Under the Arch

GANNON SBDC TO HOST 14TH ANNUAL AWARDS LUNCHEON

The Gannon University Small Business Development Center on Thursday, June 3, will honor six businesses from throughout the region and one individual at its 14^th annual Small Business Awards Luncheon.

The lunch and awards program will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Warner Theatre, 811 State Street.

The businesses and the categories in which they will be recognized:

Manufacturing Business of the Year: Tech Tool & Mold, Inc., Meadville, Pa., Scott Hanaway, president. For the fourth consecutive year, it was voted as one of Pennsylvania’s Top 50 medium sized companies. The company, a custom contract manufacturer, specializes in total project management and engineering services for high-tolerance and highly precise plastic components. It supplies full-service engineering, design, and build of precision tooling and custom injection molding.

Export Business of the Year: Composiflex, Inc., Erie, Alan Hannibal, president. Established in 1993, Composiflex is a manufacturer of high-tech applications of composite materials for markets such as agricultural processors and users of personal protection equipment. Most of the company’s products fall under the categories of abrasive waterjet cutting, filament winding, hard armor systems, medical composites, and springs. The company exports to Mexico, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, and Thailand.

Retail Business of the Year: Earth Sun Moon Trading Co., Inc., Grove City, Pa., Nathan Depew, president. Earth Sun Moon is a privately-owned nature apparel and gift manufacturer that was incorporated in 1997. In 2003, the company ranked 184^th on the “Inc. 500” list, compiled by Inc. magazine. Earth Sun Moon’s products can be found at more than 5,100 specialty retailers throughout the United States and abroad, including museums, zoos, aquariums, nature centers, botanical gardens, state and national parks, wild bird shops, garden centers, and outdoor shops.

Professional Business Services of the Year: Tungsten Creative Group, Erie, Jody Farrell and Joe Weunski, co-owners. Founded in 2001, Tungsten Creative is a full-service advertising agency. The company works with a diverse group of customers locally, including Erie Insurance Group, the Erie Community Foundation, and the Arts Council of Erie, and also has clients in Texas, Michigan, and Connecticut. Since the company’s founding, Farrell and Weunski have added four full-time employees and a paid intern. Tungsten’s projects include graphic design for both print and multimedia.

Community Services Business of the Year: Comfort Care & Resources, Inc., Erie, Beverly Fetzner, president. Comfort Care provides in-home daily living care and assistance and is intended as offering an alternative to traditional nursing home placement as well as providing the independence typically absent in many group settings. The company has 40 employees. Comfort Care is a member of the Pennsylvania Homecare Association, the National Association for Private Duty Home Care, and the National Association for Home Care.

Technology Business of the Year: Jones Performance Products, Inc., West Middlesex, Pa., David Jones, president. Jones Performance Products, founded in 1978, is a manufacturer of replacement hoods for over-the-road trucks. The company initially produced fiberglass components for a local trucking company and later began to develop a line of production fiberglass replacement hoods for all the major brands. The company is ISO 9000 certified and currently has 50 employees.

Special Recognition – Business Advocacy: Peter Panepento, reporter, Erie Times-News. Since joining the Times-News in August 2000, Panepento has won a “Best in Business” award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, a second-place award from the Inland Press Association, and a second-place award (for news beat reporting) in the Keystone Press Awards competition. He previously was a senior editor for SchoolSports, Inc., in Boston.

OUR FOLKS

Please remember all in your prayers as regretfully we announce the death of:

John Fulton, Sr., father of Debi Custer, coordinator in the CIE/CIM Center, and grandfather of Rich Custer, 2004 Gannon graduate, and junior Danielle Custer.

OUR EVENTS

Thursday, May 27 – 17th annual Erie Scholarship Golf Tournament: To be held at Lake Shore Country Club. Proceeds provide tuition assistance for qualified Gannon students. Call ext. 7473 for more information.
Wednesday, June 2 – Rank and Tenure workshop: Gannon University’s WomensLeadership and the University Rank and Tenure Committee will offer a Rank and Tenure Workshop to help individuals succeed at advancement. Offered from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Waldron 219. Call ext. 5463 if interested in attending.
Thursday, June 3 – Gannon SBDC Small Business Awards Luncheon: The Small Business Development Center will honor six businesses from throughout the region and one individual. The luncheon, the 14^th annual, will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Warner Theatre, 811 State Street. For more information call ext. 7232.
Friday, June 4 – Gannon University's Erie Chamber Orchestra: Featuring soloist Jacqueline Black (cello). Offered at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Patrick Church, 130 East Fourth Street. Free and open to the public.
Tuesday, June 8 – Gannon University Distinguished Pennsylvanian Dinner: Honoring Pat Monahan of Train, U.S. Rep. Phil English, and Ruth Burton of Burton Funeral Homes. Call ext. 7473 for more information.
Friday, June 11 – Gannon University Family Picnic: Offered from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Carneval Athletic Pavilion (CAP). Please RSVP to ext. 7145 by Monday, June 7. Faculty and staff are asked to bring a dish to share. Games, crafts, and prizes. The picnic is sponsored by the Gannon Employee Events Kommittee (GEEK).
“Our Events” is intended to serve as a random sample of campus events. For a more complete listing, refer to Eventcal.

CURRENT BIRTHDAYS

Claire DeSantis. Linda Wagner. Ward McCracken. John Sanow. Cathy Fresch. Angela Jones. Jerry Fisher. Jon Nagle. Catherine McHale. Thomas Klobchar. Roy Voshall. John Lovett. Patricia Maughn. Frank Bogacki. Suzanne Loss. Sreela Sasi. Randy Dovichow. Mary Shade. Carolyn Ross. Lynn Lewis. Patricia Howard. Sister Lucille DeStefano. Matt Andrews. Barb Flanders.

THE PRESIDENT'S SCHEDULE

Monday, May 24 – Gannon Community Meeting; Pittsburgh Scholarship Golf Event. Tuesday, May 25 – Signing of Articulation Agreement with Harbor Creek High School. Thursday, May 27 – Signing of Articulation Agreement with Cathedral Preparatory High School. Thursday, June 3 – 14^th annual Gannon University SBDC Small Business Week Awards Ceremony. Friday, June 4 – Transfer student Orientation; Gannon Christmas Party planning committee meeting.

DID YOU KNOW?

The university recently allocated funding to ensure that all academic buildings can accommodate wireless communications with laptop computers with specific wireless cards. The buildings that now are completely wireless include the Palumbo Academic Center, Zurn Science Center, Beyer Hall, Waldron Center, Nash Library, and Scottino Hall.
Offer your congratulations to Patrick Barlow, assistant professor, psychology program, and Lila Barlow, on the birth of their daughter, Kathryn Kay. Kathryn was born Friday, May 14, and weighed 7 pounds and 12 ounces.
Gannon faculty/administrators are invited to participate in Summer Orientation events. Four sessions are scheduled: June 20-21 and 27-28, and July 11-12 and 18-19. You and a spouse/guest are invited to attend the Sunday evening Parent Socials on June 20 and 27 and July 11 and 18 in the Yehl Room from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. A picnic supper will be served in the Waldron Center at 5:15 p.m. on those dates. Members of your immediate family are invited to attend with you, compliments of New Student Services. If interested in attending, call ext. 7597 by the Thursday preceding each picnic supper to make a reservation and request your ticket(s). A ticket will be required for each person attending.
Special thanks to Gannon colleagues for their continued assistance with media interviews. Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D., did an interview with channel 35-WSEE. Garibaldi discussed his participation in the NYU Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka 50^th Anniversary Conference as well as the impact of the landmark court decision.
Stephen T. Frezza, Ph.D., associate professor, electrical and computer engineering, on June 8 will give a lecture at the East Erie Turners on the Turner regiments in the American Civil War.
Now that the academic year is concluded, Under the Arch has reverted to its summer schedule and will be published on alternate Mondays. Under the Arch will be posted to the Gannon portal on those Mondays when it is issued. Please note that it always can be accessed from the university’s intranet, located at http://intranet.gannon.edu/.