The PA Chamber participated last week in the first regional roundtable hosted by the newly formed, bipartisan Pennsylvania Competitiveness Caucus, a coalition focused on policies to grow the Commonwealth’s economy and improve our ability to attract and retain jobs.
Held last Tuesday at Utz Quality Foods in Hanover, the roundtable brought together lawmakers, employers, and local economic leaders from Adams and York counties to discuss key competitiveness issues.
The event included a tour of Utz’s new 650,000-square-foot Rice Distribution Center and was followed by a working session with seven members of the General Assembly, including all four caucus co-chairs.
PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein attended the event to reinforce the business community’s support for the caucus’s mission.
“Competitiveness continues to be the top priority for our members,” Bernstein said following the event. “We appreciate the work of lawmakers from both parties who are focused on the policies needed to grow jobs and strengthen the economy across Pennsylvania.”
The caucus, formed in January and now with more than 50 legislative members, is co-chaired by Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) and Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh) and Reps. Paul Friel (D-Chester) and Josh Kail (R-Beaver). Additional lawmakers in attendance included Reps. Torren Ecker (R-Adams), Kate Klunk (R-York), and Thomas Kutz (R-Cumberland).
Throughout the discussion, business leaders raised recurring themes such as workforce challenges, permitting delays, and state-to-state competition for business investment.
Utz Executive Vice President Jim Sponaugle highlighted how other states are actively recruiting the company. He encouraged legislators to proactively engage Pennsylvania employers that may be considering future growth plans.
The Gettysburg Times reported that, as a company that has expanded out of state in recent years, Utz has been “noticing how we’re being courted,” according to Sponaugle. “And we’re like, wait a minute, what’s happening here in PA?” he said.
The co-chairs cited Utz as an example of the kind of success state policy should help replicate.
Representatives from the Adams Economic Alliance, Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce, York County Economic Alliance, and other local employers attended the event.
According to the caucus, Tuesday’s roundtable is the first in a series of regional events designed to foster collaboration between lawmakers and private-sector leaders. The PA Chamber will continue to support this effort and help amplify the voices of employers as the caucus continues its work.