Local writer receives awards
Ohiopyle Susan M. Brimo-Cox, APR, an Ohiopyle-based free-lance writer/editor and director of public relations for Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, received four first-place awards in the 2010 Communications Contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania Press Club. The awards were announced at the Pennsylvania Press Club’s spring awards luncheon April 24 in Myerstown. Brimo-Cox received first-place awards in the following categories:
n Columns, Informational category for her self-syndicated “Nature’s Garden” column, which she has been writing since 2004 and appears in the Herald-Standard newspaper.
n PR Printed Materials, Four-color Magazine category for the Fayette Nittany Newsline, a magazine she produces for Penn State Fayette in her role as public relations director for the campus.
n Information for the Media – News or Feature releases – Multiple Releases category for a series of press releases about Penn State Fayette’s inaugural Blues and White Gala scholarship fundraising event in 2009;
n Publications Regularly Edited by Entrant category for The Glass Bead, the quarterly magazine of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, for which Brimo-Cox is the managing editor.
Brimo-Cox is a communications professional with more than 25 years experience in journalism, public relations and marketing. Brimo-Cox earned the professional designation of APR (Accredited in Public Relations) from the Public Relations Society of America in 1996.
Monessen FedFirst announces earnings
FedFirst Financial Corp., the parent company of First Federal Savings Bank, has announced net income of $374,000 for the three months ended March 31, compared to $319,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2009. Basic and diluted earnings per share were 6 cents for the three months ended March 31 compared to 5 cents for the three months ended March 31, 2009.
“We are encouraged by the continued progress our company has made toward sustainable financial performance,” Patrick G. O’Brien, president and chief executive officer, said.
He noted FedFirst had five consecutive quarters of positive earnings supported by banking and insurance operations; deposit growth of $10.9 million in the first quarter of 2010; and a net interest margin of 3.09 percent, up from 2.75 percent year to year.
“We remain cautious in the face of an unsettled economy, which includes soft loan demand. However, our commitment to building a viable financial services company resonates throughout our team of professionals,” O’Brien said.
Burgettstown Ground broken for development
Morgan Road Associates, a partnership of Washington County Council on Economic Development (WCCED) and Fourth River Development LLC, have broken ground for a new Starpointe Business Park building, a multi-purpose structure – the park’s sixth operating facility – that will add nearly 30,000 square-feet of office, industrial and/or warehousing space to the approximately 200,000 square-feet already built and fully occupied. Starpointe is located at the intersection of Pennsylvania routes 22 and 18 in Washington County’s Hanover Township.
“Capable of being subdivided into six bays of approximately 5,000 square feet, this new building has been deliberately designed to accommodate compatible functions, either for a single occupant or to meet the needs of multiple tenants, said Daniel Reitz, WCCED executive director. “It is almost an exact mirror of an existing flex building that leased promptly following its 2007 completion,” Mr. Reitz added.
Construction financing is being provided by Community Bank, complementing funding support from Pennsylvania’s Industrial and Development Authority and the Business in Our Sights program administered by the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development.
Belle Vernon Verizon opens new store
Verizon Wireless has opened a new, state-of-the-art communications store at 870 Rostraver Road. This new location offers consumers a high-tech, hands-on experience, providing them with the latest and most innovative products and services.
Although the communications store opened April 30, it will celebrate the grand opening May 14 through May 16 with special promotions including free activation and additional discounts on phones and accessories.
The 4,000-square-foot store showcases a highly interactive retail concept, and its design integrates a number of systems and operational enhancements devised to streamline the sales process and increase customer satisfaction, a Verizon spokesman said.
The Verizon Wireless Communications Store in Belle Vernon is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call 724-929-3574.
Harrisburg New program helps employers
Executives, managers and human resources professionals can help their employees become more productive, improve attendance, increase loyalty and bolster their bottom line with a new online resource designed for workplaces by the Pennsylvania Office of Financial Education.
Research suggests that one in four American workers experience serious financial stress and each stressed employee can cost an employer up to $2,000 a year in wasted time and absenteeism. To address workplace needs for financial education, the Office of Financial Education has launched a new module on its website, “Your Money’s Best Friend,” under Resources for Educators.
Offering financial education in the workplace can be done at little or no cost. The new module on “Your Money’s Best Friend” includes information on the impact of financial education in workplaces; selecting, designing and delivering the right program for companies; information on model programs used by some national companies; and a guide to government and nonprofit resources and training.
The Office of Financial Education helps Pennsylvania’s teachers incorporate age-appropriate personal finance principles into the reading, math and other subjects they are already teaching; shows employers how to provide personal finance tips, tools and training to their employees in ways that complement their business objectives and boost their bottom lines; and helps community-based organizations offer high-quality financial education and counseling.
For more information, visit www.moneysbestfriend.com.
It’s Your Business
The Herald-Standard publishes items of local interest in the It’s Your Business column each Sunday.
Items may include retirements, new business openings, new hires, financial statements, awards, changes in local business operation and new products or services offered locally. The Herald-Standard reserves the right to edit all submissions.
For more information, call James Pletcher Jr., Herald-Standard business editor, at 724-439-7571 or e-mail jpletcher@heraldstandard.com.