Bringing the World to Northeastern Pennsylvania
Friday, September 23, 2022
Mark your calendars to meet Pennsylvania’s Authorized Trade Representatives!
Bringing the World is your opportunity to meet one-on-one with Pennsylvania’s global network of Authorized Trade Representatives (ATRs). Discuss current and future business opportunities, learn about business development resources available to your company, and network at this unique event.
There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Space is limited! Participants may register to meet up to 5 ATRs. Individual meeting schedules will be prioritized on a first-registered, first-served basis. Please register by Friday, September 16, 2022.
Register below or contact Debbie Langan at
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Funded in part by DCED’s Office of International Business Development |
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Member Spotlight
S & S Pools & Spas Inc.
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This month’s membership spotlight is S & S Pools & Spas Inc. located in Taylor, PA. NEPA spoke with Anthony (Tony) Shamnoski, President.
S & S Pools & Spas Inc. was established in 1998 to bring a high-quality pool supply store to the Scranton area. Their passion for excellence is what drove them from the beginning, and it still drives them today. At S & S Pools & Spas Inc, they believe that by offering the best of the best in products and services, they can make a big difference in the lives of their customers.
S & S Pools & Spas Inc. recently moved to Taylor which allows the business to house a new retail store for pool supplies and spa/swim spa sales. In the fall and winter months, they sell/install snowplows for trucks, skid steers and wheel loaders along with salt spreaders, liquid brine sprayers, liquid brine tanks and ice melt.
The services they provide include repairs to pool equipment; new pool equipment installations; pool openings, closings, and cleanings; spa/swim spa sales and service; and water testing. In the winter months, they perform commercial snow removal.
They are especially excited to offer salt brine sales this winter. They make the brine on premises and sell it to contractors/boroughs as a method of melting ice efficiently.
S & S Pools & Spas Inc. gives back to the community by supporting local charities and sports leagues. In the retail store, they display flyers for upcoming charity events, as well as accept financial donations for two local nonprofit animal organizations. They have also donated their heavy equipment to a local animal shelter to help remove food donations from tractor trailers.
Their motto is "Service You Can Trust" and that is what they offer. People who are not familiar with how their pool equipment works need to feel they can trust the company they are working with from the point of the sale all the way to allowing them into their backyard to complete the work. They know that has a large value to their customers because while they do very little advertising, they get most of their business from referrals.
Mr. Shamnoski stated, “I feel my NEPA membership will benefit my business by opening up growth opportunities that may not normally present themselves or would perhaps take us much longer to achieve on our own.”
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Get Connected Program Has Openings
The Get Connected Program, an eCommerce program for small businesses to improve their website presence and increase online sales, is actively seeking applications. Information about the program and an application intake form are available here.
As part of the eligibility requirements, candidate firms must complete two online trainings that were developed by the Small Business Development Centers at The University of Scranton and Wilkes University. Registration for the first training is here. To be considered for the first-come first-serve program, please complete the application intake form and the first training. NEPA is grateful to the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development and the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners for their continued financial support of this Program.
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NEPA Alliance Membership Campaign |
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NEPA Alliance is conducting its annual membership campaign.
The NEPA Alliance values the opportunity to work with all stakeholders in our seven-county region. Our goal is to provide the best possible community and economic development services to create and retain jobs in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Membership Benefits
- FREE Networking Reception Invite for 1 Person
- FREE Use of Meeting Space
- FREE Member Spotlight
- Discount on NEPA event costs
- Discount on Business Loan (.5%)
- Discounted Economic Impact Analysis/Research
- Sponsorship & Marketing Opportunities
NEPA Alliance serves businesses, communities and governments throughout seven counties and we need your assistance!
Our general annual membership starts at $275.
You can complete your membership online, including payment by clicking the button below.
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Need more information visit our membership hub or contact Donna Hritz at [email protected] or call 570-891-4666.
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NEPA Alliance has several loan programs available for small businesses located in Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne counties. |
These low cost, low interest loans offer reduced down payments and standard loan term maturities for machinery and equipment, land and building acquisition, construction and renovation. Loan rates are fixed and generally below the prime lending rate.
Eligible businesses include Manufacturers, Industrial, Agriculture/Agribusiness, Hospitality & Tourism Related Enterprises, Recyclers, Day Cares, Computer Related Services, Advanced Technology, and Retail and Service Related Businesses. Other business sectors may also qualify.
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Recently Funded Loans
Hotel – Dupont
- This NEPA SBA 504 loan project was completed in partnership with The Dime Bank for the purchase of commercial real estate and associated soft costs.
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NEPA Alliance Business Finance Corporation is a state-wide CDC allowing for NEPA BFC to lend SBA 504 Loans to eligible small businesses located in Pennsylvania.
Financing Structure
A bank or other lender finances 50% of the project cost and takes a first lien position on the assets financed. The SBA 504 loan finances 40% of the project cost, up to $5.5 million, and takes a second lien position. The borrower then contributes a down payment of as little as 10%.
Small Businesses can Receive:
- Subordinate Financing
- Up to 90% Loan to Value
- Up to $5.5 Million in SBA Financing
- Unlimited Total Project Cost
SBA 504 Loans Offer:
- As Little as 10% Equity Injection
- Terms up to 25 Years
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Guaranteed Fixed Interest Rate
*Eligibility Criteria Apply*
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On September 23, 2022, we are hosting an event with Congressman Cartwright, Keystone Space Collaborative, and NEPIRC to bring NASA to our region to let them know NEPA is “Open for Business”.
The event will be held at the Scranton University DeNaples Center from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
This event will allow businesses the ability to network with others in the aerospace industry and learn about opportunities to expand their business/research by working with NASA and/or large aerospace contractors.
The agenda includes:
- Keynotes by Congressman Cartwright and Jim Reuter, NASA Associate Administrator
- Panel 1: How NASA Technology Investments Feed Future Missions
- Panel 2: Is NASA’s SBIR/STTR Program a Good Fit for Your Company?
- Doing Business with NASA Primes
- One-On-One Networking and Exhibits
Attendees are encouraged to register for one-on-one networking sessions in the afternoon. Businesses registered in advance for networking are paired with “buyers” from NASA and industry relevant to their company’s product/service offerings. One-on-one networking is managed by a third-party vendor hired by NASA.
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Doing Business with the Commonwealth: Navigating Pennsylvania’s Vendor Portals
The NEPA Alliance PTAC is once again partnering with ProRank Business Solutions (PA DBE/DB Support Services provider), Northern Tier, SEDA-COG, and SEPA PTACS to deliver two sessions in September for businesses to learn how to register in the Commonwealth’s Portals.
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On September 26th, the training webinar will concentrate on JAGGER Portal Training which will run from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. This is a procurement software platform where the Commonwealth will manage certain service procurement solicitations.
Tyler Day will be facilitating this session.
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On September 29th, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, we will be hosting a session on navigating PRiSM. This portal was created to assist small, diverse, and veteran owned businesses in competing for Commonwealth contracting opportunities. It allows businesses to verify their business and show if it is a diverse business, and report and track payments.
Kara Smith will be facilitating this session.
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The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance has partnered with PennDOT to offer the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) training series in all seven NEPA counties: Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne counties.
NEPA is currently scheduling in-person classes for Summer and Fall 2022. If you are interested in requesting a class for your municipality, please contact Daniel Yelito, Transportation Services Manager, NEPA Alliance at 570-891-4652 or email [email protected].
LTAP is also continuing to offer some courses, webinars and drop-in sessions in an online format. To learn more about upcoming virtual offerings, click here.
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PennDOT Traffic Signal Technologies Grant Program
PennDOT has recently announced that the Traffic Signal Technologies Grant (TSTG) program will begin accepting applications on September 1, 2022. The TSTG Program is a new grant program for municipalities to install and maintain traffic signal technologies. Eligible applicants include any county, city, borough, incorporated town, township or home rule municipality. Grant funding must be utilized to install and maintain traffic signal technologies at traffic control signals which will be connected to a central location (PennDOT) using the Commonwealth communications network. Eligible projects include traffic signal systems, adaptive signal control technology, automated traffic signal performance measures and unified command and control. A pre-scoping form is required for all applications. No matching funds are required for the TSTG Program. The deadline to apply is September 30, 2022. To learn more, click here.
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Looking for New Nonprofit Grant Opportunities? |
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 Betsy Ardizoni, Community Services Manager for NCAC, at [email protected] or 570-891-4662. |
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Did you know that the Pennsylvania Department of Education has available maps of the attendance areas of School Districts, Career and Technical Centers, and Intermediate Units? To access them, click here.
For additional information, contact Steve Zaricki at 570-891-4671 or 866-758-1929.
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"This institution is an equal opportunity employer." |
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