Outdoor 1-8 - Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce

2Williamsport Sun-Gazette, October 2011

Williamsport MSA Logs 7th Largest 

Growth in the Nation 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2012-2013 Lycoming County Visitors Guide 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome New Chamber 

Members! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continued on Page 10 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 

Williamsport Sun-Gazette, October 2011

4Williamsport Sun-Gazette, October 2011 

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On The Radio

***END*** 

100 West Third Street 

Williamsport, PA 17701 

Contact: Vince Matteo 

Ph: 570.320.4201 Fax: 570.321.1209 

E-mail: vmatteo@williamsport.org 

PRESS RELEASE September 23, 2011 For Immediate Release 

CHAMBER AND FIRST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE JOINT DISASTER RELIEF EFFORT 

The Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce announced today the establishment of the Chamber’s Lycoming 

County Flood Recovery Relief Effort at a joint press conference with the First Community Foundation of Pennsylvania. 

The effort is in response to the recent flooding caused by Tropical Storm Lee. The effort is multipronged with the 

Foundation’s efforts aimed at assisting the nonprofit and local government community and the Chamber’s effort keying 

in on small businesses damaged in the flooding. 

5 

Williamsport Sun-Gazette, October 2011 

Chamber President Vince Matteo was joined by Chamber Chairman Herman Logue to announce what the Chamber was 

doing to assist small businesses and how small businesses could go about applying for assistance. 

The Chamber is collecting monetary donations from local businesses who want to assist Lycoming County businesses 

damaged by the storms and have received a donation of $50,000 from Chief Oil and Gas and $10,000 from R.S. Alberts 

as seed money to begin the fund. In addition, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry and the Montoursville Chamber of Commerce 

have pledged financial support as well. Mr. Logue announced that any business wishing to donate to the Chamber may 

do so by emailing the Chamber at chamberfloodrecovery@williamsport.org or calling the offices at 326!1971. If they 

wish to send a check, it should be made out to Chamber Flood Recovery Fund and mailed to the Williamsport/Lycoming 

Chamber of Commerce, 100 West Third Street, Williamsport, PA 17701. 

In addition to the financial assistance, the Chamber is offering free temporary office space at the Chamber offices and 

the River Valley Regional YMCA is also assisting in offering free office space. Any business interested should contact the 

Chamber at 326!1971. Phillips Supply House in Williamsport has also offered to loan office equipment such as copiers 

on a temporary basis to businesses and anyone interested in should contact Trey Phillips at Phillips Supply House in 

Williamsport. 

Any Lycoming County business seeking financial assistance from the Chamber relief fund should contact the Chamber by 

email at special email address chamberfloodrecovery@williamsport.org and request an application which is just two 

pages but must be filled out in order to be considered for assistance. Once a completed application has been received, 

it will go to a review committee for action. All applications should be into the Chamber no later than October 15, 2011 

and may be mailed, emailed, faxed or dropped off in person. 

For more information on the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.williamsport.org or 

contact our main Chamber offices at (570) 326!1971.


SMALL BUSINESS 

Hillside Catering: Culinary tradition continues 

By KRISTEN NUSS 

knuss@sungazette.com 

For more than 30 years, Dave Miele has been 

catering parties and events for residents of Lycoming 

County under the Hillside moniker. 

Miele said his entrance into the catering business 

began with the popular Hillside Restaurant in 1979 

which eventually transitioned into Hillside Catering 

in 1998 when Miele sold the restaurant. 

Hillside catering now at 324 Broad St. in 

Montoursville, offers full service catering for a variety 

of events including weddings, banquets, cocktail 

parties, luncheons, private parties and more. 

“We have a full kitchen and cater parties from two 

to 2,000 people,” Miele said. “Everything from picnics 

to black-tie.” 

Among the biggest events the company caters are 

annual parties for Larson Design Group and 

Woolrich Woolen Mills. 

Miele said the company, which employs five fulltime 

and 25 part-time staff members, has exclusive 

contracts with several hotels and venues in the area 

to provide catering services at events held there. 

“Our quality staff and ability to cook on-site set 

us apart from our competition,” he said. “We emphasize 

quality food and service from our trained, uniformed 

staff.” 

The food and service are the keys to success in 

the catering industry, according to Miele. 

“The basics don’t change. We make almost everything 

from scratch,” he said. “You are only as good 

as your staff.” 

Another way Hillside sets itself apart from competitors 

is its willingness and desire to give back to 

the local community by supporting local organizations. 

Miele said the company routinely donates services 

to area organizations 

and offers discounted 

rates to non-profit 

organizations. 

Most recently 

Hillside provided the 

food for a spaghetti 

dinner fundraiser for 

Sojourner Truth 

Ministries. 

“We believe in supporting 

the community,” 

he said. “The 

thanks and appreciation 

we get make it worth 

it.” 

The staff at Hillside 

Catering will work with 

clients to guide them 

through the process of 

planning an event, 

bringing in the staff’s 

decades of experience 

and expertise to create 

memorable events. 

“I don’t take on anything 

I can’t handle. I 

do not allow clients to 

PHOTO PROVIDED 

do something I don’t This spread of baked goods from a recent wedding demonstrates the skill 

think will work,” he and care with which Hillside Catering makes every event memorable. The 

said. “Our goal is full-service catering company works with clients to cater every type of 

excellence.” 

event from picnics to black-tie dinners. 

Hillside Catering 

offers 11 different menus and can meet a variety of 

dietary requirements including kosher, vegetarian 

and gluten-free. The company, Miele said, also can 

meet special requests not on the menus. 

For more information, visit the website www.hillsidecatering.com 

or call 368-8880. 

SPENCER MECHANICAL, INC. 

Robert E. Spencer 

President 

HVAC & PLUMBING 

CONTRACTING 

3007 Lycoming Creek Road 

Williamsport, PA 17701 

(570) 494-2077 

Fax (570) 494-2000 

SUMMER 

HOURS: 

Monday - Friday 

10 am to Close 

Saturday & Sunday 

4 pm to Close 

1225 River Ave. Williamsport • faxonbowling.com 323-0273

7 

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ESTABLISH A 

LYCOMING COUNTY DISASTER RELIEF FUND 

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania has established the 

Lycoming County Disaster Relief Fund in response to the widespread flooding in Lycoming County as the 

result of Tropical Storm Lee on September 7 th and 8 th , 2011. In response to donor interest, the Williamsport 

Lycoming Chamber of Commerce approached the Community Foundation about creating a fund that will have 

an immediate impact on the local areas damaged by flooding as they begin the process of rebuilding their 

communities. 

“A few area businesses expressed an interest in making substantial donations to support local disaster 

relief efforts. I immediately reached out to the Community Foundation because of their expertise and strong 

reputation in grantmaking with confidence and integrity,” said Vincent J. Matteo, President and CEO of the 

Chamber of Commerce. 

Blaise Alexander Management, Inc. donated $100,000 in addition to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation 

and EXCO Resources each contributing $50,000 and Inflection Energy LLC providing $15,000 to assist in the 

creation of the Fund. Donations from these businesses will provide financial assistance to nonprofit 

organizations serving residents of Lycoming County that have been affected by the disaster and/or have been 

impacted themselves. 

Jennifer D. Wilson, Community Foundation President & CEO said, “We are grateful to the Chamber of 

Commerce and these businesses for partnering with us to designate additional dollars for flood relief to our 

grantmaking efforts in Lycoming County this fall. We also recognize and appreciate the tremendous 

outpouring of support from various facets of the community and encourage individuals to continue supporting 

those agencies addressing immediate needs.” 

The Community Foundation and Chamber of Commerce have worked collectively to make certain the 

needs of the community are being met through this Fund. Given the Community Foundation’s experience in 

working with nonprofit organizations, the Community Foundation will manage the grantmaking process to 

ensure successful applicants have been impacted, provided relief or are developing innovative solutions to 

meet future community needs. The Community Foundation has waived all administrative fees to maximize the 

grantmaking impact to those directly affected. 

The Community Foundation has also waived several of its standard guidelines and limitations for this 

specific grant cycle. Organizations seeking funding for more than $6,000, normally must submit a Letter of 

Intent before applying. Given the current situation need, Letters of Intent are not required for organizations 

seeking funding as a result of the recent natural disaster in Lycoming County. Grant applicants must be 

qualified to receive tax-exempt contributions as defined by the IRS - in the vast majority of cases, applicants 

will be 501(c)(3) organizations. Nonprofit organizations that normally are ineligible to apply such as faith-based 

institutions, emergency service providers and government entities are encouraged to apply if they have 

provided disaster relief services to the general community. Debt reduction or reimbursement requests will be 

considered if the expenses were incurred after September 7, 2011 and were used to provide disaster relief 

services. Grants are not available to individuals or families. 

Complete guidelines and a printable application are available on the Community Foundation’s website 

www.fcfpartnership.org under Grantmaking, Funding Opportunities. Applications must be postmarked or handdelivered 

to the Community Foundation Office, 330 Pine Street, Williamsport by October 15, 2011 to be 

considered. The Community Foundation anticipates there will be more requests than available dollars for 

funding and all applications will be reviewed through a panel of community volunteers. For additional 

information, contact the Grantmaking or Development Offices toll free at (866) 901-2372. 

The First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania works regionally and locally through its 

partner foundations - Danville Area Community Foundation, Union County Community Foundation and 

Williamsport Lycoming Community Foundation – to bring together people, partners and places to grow local 

giving and investment, strengthen area organizations and results, and take on the critical issues and efforts 

needed to build vibrant communities and a thriving north central Pennsylvania region. 

For more information on the programs and services offered by the Community Foundation, or to 

learn more about ways to make a difference in your community, contact the Community Foundation office at 

(570) 321-1500 or toll free at (866) 901-2372. 



FEATURE MEMBER 

Tulpehocken expands into coffee business 

By ALYSSA MURPHY 

amurphy@sungazette.com 

Not every coffee goes with every water, so finding 

a good cup of coffee takes some trial and error. 

ALYSSA MURPHY/Sun-Gazette 

The Airpot Coffee Unit shown here does not use 

a burner beneath the coffee pot, which are usually 

seen. Instead, the coffee pot acts like a thermos 

and keeps the coffee inside of it warm up 

to 4 1/2 hours. 

Debra Rozyckie, 

sales representative 

for Mountainside 

Coffee and Water 

Services, 750 Point 

Township Road, 

Northumberland, 

brews several types 

of coffee for the different 

offices and 

restaurants she visits 

to promote the business. 

“I don’t just go in 

and say ‘Here’s your 

coffee and here’s 

your equipment,’” 

Rozyckie said. “I 

want to find them a 

good cup of coffee.” 

Mountainside is a 

division of 

Tulpehocken 

Mountain Spring 

Water, which is one 

of the oldest privately 

owned bottled water 

distributors in 

Pennsylvania, 

Tulpehocken 

President Joe Malloy 

said. 

Rozyckie wanted 

to create a collaboration 

so offices could 

receive both coffee 

and water services 

through the same 

place. 

“Coffee and water 

need each other,” she 

said. “They go hand-in-hand like a good marriage.” 

For Rozyckie, contacting Malloy made sense 

because of his experience. 

“(Malloy) has been in the water business forever,” 

Rozyckie said. “I called him up and he brought me 

in. We’re a good mix.” 

The collaboration worked because they were similarly 

driven, Malloy said. 

“She’s goal-oriented,” he said. “She’s also very 

persistent.” 

The opportunity is a rewarding one for Rozyckie. 


Debra Rozyckie, sales representative for Mountainside Coffee and Water 

Services, a division of Tulpehocken Mountain Spring Water, brews different 

types of coffee so people can decide which blend they prefer. 

“It’s so exciting for me because it’s almost like I 

own my own company and he takes care of all of the 

responsibilities,” she said. “All I have to do is sell.” 

The coffee service offers a variety of regular coffees, 

decaf coffees, gourmet coffees, creamers, hot 

chocolate, teas, flavored teas, spring water and soups. 

Cups, lids, stirrers, plates, cutlery and paper products 

are also available. 

The type of equipment depends on the usage for 

(See TULPEHOCKEN , Page 9)

9 

FEATURE MEMBER 

Tulpehocken expands into coffee business 

(From Page 8) 

the business. 

One popular coffee unit 

is the Airpot Coffee Unit, 

which does not use a hot 

burner plate and keeps the 

coffee fresh and hot after 

four hours. 

Another coffee unit 

uses a Tulpehocken water 

container that sits upside 

down on top of the 

machine. 

“You can’t get any better 

water than spring 

water,” Rozyckie said. 

“You put the jug on top 

and it goes right into the 

coffee maker.” 

For places that do not 

have good drinking water, 

that is the type of unit she 

recommends. 

Rozyckie said that as a 

businesswoman, she is 

very conservative with 

spending money, so she 

tries to cut costs for her 

customers. 

“I can give a great cup 

of coffee at a reasonable 

price,” she said. “I can 

teach them that the (Airpot 

Coffee Unit) will keep it 

warm for 4 1/2 hours with 

the same consistency. 

Coffee that sits on a burner 

starts to break down in half 

an hour.” 

Rozyckie said her passion 

for coffee began in her 

20s when she went to coffee seminars. Now she can 

go to different offices and restaurants in the area to 

provide different samples for them, which also 

allows her to sample it. 

“Now I’m into what I was great at doing,” she 

said. “It’s why I’m hyper. I drink (coffee) every 

day.” 

Part of the passion that Rozyckie has for her business 

comes from loving what she does. 

“My job is so much fun,” she said. “Sales is so 

natural for me.” 


Debra Rozyckie shows a coffee unit that receives spring water from an 

upside down Tulpehocken Spring Water gallon tub. For people who go 

through coffee faster, Rozyckie said that a five gallon container can also 

be used to make the coffee. 

PAULHAMUS LITHO, INC. 

Complete Printing Service 

2824 Old Montoursville Road 

Montoursville, PA 17754 

(570) 368-8176 • Fax (570) 368-8208 

www.paulhamuslitho.com 


10 


Revolving Loan Fund 

The Industrial Properties Corporation, Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber 

of Commerce and the City of Williamsport are committed to assisting 

small businesses with their economic development projects. From building 

renovations, expansion/working capital to equipment purchases, the 

Revolving Loan Program can provide the nances you need to increase 

business and ensure economic prosperity. 

APPLICATION CRITERIA 

The Revolving Loan Fund is available to: 

• Individuals, corporations, limited liability companies and non-prot 

organizations 

• Gross sales less than $1,000,000 annually or employ less than 50 

individuals 

• Place of business or signicant amount of business in Lycoming 

County 

• Start up enterprises, expansion of existing business or relocation of 

business to Lycoming County 

For more information please contact: 

Nancy J. Eischeid, CPA, Vice President & Chief Financial Ofcer 

Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce 

Phone: (570) 320-4206 Email: neischeid@williamsport.org 

7th Largest Growth in the Nation 

Continued from Page 3 

Commissioner Jeff Wheeland stated that, “This is an exciting time to live and 

work in Lycoming County and there is a tremendous opportunity for new businesses 

and our legacy businesses to expand their businesses”. Mayor Gabe Campana 

of Williamsport believes the growth is being aided by the strong partnership 

between his administration and the Chamber; adding, “These results don’t just 

happen by themselves.” 

According to the report, the top nine Metropolitan Statistical Areas percentage 

increase were: 

1. Elizabethtown, Ky, 14.4 percent 

2. San Jose, Ca, 13.4 percent 

3. Elhart-Goshen, In, 13 percent 

4. Columbus, In, 10.1 percent 

5. Midland, Tx, 9.3 percent 

6. Lafayette, La, 8.3 percent 

7. Williamsport, Pa, 7.8 percent 

8. Hinesville, Ga, 7.7 percent 

9. Shreveport, La, 7.5 percent 

Lycoming County Commissioner Rebecca Burke believes, “The strong work ethic 

of our residents and cooperative public, private and non-prot partnerships are 

a key component to this success.” You can obtain a complete copy of the report by 

going to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ website at www.bea.gov. 

Does Free Financing for 

Small Businesses Exist? 

Not Quite. 

By Bill Henderson, SCORE 

Nothing good in life comes easy, and that includes getting 

nancing for your small business. 

No federal government agency—including the Small 

Business Administration—offers grants to start or expand 

small businesses, despite advertisements to the contrary. 

Many corporations, foundations, and private institutions 

that sponsor grant programs follow the same policy, except 

in cases where the business involves development of 

a new technology, or is a nonprot organization. 

The SBA does administer several loan programs in 

partnership with local lenders, community development 

organizations, and micro-lending institutions (agencies 

that specialize in limited, short-term nancing). SBA 

backs those loans with a guaranty against non-payment 

that eliminates some of the partner’s risk. In other words, 

your application for an SBA-backed loan is actually an 

application for a commercial loan structured according to 

the SBA’s requirements. 

SBA loan programs include the basic 7(a) program; 

“504” loans, which are delivered through Certied Development 

Companies (CDCs) for acquiring real estate, 

machinery, or equipment as part of an expansion or modernization; 

7(m) Micro-loans of up to $35,000; and postdisaster 

recovery and assistance loans. Complete details 

on these programs and their application requirements are 

available under the Services section of www.sba.gov. The 

Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and IPC 

along with the City of Williamsport sponsor a micro-loan 

line of credit program for businesses in existence for a 

year or more. 

Established small businesses can apply for federal 

grants to carry out various publicly mandated services or 

programs. As with the SBA loan program, they must be 

operated for prot, have a place of business in the U.S., 

signicantly contribute to the economy, and meet size 

standards for its industry. For example, wholesale trade 

industries are limited to 100 employees, while most retail 

and services industries can have average annual receipts 

of no more than $6.5 million. More information is available 

at grants.gov, a central storehouse of information on 

over 1,000 grant programs from 26 federal agencies. 

Another source for researching potential grant 

opportunities is The Foundation Center’s Foundation 

Directory Online at fconline.fdncenter.org. This subscription 

service offers access to a directory of more than to 

80,000 grant makers. Information is also available at 

www.jvbrown.edu, the James V. Brown Library. 

For more assistance with creating a nancing strategy 

for your new or growing small business, contact the North 

Central PA Chapter 234 of SCORE. Visit http://ncentralpa.score.org 

or call us today at 570-322-3720.

The Great 

Pumpkin Express 

on the Lycoming Valley Railroad 

OCTOBER 28, 29 & 30, 2011 

Put on your Halloween Costumes and join the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of 

Commerce for the first Great Pumpkin Express. The entire family will enjoy 

the fun-filled ride traveling on the Lycoming Valley Railroad. 

Friday 

Saturday 

Sunday 

Train Schedule: 

October 28th 6pm & 8pm 

October 29th 3pm, 5pm & 7pm 

October 30th 3pm, 5pm & 7pm 

Cost - $10 per person Children 2 and under are free (as a lap child) 

Purchase tickets by visiting: Lycoming County Visitors Center at 210 William Street, 

Williamsport or call 570-327-7700 or 800-358-9900 

Each paid ticket holder will receive the first in a series of 

Great Pumpkin Express collectors pins. 

The train will depart and return to the Maynard Street Burger King (exit 28 on I-180). Parking is available at Burger 

King free of charge. Please plan on arriving approximately 15-20 minutes prior to your excursion departure. 

Each excursion can hold 250 passengers. The train will be pulled by a diesel engine with 4 cars and 1 caboose. 

*a limited number of tickets will also be made available the day of the excursions. 

The Great Pumpkin Express is brought to you by the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce in partnership with 

SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority, Lycoming Valley Railroad and Penn Valley Railroad. 

11 


12 


NEW MEMBER 

Magna-Solutions LLC: Warming up for winter 

By ALYSSA MURPHY 

amurphy@sungazette.com 

After a wet spring and summer, one local 

gas industry outfitter will be planning for a 

cold winter. 

Magna-Solutions LLC, 32 Sawmill Road, 

Cogan Station, started selling its winter line 

of fire-resistant gear to supply the gas and oil 

companies. 

“We’re geared up to sell our winter line 

with insulated and lined items,” Jay Franzen, 

one of the four owners of the shop, said. 

Along with the clothes, the store also sells 

winter accessories, including boots, helmets 

and rain gear. 

“Essentially anything a company might 

need, we’re available to provide,” Christian 

Richardson, another owner, said. “We cater to 

support companies that are in the gas industry.” 

Franzen said that many of the workers in 

the industries are from the southern side of 

the country and are not prepared for the cold 

winters. 

Finding the gear needed to stay warm that 

also follow regulations used to be more difficult, 

Richardson said. 

“Before we opened, only a handful of stores 

carried this stuff,” Richardson said. “They 

were very limited in what they offered. A lot 

of larger sized guys had a harder time to get 

jackets, things that were (fire resistant) compliant. 

That’s one thing we specialize in. All 

we sell is (fire resistant). We carry all sizes up 

to 5X, sometimes 6X. We can fully supply 

these guys.” 

Franzen said that last year, stores quickly 

ran out of supplies. 

“A lot of the other stores that had limited 

supplies sold out,” he said. “There were back 

orders until spring. By the time they could get 

the stuff to be warm over winter months, it 

was too late.” 

Richardson said he encourages anyone with 

larger orders to place them now to get the 

outfits in a matter of weeks, not months. 

Another service Magna-Solutions LLC 

offers is customization of the gear. 

Richardson said some companies that come 

to the store want a certain color, embroidery 


Owners, from left to right, Jay Franzen, Andrea Franzen, Michele 

Richardson and Christian Richardson work together in a family business 

to clothe area gas industry workers. 

or logo. 

“They all want something slightly different 

or slightly unique,” Richardson said. 

Since opening in March, the store had to 

extend hours on Friday and add seamstresses. 

Richardson said some of the workers who 

come in may be a little bigger or shorter than 

the uniform comes, so a seamstress allows 

custom hemming that can be done in a day or 

two. 

New Volunteer Opportunity: Business Mentors 

N. Central PA Ch. 234 invites men and women who are 

active or retired business owners, executives, or 

professionals to consider joining our group as 

volunteers to counsel start-up and in-business clients. 

570-322-3720 http://ncentralpa.score.org 

The store is open 9 

a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday 

through Thursday, 9 

a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday 

and noon to 7 p.m. 

Saturday. The owners 

also make special 

appointments when 

needed. 

“We encourage people 

to call us when 

they need to get their 

stuff,” Franzen said. 

“We’re able to make 

special appointments. 

‘I need to be at the site 

at 7 a.m. I drive by at 

6 a.m. Can you help 

me out?’ We will 

accommodate. We 

encourage people to let 

us know when they 

need help.” 

One man flew from 

Texas and the airline 

lost all of his luggage, 

Richardson said. He 

had to be on site that 

morning. 

“He didn’t have a stitch of clothing,” 

Richardson said. “We opened up for him and 

we had him outfitted with several outfits 

until he got his clothes. It’s just what we do.” 

We don’t offer “one” solution to your staffing needs, but many... 

1-800-755-5158 

Fax: 570-327-5909 

2350 E. 3rd St., Suite 2 Williamsport 

Providing Staffing Solutions With 

Your Future in Mind 

CALL US TODAY!

LEGACY MEMBER 

Sims Agency: Ensuring a bright future for Williamsport 

13 

By AMANDA ALEXANDER 

aalexander@sungazette.com 

Since 1945, Sims Insurance Agency has provided 

for the insurance needs of residents and businesses 

in the Williamsport community. Williamsport 

native Jeffrey B. Sims, President, said the agency 

covers all lines of insurance, including commercial, 

property, life, health and homeowners insurance. 

AMANDA ALEXANDER/Sun-Gazette 

Jeffrey B. Sims, president of Sims Insurance 

Agency, took over the company in 1982. His 

father, William R. Sims, was the companyʼs 

founder. 

“We’re an independent 

agency,” Sims said. “I took 

over in 1982.” 

The business was founded 

by Jeffrey’s father, 

William R. Sims and was 

located at 45 Washington 

Blvd. until 2003, when it 

moved to 1036 Washington 

Blvd. Sims said the business’s 

current location provides 

better access and 

parking for customers. 

The agency’s biggest 

change came in 2003, 

when it became part of the 

Keystone Insurers Group, a 

network of more than 200 

agencies throughout the 

state. Joining the group has 

allowed Sims Insurance 

Agency to maintain its 

independence while pulling 

from a network of 

resources, Sims said. While 

the agency has been able to 

expand its business through 

the Keystone Insurers 

Group, its methods and 

character have not 

changed. 

“We pride ourselves on 

personalized business,” 

Sims said. 

The agency’s three insurance agents and four customer 

service representatives work one-on-one with 

customers to meet their specific needs, and 

Williamsport customers still appreciate that personalized 

touch. 

“A lot of people still want the local service. They 

like to see the agent,” Sims said, adding that many 

customers still make personal visits to the office to 

pay their bills. “People like the personal contact.” 

Sims Insurance Agency has been a member of the 

Williamsport- 

Lycoming Chamber 

of Commerce for 

more than 50 years, 

and Sims said the 

AMANDA ALEXANDER/Sun-Gazette 

Sims Insurance Agency, located at 1036 Washington Blvd., has taken 

care of Williamsportʼs commercial and personal insurance needs since 

1945. 

Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce has 

been a great resource for networking and being part 

of the community. Sims believes Williamsport has a 

bright future and looks forward to the economic 

effects of the gas industry in the area. The Marcellus 

Shale industry “has been a big plus to the agency 

and to the community,” he said. 

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14 


Leadership Lycoming Class of 2012 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wellness Report 

 

 

Alopecia Areata

Chiropractic Care 

 

Another Anniversary for Chiropractic 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flood Recovery Assistance 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**PM Exchange Update 

 

 

 

 

 

15 


Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce Staff 

President/CEO ..................................................................Dr. Vincent J. Matteo 

320-4201 - vmatteo@williamsport.org 

Editor .............................................................................................Kristen E. Lorson 

320-4210 - klorson@williamsport.org 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STAFF 

Executive Vice President, Economic Development & 

Executive Director, Lycoming County Visitors Bureau ....... Jason Fink 

320-4213 - jfink@williamsport.org 

Vice President & Chief Financial Officer .................Nancy Eischeid, CPA 

320-4206 - neischeid@williamsport.org 

Financial Assistant .....................................................................Marianna Steele 

320-4205 - msteele@williamsport.org 

Leadership Lycoming/Special Events Coordinator .......... Sharon Jones 

320-4202 - sjones@williamsport.org 

Development & Retention Coordinator ........................................................... 

320-4209 

Tourism Coordinator ............................................................... Regina Kennedy 

320-4208 - gkennedy@williamsport.org 

Eco. Development & Communications Coordinator........Kristen Lorson 

320-4210 - klorson@williamsport.org 

Executive Secretary ......................................................................Cindy Robbins 

320-4201 - crobbins@williamsport.org 

Office Manager ........................................................................................Ann Baker 

326-1971 - abaker@williamsport.org

16 


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Outdoor 1-8 - Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce

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