The Indiana County Center for Economic Operations (CEO), established in 1994, is a county-wide public-private partnership dedicated to the economic growth and prosperity of Indiana County, Pennsylvania for the benefit of our communities, residents and businesses. The CEO Affiliates include the Indiana County Commissioners, the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana County Development Corporation (ICDC), the Indiana County Tourist Bureau and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). The Indiana County CEO provides an array of business services, including: site selection assistance to pad- ready business parks and multi-tenant office and industrial buildings; small business consulting, including business plan assistance and facilitation with local, state and federal financial assistance programs; workforce training programs; tax credits, business networking; and access to information regarding visitor / tourism, conferencing and other recreational opportunities to enjoy the quality of life in Indiana County. An example of financial assistance is through the Indiana County Revolving Fund (RLF). The Indiana County RLF program provides fixed, low-interest financing to eligible businesses operating within Indiana County that commit to creating and retaining full-time jobs. The CEO Affiliates offer the following properties in Indiana County, the Windy Ridge Business & Technology Park in White Township, the 119 Business Park in Center Township, the Corporate Campus Business Park in Burrell Township, as well as multi-tenant office and flex facilities, specifically the Corporate Campus Office Building and Interchange Center in Burrell Township and Highpointe at Indian Springs in White Township, totaling in excess of 135,000 sq. ft. For additional information, please visit the Indiana County CEO website at www.indianacountyceo.com.
Indiana County Business
January 2023 - Business Indiana - Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide — 1
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2 — Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide - Business Indiana - January 2023
Chamber helps advance Indiana County businesses
L ast year was one of advance- ment for Indiana County, with new economic developments and educational initiatives taking place to help move the county out of the pandemic years and into an optimistic future. While workforce issues and in- flation raised concerns, the Indi- ana County business community continued to show its resilience in adapting to the changing times with an eye on a more promising path ahead. The chamber maintained a strong membership base and fur- thered our efforts to sustain Indi- ana County’s business communi- ty and enhance the overall qual- ity of life. During the last fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, 2022, the chamber added 29 new members, bringing our total membership to 570 currently. Our retention rate for member- ship is 94.4 percent, which is high- er than the past couple of years and one of the higher numbers among our chamber peers. This helps to reinforce that our mem-
Mark hilliard
bers view the chamber as a re- source for business assistance and an advocate for our business com- munity. It also emphasizes that our members are utilizing their benefits and are happy with the products and services we provide. Workforce remained a top issue in Indiana County and at the chamber in 2022. In April, the chamber was proud to announce a brand-new initiative titled “Ex- cellence in Education Awards.” In partnership with Colonial Motor Mart and Colonial Toyota, the Ex- cellence in Education program will highlight various students and teachers from each of the seven county public school districts as well as Indiana County Technolo- gy Center (ICTC) throughout the school year, and will culminate with the Indiana County Excel- lence in Education Awards on May 8, 2023. One student and one teacher will be selected at this banquet, with each being awarded a brand- new automobile donated by Co- lonial. The Excellence in Educa-
tion program recognizes students on a combina- tion of fac- tors including academics, extra-curric- ular activities, community involvement, technical skills, work ex- perience and essential skills. Continu- ing with the partnerships in education, in May the chamber con- cluded the third year of
seniors throughout the county who became certified as “Indiana County READY.” To enhance the relationship be- tween the business community and Indiana University of Penn- sylvania (IUP), the chamber part- nered with IUP to create a brand- new student discount program. The “Talon Ticket” was developed and marketed with the help of students from the university and launched its pilot program in the fall of 2022. The Talon Ticket will look to expand during 2023 with businesses throughout the county being invited to participate. We continue to make improve- ments and create more oppor- tunities for our members to net- work and stimulate more busi- ness-to-business connections. Here are some of the highlights: • Following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the chamber held Indiana County’s second an- nual Women’s Summit on Feb. 8 at the KCAC. The event, dedicated to the professional, physical, psy- chological and emotional well-be-
ing of women in Indiana County, was a tremendous success fea- turing keynote speaker Aradh- na Oliphant, as well as breakout sessions on financial forethought, safety and self-defense, and healthy mind/healthy body. • On May 6, we hosted The State of the County Address featuring all three Indiana County com- missioners. The event, which was previously held as a virtual event over the past two years, was held in person in front of a sold-out crowd at the Hilton Garden Inn. The event provided an opportu- nity for the community to submit questions to the commissioners on a variety of topics important to Indiana County residents. • The chamber held its third an - nual Indiana County Chamber Golf Outing with a new month and a new location. The event held on May 26 at the Links at Spring Church saw more than 100 golfers turn out on a beautiful day to kick off the Memorial Day weekend
Mark Hilliard is president of the Indiana County
Chamber of Commerce.
Indiana County READY, an essen- tial skills certification program ad- opted by all seven Indiana County school districts. In spite of some of the educational challenges that exist, the chamber was proud to recognize nearly 250 juniors and
See CHAMBER: A-14
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January 2023 - Business Indiana - Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide — 3
Indiana County Center for Economic Operations
RESOURCES: • Business / Industrial Parks • Multi - Tenant / Flex Buildings • Small Business Consulting • Business Plan Assistance • Financial / Tax Incentives • Education / Training Centers • Conferencing • Visitor / Tourism Information PROPERTIES: • Windy Ridge Business & Technology Park • 119 Business Park
INDIANA COUNTY REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) Purpose: The RLF program provides fixed, low Ͳ interest financing to eligible businesses operating within Indiana County that commit to creating and retaining full Ͳ time jobs. Use of Proceeds: • Land & building • Machinery & equipment • Working capital Loan Amount: Up to $250,000 or 1/3 of the total eligible project costs, whichever is less. Interest Rate: The interest rate is set below the prime interest rate & fixed for the term of the loan. Term: • Land & building – up to 15 years • Machinery & equipment – up to 10 years • Working capital – up to 3 years If RLF funds have different uses then a blended term will be provided. Collateral: At a minimum, a lien on the asset financed will be required and the personal guarantee
from any owner with a 20% or greater ownership interest in the business. Jobs: One full Ͳ time job to be created or retained for every $35,000 borrowed. Participation: 10% Equity contribution
• Corporate Campus Business Park • Corporate Campus Office Building • Interchange Center • Highpointe at Indian Springs
HELPING BUSINESSES START, GROW AND PROSPER The University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University of Pennsylvania have formed a strategic partnership merging the Small Business Development Centers. The IUP Outreach Office has a dedicated management consultant on the IUP campus at 108 Eberly Hall. Please contact the SBDC office at 724.357.5729 to schedule an ap- pointment or to discuss how the SBDC can assist. The University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as part of Pitt ’ s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, provides business owners with the information and tools necessary to build successful businesses. The SBDC ’ s mis- sion is to develop and strengthen the businesses of Southwestern PA by imparting knowledge and expertise via professional consulting and education.
4 — Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide - Business Indiana - January 2023
Many moving parts contribute to county’s prospects
By PATRICK CLOONAN pcloonan@indianagazette.net
represented as one of the few remaining indepen- dent community hospi- tals in Pennsylvania,” said longtime IRMC President and CEO Stephen A. Wolfe. “With strong ties to Punx- sutawney Area Hospital, cancer care in partnership with the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, interven- tional cardiology services in partnership with Butler Health System, and most recently, a joint venture for orthopedics in Richland with Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center @ Windber, IRMC continues to position itself as a destination, and it is through these affiliations that we can offer a broad range of advanced medical services.” • The county’s highway network.
the final year of a $19.83 million widening of a mile and a half of state Route 286 (Oakland Avenue) and the U.S. Route 422 interchange near Windy Ridge in White Township. • Its prospects for expand- ing broadband. “The work to deliver In- ternet service to every household, business, farm, municipal office, etc. that wants to have service will continue until the job is done,” said Indiana Coun- ty Office of Planning & De- velopment and Indiana County Development Cor- poration Executive Director Byron G. Stauffer Jr. “This can only be done through public-private partnerships and funding. There will be contract awards over the course of the first quarter of 2023 up to at least $7 mil- lion.” • How the county’s natural
resources are being utilized. State Rep. Jim Struzzi, R-Indiana, said he hopes incoming Gov. Josh Shapiro considers the area’s abun- dance of coal and natural gas and realizes the need for “a balanced energy portfo- lio to meet the needs of our society.” • And how the county is coping with a declining population, from 88,000 in 2010 to 83,000 in 2020. “Those numbers are not unique to Indiana County,” said Indiana County Cham- ber of Commerce President Mark Hilliard. “Except for a couple of outliers, popu- lations are decreasing ev- erywhere. It could mean fewer jobs ... or more likely continuing the trend of job hopping, where people go from job to job, just look- ing the next best opportuni- ty,” and putting a strain on small business.
There are other factors, including COVID-19 that has been a challenge for the past three years. “The decline in student numbers amongst sever- al Indiana County insti- tutions has been a chal- lenge,” Stauffer said. “A lot of local coordination with our municipalities, elect- ed officials and Indiana University of Pennsylvania during the 2020 U.S. Cen- sus, at the beginning of COVID-19 when students were sent home, was so important as it could have been a lot worse in terms of the population num- bers. There continues to be help wanted signs and job openings in various in- dustries. There have been both in-person and virtual job fairs to assist both job seekers and employers to find talent.” • Efforts continue to bring
new employers into Indiana County. “We can’t change the pop- ulation numbers overnight but we can do our best to attract new families into this area,” Hilliard said. He pointed out that there is a lot of economic activity going on, both in attracting new businesses and in help- ing to expand current busi- nesses. “A number of new busi- nesses have shown interest, especially in our business parks but also in other areas around the county,” Hilliard said. “And these are busi- nesses in different indus- tries.” Also, the chamber pres- ident said, there are pros- pects, some close to an an- nouncement and others in which significant progress is being made. “We also have a couple
An assessment of the eco- nomic situation in Indiana County has to take in a lot of moving parts, including: • Indiana University of Pennsylvania. “IUP’s employees bring diversity, experience, dif- ferent perspectives, and are involved in churches, orga- nizations, service groups, politics, etc. that Indiana County just wouldn’t have without IUP as one of the top employers,” said Mi- chelle Fryling, the univer- sity’s executive director of media relations. “Frank- ly, I can’t imagine Indiana County without IUP, and es- pecially, without IUP’s peo- ple who care deeply about this community!” • Indiana Regional Medi- cal Center. “IRMC is proud to be
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January 2023 - Business Indiana - Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide — 5
Many moving parts contribute to county’s prospects for 2023 ECONOMY: From A-4
the community. Recently, IUP joined forces with the University of Pittsburgh to make sure we keep the mis- sion alive for Indiana Coun- ty’s economic development. We stand ready to serve the community with a new management consultant lo- cated in 108 Eberly College of Business, Dr. Eric Swift, who has taken over for the retired Mr. Tony Palamone.” Fryling said a “unique component” is how SBDC helps the IUP office of strategic partnerships and Eberly student marketing association grow the Talon Ticket program, “which is a student-led project which works directly with local businesses to provide stu- dent discounts for the IUP community with valid stu- dent ID cards. The program promotes collaboration and networking within the busi- ness district as well as op- portunities for students to support local businesses.” The university is seeing the fruit of its decision to cut tuition for in-state and out-of-state students living within the United States. “While it is very early in the process, we are seeing really strong, very positive momentum in both appli- cations and admissions,” Fryling said. “The net de- posits are higher than any of the past five years,” as is the yield of admitted to net deposits, while the market share of Pennsylvania high school graduates is ahead of last year for all phases of the admissions funnel (apps, admits, deposits). “We are also seeing an in- crease in applications for the Academy of Culinary Arts,” the IUP spokeswom- an said. Pennsylvania’s involve- ment in the Northeast Re- gional Greenhouse Gas Ini- tiative continues to loom as an issue, or as state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pitt- man, R-Indiana, put it, “the anvil of RGGI hanging over their heads” at power plants in and near Indiana County. Pittman said Shapiro will
have a significant role in de- termining whether Pennsyl- vania will go ahead “in join- ing the RGGI scheme.” Hilliard said the best news now is, the matter is still in the state appeals courts. “We’ve been prepar- ing for it for a number of years, since it was first an- nounced,” Hilliard said. “At that point we began the discussions. I sat in front of a number of Senate and House and other commit- tees, for Indiana County.” The question remains, does RGGI impose a regu- latory fee as proponents in- sist or, as opponents say, an $800 million carbon tax on electricity generated from coal- and natural gas-fired generation in Pennsylvania? “I remain steadfast in my opposition,” Pittman said. “I think it has already cost economic damage because of the economic uncertain- ty,” over the area’s coal-fired and natural-gas-fired power plants. “There is no doubt that the coal-fired power plants in our district are aging and they are coming to the end of their useful life,” Pittman continued. He wants to “give every opportunity” for those plants “to evolve into something new that still al- lows for economic opportu- nity.” The power plants are pay- ing taxes whether or not Pennsylvania joins RGGI, and whether or not it’s a fee or a tax being assessed. Pit- tman points to the “huge amount” of property taxes power plant owners pay local municipalities and school districts. “Indiana County has long been a coal community, an energy community with a long history of natural gas production and elec- tric generation,” Stauffer said. “We are in a cycle that change is ahead, with RGGI, with wastewater treatment rules, etc., which means that there will be challenges and obstacles for the econo- my, Indiana County has key assets here, great people in
ed Stauffer and all those involved “for being proac- tive in this regard,” adding, “They have been proactive since before COVID. They have done a great job with utilizing the funds they have.” In addition to the miles of fiber-optic cable being laid for broadband, there’s the highway mileage, includ- ing the work done on U.S. Route 119 and state Route 85, the latter a country road from Kittanning to Plum- ville and Home, the former a highway stretching south to north across the coun- ty, to Punxsutawney that is a new part of Pittman’s 41st Senatorial District (as well as the heart of Smith’s two-county 66th Legislative District). “That 119 corridor is very much a heavily traveled
and prioritizing matching funds to secure these dol- lars to partner with internet service providers to expand local service to unserved and underserved areas of Indiana County.” One ISP, Salsgiver of Free- port, has been awarded a $2.3 million contract, in the first phase of what eventu- ally will be a $7 million net- work of such internet con- nections across the county. “This can only be done through public-private partnerships and funding,” Stauffer said. “If you want to attract business and attract new families, you have to have broadband,” Hilliard said. “For the most part, in White Township and Indiana Bor- ough, it is fine, but we have people looking outside those areas.” The chamber of com- merce president applaud-
each and every community, terrific institutions, all posi- tioning Indiana County to have opportunities to com- pete for new private sector investments and family sus- taining jobs!” Stauffer also is in the fore- front of a bid to expand broadband service through- out the county. “The Indiana County Commissioners, Sen. Pit- tman, Reps. Struzzi and (Brian) Smith (R-Punxsut- awney), along with our fed- eral delegation, all believe that broadband is no longer a luxury, but an economic and quality of life necessity,” the ICOPD/ICDC director said. “If anything positive comes from COVID-19, it is the realization that funding for broadband expansion has been lacking. Indiana County has been aggres- sive in seeking out state and federal broadband funding
of businesses that have discussed expansion and creating new jobs, adding square footage to their facil- ities,” Hilliard said. “Those are conversations we are having as well.” Stauffer said ICDC is an affiliate member of the Indi- ana County Center for Eco- nomic Operations, along with the chamber of com- merce, IUP and the Indiana County Tourist Bureau. “We work cooperative- ly to deliver economic and workforce development programs and services,” Stauffer said. “As you see from county commissioner meetings, there are various grants that are both applied for and awarded through- out the year. These are im- portant in terms of prepar- ing business park sites and other infrastructure proj- ects in order to compete for new job opportunities and business attraction and ex- pansion. The ongoing work that has occurred in the last couple years through COVID-19 among our CEO affiliates in collaboration with our federal, state and local elected leaders has laid the groundwork for positive outcomes. I am confident that 2023 will be bringing several positive outcomes and am looking forward to upcoming press releases and announce- ments, including business attraction (new to Indiana County), business expan- sion and business start-up activities.” Among IUP’s contribu- tions to business develop- ment is the Small Business Development Center. “The SBDC is still alive and well while helping hun- dreds of small businesses in the community,” Fryling said. “There are a number of success stories on the web- site. Again, not only does this help businesses suc- ceed, it gives our students great real-life experience while interning or hold- ing a graduate assistant- ship on campus and within
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6 — Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide - Business Indiana - January 2023
Many moving parts contribute to county’s prospects for 2023 ECONOMY: From A-5 with Four Footed Friends, an Indiana-based animal shelter, to provide the cats. “We’ve been fortunate enough to partner with Four Footed Friends for this endeavor,” Brittney Valeski said. “They’ll be providing us cats and kittens, which will also create more room at the shelter for them to help more animals in need.” The café’s hours of oper- ation are tentatively set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday New Indiana business will combine coffee, feline adoptions See FELINE: A-7 By NATHAN ZISK NZisk@indianagazette.net A new café is looking to provide a space for Indiana cat-lovers and coffee enthu- siasts to drink coffee, play with cats and potentially adopt their next pet. Indiana residents Alex and Brittney Valeski plan to open Dexter’s Cat Café in late spring or early summer on the west end of Philadel- phia Street. The business would operate like a typical café, but patrons would also get the opportunity to play with and adopt cats and kit- tens. The front portion of the space would act as a nor- mal café where patrons can sit down and order coffee, tea and pastries, according to Alex Valeski. The space would include a “special cat room” where customers can pay an admittance fee to spend time with roughly 20 cats and kittens. “Anyone wanting to visit with cats will be admitted to the special cat room for a set period of time,” Alex Valeski said. “This gives each guest a personal expe- rience with the cats.” The café would have free Wi-Fi for customers looking to work online or hang out with friends. But one of the primary goals of the café is to establish a place where people can find cats and kittens they’d like to adopt. “The cat room is perfect for anyone looking to ei- ther spend time with cats or who may be in the mar- ket to adopt,” Brittney said. “One of our main goals is to provide a calm yet fun way for people looking to adopt to meet cats and kittens. ... The idea behind the café is to allow people to visit with cats in a more relaxed en- vironment than a typical shelter visit.” The café would serve Commonplace Coffee bev- erages as well as a variety of teas and bottled drinks. Additionally, the Valeskis are looking to partner with a local bakery to sell pastries. “We really want the focus of Dexter’s to be visiting with cats and potentially getting them adopted,” Alex Valeski said, “but we would love for our customers to be pleasantly surprised by the quality of our coffee and bakery items. We’re put- ting a lot of work into craft- ing a simple yet impressive menu.” The café is also partnering
to an IUP campus that in- cludes its Academy of Cu- linary Arts. There also is the relationship between IRMC and Punxsutawney Area Hospital, under the umbrella of the Pennsylva-
nia Mountains Health Care Network. “Further expansion of IRMC is always on the horizon and at the top of mind,” Wolfe said. “It’s im- portant for us to remain the
sole independent health- care provider in the region and continue to offer the most advanced, up-to-date care.” The IRMC CEO said his hospital has adapted and overcome challenges the COVID-19 pandemic pre- sented to health care facili- ties throughout the nation, and IRMC continues to look for new ways to con- nect with its patients. “We can attract and pro- vide care for patients be- yond those who reside and work in Indiana County,” Wolfe said. “Everything we do is centered around our vision to be the best com- munity healthcare system in the country.” And that covers the mind as well as the body. “As recently announced, IRMC will construct a 31,000-square-foot mental health facility comprised of 44 beds that will care for adolescent, adult and geri- atric patients,” Wolfe said. “Not only will this essential project help us to better serve patients who require in-patient psychiatric care, but also provide new job opportunities in the coun- ty.” Indiana Regional Medical Center is literally across the street from Indiana Univer- sity of Pennsylvania, and Wolfe said IRMC is fortu- nate to have that neighbor. “We support IUP’s intent
to pursue medical educa- tion opportunities,” the IRMC CEO said. “IRMC and IUP have had a longstand- ing relationship to provide students with internships, externships and shadow- ing opportunities in areas such as nursing, dietetics and nutrition and other areas. We continue to look for ways to align our efforts to improve the region.” Fryling said there are many partnerships that are ongoing between IUP and IRMC. “We’re actively working with IRMC on the Residen- cy program, offering sup- port and initiatives to the residents,” the IUP spokes- woman said. “Our biology department chair, Dr. N. Bharathan, was respon- sible for bringing same- day COVID-19 testing to IRMC with IUP equipment loaned to IRMC, and train- ing staff there to do the testing.” The two institutions also are continuing a monthly Rural Health Pulse podcast. And, Fryling said, “IRMC currently has applica- tions available for summer pre-med internships. IUP pre-professional advisers have been promoting the opportunity for IUP stu- dents who are interested in pursuing medical careers after graduation; two IUP students (both from Indi- ana County) secured spots
in summer 2022. Addition- ally, both organizations have teamed up to start planning a new initiative to create a new public health- care apprenticeship for the county.” IUP has its share of out- reaches, including its Re- search Institute, which now serves six other universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Educa- tion, “to help them to ex- pand their work in spon- sored research through a shared service initiative,” Fryling said. As Stouffer noted, in ad- dition to “a top-tier re- search and doctoral uni- versity,” Indiana County is fortunate to have great school districts, a strong Intermediate Unit (shared with Armstrong County), “an exceptional Indiana County Technology Cen- ter,” and a new location for Westmoreland County Community College. “Competition to attract new jobs is fierce, the cost of capital for investments in new facilities and equip- ment is rising, inflation is a factor, all of it, but I do see positive signs that 2023 will be a positive year for Indi- ana County,” the ICOPD/ ICDC director continued. “The CEO continues to have inquiries and oppor- tunities and businesses are seeking our programs and services. All good signs.”
highway between” Indiana and Punxsutawney, Pittman said, as he expressed “a new appreciation” for ties be- tween the two boroughs. Punxsutawney is home
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January 2023 - Business Indiana - Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide — 7
Cat café slated to open soon in Indiana FELINE: From A-6
The Gazette’s Classifieds get results.
neuter programs ceased, which led to a major uptick in feral kittens being born,” she said. “When we found and raised four very sick kittens this summer, we off- handedly said, ‘We should just open a cat café.’ That became a reality when we realized how hard it was to find cats and kittens homes due to overcrowding with- in our local shelter system. This is our way to help get them off the streets and into loving homes.” As for the café’s name- sake, the Valeskis dedicat- ed the business to their 12-year-old Shih-Tzu Bea- gle mix, Dexter, who “loves” cats and was adopted from a shelter. “He truly loves cats more than any dog I’ve ever seen,” Brittney said, “and we want- ed a way to honor him, as he was also adopted from a shelter. It’s his legacy.”
and Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Though, Alex said those times are subject to change. The main café area would be open to the public for food and beverages during regular business hours. The cat room would be accessi- ble through appointments or walk-in visits. There will be a small admittance fee for the cat room to help the Valeskis cover the cost of caring for the cats. The Vale- skis also plan on renting out the space for small events such as birthday parties, showers and meetings. The Valeskis came up with the idea to start Dexter’s Cat Café after raising four sick kittens this past summer, according to Brittney. “During and after the pandemic, a lot of spay and
Metro Creative Dexter’s Cat Café is expected to open in late spring or early summer on the west end of Philadelphia Street.
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8 — Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide - Business Indiana - January 2023
January 2023 - Business Indiana - Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide — 9
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10 — Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide - Business Indiana - January 2023
Philly Street Candle Bar still burning bright
By KYLIE JASPER kjasper@indianagazette.net
how the idea of the busi- ness was going to be re- ceived,” she continued. “It’s such a novel idea for this area. I just thought, ‘Let’s take a chance and see what happens.’ I can’t say that anything surprised me because I had no expecta- tions. “I did not expect the con- nections I’m making with the people in town. We have a lot of people that are regulars here. I know what scents they want, how many candles they’re going to make. These are just people I’ve met through being here. It’s so cute. We have one guy that comes in and he wants four maple syrup candles every time he comes, even if it’s the middle of summer. These connections are such a nice surprise.” The functionality of the business itself is very com- munity-minded. Any cus- tomer who goes inside to make a candle will inter- act with any of the several employees, called “mixol- ogists,” that guide custom- ers through the whole can- dle-making process. Pa- trons are strongly encour- aged to bring their friends and family. The store is BYOB. Neiderhiser considers the recent addition of her
ways make sure before they leave that they love their candle. Seeing how happy they are and creating that experience with them is so rewarding.” Having a team of em- ployees she trusts and can count on is of much impor- tance to Neiderhiser. This frees her up to focus on the more mundane aspects of small business owning. “If you’ve never owned a small business before, you wouldn’t realize how much of it is back of the house stuff,” she said. “I went in thinking, ‘This is so cute, it’s gonna be like ‘Gilmore Girls.’ I’ll be able to be the owner out front with all the people,’ but I have to be in my office a lot. I don’t love that. “We’ve built such a great team, though,” she con- tinued. “I can trust them to do everything out front exactly the way it needs to be done. They know better than me in some ways at this point. I’m always ask- ing them questions and they know. It’s great. “With time, the shop will start to run itself a little bit more and I’ll have more of that time to be out front,” she said. “We’re getting there. It’s only been a year!” Philly Street Candle Bar tries to stay a part of the vi- brant Indiana community by participating in events such as Downtown Indi- ana’s It’s a Wonderful Life Festival. “One of our employees dressed up as Buddy the Elf,” Neiderhiser said. “It was a lot of fun.” This spring, the store will also be throwing its first-ever drag show called “Candles and Queens.” This was the idea of Franks, who performs as the drag queen “Desiree Storm” when he’s not busy at the store helping cus- tomers make candles. More information about this event will be an- nounced soon.
The flame at Philly Street Candle Bar is still burning bright as owner Andrea Neiderhiser and her ded- icated team of employees enter another year of busi- ness. Located at 740 Philadel- phia St., Philly Street Can- dle Bar opened its doors in the fall of 2021 as a way for Niederhieser to, in her own words, “not just sit at home passing the time.” “My girls are older now,” she said. “I worked for a while before they were born, but I really wanted to do something else now that they’re grown.” Philly Street Candle Bar is a creative retail experience in which customers choose from more than 120 scents to blend their own scented, long-burning soy-based candle. In terms of the twists and turns most small business owners face, Neiderhiser said, “There’s been a lot of learning. A huge learning curve. I’ve had a lot of help. The small businesses here in town are so supportive of one another. I’m not no- ticing much competitive- ness. Everyone wants to just support each other. “Honestly, I had no clue
KYLIE JASPER/ Gazette PHILLY STREET Candle Bar owner Andrea Neiderhiser poses with manager Derek Franks in the store.
manager, Derek Franks, a huge improvement to the business. Neiderhiser and Franks met at a wedding last May. At the time, he was work- ing as the manager of the Bath & Body Works shop in Westmoreland Mall. Franks was commuting an hour to and from every day.
“He came into the shop one day, and I let him know that I was looking for a manager that could really hit the ground running,” Neiderhiser said. “He of- fered right then to quit his job and come here. Hav- ing Derek around has been such a blessing to me. I can walk away and not worry.”
The addition of Franks has provided Neiderhis- er much reprieve, as well as the dynamic of another creative mind. “I’m constantly organiz- ing things, changing things around,” Franks said. “I love coming in early. “Every time I come back, it always looks better,” Nei- derhiser added. “He’s al- ways doing something.” At the time of this inter- view, Franks was develop- ing scents for a line of pre- filled zodiac-themed can- dles that are available for purchase now at the store. The happiness of her em- ployees is of top priority to Neiderhiser. “I tell my people all the time that I want to make sure they’re having fun and they are happy. Because people walking through those doors can see that in their faces. I don’t want grumpy people working here.” “I look forward to inter- acting with the custom- ers,” said Franks. “We al-
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See CANDLE: A-11
January 2023 - Business Indiana - Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide — 11
Local business preserves memories in digital age
By AMANDA DUNLOP adunlop@indianagazette.net
for start-up tech companies. We both already knew Erick, but didn’t really think of our- selves as a tech company. After a brief conversation, we knew the partnership with TEC would be a good fit.” TEC also provided them with office space at the Atri- um on Philadelphia Street. Now firmly established, the Flemings were able to focus on offering their digitization services. “Our most popular service is VHS to USB (thumb drive),” said Dan. “We can also trans- fer these memories to DVD or provide a digital download that you can share with any- one, anywhere in the world. We digitize all video cassette formats including Betamax, Hi8, Digital8, MiniDV and VHS-C. We also digitize 8 mm and Super 8 film, as well as 35 mm slides, album photos and photo negatives. Finally, we digitize audio cassettes.” Memory Lane Media also offers the option of custom video and photo slideshows for their customers, which in- clude families, business and nonprofit organizations.
erations of the business and meets with clients and part- ners. He also manages the media digitization and social media accounts for the busi- ness. Dr. Brittany Fleming is an associate professor of stra- tegic communication and media at Slippery Rock Uni- versity. Brittany is responsi- ble for creating custom slide- shows, web design and mar- keting materials for the busi- ness. The business got its offi- cial start on May 28, 2021, through the help of the IUP Small Business Develop- ment Center, which helped make their start-up “relatively seamless,” Dan said. “Richard Hoover and Tony Palamone, who ran the SBDC at the time, helped us get reg- istered with the proper agen- cies, put together our legal documentation and prepare for our launch,” Dan said. “We would not have been able to get off the ground without them. A year later Richard and Tony introduced us to Erick Lauber and The Technology and Entrepre- neurship Center, which offers incubator offices and support
The media landscape is constantly changing. Most, if not all of us, have memories of loved ones stored or saved on media that have long since become obsolete. Because of this, it can be difficult to watch old home movies, or view old photos or film reels. The same thing happened to Dan and Brittany Fleming, of Indiana, who, as they were preparing for their wedding in 2016, decided to have their home videos digitized to cre- ate a video montage of their loved ones who had passed on. “At that point it was VHS to DVD (conversion),” said Dan. “We couldn’t find anyone local who offered this service and were hesitant to ship our memories to a national ser- vice where it was unknown to us who would be handling and digitizing our memories. “So, we ordered a VHS-to- DVD converter and did the work ourselves. We had so much fun doing the work, and sharing these wonderful memories with our families, that we said we’d someday
Submitted photo Dan Fleming and his wife, Brittany, worked on a recent project at Memory Lane Media, located in the TEC offices at 665 Philadelphia St. in downtown Indiana.
has become much more pro- fessional, but everything is still family owned and operat- ed by the Flemings. Before starting Memory Lane Media, Dan had spent
12 years in capital equipment and commercial insurance sales. As of November 2022, he is a full-time employee of Memory Lane Media. He handles the day-to-day op-
like to start a business offer- ing this service.” Five years later, Memory Lane Media was born. Since buying their first converter, their process and equipment
See MEMORIES: A-12
Philly Street Candle Bar still burning bright CANDLE: From A-10
“The changes have not been as well received, but it is what it is,” she con- tinued. “During business hours we do not take res- ervations, but if it’s a large party, we do appreciate the heads up.” Neiderhiser has been told she should start sell- ing through the store’s website. “That’s missing the point of the business,” she said. “It’s an experience. It’s like trying to sell Disneyland online. I have no interest in selling online right now. “We just want to keep doing what we’re doing.” For more information about Philly Street Candle Bar, visit their website at phillystreetcandlebar.com or their Facebook page.
“This is a retail business,” Neiderhiser said, “but I think people are seeing it as more than that. It’s some- thing they enjoy doing. It’s an experience. They’re de- liberate. They make time to come do this.” Another cool feature of the business is that the space can be rented out for private events. Neiderhiser has recently updated some of her policies regarding this. She has set a 20-can- dle minimum for each party, as well as a down payment on the rental space. “The way we were doing it before is not as econom- ically feasible,” she said. “I was accepting any size of
Submitted photo Philly Street Candle Bar opened in the fall of 2021. Customers choose from more than 120 scents to blend their own scented, long-burning soy-based candle.
group or party, then bring- ing in my staff to work and
the group would cancel. I was losing money.”
12 — Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide - Business Indiana - January 2023
Local business preserves memories in digital age MEMORIES: From A-11
ways in which they could help us. “The entire team at Com- monplace was incredibly welcoming and gave us a professional location to meet with our clients for our first 18 months in business. We’re very thankful for Common- place’s belief in our vision from the start.” Now firmly established in the TEC offices at 665 Phila- delphia St., Suite 110A, Mem- ory Lane Media is typically open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “But, we do strongly suggest setting up an appointment before stopping in, because we have client meetings and deliveries throughout the day,” Dan said. Memory Lane Media can be reached by calling (724) 464-4703 or visiting www. memorylanemedia.online. “We’re also active on Face- book and are starting to build our Instagram presence,” Dan said. “Check out our Google re- views: We were just made aware that we’re the highest rated home video digitization service on Google in western and central Pennsylvania!”
community, who helped them get to where they are today. many “We’ve had a strong com- munity of family, friends and advisers that have support- ed us from day one; it would be impossible to thank all of them individually,” Dan said. “Word of mouth is the best form of advertising for our business and we’re so appre- ciative of all of the referrals that we’ve received.” They also had a tremendous amount of support in their early days from Common- place Coffee. “Up until last November, when we moved to our cur- rent location, we worked out of our home studio,” Dan said. “With two small dogs and an infant, we couldn’t easily hold client meetings at our home. “One day, early on in our business, we called TJ Fair- child, who owns Common- place with his wife, Julie. We presented our problem and asked if we could hold client meetings at their location in University Square, off IUP’s campus. Without hesitation TJ agreed to let us meet cli- ents at their shop and asked if there were any additional
“(We’ve) built a strong partnership with the Bows- er-Minich Funeral Home here in Indiana where they have contracted us to create Life Tribute videos for their clients,” Dan said. Lastly, the business offers options for photo-printing services and custom printed photo books. Working with such im- portant items, the Flemings want customers to know that the utmost care and respect is given to anything that is passed into their hands. “The number one thing our customers can expect is care,” Dan said. “We care about our clients and we care about their stories. We know that the items we are being trust- ed with are one-of-a-kind. Because of this, we treat our clients’ home media like they are our own from the mo- ment they first bring them into our office, through the digitization process and until we hand them back to them in the same, if not better, con- dition we received them in.” Dan also urged anyone thinking of preserving any of their media to do it as soon as possible and to share them with loved ones as often as they can. “We often hear, ‘I wish I’d have done this while my loved one was still around — they
Submitted photo DAN FLEMING worked on a recent project at Memory Lane Media, located in the TEC offices at 665 Philadelphia St. in downtown Indiana.
would have really enjoyed seeing these home movies.’ Digitize your memories now and take an evening or two to watch them with your family. Put your cellphones on silent, grab a bowl of popcorn, a few boxes of tissues and relive these wonderful moments from your family’s story. Our clients often call us after they have their family movie night
and they’ve all been so thank- ful to have taken the time to preserve their home movies.” If you’re not able to, or not ready to digitize your media, Dan also had some tips to help preserve your items in the meantime. “(If) they are stored in the garage, attic or shed, move them to your main living area immediately!” He said. “Heat and cold can wreak havoc on these irreplaceable items that you have just one copy of. We offer fairly extensive repair services and have repaired tapes and film that have sur- vived house fires, floods and decades in poor storage con- ditions — but why take the risk?” Since starting, the Flemings have come to enjoy seeing the reactions clients have to their work. “Without a doubt, our fa- vorite part of the business is watching our clients’ faces light up when we give them a preview of their complet- ed digitized memories in our office,” Dan said. “Watching them as they see their now- adult children taking their
first steps as a baby, hear- ing their departed parent or spouse’s voice again, or countless other stories, is in- describably rewarding.” When working with Mem- ory Lane Media, clients get both their digitized copies as well as the original copies of the items handed over. No originals or hard copies are kept by the business. It’s also not a one-shot sort of deal. “Dozens of home movies can fit onto one USB flash drive,” Dan said. “Our cur- rent record is 93 home videos on one flash drive. Our flash drive pricing is incredibly fair and starts at just $9.99.” These digitized files on a flash drive can be played from almost any computer or lap- top, or many models of Smart TVs, allowing you to play them directly on the television screen. In addition to flash drives, Memory Lane Media also of- fers digitizing memories to DVDs despite DVDs already being older technology. The Flemings also have a strong relationship to their
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Submitted photo
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MEMORY LANE Media provides clients with media digitization services.
January 2023 - Business Indiana - Indiana Gazette / The Blairsville Dispatch / Shopper’s Guide — 13
Indiana County farmers guard consumer prices while fending off high inflation
By CHAUNCEY ROSS chauncey@indianagazette.net
Belt, so chemical supple- ments are necessary. “For us, growing 600 acres of grain, we’re talking about 50 tons of nitrogen. The same things have happened with phosphorous and pot- ash. And you can get potash from utilization of manure, but you never have enough cow manure to cover the acres we have,” Park said. Ron Learn, president of the Indiana County Farm Bureau, connected the jump in fertilizer costs with the war in Ukraine. “The biggest hit on the farm side is a lot of fertiliz- er has been imported from Russia and Ukraine, but now because of regulations in our country … we’re pro- ducing more nitrogen and ammonia fertilizer, but still three-quarters of that is imported from other coun- tries,” Learn said. Most costs of developing the year’s product begin with the “inputs” that can’t be changed, said Learn, a Green Township dairy farm- er. Learn traces his family’s operation to the mid-1800s. “There isn’t a whole lot we can do to mitigate that, re- ally. What do you do? If you cut back on input, you cut back on production,” Learn said. “Commercial trucks deliver supplies and take raw milk. Now every truck visit has a fuel surcharge. Gasoline and diesel dou- bled in last couple of years.” Also unavoidable: high- er interest rates on money that farmers borrow each year. The loans pay for start- up materials each spring; they’re repaid as products go to market and return revenue later in the year. Park said he didn’t even begin to calculate ways to reduce what he pays for diesel to run his farm ma- chinery. “It doesn’t pay for me to even look at the fuel slip.
I just pay the bill. We can’t operate without it,” he said. “When your crop is stand- ing out in the field, you have to take it off to make your money off it. So you’re going to have to sacrifice, and burn that high-dollar fuel to get to it.” Taking a gamble, Learn said, was a decision to delay major equipment purchas- es that ordinarily would have been due this past year. While some of the costs of doing business have in- creased 200 percent to 300 percent for Indiana County farmers, what has kept gro- cery store prices from ris- ing 50 percent or more has been farmers’ finding ways to buy less, buy smarter or not buy at all. Taking on the roles of sci- entist and economist, Park has found ways to reduce the hit of fertilizer prices. “I go around and soil sample all our farms. Every farm gets a dozen soil samples pulled and I send them away to get tested,” Park said. “Five years ago I could just go spread fertil- izer. It didn’t matter wheth- er I spread it on soy beans or corn or small grain. I just knew I had a set rate. “But when fertilizer dou- bled in price, I had to look at how much extra it was going to cost me. So on some farms that have rich- er soils that don’t require it, I can use a little less. On the farms that need a little more, I used what I saved on others.” Park said he had done spot analyses in the past but never on a massive scale that he did in fall 2021. He spent two full days with his father collecting the soil samples, then put in a half a day with his mother completing required paper- work. “It’s all time and you can’t
put a price on that, but I was looking at how I was going to save on my fertiliz- er bill. If it took me two days or three days to do it, it was going to be worth it.” That investment of time paid off. “I was a little nervous going in, where I skimped on fertilizer, would my yields suffer big time? But they stayed where they were, my soil tests were ac- curate,” Park said. “It saved us 20 tons of fertilizer. At $800 to $900 a ton, that adds up in a hurry. That was one thing we adjusted to compensate for the in- crease.” Park said he applied more science to reducing the costs of drying crops after harvesting. He uses natural gas to run driers, which re- quire one-third the amount of time as leaving crops out in the field to dry naturally. “We don’t try to dry grain when it’s really cold, be- cause that sucks up a lot of gas. So I try to time it better and get the crops off when it’s warmer and not have a big gas bill to pay at the end of the season,” Park said. Learn and Park said they hadn’t marked up their own prices to make up for the higher costs they had to bear in 2022. Milk prices are set by the Pennsylvania Milk Market- ing Board, which abides by federal regulations and considers “a big spider web” of up to a dozen other fac- tors to determine prices of whole milk, cheese, whey and all other dairy prod- ucts, Learn said. The board’s rates in 2022 uncharacteristically fa- vored the farmers. “Up until several years ago, we went through five years of the lowest margins in a long time,” Learn said. “This past year … has been an all-time gross price we’re
Souderton, Montgomery County, and the remainder, about 50 to 60 head a year, are sold locally for freezer beef. “People buy quarters or halves or wholes. Now I did increase our price a lit- tle bit on that to compen- sate,” Park said. “We were charging the same for years, $2.25 a pound across the board — that was for steaks, the whole nine yards. But I had to jack that up to $2.50” to make up for the price paid for calves at the start of the year. “But when I went to the store and saw at the meat counter what they are charging versus what we’re getting paid — I thought we could probably bump it a little bit and I didn’t think people would” have a prob- lem. The national consumer price index for December decreased by 0.1 percent, led by declines in prices for gasoline and other fuels that countered continuing, but moderating, increases in food and most other cate- gories of spending. Because gasoline prices depend on
being paid, so that is what’s keeping us going, these high prices — at least on our operation.” High demand for ethanol has meant high prices paid for corn this past year. “We do sell some to feed mills but we are very, very fortunate to have the eth- anol plant in Clearfield,” Park said. “They pay very good for corn and have been very good to deal with for us. I watch the grain and cattle markets and it’s a broad spectrum. They have the Chicago Board of Trade prices on what they would be getting out west, but you’d be amazed at how much more we’re getting paid for corn here because of the ethanol plant. “Do I think we get paid enough for our corn? No, because I know what it takes to grow it. But it’s like the stock market. You take a chance. You may sell it today and it may gain an extra 30 cents by lunchtime or you could lose a dollar on it. You just have to swallow what comes to you.” Park said 75 percent of market steers he produces go to the JBS Beef Plant in
The nation’s two-year increase in the consum- er price index, 7 percent in 2021 and 6.5 percent in 2022, dealt Americans the greatest spike in prices for food, utilities, transporta- tion — basically, all of life’s necessities — since a nine- year stretch of annual infla- tion rates ranging from 6.5 percent to 13.3 percent be- tween 1973 and 1981. This bout of inflation, highlighted by a 9.1 percent increase in consumer pric- es from July 2021 through June, forced Indiana Coun- ty residents to re-priori- tize spending because the sectors hit hardest, ener- gy (17.9 percent) and food (10.9 percent), outpaced every other category of spending but transporta- tion (15.2 percent). Indiana County’s agri- culture community battled through material, equip- ment and supply price in- creases that forced farmers into hours upon hours of economic study and agri- culture production research unparalleled in their ca- reers. Across the board in Indi- ana County and in much of the nation, spiraling costs of fertilizer and fuel led the way. Nitrogen fertilizer costs, just $400 a ton a year ago, rose to nearly $900 a ton in mid-2022, said Kyle Park, a fourth-generation cattle and grain farmer in north- west Indiana County. His family now plants about 750 acres of corn and hay on farms in Washington, South Mahoning and Cow- anshannock townships. “We cannot grow on our farms without fertilizing,” Park said. Indiana County doesn’t enjoy the deep, nu- trient-rich soil of the Corn
See FARMERS: A-14
G A
raham
ccounting AND CONSULTING SERVICES
◆
Donna Graham, Accountant 120 Pine St., Homer City, PA 15748 724.479.0851 GrahamAccounting.com
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