, PA Advertising Specialties Contact: Terry Snyder Sr BLAKINGER, BYLER & THOMAS, P.C. Lancaster, PA Legal Services Contact: Patricia Wanger

CRAVE CAFÉ Sinking Spring, PA Café Contact: Sonia Marchio CREATIVE WEDDING CEREMONIES Fleetwood, PA Wedding Services Contact: Nancy Clark DC INVESTIGATION & SECURITY SOLUTION, LLC Stroudsburg, PA Security Contact: Phil Carter DICKEY’S BARBECUE PIT 1153A Berkshire Blvd.

Wyomissing, PA 19610 484.709.2577 Restaurants Contact: Frank Caloiaro DOUBLETREE HOTEL Wyomissing, PA Hotels Contact: Craig Poole DYNAMIC PHYSICAL THERAPY – 5TH ST. HIGHWAY Reading, PA Physical Therapy Contact: Michael Lehr Sr, DPT, MBA

GRAVITY PRINT SOLUTIONS Birdsboro, PA Printers Contact: K. Douglas Paugh HAPPINESS PROJECT OF READING Fleetwood, PA Non-profit Organizations Contact: Nancy Clark HOMES FOR HEROES®– CHERYL MOLINA, REALTOR® Wyomissing, PA Real Estate Contact: Cheryl Molina IM ABLE FOUNDATION Wyomissing, PA Non-profit Organizations Contact: Alexy Posner IMPERIAL CONTRACTING GROUP Shillington, PA Contractors – General Contact: Rodney Simmons IMPERIAL MONUMENTS LLC Shillington, PA Cemeteries Contact: Tracy Christmann KCK PHOTO & ENTERTAINMENT Reading, PA Wedding Services Contact: Kevin Kline

42 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

MC SPA MASSAGE – WYOMISSING Wyomissing, PA Beauty Salons Contact: Sarah Nguyen MISSION BBQ Wyomissing, PA Restaurants Contact: Jerry Sullivan MY DESI KITCHEN LLC, DBA MOMMA PATEL Wyomissing, PA Food Products – Manufacturers & Distributors Contact: Neil Patel NATURAL PACK INC Santa Barbara, CA Distributors Contact: Guy Markus OPTIMUM CARE COUNSELING & WELLNESS SOLUTIONS, LLC Sinking Spring, PA Mental Health Services Contact: Marie Laurent PA MEDIA GROUP/PENN LIVE/THE PATRIOT-NEWS Mechanicsburg, PA Marketing Services Contact: Chris-Michael Carangelo PANERA BREAD LLC Reading, PA Caterers Contact: Camellia Eddy-Natalini

PRECIOUS LIFE MASSAGE LLC Reading, PA Massage Therapists Contact: Katie Nowotarski PREMIER FLEET SERVICE Shoemakersville, PA Truck Equipment & Parts Contact: Richard Andrietta RICOH, USA Bethlehem, PA Business Services Contact: JD Schweizer SPRINT BY iMOBILE Reading, PA Retail Contact: Robert Pollard SPRUCE LAW GROUP, LLC Philadelphia, PA Legal Services Contact: Andrew Howe ST. FRANCIS HOME Shillington, PA Hospice Care Contact: Nancy Schwartz STITZEL FAMILY FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORY Laureldale, PA Funeral Homes Contact: Matt Stitzel SWEET RIDE ICE CREAM, LLC Sinking Spring, PA Ice Cream Parlors Contact: Chris Farrell SWEET SURPRISES West Reading, PA Candy – Retail Contact: Jennifer Bednez TEMPSTAR STAFFING Temple, PA Employment Services Contact: Audrey Heinze TENDERCARE HUMAN SERVICES, INC. Mohnton, PA Social Service Organizations Contact: Yolanda Vitulli THE SPA AT SPRING RIDGE Reading, PA Spas – Beauty, Day & Health Contact: Lauren Cassano THE WANDERING BEADS Reading, PA Jewelry Contact: Kim Lewis

THIRTY-ONE GIFTS – KATIE FRANTZ Blandon, PA Promotional Products & Accessories Contact: Katie Frantz TOTAL PUBLIC ADJUSTING Bensalem, PA Insurance Contact: Richard Ryan URBAN CHARM Reading, PA Jewelry Contact: Kim Lewis WALTCO LIFT CORP – MARK ROBINSON Miami, FL Manufacturers Representatives Contact: Mark Robinson WATERSTONE MORTGAGE CORPORATION Wyomissing, PA Mortgages Contact: Jamie Ware WE AGAPE YOU, INC. Wernersville, PA Non-profit Organizations Contact: Randolph Simmons WYOMISSING ATA MARTIAL ARTS Wyomissing, PA Martial Arts Instruction Contact: Lauren Minnich YOUTH ADVOCATE PROGRAMS, INC. Reading, PA Non-profit Organizations Contact: Ann Brackett

member news: anniversaries

GreaterReadingChamber.org

NOVEMBER 2014 – FEBRUARY 2015 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  

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

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

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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 November 2014–February 2015

BDO celebrates their new office on Broadcasting Road, Wyomissing!

Reading Accident & Injury Care Ribbon Cutting on November 20th.

Dynamic Physical Therapy’s new Mt. Penn location .

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Wyomissing, PA. Located in the Wal-Mart shopping center.

Massage Envy Spa’s Grand Op ening at the Shoppes of Wyomissing , 718 Woodland Road, Wyom issing.

44 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

Good Life Financial Group.

Tuesday, April 7th 7:45—9:30 am Stokesay Castle

Only $20

141 Stokesay Castle Lane, Reading

SPRING SYMPOSIUM

7:45 a.m.

8:15 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:15 a.m.

Breakfast Keynote Speakers Q&A Session 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.

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

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

member news: newsmakers 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 Rodriguez 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

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 Association (IBWA) announced The Water Guy, Pennsylvania based bottled water 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 sustainable environmental projects and conservation measures.

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

Tompkins VIST Bank announced that Jena Lawrence has been promoted 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 veteran of 13 years in banking, Lawrence joined Tompkins VIST Bank in 2004.

Liquid Interactive is pleased to announce that they have combined forces with local creative agency Killer Interactive. 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 president, commercial banking manager with an emphasis on commercial real estate lending. In his position, he is responsible for developing new com-

Tompkins VIST Bank announced that agri-business 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 throughout Tompkins VIST Bank’s marketplace. 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 managed his own firm, Delewski & Shurr.

As a Senior Consultant in the Tax and

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46 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

GreaterReadingChamber.org

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), Statement 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 Accountants (AICPA) and is the recognized mark of IT service quality. Weidenhammer’s SOC 1-SSAE 16 Type II audit is for one year, and covers 7 specific areas, including: controlled environment, physical security, environmental security, computer operations-backup and storage, computer operations-uptime 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 responsible 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.

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

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.

If you are a CEO, Key Executive or Business Owner, call: 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 donated 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 educational improvement initiatives throughout the bank’s Southeastern Pennsylvania marketplace. Including the 20142015 amount, the bank has donated more than half a million dollars to EITC to date.

Albright College PreK Program, Assumption B.V.M. School, Berks Business 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-

Joni Naugle

President, Naugle Associates, LLC Vistage Executive Group Chair

610.780.5068 www.NaugleAssoc.com

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 Foundation, YES Program (NEPA Manufacturer & 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 principal. 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 corporations and partnerships as well as multi-state taxation and consolidated returns. McGinley also has tax outsourcing experience with multi-national 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 category, 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 coordinate all site construction activities, supervise and train all field personnel and administer good construction safety practices with all on-site activities. Mr. Blantz joined Benchmark in 2002 as a Carpenter.

Continued on page 48 47

member news: newsmakers continued…

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 underemployed individuals with skills needed by employers in today’s economy.

Through the initiative’s training and placement partners, Accenture and

Ashoka will equip approximately 5,800 individuals with professional and technical skills to get a job as well as provide them with leadership, teamwork 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 activities 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 Susquehanna 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 responsibilities will be managing the provision 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 southeastern 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 Landscape 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 (7001499 members) category for Highest Per Capita Fundraising and the award for Highest Membership Participation in the Large Board category with 37.48% member participation.

48 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

Entech Engineering, Inc. announced that they will be moving their corporate 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 Manager 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 Commercial Solutions. Mitchell has earned her Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Insurance Service Representative designations.

Marla Redding has been promoted to Vice President, Client Services Director for Construction Solutions. Redding has earned her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. 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 comprehensive engineering solution.

GreaterReadingChamber.org

The Berks County office of the American 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 Power 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 Partnership 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 Philadelphia 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.

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!

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

Herbein & Company...........................................$500 DeCarlos Bar & Grill............................................$500 Reading Royals...................................................$500 Peter Barbey.......................................................$500 Albright College.................................................$500 3B Services.........................................................$250 Julia Klein...........................................................$250 Berks Fire Water Restorations, Inc......................$200 Gage Personnel .................................................$100 Joni Naugle........................................................$100 Bulk Chemicals...................................................$100 David Zerbe........................................................$100 Judson & Lisa Meinhart......................................$100 Automotive Service, Inc. ....................................$100 Brown Engineering............................................$100 Reading Elevator Service, Inc.............................$100 Diane Hill.............................................................$50 John + Aaron Gantz.............................................$50 Rose Rossello.......................................................$50 Wes Stefanick.......................................................$30 Total..................................................... $70,770 Goal..................................................... $80,000

To Help Us Reach Our Goal…

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.

49

upcoming events MAR 19

Networking at Night Fraser Advanced Information Systems 320 Penn Ave. Reading, PA 19611

APR 7

Berks FBA – Spring Symposium Stokesay Castle 141 Stokesay Castle Ln. Reading, PA 19606

5:00 pm –7:00 pm

MAR 24

De Mujer a MujerEstableciendo Conexiones The Abraham Lincoln A Historic Hotel of America 100 N 5th St. Hwy. Reading, PA 19601

APR 10

7:30 am –9:30 am

Berks FBA Educating the Family Workshop:

APR 15

The Importance of Clearly Defined Roles and Boundaries to Avoid Conflict

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

APR 20

8:00 am –10:00 am

MAR 26

Berks Digital 2620 Hampton Blvd.

Reading, PA 19604

(Evening Sessions)

Goal Setting, Prioritization MAR & Time Management Skills 31

De Mujer a MujerEstableciendo Conexiones The Abraham Lincoln A Historic Hotel of America 100 N 5th St. Hwy. Reading, PA 19601

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

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

MAY 5

APR 1

Speaker: Kimberly J. Murphy, President, Berks Conservancy

MAY 6

7:45 am –9:00 am

MAY 7

Center for Business Excellence 49 Commerce Dr. Wyomissing, PA 19610 8:30 am –11:30 am

7:45 am –9:00 am

MAY 13

Stokesay Castle 141 Stokesay Castle Ln. Reading, PA 19606

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

JUN 1

Annual Dinner 2015 Speaker: Daymond John of Shark Tank The Santander Performing Arts Center 136 N. Sixth St. Reading, PA 19602 5:00 pm –9:00 pm

JUN 9

Women2Know Toni Miller, Senior Executive Vice President — Boscov’s Department Stores Stokesay Castle 141 Stokesay Castle Ln. Reading, PA 19606

DC Transportation Fly-In Washington, DC All Day

MAY 13

W2W Path2Personal Development Having the Difficult Conversation

50 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SPRING 2015

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

Health Care Summit

7:45 am

phone: 610.401.5069 email: jbenterprisespa@gmail.com

MAY 26

6:00 pm –9:00 pm

MAY 8

Power Networking Lunch

11:30 am –1:00 pm

(Module II Spring 2015)

(Evening Sessions)

Jeremy Butt, Owner

MAY 20

Supervisor Training: Managing & Building Workplace Relationships

(Morning Sessions)

Commercial Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Restaurant Equipment Sales, Service & Maintenance

6:00 pm –9:00 pm (Evening Sessions)

Stokesay Castle 141 Stokesay Castle Ln. Reading, PA 19606

Reading High School 801 North 13th St. Reading, PA 19604 7:30 am –11:30 am

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

(Morning Sessions)

Business at Breakfast

Career Prep Fair

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

Penn State Berks 2080 Tulpehocken Rd. Reading, PA 19610 7:30 am –9:30 am

5:30 pm –7:30 pm

APR 29

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

Energy Issues Forum

8:00 am –12:00 pm

Business at Breakfast

MAY 20

8:30 am –11:30 am

6:00 pm –9:00 pm

APR 28

11:30 am –1:00 pm

5:00 pm –7:00 pm

Center for Business Excellence 49 Commerce Dr. Wyomissing, PA 19610 (Morning Sessions)

5:00 pm –7:00 pm

MAY 5

Lead Worker Certificate

Networking at Night

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

(Morning Sessions)

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

9:30 am –11:30 am

W2W Growth2Go

Navigating the Minefields of Workplace Dynamics

8:30 am –11:30 am

Power Networking Lunch

11:30 am –1:00 pm

MAY 19

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

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

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

7:45 am –9:30 am

5:30 pm –7:30 pm

MAR 25

MAY 1

11:30 am –1:00 pm

JUN 10

Berks FBA Educatingthe Family Workshop: The Undiscussables

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

Dealing with the Elephants in the Family Business?

4:30 pm –6:30 pm

Center for Business Excellence 49 Commerce Dr. Wyomissing, PA 19610 8:00 am –10:00 am

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Serving Clients and Our Community Maggs & Associates Wealth Management

985 Berkshire Boulevard Wyomissing, PA 19610 Phone: 610.320.5462 E-mail: mark_maggs@ml.com www.fa.ml.com/maggs

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.

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 Counselor SM 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.

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10/2014