/ By Lauren Thompson / Uncategorized/ 0 Comments

DoD Regulatory Reform Task Force Seeking Comments

The Defense Acquisition Regulations Systems, Department of Defense is seeking comments in accordance with Executive Order (E.O.) 13777. This order established a Federal policy “to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens”. Per the Federal Register Volume 82, Number 117 dated Tuesday, June 20, 2017, the DoD Regulatory Reform Task Force is now accepting input related to Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement solicitation provisions and contract clauses.

>Written comments, identified as ”DFARS-RRTF-2017-01”, must be submitted on or before August 21, 2017 to be considered.  Submissions may be made through the Federal eRulemaking portal, fax or USPS Mail. All comments, including any personal information provided, will be posted to www.regulations.gov. Additional information on how to submit comments can be found in the Federal Register notice.

>If you’d like to learn more, please contact us at (814) 254-4022 or via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / Consortium/ 0 Comments

JARI Industry Partnerships Reorganize

The JARI industry partnerships held a meeting on June 27 to discuss ideas on how they plan to reorganize. Nearly 30 people attended and gave input on what they believe is working well within the groups and what could use improvement to make them more valuable. Attendees also set goals on what they would like to see accomplished.

The mission of the partnerships is to provide programs and initiatives in an effort to build workforce capacity. All of the feedback given will be reviewed and evaluated. The information from the session will be available on our website within the next few weeks.

/ By Lauren Thompson / Annual Luncheon • Cambria County • Entrepreneurship • Financing & incentives • Media Releases • New business • News • Somerset County • Workforce Development/ 0 Comments

JARI Releases 2016 Annual Report

The 2016 JARI Annual Report “Building Economic Momentum: Creating a Strong Foundation for Growth” is now available for review on the JARI website.  The report documents improved economic activity over the past year, with more jobs created and retained, more financing secured, and less displaced workers served. Eleven new businesses were started with JARI’s assistance, while 725 people received training to enhance job opportunities. Highlights include the creation of the JARI Growth Fund, assistance to companies locating or growing in the region, and diversification strategies for small defense firms.

The support that is received from our partners, financial contributors, directors and committee members is paramount to the collaboration that ultimately assists our regional employers and our communities

Please contact me at  if you have questions or would like additional information about this report.

/ By Lauren Thompson / Uncategorized/ 0 Comments

Basic Accounting for Small Business

Basic Accounting for Small Business

On Thursday, June 29th, Patti Hudson, CPA and Shareholder of Wessel & Company, will present Basic Accounting for Small Business. Attendees will learn about the importance of the chart of accounts, bookkeeping principles and understanding financial reports. The presentation will also cover information on reconciling bank accounts and record retention practices.

This Lunch & Learn event will be held at the JARI Center (160 JARI Drive) from 12 to 1:15 PM. The cost to register is $5 per person and lunch will be provided.

If you are interested in attending, please fill out the registration form above and e-mail it to Lauren Brewer at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Entrepreneurship • Media Releases/ 0 Comments

JARI and SAPDC Partner to Assist Local Entrepreneurs

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded a $1,213,868 grant to the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission (SAP&DC) to develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem. The grant, along with $1,233,213 of partner matching funds, will help the partner organizations develop places and resources aimed at addressing the needs of the region’s current and future entrepreneurs.

The program’s objective is to build a robust entrepreneurial pipeline so people from across the region can access the resources and support needed to be successful.

JARI is pleased to announce Jose Luis Otero as the Cambria County Coach. Rich Lasek and Dan Parisi will be the Coaches for Blair County and Somerset County respectably.

For more information and to read the full press release, click here.

/ By Lauren Thompson / Vision 2025/ 0 Comments

Vision Teams Win Funding during PITTchFest ’17

At PITTchFest ’17, held on June 1 at Showcase for Commerce, three Vision teams competed for cash funding to help implement their community initiatives. PITTchFest is a shark-tank style competition with the goal to provide start-up capital to innovative business ideas. This year, PITTchFest expanded to include a new “social entrepreneurship” category. Eight Vision2025 capture teams applied to pitch, and three finalists were selected.

The Central Park Square Marketing Group took first place winning $2,000 to help develop an outreach and marketing strategy to promote investment into and around Central Park. The Urban Johnstown Connectivity Project received $1,000 to contribute to the completion of a regional trail planning initiative. Fresh Start Soap Pantry won $500 to help develop a sustainable business and marketing strategy to deliver care kits, hygiene products and resource information to local individuals in need.

Sponsors for PITTchFest ’17 were Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, JARI, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce, GapVax, Ben Franklin Technology Partners and Enterprise Venture Capital Corporation.

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Entrepreneurship • Event • Financing & incentives • Somerset County/ 0 Comments

Upcoming Lunch & Learns

 

Protecting Your Intellectual Property 

On Tuesday, June 27th, Attorney John Haschak of Leventry, Haschak and Rodkey, LLC, will be discussing what it takes to protect your intellectual property. Attendees will receive an introduction to patents, trademarks and copyrights and an overview of licensing. They will also learn about protecting trade secrets and employee considerations. Attorney George Gvozdich will serve as the moderator.

Basic Accounting for Small Business

On Thursday, June 29th, Patti Hudson, CPA and Shareholder of Wessel & Company, will present Basic Accounting for Small Business. Attendees will learn about the importance of the chart of accounts, bookkeeping principles and understanding financial reports. The presentation will also cover information on reconciling bank accounts and record retention practices.

These Lunch & Learn events will be held at the JARI Center (160 JARI Drive) from 12 to 1:15 PM. The cost to register is $5 per person and lunch will be provided.

If you are interested in attending, please fill out the registration forms above and e-mail them to Lauren Brewer at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / PTAC/ 0 Comments

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Now Accessible On Any Device

The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Office of Government-wide Policy and the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council, recently released the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in the Kindle bookstore. The Kindle version of the FAR eBook joins the previously released iBooks version, making the eBook accessible on any device for free. This format is easy-to-read with the capability to highlight text and bookmark frequently used sections. Additional information on downloading the FAR on Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks is available here.

Please contact us for any of your government contracting assistance needs at (814) 254-4022 or via email at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / Uncategorized/ 0 Comments

Marketing Segmentation: How to Hit the Bullseye with Your Marketing

Tuesday, June 20th, Dave Mastovich, MASSolutions, will present information on market segmentation. Attendees will understand how to leverage one of the most neglected target markets, learn how to create the ideal customer profiles and hear how to apply Marriott’s Segmentation strategies. They will also be able to understand how to create their own referral source marketing program and how they can position by segment to maximize marketing ROI.

This Lunch & Learn event will be held at the JARI Center (160 JARI Drive) from 12 to 1:15 PM. The cost to register is $5 per person and lunch will be provided.

If you are interested in attending, please fill out the registration form and e-mail to Lauren Brewer at .

/ By Lauren Thompson / Cambria County • Entrepreneurship • Financing & incentives • New business • News/ 0 Comments

JARI Welcomes Bill & Mark’s Auto Repair, Inc.

JARI would like to congratulate Bill & Mark’s Auto Repair on their new business venture. The company located in Lilly, PA, is owned by Bill Slone and Mark Gummo. With a combined 25 years experience, they are a full service auto repair shop offering all major and minor repairs at a reasonable price.

The owners stated, “We are excited to have our own auto business and provide service to the community. This would not have been possible without the assistance and support of JARI and the St. Francis Small Business Development Center.”

“We are proud to support small business growth in our region,” said Linda Thomson, JARI President, “We wish Bill and Mark all the best.”

If you would like assistance in starting your own business please contact Michele Clapper, VP of Economic Development, at (814) 262-8368 or via e-mail at .