Dan Bosket AABLC Co-Chair The African American Business Leaders Group would like to invite you to our celebration of Black History Month being held on February 13th in collaboration with Muhlenberg College. Although, American history naturally includes the many contributions of its citizens and leaders of color, there was a void in the telling of the story which led to the special attention and focus which occurs during the month of February. This month presents us with the opportunity to not only look back in time, but also to assess where we as a society are today and look forward to the future.
The February event will recognize some exceptional community leaders who are making substantial contributions to improving our community and advancing our civic engagement at several levels. This event also allows the AABLC to identify and work with our future business leaders who are making their mark in the academic setting. As evidenced by its current organizational structure and staffing, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber has committed to recognizing diversity and striving for inclusion from all segments of the business community and the AABLC acknowledges their on- going efforts. As 2020 gets into full swing, this celebration of Black History Month sets the tone for our overall community to recognize that although our communities are comprised of individuals and businesses with both diverse backgrounds and success stories, we are all committed to moving in the same positive direction and seek the best possible for our business enterprises and our community.
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Lehigh Valley Economic Report Dr. Kamran Afshar Chamber Chief Economist The Chamber’s Finance Committee In 2019, around 2.2 million new payroll jobs were created nationally, some half a million fewer than in 2018. Unemployment rate, however has dropped to 3.5 percent nationwide. In Lehigh Valley, payroll employment rose by 3,200 above its 2018 level. Local unemployment level is now hovering around 4.3 percent which is technically at full employment level.
Twenty-nineteen was accommodating the sellers in the Valley’s housing market as average sales prices rose by around 2.5 percent, which is still ok, since inflation is just starting to pass 2 percent. However, this performance was nothing like 2018 when average sales prices rose by 5.5 percent. Local Housing sales volume which was mostly trending flat for a couple of years, climbed slightly in 2019. However, the national economic headline grabber for 2019 was the stock market, which rose by 5200 points or 22 percent. It should be noted that the FED which was successful in siphoning out close to a trillion dollars of high-powered money that it pushed into circulation during multiple quantitative easing programs, reversed its course and pushed back into circulation inside of 7 months, almost half of what it took it years to withdraw. Three-quarters of last year’s stock market gain also happened during the same 7 months. In the Lehigh Valley the most surprising economic news for many of us who have been analyzing the local data was the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ revision of the growth pattern of our region. According to the BEA’s new revised data, the manufacturing sector which produced 43 percent of the local GDP in 2001, shrunk in size by 65 percent, and its output now counts only as 16 percent of the local GDP. On the other side, the information sector which includes publishing, broadcasting, internet, telecom, and data process- ing has exploded by 3-fold, increasing its share of the economy from 1.8 percent to 5.7 percent percent. Professional & business services sector has increased its share of the economy from 6.2 percent in 2001 to 11.9 percent in 2018. The finance-insurance-real estate sec- tor’s output in the Valley is now equal to that of the manufacturing sector standing at 16.3 percent of the local GDP, up from 11.6 percent in 2001. And of course, the one constant in this sea of variables, health- care, has almost doubled its share of our local economy from 6.4 percent in 2001 to 11.8 percent in 2018. The sector everybody is talking about, transportation and warehousing, which has grown in employment by close to 3-fold between 2001 and 2018, has barely increased its share of the economy rising from 3.8 percent to 5.0 percent. According to the BEA, the Valley’s economy, similar to the rest of the nation is moving in the direction of services which on average used to pay less than the manufacturing sector. However, that was the last century, with the expansion of the healthcare, information and finance sectors we will soon catch up with the 21th century’s pay scales which are slowly starting the favor services. Mobile Technology Graphics: Customer Service, Integrity puts local family business on national map2/1/2020 Written by: Jennifer Glose It was 2005 and Mike Estojak of Hellertown was busy as the owner of a successful auto repair service center. That is until he was introduced to a product that would change the course of his career and life. Enter solar-powered LED signs. Estojak started out by renting the signs to wholesale car dealerships that he built relationships with while in the auto industry, and before he knew it there were 40 of the signs installed from Greater New York to Washington, D.C.
This was the birth of Estojak’s new company and passion, Mobile Technology Graphics (MTG), headquartered in Hellertown. The demand for the solar-powered signs continued to soar, inspiring Estojak to expand his offerings and design and build his first mobile LED Video Jumbotron, a 9 feet tall by 14 feet wide large-scale non-projection video board. Today Mobile Technology Graphics has added other outdoor and indoor video walls and displays, and the company designs, builds, installs and services its products across the United States at events with more than 65,000 attendees, including for Google, NASA, U.S. Army & Marines, U.S. Presidential events (past and current), major football bowl games and the NCAA Championships. According to Estojak, the company’s customer service is what made Mobile Technology Graphics grow from a local company to a national company. “Customer service is it, no matter what you do,” he said. “Have integrity and customer service.” Family Values Through all of its success, Mobile Technology Graphics remains true to being family owned and operated, with Estojak, 58, at the helm as president, alongside his son, Zac Estojak, 25, vice president of operations. Mike Estojak’s wife and daughter also work for the company. “When we do events, someone from the family is always there to make sure everything is top-notch,” said Mike Estojak from a telephone interview while on his way to install video displays for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California - an event MTG has been doing for the past eight years. “We work with you to make sure your event is the best it can be.” Innovative Inventory Since designing and building the company’s first Jumbotron, MTG has added many larger-size models of the outdoor mobile video boards to the company’s inventory, up to 15 feet tall by 25 feet long, plus outdoor video panels, LED posters, and indoor high-definition modular video walls which can be custom-designed to be as large as 20 feet tall by 200-plus feet long. “We have one of the largest in- dependently owned inventory in the country,” said Estojak, adding that his customers can either rent or buy his products. With an in-house repair and service department, clients are assured a hands- on approach to customer service. “We install it. We service it. We repair it. All locally,” Mike Estojak said. “Unlike other companies that sell video walls with no real experience, our leadership has over 20 combined years of experience in LEDs, allowing us to design our products to move around the country without damage, compared to off-the- shelf foreign designed products many other companies offer.” Estojak says the company will be enhancing its event production and management offerings to service more trade shows and business meetings. The company designs, sets up and runs video, audio and lighting to bring it all together for the customer. “When the client comes in, it’s a turn- key operation,” Estojak said. “When we come to an event, we bring knowledge and insight. We go above and beyond and treat each event as if it is our own.” Community Rooted Although MTG has clients all over the United States, and satellite offices in Florida and Arizona, Mobile Technology Graphics remains connected to its roots in the Lehigh Valley. Prominent customers in the Lehigh Valley include MusikFest (Main stage), Lehigh University (Goodman football stadium, commencement, campaign launch) and Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce (Annual luncheon). A Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber member for about a decade, Mobile Technology Graphics has produced the chamber’s annual luncheon for the past five years, providing video walls, as well as audio, lighting and management of the event. Estojak says that being a chamber member has been helpful to the company.“They have a lot of expertise in business matters,” said Estojak, also noting the health insurance and discounts offered to chamber members as valuable benefits. ‘Follow Your Passion’ When asked what advice he can offer to other entrepreneurs, Estojak shared what helped in his own journey. “Follow your passion,” he said. “And realize that it’s not a 9-5 job.” Zac Estojak has gained similar values by working side by side with his father. “It’s rewarding how hard work pays off,” he said. “Being dedicated to getting the event done right, no matter what and giving the best product possible makes all the difference in live events.” Mike Estojak spoke about the benefits of building and cultivating meaningful relationships with current and potential customers by way of a more traditional route of communicating. “Pick up the phone and call people,” he said. “Don’t always rely on email and text.” Jennifer Alderfer Zator Law Western Lehigh Chamber Chair First, thanks to Santa, meLVin from the Phantoms and Radley from the Lehigh Valley Zoo, and to all of you who came to our holiday luncheon at Brookside Country Club. There was an abundance of raffle prizes donated by our generous volunteers and businesses, which helped us raise money for the East Penn scholarship fund and the Western Le- high Community Grant fund. Hopefully, you came away with one of the great prizes! As always, the Emmaus High School Chorale did a tremendous job and put everyone in the holiday spirit.
The South Whitehall Township Tree and Bridge Lighting Ceremony in early December was a spectacular community event to kick off the holiday season, and we hope you were able to stop by Covered Bridge Park for pictures with Santa, live music, hot cocoa and every- thing else that the event offered. The Township Department of Parks and Recreation does a really tremendous job with that event every year, and we are thankful to have it in our community! Now that January is here, we start to think about our goals for the coming year. Whether it’s a desire to grow your team, delegate more, be a better communicator, improve your digital presence, create a succession plan or any number of other possible goals for your business, it is true that a goal without a plan is just a wish. If there is anything that we can do as volunteers with the Chamber to help you formulate a plan to reach those goals, please contact us. It is possible through the vast number of Chamber connections, that we may be able to connect you with someone or something that can provide you exactly what you need. As an example, if you are looking to recruit and add to your team, you might consider the Parkland High School job fair coming up on Thursday, February 27, 2020. If your business is interested in setting up a booth to edu- cate and recruit students, contact Alison McPeek at [email protected]. Wishing you a happy and successful 2020! Mike Damweber Penn State Lehigh Valley Southern Lehigh Chamber Chair Happy New Year!
The Southern Lehigh Chamber is planning several exciting events for 2020! To kick off this year, the Southern Lehigh Chamber is organizing a joint mixer with the Hellertown Chamber at TAPS Tavern on January 23 beginning at 5 p.m. We will be collecting note- books, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and/ or monetary donations to benefit Betty Lou’s Pantry. A percentage of food & drink purchases will go to the same beneficiary, courtesy of TAPS Tavern! There is still time to register for the annual Southern Lehigh Municipal Update. This event will be held at Penn State Lehigh Valley on Wednesday, February 26 from 7:30 to 9am. This program offers an insider’s look at the Southern Lehigh Municipalities’ plans for 2020. Registration, networking and breakfast begins at 7:30 and the cost to attend is $20 for chamber members, $40 for future chamber members. Sponsorship opportunities are still available! For more details about sponsoring either or both events or to RSVP, please contact Ashley Lorah at [email protected]. Lastly, make sure to ‘Like’ our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on events and member deals happening in our communities! We hope you have a happy holiday and look forward to seeing you throughout the new year. Chris Barrett Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau Pocono Area Chamber Chair Happy New Year
With the flip of the calendar to 2020, the Pocono Mountains continues to gain momentum in respect to growth and collaboration that keeps increasing the appeal for those of us who live here and the millions of visitors each year. To that end, we have a great deal to celebrate in this coming year including the expansions, renovations and new building projects that improve the Poconos lifestyle we’ve come to love. For instance, it wasn’t but a handful of years ago that Kalahari Resorts & Conventions made its grand arrival and now, the property has doubled its convention space to 205,000 square feet! That should pay dividends for years to come as another world class destination for family vacations as well as association and corporate meetings of all sizes. Then there are the new investments in two ski resorts, Camelback and Jack Frost/Big Boulder, thanks to new ownership and a commitment to providing the best facilities and experiences anywhere. This year, our area is also fortunate to see the opening of Pocono Mountain Harley Davidson, a huge destination in its own right for Harley owners around the globe. The massive facility towers over Interstate 80 in Tannersville and will be yet another example of the continued growth in our region now and in the future. 2020 may have just begun, but the Pocono Mountains success story is still being written and I thank everyone for playing a role in it. Diana Schipani Budd Agency Phillipsburg Area Chamber Chair We hope everyone enjoyed a safe happy holiday, and a happy & healthy New Year!
As we closed out 2019, our Thanksgiving Charity Night at Quaker Steak & Lube in Phillipsburg, NJ was a great success. Donations totaled in at nearly $500 for the Norwescap Food Bank Turkey Drive, where every dollar leveraged provided 14 pounds of food to a family in need! Our Annual Tree Lighting Celebration & Santa Visit was rescheduled for Monday December 9th due to inclement weather. As the new date approached, Mother Nature was still not cooperating and with heavy rain, we needed to move the tree lighting indoors. Thankfully, the local St. Phillips and St. James church graciously allowed us to use Mercy Hall. Despite all the changes, we had a tremendous turn out. Kids of all ages enjoy hot chocolate and hot dogs while waiting for their picture with Santa, and free toys were given. We are greatly appreciative of our sponsors for helping make this event happen. 2019 was a very exciting and productive year for The Phillipsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, and we are looking forward to 2020! Mark Haldaman, Embassy Bank Northampton Area Chamber Chai Well, here we are at the beginning of a new year and a new decade. We all take this time early in the year to assess where we have been and where we are going. I hope you’ll all take a moment to appreciate how much we all have done as a community here in this little valley. We have each played a small part in transforming a pocket of communities, largely driven by a handful of companies into a thriving metropolis. A mix of manufacturing, retail and services have replaced a handful of plants and mills. The diversity of industry has made our home more stable and growing at a rate exceeding national and state averages.
Last month was a busy month for all of us active with the chamber. In Northampton had the annual tree lighting, our Roxy holiday mixer and the ribbon cutting for a new restaurant. Northampton Borough always puts on a great show at the annual tree lighting. This year the Northampton Chamber was there to hand out treats to the kids while they listen to carolers and waited for Santa to stop by. Out Annual Roxy movie night mixer was also a great time. We especially want to thank all our sponsors who made the event possible. Our guest got to mingle and catch up over some fantastic food and afterwards watch the Christmas classic White Christmas in a theatre that was there to show its initial 1954 showing. At this event we presented Richard Wolfe, owner of The Roxy Theatre with the Northampton Area Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award, for his lifelong passion, commitment and dedication to the Northampton area and surrounding communities. Congratulations again Richard! All in all, 2019 flew by us at a break neck pace and 2020 doesn’t appear to be moving any slower. We are excited to have had such a productive year last year and looking forward to one even better than the last. Michael Woodland Dan’s Camera City Nazareth Business Council Chair Members of the Nazareth Business Council we are looking for your input as we close out 2019 and enter 2020. NBC had many firsts and great successes in 2019. Our end of year events continue to support businesses and the community. We held our first Small Business and Community Roundtable at the Nazareth Library with the four local Police Chiefs, our first Restaurant Week, and our first Nazareth Fall Festival – all of which were very successful. Finishing out the year we have our Coat Drive in partnership with Audiology Services, taking place Thursday 12/12 at Martin Guitar. A wonderful venue to bring a donation and support a worthy cause. Our signature holiday event is Saturday 12/14 – Christmas in Nazareth, from 12-4. This event is also growing in scope as we’re adding more to an already at- tractive schedule of free events for the entire family.
In 2020 we will build on these great programs, including two more Small Business and Community Roundtables. One featuring the Fire Chiefs and a second with Borough Managers. Thanks to our partnership with the Nazareth Area School District we will soon have the opportunity for you to engage with parents who are enrolling their child in the district. Yet another great benefit NBC will be providing. Our program- ming will continue to expand, providing more resources to our members and the community. This is where we need your help and participation. NBC members are encouraged to attend a board meeting to hear more about the items we’re considering and provide input on how we can best serve you. If your business is located in Nazareth Borough, Upper Nazareth, Lower Nazareth or Bushkill Township we want to hear from you. Whatever your business type – professional services, retail, manufacturing, personal services, warehousing, etc – I hope you’ll engage the Board so we can benefit from your input. Please send me an email for information on attending one of our meetings – michael.wood- [email protected] Again, thank you to everyone for supporting NBC, and know that 2020 will be another record setter! Mark P. Albright Law Offices Of Mark P. Albright Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber Chair Happy new year, everyone! The Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber rang out 2019 with a delightful holiday mixer hosted by BB&T at the bank’s 741 Main Street branch in Hellertown. What’s not to love about music, beverages by Lost Tavern Brewing, holiday bites provided by Limon Authentic Turkish Kebap House and Springtown Inn and mingling?
We’re starting this year off on a high note with Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber’s popular Winter Restaurant Week, running from January 12th through the 18th. A host of local favorite dining spots will be participating and are hard at work putting together taste-tempting specials for the occasion. Also on the agenda this month is our next Business Round Table, open to all local businesses, both current and prospective Chamber members. Slated for Monday, January 13th, from 5:30-6:30 pm, in the Lower Saucon Township Municipal Building, this Round Table will focus on local first responders. We look forward to interacting with EMS and firefighter representatives to learn about what they do, what challenges they face, and how local businesses can support their efforts in the community. Regardless of the season, Hellertown-Lower Saucon is always the place to be if you, your friends and family are looking for fun, food, fellowship and recreation. The next time you find yourself on Route 412, whether you’re head- ing north toward Bethlehem or south toward Bucks County, be sure to slow down and look around. There’s a lot to see and do in and around Hellertown! |
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