This month’s Membership Spotlight is The Woodlands. NEPA spoke with Marketing Director Kelvin Ramirez.

Founded in 1969, The Woodlands is a boutique-style hotel, conference and event resort in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains.

For nearly half a century, rock stars, presidents, corporations, comedians, associations, and legendary athletes have lived it up at The Woodlands, providing them with a home away from home experience.

The Woodlands provides their guests with plenty of rooms and suites to delight and relax. They feature custom catered menus for every group event. Their guests also love the brick oven eatery, Crescenzos, with sports and espresso bar; their Whiskey on the Rocks stream side deck bar and their stream-side lounge. They have an on-site Japanese Hibachi/Sushi restaurant. The Woodlands is also celebrated for its legendary nightclub scene.

They are known for their distinct "Woodlands experience" - exemplary events, dining, dance and party venues, the finest lodging and unforgettable hospitality.

When ask about NEPA’s benefits Mr. Ramirez stated, “The NEPA Alliance has been a pillar in our community and economy, which helps create and retain many jobs. The Woodlands has provided many job opportunities in our community, and with the help of the NEPA Alliance we will continue to grow.”

For more information, please visit www.stayinthewoods.com

The Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP), in partnership with Penn State Scranton, will host a free forum at the PSU Scranton campus on October 3^rd. This forum will showcase how Penn State University is helping small-medium manufacturers (SMM) integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning into their processes.

Presentations will feature examples of 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.

Manufacturers and other small businesses will be asked to share their particular needs to identify future partnership opportunities.

A full agenda, speaker information, and reservation link can be found here: TEC Talk: Advancing Industry 5.0 with University Partnerships - PennTAP (psu.edu)

This is the final forum of the three-part PennTAP NEPA TEC Talk (Technology, Economy, and Technology) Forum Series, which was designed to spur discussion on emerging technologies and their potential to drive the Northeast PA regional economy, as well as identify use-inspired research and workforce education needs.

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance (NEPA), in partnership with BlackOut Design, Coal Creative and Design Done Right, has established the Get Connected program to assist businesses within Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill or Wayne counties with their development of e-commerce platforms. Eligible firms will receive e-commerce technical assistance. In its role as the administrator of the program, the NEPA team will vet businesses for eligibility and connect the business with one of the above local consultants to develop e-commerce platforms that support online sales. The program is designed to assist businesses in adapting to current market trends and generating sales and clients.

For additional information, contact Kurt Bauman or click here.

NEPA is soliciting capital projects that are in need of New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC). Specifically, we are seeking projects from eligible distressed census tracks within the Commonwealth of PA that have capital estimates ranging from $6-$60M. NEPA will be applying to the U.S. Treasury seeking a NMTC allocation for 2023. Contact Kurt Bauman or Steve Ursich. For more information on New Market Tax Credits, click here.

Our general annual membership starts at $295.

Need more information visit our membership hub or contact Donna Hritz at [email protected] or call 570-891-4666.

To learn more about these loan programs, contact Stephen Ursich, Dave Nat, Donovan Klem, Ken Doolittle or James Urso at 570-655-5581 or 866-758-1929.

Financing Structure

To learn more about these loan programs, contact Stephen Ursich, Dave Nat, Donovan Klem, Ken Doolittle or James Urso at 570-655-5581 or 866-758-1929.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) established the Small Business Transportation Resource Centers (SBTRCs) as a network of grantees to work closely with the transportation contracting community and other technical assistance providers to serve small and disadvantaged, transportation-related businesses.

These centers provide technical assistance to small businesses to build their capacity to become more competitive when bidding on USDOT procurement opportunities and federally funded contracts.

You can access information on the Mid-Atlantic Region SBTRC by clicking here.

The U.S. Department of Labor is offering two online seminars covering the recent updates to the regulations of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. The free seminars are at 1:00 PM EST September 13^th and 14^th. Additional information and the link to register can be found here.

Mark your calendars to meet with Pennsylvania’s Authorized Trade Representatives (ATRs) on Monday, March 11, 2024!

All of Pennsylvania’s 13 ATRs will be here for one-on-one meetings with companies interested in or currently exporting. This event only happens once a year, but you can get in contact with the ATRs at any time by contacting Debbie Langan at 570-891-4645.

We are currently accepting applications for the Pennsylvania Global Access Program (GAP) for projects starting October 1, 2023.

GAP is designed to enhance the capability of small to mid-sized Pennsylvania companies to increase export sales. GAP is administered by the Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development (OIBD) and provides up to $10,000 per award period to qualifying Pennsylvania companies to reimburse up to 75% of eligible expenses associated with specific export promotion activities. The program is funded in part through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

We are seeking your input as we plan our fall training schedule. Please take a minute to complete this survey on your international business training needs.

Local input is a critical element in the identification of opportunities and challenges in the region. To provide your input on freight issues in Eastern Pennsylvania, complete the survey by clicking here.

Funding can be used for projects that improve the quality of life in a community. Eligible applicants include counties, municipalities, municipal authorities, economic development agencies, redevelopment authorities, land banks and councils of government. Grant requests may not exceed $1 million for any project. Guidelines for the LSA Statewide Grant Program can be found on the DCED website here.

NEPA is scheduling additional Fall and Winter 2023 classes. Please contact Daniel Yelito, Transportation Services Manager, at 570-655-5581 ext. 264 or email [email protected] if you are interesting in holding an LTAP class in your area. 

LTAP will also continue offering online classes, webinars and virtual drop-in sessions. To learn more about upcoming virtual offerings, visit the PennDOT LTAP website.

NCAC is partnering with Candid to offer the Nonprofit Compensation Report to those in our network!

Our network of nonprofit organizations can obtain the nonprofit data they need through this offering! Candid's 2022 Nonprofit Compensation Report, which includes data from more than 101,000 nonprofit organizations, is a reliable source to benchmark and research nonprofit staff and executive compensation. The Scranton-Wilkes-Barre metropolitan statistical area is included in the report. If you are interested in purchasing the report, please contact Kurt Bauman, VP Community & Economic Development Services.

Don’t forget that NCAC Members receive access and assistance in accessing the Foundation Directory Online, the most comprehensive foundation database. With access to informative profiles of over 235,000 U.S. foundations, you’ll know exactly which foundation fits your programmatic needs, how much to ask for and where to go for more information. NCAC members can receive access to the Foundation Directory Online by visiting our in-office workstation any time during normal business hours. Don’t forget that we’re here to help with all your nonprofit needs! For more information on this service, as well as membership benefits, contact Kurt Bauman, VP Community & Economic Development Services.