- McKonly & Asbury Announces Promotions
McKonly & Asbury, a regional accounting and business advisory services firm, recently announced promotions for a number of team members.
Aaron Stagliano, CPA – Senior Manager
Aaron joined McKonly & Asbury in 2019 through the firm’s acquisition of Brewer & Company, LLC. He had been with Brewer & Company, LLC for 8 years. As a member of McKonly & Asbury’s Assurance Practice, Aaron specializes in audits of nonprofit organizations, local governments, construction, and small businesses. Aaron works out of the firm’s Bloomsburg office and holds a B.S. in Business Administration Degree in Accounting from Bloomsburg University
Robert Grey, CPA – Supervisor
Bob joined McKonly & Asbury in 2019 through the firm’s acquisition of Brewer & Company, LLC. He had been with Brewer & Company, LLC for 14 years. As a member of McKonly & Asbury’s Assurance Practice, Bob provides a wide range of services to clients by performing audits, reviews, and compilations to non-profit organizations and local government entities. He is also a member of our firm’s Tax Practice and oversees the individual tax return preparation process in the Bloomsburg office. Bob works out of the firm’s Bloomsburg office and holds a B.S. in Business Administration Degree in Accounting from Bloomsburg University.
Chad Roeder, CPA – Senior Accountant
Chad joined McKonly & Asbury in 2019 through the firm’s acquisition of Brewer & Company, LLC. He had been with Brewer & Company, LLC for 1 year. As a member of McKonly & Asbury’s Assurance and Tax Practices, Chad performs audits and tax returns for clients in the nonprofit and local government industries. Chad works out of the firm’s Bloomsburg office and holds a B.S.B.A. in Accounting and Management from Bloomsburg University.
Dan Brewer retired from the firm effective January 15.
Kurt Trimarchi is the new Managing Partner of the Bloomsburg office. - Bloomsburg Children’s Museum Offers Free Programming in February
The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum, 2 West 7th Street, will offer a number of free programs this month, including:Families with Special Needs Night
Friday, January 31, 4-7 p.m.
Come to a fun night out for families with special needs! Enjoy a performance from IMAGE. IMAGE is a Sign Language performance group from Bloomsburg University. Their main goal is to promote American Sign Language, ASL, as a true language. Enjoy reduced number of visitors, a quiet area, fun craft and sensory activities, and an opportunity to network with other families. Admission is FREE.Paint Me A Story: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Tuesday, February 4, 1-2 p.m.
This Tuesday afternoon story-time art-studio-mashup is a whole lot of fun for your little ones ages 2-6. Hands-on activities while exploring rotating themes are available on a walk-in basis, while supplies last. Free with Museum admission.National Cherry Month
Saturday, February 8, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Did you know each cherry tree grows enough cherries to produce 700 cherry pies? Join us this Saturday to celebrate National Cherry Month. Learn about this fruit and where it is grown. Free with regular admission.Homeschool Hangouts
Wednesday, February 12 and 26, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Parent/child activities designed to complement concepts taught in homeschool curriculum, grades K-12. Discounted admission for homeschool families.Girls Who Code
Thursday, February 6 and 20, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Girls Who Code is a FREE after-school program for 3rd-5th grade girls. Learn the concepts of loops, variables, conditionals and functions that form the basis for all programming languages. All while having fun and making friends!For more information about these events and dozens of others, visit the Museum’s website and calendar.
- Zartman increases capacity with 300 ton crane
Zartman Equipment Rental increased its crane fleet capacity with the purchase of a Grove GMK5250L, which has a capacity of up to 300 tons.
“Our new crane will allow us to expand our offerings for our customers,” said Tim Clark, Vice President of Operations. “This is the
largest crane Zartman has ever owned and we’re very excited about the new opportunities it will bring.”
Zartman’s fleet of nine cranes ranges in capacity from 8.5 tons to 300 tons. The GMK5250L has five outrigger positions, which allows for set up in tighter spaces. The crane also has the ability to move about a jobsite while carrying the counterweights. It features up to a 50° jib offset, allowing for greater ability to reach over obstacles.
Zartman purchased their first 18 ton crane in 1975 and began a rental business shortly after. Zartman operators are all NCCCO certified, and at Zartman safety is always a number one concern.
The 
Businesses are invited to participate in an upcoming event aimed at educating local students and their parents about the diverse paths to a successful career. The Chamber’s Foundation is partnering with PA CareerLink and Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation to host the 2020 Future Careers Expo and Parent Pathways Awareness Night. This is a wonderful opportunity for employers to meet with students (and parents) and share information about the types of work that is done, and the jobs that are available. This is not intended to be a “job fair”, but an opportunity to inspire students to explore a career path that might lead to your company.
The event will be held Tuesday, March 3rd from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Columbia Montour Area Vocational Technical School. Participating businesses can begin setting up at 4:45. There is no cost to participate.
Middle and high school students and their parents from at least eight area districts (Benton, Berwick, Bloomsburg, Central Columbia, Columbia Montour Vo-Tech, Danville, Millville, Southern Columbia) will be invited to attend. The goal of this event is to educate students about the many great career opportunities in our area, including the types of industries available here, the skills and education needed for specific careers, future job openings, etc.
Participating employers are encouraged to provide the following information:
- An overview of your business/industry
- The types of jobs or careers available and the education, or skills, needed for those jobs
- The future of your business and how that will affect future careers
- Information on internships, job shadowing, etc.
- Any type of informational or marketing materials that can be handed out
- Photos/display boards/examples of products or services
- Hands on activities that demonstrate your business
- Your contact information in case students have more questions following the Expo
- Door prizes that students may win through random drawings
Tables (6′ long) will be provided and electricity, internet access, and a limited number of extension cords will be available. Businesses should provide their own table cloths and skirting. A light meal will be provided for the representatives working the Expo.
Register for the event at https://tinyurl.com/futurepathexpo no later than Friday, February 21. For questions or additional information, contact Jeff Emanuel at the Foundation at foundation@columbiamontourchamber.com or 570-784-2522.
Members can get a free assessment of their website thanks to the newest offer in the Chamber’s member-to-member discount program. Carnegie Agency will review the digital foundation of websites. There are two aspects of the assessment for usability. First, the aesthetics of the site based on the user experience and second, how it is viewed by search engines like Google. By updating default settings, businesses can be better positioned to display at the proper search ranking with the correct description for customers and prospects. To get started on the process of having a more effective website, contact Carnegie Agency at info@carnegieagency.com or 412-983-8191.
This and other member-to-member offers are listed on the Chamber website. There is no additional cost to participate in the program. If you would like to offer a discount or special promotion to fellow Chamber members, send the information to Fred Gaffney at fgaffney@columbiamontourchamber.com or 570-784-2522.
- Have you made a deliberate effort to ensure succession planning in your business? NEPIRC and NEPA SHRM will present a Talent Succession Planning workshop on Tuesday, March 10 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Wilkes Barre. The workshop will discuss how to ensure leadership continuity in key positions, retain and develop intellectual capital for the future and encourage individual advancement. Benefits of the succession planning include: disaster-proofing your business, identifying qualified future leaders, and long-term business planning. For more info and to register, visit their website.
- The Town of Bloomsburg is reaching out to Bloomsburg homeowners who need home repairs such as roofing, electrical upgrades, furnace repair and window replacement. The Town is building a waitlist of qualified candidates that meet grant specifications. These grants could cover 100% of the costs if the Town would successfully be awarded. Please contact Stacy Anderson at SEDA-COG at 1-800-326-9310.
Early Bird Sports Expo this weekend: The 32nd annual Early Bird Sports Expo is this Thursday through Sunday (January 23-26th) at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. Show hours and a list of participating vendors are available at earlybirdexpo.net. The Broadt family, organizers of the event for the last 13 years, have announced that this will be the last year for the Expo. The Early Bird Sports Expo was started in 1988 by Tom and Mary Lou Austin.
The Montour Area Recreation Commission recently recognized a number of organizations and individuals who helped support MARC’s efforts to preserve and enhance public spaces in Montour County, including Hess Fields and the Montour Preserve. Among those recognized was USG as Corporate Supporter of the Year. Dr. Frank Maffei, Chair of Pediatrics for the Geisinger Women and Children’s Institute (right), was recognized as MARC’s Community Health & Wellness Advocate of the Year.
Bob Stoudt, MARC Director, also talked about a brighter future for MARC and the Preserve thanks to new revenue being generated, in-part, by an increase in the Montour County room tax. The rate was increased from 3% to 5% as of January 1, with the new revenue supporting MARC programming. Stoudt thanked the Montour County Commissioners and Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau for working to create this new revenue stream. Geisinger has also made a five-year commitment to the organization of $25,000 annually.
Dr. Frank Maffei, Chair of Pediatrics for the Geisinger Women and Children’s Institute (right) was recognized as MARC’s Community Health & Wellness Advocate of the Year. Presenting the recognition was Bob Stoudt (left), MARC Director.
A federally-funded program managed by Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
View Fact Sheet
The purpose of the Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is to provide funding support for physical security enhancements and other security related activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack. NSGP seeks to integrate the preparedness activities of nonprofit organizations with broader state and local preparedness efforts.
To be eligible for the NSGP grant, applicants must:
•Be registered/recognized as a 501(c)(3)organization as described in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
•Be a Church, Mosque or Synagogue exempt from501(c)(3)
•Be physically located within the state of Pennsylvania.
•Be at a high risk of a terrorist attack.
Non-profit organizations may only apply for the grant through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). Once the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2020 Notice of Funding Opportunity is released from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the 2020 application, instructions and deadline along with other necessary information will be posted on PEMA website at www.pema.pa.gov.
In-person and Web-based application workshops are scheduled in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia from February through March 2020. Please monitor the website to register for the NSGP upcoming events.
We hear it all the time – “I can’t find great employees!”
With the improving economy, many of our members are having trouble finding people with the knowledge and skills they need to help their business grow and thrive. One program designed to address this need is Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW). This award-winning summer economics education program has benefited our local students for over 40 years. PFEW immerses rising high school juniors and seniors in the world of business, allowing them to experience firsthand what you face each day. Offered by the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education, PFEW was founded to teach students about the American private enterprise system and help students develop skills that make them the great employees and employers of the future. PFEW annually holds five week-long sessions in July and August on the campuses of Lycoming College and the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, serving nearly 2,100 students and 200 volunteers each year.
PFEW participants form teams of approximately 18 students and one volunteer adult business mentor who become the simulated management team of an under-performing manufacturing company in direct competition with other student companies. Each company must determine, through 12 business quarters, their selling price, marketing costs, production levels and budgets, banking needs, R&D costs and more. In addition, teams must develop a marketing strategy, create a print and media campaign, and design a website. Sound familiar?
The Chamber and Foundation have proudly supported PFEW for many years, and we encourage members and civic organizations to consider sponsorship for our students and, if possible, volunteers for the sessions. Every student attends PFEW on a fully tax-deductible $625 sponsorship (the actual value of which exceeds $1,500) which is provided by a local firm, foundation, civic organization, or individual. PFEW is an approved Educational Improvement Organization through the PA Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. Sponsorship donors are prominently recognized in several publications circulated throughout the state, and each student wears the name of their sponsor on their photo ID badge throughout the week. Students write their sponsors after graduation to report on what they have learned.
If you would like to learn more about either award-winning program and how you can get involved, please visit the Foundation’s website, www.pfew.org, or contact Scott Lee, vice president of marketing & development for the Foundation for Free Enterprise Education at (814) 833-9576 ext. 8, or scott@pfew.org.
Picture Caption: Company Advisor Joanie Norelli (far right), customer manager small format for PepsiCo, takes a break on the quad with her team, Solaris, a power tool company, on a sunny Wednesday.
More than 420 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and the region. Increased membership allows the Chamber to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives. The Chamber welcomes Something Blue Weddings and Events to help us fulfill our mission.
Something Blue Weddings and Events is an award winning, full service wedding planning and coordinating company that works diligently to cater to event needs, alleviating as much stress as possible. They work to save clients time and money, all while guiding them through the planning process. Once the planning is complete, they carefully orchestrate the event to ensure that each element of the client’s vision comes together. For more information, visit their website. http://www.somethingblueforyou.com
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
In early January, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that Pennsylvania business owners will see a reduction this year in their Unemployment Compensation taxes, which will save them an estimated $552 million in 2020.
The elimination of the 1.1 percent UC tax rate interest that took effect on Jan. 1 makes the current tax rate the lowest since 1979. It follows the repayment of the state’s UC bond debt, which was made possible through Act 60 of 2012 (a UC reform law that the PA Chamber championed) and included provisions to refinance the state’s federal UC loans through bond sales. The 1.1 percent interest factor was put in place from 2013 through 2019 to help repay the bonds. This refinancing of UC debt saved employers approximately $57 million in interest costs. In addition, the fund’s solvency percentage as of July 2019 was 181 percent – the highest level since 2001. The fund is considered solvent when its level reaches two and a half times (or 250 percent) the average annual benefit payout over the last three years.
In a press release issued by the governor’s office, PA Chamber President Gene Barr celebrated the lower rate as a way to help employers pay down some of the highest UC rates in the country and ensure that the UC fund can remain intact as a financial safety net for individuals who lose their job through no fault of their own and are actively searching for work. “The Great Recession put the state’s UC Fund in financial crisis, threatening this important program and forcing us to borrow billions from the federal government,” Barr said. “We were proud to work with a bipartisan coalition of legislators and the Corbett administration to shore up this critical safety net and refinance the federal loan, which employers were still responsible for paying off but under more favorable terms. We are pleased employers can start off the New Year with a lower UC tax rate and thank Governor Wolf for recognizing the need to drive down business costs in PA.”
As part of its member-driven 2020 legislative agenda, the PA Chamber continues to pursue reforms to the state’s UC system that will promote fairness in the law for employers, control costs and further ensure the solvency of the UC Trust Fund.
The Chamber of Commerce will recognize outstanding individuals at its Annual Meeting, sponsored by PPL Electric Utilities, on Tuesday, February 18th. Awards will be presented in five categories. Nominees for the awards are as follows:
Small Business of the Year – Sponsored by First Columbia Bank & Trust
Altera Life
LIVIC Civil
Marr Development
Wild for Salmon
Large Business of the Year – Sponsored by DRIVE
Atlantic Broadband
AUTONEUM
Bloomsburg University
Service 1st Federal Credit Union
Community Progress – Sponsored by Atlantic Broadband
Bloomsburg Area School District
DRIVE
First Columbia Bank & Trust Co.
Frosty Valley Resort
Pretty Petals & Gifts by Susan
Service 1st Federal Credit Union
Nonprofit of the Year – Sponsored by PNC Bank
AGAPE Love from Above
Danville Child Development Center
United Way of Columbia & Montour Counties
Outstanding Citizen – Sponsored by the Berwick Industrial Development Association
Ronn Cort, SEKISUI SPI
Lisa Makara, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital
Barbara Warunek, Columbia County
Help us to celebrate all of the nominees by attending the Annual Meeting at The Barn at Frosty Valley. Register online or by sending in the invitation with payment by February 10.
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As of Tuesday, January 14, 2020, Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008R2. While the common term is called “end of life”, computers running these operating systems will continue to work. However, Microsoft will no longer be sending important security updates for these operating systems. Businesses are strongly encouraged to update their computers.
If you are still running Windows 7, keep in mind the following:
1. Assuming that the software you run is still compatible with Windows 7, you should remain functional until you can upgrade.
2. A computer running Windows 7 may be able to run Windows 10.
3. It is important to NOT rush this upgrade. There should be an evaluation of systems and software before upgrading operating systems.
3. The need to be vigilant about what is accessed and allowed to run on your systems is greater than ever. Because the operating system is end of life, you are at a greater security risk and will be more vulnerable until you upgrade.
Businesses are strongly encouraged to contact their IT providers as soon as possible to discuss updating/upgrading workstations and laptops running Windows 7, or servers running Server 2008R2.