November 2007 - poconobusinessjournal.com
Transcription
November 2007 - poconobusinessjournal.com
www.pbjonline.com POCONO Regional Business News & Resources Pocono Business Journal Seven Bridge Road, RR# 5 Box 5198 East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 CELEBRATING TWO YEARS www.pbjonline.com POCONO Regional Business News & Resources November 2007, Vol. 3, Issue 11 Human Resources THIS MONTH Retention Intervention: • Retention Intervention . .............................p. 1 • Letters to the Editor ..................................p. 3 • The Interview: What to Ask, What Not To Ask .......................................... p. 8 • Bizzy Awards Recap............................... p.10 • Inclusion and Respect Key for Holiday Celebrating . ............................p. 11 • Exploring the Myth of the Entrepreneur...p. 11 • Professional Profile: Tobyhanna Army Depot ..........................................p. 12 • The True Cost of Turnover........................p. 14 • Compliance Basics for HR Professionals...p. 15 • Juicier Paycheck Not The Only Road To Happy Workforce............................. p.16 • Violence Can Migrate from Home to Workplace........................................ p.17 • Business Tax Credits for Early Childhood Subsidies............................. p.20 • Op-Ed: PA Chamber: Improvements on Unemployment Compensation System....p. 4 • PBJ Columnists: Business Lawyer......................................p. 7 HR Toolbox...............................................p. 4 Leadership Pocono................................p. 16 Marketing Momentum.............................p. 9 Regional Healthcare Report..................p. 10 Residential Real Estate Quarterly............p. 5 Sustainable is Attainable.........................p. 5 United Way............................................p. 14 Getting and Holding Onto Talent “We try to make this a happy environment. We pay according to merit. If they perform, they get a raise; if they don’t, then we sit down and talk.” - Louis Schrenko, co-owner, Country Kettle, East Stroudsburg – Full story on Page 16 OBSERVE 6 Election Day 11 15 17 17 22 23 Veteran’s Day America Recycles Day Take a Hike Day National Adoption Day Thanksgiving Black Friday QUESTION What is the total number of business establishments in Monroe County? See PMCC Business Magazine ad for the answer on page 10. www.pbjonline.com Photo Credit: Perry Hebard QUOTE Ric Reaman, CFO at Nesquehoning fire truck manufacturer Kovatch Enterprises, believes internal job postings is one way to help retain good employees with the right skill sets. By Ken Clark At a four-county average of 4.6 %, unemployment in the Poconos hit a 30-year low this summer. That constitutes good news for workers, but bad news for some of the companies that hire them. Employers, who once filled their ranks with little more than a classified ad, now must struggle not only to recruit a workforce, but to retain one once they have it in place. Kovatch Enterprises, which builds fire trucks and other specialty vehicles in Nesquehoning, has launched an ambitious benefits and training program in a bid to stem a growing turnover rate among the 800-plus workers on its factory floor. Retail Goliath Wal-Mart, plagued by widely publicized worker dissatisfaction in the past, has announced a generous new benefits package for its 1.3 million full and part-time workers, including expanded health care and an increase in last year’s list of 20 generic prescription drugs to 2,400 which employees can buy with a co-pay of $4 each. At Monadnock Non-Wovens in Hawley, Keith Hayward offers health and dental care, paid vacations, training, flexible working hours and a pay scale above basic minimum wage. Still, a shortage of workers often forces him to delay delivery of the polypropylene foam his plant makes for use in face masks, cleaning supplies and flotation gear to customers who are clamoring for it. “The biggest problem is if we can’t get sufficient people to run our machinery and we can’t manufacture enough product to meet the demand,” he said. “So, we’ve basically got material and capital sitting idle, waiting for people run it. We have plenty of demand for our product and we have to delay or tell them (the customers) in many cases that we can’t manufacture products for them.” Monadnock has a staff of 30 full-time and a dozen part-time see RETENTION page 6 Professional Profile - Tobyhanna Army Depot: Managing Human Capital on a Grand Scale page 12 2 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS www.pbjonline.com POCONO ARTICLES Regional Business News & Resources Twin Willow Publishing Company Pocono Business Journal Seven Bridge Road RR#5 Box 5198 East Stroudsburg, PA 18301-9209 570.421.0100 | fax 570.421.0404 www.pbjonline.com PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marynell Strunk EDITOR Debbie Burke REPORTERS Ken Clark Kathy Ruff Judy Mehl CONTRIBUTORS Steve Cunningham Tom Ford Susan Gallagher Chris Grape-Garvey Richard J. Henley Heidi Hewlett Victoria Mavis Dominick Sacci Lesley Smith EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Danielle Eberhardt COPY EDITOR Joan Groff PHOTOGRAPHER Perry Hebard SALES DEPARTMENTS • Business Briefs – Who’s Who/What’s What. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 18-19 • Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 21 • Columnists Business Lawyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 7 HR Toolbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4 Leadership Pocono. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 16 Marketing Momentum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 9 Regional Healthcare Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 10 Residential Real Estate Quarterly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5 Sustainable is Attainable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5 United Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 14 • Editorial – PA Chamber: Improvements on Unemployment Compensation System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4 • Focus List – Payroll Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 20 • Register – Deeds, Mortgage Transactions and New Corporations/Fictitious Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 22 Advertisers Index Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. . . . . . 6 East Stroudsburg University of PA. . . . . . . . . . . 9 Hemlock Point Lodge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 HR For Hire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Michael Baxter & Associates Commercial Real Estate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 PRODUCTION/DESIGN Jason Trump Pocono Commuter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Monthly Missive Human resources, by far, are the most valuable commodity in business. Recruiting the right people to begin with, training them, and properly compensating the workforce all factor equally into a company’s bottom line. This issue of Pocono Business Journal explores the many issues encompassed within the human resource industry. Insight into the topic of workforce retention provides evidence that compensation doesn’t always require pay- If you would like to guarantee receiving the Pocono Business Journal monthly, please mail subscription form along with check made payable to: Pocono Business Journal Seven Bridge Road RR#5 Box 5198 East Stroudsburg, PA 18301-9209 Geisinger Health System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Pocono B2B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 COPYRIGHT: PBJ is protected under the federal Copyright Act. Reproductions of any part by any means or facsimiles without the express written permission of the publisher are not permitted. Reprints of PBJ articles are available. For rates and information visit http://www.pbjonline. com/reprints.html. PBJ cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited material, manuscripts and photographs without the inclusion of a self-addressed stamped envelope. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. Submission of information does not guarantee inclusion. PBJ is published monthly from offices located at Seven Bridge Road, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301. PBJ serves business owners, managers and professionals in the four county Pocono region: Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne. Subscriptions are available for $30 per year or $60 for two years. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Pocono Business Journal, RR#5 Box 5198, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 SUBSCRIPTION FORM First Impression Career Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 [email protected] CIRCULATION [email protected] Retention Intervention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3 The Interview: What to Ask, What Not To Ask. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8 Bizzy Awards Recap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 10 Inclusion and Respect Key for Holiday Celebrating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 11 Exploring the Myth of the Entrepreneur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 11 Professional Profile: Tobyhanna Army Depot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 12 The True Cost of Turnover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 14 Compliance Basics for HR Professionals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 15 Juicier Paycheck Not The Only Road To Happy Workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 16 Violence Can Migrate from Home to Workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 17 Business Tax Credits for Early Childhood Subsidies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 20 Pocono Medical Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Pocono Mountains Business Magazine . . . . . . 10 Pocono Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Name:_______________________________ Title:_ _______________________________ Company:____________________________ Address:_ ____________________________ Phone:_______________________________ City:________________________________ State:________________________________ Zip:_________________________________ ____ 1 year (12 issues): $30.00 ____ 2 years (24 issues): $60.00 RGB Custom Homes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Sherman Theater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 TN Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Viamedia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 ing more money to employees; alternative options abound. Another ill that plagues the local employer is all-time low unemployment. Businesses, therefore, are finding it increasingly difficult to hold onto qualified employees, so it’s important to be receptive to hearing and heeding their needs and concerns to keep spirit and productivity high. Even though expenses are always a stressor for the business owner, he or she should never underestimate the hidden costs associated with an unhappy, mismanaged workforce. If there ever was a recipe for a maintaining a healthy employee mentality, I think it would be to start with an up-to-date personnel policy handbook, mix in qualified and trainable employees with competitive compensation, and add fairness, flexibility and humor. Then serve with open communication. Thank you for choosing Pocono Business Journal BAM!! You’ll have a fantastic workforce and a profitable bottom line. Bon Appétit. Marynell K. Strunk Publisher/Editor Contact me at [email protected] please recycle this paper 3 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS Letters to the Editor To the Editor: I was just reading your October issue of the Business Journal and enjoying the articles regarding customer service. I especially identified with your experience at the check-out counter. That is one of my pet peeves and something that business owners really need to audit. Regarding the customer service topics, our own company takes this very seriously. Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries (our parent company) rolled out a new leadership education series this year called “Service from the Heart.” The focus is on gracious hospitality towards enhancing customer service and how it relates to our day-to-day interactions with our fellow employees. The premise being that a team that treats one another with kindness and respect, would carry over those characteristics in customer service. It’s one of the things about Diakon and Pocono Lutheran that I so respect and which makes this company and community a great place to work and live. The program will eventually be rolled out to all staff as a required in-service education and it will be incorporated into our job evaluations as well. Something all companies should consider! Betsi Olmstead Pocono Lutheran Village, East Stroudsburg Editor’s Note: Pocono Lutheran Village was mistakenly omitted from October’s Focus List of assisted living facilities. The addition has been made for next year’s list. -----------------------------------------------------------To the Editor: Brava! I’ll bet the cashier didn’t say “thank you” either! Another of my pet peeves is giving change: put the bills in the hand, drop the change on top and then ice it all with the receipt. There really is a correct way to give change: change in the palm, bills between the thumb and forefinger, receipt in the bag! Voila! No more juggling act! It all boils down to people not caring and management being out to lunch. Marlena Sensale Union Dale -----------------------------------------------------------To The Editor: I’m a business owner, and want to tell you what a great resource the Pocono Business Journal is... I’ve found some great information in the journal as well as on your Web site-- thanks! Erin Baehr, CFP, EA Baehr Financial Shawnee-on-Delaware To The Editor: I just finished reading the October issue of PBJ and wanted to let you know that I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of the importance of good customer service. It’s unfortunate that it is so often neglected or completely lacking in an operation that otherwise may have a solid product or quality service. As a brand new entrepreneur, I am very sensitive to the fact that all of my actions and decisions impact the success of my business. Knowing that my business plan and daily operation would maintain a strong commitment to personalized and courteous customer service was a no-brainer. Although I’ve only been open (several) weeks, it is already paying off. I’m enjoying the positive response of repeat customers and word of mouth referrals. Customers are valuable to any business and should be helped to feel that way. I invite you to stop by my store anytime. You’ll be greeted with a smile, a warm welcome, and purchase or no purchase, I’ll let you know I appreciate your stopping by. Best regards, Susan Parker Owner, Montana Mercantile, LLC, Tannersville PBJ BLOG “Blogging for Business” Exceeding National Heart Care Standards When a heart attack strikes, every second is critical for survival. Studies show that opening a heart attack patient’s blocked artery within 90 minutes of hospital arrival can reduce fatalities by nearly 40%. If you or a loved one experiences a heart attack, you can depend on Pocono Medical Center to provide expedient heart care without sacrificing quality. Within less than a year of operation, the ESSA Heart & Vascular Institute at Pocono Medical Center is already exceeding national standards. On average, our heart attack patients are treated in the catheterization lab within less than 60 minutes of hospital arrival—an average that is well below the national benchmark of 90 minutes door-to-wire time. For world-class cardiac care close to home, only PMC has the advanced resources and highly trained cardiovascular team prepared to deliver the exceptional cardiac care you need, whenever you need it. Talk about business online with PBJ columnists. ESSA HEART AND VASCULAR INSTITUTE www.pmchealthsystem.org ----------------------------------------------------------- David Doron, MD and Vidya Ponnathpur, MD in the Cardiac Cath Lab; (lower right) Paul Perchansky, RT, (R), (CI), (VI) pbjonline.com/blog 4 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 EDITORIAL Improvements Sought for State’s Unemployment Compensation System PA Chamber of Commerce Lesley Smith a case of necessitous and compelling nature by adding a provision that it also be a cause attributable to employment (H.B. 1473); • clarify that a claimant is ineligible for benefits if his unemployment is due to “willful misconduct” (H.B. 1472); • require UC claimants to participate in job search programs (H.B. 1542); The Pennsylvania Chamber and pro-business lawmakers are working together to advance a package of bills designed to make the state’s unemployment compensation system fairer and more competitive with other states. While Pennsylvania has seen a decline in its unemployment compensation rate, the number of individuals who are unemployed and receiving benefits on a long-term basis is not decreasing. As a result, on a calendar basis, both employers and claimants continue to realize increased taxes in order to fund the UC system. Leveling the playing field requires that both tax and benefit eligibility issues are addressed. At a Capitol news conference on Oct. 16, the two groups unveiled a reform package that addresses the many problems still facing the Commonwealth’s UC system. The legislation would: • permit a referee to dismiss the case without receiving testimony or evidence on the merits of the case if the appellant fails to appear for the hearing (H.B. 787); • further refine the law’s current ineligibility for benefits for voluntarily leaving work without • add a requirement that the last employer and the separating employer be furnished a copy of any written statement provided by the claimant relating to his/her separation from employment, if the employer makes such a request in writing. The claimant would have the same right to any written statement provided by an employer (H.B. 1831); and • provide for definitions of “average working wage” and “suitable work,” clarify how the contribution rate and experience rating is determined, and establish the qualifications required to secure compensation, as well as the rate and amount of that compensation (H.B. 1375). All employees need and deserve a UC system that compensates them adequately when they are out of work and their unemployment is not primarily due to their own choices or preferences. Employers want consistency and predictability. All Pennsylvanians want the unemployment compensation system to be fair and honest. These reforms will be a step in the right direction for employees and employers, while not affecting the rights of current recipients. PBJ READER’S RESOURCE | http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com HR Daily Advisor HR Daily Advisor is Business and Legal Reports’ Web site on all things HR. From special reports on legal issues such as harassment and hiring, to tips on team building and leave policy. Specialized resources are available for compensation, safety and environmental professionals. Includes RSS feeds, audio conferences and opportunities to participate in industry surveys and to contribute a guest column; also offers HR software and publications for sale. Debbie Burke Lesley Smith is the director of communications for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the state’s largest broad-based business association, with a membership representing more than 50 percent of the private workforce. More information is available on the Chamber’s Web site at www.pachamber.org. Even Small Shops Need Smart HR HR Toolbox Victoria Mavis www.pbjonline.com/blog For growing small and startup businesses, making a decision to hire your first employees can seem almost as daunting as starting the business. People in such situations tend to think they don’t need to establish a human resource program since they will only have one or two employees, and that their time may be better spent generating sales or catering to customers. That naïve outlook lays the foundation for creating unnecessary problems that could complicate your operations. Every employer must garner specific employee information including immigration status and pay withholding status to comply with government mandates. But employees also need general guidelines from their employers such as appropriate attire, work hours, time-off policies and other general expectations. Though many small employers allow great flexibility in these areas, depending on the type of business, a lack of employee understanding about those expectations and nuances could unwittingly create additional burdens on your business – even if you only have one employee. Despite popular belief, small businesses face the same HR problems as their larger counterparts; it’s simply seen on a smaller scale. So how are the one-person or mom-and-pop businesses with limited resources solving their human resources dilemmas? In today’s technological world, many small employers may resort to the Internet for those answers. Just Google “human resources” and you’ll find 512 million possibilities. Your choices for “hiring an employee” are much more limited with only 6.5 million hits. While the Internet may have the information you need, finding expert sources with up-to-date, reliable data becomes another time-consuming challenge. Over the past decade, the marketplace has expanded its expert human resource offerings to make it affordable and accessible to every employer. Those offerings range from labor attorneys, HR and business consultants to accountants and payroll or insurance companies. Today many chambers of commerce and other trade organizations also offer useful HR programs at meetings, workshops or online seminars (webinars). The key to finding the accurate HR information you need when you need it requires the employer to know the triggers that warrant seeking the advice of a professional as well as which professional to contact. For example, if you want to outline guidelines on employee use of computers or train your employees in customer service techniques, an HR consultant should be contacted. Whenever you encounter a hiring decision or a firing decision when you have a problem employee, that’s when you want to get the help of a seasoned professional. If you see a liability that looks as if it could lead to legal activity or an employee threatens to sue you, it may be wise to contact an employment attorney. You don’t need to know everything there is to know about human resources, but you do need to know when to wave the red flag and the correct person to call for the assistance needed. Do your homework by finding the attorney, consultant or other seasoned HR professional to use as an as-needed member of your business team. Victoria Mavis is the President/CEO of Core People Resources, LLC, a Web-based human resources expert system designed to help small employers reduce the risk of financial exposure associated with employment issues. The company is located in Wind Gap. Vickie has over 17 years of experience and her expertise is in providing businesses with practical and affordable approaches to their ‘people’ problems through the use of Internet technology. You can reach her at [email protected] or visit www.corepeopleresources.com Have something to say ??? Send Letters to the Editor at [email protected]. Remember to include your contact information. Corrections/Additions In the October issue, the Commonwealth Workforce Development System (CWDS) should have been noted as the name of the new Web site for those in the PA Career Link system. It is not the new name for PA CareerLink. 5 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 EDITORIAL Fall Trees Add Color and Vitality to Business Districts Sustainable is Attainable Susan Gallagher www.pbjonline.com/blog How lucky we are to live and work in an area exciting enough to attract visitors from far and wide. Pocono tourists can enjoy outdoor activities, fine dining or cultural events, or shopping excursions to quaint downtown districts. The scenic beauty of our area only enhances these experiences. This is especially true amid an autumn explosion of fall color, as we come to appreciate the connection between maples and oaks and birches, and the quality of a life surrounded by trees. We tend to think of trees in terms of what they do for us - maybe because they do so much. They give us oxygen, provide habitat for native wildlife, filter our air and water, and prevent soil erosion. The net cooling effect of a healthy shade tree rivals that of any air conditioner, helping reduce both energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, apartment buildings fill with tenants more quickly, and those tenants stay longer, in neighborhoods with tree-lined streets. It may sound like something out of an elementary school science text, but we can marvel at the beauty of fall foliage without fully understanding how it occurs. No doubt our visitors rarely stop to ponder why the mountains are awash in color - they simply enjoy it. This colorful display need not be restricted to a mountain vista. Many communities and downtown business districts have taken advantage of everything street trees have to offer. Several studies have shown that while business owners and visitors alike are put off by the unkempt and overgrown look of more natural vegetation, all respond positively to properly sited trees and other greenery. Throughout Pennsylvania, shade tree commissions have sprung up like hopeful seedlings, taking on the task of bringing urban forestry into surrounding landscapes. Spring blossoms, summer shade, and fall foliage make tree panting a smart move for year-round benefits. Even naked winter limbs can be adorned with festive lights for the holiday season. The benefits of tree-lined city streets are numerous, but so are the challenges. Luckily, these can be met head-on in the planning process. A carefully chosen and sited collection of street trees is almost guaranteed to be trouble-free, or at least nearly so. Trees might be selected for mature height, ease of maintenance, fall color, or any other number of factors. The right tree in the right place can bring years of positive results. And resources to assist anyone interested in street tree planting abound! The comprehensive Web site, www.treelink.org, is a great place to start. As trees throughout the Poconos prepare for a well-deserved winter’s rest, community-minded business owners and residents can work to bridge the gap between concrete sidewalks and the natural world through tree planting. In the end, we’ll all benefit from everything street trees have to offer. Susan Gallagher is Chief Naturalist of the Carbon County Environmental Education Center. She can be reached at (570) 645-8597 or by emailing [email protected] Contact PBJ for Ad Rates. www.pbjonline.com e-mail: [email protected] POCONO www.pbjonline.com Regional Business News & Resources Third Quarter of 2007: Not What We Hoped For Residential Real Estate Quarterly Dominick J. Sacci www.pbjonline.com/blog Historically, Realtors® in our area would bank on July through September being the busy season. This was the time when the activity of buyers would increase tremendously and homes placed on the market for sale over the previous four to six months would sell. For the first time in six years, we had stocked shelves and good sale prices, but no line of buyers beating down our doors. It just didn’t happen this year. When we search for reasons why, the real estate industry turns to the financing crunch and the coverage of it. This isn’t so much a direct real estate issue as it is a financing issue. Realtors® have the product and interested buyers; we just cannot statistically get the deal financed. I say “statistically” because there is a part of our market that isn’t affected by the financing crunch: buyers with good credit who have money to put down. No matter what happens to the economy - no matter if gas prices shoot up or interest rates fluctuate - the purchasing activity of this demographic stays consistent. It is the buyers who require “creative” financing that are typically the cause of real estate booms and declines. Our challenge is the media’s coverage of what is happening nationwide and viewers thinking it directly negative coverage of real estate overall in our country applies to us locally. You would think that property doesn’t change, it won’t be long before the news apvalues have plummeted, foreclosures are at a record plies directly to our area. high, and nothing is selling in our area. However, this So, where do we go from here? Closed sales are is not the case; not yet, anyway. off 33% YTD, while the pending sales are off 40%. Local viewers hear of the declining markets in This suggests that the real estate slowdown in the Miami, Las Vegas, Sacramento, and Phoenix and Poconos will first get worse before it gets better. become scared into waiting for prices to go down. But prices aren’t going to immediately adjust as much as Dominick J. Sacci is vice president and general manone might think. Owners who bought at the high with ager for Wilkins & Associates Real Estate, Inc. Mr. 106% financing simply do not have any equity, and Sacci has been tracking market statistics for the last cannot sell their home to cover their initial investment. five years. Market data was compiled from the Pocono These individuals are now forced to hold on or are Mountain Association of Realtors’® MLS system. threatened with foreclosure. Some are turning to rentReaders can discuss the residential real estate market ing the home. with Mr. Sacci at www.pbjonline.com/blog. We are also faced with the market’s domino effect. Aside from the buyers who couldn’t purchase a home because the type of loan that they qualified for doesn’t exist anymore, the bigger problem is that homeowners in New York and New Jersey who љňЙ̜Ɏʜз˙ cannot sell their homes there ǪѠљŐʜǪзίΒǪȸͩʜ ͩͩљňЙίɎʜззљ@ίͩίЙ љǪΒɳљ҇ cannot therefore buy here. ̚ѯљŝϱίѠљ@ίͩίЙз Βљ9ίѠ̉љňЙʜззʜз ҃̚ Ϝ With the adjustable rate ڙǪ̜ͩǪȸͩʜљί mortgages just recently adjustUÊ," 1,-ÊUÊ9,-ÊUÊ/ /ing, and assuming that it takes UÊÊ-/1,-ÊUÊ//,an average of a year for a bank UÊ 7-**,-ÊUÊ*,",-ÊUÊ 1to take a home back to forecloЙίљǪљȸ҇з̜ΒʜззљɎǪЙɳљѠίљǪљ sure, the negative adjustment ɎίϱͩʜѠʜљΒʜڠзϱǪϱʜЙљʹљڠʜљɎǪΒ of our property values is still ɳίљѠ̉ʜљ͕ίȸљ˜ίЙљ˜ǪЙљͩʜззљίΒʜڮϼ a good six to twelve months away. Still, our property values are up 3% overall compared to this time last year. While our local market is not as bad as other markets, if the iLÊ*ÀiÃà Ê7 ` Ê> ` i ÌÊ - ii *, / >Ê/ÊÀii £nää{{ÎäÎÇÇ 6 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS RETENTION... cont. from page 1 employees to run its production line, but Hayward said they keep leaving. “We’ve added six people so far this year and we’re looking for another six,” he said. “The problem is, if they leave after 12 months or two years, they take away their experience that they’ve gained over that time and we have to start all over again.” Cheryl Ranaudo, proprietor of Ranaudo Personnel Agency in Milford, said courting and keeping employees now takes a lot of hearts and flowers, along with promises made and kept, to cement a corporate-workforce marriage these days. “For companies to retain good employees, it’s obviously competitive wages,” she said. “But the company needs to provide the employee with a friendly work environment and you have to have good communications throughout the organization with clear objectives and goals. Everybody needs to be on the same page. Companies need to make their employees think they’re part of the team, that they’re valued and respected and that their work matters.” Ranaudo, who sends employee candidates to client companies to temp for three months to see if they fit the company for permanent jobs, added several more perks she said are essential to finding and binding good people to a job site. They are flexible working hours so that “if something arises, they can handle whatever the crisis might be without being penalized”; generous health care benefits; room for advancement – both in salary and job title; a 401(K) with a company match; and college reimbursement. She also said it is a good idea to seek out older workers, increasing numbers of those who are retired but who want or need to return to the workforce. “Anybody who has work experience is a prize to any company because they’re going to give it their all,” she said. “They’re very reliable. It’s usually the younger ones who don’t know what they want to do with their lives, who are not so reliable.” Kovatch Enterprises’ Ric Reaman, the company’s Chief Financial Officer, is pursuing one of Ranaudo’s recommendations -- that of communication. “One of the commentaries we got back in doing some exit interviews was that some employees chose to leave because they weren’t really sure what opportunities there were,” he said. “Not that there weren’t opportunities for advancement, but they wondered if their skill sets would allow them to pursue some advancement within the organization. One of the things we’ve implemented is an internal job posting, so that there’s an opportunity for somebody who might not be immediately identified by a supervisor, but could be a great fit for the position that needs to be filled. This makes them feel as though they really have some control over their own destiny.” Reaman said that, in addition to a benefits package including a 401(K) plan, short and long-term disability insurance, health coverage and an intern program with the Carbon County Technical Institute, the company also has added a periodic newsletter and an enhanced orientation program “so that employees really understand the story of the organization and where we feel, as a company, our sense of pride comes from in the products that we build and the services we provide.” Wal-Mart, nationwide, employs 1.3 million full-and part-time workers (or “as- sociates” as they are known), including more than 3,000 people at two Supercenters and a distribution center in Monroe County, and at one store each in Carbon, Pike and Wayne counties. Steve Restivo, director of Corporate Affairs for the chain’s Northeast Region, said WalMart’s existing package of benefits has just been sharply upgraded. In addition to rock bottom prescription drug prices, which the company estimates will save associates about $25 million in 2008, the health care plan now allows more than 50 ways in which the workforce can customize individual coverage on a sliding scale of employee contributions. “We feel we offer a competitive wage and good benefits that include not only health care for full and part-time associates, but 401(K) programs, bonuses and store discounts,” Restivo said. “That’s why you see, on a regular basis, we literally get thousands of applications for just a few hundred jobs when we open a new store.” As to the pay scale, Restivo said, “There are no Pennsylvania associates who make minimum wage. Our average wage in Pennsylvania is $10.23 an hour.” 5 i h W [ o & ( d _ i Z_WX[j[ Or helping to prevent it, now. What if you could help your employees better predict future health problems today…so they can take control of their health and lower health care costs tomorrow? You can, with Blue Health SolutionsSM. Our unique combination of personalized services, programs, and support identifies and helps at-risk employees in advance. So, your employees get and stay healthier—as does your company’s bottom line. Best of all, Blue Health Solutions is available as an added value to members* of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Visit www.bcnepa.com or call 888-768-2020. Because it’s time for a revolution in health care. 223_FLOWERS_7.4063x10.536.indd 1 *BlueCare® Security and BlueCare® Senior plan members are not eligible to participate in Blue Health Solutions. 9/20/07 10:09:48 AM 7 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS Criminal Records in Hiring Decisions – Use With Care The Business Lawyer Tom Ford www.pbjonline.com/blog Concerned about workplace violence, theft, and security, employers are increasingly turning to criminal background checks to screen job applicants. Employers could be setting themselves up for a surprising, and expensive, education if they are not familiar with Pennsylvania law on how criminal records may be used by a potential employer. Pennsylvania employers are permitted to make hiring decisions based on only felony or misdemeanor convictions - arrests or charges cannot be considered by the employer. More important: felony and misdemeanor convictions can be considered “only to the extent to which they relate to the applicant’s suitability for employment in the position.” Unfortunately, the law doesn’t say what “relat(ing) to the applicant’s suitability” means. There is also scant case law to guide us. As a result, making hiring decisions based on criminal records must be done with caution. While a conviction for burglary can probably be a proper basis to deny an applicant a position as a residential cable installer, depending on the circumstances, an embezzlement conviction might not be a lawful basis to deny an applicant a bookkeeper position. There are also significant undecided questions which arise under the Pennsylvania statute. For example, it is unclear when assault convictions can safely be used to deny someone a position. From the employer’s point of view, for example, an applicant for a position that requires interaction with the public, vendors, or other employees probably shouldn’t have a history of assault. Also left unclear is whether an existing employee, looking for a promotion or transfer to a different position, is considered an “applicant” under the act. Nevertheless, there are some guidelines that the prudent employer should follow. • First, employment application materials should always ask the applicant to list his/her felony and misdemeanor convictions. This will give the employer an opportunity to ask the applicant about the conviction. There is no prohibi- tion on denying employment because someone lied on the application. • Second, try to consider a conviction in the context of the overall merits of the applicant. Inflexible rules not only may result in potential claims under the criminal records law, but might also result in the loss of a potentially good employee. • Third, make sure that the people charged with reviewing the criminal record are thoroughly familiar with the requirements of the position. The employer needs to cautiously evaluate if the conviction directly relates to the applicant’s qualifications for the position. Unless the issue is crystal clear, it is generally worthwhile to consult your business lawyer to discuss the question. useful to the employer. But the Pennsylvania law on their use is vague and imprecise. As a result, an employer can run a serious risk if a mistake is made. Employers need to proceed deliberately, with caution, and, in many cases, only after consulting with a business lawyer, to minimize the chances of unintentionally running afoul of the act. Tom Ford is a principal at Smithford Business Lawyers, LLC, with offices in Stroudsburg and Wilkes-Barre. You can reach him at (800) 728-1406, by email at [email protected], and read his blog at www.pbjonline.com/blog. • Fourth, document it. If you decide to deny employment because of the criminal record – even if only partially – prepare a file memo (preferably with your lawyer’s input) outlining the correlation between the conviction and the applicant’s suitability. If you’ve entertained an applicant with a criminal record and decide not to make the hire on a basis other than the conviction, it is equally (perhaps even more) important to memorialize that decision as well. That memo should detail all of the noncriminal background reasons for rejecting the applicant. Train your HR department not to suggest to applicants that they are being favorably considered. If that applicant is later turned down after the criminal records check, even if the conviction had nothing to do with the decision not to hire the applicant, the applicant will claim that it did. Finally, the law also requires written notice to an applicant if the hiring decision was based to any degree on the convictions. Even if it was proper to reject the applicant, the failure to give the written notice is, itself, a separate violation. A violation of the act can be an expensive lesson for the employer. The law mandates a minimum actual damages award of $1,000, plus a minimum civil penalty of $1,000, which can be increased to up to $10,000. Actual damages can be thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in lost wages for the rejected applicant. Also, the wrongfully rejected applicant would be entitled to court costs and attorney fees. Criminal background checks can be PBJ BLOG “Blogging for Business” Talk about business online with PBJ columnists. www.pbjonline.com/blog HR FOR HIRE, INC. “Serving You and the Needs of Your Employees” Time spent dealing with employee issues, is the biggest part of any Manager’s day. HR FOR HIRE, Inc. can provide experienced and knowledgeable HR Professionals, who can handle your people issues, and develop systems, so you can concentrate on growing your business, and we can do it in a cost effective manner. Some of the services HR FOR HIRE, Inc. can provide: • Management Consultation • HR Compliance Audits • Employee Issue Resolution • Supervisory Training • Recruitment and Staffing • Compensation Programs • Substance Abuse Programs • Unemployment Compensation • Workers Compensation Issues • Candidate Assessment Tools • Outplacement Services • Coaching and Counseling www.hrforhire.com | Phone: 484-281-3216 | Cell: 610-597-7426 | Fax: 484-281-3227 8 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS The Interview: What To Ask, What Not To Ask By Debbie Burke job-related information, and to always treat male and female applicants identically. In order to help prevent claims of discrimination, employers need to avoid stereotyping gender roles in all aspects of their dealing with applicants and employees.” In essence, the interview itself should address candidates’ ability to “get the job done” in the hours prescribed, to the standards in the job description. As with all recruitment efforts, employers always should discuss beforehand the expectations for performing the job which should include working hours and time off. Throughout the quest to find reliable workers, employers may rightly find themselves pondering the wisdom of hiring individuals who have difficulty getting to work on time, keeping regular hours or limiting absenteeism to a bare minimum. One demographic that many employers perceive as bringing these issues into the workplace is the single parent, or more specifically, the single mother. Regardless of the ethics of the issue, this is the reality for many who own or manage a business. Kiki Peppard, a resident of Monroe County, is one single mom who has turned activist, using her outrage for what she terms “maternal profiling” to seek a law that would prevent prospective employers from practicing it; specifically, from being allowed to inquire at the interview phase if an applicant is married, what position her spouse holds, and if she has children. Recently she and hundreds of others- men, women and children- took their cause to Washington at an all-day rally. The result was increased visibility to legislators on the importance of HB 280 and SB 280, which would make it “unlawful for an employer, because of familial or marital status, to refuse to hire or employ or contract with, or to bar or to discharge from employment such individual or independent contractor, or to otherwise discriminate against such MATTHEW J. DEGIROLAMO, MD, FAMILY MEDICINE individual or independent contractor with respect to compensation, hire, tenure, terms, conditions Geisinger Medical Group–Mt. Pocono is pleased to welcome Matthew J. DeGirolamo, or privileges of employment or MD, to our outstanding staff of providers. Board certified in family medicine, Dr. contract, if the individual or independent contractor is the best able DeGirolamo earned his medical degree from the St. George’s University School of and most competent to perform Medicine in Wisconsin and completed his residency at Warren Hospital Family Practice the services required.” Employers need to feel confiin New Jersey. As the newest doctor in Mt. Pocono, Dr. DeGirolamo will care for dent that their recruits are going to patients of all ages, from infants to seniors. And he is backed by the resources and be reliable, dependable, and productive. Says Stroudsburg busiunique technologies of one of the nation’s most exceptional healthcare networks. ness lawyer Tom Ford, “TechniNow that’s peace of mind. cally, it is perfectly legal to make employment decisions based on marital status. However, there Call us today at 839.3633 to schedule an appointment with Dr. DeGirolamo. are already existing prohibitions against employment practices that We accept most major health plans and are welcoming new patients. have a disparate impact on one gender. ‘Gender stereotyping’ or ‘family responsibility discrimination’ is a recognized basis for gender discrimination claims. Interview questions are frequently used to demonstrate an employer’s gender stereotyping. So, while it is still technically legal 21 Commerce Court, Mt. Pocono to ask a potential employee about marital and family status, doing that can bolster discrimination RE DE FI N I N G BOUNDARIES claims.” The proper course, Ford continues, is to “limit inquiries to INTRODUCING YOUR NEWEST CONNECTION TO GREAT GEISINGER CARE SM 9 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS Freebies, Gifts, Giveaways, and Chachkas Marketing Momentum Heidi Hewlett www.pbjonline.com/blog I was online the other day searching for some unique promotional items to dazzle my clients with this upcoming holiday season, when I came upon an item that gave me pause. Customized salt and pepper shakers. I admit that I struggled with the concept of this giveaway and marveled at the fact that there appears to be a need for something like this. Why else would the promotional printer offer it for purchase? I then realized that the messaging practice truly has become entrenched in the industry, and the sky seems to be the limit. Oh, wait a minute, we’ve already succeeded in messaging the sky through skywriting…perhaps we should rethink the old adage. Specialty advertising can be an important part of your Integrated Marketing Communications program. From the traditional pens, pencils, mugs and calendars onto coolers, rugs and salt and pep- per sets, it seems that you can put your logo on just about anything. Still, don’t be overwhelmed by the array of choices. If you remember to employ the following litmus test to the giveaways you are considering, you’ll make a better choice all around. 1. Do you really want the item that you are customizing to be associated on a long-term basis with your company? company. These gifts can strengthen your communication efforts with all types of customers. Heidi Hewlett is the owner of BladeHewlett Marketing & Development. BladeHewlett offers outsourced marketing services to companies without a fulltime marketing staff and especially small to medium sized businesses. 2. Does the message you are including on the item match your company’s message? 3. Is the purchase strictly based on price, or are you also looking at quality? 4. Is the item something your target market needs or wants? 5. Does the item somehow relate to your company’s product? 6. Are you purchasing these premiums from a reputable and reliable company? With some thought and creativity into the development of your specialty advertising, you should be able to develop an effective method to increase the memorability and recognition of your Change Your Life and Your Future with a Graduate Degree from ESU Two Great Locations to Serve you Better! (570) 424-1800 (570) 839-3838 Temporary and Permanent Staffing & Employment Solutions OFFICE, MANUFACTURING, HOSPITALITY, SKILLED LABOR, WAREHOUSE, GENERAL LABOR, MAINTENANCE No job too big or small! We offer competitive rates, skill testing, 24/7 service and background checks. For more information, please visit www.poconopersonnel.com New Feature! Find out who’s NEW in biz with our Students earning a graduate degree at East Stroudsburg University are among the most qualified, best educated candidates for today’s job market. Learn more about ESU’s 20 master’s degree programs and 21 post-baccalaureate certification programs including the master’s degrees in management and leadership and public health. Over 150 paid graduate assistantships available for students in graduate programs. Call ESU’s Graduate Studies Office at 570-422-3536 or 866-837-6130 or apply online at www.esu.edu. newest addition to the PBJ Register: New Corporations/Fictitious Names on page 23 of this issue EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY A member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education www.esu.edu POCONO Regional Business News & Resources www.pbjonline.com 10 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS Transparency a Clear Choice for PMC Regional Healthcare Report Richard J. Henley, FACHE, FHFMA Recognizing that patients have a need and a right to access information about healthcare providers, hospitals have begun to publish more information about their performance and the quality of their patient care. Pocono Medical Center is dedicated to becoming a leader in the transparency revolution that is sweeping the healthcare industry. Essentially, transparency means sharing organizational information without carefully filtering or withholding sensitive information from the community. By publishing information pertaining to quality, finance and patient satisfaction, PMC has welcomed transparency as a means to educate and connect with our community. Our transparency initiative has driven a number of new and exciting changes at PMC. For instance, our employees can now view their depart- ment’s patient satisfaction surveys each month by logging on to the PMC Intranet. This enables our staff to see how their departments are performing both nationally and internally, thus helping them identify areas for improvement. We’ve also added a new section to our Web site (www.poconohealthsystem.org) called “Our Performance.” There, users can access important organizational data, such as the hospital’s 990 IRS filing, or tax return, for fiscal year 2006. The new section also posts monthly results for our five major patient satisfaction survey areas, which include Inpatient and Outpatient services as well as the Cancer Center, Emergency Room and Ambulatory Surgery. We have also chosen to publish the quarterly results of our 22 core measures of patient care, which are derived from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Hospital Compare report. Also found in Our Performance is the Community Benefits Report, which outlines our many contributions to the community. We believe that publishing this type of information helps our employees stay connected during a period of extraordinary growth and helps others learn about the many ways PMC benefits the community. Moreover, as community members become accustomed to regularly reviewing the hospital’s performance in important areas like patient satisfaction and quality outcomes, the increased public accountability will have a twofold benefit. First, it will help the com- munity learn about the ways PMC is not just meeting but exceeding national and state benchmarks for quality care. Second, public accountability will further underscore the importance of quality for the entire PMC family. An essential ingredient in establishing confidence between healthcare providers and those they service is having a fair exchange of information. In providing information about our service, quality and financial outcomes, we hope to maintain a trusting relationship with our staff and our community. This transparency will provide patients with the information and tools necessary to make more informed decisions about their health. Better healthcare, better options and better decisions: the advantages of transparency are, like the initiative itself, undeniably clear. Richard J. Henley, FACHE, FHFMA is the president and CEO of Pocono Medical Center and Pocono Health System. He has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, executive leadership, strategic planning, and operations and finance. Henley also serves on the Board of Governors of the American College of Healthcare Executives, an international professional society of 30,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. 2007 Bizzy Awards Re-Cap By Debbie Burke The award recipient for Best Business Card Design at the recent Greater Pocono Mountains Chamber of Commerce’s Bizzy Awards told how she came up with the winning creation. On the S&K Construction business card, the blueprint in the background represents that “their job starts from the ground up: they do the foundations, the land clearing, the trees, and utilities,” according to marketing director Deborah Stewart. The purple color is evocative of a sunset, showing how S&K works until the sun is down. Stewart was as happy with the win as she was of the turnout and hopes for an even bigger event next year. Says Stewart: “It’s good to get one day to feel special and be recognized for your accomplishments.” The event was produced by George Roberts Productions and held in late September at Caesar’s Brookdale Resort in Scotrun. This year’s winners are: Best Overall Business – Shawnee Inn Best New Business – Action Coach Best Large Business – PMC’s Heart & Vascular Institute Best Medium Business – AAA North Penn Best Small Business – Hair Alternatives Best Business Logo – Access Office Technologies Best Business Web Site – Sherman Theater Best Business Card Design – S&K Construction Best Business Curb-Side Appeal – Grace Park Best Business Marketing Campaign – Chestnut Hill Nursery 11 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS Inclusion and Respect are Key Words for Holiday Celebrating in Workplace By Judith Mehl December 25 is the only legal holiday with religious connotations. Regional businesses commemorate the day, but some offer “The Holiday Party” to respect others’ ethnicities. Despite diverse approaches, gift-giving variations, and policies, the time marks a joyous occasion. “With 125 years of tradition behind the Hotel Fauchère we work hard to honor our history,” commented Richard Pleasants, general manager of the Milford hotel. “We put up one live tree in the reception area and decorate it with both antique ornaments and contemporary ornaments which fit with our décor.” The hotel features interiors that combine antique pieces with contemporary design. Pleasants added, “We have created several local Christmas parties for both hotel guests and nearby residents in both our Delmonico Room dining room and the Bar Louis.” A holiday party is held the first week of January for employees, not only as a celebration but also as a thank you for all their efforts during the festivities for guests. Fauchère provides the food and employees bring in their own dishes that reflect a diversity of ethnic backgrounds. Gift-giving, however, was not part of the celebration last year when the hotel first re-opened. At Hager Furniture, a small, family-owned business in Palmerton, they celebrate like a family. Individual members, including former employees, join in for the group party even though they may not hold the same religious beliefs. According to Jeff Hager, the owner, “We have a good time; no employees object to the way we decorate and observe the holiday. As far as gifts, everyone is welcome to do as they wish. It’s the spirit of giving that’s important.” At the Dime Bank, serving five branches and with an operations office in Honesdale, the scope is different but the sentiment is the same. Committees decorate; branches hold their own parties to add to the main one involving 130 employees and spouses. Gift-giving has no rules, with some of the branches donating and buying gifts for families through the Wayne County Children’s Christmas Bureau. Jill George at Dime’s HR department said ethnicities are respected in decoration considerations, especially in closing signs that denote by symbol the various religious beliefs. Though the companies differ on their invitee list (Hager Furniture invites families; Dime Bank, spouses; and the Hotel Fauchère, only employees), the cultural issue of how to celebrate Christmas did not appear at all problematic, possibly due to the newness of the diverse community or the desire not to want to stand out. “Here it may not be a big deal in the scheme of life,” said Victoria Sanders, associate vice president of Inclusion and Equality at East Stroudsburg University, where she promotes respect for individual differences. “More important to people may be the feeling that they are being treated fairly overall.” Exploring The Myth of the Entrepreneur By Debbie Burke The Alternative Board (TAB), a peer advisory membership organization covering northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania, along with Achieve Business Solutions and Ashford Consulting, recently hosted a sold-out networking and dinner event titled “Beyond EMyth Mastery” at The Villa in Mountain Lakes, N.J. The evening featured business expert Michael Gerber, founder and chairman of E-Myth Worldwide, a firm he founded in 1977 to transform the development of small businesses worldwide. Gerber, the author of seven books, faced an enthusiastic crowd of over 300 attendees, among them TAB member companies from the Stroudsburg region. During his presentation, Gerber set out to debunk myths like the notion that entrepreneurs need to master the complete realm of details in their business (they don’t; instead, he says, they need to take more of a big picture approach). Martha Heise, who owns and operates a martial arts academy in Snydersville called Phoenix Rising, said she came away with some good insights. “Make sure the dream you have to run the business is aligned with the dream you have for your life. If not, you’ll be in conflict,” she said. With a business that is entering its fifth year, Heise believes that what she learned will help her to be even more efficient. “There were a lot of good ideas that relate to my business,” says Steffan Hoffman, co-owner of the newly founded Cinch Media located in Stroudsburg. What particularly resonated with him was Gerber’s take on entrepreneurialism. “There are entrepreneurs and there are technicians,” says Hoffman. “Entrepreneurs should be working on the company, and not in the company.” The advice from Gerber now has Hoffman evaluating how to fine-tune his business plan and whether to outsource more work. “He’s a really good speaker. You tend to pay attention when they are.” Cinch Media provides graphic design and photography. 12 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 PROFESSIONAL PROFILE Managing Human Capital on a Grand Scale By Kathy Ruff The human resources department represents a critical component of employee well-being in any organization, no matter how small or large. HR responsibilities include payroll, benefits, hiring, firing and complying with ever-changing state and federal tax laws and regulations. Tobyhanna Army Depot (TAD) confronts many of the same HR challenges faced by other employers in the area, though with a higher volume as northeastern Commercial Real Pennsylvania’s largest employer. “We are really an employer of choice in northeastern Pennsylvania,” says David Jadick, strategic business analyst for the Tobyhanna Army Depot. “Fortunately, that provides us some measure of relief from many of the recruitment and retention challenges that typically plague many employers.” The Depot boasts that its first-year retention rate remains consistently around 95 percent and its annual attrition rate is about seven percent. Those enviable figures stem in part from the Depot’s attraction as an employer with higher-paying jobs and an average salary Est COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT of $49,300, to attractive benefits and ample opportunities for career advancement. “If we were to identify one challenge we do face, it would probably be finding sufficient numbers of people who are qualified to fill our skilled needs,” says Jadick. “Looking for someone with an associate’s degree in electronic technology and electronic engineering technology with an equivalent knowledge of experience and education, that level of education and that particular skill isn’t all that common.” Tobyhanna Army Depot is the Defense Department’s largest center for the repair, overhaul and fabrication of a wide variety of electronics systems and components, from tactical field radios to the ate & Investments ground terminals for the defense satellite communications network. Tobyhanna’s missions support all branches of the armed forces. Its 5,200 employees travel from the Lehigh Valley, Poconos and other areas of northeastern Pennsylvania to work at the Depot’s Monroe County facility. The Depot requires 130 job skills to perform its missions, including engineers, electronicsmechanics, computer specialists and industrial trade workers. As part of its human resources duties, the Depot has taken a proactive stance to meet a continuing demand for skilled workers, a demand it expects to continue as the need for electronics expertise grows and as nearly half of its workforce will be eligible to retire within the next five years. “We have been working very closely with area chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, high schools, colleges, CareerLink, career-technical institutes, students, parents and even adults, who are looking to change careers for one reason or another, to make them aware of the job Make yourself a successful business owner opportunities that are available at Tobyand on the road to a profitable future! hanna, the types of training and skills required to obtain those jobs and, basically, Time to get out on your own! the process for applying for and obtaining a Commercial/retail cabinet job,” says Jadick. manufacturing business That outreach includes a student career experiences program, a co-op prowith established cliental. gram with several schools in the area that Ref #1337B $225,000 offer associate degrees in electronic technology and electronic engineering technolRare opportunity to own a ogy, and partnerships with area colleges laundromat in a busy shopping and educational facilities to offer associate center with great lease terms. degrees in electronics, engineering, logistics High traffic location. and business-related disciplines. Ref #1409 $369,000 “The whole purpose is to ensure we have a steady flow of new employees Well established auto body who have the skills, ability and the technical qualifications to complete our mission repair business. Business is here at Tobyhanna,” says Jadick. “We have growing! Great opportunity for people sitting on the curriculum advisory an experienced professional. board of many of these schools ensuring that Ref #1328 $222,500 the schools are offering the types of course work that we need when their graduates Computer business with come to us as full-time employees. It’s been services that include repair, a good way of getting those new employees training, and hardware. in here and making sure they have the correct Critical staff will remain. qualifications to do the work we need them Ref #1387 $175,000 to do.” For instance, schools in Carbon County have taken the high school level Established towing business electronics course on the road, seeing one of with three trucks and numerous its largest enrollments for such courses this motor club contracts. Excellent year. opportunity! “People are certainly aware of the Ref #1322 $125,000 Depot’s mission and they are starting to see there are career opportunities here,” says Jadick. “They are beginning to understand that while the opportunities are there, they need to bring something to the table as well. This includes some who have decided to change jobs in mid-career.” Call Us First! (570) 620-1900 We are Northeast Pennsylvania’s only real estate agency dealing exclusively in commercial and investment property. Our staff has more than seventyfive years of combined commercial real estate experience and a number of our agents carry the prestigious CCIM (the PhD of Commercial Real Estate) designation. Our combination of experience and leading-edge expertise is unmatched anywhere in the Poconos. We provide to our customers a wider array of services than any other regional real estate agency. If you’re interested in selling or buying commercial and investment property, call us first! ENTREPRENEUR OPPORTUNITIES BAXCOMMERCIAL.COM 13 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 PROFESSIONAL PROFILE at Tobyhanna Army Depot At the Depot, the average age for employees is around 47, and the average age for new hires rests somewhere in the mid 30’s. Yet, due to the Depot’s mission to support the country’s delicate electronics communications armed forces needs, some human resource functions take on a more stringent focus. “There are certain background checks of various levels of intensity depending on the level of clearance involved,” says Jadick. “We have a number of security protocols in place to guard not only information but the installation as well.” Despite its size and mission, Jadick believes the Depot is not very different from smaller businesses. “From an HR perspective, regardless of the nature of your business, we believe that employees are our greatest assets, our greatest resource,” he says. “An HR function must be capable of meeting their needs and should do so in a manner that, to the greatest extent possible, allows employees to obtain necessary information and assistance. This may require, for example, making HR representatives available during the evenings or having them go out to the work site as opposed to having the employees come to them. Basically, HR’s focus should be on addressing the needs of the organizations and finding ways to make things happen and not be a roadblock.” Yet Tobyhanna faces some unique roadblocks due to the nature of its business. “One of our other very imminent or current challenges is staffing positions for reparations activities throughout the world and in support of programs we have in Iraq,” says Loretta Yearing, TAD’s chief of staffing. “That has become an ever-increasing workload for Tobyhanna, filling up positions in remote areas or filling up positions on traveling teams that go to different locations to prepare to perform repair workload for the government.” This exists at places such as Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Lewis, Washington, as well as sites in Asia, Afghanistan and Iraq. To attract employees to such positions, the Depot offers foreign and danger pay differentials and opportunities for overtime as incentives. The desire to support the troops creates additional incentive for some employees. “As far as the mission that we are performing right now, especially in support of Operation Iraqi Free- dom, we have heard from many of the military and the soldiers about how critical our systems are. By putting those folks out in the field, they get to see hands-on how well the systems work and what the systems do. That has made a great impact on the employees here at Tobyhanna,” says Yearing. From an HR perspective, the depot’s training opportunities also create a great impact on employees. “We have a local training center here on post, and we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year on training as well as bringing some of the local colleges in at night to give courses here,” says Yearing. “A number of schools come in and provide training opportunities. We provide on-the-job training as well as formal classroom training in order to advance.” For Tobyhanna Army Depot, training and career advancement represent vital keys to a healthy and vibrant workforce today and for the future. At the Depot, one of the most challenging HR issues is staffing for reparations activities throughout the world, and attracting new employees who have the skills, ability and technical qualifications needed. Name: Tobyhanna Army Depot Location: 11 Hap Arnold Boulevard, Tobyhanna, PA 18466 Telephone: Customer Service (877) 275-8629 Tagline: Excellence in Electronics Web Site: www.tobyhanna.army.mil Employees: 5,200 Location: Property located on 1,296 acres, including 153 buildings on 398 acres in the industrial area and a large area of preserved wetlands in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County. Years in Operation: Opened Feb. 1, 1953, but has maintained Army presence in some fashion since 1912 when it was first used as a field artillery training camp. Other uses include as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp, artillery training of West Point cadets, a World War II prisoner-ofwar camp, and storage point for gliders used in the D-Day landings at Normandy in 1944. Most Recent Award: 2007 Shingo Gold Medallion (Public Sector), which recognizes private and public sector organizations that successfully apply Lean Six Sigma techniques to improve the quality and efficiency of their operations. Tobyhanna Army Depot has just received the 2007 Shingo Gold Medallion (Public Sector), recognizing the successful application of Lean Six Sigma techniques in use throughout TAD’s operations. Photos courtesy of Tobyhanna Army Depot. TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT TIDBITS: The average number of service years for employees is 16, with veterans comprising 47 percent of the workforce. The Depot’s direct impact for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2006 was: $315.8 million in Employee Salaries and Benefits $ 29.5 million in Contractual Services (includes construction/renovation) $ 12.2 million in Supplies and Equipment $ 3.5 million in Commissary Goods $ 3.9 million in Utilities $ 3.2 million in Travel $ 1.9 million in Line Haul (trucking services) TAXES: Tobyhanna personnel pay approximately $10.7 million annually in state and local taxes. Property tax revenues are estimated at another $2.77 million. ECONOMIC IMPACT: According to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance’s economic models, the Depot’s total regional annual economic impact exceeds $2.194 billion and creates 9,500 regional jobs. 14 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS Your Donation Improves the Community, Makes Monroe County a Better Place to Work Strengthening Families, Helping Children Succeed, Meeting Basic Needs, or Promoting Self-Sufficiency. You can also donate to the United Way’s Teen Works Initiative, which encourages youth to implement community projects; or to a specific health or human service nonprofit agency. In 2006, the monies were allocated as follows: By Chris Grape-Garvey In 2006, the United Way of Monroe County raised a record $1,215,919 for health and human service programs and initiatives. This year’s goal is $1,225,000, and it can be reached through the support of everyone in our community. When you donate to United Way, you are truly making a difference in people’s lives right in your own backyard. This year’s campaign theme is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors…It’s the Right Thing To Do.” It emphasizes the fact that your donation stays in Monroe County and truly helps those in need through effective programs with measurable outcomes. You can contribute through an employee campaign at your workplace or give on your own. If your workplace does not have an employee campaign, you can call our office to learn more about getting started. Donations can be directed to the community impact fund, allowing volunteers to invest monies where they are needed most in the community; or they can be directed to a targeted giving area such as • Strengthening Families: 15 percent • Promoting Self-Sufficiency: 20 percent • Meeting Basic Needs: 17 percent • Helping Children Succeed: 18 percent • Direct Community Services: 15 percent • Youth Allocations & Teen Works: 1 percent • Donor designations to nonprofits and other United Ways: 5 percent • Campaign/Administration Costs: 13 percent Where does the money come from? In 2006, 58% came from employee and individual giving, 31% was the result of corporate giving, and 11% came from special events. There are different levels of giving and recognition, too. Donors who give an hour of pay per month are Golden Givers; Emerging Leaders are under age 40 and commit $300 or more to the campaign; and the Leadership Giving Circle is for individuals who contribute $1,000 or more annually. But any donation is appreciated and needed. The best incentive for giving is from your heart, knowing that you will have made our community a better place to live. But a brand new Honda Civic The True Cost of Turnover By Debbie Burke The revolving door of staffing can be extremely costly to you as an employer. Not only does the cost of training figure into it (and along with that, compromised efficiency and productivity), but also in terms of morale. Those who remain (or ‘survive,’ as some might cynically put it) might begin to feel uneasy and wonder if they too, should look to leave what they perceive as a sinking ship. Exit interviews can be helpful but don’t be fooled. Those on their way out might not want to burn their bridges or offend management with blunt, albeit helpful, criticism. Perhaps even more, they are no longer invested in a career at your company so might not feel the obligation or commitment to share any of their insight, and are, instead, relieved to be moving on. “Organizations need to be more sensitive to groundswell discussions; not whistle-blower stuff but rather subtle indicators, like if they see a lot of absenteeism or the quality of work is not what it should be,” says Professor of Business Management/Human Resource Management Richard Warner, of Lehigh Carbon Community College. “A mechanism should kick in, some motivational tool to get them excited about working there.” Offering some down-time or ‘play’ used to be thought of as non-productive, says Warner, but now, he adds, “Companies that have lightheartedness tend to hold onto their personnel a lot more.” The best preventive measure is taking an honest look at how you treat your employees. Try to pick up on the “buzz” of why they are not content, and look to make repairs if feasible. Don’t throw away the talent you have in-house if a little flexibility on your part can make it a great place to come to work. Chances are you already have an inkling of what’s wrong, and working to fix it can send a huge message. And remember, the competition’s watching…and listening to your ex-employees. The bottom line you save may be your own. visit: www.pbjonline.com Hybrid is another incentive for giving. As with last year, LTS Builders is donating a car that will be won by a lucky contributor to the United Way campaign. This year’s vehicle is a snazzy and efficient 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid provided by Ray Price Dealerships, with promotional materials courtesy of Jenagraphics. To qualify for one chance to win the car, you need to donate $3.00 a week through payroll deduction or contribute a one-time payment of $156 to the United Way of Monroe County. You can improve your odds of winning with three chances by pledging $5.00 a week in payroll deduction or contributing a donation of $260. Donations must be directed to the community impact fund or a targeted giving area. In the next few weeks, billboards in the area will be advertising the car incentive, courtesy of Adams Outdoor Advertising and WSBG 93.5 FM will be airing public service announcements. For more information, you can visit www. unitedwaymonroe.org or call (570) 629-5657 or visit our Web site for more information about the 2007 campaign. Thanks for helping your neighbors! Chris Grape-Garvey is the community outreach and special events director for United Way of Monroe County. please recycle this paper 15 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS Compliance Basics for Human Resource Professionals By Debbie Burke The abundance of acronyms below encompasses just a few of the many compliance issues of which HR directors and business owners need to be aware. These guidelines paint with broad strokes; for more information, business owners and executives should refer to the PA Department of Labor and Industry or confer with legal counsel. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): Prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of their disabilities in the provision of agency services, programs, and activities. Employment At Will Doctrine: An organization may terminate the employment of an individual for any reason or for no reason at all; limited by the Wrongful Discharge Doctrine below. ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act): Sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established pension and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans. FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act): Requires all employers to shred or burn all papers (or to smash or wipe all computer disks) that contain personal employee information when it is no longer to be safeguarded by the employer. FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act): Covers overtime and explanation of exempt and non-exempt status. Employer should have clear guidelines and let employees know the category they are in when hired/promoted to avoid disputes over requests for overtime pay. FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act): Lets employees know their rights under the law: 12 weeks of unpaid leave for prescribed family circumstances. Employer may require employee to use accrued vacation time, etc. if company policy states this. I-9 (Immigration and Naturalization): Each employee must complete, sign, and produce original documentation required that must be witnessed by HR. The I-9 can be filed in the employee’s personnel folder. Employers have three (3) days from the date of hire to have this form completed and on file. Harassment/Intimidation Policy: Title VII requires that employers not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, ethnic/national origin, gender, race, religion or veteran’s status. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): Federal act requiring privacy of health information, ensuring protection of medical information, and, in general, provides rights and protections for participants and beneficiaries in group health plans. Prohibits discrimination against employees and dependents based on their health status; allows a special opportunity to enroll in a new plan for individuals in certain circumstances. Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Corporate governance procedures to ensure a company is acting in an ethical matter. Concerns accounting procedures, whistleblower activities, and other ethical issues. Requires employer to take action and train staff accordingly, and comes into play if company is conducting business with the federal government, foreign practice, and other situations. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration): Relates to safety on the job. The employer is obligated to provide a safe working environment for employees. UC (Unemployment Compensation): Employers pay a tax based on usage. Unemployment Insurance (UI) provides unemployment benefits to eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and meet certain other eligibility requirements. W-4: Federal and State Withholding taxes. Each employee must complete and sign this form to enable employer to put him/her on company payroll. It must be saved and can be updated at any time at the employee’s request. WARN Act (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) mandates certain procedures if an employer is planning plant closings or massive layoffs representing a specified percentage of the total workforce. WC (Workers’ Compensation): Covers procedures if an individual is hurt on the job. Programs under Workers’ Compensation umbrella provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation, and other benefits to workers who are injured at work or acquire an occupational disease. Wrongful Discharge Doctrine: Does not impose on organizations a duty to terminate employment in good faith, but does impose liability for terminating employment in violation of a fundamental and well-defined public policy, including protection under express contracts of employment. For more information: http://www.doleta.gov/programs/factsht/warn.htm http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=51 2&objID=404&&level=1&css=L1&mode=2&in_hi_ userid=2&cached=true State Required Employee Notices NOTICE POSTING REQUIREMENTS HOW TO OBTAIN NOTICE Abstract of the Pennsylvania Child Labor Law Form No. LLC-5 All Pennsylvania Employers of Minors Department of Labor and Industry Bureau of Labor Law Compliance (717) 787-4670 Hours of Work for Minors Under Eighteen Form No. LLC-17 All Pennsylvania Employers of Minors Department of Labor and Industry Bureau of Labor Law Compliance (717) 787-4670 Minimum Wage Law Poster and Fact Sheet Form No. LLC-1 All Pennsylvania Employers Department of Labor and Industry Bureau of Labor Law Compliance (717) 787-4670 Abstract of Equal Pay Law Form No. LLC-8 All Pennsylvania Employers Department of Labor and Industry Bureau of Labor Law Compliance (717) 787-4670 Pennsylvania Right to Know Law Form No. PSF-4/4S Public Employers (State, County, Township, etc.) Department of Labor and Industry PENNSAFE (717) 783-2071 Unemployment Compensation Form No. UC-700 All Employers Department of Labor and Industry Bureau of UC Benefits and Allowances (717) 783-3140 Workers Compensation Form No. LIBC-500 All Pennsylvania Employers Your Insurance Carrier or Department of Labor and Industry Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Self-Insured Only: (717) 783-5421 Employment Provisions Pennsylvania Human Relations Act Form No. PHRC-1 Public Accommodation Provisions Form No. PHRC-2 Fair Lending Practices Form No. PHRC-3 Fair Housing Practices Form No. PHRC-4 Employers of Four or More Employees Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (717) 772-2845 please recycle this paper see COMPLIANCE page 20 16 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS Juicier Paycheck Not the Only Road to Happy Workforce By Ken Clark Big box stores and major manufacturers are equipped to deal with an unstable workforce. They have the resources to pay top dollar to bring in people with the skills they need, and to implement generous benefit packages to hold them. But what are little “Mom and Pop” operations, barely able to meet the rent payment and the light bill, to do? Elaine Tweedy, Director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Scranton and adjunct teacher in the Kania School of Management, said they must recruit with care and make the workplace so comfortable that an employee would get homesick if he or she went anywhere else. “In general, you’re going to hire what you recruit,” said Tweedy, who also serves as an outside consultant to various small businesses. “Your recruiting process has to be done very, very well from start to finish to get the right people on board, to have a natural fit with your organization. The training and orientation after you get them on board are equally as important. A company that thinks through the entire hiring process will tend to retain individuals longer than one that just does this somewhat haphazardly.” Tweedy said for the small business operator, referrals are key to getting the right employees because “you feel better about referrals from others who already know the individuals than you know about unknown entities.” Then there are benefits, such as flexible work hours or “virtual work,” that an employee can do at home with a computer. “Those are the things attracting long-term employment because they are not offered by everybody,” she said. “Things are changing. People no longer keep their jobs for 30 years. Younger folks just coming out of college, within the five-year period in which they leave a college or university environment, will probably have changed jobs three times. You’re not looking at longevity, so what you want to do is build loyalty by offering things that other people don’t.” At Keller Williams Realty in Stroudsburg, just such a process is under way in the form of an intensive training program, with the top producers as mentors and a profit-sharing system for Realtors who achieve a certain level of performance. Such programs -- especially the profit-sharing -- are rare in the real estate business where agents are unsalaried independent contractors, living strictly on commission. “There’s a Rising Star program here that includes coaching and materials needed to get the job done, so that if you’re new to this business, you’re able to grow,” said Associate Broker Barbara Garris. “The goal here is for each Realtor to be a 100% agent, which means that they can retain 100% of their commissions after paying the appropriate cap.” The “cap” is an annual $21,000 in commissions, which a top producer generally can reach within six months. At traditional agencies, Realtors must turn over a percentage of their commissions to the agency owner no matter how much they earn in a year. At the point of the interview, Keller Williams was served by 52 full or part time agents, with more coming on board. A random check of small business owners in the area indicated that they may suffer fewer headaches in retention than their major league counterparts, partly because of the almost family atmosphere in which many of them work. “We try to make this a happy environment,” said Louis Schrenko, co-owner with his wife, Pamela, of the Country Kettle in East Stroudsburg. “Our pay is comparable in the retail market, maybe above retail. We pay according to merit. If they perform, they get a raise; if they don’t, then we sit down and talk.” The Country Kettle, purveyor of candles, bulk candy, specialty foods and a wide range of figurines and collectibles, has 12 employees: six full-time and six part-time. Schrenko said he has very little turnover in staff. It is a similar scene at Main Street Jukebox in Stroudsburg. Owner/manager Mike Pachter said he offers no benefits and declines to say what his pay scale is. He has only four employees, only one of whom has left because of a “change in career plans.” “People stay because they like the job, and we treat them fairly,” he said. “It isn’t like an unhappy workplace environment where they leave and find other jobs. I’ve had one employee as long as seven years.” Of course, one quick way to avoid problems with employees is simply not to have any. Such is the case with Mike and Linda Lazaro of Penny Lane Candies in Hawley. “There are only Mike and me,” said Linda. “And one high school kid who comes in to run the popcorn machine.” As long as people keep eating popcorn and candy, they’re not going anywhere else. Leadership Pocono Class of 2008: The Journey Begins By Steve Cunningham The Leadership Pocono Class of 2008, in conjunction with East Stroudsburg University, held a team building retreat during a weekend in September at Stoney Acres. The event featured various team building and leadership challenges, and each of the 22 participants was encouraged to lend his/her talents and support to help solve group problems. The event began on Friday evening with a kick-off dinner and icebreaker. The attendees were divided into small groups, and each team was asked to list the qualities of a successful leader. The lists were then shared with the entire group. On the second day, the teams were eager to perform their outdoor challenges. Each one proved more difficult than the last, causing key leadership skills and styles to emerge among the participants. Even in the midst of obstacles, team members found opportunities to motivate and support each other . “I really was not sure how I could complete a particular challenge, until I saw the group rally around my teammate,” said participant Beth Booterbaugh. “Once I realized the extent they would go to get her through the obstacles, I realized they would do the same for me. I knew I could trust my team.” Like Booterbaugh, many others relied on the support of their team members throughout the event. Throughout the physical activities, which included such difficult tasks as pole climbing and log walking, you could hear team members encouraging each other, chanting, “You can do it!” Physically and mentally exhausted, the participants packed up their belongings and headed home after a rewarding retreat experience. The Leadership Pocono Class of 2008 is now officially a team and is ready to tackle any challenge the program offers. Leadership Pocono, Inc. is a regional program designed to strengthen our community by identifying potential leaders, developing their leadership skills and motivating them for ongoing community involvement. The Class of 2008 will graduate in June 2008. 17 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 NEWS Violence Can Migrate from Home to Workplace: Know the Warning Signs By Kathy Ruff A deputy shoots six in Wisconsin…a postal worker shoots a co-worker…students and teachers die in school violence in Virginia, Ohio and Colorado. These examples represent the tip of the iceberg for the amount of violence encountered in the workplace across the country. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, homicide represents the fourth-leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States. In 2005, 564 of a total 5,702 fatal work injuries were workplace homicides. Workplace violence is defined as any act that results in physical or emotional harm against or by an employee in the workplace, in the course of performing assigned duties, or as a result of performing assigned duties. Perpetrators may be strangers, customers/clients, employees or former employees or a personal/domestic partner. Workplace violence can happen anywhere, including in any small or large business located in the Poconos, but few employers acknowledge the need for policies to address the issue. Yet employers can do something. “There’s no possible way to address it other than performing background checks,” says James R. Nanovic, Esquire, attorney with Nanovic Law Offices, Jim Thorpe. “If you have done a check, you would have seen this guy had a propensity for violence and whatever his criminal record might be.” While background checks can divulge prior violent tendencies, they do not identify the possible life stress- es that candidates, once hired, take into the workplace and how they might deal with them. For example, a husband shot and killed his estranged wife as she left work early in order to file for a divorce. A boyfriend killed his girlfriend hours after he was served with a protection from abuse order. Similar episodes occur across the nation from those with violent histories, and from others considered passive and productive members of society. Workplace violence comes in different forms, including domestic violence and sexual assault or abuse. “Every organization needs to have a policy on sexual harassment and also to know that we are a resource in developing those kinds of things,” says Jane Koeble, interim director of the Women’s Resources of Monroe County. “When it comes to domestic violence, the person in charge of the workplace needs to know something about protection from abuse and resources in the community where they can refer people.” Employers can call their local domestic violence and sexual assault organizations to request the services of a community educator to administer in programs addressing workplace violence. One key to preventing workplace violence is to educate workers about the high-risk behaviors that can lead to violence and the importance of prompt reporting of any incidents, threats or uncomfortable behaviors seen. Companies should establish policies and training programs to outline what is unacceptable and train employees in the procedures to report such events. For example, batterers sometimes use work phones and computers to harass and intimidate other individu- als. Employers should notify employees of such unacceptable behaviors while on their time and at work. “For instance, if you have a woman who is on your staff and three days out of the month she is calling in sick because she fell, broke a bone or had some kind of excuse why she is not coming to work, you may want to be asking ‘is there something going on at home that we can help you with?’” says Ruddy. It’s about being open to having a conversation about what’s going on.” A statewide network of domestic violence programs offers training to educate employees on warning signs of potential violence and what steps to take to report such behaviors. Warning signs may be more difficult to spot and predict in some businesses, including hospitals, but employers can take preventive steps. “We have, on a regular basis, de-escalation training for our employees,” says Pieternel Feeheley, human resource development manager for Pocono Medical Center. “When they encounter a visitor or a patient or a situation where there is someone highly agitated, the first response would be to try to de-escalate that in a kind way, to get them stepped down from being in an agitated state by talking to them.” Many hospitals also employ additional strategies for areas where a higher-level incident could occur. “You could be in the waiting room of the emergency department in the middle of the night and a gang member could have been brought in hurt and there could be an incident that happens in the waiting room,” says Feeheley. “We need to be prepared for anything. So we have safety protections in place if there is a situation where we need some extra manpower.” FIVE WARNIG SIGNS OF ESCALATING BEHAVIOR Warning Sign Suggested Response Confusion: Behavior characterized by bewilderment or distraction. Unsure or uncertain of the next course of action. • Listen to their concerns. • Ask clarifying questions. • Give them factual information. Frustration: Behavior characterized by reaction or resistance to information. Impatience. Feeling a sense of defeat in the attempt of accomplishment. May try to bait you. • See steps above. • Relocate to quiet location or setting • Reassure them. Impatience: Feeling a sense of defeat in • Make a sincere attempt to clarify the attempt of accomplishment. May try concerns. to bait you. Blame: Placing responsibility for problems on everyone else. Accusing or holding you responsible. Finding fault or error with the action of others. They may place blame directly on you. Crossing over to potentially hazardous behavior. • See steps above. • Disengage and bring second party into the discussion. • Use teamwork approach. • Draw client back to facts. • Use probing questions. • Create “yes” momentum. Anger: Judgment-call required: Characterized by a visible change in body posture and disposition. Actions include pounding fists, pointing fingers, shouting or screaming. This signals very risky behavior. • Use venting techniques. • Don’t offer solutions. • Don’t argue with comments made. • Prepare to evacuate or isolate. • Contact supervisor and/or security. Hostility: Judgment-call required: Physical actions or threats which appear imminent. Acts of physical harm or property damage. Out-of-control behavior signals they have crossed over the line. • Disengage and evacuate. • Attempt to isolate person if it can be done safely. • Alert supervisor and contact security immediately. Source: Minnesota Dept. of Labor & Industry 18 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 BUSINESS BRIEFS WHO’s WHO BILIANIS GENEROSE BOMBA KRUSHIN Ackerman - Lt. Col. Timothy Cassibry, commander of the 392nd Signal Battalion at Tobyhanna Army Depot, recently handed the flag, and command, of B Company to Capt. Chris Ackerman. Prior to assuming command, Ackerman was a member of the 392nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion. The mission of B Company is to install, operate and maintain communications systems in any designated theater area of operation utilizing the Joint Network Node and Command Post Node. Aukscunas - Algird Aukscunas was recognized for his 35 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Aukscunas is an electronics worker, Electronic Service Division, Systems Bilianis - Spiros Bilianis of Stroudsburg, vice president of Coldwell Banker Commercial Operations since 1992 and a certified commercial investment member (CCIM), has purchased the commercial business at Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin in Stroudsburg. Bomba - Bernard Bomba was recognized for his 30 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Bomba is an electronics mechanic, Tactical Missile Division, C-3 Systems/Avionics Directorate. Bowles - Marty Bowles recently purchased Digital Zone, a Web technology company located in the First National Bank of Palmerton building in Gilbert. Bowles has seven years of experience in working for a New York newspaper, and has spent 12 years in the military and working with company logistics. Under his direction the company has taken on a new face as a design marketing firm, specializing in print design, Web design, videography, promotional items, printing, mass media consulting and marketing. Columbo - John Columbo was recognized for his 30 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Columbo is an electronics mechanic, Satellite Communications Division, Communications Systems Directorate. Combs - Bonnie Combs was recognized for her 30 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Combs is a management analyst, Communications Scheduling Division, Production Management Directorate. D’Adamo - Heather D’Adamo of Kresgeville, Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin’s operations manager of Northampton County Acquisitions, an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) who earned her real estate license in 1999 and her broker’s license in 2004, purchased the residential business at Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin in Stroudsburg. Della Vecchia - Daniel Della Vecchia has been appointed as the new assistant in the Dingmans Ferry office of Wilkins & Associates. Feissner - Katherine Feissner joins NEPA Alliance as a Local Government Specialist within the Community and Government Services Division, where she will focus on the energy efficiency initiative within the division. She comes to NEPA after serving three years as executive director of Eastern Middle Anthracite Region Recovery, Inc. in the Hazleton area. Feissner was the Recipient of the Temple B’nai B’rith Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2004 and is the former Secretary of the COLUMBO D’ADAMO MACCARTNEY FEISSNER ROSKOWSKI Freeland Business and Development Authority. Ferraldo - James Ferraldo was recognized for his 30 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Ferraldo is an electronics mechanic, Satellite Communications Division, Communications Systems Directorate. Field - Matthew Field, a resident of Stroudsburg, has been awarded the designation of Super Starter by MetLife, in recognition of superior sales achievement. Field works in the East Penn Financial Group located in Allentown. Generose - William Generose was recognized for his 30 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Generose is an electronic measurement equipment mechanic, C-3 Systems Division, C-3 Systems/Avionics Directorate. Green - Dean Green, former owner of Tire Discount Center in Brodheadsville, has launched “Operation Touch of Home” through the first week of November to benefit soldiers in Monroe County and elsewhere. Shoppers can purchase items on the soldiers’ ‘wish lists’ and the items are then shipped to soldiers overseas. Local participating businesses include Wal-Mart in East Stroudsburg, Kinsley’s ShopRite in Brodheadsville, Bill’s ShopRite in Brodheadsville, and Ahart’s Market in Blakeslee. Highhouse - George Highhouse was recognized for his 35 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Highhouse is a training instructor, Technical Development Division, Business Management Directorate. Hillman - Wilkins & Associates announces the hiring of new agent Jimmy Hillman in the Dingmans Ferry office. Originally from Holland, Hillman moved to the area in 1994 and speaks German and Dutch. He has a BA in communications from California State University and holds both a New York and a Pennsylvania Real Estate license. A multi-million dollar producer for two consecutive years at Weichert Realtors - Ruffino Real Estate, Hillman was honored with the Executive Club Award for Outstanding Sales Performance in 2006. Jackson - David Jackson, formerly with the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau, Inc., has been hired as the regional sales manager for the Pocono Mountains Convention & Visitors Bureau. Jackson will be responsible for increasing business from the meetings market, including corporations, associations, sporting and other events and reunions. Jackson has over 20 years experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, including positions with the Temperance House Restaurant and Country Inn as general manger and with ARAMARK at the Pennsylvania Convention Center as a division manager. Jantz - Karen Jantz was recognized for her 35 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Jantz is a management and program analyst, Operations Management and Analysis Division, Production Management Directorate. Krushin - Frank Krushin was recognized for his 35 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Krushin is an electronics mechanic, Satellite Communications Division, Communications Systems Directorate. FERRALDO SCHIEL FIELD YANOCHKO MacCartney - John MacCartney was recognized for his 30 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. MacCartney is an electronics mechanic supervisor, Tactical Communications Division, Communications Systems Directorate. Roskowski - John Roskowski was recognized for his 30 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Roskowski is a machinist leader, Industrial Services Division, Systems Integration and Support Directorate. Schiel - Tami Schiel, a program support assistant in the director’s office at Tobyhanna Army Depot’s Communications Systems (CS) Directorate, earned the Tobyhanna Army Depot Employee of the Quarter Award for the third quarter of the 2007 fiscal year for performance above and beyond her assigned duties. In addition to Schiel’s typical administrative responsibilities as program support assistant, she also performs duties as the organization’s training coordinator and awards program administrator. Schwab - William G. Schwab of Lehighton is serving as the 2007-2008 assistant editor for the ABA Legal Trends Newsletter for the General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division of the American Bar Association. He was named to this position at the recent ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Schwab received his appointment from Division Chair, Keith B. McLennan of Collegeville, Pa. Schwab is the principal of William G. Schwab & Associates and is a member of the Carbon County and the American Bar Associations. He was named one of Pennsylvania’s Super Lawyers for 2007 in recognition of his work in bankruptcy and general litigation, and is one of the top five percent of attorneys in Pennsylvania who are eligible for that honor. Stackhouse - Kenneth Stackhouse was recognized for his 30 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Stackhouse is a lead electronics technician, Satellite Communications Systems Engineering Division, Production Engineering Directorate. Strenk - Wilkins & Associates announces the hiring of new agent Jan Strenk, who is originally from Slovakia and is multilingual, speaking Slovak, Polish and Russian. He moved to the area seven years ago and is a 2007 graduate of Pocono Real Estate Academy. He obtained business administration credits from Brooklyn College and Empire State College. Before joining Wilkins & Associates, Strenk worked at an exclusive co-op building in Manhattan, NY, and owned JDS Construction. Wesp - East Stroudsburg University Professor of Psychology, Dr. Rick Wesp is leading the creation of a new national organization for pre-graduate psychology education. Wesp recently met in San Francisco with officers of the Council of Undergraduate Psychology Programs (CUPP) and the Council of Teachers of Undergraduate Psychology (CTUP) to discuss the plans for the consortium. Wesp is former national chairperson of CUPP and currently serves on the board of directors of CTUP. Yanochko - Thomas Yanochko was recognized for his 35 years of government service during the recent Length of Service ceremonies at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Yanochko is a tactical operations center project officer, Forward Repair Activity Division, Command, Control and Computer (C-3) Systems/Avionics Directorate. Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 19 BUSINESS BRIEFS WHAT’s WHAT 3D Image Studio, a new graphic design company in Stroudsburg, recently announced it presented its work during a meeting about a forthcoming Museum of the History of Polish Jews attended by the President of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, and the Polish Diplomatic Corps to the United Nation at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York. The studio specializes in digital, three-dimensional (3D) designs. The presentation consisted of a virtual architectural walkthrough of The Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which is to be constructed in Warsaw, Poland by the end of 2010. Viewers were able to virtually orbit the exterior of the museum and its surroundings, and to take a virtual stroll through the interior and preview future exhibits. 3D Image Studio is affiliated with East Stroudsburg University’s (ESU) Business Accelerator and P.J. Moskal is an Adjunct Professor at ESU, teaching the Interactive Media Course at the Department of Media, Communication and Technology. 95-3 DNH, Sunny 105 and parent company Bold Gold Media Group were the recipients of the Outstanding Sponsor of the Year award for their work with the American Red Cross Blood Services 95-3 DNH and Sunny 105, along with sister stations Thunder 102 and 105 The River, continually worked to rally their listeners to give blood at local American Red Cross blood drives throughout Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties of PA and Sullivan County NY. According to State Rep. Keith McCall, Carbon County Community Transit will receive $120,000 from Pennsylvania’s Community Transportation Capital Equipment Program to help purchase new sharedride buses and upgrade equipment countywide. The funding is part of a nearly $9 million statewide initiative that will help purchase newer, safer buses in 56 counties. As part of its 20th Anniversary Celebration, Centennial Homes, Inc. entered several of its homes in the 2007 Pocono Builders Association Builders Awards and won in the categories of Best Value Under $150,000; Best Value $150,000 - $250,000; and Most Affordable Value Under $125,000; as well as Best Home Under 1500 SF and Best Auxiliary Building. Accepting the awards was Centennial Homes, Inc. Vice-President, Robert Hutchins. Marcy Turkington, president of Achieve Business Solutions, a leading area provider of business organizational and developmental solutions for small to mid-sized companies, and TAB-certified facilitator and SBL Coach for The Alternative Board® Peer Advisory organization, has announced the launch of AchieveNextLevel.com, a Web 2.0 online business community forum and resource center. The content-rich resource is available to business community members at no charge as a forum for posting and finding solutions to business challenges and opportunities. Designed and developed jointly by Turkington’s company and Cinch Creative Media of Stroudsburg, the site makes use of leading-edge technologies, including community forums, site and user blogs, RSS feeds and video, and features regularly updated news, information, polls, surveys, live and e-Learning events. Business content ranges from marketing and sales to financial, operational and technology. For the second consecutive year, Bobbie Smith, a real estate agent in the Mt. Pocono office of Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate, has turned into a holiday elf with a wish to get as many people as possible to help her crochet or donate 500 scarves for her “500 Scarves for the Holidays Drive.” Last year, 318 scarves were collected in the 2 weeks before Christmas and donated to the Salvation Army and Women’s Resources and other charitable organizations. Her goal is to crochet another 50 and she is looking to the business community for assistance. Hand-made or purchased scarves can be donated at any of the Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate offices located throughout Monroe County. DMI Manufacturing of East Stroudsburg recently has established a relationship with Friedman Electric Supply, a major distributor in northern and central Pennsylvania that is expanding into upstate New York. Friedman is part of the Sonepar group, the world’s largest privately-held electrical distributor with operations in 29 countries. Rep. John Siptroth has been assisting Guy Lestician of DMI Manufacturing with his plans to establish a manufacturing facility in Monroe County to produce his patented energy saving technology for a global market. Rep. Siptroth has facilitated meetings between Lestician and economic development agencies and state departments and is promoting the technology to the Rendell Administration within the Special Session on Energy. The Pocono Mountains Chamber of Commerce has a new name and brand identity. Now as The Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce, the new brand essence statement is “The voice of business since 1910,” representing the organization’s longevity and stability. The new name is in black, signifying the chamber’s purpose as the voice of business is to help businesses operate “in the black.” The gold colors represent the ultimate result- prosperity. The image of the golden sun represents a brighter future rising on the horizon and the waves represent technology’s impact in business growth throughout the Greater Pocono area. The new brand image was developed and sponsored by Gallagher & Gallagher of Stroudsburg. The Lodge at Keen Lake in Waymart just completed its new log cabin which is now open for banquets and business events. The log cabin seats up to 99 people for events and includes a commercial kitchen with in-house catering, along with Wireless access, and is set amidst the picturesque Keen Lake. There is also a retail store on premises called Wallflower Boutique. The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission has granted Northampton Community College’s licensed practical nursing program continuing accreditation for eight years, the maximum period permitted by the national accrediting body. To qualify for reaccreditation the college had to meet rigorous standards. The commission based its decision on an extensive self-study report compiled by NCC’s nursing faculty, the college catalog, the report of nurse educators who conducted a site visit, and the recommendation made by the National League for Nursing’s program evaluators and evaluation review panel. In an effort to show economic development executives and decision makers that northeastern Pennsylvania abounds with amazing places to recreate, Penn’s Northeast recently hosted its Fifth Annual Fall Festival at Paupack Hills Golf and Country Club in Greentown, Pike County. Real estate brokers, site selection consultants and members of the Governor’s Action Team were invited to spend the day either golfing at Paupack Hills or fishing on Lake Wallenpaupack. The day was topped off by a networking reception, dinner and awards. More than 80 people attended, many of them real estate brokers and developers from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. PNC Bank, a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) supported small business owners across Pennsylvania with $58.4 million in U.S. Small Business Administration loans, which ranks No. 1 in total dollar volume. PNC Bank, recognized by the SBA as a Preferred Lender for its ongoing proficiency in processing SBAguaranteed loans, achieved the top ranking in the state for the U.S. government’s reporting period of Oct. 1, 2006, to Sept. 30, 2007. PNC has been the No. 1 lender for the past three years in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh regions. The Pocono Builders Association recognized several local businesses for their award-winning projects in the Pocono region at the association’s sixth annual awards dinner held in September at the Stroudsmoor Inn. Over 70 awards were given out to local businesses for their projects that were completed in 2006. The Award of Excellence, which is presented to the most prestigious project, was awarded to OakRidge Construction Company for a remodeling project over $50,000. The Pocono Builders Association recently announced Saturday and Sunday, March 15 and 16, 2008, as the upcoming dates for the Greater Pocono Home Show. The Home Show will return to the Galleria at Split Rock Resort. In 2007, the event gate attendance doubled, and the total number of exhibits had increased 20%. Exhibitors are being sought now for next year’s show, for which additional exhibit space and activities for attendees have been added. Cleanup at the former International Boiler Works (IBW) in East Stroudsburg now will move forward, thanks to a new $158,500 Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development for environmental remediation. The Pocono Mountain Economic Development Corp. competed with other projects in Altoona and Harrisburg for the grant monies. Chuck Leonard, PMEDC’s executive director, presented the project at the Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference in Harrisburg last month. The judging panel selected the IBW project to receive the award based on the need, the location and the potential economic impact of new companies on the site. The IBW site has been vacant for more than 15 years and once was the employer of over 200 people. As a rail-served, industrial-zoned property, it is an attractive site for redevelopment. The IBW Revitalization Project is also supported by a Monroe County Revolving Loan made possible by CDBG funds from the Monroe County Commissioners. The Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS (PMAR) elected new officers and directors to its board during the Annual Business Meeting in October. For the first time in PMAR history the voting process was completed entirely online. Newly elected members of the board of directors are: Dawn Chamberlain, Keller Williams Realty; Libbie A. David, Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate; Kris Leshanski, Park Avenue Realtors; and Dennis A. Mooney, First Choice Real Estate, Inc. Each will serve two years. Newly elected officers of the PMAR board are Eileen Chaladoff, an agent with Prudential Associates, president elect; Barbara G. Samet, broker/owner of Barbara Samet Real Estate, vice-president elect; Christina Primrose, associate broker with RE/MAX of the Poconos, treasurer elect; and Gloria F. Green, Coldwell Banker Phyllis Rubin Real Estate, secretary elect. In addition, chairpersons were elected for standing committees of the Board and include: David, Montgomery, MLS Committee Chairperson; John M. Franc, Keller Williams Realty, MLS Committee Vice Chairperson; Douglas A. Freeman, Realty World Becky Freeman and Associates, Government Affairs Committee Chairperson; June Cestone, Barbara G. Samet Real Estate, Ltd., Community Services Committee Chairperson; and Green, Education/Internal Communications Committee Chair. They will each serve one year. Right Reason Technologies (RRT) has made its extensive library of trainings available to enterprise-level organizations throughout the country via its new eCommerce platform, the Right Reason Technologies Store. Through this new store, anyone can purchase copies of RightCourse sign up for RightTrack trainings without need of making a phone call. The availability of RRT’s training library through an eCommerce solution will help bring formal training programs to smaller businesses, especially those in the Pocono Mountains region. Additionally, RRT introduces the first product in a new product line that will allow trainers to enhance their training programs called Professional Voicing. This enables the text of computer-based trainings and presentations to be narrated by a professional voice talent. Professional Voicing helps trainers keep their trainings accessible to those with vision disabilities. Right Reason Technologies is a technology and Web-based training company based in East Stroudsburg, founded in 2001, providing training and eLearning solutions to businesses and schools in the Pocono area and throughout the country. SuiteDigs, Inc. recently launched its doggie habitat products, dog “condos” equipped with Webcams, feeders and bathroom facilities, available through its online store. Spurred by his need to contain an 8-week-old puppy while at work, company founder Thomas Jackson decided against a crate or the sacrificial puppy mishap room. Each dog habitat module measures 55 inches wide by 25 high and 25 deep, and can be combined or configured based on preference. Custom colors are also for the choosing. Standard frames are made of black ABS composite material, an extremely strong, durable, thick plastic. Sturdy brushed aluminum windows and doors allow the dogs to enter and see out. Their sliding feature allows owners to leave them open without tripping over the typical swing-style doors of gates and crates. SuiteDigs, Inc. currently has two patents pending with the US Patent Office for its products. An Air Force C-130 cargo aircraft suspended 130 feet below a Pennsylvania Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter recently began a new mission. In September, the tandem-rotor helicopter airlifted the 53-year-old fuselage from the Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort to the Tobyhanna Army Depot (TAD). The airframe was used for training purposes by the 92nd Aerial Port Squadron, U.S. Air Force Reserve, Wyoming Valley, prior to its deactivation. TAD will use the airframe to test configurations of various communications-electronics systems developed and maintained by the Depot. First-year data charting the progress of Tobyhanna Army Depot’s vegetative (green) roof indicates the project is on schedule. The demonstration project featuring pre-planted modules has produced a 10-percent reduction in storm water runoff, a 25-percent energy savings for Building 11 and improved storm water quality. According to environmental experts, test results suggest that the thousands of sedum perennials taking root on one wing of the Headquarters Building will also extend the roof life and contribute to a healthier environment. The Joint Services Initiative funded Tobyhanna’s proposal to use green roof technology because, if successful, it would save money, positively impact the environment and be transferable across the services. Army engineers and members of the Public Works Directorate (DPW) joined forces to determine the operating status of 104 electrical substations located inside Tobyhanna Army Depot’s industrial area. At the Depot’s request, 22 members of the 1st Detachment B Company, 249th Engineering Battalion (Prime Power), Fort Bragg, N.C., deployed in August to perform preventive maintenance and were tentatively set to depart last month. The test results will help public works employees prioritize future repair and upgrade projects, and minimize future unscheduled outages. Fifteen Tobyhanna employees at Tobyhanna Army Depot took part in the first Association for Operations Management training course which was an accelerated nine-month study program. The members of the Master Production Scheduling (MPS) team participated in the Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) program as part of a continuing process to educate front-line employees on the “how’s and why’s” of the Web-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The ERP is a framework for organizing, defining and standardizing business processes. The CPIM program is internationally recognized as the standard for individual assessment in the field of production and inventory management Technicians in Tobyhanna Army Depot’s Flight Control Systems Branch now support the Stability Augmentation System (SAS) Amplifier, which is used on Navy Sea Hawk helicopters. It is one of many C4ISR systems the Depot supports for the Army and Air Force as well as the Navy. C4ISR stands for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems. The Sea Hawk is the Navy’s version of the Army’s Black Hawk. Both are used for a variety of utility and assault missions. Wayne Bank recently donated $5,000 to Honesdale Communities That Care, Inc. The gift is made possible through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit program which, under the direction of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, provides tax credits to businesses making contributions to state-approved organizations. The bank’s contribution will be used locally to benefit the community rather than being paid to Harrisburg in the form of taxes which are distributed state-wide. Webleaps, a Henryville-based graphic design and Web hosting firm founded in 2005, recently launched a new Web site. In addition, the company has donated its services for the upcoming “Run for the Red” Marathon for American Red Cross for Monroe County. The event takes place in May of 2008. Please send all press releases for consideration to [email protected] 20 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 FOCUS LIST PAYROLL SERVICES Company Address Phone/Fax Years in Business Web site AAAA Income Tax Services 690 Milford Road, East Stroudsburg PA 18301 (570) 476-6878 Martin Accounting & Tax Service 707 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431 (570) 253-6610 (570) 253-1401 N/A 18 Payrolls Unlimited Pocono Summit Plaza, Pocono Summit, PA 18346 (570) 839-3790 (570) 839-4190 www.prudata.com 21 Zenith Business Solutions 160 Lake Valhalla, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 (570) 236-8429 (866) 286-8947 N/A # Employees Services Business Contact 6 Payroll processing, business setups, audit representation, corporate taxes, income tax preparation Dr. John Georgiou, S.E.A 25 www.zenithbs.com 1 3 Payroll services/accounting services, tax return preparation (individual/ small business) Steven R. Martin, E.A. 3 Payroll processing David Morgan 1 Business administrative and operational services including payroll and bookkeeping Christina Haas Disclaimer: If your company is located within Carbon, Monroe, Pike or Wayne counties in northeastern Pennsylvania and was not included in the listing, please contact Pocono Business Journal so we can include your company in future editions of this focus list. COMPLIANCE... cont. from page 15 Federal Required Employee Notices NOTICE Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law Form Nos. EEOC PE-1 (English) EEOC PS-1 (Spanish) POSTING REQUIREMENTS HOW TO OBTAIN NOTICE All Employers Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 1-800-669-3362 Job Safety and Health Posters Form No. OSHA All Private Employers U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Allentown (610) 776-0592 Erie (814) 833-5758 Harrisburg (717) 782-3902 Philadelphia (215) 597-4955 Pittsburgh (412) 395-4903 Wilkes-Barre (570) 826-6538 Employee Polygraph Protection Act Form No. WH PUB 1462 All Employers Your Rights Under Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 Form No. WH PUB 1420 Employers with More than 50 Employees Your Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (Minimum Wage) Form No. WH PUB 1088 All Employers (Excluding Agriculture) Agricultural Employers (Minimum Wage) Form No. WH BUB 1376 All Agriculture Employers U.S. Department of Labor Employment Standards Administration Wage and Hour Division Notice to Employees of State and Local Governments Form No. WH PUB 1385 All State and Local Government Employers Philadelphia (215) 597-4955 Wilkes-Barre (570) 826-6538 Notice to All Employees Working on Federal of Federally Financed Construction Projects Form Nos. WH 1321 (English) WH 1321 AP (Spanish) All Federal of Federally Financed Construction Project Employers Notice to Employees Working on Government Contracts Form No. WH 1313 Employers Working with Government Contracts These lists have been created by the Employer Advisory Council.Certain employers may be required to post additional notices specific to their area of employment. Source: Commonwealth of PA Office of Administration/ Human Resources Article source: PA Dept. of Labor and Industry; Core People Resources LLC, Wind Gap Businesses Reap Tax Credits for Early Childhood Development Subsidies By Debbie Burke The tax benefit to businesses which support preschool and Pre-K programs was the topic of a recent business breakfast titled “Economic Development=Early Childhood Development.” Business owners and daycare providers broke bread with elected officials and economic development execs, as speakers including Dorothy Kaplan, DCED Deputy Secretary Business Assistance, told the audience about the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, launched in 2001. Under the program, businesses get back, in tax credits, 90% or more of the amount of their donation to preschool and Pre-K programs throughout the commonwealth. EITC had a cap last year of $61 million in tax credits; this year Gov. Rendell, who according to Kaplan “gets it,” lobbied to increase that to $75 million. “We issue our tax credits on the first day of the tax year, and businesses are lined up to get them,” she says. Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education Bina Patel, at Northampton Community College’s Monroe Campus, says that current research supports how the business community and society at large benefit from buying in to the importance of early childhood ed.. “With a high quality of education, students who attended preschool become contributing members of society by being gainfully employed and bringing revenue back to the community,” she says. “High quality early childcare is very expensive, but businesses that are supportive can help to subsidize their workers’ expenses.” Across town in East Stroudsburg, daycare director Rae Stonbley of The Art Learning Center says that promoting quality early learning helps her industry to be recognized as “a profession, not just babysitters.” Family-friendly business environments, says Kaplan, need to offer family-friendly policies. She then asked, “Who benefits? A, the businesses; B, education; and C, our kids. The ultimate goal is to create a better-trained workforce.” For more information: Call Penn State Cooperative Education in Pike County at (570) 296-3400 to inquire about “Employer Options for Child Care” publication. Or visit: Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program, Pennsylvania Dept. of Community and Economic Development http://www.newpa.com/programDetail.aspx?id=62 Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children http://www.papromiseforchildren.com/ 21 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 CALENDAR OF EVENTS November 1 Value Stream Mapping, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre. Registration at 7:30 a.m. with Continental Breakfast; course 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: $225 includes refreshments and lunch. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. Monroe County Housing Summit 2007: Homes Within Reach, Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, Shawnee-on-Delaware, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The Housing Summit is sponsored by the Pocono Healthy Communities Alliance and the Pocono Mountains Association of Realtors®. Call (570) 517-3955 for more information. November 1, 8, 15, and 29 BNI Bartonsville, 7:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m., Howard Johnson’s, Route 611, Bartonsville. Call (570) 237-5869 for more information. November 2 It Is Your Business: The Impact of Domestic Violence on the Workplace, hosted by Penn State Worthington/Scranton Continuing Education. Held at The Inn at Nichols Village, Clarks Summit, 8:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. Pre-registration cost $100; on-site registration cost $130. Employers have found that domestic violence often follows their employees to work and affects the workplace in terms of economics, liability/security risks, absenteeism, healthcare costs, and worker safety. Call (570) 346-4460 ext. 242 or email [email protected]. Developing an Effective Policy & Procedure Manual, University of Scranton Center for Professional Training and Development, Scranton, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Fee: $95 includes materials and lunch. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. Website Enrollment, PA CareerLink, 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.; Employer Website Assistance 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. November 2, 6, 16, 23 and 30 BNI Shawnee-on-Delaware, 7:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m., Inn at Shawnee, River Road, Shawnee-on-Delaware. Call (570) 420-8656 for more information. November 3 Fall Professional Development Conference, Penn State Cooperative Extension, 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., held at First Presbyterian Church, 300 Broad Street, Milford. Cost: $10. Diversity Means Differences Among People workshop helps develop diversity competence through a series of hands-on activities; Managing Conflict workshop helps participants discover ways to find common ground and resolve differences that will result in a stronger organization. For a printable brochure, visit pike.extension. psu.edu. Call (570) 296-3400, or email [email protected] for more information. Job Search Assessment Workshop, First Impression Career Coaching, Bartonsville location, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Unlock the answers that will get your job search back on track. Cost $35. Call Kathy at (570) 476-0406 or email [email protected] for more information. Career Exploration Workshop, First Impression Career Coaching, Bartonsville location, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Jumpstart the process by identifying occupations that match your interest areas and your desirable workplace preferences. Cost $35. Call Kathy at (570) 476-0406 or email [email protected] for more information. Career Coaching, Group Session, First Impression Career Coaching, Bartonsville location, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Get support, encouragement and real- life career exploration/job search tools. Group will be facilitated by a Certified Career Coach with more than eight years experience working with job seekers in Monroe County. Cost $33. Call Kathy at (570) 476-0406 or email [email protected] for more information. November 5 Website Enrollment, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.; Résumés & Cover Letters, 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.; Mock Interviews, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. Brown Bag Monday, Carbon County Chamber of Commerce, 110 North 3rd Street, Suite 216, Lehighton, 12:00 noon. Informal lunch with CCCC executives. Call (610) 379-5000 for more information. November 5 and 6 OSHA 10 Hour Safety Training Program for General Industry, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre. Day 1, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Day 2, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Fee: $425 includes refreshments and lunch. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. November 5 and 7 Composite Desktop Publishing, University of Scranton Center for Professional Training and Development, Scranton, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: $265 includes materials and lunch. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. November 5 - 9 Job Methods Training, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre, 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Fee: $495. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. Job Instruction Training, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre,1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: $495. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. November 5, 7, 12, 14, 19 and 21 Introduction to Computer Programming, University of Scranton, Center for Professional Training and Development, 1:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: $290 includes materials and lunch. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. November 6 Healthcare Employer Symposium, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. November 6 - 8 Industrial Hydraulics, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Fee: $950, includes refreshments and lunch. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. November 6, 13 and 20 Quickbooks 2007, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Fee: $165 includes text. University of Scranton, Center for Professional Training and Development. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. November 7 Networking Seminar, LeTip Chapter of Stroudsburg, Budget Inn & Suites, 7:00 a.m. Cost: free. Event offers venue for individuals to promote their products to a group of potential clients and advocates. Call Louise at (570) 588-4113 or email ruonpar@ verizon.net for more information. Career Explorations, 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Computer Basics, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. People Power, Achieve Business Solutions/TAB. Cost: free, includes lunch. Time to be determined. Held at the Community Room at Tri-Co Federal Credit Union, Augusta, NJ. Call (973) 250-4144 for more information. Global Warming on Fish and Wildlife in PA, Pike County Conservation District Education Building, Rt. 402, Blooming Grove, 10:00 a.m. Call (570) 226-8220 for more information. The Value of Conserving, 6:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m., PPL Learning Center, Route 6 at Lake Wallenpaupack, Hawley. Cost: free. Keynote speaker DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis will explain the creation of a DCNR Conservation Landscape Initiative for the region that will have a positive and long lasting impact on our communities and natural resources that provide vital services and improve the quality of our lives. Call (570) 825-1701 for more information. November 7 and 8 OSHA 10 Hour for General Industry, Monroe County Public Safety Center, 100 November Gypsum Road, Stroudsburg, 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Cost: $300; 10% discount for Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce members. Presented by Bair Safety Consulting Services’ Steve Bair, an authorized OSHA outreach trainer whose primary focus is workplace safety and applying methods that eliminate injury. Call (610) 588-9126 or email [email protected] for more information. November 7, 14, 20, and 28 Learn to Use Your Computer, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Fee: $150 includes text. University of Scranton, Center for Professional Training and Development. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. November 7, 14, 21, and 28 BNI Milford, 7:00 a.m., Mount Haven Resort, 123 Log Tavern Rd., Milford. Call (570) 296-7176 for more information. November 8 Member Success Program, BNI Pennsylvania/New Jersey, held at Abilities, 264 Route 31, Washington, N.J., 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Cost: $5. Call Steve Gambino at (908) 995-8860 for more information. Computerized O’Net Assessments, 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. Lunch and Learn Broadband Access, Verizon Wireless, Woodlands Resort, 1073 Highway 315, Wilkes-Barre, 12:00 noon – 2:30 p.m. Internet access for business. Email [email protected] for more information. November 9 Strategies for Inclusive Outdoor Programs Training Workshop, Pocono Environmental Education Center, Dingmans Ferry, 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Cost: Members $20/ Nonmembers $25. Instructor Kathy Ambrosini will provide specific examples of strategies to make programs more inclusive for people with disabilities. Workshop looks at a variety of challenges to learning, and the aids and interpretive strategies that enable all participants to get the most from their outdoor experience. Training geared for any staff or director who provides programs for people in the outdoors. Includes training, instructional book, and light snack. Sponsored in part by funding from the PA Blue Ribbon Foundation and the Christopher Reeve Quality of Life Foundation. Call PEEC at (570) 828-2319 for more information. Employer Website Assistance, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. November 9 and 16 Understanding Copyright, Trademark & Fair Use, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Fee: $225 includes lunches and text. University of Scranton, Center for Professional Training and Development. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. November 10 and 17 Photography Basic Concepts, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Fee: $150 includes text. University of Scranton, Center for Professional Training and Development. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. November 12 Brown Bag Monday, Carbon County Chamber of Commerce, 110 North 3rd Street, Suite 216, Lehighton, 12:00 noon. Informal lunch with CCCC executives. Call (610) 379-5000 for more information. Business Card Exchange, Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce, Hotel Jonas, Kunkletown, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Cost in advance: $10 Chamber members, $20 non-members; Cost at the door: $15 Chamber members, $25 non-members. Call (570) 421-4433 for more information. November 13 ProfitCLUB by: ActionCOACH, 556 Main Street, Stroudsburg, 2nd floor, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Profit Club is a group of like-minded business owners who meet bi-weekly for an hour and a half in a structured environment to learn and discuss new business tips, strategies and ideas. Call ActionCOACH at (570) 517-7100 or email [email protected]. Industrial Hands-On Pneumatics, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Fee: $950 includes refreshments and lunch. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. Introduction to CareerLink Services, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.; Interview Basics, 12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m.; Salary Negotiation, 1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce Women in Business luncheon, 12:00 noon, Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, Shawnee-on-Delaware. Topic: Gifts that Give Back, presented by Women in Business Committee, sponsored by Bill Skinner, ActionCOACH. Cost: $13 Chamber members, $16 non-members and walk-ins. Call (570) 421-4433 for more information. Meeting/Mixer, Lehighton Area Council of the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce, Platz’s Restaurant, 101 Harrity Road, Lehighton, 5:30 p.m. Representatives from the Iron Pigs Baseball of the Lehigh Valley will present an introduction of Minor League Baseball, followed by a question and answer session. Reservations required by November 9. Call (610) 377-2191 or e-mail Lehighton Area Council at [email protected] for more information. November 13 - February 12 Water Distribution Systems, Northampton Community College, Main campus in Bethlehem, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Fee: $360. Call (610) 861-5080 for more information. November 14 Carbon County Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast, Blue Ridge Country Club, 2230 Fireline Road, Palmerton, 7:45 a.m. Call (610) 379-5000 for more information. One-on-One Résumé Writing Assistance, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. November 14-15 Solution Selling for Sales Executives, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Fee: $1295, includes e-Learning and student workbooks. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. November 14-15 Train the Trainer Forklift Training, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre, Day 1, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (lunch included), Day 2, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. November 15 The 6-S System: Workplace Organization and Standardization (with Simulation), Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre, Registration 7:30 a.m. with Continental Breakfast; course 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: $225 includes refreshments and lunch. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. Forklift Train the Trainer Seminar, Monroe County Public Safety Center, 100 Gypsum Road, Stroudsburg, 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Cost: $195; 10% discount for Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce members. Presented by Bair Safety Consulting Services by Steve Bair, an authorized OSHA outreach trainer whose primary focus is workplace safety and applying methods that eliminate injury. Call (610) 588-9126 or email [email protected] for more information. The First Step: Start-up Basics, East Stroudsburg University, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Cost: $10. Workshop focuses on business basics including registrations, licenses, forms of organization, taxation, research tools, resources and more. Call Brad Klein, director, ESU Business Accelerator and Pocono Mountains Keystone Innovation Zone, (570) 422-7920. BNI Mixer, Malibu Ranch on Foster Hill Road, Milford, 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cash bar and light refreshments. Call (570) 296-7176 for more information. November 15, 20, 27, 29 and December 4, 6, 11, 13, 18 Execution and Control of Operations, Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) program, University of Scranton, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Cost: Members $435, non members $525. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. November 16 Monthly Breakfast, Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce, Best Western Pocono Inn, Stroudsburg, 7:30 a.m. Sponsored by Keystone Nazareth Bank & Trust, Special Program by Monroe County Historical Association. Cost in advance: $10 Chamber members, $14 non-members in advance. Cost at the door: $12 Chamber members, $18 non-members. Call (570) 421-4433 for more information. Résumé Critique, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. The Lost Art of Workplace Coaching, University of Scranton, Center for Professional Training and Development, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Cost: $95, includes program materials, parking pass and lunch. Workshop focuses on four key coaching beliefs. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. Innovator of the Year at Wayne Economic Development Corp. (WEDCO) Sustaining Member Luncheon, 12:00 noon, Settlers Inn, Hawley. Senator Lisa Baker will be the featured speaker. Contact WEDCO at (570) 253-5334 or [email protected] for more information. Dinner and a Movie along the Delaware River, by Pike County Conservation District. Held at Riverview Inn, Milford, 6:30 p.m. Cost: $30. Program: “Controversy on the Delaware: A Look Upstream at the Tocks Island Dam Project.” Call (570) 226-8220 or email [email protected] for more information. November 17 Job Search Assessment Workshop, First Impression Career Coaching, Bartonsville location, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Unlock the answers that will get your job search back on track. Cost $35. Call Kathy at (570) 476-0406 or email [email protected] for more information. Career Exploration Workshop, First Impression Career Coaching, Bartonsville location, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Jumpstart the process by identifying occupations that match your interest areas and your desirable workplace preferences. Cost $35. Call Kathy at (570) 476-0406 or email [email protected] for more information. Career Coaching, Group Session, First Impression Career Coaching, Bartonsville location, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Get support, encouragement and real- life career exploration/job search tools from Certified Career Coach and other members of the group. Group will be facilitated by a Certified Career Coach with more than eight years experience working with job seekers in Monroe County. Cost $33. Call Kathy at (570) 476-0406 or email [email protected] for more information. EPA Refrigerant Containment Certification review course/certification test. Offered at Northampton Community College and co-sponsored by Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES), 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., NCC Main Campus in Bethlehem. Cost: $130 for review course; $48 for re-test of EPA Refrigerant Containment Certification Test. Class will review requirements governing ozone-depleting chemicals and environmental and operational materials involved in EPA refrigeration. Final three hours of class is licensure exam for service technicians who install, service, maintain or repair high and low pressure HVAC/R systems. Call (610) 691-2900 or (877) 5430998 for more information. November 19 Find a Job You’ll Love!, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; Computer Basics, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state. pa.us for more information. Brown Bag Monday, Carbon County Chamber of Commerce, 110 North 3rd Street, Suite 216, Lehighton, 12:00 noon. Informal lunch with CCCC executives. Call (610) 379-5000 for more information. November 20 ActionCLUB, Eight-session program by ActionCOACH, 556 Main Street, Stroudsburg, 2nd floor, 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Cost: First Attendee, $2,195; second attendee free. Program covers business-building strategies Call ActionCOACH at (570) 5177100 or email [email protected] for more information. Introduction to CareerLink Services, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.; Résumés & Cover Letters, 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. November 21 Career Exploration, 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. November 26 Brown Bag Monday, Carbon County Chamber of Commerce, 110 North 3rd Street, Suite 216, Lehighton, 12:00 noon. Informal lunch with CCCC executives. Call (610) 379-5000 for more information. Computerized O’Net Assessments. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 6202850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. November 27 ProfitCLUB by: ActionCOACH, 556 Main Street, Stroudsburg, 2nd floor, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Profit Club is a group of like-minded business owners who meet bi-weekly for an hour and a half in a structured environment to learn and discuss new business tips, strategies and ideas from an Action International Business Coach. Call ActionCOACH at (570) 517-7100 or email [email protected]. Employer Website Assistance, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. November 28 Convert CWDS Résumé to Microsoft Word. PA CareerLink, Tannersville site. Call (570) 620-2850 or visit www.cwds.state.pa.us for more information. November 29 NEPIRC’s Approach to Kaizen, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre, 8:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Fee: $125. Course covers the use of Kaizen (continuous improvement) and is geared toward cell, team and line leaders, supervisors, managers and process improvement teams and leaders. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. Change Management, Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Inc. (NEPIRC), 75 Young Street, Hanover Industrial Estates, Wilkes-Barre, 12:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fee: $125. Call (570) 819-8966 for more information. November 30 Presentation Techniques, University of Scranton, Center for Professional Training and Development, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Workshop covers elements of concise, wellstructured presentations. Fee: $95 w/ materials and lunch. Call (570) 941-7582 for more information. If you would like to have your business event listed in the PBJ Calendar of Events, please submit information to [email protected]. 22 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 PBJ REGISTER Deeds Carbon County Franklin Township Anthony Gulotta to John Ackerman, $409,900. Anthony Novak to Brian Piccioni, $366,250. Kidder Township North UNI Realty of Wilkes-Barre to Kush & Min LLC, $650,000. Kidder Township South Thomas P Carney Inc to Jason Christie, $303,493. Penn Forest Township Thomas Hume to Joseph Aversa, $350,000. Jeanne Toal to Sara Wasson, $285,000. Towamensing Township Fred Beeson to Frederick Carrer, $265,000. Troy Green to John Marchi, $295,000. Monroe County Barrett Township Posters and Things Inc to Dennis and Lydia Vanluvanee, $300,000. Thomas Fernley to Justin and Kari Richards, $336,140. Kematico Development CO to Vincent and Sharon Keegan, $891,158. Vincent and Anne Merola to Robert and Margaret Rugolo, $349,900. Chestnuthill Township John and Mary McCabe to Todd and Cheryl Olsen, $250,000. James and Jill Luton to Robert and Dina McFadden, $312,500. Thomas and Barbara Bentz to Michael and Twila Meyers, $278,000. Patrick Jones to Norris and Jillian Minor, $283,000. Ann Smith to Jonathan Koszalka, $347,000. Coolbaugh Township Kelly and Roger Cullen to James Richardson, $358,000. Andrzej Malarz to John Wayne and Cecilia LaTouche, $255,000. Robert and Renee Bitterman to Robert and Leslie Rigby, $362,500. Yvonne and Paul MacNamara to Alberto and Zandra Quine, $306,200. East Stroudsburg Borough LTS Development LLC to Samuel and Sander Gilmete, $299,900. LTS Development LLC to Claude and Tamayo Mollenthiel, $329,000. Hamilton Township Douglas Maeir to George and Lillian Hendry, $265,000. Ted and Carol Fehr to Staley Petko, $465,000. Walter and Patricia Salinski to Raymond Hansen and Donna DePalma, $263,500. Victor and Maria Trason to Michael and Dawn Marie Blaum, $280,000. Jackson Township John and Sandra Sweeney to James and Judy Gordon, $335,000. David Stackhouse to Anthony Hendricks, $279,000. Middle Smithfield Township Joseph and Doreen Bussiere to Biet Hernandez, $265,000. Toll PA IV to Francis Dunnery, $387,130. Romec Inc to Thomas Ansilio, $389,000. LTS development to Seymour and Andrea Portes, $429,900. Wilkens and May Charles to Christopher and Ellen Spara, $519,900. Ann Smith to Jonathan Koszalka, $347,000. Mount Pocono Borough Ann Smith to Jonathan Koszalka, $347,000. Ann Smith to Jonathan Koszalka, $347,000. Paradise Township Robert Berthound to Stephen and Teresa Musumeci, $295,000. William and Kimberly Hillman to Marvin and Melissa Hodges, $369,900. Pocono Township Ralph and Regina Shomer to Gregory Mussich, $338,550. Ivan and Eulalia Gutierrez to Kirk Dennis, $519,700. Brian and Helen Adkins to Steven Rivera and Natalie Duque, $310,000. Kramer and Jackett Enterprises to 611 Property Holdings LLC, $825,000. Mark Silver to Merdine Morris-Scantling, $265,000. David and Cho Young Lee to Jin Kim, $540,000. Michael and Katherine DeLuca to Philip and Erika Cohen, $315,000. Ann Smith to Jonathan Koszalka, $347,000. Polk Township Robert and Judy Arienta to Amrish and Pratixa Patel, $347,000. Romario and Suzanne Relosa to Howard and Barbara Nuss, $350,000. Price Township LTS Development LLC to William Ulma and Amy Serafin, $426,800. Thomas and April Cook to MG09 Patrners, $385,000. Kal-Tac Inc to Chandler and Julio Hernandez, $355,000. Harold and Joan Loehlein to John and Gwynn Mangler, $289,900. to Valerie Petersen, $257,000. Velma and Bruce Hoffman to Driebe Family Limited Partnership, $655,000. LTS Development LLC to Camille Grant, $413,890. Zhijian Qian and Yumei Wang to Manan and Purvi Desai, $294,000. Tobyhanna Township James and Bridget Grace to Joseph Costa, $265,000. Helen Geyer to Jeffrey and Elizabeth Mattes, $525,000. Joseph and Divna Buechel to Kathleen Giovannelli, $305,000. Matzel Development to Kareem Adams, $290,631. Mary and Clarence Brower to Michael Angst, $1,495,000. Wayne and Gail Havelock to Ralph and Margaret Mucerino, $280,000. Matzel Development to Trudi Bisono, $296,061. David and Emma Wengerd to Duny and Ashbey Royer, $299,000. Charles and Patricia White to Richard and Kim Katzenback, $371,666. Brian and Amy Mahoney to Joseph and Lauren Catrino, $275,000. Patricia Stanton to Anthony Pagano and Catherine Fenn, $262,000. Pike County Blooming Grove Township Pawel and Lucyna Szostak to Natalia Aparicio, $279,000. CMCB LLC to August and Linda Falco, $279,000. Ronald and Kimberley Borress to Ira Friedman, $300,000. Donald Muller to Michael Tarpley, $392,000. Bernard and Lowell Steinberg to Donald and Susan WENGER, $595,000. Delaware Township Audrey Robertson to Lenape Conservation Partnership, $300,000. Alfred Page to Edward Gaherty, $297,000. Boris Soskil to Aleksandr and Tatyana Dudin, $252,000. Mario and Patricia Genovese to John Sivo, $300,000. Steven Levine to Abel and Giselle Peltro, $254,000. Carol Hipkins to Frank and Elizabeth Arrison, $357,500. Keith and Dawn McDermott to Dylan DeSantis, $350,000. Louis and Bernadette Kedves to Brian and Deena Souza, $295,000. Earle Henriquez-Gil to Peter and Mary Boyle, $335,000. Margaret Steinberg to Robin and William Desrosiers, $262,000. Dingman Township William and Irene Scarlino to Jason and Christine Ertola, $269,900. James Martowicz to Leroy Westburgh, $255,000. Edmond and Judith Chamberlain to Andrew Keppler, Sr., $250,000. Sunnylands Inc to Michael Deperi, $400,000. Juergen and Irene Jakob to Kenneth and Patricia Muller, $299,000. Bruce Diamond to John and Leah Keenan, $445,000. John Susen to Jonathan Coscia, $275,000. Greene Township Sandra Wenzel to Millkirk Inc, $300,000. Alberta Grabowski to Marshwood LP, $447,695. Frederic and Ingeborg Schwarz to Jeffrey and Deborah Purdy, $785,000. Jeff Szyszko to Peter and Kristin Keller, $255,000. Shawn and Liz Robinson to Thomas and Kelly Johnson, $789,000. Lackawaxen Township Dominick Tripodi to Patrice Capo, $320,000. Alfred and Maria Osias to Woodloch Pines, Inc., $570,000. Woodloch Pines Inc. to Michael and Allison Mancino, $750,000. Glenn and Eileen Fisher to Robert and Patricia Mead, $343,000. Donald and Suzanne Rumbaugh to Christopher and Christy Girard, $322,000. Herbert and Sandra Martin to David and Debra Thornbury, $619,000. Douglas and Gail Lopez to Robert J Falcone, $585,000. Lehman Township Richard Marcano to George and Gabriella Prundl, $260,000. Matamoras Borough Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania to Inland American CFG PA Portfolio DST, $2,358,750. Milford Borough Sanford Beecher to John Klemeyer, $333,333. Mary and Catherine Kelleher to Maegan Connelly and Jonathan Kameen, $273,000. Milford Township Toll PA VIII to Mark and Jodi Weems, $589,202. Citizens Bank of PA to Inland American CFG PA Portfolio DST, $2,104,667. Palmyra Township Andrew and Stacy Taranto to Gary and Jean Pollaro, $273,000. Robert and Mary Beagen to Mark and Connie Kolodzieski, $460,000. Stone Silo Food Inc to Norman and Jo Ann Transue, $280,000. Gumble Brothers Inc to James Gumble, $300,000. Joseph Goglia to Daniel and Loriann Russo, $485,000. Shohola Township William Bliss to Charles and Ellen Shechtman, $420,000. Ross Township Eric and Russelle Strauch to Douglas Maier and Maria Snook, $310,000. Joseph Dabronzo to Jaime Bastidas, $575,000. Westfall Township Margaritte Malfy to Lucy Nell Stewart, $460,000. Delaware Highlands Properties LLC to Syed Masihuddin, $256,000. Smithfield Township John Hood to Mountain Manor Development Company LLC, $375,000. Mads and Susanne Ravn to Moses Karanja, $405,000. RGB Homes LLC to Eric Ziomek and Christine Moore, $303,900. Clinton Township Browndale Properties One to Anthony and Penelope Chiovari, $255,000. Charles and Jill Puntar to John Hovan, $250,000. Stroud Township NVR Inc to Anthony Henry and Constance Bradley, $358,105. Patrick and Jane Callaghan to Joseph Walewangko and Jennifer Huebner, $355,000. Americorp Builders Inc to Felicia Hamilton, $337,000. Pierre Vales to Samuel Diaz, $274,000. LTS Development LLC to Keith and Charlene Bishop, $406,995. Joseph and Zelda Best Wayne County Dyberry Township Charles and Ruth Vasko to John and Francene Vendetti, $795,000. Honesdale Borough James and Debra Blockberger to Kenneth and Patricia Oldham, $250,000. Lake Township George Carr to Gregory and Hilda Maietta, $370,000. Ralph and Lois McFarland to Gary and Susan Miller, $375,000. Lebanon Township William and Nancy McGroary to Wendy Adams, $370,000. Paupack Township Michael Flynn to Peter Vanschaick, $420,000. Gatell Levinson to Diane Madaio, $400,000. Kathryn Daniels to John Pickard, $255,111. Mitchell and Sarah Wilson to Michael and Margaret Norton, $725,000. Dale and Donna Renner to Wayne and Kathleen Degan, $465,000. Preston Township Charles and Nancy Bell to Massimo Palomba, $289,000. Salem Township Ruth Picinich to Joan York, $600,000. Clarence Lukeski to Rite Aid of PA Inc., $750,000. Mortgages Carbon County Franklin Township John Ackerman, Wells Fargo Bank, $327,920. Brian Piccionni, MERS, $274,321. Kidder Township North Kush and Min LLC, Penn Security Bank, $520,000. Kidder Township South Resort Holdings LLC, Centrue Bank, $575,000. Thomas Halikman, The Bank, $500,000. Pauline Rycyk, MERS, $286,000. Daniel Rossetti, MERS, $269,000. Lehighton Borough Westminster Place Partnership, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, $736,000. Lehigh Township Bruce Thomas, MERS, $360,000. Lower Towamensing Township Leah One Inc., National City Mortgage, $900,000. Palmerton Telephone Company, First National Bank of Palmerton, $950,000. Mahoning Township Munzer Yacoub, Nova Savings Bank, $280,000. Scott Ritter, PNC Bank, $250,000. Palmerton Borough Dean Serfass, Mauch Chunk Trust Co., $750,000. Penn Forest Township Mitchell Ross, Equity One Inc., $250,000. Joseph Aversa, CCO Mortgage, $280,000. Monroe County Barrett Township Jack and Deborah Faler, Chase Bank, $251,100. Pietro and Antonina Barretta, National City Bank, $279,720. Vincent and Sharon Keegan, The Business Bank, $417,000. Robin Ottoway, MERS/UBS Mortgage, $500,000. David Buchter, First Tennessee Bank, $391,200. Chestnuthill Township Robert Villano, GMAC Mortgage, $268,800. Norris and Jillian Minor, MERS/Countrywide, $283,000. Joseph and Nina Alberti and Gregory Briner, MERS/National Penn Bank, $500,000. James Kern Sr., MERS/Lafayette Bank, $325,000. Jackett and Kramer Mgmt., Marlene Sensale, $425,000. Peter and Aneta Lotrean, National City Bank, $360,000. Ricky and Karen Samuels, MERS/Taylor Bean & Whitaker Mortgage, $309,000. Robert and Jennifer Ducalo, MERS/ Flagstar Bank, $409,600. Pasquale and Jennie Cona, AFC Reverse Mortgage, $300,240. Pasquale and Jennie Cona, Housing & Urban Development, $300,240. Coolbaugh Township James Richardson and Elizabeth Taleporos, MERS/Countrywide Bank, $286,400. Louis and Patricia Gambino, MERS/Countrywide Bank, $285,000. Stanley and Gayle Harmer, Wachovia Bank, $350,000. Robert and Leslie Rigby, ABN Amro Mortgage, $290,000. Alberto and Zandra Quine, MERS/Countrywide, $275,580. Leon Grey Jr., National City Bank, $270,200. East Stroudsburg Borough Samuel and Sander Gilmete, MERS/Countrywide, $284,900. Claude and Tamayo Mollenthiel, National City Bank, $263,840. Eldred Township Joseph and Jane Parlegreco, MERS/First Residential Mortgage Network, $255,000. Hamilton Township Marino and Linda Santarelli, Wachovia Bank NA, $250,000. George and Lillian Hendry, MERS/Hometown Security, $265,000. Stanley Petko, MERS/Cardinal Financial, $340,000. Jane George and Nelson Lauver, World Savings Bank, $280,000. Jackson Township Douglas and Ursula Myers, JP Morgan Chase Bank, $296,000. Anthony Hendricks, MERS/Lincoln Mortgage, $265,050. Victor and Yolanda Villalta, MERS/Countrywide Bank, $281,690. Middle Smithfield Township Charles and Maria Degennaro, Wells Fargo Bank, $256,825. Kathleen Saal and Edwin Doerr, Wachovia Bank NA, $250,000. HRP Corp., Textron Financial Corp., $12,000,000. Laurette, Robert and Ivette Chartock, MERS/M&T Bank, $303,300. Roger and Teresa Kuntz, Keystone Nazareth Bank & Trust, $300,000. Aurelio and Jessica Jiminez, MERS/Countrywide, $283,500. Francis Dunnery and Erica Brilhart, MERS/TBI Mortgage, $308,000. Thomas Ansilio Jr., Anthony and Rita Mecca, $349,000. Seymour Portes and Andrea Ridore-Portes, GMAC Mortgage, $378,000. Christopher and Ellen Spara, MERS/Citimortgage, $415,920. Miggy’s Corp Six, Citizen’s Bank of PA, $4,000,000. Simone and Kyle Bridgeforth, JP Morgan Chase Bank, $275,000. Paradise Township Marvin and Melissa Hodges, MERS/National Bank of Kansas City, $382,291. Glenn and Cynthia Matthews, MERS/Wall Street Financial Corp., $285,000. Pocono Township Gregory Mussinch and Stacy Wolf, MERS/Indymac Bank, $338,550. Kirk Dennis, MERS/ Countrywide Bank, $467,730. Mark and Lucy Niedzielski, MERS/First Bank, $382,500. Steven Rivera and Natalie Duque, MERS/Equifirst Corp., $279,000. Jimmy Schlier, PNC Bank NA, $275,000. GII Property Holdings/CMMC Holdings, Community Bank and Trust, $660,000. Kurt and Concetta Disbrow, Chase Bank, $346,500. Alexander and Nancy Holtzman, Penn Business Credit, $2,580,000. Merdine Morris-Scantling, MERS/Countrywide Bank, $251,750. Alexander Holtzman / Summit Lanes, Penn Security Bank & Trust, $2,100,000. Jin Kim, JP Morgan Chase Bank, $300,000. Polk Township Amrish and Pratixa Patel, MERS/Countrywide, $277,600. Stephen and Nancy Dougherty, Mauch Chunk Trust Co., $263,700. Deven Holland, MERS/Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Group, $261,000. Antonio and Maria Mirassol, MERS/Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Group, $328,000. Price Township William Ulma and Amy Serafin, GMAC Mortgage Co., $405,460. Michael and Bianca Matyi, PNC Mortgage, $300,240. Michael and Bianca Matyi, Housing and Urban Development, $300,240. MG09/Jonathan Greenwald and Robert Maynard, Gelt Financial Corp., $420,000. Chandler and Julio Hernandez, MERS/Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Group, $337,250. Ross Township Stephen and Nancy Tinker, MERS/Franklin First Financial, $350,000. Jaime Bastidas, National City Bank, $417,000. Beverly and Clifton Chambers, Countrywide Bank, $270,000. Smithfield Township Mountain Manor Development Co., JP Morgan Chase Bank, $256,000. Moses Karanja and Florence Choge, MERS/Countrywide, $405,000. Anthony and Danielle Rossi, MERS/Fairfield Mortgage, $270,000. Kuang Cheng and H Sueh Wu-Cheng, MERS/Suntrust Mortgage, $635,000. Vincent and Joann Costa, MERS/Equity One Inc., $447,225. Stroud Township Anthony Henry and Constance Bradley, MERS/ NVR Mortgage Finance, $340,150. Joseph Walewangko and Jennifer Huebner, JP Morgan Chase Bank, $284,000. Felicia Hamilton, MERS/Countrywide Home Loans, $320,150. JAR Ventures, Public Savings Bank, $397,500. Keith and Charlene Bishop, National City Bank, $366,295. Regina Bryson and Regina Britten, Countrywide Bank, $282,300. Franklin and Carmen Flores, MERS/ Countrywide Bank, $266,749. Leonardo and Marisel Bullaro, MERS/Countrywide, $310,000. George and Jacquelyn Swayze, MERS/Bayrock Mortgage, $301,500. Lorraine and Frank Gaspar, MERS/Countrywide, $319,400. Camille Grant, GMAC Mortgage, $273,890. Michael and Donna Sullivan, MERS/Indymac Bank, $332,500. Manan and Purvi Desai, Bank of America, $279,300. Jaime and Ruth Jaramillo, MERS/Franklin American Mortgage Co., $255,000. Stroud Township Forte Inc., PNC bank NA, $3,700,000. Andrew Chagin, MERS/First Residential Mortgage Network, $312,000. John and Jennie Rossi, Housing and Urban Development, $292,500. John and Jennie Rossi, Indymac Bank/Financial Freedom Senior Funding, $292,500. LTS Development, M&T Bank, $6,570,000. Tobyhanna Township Kathleen Giovannelli, MERS/Freedom Mortgage Corp., $274,500. Kareem Adams, Wells Fargo, $274,550. Michael Angst, MERS/Countrywide Bank, $1,046,500. Trudi Bisono, Wells Fargo Bank, $277,851. Richard and Kim Katzenback, ABN AMro Mortgage, $250,000. Bradley and Caroline Graham, Penn Security Bank, $417,000. Alexander Holtzman, Penn Business Credit, $2,580,000. Alexander Holtzman, Penn Business Credit, $2,580,000. Eric and Patricia Bergstrom, Wachovia Bank NA, $250,000. Christian Charity Foundation, Citizens and Northern Bank, $402,000. David and Emma Wengerd, Citizens and Northern Bank, $402,000. Tunkhannock Township Anthony and June Scimonelli, MERS/Quicken Loans, $351,000. Pike County Pike County Mortgages Blooming Grove Township Gem Partners Development LLC, Pennstar Bank, 23 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 PBJ REGISTER $620,000. Herman Frederick, MERS/Countrywide, $288,000. Glen and Marianne Dykstra, Countrywide Bank FSB, $321,000. Delaware Township Mark and Loretta Wolsiefer, MERS/Countrywide, $313,500. Robert and Alina Hans, Vertical Lend Inc., $382,500. Robert and Alina Hans, Housing and Urban Development., $382,500. Dylan DeSantis, MERS/GMAC Mortgage, $280,000. Peter and Mary Boyle, Sussexmortgage.com, $268,000. Dingman Township Vannatta Realty & Builders, Sussex Bank, $360,000. Barbara Daggett and David Webster, MERS/Countrywide, $295,000. Howard Briendel, GMAC Mortgage/MERS, $417,500. Michael Deperi, Proponent Federal Credit Union, $360,000. Donald Eichele and Deborah Reynolds, Washington Mutual Bank, $284,000. Ira and Beverly Miller, National City Mortgage, $277,210. Jonathan Coscia, MERS/USAA FSB, $275,000. Greene Township Michele and Mark Lafave, MERS/Lehman Brothers Bank FSB, $437,000. Jeffrey and Deborah Purdy, Bank of America, $585,000. Peter and Kristen Keller, MERS/Mortgage Line Financial Corp, $251,062. Thomas and Kelly Johnson, MERS/Countrywide, $417,000. Margie Sigler, MERS/New Day Financial, $504,000. Lackawaxen Township Kathleen and Pat Campanaro, MERS/Countrywide, $263,150. Faynette Sherlock, MERS, $368,000. Patrice Capo, MERS/Countrywide, $256,000. Michael and Allison Mancino, MERS/ Countrywide, $600,000. Christopher and Christy Girard, Bank of America, $257,600. Jadwin Associates, Dime Bank, $2,300,000. William and Marie Bouchery, AFC Reverse Mortgage, $315,000. William and Marie Bouchery, Housing and Urban Development, $315,000. Lehman Township Richard and Teresa Bauer, Household Finance Consumer Discount Co, $275,530. Thomas and Paulette Davidowski, MERS/Equity One, $360,000. Matamoras Borough Kathleen and Aaron Churchill, MERS/HSBC Mortgage, $261,300. Milford Borough John Klemeyer, Wayne Bank, $750,000. Milford Township Mark and Jodi Weems, MERS/TBI Mortgage, $260,000. Julio Santos, Wayne Bank, $500,000. Palmyra Township Kevin and Dianne Cherry, Wachovia Bank, $500,000. Randi Brooks Borger, Wayne Bank, $750,000. Mark and Connie Kolodzieski, MERS/Freedom Mortgage Corp, $368,000. James Gumble, Gumble Brothers Inc, $300,000. Daniel and Loriann Russo, JP Morgan Chase Bank, $388,000. Westfall Township Township of Westfall, Dime Bank, $2,000,000. Olga Mendez, MERS/Morgageit Inc., $275,600. Wayne County Berlin Township John and Steven Kiesendahl, Dime Bank, $417,000. Rose Stachowiak, Honesdale National Bank, $260,000. Buckingham Township Wall Street Lodge Inc, Old Forge Bank, $350,000. Camp Morasha Inc, Dime Bank, $1,300,000. Camp Morasha Inc, Dime Bank, $250,000. Kevin Schrader, Honesdale National Bank, $1,000,000. Canaan Township Stanton and Elizabeth Rush, Community Bank & Trust, $325,000. Clinton Township Dreher Township Betty and Stephen Rudowsky, Wells Fargo Bank, $300,240. Betty and Stephen Rudowsky, Housing and Urban Development, $300,240. Jodi and William Wagner, MERS, $268,800. Dyberry Township Francene and John Vendetti, Honesdale National Bank, $445,000. Honesdale Borough Eric and Mary Anne Linde, Dime Bank, $2,300,000. Wayne County Historical Society, Wayne Bank, $250,000. Lake Township Hilda and Gregory Maietta, MERS, $296,000. Danielle and Gilberto Sierra, Chase Bank USA, $256,000. Arthur and Eleanor Shelko, Amwest Capitol Mortgage, $300,240. Arthur and Eleanor Shelko, Housing and Urban Development, $300,240. Gary and Kathleen Enslin, Honesdale National Bank, $250,000. David and Judy Ziembicki, MERS, $655,000. Barbara Burlingame, MERS, $333,000. Manchester Township Union Lake Hotel Company Inc, Dime Bank, $2,000,000. Mount Pleasant Township Charles Clark, Honesdale National Bank, $350,000. Lee and Diane Erdman, MERS, $283,650. Oregon Township John and Jennifer O’Reilly, Citibank, $480,200. Palmyra Township John and Steven Kiesendahl, Dime Bank, $417,000. Paupack Township Carol and Martin Buss, Wachovia Bank, $266,000. Peter Vanschaick, Novaris Federal Credit Union, $336,000. Michael and Margaret Norton, Wells Fargo Bank, $417,000. Raymond and Mary Hutt, MERS, $409,000. Wayne and Kathleen Degan, Team Capital Bank, $395,250. Preston Township One I L Inc, Dime Bank, $500,000. Camp Morasha Inc, Dime Bank, $1,300,000. Camp Morasha Inc, Dime Bank, $250,000. Kevin Schrader, Honesdale National Bank, $1,000,000. Salem Township Joan York, MERS, $250,000. Adam Zengel, Pennstar Bank, $250,000. Charles and Diane Durkin, Citibank, $250,000. Brian Chapman, Penn Security bank & Trust, $250,000. South Canaan Township David and Judy Ziembicki, MERS, $655,000. Waymart Borough Ali Haxhaj, MERS, $351,000. New Corporations / Fictitious Names Carbon County Environmental Technical Services, Environmental Restoration, 613 White St., PO Box 206, Bowmanstown, McClean, Karen and Shrout, David. EVB Property Management, Real Estate, 24 Spokane Road, Albrightsville, England, Hilary J and Mark Van Buskirk. Jadam Property Solutions, Real Estate Management / Maintenance, 1845 Hemlock Drive, Lehighton, Jadam Construction, Inc. and Zielinski, Gerald J. KMF Contracting, Carpentry/Roofing, 2250 Church Hill Road. Macolson Truck & Vehicle Repair, Vehicle Repair, 18 W. Fell St, Summit Hill, Taschler Jr, Charles R. Maleski Electric, Electrical Construction, 686 Brenkman Drive, Weatherly, Maleski, Mark. One Love Foundation, Support Business Childrens Orphanage & Schools, 240 West Hazard St., Summit Hill, Mecrlatorn, Jay and Stianchie, Maria. Sharp As Nails, Laser Engraved Gifts, 90 Cardinal Dr., Lehighton, Nametko, Barbara E. Sounds Good Music & More, Resale of Music, 236 Delaware Avenue 1st Floor, Palmerton, Zwack, Richard. Tiki Tans, Tanning Salon, 279 A Delaware Avenue, Palmerton, Hodes, Lisa K. Twin Builders, Home Building and Remodeling, PO Box 144/2581 State Route 903, Albrightsville, Lignore, Scott and Lignore, Shawn. Monroe County Alpha Building Solutions, Inc., Cleaning service, 688 Blue Mountain Lake, East Stroudsburg. B&S Latin Multiservice, Inc., Income Tax Preparation, International Money Transfers, Translation Services, 217 North 9th Street, Stroudsburg. BTH Inc., Consulting, 54 Keystone Road, East Strouds- burg. CHIS, Inc., Home Inspections, 2650 Drive, Blakeslee. Chohan Inc., Gas Station, Convenience Store, RT 715 and RT 611, Tannersville. Curran Management Service, Inc., Consulting, 10 Empire Plaza, Stroudsburg. DSD Roofing and Construction, Inc., General Construction, 36 Mount Nebo Road, East Stroudsburg. Internet, Sales and Customer Services Support, Inc., Marketing Services, RT 903 East, Blakeslee. Naseer and Sons Inc., Real Estate, RT 715 and RT 611, Tannersville. Pocono ATV and Small Engine Repair Inc., Sales and Repair Services, 210 Michael Lane, Stroudsburg. Queensboro Flooring P.A. Corp., Flooring, 7005 Route 611, Unit 4, Stroudsburg. R and K Certified Travel Inc., Travel Planning Services, 2 Charley Drive, East Stroudsburg. The Bread Master Inc., Bread Delivery, 109 Allan Drive, Effort. The Pocono Home Show Inc., Real Estate, 47 Manor Drive, Stroudsburg. The Tom Stephens Agency, Inc., Financial Services, Lot 5 B, Jay Park, Marshalls Creek. Transaction Specialist Association, Inc., Financial Services, Marshalls Creek. United Hispanic Construction Corp., Construction, 217 N 9th St, Stroudsburg. A & R Excavating, Tree Removal, Lawn Excavation & Maintenance, Home repairs, painting, 1217 Hellers Ln., Long Pond, Amato, Michelle. A.C.T. Enterprises, Internet sales, 26 Serfass Road PO Box 555, Gilbert, Parascando, Ann Marie. Aralnin’s, Cleaning Business, 501 Penn Estates, East Stroudsburg, Bocchino, Kathleen S and Steven. Betty’s An American Diner, Restaurant, 44 Woodland Rd., Mount Pocono, Mount Airy #1 LLC. BTH, Consulting, 54 Keystone Road, East Stroudsburg, Ho, Binh. Create-a-Scape, Landscaping, 701 Thomas St., Stroudsburg, Werkheiser, Jerome. Dave (The Wiz) Muller, Commercial equipment repair, 903 B Service Road, Effort, A. Wiz, Inc. Deano Designs, Remodeling/Construction, HC 87 BOX 169 Y-1, Pocono Lake, D’Abazzio, Richard and Deano, Jon. Deer Daves Hunting Gear, Hunting Equipment and Accessories, 1003 Mountain Rd., Effort, Burdee, David E. Drew’s Lawn Care & Landscaping, Lawn Care/Landscaping, 1111 Titania Road, Tobyhanna, Lesso, Andrew, Jr. Eunikue Fashion, Custom Made Clothing, RR 7 - 7097 Ross More Drive, Saylorsburg, Placide, Marie Claire. Fornaro’s Transport, Motor carrier- hauling refrigerated and general freight, 23 Travis Drive, East Stroudsburg, Fornaro, Nofrio F., Jr. Gary in the Morning, Radio Broadcasting & Marketing, Internet news & services & event planning, RR 3 Box 3232 Mountainview Drive, Stroudsburg, Smith, Gary. Gray Matter Communications, Public Relations & Event Planning, HC 1 - Box 15-C, Pocono Park Lane, Swiftwater, Gray, Lee. Gypsies, Bar/Nightclub, 44 Woodland Rd, Mount Pocono, Mount Airy Lodge #1 LLC. H.G. Fix All, Construction, 433 Hawthorne Terrace, Stroudsburg, Garcia, Humberto. H.I.R.E.S., Home Improvement and Repairs, PO BOX 74, Upper Seese Hill Rd., Canadensis, Brush, Lynn L. and Manhart, Leona. In The Wind Jewelry Design, Making and Selling of Jewelry, RR3 Box 624 Church Road, Kunkletown, Keesler, Gina. Koei-Kan Karate Pocono Summit Dojo, Martial Arts, 703 Rt. 940 Unit 3 & 4, Pocono Summit, Amadeo, Patricia, L & F Framing & Drywall, steel framing / drywall / suspended ceilings / doors, 221 Evergreen Circle, Tobyhanna, Musto, Louis J. and Sidman, Frank. Le Sorelle Cucina, Restaurant, 44 Woodland Rd., Mount Pocono, Mount Airy Lodge #1 LLC. Lee’s Boutique, Retail Store, 44 Woodland Rd., Mount Pocono, Mount Airy Lodge #1 LLC. Lord’s Catering, Mobile Food Vendor, RD 4 Box 4108, Mills Road, Saylorsburg, Branstetter, Linda. Monroe County Recycling Center of Pa., Recycling, 541 Scott St., Stroudsburg, 33 SALVAGE, LLC. Mount Airy Casino Resort, Casino/Hotel, 44 Woodland Rd., Mount Pocono, Mount Airy Lodge #1 LLC. Mount Airy Shoppe, Retail Store, 44 Woodland Rd., Mount Pocono, Mount Airy Lodge #1 LLC. Mountain View Vineyard, Vineyard, 1220 Neola Road, Stroudsburg, Rice, Randall A. P&C General Construction, Home improvements, 1013 Cambell Way, Tobyhanna, Polanco, Antonio B. Passionate Memories, Event Planner, RR 7 Box 7666, Stroudsburg, Mangan, Juanita D. Pocono Living Magazine, Magazine Publication, 1929 North 5th St., Stroudsburg, Monroe Realty Services Inc. Red Steak House, Restaurant, 44 Woodland Rd., Mount Pocono, Mount Airy Lodge #1 LLC. Rejuvenation Massage Therapy, Massage Therapy, 75 Crystal St., East Stroudsburg, Van Leuvan, Kristie Anne. Right on Radon Services, Radon Testing, RR 21 BOX 6326, 104 Hidden Lake Dr., East Stroudsburg, Przebieglec, Stephanie. Royal Web Designs, Info Tech Services, 5512 Bridle Rd., Stroudsburg, Rosol, Michael. The Diabetic Sock Hut, Website Sales of Diabetic Socks, HC 87 Box 6, Pocono Coming Next Month ... December 2007 Lake, Lafevre, Debbie A. The Glass Bar, Bar/ Lounge, 44 Woodland Rd., Mount Pocono, Mount Airy Lodge #1 LLC. The Grrls Click Investment Club, Investing, 120 Berwick Heights Road, East Stroudsburg, Behman-Drayer, Trish, Benfante, Jean, Kocher, Donna, McCrohon, Caryn, O’Brein, Kelly, and Stein, Marcia. The News Stand, News Stand and Retail Store, 44 Woodland Rd, Mount Pocono, Mount Airy Lodge #1 LLC. The Spa at Mount Airy, Spa, 44 Woodland Rd, Mount Pocono, Mount Airy Lodge #1 LLC. Wizdome, Mail Order, 12409 Mountain Laurel Drive, East Stroudsburg, Sapienza, James and Leah. Pike County AAJS, Inc., Acquisition & Operation of Aircraft, 2741 Hemlock Farms, Lords Valley. E. Vincent Enterprises, Inc., Business Management Company, 637 St. Rte. 739, Suite 5, Lords Valley. GJT Enterprises Inc., Transportation Services, Greentown. IMTI Systems, Inc., Computer Based Business, 100 Sunny Court, Lackawaxen. S, L & V Inc., Dry cleaning and laundromat, 307 W. Harford St., Milford. A To Z Jobbing, small jobs: yard work, clean-up, odd jobs, 1419 Section 2 St. Andrews Drive, Janssen Jr., Albert and Janssen Sr., Albert. Autumn Treasures, online sales, auctions, 4001 Conashaugh Lakes,248 Seneca Drive, Milford, VanHorn, Donna Lynn. Eglise de Dieu Mont des Oliviers de Pocono, Church, 1509 Pine Ridge, Hillaire, William and Marfrancosi, Wag. Fetch and Fix, Synthetic motor oils & lubricant sales, 100 Willow Ave., Matamoras, Doughman, Jeffrey and Judee. J D Contracting, Home improvement, 103 Magnolia Lane, Dingmans Ferry, Dipietro, Joseph S. LBK Enterprise, Cell phones/ communication, 1831 Route 739, Dingmans Ferry, Luciano, Kathleen. Limo’s R Us, Transportation services, 130 Estates Road, Greentown, GJT Enterprises, Inc: Irish, George Ruffalo, Joseph Ruffalo, Thomas. Pregnant Dog Rescue, Dog rescuing, 345 RT 447, Newfoundland, Mesko, Cynthia. Quick Fix Roofing, Repair, replace roofing, 125 Ash Lane, Milford, Hernandez, Stefaine A. Stevenson Window Company, Window Installation, HCR 67 Box 193, Dingmans Ferry, Stevenson, Jon Tyler. Visual Endeavors, Computer visualization services, 122 Chippy Cole Road, Milford, Sheppard, Joanne M and Wilen, Wendy J. Wayne County EK Angel Investment Corporation, Investment Properties, 126 Milanville Rd., Beach Lake. Glass Pond One, Ltd., Real Estate Development & Mgmt, 162 Smith Farm Road, Honesdale. J & L Construction Consultants Inc., Consulting, 125 White Tail Lane, Lake Ariel. M. Schwartz Home Improvements, Inc., Construction, 226 Beach Lake Highway, Honesdale. MJB Enterprises Incorporated, Garden Center and Landscaping, 1446 Hamlin Highway, Lake Ariel. Mom’s Auto Sales, Inc., Unknown, 22 Village Road, Beach Lake. Slab Castle, Inc., Real Estate Holding Company, 23 North Road, Mount Pleasant. Visual Image Productions Inc., Multi media production, 130 Shady Lane, Honesdale. Beach Lake Bread, bread bakery, 258 Milanville Road, Beach Lake, Hason, Jennifer. Green Demolitions-Honesdale, retail sales of secondary market kitchens / baths, 45 Brown St., Daley, Angela A and Stephen. News Eagle, Newspaper publishing, 307 Main St., Hawley, Gate House Media Pennsylvania Holdings, Inc. Protek 1, Electronic component installation services, 376 Crestmont Dr., Newfoundland, Zmuda, Adam. Provisions Home and Garden, Selling of antiques, RR 402 Box 103, Hawley, Fox, Peter L. The Independent Extra, Newspaper publishing, 220 8th Street, Honesdale, Gate House Media Pennsylvania Holdings, Inc. The Wayne Independent, Newspaper publishing, 220 8th Street, Honesdale, Gate House Media Pennsylvania Holdings, Inc. Wallenpaupack Garden Center, Retail garden center, 87 Dewberry Drive, Hawley, Weiss, Karla. Your Way Travel Agency, Home based travel agency, RR 1 - Box 1864, Beach Lake, Rake, Cynthia M. MERS = Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Disclaimer: Deeds and mortgages are recorded as accurately as possible adhering to the cover dates in the County Recorders’ office. POCONO www.pbjonline.com Regional Business News & Resources Reflections and Projections www.pbjonline.com • Affordable Housing: How the issue is affecting the housing market in the Poconos • Transportation Update: Bridges, roads, The Train • Businesses Look Ahead: Goals for the New Year • County-by-County Project Update: Economic development in progress • Professional Profile on Wall Street West: The Synchrium Group, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, and the business continuity industry; plus fresh feedback from NYC 24 Pocono Business Journal | November 2007 www.pbjonline.com/blog POCONO www.pbjonline.com Regional Business News & Resources Informs | Inquires | Inspires Informs readers monthly with in-depth features, business profiles and events. Inquires to provide regional business news. Inspires business professionals in the Pocono region. Route 209, RR#5, Box 5198, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 www.pbjonline.com | 570.421.0100
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