215-348-9031 | 115 WEST COURT STREET | 2ND FLOOR | DOYLESTOWN, PA 1890
SEPTEMBER 2020
SPOTLIGHT ON BUCKS
LAMPIRE Biological Laboratories Fights Against Pandemic
LAMPIRE Biological Laboratories, headquartered in Bucks County, supplies critical reagents to Fortune 100 biotech, pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies around the world. Together with their research and manufacturing partners, LAMPIRE is collaborating to discover solutions to the SARS COV2 pandemic.
LAMPIRE products and services are significant in the fight against the COVID pandemic in many different ways. LAMPIRE’s raw materials and reagents, such as Mouse IgG, and other purified proteins are being used for the manufacture of mass quantities of SARS CoV2 diagnostic tests. In addition, LAMPIRE’s line of Viral Transport Media is being used to store and transport COVID-19 patient specimens for evaluation. Finally, LAMPIRE team members are working with our research partners on polyclonal and monoclonal antibody development programs to develop antibodies for rapid tests that can have results in minutes.
EKL Machine, Bensalem Township was approved to borrow $50,000 from the BCEDC Business Builder Loan Fund for the purposes of working capital. EKL was founded in 1979, they provide tool, design and service for the can manufacturing industry.
BECO Distributors, Inc., Morrisville Borough was approved to borrow $50,000 from the BCEDC Business Builder Loan Fund for the purposes of working capital. Family owned and operated since 1956, Beco Design is an all-inclusive design and build firm that has been creating quality kitchens and bathrooms.
Kind Earth Growers, Nockamixon Township, was approved to borrow $40,000 from the BCEDC Business Builder Loan Fund. Kind Earth Growers is a wholesale nursery for native wetland and dry-site perennials used in ecological restoration, storm-water management and functional landscape.
Time Publishing Newspapers, Inc., Falls Township was approved to borrow $50,000 from the BCEDC Diverse Business Financing Intuitive Fund. The money will be used for working capital. TPN publishes 10 different community newspapers 11 times per year. TPN distributes via direct-mail to every household and business in Central & Lower Bucks County, PA.
Carousel Farms Education Center, Northampton Township was approved to borrow $50,000 from the BCEDC Diverse Business Financing Intuitive Fund. The loan will be used for working capital. Carousel Farm is a summer day program serving teenagers and young adults with learning disabilities (mild intellectual disabilities), and mild autistic spectrum disorders.
Hartwell Warehousing Inc., Bristol was approved to borrow $115,000 from the BCEDC Business Builder Loan Fund. They store and distribute steel products for customers in northeast region of the country. The Hartwell Warehousing Inc., was started in 1981. The company will use the money to purchase and install equipment.
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NOTEWORTHY NEWS
SCORE Bucks County Announces New Board
SCORE Bucks County, a local chapter of a national nonprofit organization focused on mentoring business owners and entrepreneurs, is pleased to announce new leadership.
For the first time in the chapter’s history, the Bucks chapter is being chaired by women. Chairwoman Linda Zangrilli has chosen fellow SCORE mentor Vicki Brown to serve as vice chair.
Brown, who is the owner of Harmony Clean Inc., of Doylestown, has been an active member of SCORE Bucks County for the past five years and has been a key contributor to the chapter’s signature Women Building Businesses workshop, held each year in June. Brown is also a graduate of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses Program.
In addition to Brown, another new female member, Nina DeRosa, has been added to the board as recording secretary. The rest of the nine-person Executive Committee is a mix of familiar as well as new faces. Two of SCORE’s newest members, Wayne King and Edward Tirello, have accepted positions on the board as membership chair and seminar chair, respectively. As Executive Committee members all are tasked with overseeing the operations and performance of the 56-member chapter.
Positions are as follows:
Treasurer: Dick Kroger
Recording secretary: Nina De Rosa
Operations Committee Chair: Al Casadei
Membership Committee Chair: Wayne King
Seminar Committee Chair: Ed Tirello
Technology and Marketing Committee Chair: Charlie Morris
Fundraising Committee Chair: Erwin Michelfelder
Community Outreach Committee Chair: Tony Moore
As a first order of business, Zangrilli has asked executive committee members to formulate goals, a plan of action and develop metrics to measure how objectives are being met.
Three of the committees – Community Outreach, Operations and Fundraising – are either new or revitalized. Community Outreach has been an objective of the chapter in the past but has now been formalized into a new committee, headed by Tony Moore. The purpose of this committee is to develop sustainable, targeted, long-term relationships with Bucks County organizations to support small business in the county, attract new clients and fulfill SCORE’s mission.
The Operations Committee has resurged under Al Casadei’s leadership. This committee will oversee client assignments and mentor engagement. It will utilize the systems provided by SCORE National to ensure that all clients who seek help are contacted immediately and set up with a SCORE mentor to help them achieve their goals.
Fundraising, which consisted of a small group of members in past years, has also been formalized with Erwin Michelfelder, a long-term member of the executive team as committee chair. “Fundraising, this year in particular, has become a very important initiative for the chapter,” said Zangrilli.
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 8.5 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. With 50 members across the county, SCORE Bucks County provides over 1,500 free mentoring services annually to local small business owners through one-on-one counseling and small business seminars. To stay up to date on news and happenings, join SCORE Bucks County’s email list. Text SCOREBUCKS to 22828.
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NOTEWORTHY NEWS
From Small Business Owner to Community Leader: 4 Ways to Make the Leap
Small business owners do more than strengthen their local economies. The most successful business owners also serve as civic leaders, making their communities better places to live and work, while building their own reputations to boot.
It’s no surprise that many entrepreneurs are also community leaders. The same vision and strategy that’s required to execute a business plan can be used to solve community problems from hunger to housing. But if you’re used to working in the private sphere, it can be challenging to know how to put your talents to work for the public good. That’s why we’ve put together these four actionable steps that business owners can take to position themselves as community leaders.
Develop leadership skills
Before you can step up as a community leader, make sure you’re prepared for the role. Community leadership is a big job. In order to do it well, you need to have the right traits:
Integrity
It takes integrity to earn a community’s respect. Business owners who aspire to become community leaders must live according to their values.
Openness
Along with integrity comes the ability to admit when you’re wrong and listen to the input of others—essential skills for any leader.
Vigilance
Leaders also require vigilance to monitor problems and solutions to ensure adherence to the right path.
Courage
More than anything, leaders have to be courageous. It takes courage to stand up against problems and put solutions into action.
Advocate for your community
Now that you’ve primed your leadership skills, it’s time to put them to work. Advocating for your community is one of the simplest things you can do to establish yourself as a local leader. Entrepreneur notes that by taking actions like these, you show that you’re invested in more than your own bottom line:
Focus outward
When outside forces threaten your community, don’t just focus on how it affects your business’s profits. Instead, lift up your business by supporting the community that keeps it alive.
Take small, meaningful actions
From messages of support on social media to showing up to community events, little actions go a long way towards increasing your standing in the community.
Be a good neighbor
Advocating for your community also means advocating for other local businesses. Instead of being hostile to competition, create a business community where everyone can thrive.
Give back
Large companies make a splash with big donations to charitable causes. But for small businesses, it’s hard to find the resources for philanthropy. Luckily, it doesn’t take deep pockets to make a big impact in your local community. Here are four ways (plus more!) that local businesses can give back.
Target small, local charities
Small donations don’t make much of a dent in a national charity’s bottom line, but those same dollars go a lot further when given to local charities.
Give in-kind
Even if funds are tight, small business owners can contribute professional services, space, goods, or volunteer labor to local causes.
Join a board
One of the most valuable resources local business owners can offer is their time. Joining a nonprofit board of directors is an impactful way to share your expertise.
Encourage volunteering
Business owners can also give time by allowing employees to volunteer for a local cause on the clock.
Create a culture of philanthropy
Volunteer time off is just one way that local businesses can create a culture of philanthropy. To foster a company culture that strengthens your business and your community, Inc. recommends adopting these business practices.
Volunteer as a team
Company volunteer days create stronger communities and stronger teams. Volunteering as an organization is also an excellent way to build local visibility.
Cover or match employee donations
Allocating a giving bonus to each employee or matching donations up to a certain amount keeps employees engaged in giving back.
Adopt fair labor practices
One of the best ways for small businesses to show their commitment to community betterment is by paying a fair wage to the local residents they employ.
Becoming a community leader isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes time to earn the recognition and respect of your community, just as it takes time to enact meaningful change. But by taking these steps to demonstrate your commitment to the local community, you can start creating positive change in the place where you live and work.
Amy Collet is the creator of Bizwell.org, a website that helps professionals and entrepreneurs build and strengthen their personal brand. When she’s not busy with helping her clients, she enjoys coaching her daughter’s soccer team and is training to become a yoga instructor.
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COMPANIES ON THE MOVE
New Castle Building Products Leases 40,400 Sq. Ft. in Bensalem, Bucks County, PA
Roddy Inc., the Bensalem, PA industrial and commercial real estate brokerage firm, announced that it represented New Castle Building Products in leasing a one-story building of approx. 40,400 sq. ft. situated on 2.3 acres located at 2525 State Road, Bensalem, Bucks County, PA.
The modern one-story masonry and steel building is heated and sprinklered throughout and offers clear ceiling heights of 22’6”, 6 tailgate docks, a drive-in door, 65’ x 20’ column spacing, approximately 23,500 sq. ft. of office space, and parking for approximately 120 cars.
Roddy advised that the term lease calls for an aggregate rental in excess of $1 million.
Strategically situated between the Street Road and Woodhaven Road interchanges of I-95, the property offers convenient access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Exit 351/Bensalem) as well as Route 1 and the Betsy Ross Bridge and Tacony–Palmyra Bridge to New Jersey. The property is just twenty (20) minutes from Metropolitan Philadelphia, thirty (30) minutes from Trenton, NJ and ninety (90) minutes from New York.
New Castle Building Products is a supply chain distributor of building materials in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Established in 2002, New Castle have over 20 branch distribution locations in operation with a fleet of over 120 delivery vehicles and more than 325 full-time employees.
Jim Scott, Jr. of Colliers International represented the landlord in the transaction.
Headquartered in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, PA, Roddy Inc. is a marketer, manager, and developer of industrial and commercial real estate throughout Eastern PA and Southern NJ. Their clients include regional, national and international companies and financial institutions.
For more information about the company, visit the corporate website at www.roddyinc.com. For further details, contact Francis T. Roddy at (215) 245-2600 or frank@roddyinc.com.
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COMPANIES ON THE MOVE
Brookfield Launches 143,000 SF Medical Redevelopment at Neshaminy Mall Former Department Store Reimagined as New Regional Medical Magnet
Brookfield Properties has recently launched redevelopment plans that, when complete, will finalize the transformation of the former Neshaminy Mall Sears anchor into a premier healthcare destination. The Colliers team of Matthew Shanahan and Ina Sargen have been named exclusive leasing agents for the new medical opportunity.
Two years ago, Sears announced it would be closing its Neshaminy Mall location as part of a plan to liquidate 142 stores nationwide.
Today, the now-vacant Sears space is being positioned as an innovative medical office opportunity by which regional medical health systems can serve the population-dense surrounding region from a highly centralized, accessible and well-known location. Medical specific features of the site have been designed to include: clear vehicular access and proprietary parking for patient populations, a covered patient drop-off pavilion and a dedicated entrance and lobby.
“We believe this will be THE revitalizing new medical destination of the region - affording premier branding and visibility for regional health systems and access to a large untapped population of over a million that is currently underserved for medical services.” stated Matthew Shanahan, a Senior Managing Director with Colliers Healthcare Services.
Neshaminy Mall has long been considered a standout location of the region not only for the strong population demographics of Bucks County that retailers desire, but as an extremely accessible regional destination. Located just minutes from downtown Philadelphia at one of the busiest intersections on the PA Turnpike (I-276), this retail property is easily accessible from Interstate 95 and highly trafficked PA Route 1. This year saw a new Turnpike interchange completed that directly enhances the site’s regional connectivity to New Jersey. Notably, Neshaminy is served by both SEPTA regional rail and Amtrak.
Current Neshaminy Mall retailers Boscov's and AMC anchor a mix of specialty shops that include Barnes & Noble, Hollister Co., H&M, Aéropostale, The Children’s Place and others. The Neshaminy Mall Boscov’s is the number one store of their 50-store chain. Similarly, AMC Neshaminy 24 is one of the largest cinemas in the area, ranking as one of the top 30 theaters in North America for the chain.
About Brookfield Properties Brookfield Properties is a fully-integrated, global real estate services company, providing industry-leading portfolio management capabilities across the real estate investment strategies of Brookfield Asset Management — a global alternative asset manager with over $515B in AUM.
Brookfield Properties develops and manages premier realestate with a focus on maximizing the tenant experience in addition to the investment and operational performance of the asset. We also focus on integrating leading-edge real estate technologies which enables us to be at the forefront of innovation and sustainability – benefiting not only our tenants and business partners, but also the communities in which we operate. For more information about our approach to operating and developing best-in-class real estate, please visit brookfieldproperties.com.
About Colliers International Colliers International (NASDAQ, TSX: CIGI) is a leading real estate professional services and investment management company. With operations in 68 countries, our more than 15,000 enterprising professionals work collaboratively to provide expert advice to maximize the value of property for real estate occupiers, owners and investors. For more than 25 years, our experienced leadership, owning approximately 40% of our equity, has delivered compound annual investment returns of almost 20% for shareholders. In 2019, corporate revenues were more than $3.0 billion ($3.5 billion including affiliates), with $33 billion of assets under management in our investment management segment. Learn more about how we accelerate success at corporate.colliers.com, Twitter @Colliers or LinkedIn.
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COMPANIES ON THE MOVE
Bucks County information on leases or renewals for the last 3 months submitted by BCEDC Real Estate Members, Roddy Inc., Newmark Knight Frank & Colliers International.
BENSALEM Industrial Industrial Total Office Office Office Office Office Total Grand Total
Sq. Ft. 32,440 32,440 1,059 2,935 7,984 3,146 15,124 47,564
BRISTOL Industrial Industrial Industrial Grand Total
Your Company’s Cyber Vigilance Should Be on High Alert During the COVID-19 Pandemic
An increase in cyber disruptions over the past several months has stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic. These cyber attacks are being driven by:
Remote work. A significant number of employees have shifted to remote work due to current circumstances, which has resulted in an increase in virtual meetings and communications.
Remote learning. Many schools have taken to remote learning, resulting in a higher likelihood of students introducing malicious content onto home systems which may ultimately impact family members’ and parents’ work-related activities.
Social tensions and anxieties surrounding the pandemic. Heightened concerns surrounding health, the economy, politics, and wellness and safety have welcomed more opportunities for fake offers, advice, and services.
A number of government agencies have issued alerts about increasing cyber-related crime:
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reported an increase in fake unemployment claims through stolen identities as well as fraudulent virus-related treatment options such as antibody tests and medications. The FBI has also detected a heightened level of other criminal activities such as child and elder abuse incidents due to increased isolation and vulnerabilities of these population segments.
Secret service agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have also reported higher levels of corporate cyber espionage, especially targeting healthcare, biotech, and technical service-related research, development, and manufacturing organizations.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) reported extensive fraudulent activities that have been occurring in waves. During the first wave in April, cyber criminals used malware-based phishing attacks to prompt recipients to open infected file attachments named in support of COVID relief applications, along with related checklists and help documents. During the second wave, criminals used the SBA’s official logos to inform email recipients of their approved loan applications. Recipients were then asked to click a malicious link to review their funding options. The latest wave of attacks in August prompts recipients to fill out forms needed for additional disaster assistance funding resources.
Given all the chaos and confusion, middle market executives and business owners across all industry segments must establish a higher degree of cyber readiness in order to better manage increased risks that have recently come to the fore.
Here are five action steps that your company should take to ensure increased cyber readiness and resilience capabilities have been put in place:
Identify all hardware and software assets – including those on premise, and those that are hosted, cloud-based, and mobile – and address all of their critical vulnerabilities.
Review and update key internal policies, procedures, and related insurance, vendor, and customer agreements. This will allow you to ensure that the proper data protection, privacy, legal, and contractual mechanisms are in place.
Establish proper training and reinforcement mechanisms for all employees to ensure they are aware of these policies and procedures.
Institute effective and ongoing threat monitoring and analysis mechanisms to ensure you are continuously informed of potential attacks and issues.
Develop, test, and validate business continuity and incident response capabilities and procedures. Conduct tabletop exercises so that you’re prepared if you are hit by a cyber-attack.
These are challenging times, but given recent IT advancements, you can leverage the latest tools and practices to better align your organization with improvement opportunities. This will enable you to overcome emerging challenges while setting the stage for growth and prosperity going forward.
Sassan S. Hejazi, Ph.D., Director-in-Charge, Technology Solutions, Kreischer Miller, can be reached at via e-mail, kmiller@kmco.com or 215.441.4600.
Sassan joined Kreischer Miller in 2001. Prior to joining Kreischer Miller, he was a partner at KnowledgeWare Systems Group in Malvern, PA, where his responsibilities included working with mid-market clients to plan and implement accounting and ERP systems. He also worked as a systems engineer at Honeywell, where he provided engineering services for large commercial companies. Sassan has served on the faculties of Arcadia University and LaSalle University, designing and teaching courses in Information and Management Systems at both the undergraduate and MBA levels.
Land and Building (Real Estate) – 1.75% fixed rate for 15-year; 0.75% fixed rate for 7-years.
Machinery and Equipment – 3% fixed rate for the full term of the loan.
BCEDC Loan Rates – to find out more about BCEDC loans and rates, please contact Jim at 215.348.9031.
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MEMBERS' CORNER
The Nappen Team - Retires and New Hires
The change in seasons brings big changes to Nappen & Associates as we welcome Tracy Flissar, Jill Gude, R.J. Hollinshead and the return of Dara Nappen King, and say a fond farewell with wishes for a fruitful retirement to Connie Riegler.
After 35 years, Connie is hanging up her hat and departing Nappen. We thank her for her many years of service, the hundreds of deals she brokered and generally the smile she brought to this office every day. She leaves confident that she has built a great team to carry forth her mission of providing the best service possible. Connie’s last day in the office will be December 31, 2020.
Unmasking our new team:
Tracy Flissar
Tracy Flissar was hand chosen by Connie as Nappen’s new Vice President of Leasing. Tracy brings with her many years of experience in industrial real estate along with a broad knowledge of commercial leasing. Tracy is committed to continuing the leasing mantra of Nappen of getting the win-win deal done.
Jill Gude
Jill Gude joins us as Property Manager and Leasing Assistant and will be working closely with Tracy and the rest of the Nappen team to provide service with a smile. Jill is a recent graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. We are very excited for our tenants to meet Jill as she begins her career in industrial real estate.
R.J. Hollinshead
R.J. Hollinshead has assumed the position of Controller, having previously worked at other real estate based companies and a strong analytical mind as well as a working knowledge of real estate, R.J. has proven himself an asset working behind the scenes to strengthen our team.
Dara Nappen King
We are also excited to share that Dara Nappen King is no longer working remotely and will be back in the office full time as Senior Vice President of Operations. Dara’s background in photography and marketing provides a strong base as she assists in all aspects of the day to day operations of Nappen & Associates.
Please join us in welcoming Tracy, Jill, R.J. and Dara and wishing Connie all the best in her retirement. While the unfortunate events of 2020 make it difficult for us to celebrate with our community, we hope to celebrate our old and new team when time and circumstances allow. In the meantime, give us a call, we are here for you! 215.643.4848 or www.nappen-associates.com
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MEMBERS' CORNER
Compass Sign Company – Your First Step in the Right Direction
A twenty-foot-tall foam finger and a thirty-foot-tall "living" sculpture are just two of the more interesting, but countless, creative projects to spring from the talented minds at Compass Sign Company (Compass).
Compass is, however, more than just a sign manufacturer. Launched in 1998 in the home of Philip and Lesley Doerle with the assistance of the Bucks County Economic Development Corporation (BCEDC), Compass provides complete client support from initial concept to construction and maintenance.
As the Bensalem-based family business has grown over the years, thanks to the ongoing support of the BCEDC, so has their menu of services, which runs the gamut from consultation, design, programming, branding, product development, installation and maintenance.
The company's forty professional and dedicated employees work closely with clients to ensure their brand identity is incorporated into a sign that best compliments their image.
Over the years, Compass has built and maintained relations with its clients located throughout the United States as well as Europe by earning their loyalty and trust. No matter the size of age of a company, Compass designers tailor their services to fit a client's needs.
Compass provides direction on color, texture, readability, material selection, prototyping, and fabrication methods to produce an appealing and eye-catching design, and they give clients the proper attention their project deserves to ensure complete satisfaction.
The highly qualified and skilled journeymen at Compass are masters of their craft, manufacturing sheet metal into a sign of any shape, style and size. Utilizing the latest technology in computer automation, combined with many years of experience, the craftsmen have the expertise to produce quality signs, ranging from one-time customer projects to high-volume production run applications.
The installation team at Compass are OSHA-certified and expertly trained in safety and hazardous material applications. Whether a sign is to be placed on a high-rise building or atop a tall billboard, Compass will see that the client's sign gains maximum exposure for their business.
Compass provides signage for a variety of industries, including financial institutions, academia, corporate offices, retail companies, the healthcare industry, and such sports teams in Major League Baseball as the Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Miami Marlins, and the Houston Texans in the National Football League.
Compass is proud that 70 percent of its business comes by "word of mouth," mostly via satisfied customers who recommend Compass to their peers because of their outstanding service. Some of those success stories include the complete rebranding of a Philadelphia-based healthcare organization and installation of 100 new signs throughout the Philadelphia region, a project that was finished under budget and on a tight deadline.
Another time-sensitive success project involved rebranding the entire football arena (inside and out) for the Houston Texans. Within mere months, Compass freshened the brand and installed all of the signage, giving the entire complex a new lease on life.
Compass excels at working on tight deadlines since they're equipped with in-house resources to ensure customer expectations are met on time and within budget.
Two of the company's more notable signage requests came from the Miami Marlins and the L.A. Dodgers.
Compass helped create a South Florida worthy "living" sculpture for the Marlins that is activated every time a Marlin's player hits a home run. Collaborating with Uni-Systems, who built the motor and main structure, Compass fabricated the structural additions and figures with lighting to include a twenty-six-foot marlin and two others, flamingos, seagulls, sun, waves and fireworks. Each feature lights and spins around or gyrates when activated.
One might say that what Magic Johnson wants, Magic Johnson gets. Magic, a co-owner of the Dodgers baseball team, wrote a check for the creation of an eighteen-foot-high giant faux foam finger sign bearing the Dodger logo. Fabricated out of aluminum with a faux foam painted finish and sitting on an elevated pad, the sign has become an iconic photo backdrop at Dodger home games and at team-sponsored charitable and community-related events.
With a satisfied and growing client base, repeat business, and expansion into the Atlantic City market to assist with the city's rebranding and revitalization efforts, all current signs point to a bright and successful future at Compass Sign Company.
Two years ago, Sears announced it would be closing its Neshaminy Mall location as part of a plan to liquidate 142 stores nationwide.
Neshaminy Mall has long been considered a standout location of the region not only for the strong population demographics of Bucks County that retailers desire, but as an extremely accessible regional destination. Located just minutes from downtown Philadelphia at one of the busiest intersections on the PA Turnpike (I-276), this retail property is easily accessible from Interstate 95 and highly trafficked PA Route 1. This year saw a new Turnpike interchange completed that directly enhances the site’s regional connectivity to New Jersey. Notably, Neshaminy is served by both SEPTA regional rail and Amtrak.
The highly qualified and skilled journeymen at Compass are masters of their craft, manufacturing sheet metal into a sign of any shape, style and size. Utilizing the latest technology in computer automation, combined with many years of experience, the craftsmen have the expertise to produce quality signs, ranging from one-time customer projects to high-volume production run applications.
Compass excels at working on tight deadlines since they're equipped with in-house resources to ensure customer expectations are met on time and within budget.