GRCA’s Work Adds Up
This month marks ONE YEAR for me as the new President and CEO at the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA)! What’s not new is that we continue to advance our mission and vision in the community, and expand our pivotal role in the economic development of Greater Reading.
- Championing initiatives to reintroduce passenger rail and support the growth of the Reading Regional Airport
- Working with the City of Reading to strengthen its economic viability through the NEW City Revitalization Improvement Zone (CRIZ) designation
- Preparing sites for future growth of expanding existing companies and new business attraction
- Strengthening and diversifying key industry partnerships in high-growth sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, education and construction/infrastructure to drive economic development
- Positioning Greater Reading, Pa. as a premier location where people and businesses want to live, work, learn and thrive through award winning marketing, talent attraction & retention services/ workforce development initiatives, member storytelling and Meet Greater Reading campaign
Your ongoing support for our work is critical as we work to position the business community for remarkable economic growth, while providing essential programs and initiatives, in 2025 and beyond. We believe that we are truly greater together and look forward to continuing to define what great looks like for Greater Reading this year!
Warm Regards,
Lucine Sihelnik
President and CEO
Advance
- Currently, over $3.6 million is in the funding pipeline across programs such as the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA), PA Catalyst Loan Fund and the Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) grants representing over $2.2 million in total project costs.
- Since the beginning of 2024, $3.8 million in project lending and grants have been approved—this approved funding represents over $62 million in total project costs
- Fielded 119 inquiries for buildings and/or land, representing over 14,400 jobs potentially new and retained in Berks County
- Delivered 73 tailored programs and webinars to 902 participants from 75 organizations. Program highlights included Bridging Language Barriers, Executive Leadership Academy, Essentials of Effective Leadership and Emotional Intelligence
- Released data including Economic Intelligence reports providing insights into trends in the labor market, consumer spending and economic growth
Connect
- Onboarded and welcomed 146 new members and celebrated 173 member anniversaries ranging from one year to 100 years
- Celebrated 37 ribbon cuttings across a diverse range of industries in Greater Reading
Engage
- Engaged over 5,500 community members across 71 events, including:
- 775 business leaders at May’s Annual Dinner with Brian Westbrook at Santander Arena
- 400 members and friends at FirstEnergy Stadium for the Annual Picnic, including 13 batters for the Home Run Derby and 16 Cornament teams
- 16 Women2Women events, including the Conference & Expo, Evening of Empowerment with Lisa Sun, and 3 De Mujer a Mujer programs held entirely in Spanish
- 10 Networking@Night events and 2 PowerNetworking events, showing off member businesses and fostering new relationships
- A brand-new format for Go Taste Berks which brought 350+ people directly to 41 local businesses during the month of November
- 4 Lunch&Learns and 4 Coffee&Convos with a focus on small business needs like marketing, financing, new tax laws, website content and more
- Organized impactful industry-focused events, including the 10th Annual Manufacturing Summit at Reading Area Community College with over 170 attendees, and facilitated key meetings such as the Manufacturing and Healthcare Industry Partnerships and the Environmental Health & Safety Roundtable
- Expanded GRCA’s Employer Network to include 30 Berks County employers, accessing 71 candidates in the pipeline. (Interested in joining? Sign up to receive the Talent Roster.) The campaign driving candidates into the pipeline was recognized by the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (PEDA) as the winner of the Economic Development Marketing Innovation Award for its talent attraction marketing campaign.
Champion
- Highlighted an average of 190 members per month through GRCA marketing channels, including social media, Commerce Quarterly magazine and e-newsletters.
- GRCA partnered with Bell Media Group and Lauren Little Photography to showcase the stories of seven diverse members, from family-run businesses like Fromm to major venues like Santander Arena and nonprofits like Helping Harvest. This storytelling campaign highlighted the vibrant and varied businesses that make Greater Reading thrive, reaching over 500,000 people across social media, print and email platforms while driving meaningful engagement throughout the community. This campaign was awarded the Partner in Success award by Pro Berco, a company that also was featured in the campaign.
- Welcomed 2 new team members! Be sure to contact them if you have not already had the opportunity to meet Alex and Dallan.
These results and work are made possible by the entire GRCA Team – Landon Bernheiser, Mark Dolinski, Leah Fassnacht, Aaron Gantz, Melissa Hassler, Kayla Hayick, Katie Johnsen, Steph Koch, Audrey Krupiak, Anna Lisa, Deb Millman, Alex Roché, Keith Stamm, Lucine Sihelnik, Sally Stewart, Jackie Stiles, Denise Vaquero and Dallan Yoh. Meet the team>