The Chamber’s meeting room on Market Street in Bloomsburg is available to members for use at no cost as a benefit of membership on a first-come, first-serve basis. The room comfortably seats 10-12 and includes wireless internet, speakerphone, whiteboard, screen, projector, and access to a kitchenette. Recently, the room was brightened up with a fresh coat of paint and new carpeting, which was manufactured by Bloomsburg Carpet. If you’re interested in reserving the room, contact Phyllis at the Chamber at 570-784-2522 or email for availability.Member News
- Pretty Petals & Gifts by Susan, located at 158 East 9th St., Bloomsburg, as well as at 1168 State Route 487, Paxinos, is celebrating the first anniversary of its Bloomsburg store this month by offering a chance to win free flowers every month for a year. Stop in the store anytime during November and register to win. No purchase is necessary and the winner will be drawn on Nov. 30, which is also the first day of its two-day Holiday Open House (not to be confused with the Chamber’s Holiday Open House on Dec. 13). On Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., stop in the store for refreshments and numerous gift ideas. There is no cost to attend and no purchase is necessary. For more information, check out the November ChamberPack flyer.
The dealerships of the Ken Pollock Auto Group are currently holding their annual coat drive through Dec. 18 at all of its dealerships through northeastern Pennsylvania, including Ken Pollock Ford Lincoln in Berwick, located at 1120 West Front St. (Rt. 11). Those interested in making a donation can drop off new or slightly used coats of all sizes for both men and women, and the donations will be given to the Columbia County Head Start.
- NEPIRC will conduct a free leadership training seminar titled “Leadership Development Essentials” on Thursday, Dec. 6, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, located at 725 West Front St. (Rt. 11) in Berwick. This program is intended to help individuals become stronger, more impactful leaders. While joining other managers and supervisors to discuss workplace challenges, attendees will explore topics that include self-awareness, power & authority, risk & failure and leadership style. Using self-assessment tools and experiential learning, attendees will examine their strengths and weaknesses while exploring best practices of exceptional leaders. Register via the NEPIRC event website.
- Wild For Salmon will host a holiday tasting event at its retail store on 521 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11) in Bloomsburg on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. There is no cost to attend. Much like its other public tasting events throughout the year, this event will feature some dishes specially prepared by Wild For Salmon’s in-house chef featuring salmon and other seafood for attendees to taste, only this time, there will be a winter and holiday theme to the menu selections.
- North Shore Railroad will once again host the NARCOA Speeders for its 15th annual Toys for Tots drive. The mini cars will travel up and down the railroad tracks from North Shore’s headquarters in Northumberland through Berwick and back on Saturday, Dec. 8, beginning at 8 a.m. in Northumberland. Anyone is welcome to come alongside the railroad tracks to meet the speeder drivers and hand them a new, unwrapped toy for the drive. The speeders are scheduled to arrive in Danville at the Middle School at 9 a.m., Rupert at 10 a.m., Bloomsburg at 10:30 a.m., and Berwick at 12:30 p.m. If unable to meet the speeders on this date, but if interested in making a donation to the toy drive, donations can be dropped off at the North Shore office, located at 356 Priestley Ave., Northumberland, by Friday, Dec. 7. For more information, check out the Facebook event.
- HR4ALL will hold a free luncheon and executive briefing on affordable healthcare options and human resources consulting services on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 12-12:45 p.m., at the Farrington Place, located at 416 W. 3rd St., Williamsport.
This event will feature a trio of strategic partners, including HR4ALL, a professional human resources expertise consultant, speaking about a group of small and medium-sized businesses getting together to pool resources that will hopefully enable them to access less expensive, self-funded health plans in the future. For more information, call 570-592-0518, or see the event flyer at right, and to RSVP, text HR4ALL to 555888. 
More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, Ameriprise Financial McKinnon Financial Group, to help us fulfill our mission.
The McKinnon Financial Group is a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., which was founded in 1894, is headquartered in Minneapolis, and currently has more than $875 billion in assets under management and administration along with more than two million individual, business and institutional clients. The McKinnon Financial Group was founded in 2016 in Nanticoke, Pa., by Jeffrey McKinnon, a veteran of the financial services and advising industry with more than 22 years of experience. Jeffrey also previously held financial advisory positions as Wachovia/Wells Fargo, PNC Bank and Janney Montgomery Scott. In addition to the current office in Nanticoke, McKinnon Financial Group will soon be opening a second office in Berwick at 118 B East 3rd St. For more information, visit its website or Facebook page, call 570-520-4137 or email.
More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, HR4ALL, to help us fulfill our mission.
Mark Morgenfruh (center), founder and CEO of HR4ALL, and his family stopped by the Chamber office recently for a ceremonial ribbon cutting to commemorate HR4ALL’s new membership in the Chamber.
Founded earlier this year by Mark Morgenfruh, a veteran human resources professional, HR4ALL provides human resources services primarily for small and medium-sized businesses that don’t have a full-time or dedicated HR staff. Its motto is “the right piece of HR, at the right time, for the right price.” HR4ALL’s subscription model is aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses and organizations remain compliant with all pertinent regulations related to employment and other HR-related issues but at the fraction of the price of full-time HR staff. HR4ALL can also provide executive-level expertise on larger issues such as complaints, lawsuits, Department of Labor audits and more for companies of all sizes, including those that may have dedicated HR staff, but may lack in the appropriate expertise for these more complicated matters. For more information, visit its website, Facebook or LinkedIn pages, call 570-592-0518 or email.
HR4ALL will be co-hosting an executive briefing luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 13 on options to reduce health insurance costs as well as administering them. See more in this Facebook post, and call 570-592-0518 to RSVP.
By Tim Wagner, chair, Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc. board and Fred Gaffney, president, Columbia Montour Chamber; Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc. board member
This holiday season kicked off with a number of tremendous events to bring people to Bloomsburg. Holiday traditions continued while some new events were added. The board of Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc. (DBI) wishes to thank all of those who were involved in these events.
- The first Coming Home for Christmas festival was held on North Market Street on Friday, which brought crafters, vendors, and visitors into the downtown. Proceeds from the event are to benefit worthy community causes.
- Adjacent to the festival, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s TreeFest got underway at the Caldwell Consistory thanks to the support of many volunteers and sponsoring organizations. TreeFest continues this weekend before the trees with be donated to area families.
- BTE’s holiday production of “The Wizard of Oz” began with people lined up around the block to get in with donation items for local food pantries.
- Another new event, WinterFest, was held Friday and Saturday at the Fairgrounds. The Fair Association lined up a wide variety of vendors and entertainment for families to enjoy.
- On Friday evening, dozens of floats lit up the downtown in the WHLM Parade of Lights. Thanks to the Bloomsburg Rotary Club for supporting this year’s event.
- Small Business Saturday highlighted the importance of supporting our local businesses. Thanks to The Exchange for organizing the American Express promotion.
- DBI’s North Pole Express train rides were held once again Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to Service 1st Federal Credit Union for sponsoring this year’s event, as well as the other organizations that help make the rides possible, including Sherwin Williams, Community Strategies Group, North Shore Railroad, the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority, and Penn Valley Railroad.
A number of these activities would not have been possible without the support of the Town of Bloomsburg, including the Police Department. The Town also provided support for the decorations for the fountain, with thanks to Gary Vadakin for his 12th year of doing the decorating.
And the holiday activities are far from over. TreeFest continues for another weekend and “The Wizard of Oz” at BTE runs through Dec. 29. Santa is at TreeFest again this weekend before moving to Exclusively You. Check the schedule at visitbloomsburg.com and thanks to the support of First Columbia Bank & Trust and the Bloomsburg Volunteer Ambulance Association. Downtown businesses welcome you for shopping throughout the holiday season with free, two-hour parking on Main Street with free parking to be extended to the municipal lots as of Dec. 15. Members of the DBI Board coordinate the bagging of meters each year.
Finally, you may have noticed that the holiday decorations on the light posts along Main Street are brighter this year. Thanks to Mayor Bill Kreisher for coordinating the additional lights, Public Works for stringing them, and First Columbia Bank & Trust for covering the cost. With the efforts of so many, the season is truly bright in Bloomsburg!
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
Last week, the state’s Independent Fiscal Office released its economic and budget outlook for the next five years. The Executive Summary of the IFO’s findings are based on three main assumptions: that the labor force will expand despite a decline in the labor market between 20-64 year olds; that there will be moderate growth in historical cost drivers after the current Fiscal Year (most notably, within the state’s pension systems and in the healthcare market); and that the state’s economy will continue to operate at its long-term potential.
The report recognizes that revenues for 2018-19 should continue to come in strong, thanks in large part to the economic gains realized through the federal Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. However, it also raises concerns about several issues that could negatively impact revenues in the next half-decade – including a large increase in the projected deficit to $1.7 billion for FY 2019-20 that is based on the expiration of various one-time measures that were previously utilized. This will very likely make Pennsylvania’s budget process more difficult in the coming months.
The report also notes that there are various long-term demographic concerns in play that could negatively affect Pennsylvania’s future economic stability – including declining birth rates and a possible contracting labor force. Finally, the IFO is predicting based on survey results that there will be a recession at some point over the three years, which will hopefully be minor (although the report puts forth the impact of a number of recession scenarios). The remaining question is to whether the federal government will be able to step in to help states.
The full summary and report can be accessed on the IFO’s website.
A large crowd of area professionals, including those that work in human resources, security, administration, small business owners and more, attended a lunch seminar on Pennsylvania’s new medical marijuana law and how it relates to workplace drug policy on Thursday, Nov. 15 at the Columbia Mall. The workshop, which was organized by the Chamber and PA CareerLink Columbia/Montour Counties and sponsored by PPL Electric Utilities, featured Juan Mayo, a workers’ compensation health & safety training specialist from the PA Department of Labor & Industry. Lunch for the event was provided by Steph’s Subs.
Among the topics of the presentation were the basics of the law, which allows medical weed cards to be published by a licensed physician for a limited number of conditions. Smoking of marijuana, for medical or recreational purposes, remains illegal in Pennsylvania. The differences between THC and CBD, two of the chemical components of marijuana, were also discussed, as was a clarification on the differences between hemp and marijuana. Most importantly, some guidelines and suggestions for how employers should accommodate medical marijuana in the workplace were also presented. Employers should be able to treat medical marijuana just like any other drug that is prescribed to an employee for a specific condition and could have side effects that could make it difficult or unsafe to do certain jobs, such as operate heavy machinery, etc. It was recommended that employers, if they don’t already do so, designed any specific positions as safety-sensitive, which makes disclosure of any medical prescriptions that could affect one’s ability to satisfactorily perform a job necessary on the part of the employee.
For those that may have been interested in the seminar but were unable to attend, the entire presentation, which runs just over an hour, can viewed below or on the Chamber’s YouTube channel.
One of the many components to helping employers find and keep employees is quality childcare and early childhood education. Access to quality care allows parents to be more reliable, focused employees. Also, a growing body of research shows that early education programs give children a significant head start in learning, development, and future potential. To increase the awareness of these benefits, and advocate for improved access, the Chamber has created an early childhood education task force.
Members with an interest are invited to join the task force. Meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of each month at 8:00 a.m. at the Chamber. If interested, contact Fred Gaffney at the Chamber at 570-784-2522 or email.
Member News
- Profile Coffee and Roasters will be hosting several other local small businesses at its coffee shop, located at 185 S. Market St., Elysburg, for a Small Business Saturday shop local event on Saturday, Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. There is no cost to attend. There will be 8-10 craft vendors and other small businesses featured.
- During September, a number of local businesses, organizations and communities, coordinated by Service 1st Federal Credit Union, joined together to “Go Gold,” raising awareness about pediatric cancer and $20,000 to support the ThinkBIG® Pediatric Cancer Fund, which is dedicated to minimizing the stress families battling pediatric cancer experience by providing financial support for everyday cost of living expenses and unpaid medical bills.
In 2015, Woody Wolfe approached Old Forge Brewing Company and Service 1st Federal Credit Union and asked, “Why not go gold?” Going Gold soon grew into a month-long awareness effort. Last year, events were held in Bloomsburg, Danville, and Lewisburg. This year’s initiative expanded to include the communities of Mifflinburg, Shamokin, Watsontown, and Williamsport. Businesses involved in Going Gold 2018 included: Brendan’s Towne Tavern, Lewisburg; Brewser’s SportsGrille, Shamokin; Bull Run Tap House, Lewisburg; Brickyard Restaurant & Ale House, Williamsport; Heart to Hand Ministries; Marley’s Brewery & Grille, Bloomsburg; Old Forge Brewing Company, Danville; Rivals, Williamsport; Rusty Rail Brewing Company, Mifflinburg; Service 1st Federal Credit Union; The Stonehouse, Williamsport; Watson Inn, Watsontown; West End Ale Haus, Bloomsburg; and 505, Williamsport. Many of the events featured this year’s Gold Dust Pale Ale, brewed by Marley’s Brewery & Grille, Bloomsburg and Old Forge Brewing Company, Danville. $1 per pint of the pale ale was donated to Going Gold. Rusty Rail Brewing Company donated $1 per goblet of their Fool’s Gold to benefit ThinkBIG® as well.
- Pretty Petals & Gifts by Susan, located at 158 East 9th St., Bloomsburg, as well as at 1168 State Route 487, Paxinos, is celebrating the first anniversary of its Bloomsburg store this month by offering a chance to win free flowers every month for a year. Stop in the store anytime during November and register to win. No purchase is necessary and the winner will be drawn on Nov. 30, which is also the first day of its two-day Holiday Open House (not to be confused with the Chamber’s Holiday Open House on Dec. 13). On Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., stop in the store for refreshments and numerous gift ideas. There is no cost to attend and no purchase is necessary. For more information, check out the November ChamberPack flyer.
- NEPIRC will conduct a free leadership training seminar titled “Leadership Development Essentials” on Thursday, Dec. 6, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, located at 725 West Front St. (Rt. 11) in Berwick. This program is intended to help individuals become stronger, more impactful leaders. While joining other managers and supervisors to discuss workplace challenges, attendees will explore topics that include self-awareness, power & authority, risk & failure and leadership style. Using self-assessment tools and experiential learning, attendees will examine their strengths and weaknesses while exploring best practices of exceptional leaders. Register via the NEPIRC event website.
- Wild For Salmon will host a holiday tasting event at its retail store on 521 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11) in Bloomsburg on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. There is no cost to attend. Much like its other public tasting events throughout the year, this event will feature some dishes specially prepared by Wild For Salmon’s in-house chef featuring salmon and other seafood for attendees to taste, only this time, there will be a winter and holiday theme to the menu selections.
- HR4ALL will hold a free luncheon and executive briefing on affordable healthcare options and human resources consulting services on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 12-12:45 p.m., at the Farrington Place, located at 416 W. 3rd St., Williamsport. This event will feature a trio of strategic partners, including HR4ALL, a professional human resources expertise consultant, speaking about a group of small and medium-sized businesses getting together to pool resources that will hopefully enable them to access less expensive, self-funded health plans in the future. For more information, call 570-592-0518, or see the event flyer at right, and to RSVP, text HR4ALL to 555888.
More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, The Hilltop Bar & Grill, to help us fulfill our mission.
The Hilltop Bar & Grill is a bar/restaurant located in Danville at 115 Liberty Valley Rd., and it has the same ownership as both Mayberry Hospitality and The Pub II, who are also recent new members to the Chamber. The Hilltop is an American Roadhouse serving families, travelers and locals great food in a casual unique setting featuring an outdoor deck with a spectacular view of Montour Ridge, as well as an occasional deer or turkey. It has daily food specials, which can be found on its website, in addition to its full menu. The Hilltop is open Tuesday-Saturday from 3 p.m. – 2 a.m., and can also be reached on its Facebook page, by email, or call them at 570-275-9292.