McCarthy Flowers Expands McCarthy Group Florists, headquartered in Lackawanna County since 1952, acquired Peoples Flowers in Albuquerque, NM in July, a four store floral operation opened in 1944. Peoples Flowers is the largest florist in New Mexico, and brings the 10th state to McCarthy Group Florists’ footprint, President Kevin McCarthy announced. It brings McCarthy locations to 26 nationally, and McCarthy remains the largest family owned Florist in the country. McCarthy Flowers was founded by Bud McCarthy in 1952, who was joined by his father Ernest. Bud’s son Brian took control in 1987, and fourth generation Kevin became President in 2020. The McCarthy Group employs over 500 nationally with 80 plus delivery vans, and handles finance and accounting in Lackawanna County for the group. Kevin states that “critical mass” for increased Buying Power is paramount. McCarthy Flowers began importing flowers directly. Kevin McCarthy states that the “additional critical mass” added to McCarthy Group Florists with these new acquisitions continue to keep McCarthy’s relevant and dominant in the retail floral industry.
Wayne Bank Employee Honored as Future Under 40 Award Winner Steven Daniels, Wayne Bank’s Senior Vice President and Director of Consumer Banking, was announced as a winner of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association’s (“PA Bankers”) Future Under 40 Awards. The Future Under 40 Award recognizes influential senior leaders who inspire and promote the growth of young professionals in their industry. They are honored as young leaders who have made a tremendous impact in their institution, community, and industry. Steven Daniels, Wayne Bank’s Senior Vice President and Director of Consumer Banking, was announced as a winner of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association’s (“PA Bankers”) Future Under 40 Awards. The Future Under 40 Award recognizes influential senior leaders who inspire and promote the growth of young professionals in their industry. They are honored as young leaders who have made a tremendous impact in their institution, community, and industry. Mr. Daniels joined Wayne Bank in 2011 and has held various roles during his tenure. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, is a graduate of the PBA Advanced School of Banking and is presently enrolled in the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. In addition to serving as Co-Chair of the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, Mr. Daniels is also the Co-Chair of the Talent and Financial Development Committee of Wayne Tomorrow, as well as past President of the Honesdale Area Jaycees. A lifelong resident of Wayne County, he resides in Milanville with his wife, Ali, and son, Russell. Jim Donnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Bank stated, “Steve has played a key leadership role in driving Wayne Bank’s consumer banking products and services. His guidance, expertise, and commitment to our customers have helped ongoing initiatives to grow the Bank and support shareholder value. Under his leadership, our consumer banking division has made significant advancements in high-tech financial solutions while maintaining our relationship-based banking standard for our customers. He is extremely deserving of this award, and we are proud to celebrate his recognition.” PA Bankers has been bringing banks and bankers together for more than 125 years to learn, grow, serve, and engage with their peers, communities, and lawmakers. The association has built a strong reputation as a leading advocate for pro-banking policies at the state and federal levels, as well as the delivery of quality education, products and services for banks of all sizes and their employees. Wayne Bank is a subsidiary of Norwood Financial Corp., Member FDIC, and is located in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The Bank has 29 Community Offices serving Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Lackawanna, and Luzerne Counties in Pennsylvania, along with Delaware, Sullivan, Otsego, Ontario, and Yates Counties in New York, including those offices operating under the Bank of Cooperstown and Bank of the Finger Lakes brands. The stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol— NWFL.
Penn State Scranton Hosts TEC Talk When: Oct 3, 2023, 9:00 am – 11:00 amWhere: Penn State Scranton, Engineering Building Campus Drive, Dunmore, PA 18512 This forum will showcase how Penn State University is helping small-medium manufacturers (SMM) grow their Industry 5.0 workforce and advance their technologies using artificial intelligence. Presentations will feature examples of student/faculty engagement through university-industry partnerships with Penn State’s Center for Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Industry (AIMI), the Nittany AI Alliance, and Penn State Scranton’s Information Systems Technology (IST) and Mechanical Engineering programs. Participants will be asked to share their own needs to inform future partnership initiatives. Following the forum, Dr. Marwan Wafa, Penn State Scranton Chancellor, will host a tour of the new Engineering Building. Refreshments will also be provided. Who should attend: manufacturing industry executives, NEPIRC staff, educators, students, and other economic development professionals. Speakers include: Soundar Kumara, PhD, Allen, E., and Allen, M., Pearce Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and Director of the Center for the Applications of AI & ML to Industry (AIMI) Andy Gatto, Strategic Partner Manager of the Nittany AI Alliance Majid Chastaz, PhD, PE, Mechanical Engineering Program Coordinator at Penn State Scranton Fred Aebli, IT Program Co-Coordinator (Internships), Instructor/Advisor Penn State Scranton Don Webster, Facilitator. Executive Director, tecBRIDGE. About the Northeastern PA Technology, Economy, Community (TEC) Talks In partnership with local industries, non-profit organizations, Penn State faculty, and Penn State Commonwealth Campuses in Northeast Pennsylvania, PennTAP is hosting a forum series designed to spur discussion on emerging technologies and their potential to drive the regional economy, as well as identify use-inspired research and workforce education needs.
NEPIRC RELEASES STATEWIDE MANUFACTURING REPORT Report highlights Pennsylvania as sixth greatest industrial economy in the nation The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) today released its Pennsylvania Manufacturing Industry Report 2023, an in-depth report on the impact of manufacturing across the Commonwealth. NEPIRC researched and produced this report independently of any other organization. “This report objectively presents the most important metrics, trends and measures relative to Pennsylvania’s manufacturing economy and uses unbiased data and rigorous analysis to compare the Commonwealth’s industrial economy to other sectors within the state and to those of our peer group states across the nation,” said Eric Joseph Esoda, president and CEO of NEPIRC, when announcing the publication. Esoda went on to explain that while, for the sake of analysis, the report occasionally presents the manufacturing sector as “vertical” – meaning a sector distinct from other segments of the economy such as agriculture, energy or health care – “manufacturing is actually much more “horizontal” than “vertical” because it is essential to the success of a multitude of other sectors. “Simply put,” said Esoda, “Pennsylvania cannot compete and win in arenas such as aerospace, agribusiness, alternative energy, biotechnology, infrastructure, pharmaceutical readiness or natural resource utilization without the resident manufacturing capability to support those sectors.” The statistics detailed within the report illustrate the importance of manufacturing throughout the Commonwealth. For example, across Pennsylvania manufacturing accounts for: More than $116 billion in Gross State Product (GSP) – or 13.8% of the Commonwealth’s total GSP Over 575,000 full-time jobs Nearly $41 billion in annual wages paid to employees Over $43 billion in exports to other nations. “While impressive in its own right, the data in the report actually understates the true impact of Pennsylvania’s manufacturers because it reflects only the employment, wages, output and economic activity directly related to Pennsylvania’s nearly 15,000 manufacturing firms. Economists recognize that manufacturing has among the highest employment, earnings and sales multiplier effects of any industry – meaning that each dollar of sales and net earnings recorded by a manufacturing firm and each direct manufacturing job supports a multitude of sales, earnings and jobs in downstream industries such as services, transportation and logistics, retail and so forth,” explained Esoda, “So the true impact of our great manufacturers is exponentially higher when those indirect benefits are considered.” The report highlights that over the past 15 years Pennsylvania’s manufacturing output increased by 49.3% – from $77.8 billion to $116.3 billion. That rate of growth surpassed that of competitor states Michigan (39.6%), Ohio (39.6%), North Carolina (28.1%) and New York (22.2%). Pennsylvania’s industrial growth even surpassed that of high-growth states like Indiana (46.9%) and Texas (45.9%). The expansion of Pennsylvania’s manufacturing economy also enabled the state to move from the eighth largest industrial economy in the nation to the sixth largest. In addition to being the sixth largest goods producing state in the country, Pennsylvania holds the sixth position in terms of number of manufacturing jobs. Except for during the pandemic, Pennsylvania has consistently added manufacturing jobs and has risen to become home to nearly 4.5% of America’s total advanced manufacturing workforce. Nearly one in ten working Pennsylvanians report to a manufacturing profession each workday. Each of those workers share in $41 billion in wages paid annually and exceptional benefits packages, which frequently include employee-sponsored retirement plans, healthcare coverage, tuition assistance and generous paid vacations and holidays. NEPIRC published the report as part of its ongoing efforts to support the manufacturing industry, raise awareness of manufacturing careers and keep the manufacturing support programs at the forefront of the minds of legislators and policy makers. “It’s sometimes easy to overlook a cornerstone of our economy that has upheld the Commonwealth for decades in favor of things that seem more trendy or glamorous on the surface but generate only a fraction of the benefits and impact,” said Esoda. “Our intention with this report is to ensure that leaders across Pennsylvania recognize the criticality of our manufacturing industry and the value of the programs and entities that contribute to their enhanced competitiveness, resiliency and success in a global economy,” he added. NEPIRC is one of seven Industrial Resource Centers (IRCs) across Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania IRC Program, supported by the Manufacturing PA initiative within the Pennsylvania Department of Commerce, represents the Commonwealth’s flagship program for enhancing the vibrancy, strength and growth of the Commonwealth’s small and mid-sized manufacturers. The IRCs are also supported by the National Institute of Standards & Technology as Manufacturing Extension Partnership affiliates. According to the report, over the past 10 years, Pennsylvania IRC clients have realized the following benefits by working with their local Center: $1.76 billion in top-line growth $5 billion in retention of at-risk sales $846 million in operating cost savings 55,477 jobs created and retained. The IRCs also enabled their clients to invest nearly $2 billion in expansion, modernization and workforce upskilling in Pennsylvania over the past 10 years. The complete 20-page Pennsylvania Manufacturing Industry Report 2023 can be viewed on and downloaded from the NEPIRC website, www.nepirc.com. Hard copies are also available by contacting NEPIRC. For questions about the report, and for more information, please contact Eric Joseph Esoda via email at Eric@NEPIRC.com. NEPIRC is a not-for-profit organization providing world-class technical, engineering, consultative, and training services to small and mid-sized manufacturers across an 11-county region of northeastern, northern and parts of central Pennsylvania. More information can be found at www.NEPIRC.com or via email to Eric Joseph Esoda at Eric@NEPIRC.com. Download Report
NeighborWorks Northeast Pennsylvania Receives Grant from PPL Foundation NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania is pleased to announce it has received a $2,500 grant from the PPL Foundation. These funds will support the Smart Home Technology for Older Adults program. The Smart Home Technology for Older Adults program, a part of NeighborWorks’ Aging in Place program, which provides accessibility and critical safety modifications to older adults, allowing them to continue living safely and independently in their homes and communities. This program is made possible through a partnership with the University of Scranton’s Occupational Therapy Department and Lackawanna College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program. The program includes the installation of smart home technology items such as Echo Shows, Ring Doorbells, Smart Plugs, Alexa units, and exterior solar lights. These devices enhance safety and independence for older adults, helping them with tasks like identifying visitors at the door, turning on lights, and setting medication reminders. Mary Endrusick, NeighborWorks’ Aging in Place Manager, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “The installation of these smart home devices will significantly improve the safety and quality of life for older adults in our community. We are grateful for the generous support of the PPL Foundation in making this program possible.” About NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania:NeighborWorks is a nonprofit organization that has worked for more than 40 years to increase the financial stability of families and individuals by providing programs and services that create and preserve responsible homeownership and affordable housing throughout the City of Scranton, Lackawanna County and Northeastern Pennsylvania. With programs including homeownership coaching and education, aging in place, home renovation services, and neighborhood revitalization initiatives, NeighborWorks is deeply ingrained in the community. More information about NeighborWorks can be found at www.nwnepa.org. About the PPL Foundation:The PPL Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization formed to support community initiatives in the areas served by PPL Corporation’s utilities. Through strategic partnerships, the PPL Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that are engaged in innovative and groundbreaking work to create vibrant, sustainable communities; advance diversity, equity and inclusion; and support children’s success from cradle to career in both Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Learn more at pplcares.com.
Keystone College Hosts Homecoming and Family Weekend Keystone College will unite the past and the present with Homecoming and Family Weekend October 6-7 on campus. The weekend offers a great opportunity for alumni to reunite with former classmates for a wide variety of events and activities and for families of Keystone students to celebrate as a college community. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit: www.keystone.edu/homecoming. Homecoming and Family Weekend committee members meeting to plan the event are, from left: Megan Mould, Lucy McConkey, Tim Pryle, Mary Stremski, Scott Gower, Elena O’Connor, Lucas Taylor, Fran Langan, Ed.D., and Sabrina Gray.
Johnson College Offers Welding Courses Johnson College’s Continuing Education Program is enrolling students in its Fundamentals of Welding and Intermediate Welding courses at the Scranton campus. The Fundamentals course will begin on October 5, 2023, followed by the intermediate course beginning on October 19, 2023. The Fundamentals of Welding and Intermediate Welding courses provide specific instruction in Oxy-Fuel, Gas Tungsten Arc (TIG, Gas Metal Arc (MIG), and Shielded Metal Arc (Stick) welding processes. The course consists of 40% theory and 60% hands-on practice. Additional lectures are given on basic metallurgy, welding codes, nondestructive examination, and welding symbols. The fundamentals course fee is $1,870 and includes a PPE kit. The intermediate course fee is $2,750 and includes certification testing fees. The courses can be bundled for a reduced cost of $4,251. To learn more or enroll call 570-702-8979 or email continuinged@johnson.edu. To register for the course, visit johnson.edu/continuingeducation. About Johnson College Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a supportive environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance in their in-demand careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912 and is the region’s only technical college, offering 18 associate degrees, four academic certificates, and over 30 continuing education programs. A low student-to-instructor ratio supports an emphasis on hands-on learning. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus with a satellite campus serving the greater Hazleton area, the College is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional businesses and industries to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.
Exhibitors Featured at Marywood’s Maslow Study Gallery The Marywood University Art Department will unveil “The Maslow Study Gallery Featuring Jasper Johns & Robert Rauschenberg,” an exhibit running from September 16 – October 28, 2023, during an opening reception on September 16, from 2-5 p.m., in conjunction with “The Russell Collection” in Mahady Gallery and “The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Stephen Garrison” in Suraci Gallery. This event will be held in the Maslow Study Gallery for Contemporary Art in the Shields Center for Visual Arts at Marywood University. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public. This exhibition features ten important works by Jasper Johns (b. 1930) and Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) from The Maslow Collection. In showcasing two giants of 20th and 21st century American Art, the exhibition offers an examination of the artists’ fluid use of imagery, language, technique, scale, and material. It also allows for conversation around the generational impact of the artists’ work. Gallery hours for The Maslow Study Gallery are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information on The Maslow Study gallery, go to: marywood.edu/community/galleries/maslow-study-gallery-for-contemporary-art. For additional information about Marywood University’s art galleries, visit marywood.edu/community/galleries or call (570) 348-6278.
The Chamber’s 2023 Legislative Forums The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce two upcoming Legislative Forums. The Forums will feature the Democratic and Republican candidates for the Lackawanna County Commissioner race: Bill Gaughan (D), Matt McGloin (D), Diane Campbell (R), and Chris Chermak (R). These Forums are scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Oct. 5, beginning at 8:30 AM. Hosted by Bob Durkin, president and CEO of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, and Jerry Musheno, chairman of the board of directors for The Chamber, The Legislative Forum will engage candidates in open discussions regarding priority topics that are important to Chamber members and business community. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of the candidate priorities that influence our community’s economic growth. The legislative forum will be held The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, located at 222 Mulberry Street. Member businesses wishing to attend the Forums should register at www.scrantonchamber.com.
