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One S. Church Street, Suite 200, Hazleton, PA 18201      
570.455.1508   570.454.7787    

 

CAN DO News

News and information about CAN DO for the community, investors, volunteers and board members.

CAN DO, along with its entrepreneurial development arm, CAN BE, is partnering with fellow members of Greater Hazleton's Recovery & Resiliencey Task Force to help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce recently announced that it was awarded more than $240,000 in grant funding from Luzerne County to undertake economic development initiatives designed to help small businesses recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and also spur the local economy. The funds are part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding the County received from the state, and complements other initiatives being undertaken by the Greater Wilkes Barre Chamber and its partners.

Best CigarCAN DO presented awards to the companies in its Humboldt, Valmont and McAdoo Industrial Parks, the CAN DO Corporate Center and Humboldt Station who went above and beyond to create an attractive outdoor environment at their facilities through landscaping and grounds maintenance as part of its 13th annual Curb Appeal Awards.

The Curb Appeal Award plaques were presented in the categories of Companies with 1 to 100 employees, Companies with more than 100 employees, Commercial Service, and Commercial – Hotels, Restaurants, Retail.

Best Cigar Pub and Prices was named the overall Curb Appeal Awards winner. Steve’s Lawn Care did the work at the company’s facility in the CAN DO Corporate Center.

Continuing its mission of supporting entrepreneurs and growing companies, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania has awarded funding to two West Hazleton companies located in CAN DO’s Valmont Industrial Park, IntelliGreen and Summit Utility Structures, LLC. Ben Franklin Technology Partners is an organization supported by the Pennsylvania’s Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED).

Minning Mark 4x5Mark Minnig, Business Development Specialist, has received certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) from the National Development Council (NDC), a nationally respected organization that offers community partners throughout the U.S. development assistance and professional training. 

Minnig joined the business development department at CAN DO in April of 2019. Prior to coming to CAN DO he was an Economic Development Analyst for the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) in the Loan Underwriting Department.

For the past several months, Minnig has been assisting companies in obtaining funding through various programs to assist with hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the COVID-19 Pandemic rages on, CAN DO remains actively engaged in current and future funding programs on the federal, state, and local level and continues to offer assistance to local businesses looking for guidance.

CAN DO has been notified by the Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) and local Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), MetroAction, that round one of the COVID-19 Relief PA Statewide Small Business Assistance Program is complete.

Round two, which was originally scheduled to begin on August 3, will now open on August 10 at 9 a.m. and remain open through August 28. Businesses who applied during the first round and were not approved do not need to reapply as their applications will move to round two automatically. Potential applicants should note that this is likely the last round of funding for this program.

Highwood USA hiring WEBIndustries and businesses around the world have certainly felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but at least one company with manufacturing facilities in Hazleton and Hometown has seen increases in product demand as more and more people choose to shelter at home.

Highwood USA, a manufacturer of synthetic outdoor living products touted as a low maintenance realistic alternative to real wood, is experiencing higher demand for their outdoor furniture products. “The recent issues actually have helped us because people are staying home and demand is very high. With everyone not going out to dinner, not going to the movies, not getting their nails done, not going on vacation, everyone in the country has turned to their backyard, so our furniture sales have been extremely strong,” said John Quarmley, Highwood’s chief operating officer.

Governor Tom Wolf announced Thursday that a $50 million grant program has been established through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to assist employers in providing hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CAN DO received an $83,750 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business Development grant program as part of the renovations to be completed at the CAN BE Innovation Center, an equal opportunity provider, located in the Valmont Industrial Park. More specifically, the grant proceeds will be used to purchase furniture, fixtures and equipment.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced on Monday, June 8, that the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is launching a new program to provide direct support to impacted small businesses to help cover the loss of operating expenses they have incurred during the coronavirus shutdown or will encounter in the transition to reopening.

SterenchockJocelynCAN DO Director of Economic Development Jocelyn Sterenchock will speak at the International Business Innovation Association Conference (InBIA), which is being held virtually from June 23-25 due to COVID-19.

Sterenchock will discuss ecosystems for incubation and innovation in rural communities and share how CAN DO, through its CAN BE Innovation Center, and other organizations throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania have placed a strong focus on developing a regional partnership to grow entrepreneurial activity. She will also showcase how The Hazleton Innovation Collaborative (THInC) combined multiple organizations, both public and private, within Hazleton to create a collaborative to help forward small business and entrepreneurial development. In light of changes among businesses and entrepreneurs due to COVID-19, Sterenchock will also discuss how organizations can link ecosystem building to other national, state, and local economic development initiatives.

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