SEDA Council of Governments: News Notices & Publications http://www.seda-cog.org/Lists/News Notices Publications/AllItems.aspx RSS feed for the News Notices & Publications list. Copyright 2012 SEDA Council of Governments Steve Kusheloff Fri, 24 May 2013 07:01:36 GMT Microsoft SharePoint Foundation RSS Generator 60 en-US SEDA Council of Governments: News Notices & Publications http://www.seda-cog.org/_layouts/images/siteIcon.png http://www.seda-cog.org/Lists/News Notices Publications/AllItems.aspx Central Pennsylvania companies win Governors Impact Awards http://www.seda-cog.org/Lists/News Notices Publications/DispForm.aspx?ID=697 Announcement Type: News
Date Published: 5/23/2013
Regional Spotlight: Yes
Short Description: Had been nominated by the region's business assistance providers
Body:
 
Governor Tom Corbett recognized Pennsylvania companies and entrepreneurs that are creating jobs and making positive contributions to the state's economy at today’s (May 23) inaugural Governor's Impact Awards.
 
"Today we honor the men and women who spend countless hours providing the leadership and care that it takes to run a successful business," Corbett said. "You are the champions partnering with us to put Pennsylvania on the path of growth."
The Governor's Impact Awards recognized 50 companies from throughout the state in five categories: Jobs First, Community Impact, Small Business Impact, Entrepreneurial Impact and Export Impact.
 
Nominations for each award were provided by the state's regional economic development partners - the Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) network.
The Corbett Administration developed the PREP network to regionalize and coordinate local economic development services to businesses and entrepreneurs. The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) provides grants through PREP to local economic development service providers that provide assistance and other resources to support local business expansion and growth.
 
The awards are being sponsored at no cost to the taxpayers by the state's private sector partner, Team Pennsylvania Foundation, and are being coordinated by DCED, Team PA and Journal Multimedia. Representatives from the Team PA Foundation and Journal Multimedia evaluated the nominations and selected the award recipients.
Below is a list of the Governor's Impact Award recipients from the Central Region PREP recognized today.
 
Community Impact Award
Kellogg's, Muncy
 
Entrepreneur Impact Award
AcousticSheep LLC, Bellefonte
 
Export Impact Award
Restek, Bellefonte
 
Jobs First Award
QBC Diagnostics and The Drucker Company,
Port Matilda
 
Small Business Impact Award
Ralph S. Alberts Co./Alberts Spray Solutions LLC,
Montoursville
 
For more information, contact
Steve Kusheloff, Manager, Public Information
tel. 570-524-4491, e-mail skusheloff@seda-cog.org
 
# # #
 
 
Expires: 11/23/2013
Keywords: Impact Awards Governor PREP
]]> Public Information Thu, 23 May 2013 18:46:22 GMT http://www.seda-cog.org/Lists/News Notices Publications/DispForm.aspx?ID=697 Three seminars planned on negotiating a contract for cable TV http://www.seda-cog.org/Lists/News Notices Publications/DispForm.aspx?ID=693 Announcement Type: News
Date Published: 5/21/2013
Regional Spotlight: Yes
Short Description: Municipalities may not know their rights and potential benefits
Body:
 
One of the lesser known responsibilities of municipal officials is contract negotiations for cable television franchises.  SEDA-COG has scheduled a series of meetings in June to educate elected and non-elected officials about their rights and potential benefits related to the negotiating process.  Meetings are scheduled in Mifflintown, Sunbury, and Montoursville. 
 
Under federal law, municipalities essentially serve as their cable company’s “landlord.”  The companies place cable lines and other equipment in the public rights-of-way.  The municipalities control those rights-of-way as a public trust, and they are entitled to benefits in return for the cable companies’ use of their property. 
 
Depending on the cable company, the benefits from franchise negotiations include:
• Increased franchise fee revenue by applying the franchise fee to all revenue sources
• A cash franchise grant
• Free internet service to the Municipal Building
• Enforceable customer service standards
• A government access channel
• Strong right-of-way protections
In many cases, municipal officials simply accept what the cable company offers when, in actuality, they can negotiate for much more. 
  
The potential for increased benefits is even greater if municipalities band together to negotiate franchise agreements.  Group negotiations give municipalities more bargaining leverage with the cable companies.  The process for working together and the benefits to the municipalities will be fully discussed at the cable TV meetings in June. 
 
Meetings are scheduled at the following times and places:

Mifflintown – June 11, 9:00 am
JP’s Pancake House, Stop 35 Plaza, Rt. 35

Montoursville – June 12, 9:00 am
Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority, 216 Old Cement Road

Sunbury – June 12, 2:00 pm
City Council Chambers, 225 Market St., 2nd Floor

Each of the meetings will last about two hours.  There is no cost to participate. 
 
Information at the meetings will be presented by Attorney Dan Cohen of Pittsburgh’s Cohen Law Group, which has represented nearly four hundred municipalities in cable-related matters.  Mr. Cohen has worked on cable issues for over 20 years. 
 
In addition to SEDA-COG, the meetings are sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.  For questions and registration information, contact Jim Baker, tel. 570-524-4491, e-mail jbaker@seda-cog.org.
 
For more information, contact
Steve Kusheloff, Manager, Public Information
tel. 570-524-4491, e-mail skusheloff@seda-cog.org
 
# # #
 
 
Expires: 5/21/2014
Keywords: cable TV Cohen
]]> Public Information Tue, 21 May 2013 15:07:42 GMT http://www.seda-cog.org/Lists/News Notices Publications/DispForm.aspx?ID=693 Company finds success with region's business assistance providers http://www.seda-cog.org/Lists/News Notices Publications/DispForm.aspx?ID=689 Announcement Type: News
Date Published: 5/14/2013
Regional Spotlight: Yes
Short Description: Firm's sophisticated software utilizes cutting edge technologies
Body:
 
Artificial intelligence and “knowledge capture” are among cutting edge technologies advanced by Discovery Machine, a small, growing business in Williamsport, PA.  Software developed through Discovery Machine is utilized for training, simulation, and behavior modeling.  Customers include commercial and military enterprises, both domestic and international. 
 
Discovery Machine is among area firms working with the Central Region PREP (Partnership for Regional Economic Performance), a network of business assistance providers operating under the No Wrong Door concept, i.e., companies may enter the network through any one of the partners.  Discovery Machine has used funding secured through the Williamsport-based IMC to work with a local company and improve its efficiency measures. 
 
Software developed through Discovery Machine assisted the local firm in scheduling and utilizing specialized machinery and equipment.  The IMC also helped Discovery Machine identify, place, and provide stipends for interns from local universities.  In addition, the company and IMC worked together on a marketing and revenue growth project.
 
The company has relationships with several members of the PREP network including the Small Business Development Center at Lock Haven University and Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, which presented Discovery Machine with an Emerging Business of the Year Award several years ago.  More recently, the company was nominated for the newly-established Governor’s Impact Award.
 
In 2012, SEDA-COG, also part of PREP, assisted Discovery Machine with a grant through SEDA-COG's Export Development program that allowed the company to attend its first international conference and secure its first international customer in the United Kingdom.  It has since established relationships with potential customers in Norway, Italy, India, and South America. 
 
This spring, company representatives will participate in a conference in Italy, meeting and sharing knowledge with individuals from the international training, education, and simulation sectors.
 
Staff from the SEDA-COG Procurement Technical Assistance Center has also advised Discovery Machine, reviewing various government contracting opportunities, and assisting the company in updating its federal vendor registration. 
 
Discovery Machine has also utilized programs that are outside the Central Region PREP, but have close working relationships with members of the network.  For instance, Ben Franklin Technology Partners was instrumental in the company’s early business development efforts, and WEDnet, sponsored by Penn College, enabled the company’s employees to continue their education as it relates to their current positions. 
 
According to Jim McAssey, the company’s Vice-president for Business Development, “PREP programs and other state resources have played a key role in our growth and development during these harsh economic times.”  Since 2009 Discovery Machine has more than doubled; five employees were hired last year alone.  Today there are 14 employees in Williamsport and two more based in North Carolina. 
 
Individuals or companies that would like to learn more about the Central Region PREP may visit its website or call Betsy Lockwood, PREP Regional Coordinator at 570-524-4491.
 
As to the company’s future, Discovery Machine’s revolutionary approach to knowledge acquisition and engineering will open doors that can only be imagined today.  Theirs is a system which enables experts in every field to represent their own thought processes.  Combining that system with Discovery Machine’s software empowers users to capture expertise that is understandable and actionable. 
 
For more information, contact
Steve Kusheloff, Manager, Public Information
tel. 570-524-4491, e-mail skusheloff@seda-cog.org
 
# # #
 
 
Expires: 11/14/2014
Keywords: Discovery Machine PREP network
]]> Public Information Tue, 14 May 2013 14:03:55 GMT http://www.seda-cog.org/Lists/News Notices Publications/DispForm.aspx?ID=689