Allentown, Lehigh Valley Business News: Business News, Money Tip

Business Severe weather alert in Philadelphia and Delaware counties. [/news/weather] April 5 Top News National Penn MORNING CALL FILE PHOTO A National Penn Bank logo hangs atop Two City Center in Allentown. The offices that have been have been National Penn Bancshares headquarters will become a regional hub as part of a $1.8 acquisition of the Allentown-based bank by BB&T Corp.BB&T announced Monday that the acquisition of National A National Penn Bank logo hangs atop Two City Center in Allentown. The offices that have been have been National Penn Bancshares headquarters will become a regional hub as part of a $1.8 acquisition of the Allentown-based bank by BB&T Corp.BB&T announced Monday that the acquisition of National (MORNING CALL FILE PHOTO) Business National Penn Bank officially acquired in $1.8 billion deal Anthony Salamone BB&T Corp.'s $1.8 billion acquisition of Allentown's National Penn Bancshares Inc. has taken effect, and Lehigh Valley customers can expect changes soon. First announced Aug. 17, the deal greatly expands BB&T's footprint in Pennsylvania. In the Lehigh Valley, National Penn ranked No. 2 in local... More Business News Business Ski trips, beef, plastic surgery among the most unusual expense report requests Retail Watch A hobbyist haven in Emmaus Business What stores do area residents want at the Lehigh Valley Mall? Business Dun & Bradstreet named ethical company and other company news Business Seminar covers financing for food businesses BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP – Dave and Theresa Richards grow crops on less than 2 acres they own off Route 611 along the Delaware River. It will be their sixth growing season, but the Lower Mount Bethel Township couple would like to acquire the 8.5 adjacent acres that they farm but have been leasing. They... Business New rules on tax inversions could threaten Pfizer-Allergan deal Breaking News Scammers target First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union customers with bogus text messages Business Supreme Court rejects Walmart, Wells Fargo class-action appeals Business St. Luke's appoints new (old) Quakertown president The Watchdog Blog Errors delayed claims for aging, disabled veterans Retail Watch More Retail Watch Enjoy a feast from the Middle East in Allentown Enjoy a taste of the Middle East without the expensive airfare at Allentown's new East Restaurant & Lounge. The 160-seat BYOB restaurant, which opened Tuesday in the space that previously housed Mindy's Hookah Lounge & Restaurant at 760 Hanover Ave., serves Middle Eastern favorites such as kebabs,... Retail Watch New Allentown gym opens in time to get beach bodies in shape Happy spring, Retail Watchers! Today's unseasonably low temperatures won't last for long, so if you're looking to shed that winter weight and get your beach body ready, consider heading to K.Shan Performance Fitness Training in Allentown. The fitness facility, which opened Feb. 1 at 1716 E. Tremont... Retail Watch Lehigh Valley's restaurant scene: Pubs, pizza shops and creperies flourishing As more people want to "shop small" in the Lehigh Valley, a flood of mom-and-pop restaurants and craft beverage producers have sprung up to satisfy the demand. Restaurants such as Bell Hall and Grain in Allentown, Adagio and Cilantro Mexican Cuisine in Bethlehem, and Art Cafe and Taps Tavern in... Retail Watch 'Freshest of fresh' at Lil Miss Organic As spring approaches, you may be heading to Rita's for Italian ice, McDonald's for Shamrock Shakes or any number of stores for Peeps, jellybeans and Cadbury Creme Eggs. If you're looking for guilt-free treats, another spot to consider is Lil Miss Organic at the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market... Retail Watch Kebabs and burritos in Lower Macungie You want falafel. Your friends want tacos. Now, you can dine in harmony at the new Poblano Med Mex Grill in Lower Macungie Township. The 53-seat restaurant, which opened Feb. 24 at 6900 Hamilton Blvd. (in The Shoppes at Trexler), serves both Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines — from kebabs and... Retail Watch Hungry? 'Fuggedaboutit' in Forks Buona Mangiata means good eating in Italian and that's exactly what you'll find at the deli of the same name in Forks Township. The shop, specializing in Italian cuisine, opened Feb. 12 at 308 Old Mill Road, next to Forks Community Church. Operated by Kerry Jennings and his fiance, Nicole Castiglia,... LV Outlook 2016 More Lehigh Valley's small business survivors through the centuries Bethlehem's small businesses capitalize on city's charm Small businesses are the Lehigh Valley's real economic engine So, just what is a small business exactly? Looking Back at Outlook: 30 years of sizing up the Lehigh Valley's business landscape Allentown's NIZ built on small business Stock Ticker Follow the area's top public companies More Business News Breaking News Pa. gamblers left $211 million in slot machines in March Matt Assad Pennsylvania's casinos continued their hot streak in March as gamblers left more than $211 million in slot machines statewide. It's the sixth consecutive month the state's 12 casinos have collectively pulled in more slot machine revenues than the previous year, according to numbers released Monday... Business Air Products will exit energy-from-waste business Anthony Salamone TREXLERTOWN — Air Products said Monday it is shutting down its troubled energy-from-waste business because it hasn't efficiently resolved operating and design challenges. The Trexlertown-based company said in a news release it expects to take a pretax charge of $900 million to $1 billion, with earnings... Business What National Penn Bank customers should expect from the BB&T takeover Anthony Salamone If your money has been with National Penn Bank and you're wondering what the $1.8 billion acquisition by North Carolina-based BB&T Corp. means, you can relax – for now. BB&T, in announcing Monday that the acquisition has been completed, also said its core banking systems conversion, along with... Business B. Braun issues dextrose injection recall Jon Harris B. Braun Medical Inc. of Bethlehem is recalling one lot of dextrose injection medication that was distributed nationwide to licensed distributors, hospitals and pharmacies, the company said this week. B. Braun spokesman Jason Ford said the affected lot of 5 percent dextrose injection was produced... Business Seminar covers financing for food businesses Anthony Salamone BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP – Dave and Theresa Richards grow crops on fewer than 2 acres they own on Route 611 along the Delaware River. It will be their sixth growing season, but the Lower Mount Bethel Township couple would like to acquire the 8.5 adjacent acres that they farm but have been leasing. They... Top Workplaces More Lehigh Valley Top Workplaces: Best of the best Lehigh Valley's Top Workplaces 2016: The complete list What do the Lehigh Valley's employees really want? Check out these perks at Lehigh Valley Top Workplaces Lehigh Valley Top Workplaces Special Awards GRAPHIC: Number of appearances on Top Workplaces' list 40 facts about Lehigh Valley Top Workplaces Lehigh Valley Top Workplaces represents the unvarnished view... How the Lehigh Valley Top Workplaces survey was done MAP: Find the top workplaces Bethlehem Area Bethlehem Steel icon shows its age, glass falls from 11th story Matt Assad For more than half a century the Bethlehem Steel General Office Building was a symbol of power and dominance, but Friday afternoon the 13-story South Side icon was showing its age. Glass fell from an 11th-story window of the 100-year-old building onto busy Third Street, forcing police to close it... Entertainment Fashioning a lifestyle: Allentown's Juskel releases its second line of urban clothing Kathy Lauer-Williams For the past 15 years, Allentown resident Jim Jackson has run a childcare center in the city, but he dreamed of one day having a clothing line. "I had a stint in the fashion business in my younger days," Jackson says. "I thought it was time for me to embark on it again. I always had a passion for... Business Talen Energy completes power plant sales, including Lake Wallenpaupack Scott Kraus ALLENTOWN — Talen Energy of Allentown has completed a series of power plant divestitures required by federal regulators last year when the company was launched. The independent power producer announced Friday that, as anticipated, it had completed the sale of its Holtwood and Lake Wallenpaupack... Business Lehigh Valley Mall to add more upscale outdoor shops? Jon Harris The Lehigh Valley Mall's open-air lifestyle center is already home to more than a dozen upscale shops, such as the Apple Store, Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma. Could it be getting bigger? The mall's owners, Simon Property Group and Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, are mulling an expansion... Business Hires and promotions at Lehigh Valley businesses DIERDE FEDERICO Federico has joined the Allentown Rescue Mission as development associate. Federico will focus on fundraising and community outreach. Federico's work with the homeless began more than 20 years ago, when she joined the staff of Boston's Solomon Carter Fuller Crisis Stabilization unit.... Deals and More view all deals Free Friskies Cat Concoctions cat food view offer HOT: $7 Target Beauty Box for spring valued at $26 view offer Free Bloomin' Onion at Outback Steakhouse on Monday view offer Business Lehigh Valley Audubon Society receives grant and other company news Lehigh Valley Audubon Society gets grant for kids programs The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society is the recipient of a $2,903 grant from the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation's Community Partnership Fund. The grant will be used to support the Bird Counts for Kids programs. The Audubon Society, in partnership... Business Earnings up slightly for Fuling Global Anthony Salamone UPPER MACUNGIE TOWNSHIP — Chinese plastic-ware manufacturer Fuling Global Inc., which has a plant in Upper Macungie, weathered challenges that included declining oil prices to post a modest gain in 2015, company officials said Thursday. Fuling Global recorded net income of $7.9 million, or 65 cents... Breaking News UGI rate hike would be tough on many, especially seniors, customer testifies Scott Kraus HARRISBURG — UGI Utilities' proposed $58.6 million rate increase would hit low-income residents and seniors particularly hard, said a handful of speakers who testified Thursday afternoon in the first of two Public Utility Commission "smart hearings" on the proposal in Harrisburg. UGI asked in January... Business Upcoming business events in the Lehigh Valley FRIDAYAPRIL 1 LIFE SPECTRUMS will host its Spring Awakening 2016, "Quantum Surfing: Riding the Luminous Wave," weekend through April 3, Ben Franklin TechVentures, Lehigh University's Mountaintop Campus, Bethlehem. $199, for full weekend. Register: www.lifespectrums.org. SATURDAYAPRIL 2 COMMUNITY ACTION... The Watchdog Women being charged for birth control that should be free under Obamacare Paul Muschick When she returns to the pharmacy in about a month to refill her daughter's birth control prescription, a Northampton woman isn't sure what to expect. The pills are supposed to be provided at no cost under the Affordable Care Act. Yet twice in the past three months she was charged for them and had... Business Ben Franklin invests $88,000 in regional economic development Scott Kraus BETHLEHEM — Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeast Pennsylvania has invested $87,964 in two regional companies, including one working with Northampton Community College. • PhytogenX Inc. of Morgantown, Berks County, received $12,964 in matching funds to work with Northampton Community College's... Business Free seminar offers look at Lehigh Valley home market, tips to selling a home The Morning Call Staff SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP — Are you hoping to sell your home soon, or later this year? Weichert Realtors will hold a free, reservation-only seminar beginning 9:30 a.m. Saturday with information about the Lehigh Valley housing market and selling tips. Monica Ciliberti, manager of Weichert's South... Business Second Harbor Freight store coming to Lehigh Valley Anthony Salamone WILSON – A closed grocery store in a strip retail center is expected to reopen and retool — so to speak — later this year. A Wilson official said Wednesday that Harbor Freight Tools plans to open later this year at the 25th and Butler shopping center. It will be Harbor Freight's second Lehigh Valley... Business Mack Trucks names new senior vice president for North American sales Jon Harris A 23-year veteran of the heavy-duty commercial vehicle business will soon be responsible for Mack Trucks' North American sales, the Greensboro, N.C. company announced Wednesday. Jonathan M. Randall has been appointed Mack's senior vice president for North American sales, effective April 11. In an... Business Hires and promotions at Lehigh Valley businesses STARLETTE A. HIGH, GINA BORTZ, BONNIE BECK, DONNA SCHUDEL High, Bortz, Beck and Shudel have been promoted or appointed at Phoebe Ministries. High was promoted to executive director for Phoebe Berks. She will direct and coordinate the operations, which consist of 223 apartments, 51 cottages, a personal... Watchdog Blog Cancer charities accused of fraud to be dissolved Paul Muschick Two cancer charities and their president have reached a settlement with state and federal authorities to end a probe alleging they scammed donors. In settling the case, Cancer Fund of America Inc., Cancer Support Services Inc. and their leader, James Reynolds, Sr., did not admit or deny allegations... Business News panel insists it serves the public Anthony Salamone BETHLEHEM — The business of reporting and producing the news has changed dramatically in the 21st century, a panel of local media leaders told an audience of about 300 Tuesday evening during a live taping of the "Business Matters" television show at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.... Breaking News Unemployment ticks up, hundreds visit Lehigh Valley Mall job fair Scott Kraus Coopersburg's Edward Dodge has a pretty strong resume. But even with a background in mechanical engineering, an MBA and project-manager certification, he's been searching for a job for seven months, after being laid off by a company whose clients were in the struggling oil and gas industry. Looking... Local News Airport Authority extends its charter, but will counties agree? Matt Assad HANOVER TOWNSHIP, LEHIGH COUNTY —The Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority board voted to extend its life through at least 2051 Tuesday, in a compromise authority board members hope will be endorsed by Lehigh and Northampton counties. After months of sometimes-contentious discussions with county... Business Court sides with LVHN critic Sam Kennedy The man who spurred the legal inquiry into Lehigh Valley Health Network's charitable giving may also weigh in on the case, a judge has ruled. In a two-sentence order, Lehigh County Judge Brian Johnson granted permission to Robert Young, a retired Lehigh County judge himself, to file a friend-of-the-court... Loading Digital Access Breaking Obits Popular Police Sports Election 2016 Video/Photos 36°