Business News

Al Granger bought an abandoned Lehigh Valley farm in the 1980s and turned it into a luxurious inn and spa. He was known for his vision and innovation — and for being ultra-tough on those he employed.

The hearing later this month in Bethlehem is the first step in the 5-year license renewal for Wind Creek Bethlehem. The initial public hearing by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board had been set for June 26 but had to be postponed because of severe storms and power outages.

Owowcow Creamery announced it secured two brag-worthy titles: third-best ice cream shop in the U.S. and first place on the East Coast. The creamery has two locations in the Lehigh Valley.

About 120 workers at the distribution center in Palmer Township are represented by the United Auto Workers union. Leaders say the proposed deal increases wages 33% over the next five years.

Teamsters Local 773 approved a new contract that awarded employees raises, more sick days and better contributions toward their health care costs, said union President Dennis Hower.

Allentown City Council agreed to raise parking fines next month if the parking authority's board agreed to those initiatives.

Easton City Council approved a resolution that would allow the city to take the historic Hooper House by eminent domain, but officials would prefer not to fall back on that option, hoping discussions with owner Rock Church may be successful.

The “Easton Commerce Park" proposal for a 1,006,880-square-foot warehouse at the old Pfizer Pigments property off Wood Avenue drew concerns from members of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.

In the midst of scorching temperatures, Tandoor Grill owner Raj Muddu is giving out free water bottles to help cool off Easton community members.

Farmers Kenneth and Heather Skorinko are planning to open a craft distillery with a tasting room. They would build a 2,400 square foot pole barn at 1990 Neffs Laurys Road in North Whitehall to house it.

Gov. John Shapiro last month signed HB 1333 into law, which allows for recycled materials to be used in stuffed toys manufactured and sold statewide. In the Lehigh Valley, one toy manufacturer plans to launch a sustainable line.

The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission on Thursday unanimously approved the sale of PPL Tower in Allentown to Wilkes-Barre-based D&D Realty Group. The sale comes more than four months after PPL Corp. announced that its subsidiary, PPL Electric Utilities, had reached a tentative $9 million agreement to sell the building to D&D Realty Group.

For decades, the land that is now Green Knight Industrial Park in Wind Gap, Plainfield Twp. and Bushkill Twp. contained a pile of 2,000,000 tires. On Thursday, officials cut the ribbon on the park's first completed building, a 50,000-square-foot warehouse.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission issued 19 recommendations for PPL Electric to improve upon, including fixing its poor customer service and restoring power to customers faster following an outage.

The $208 million will also produce 295 new union jobs, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s announcement said, though it’s unclear what cut of the funding the Macungie facility is getting or the number of new jobs expected locally.

Northampton County officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a new maintenance building for groundskeepers, replacing a more-than-century-old wooden barn the Parks Department currently uses.

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Lehigh/Bucks, is looking to force his predecessor, now Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne, to release tax returns about Allentown's Neighborhood Improvement Zone. Browne, who crafted the NIZ, has worked to keep the information confidential for five years.

With other communities around the state adopting bans on plastic bags, Lower Saucon could be on its way to something similar. if approved, it would involve a transition process to show shoppers the bigger picture and give time for businesses to properly offload plastic bags on hand.

A $6.4 million mansion called Ravenwood Manor caught fire just a day after being sold. Three years later, the owners have donated it to the local government, reportedly as a sign of gratitude for local emergency responders.

Major renovations at Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab, agricultural conservation and bridge maintenance are the major expenditures in Lehigh County’s five-year Capital Plan.

USA Today nominated Hotel Bethlehem for its sixth consecutive run at the Best Historic Hotel in America title — something the luxury landmark has brought home the past three years in a row. Now it's time for the community to pitch in for the win.

Freezin' with Aubrie has targeted Butterscotch Krimpets — yes, like those of Tastykake snack cakes fame — to bring an exclusive snack to Dorney Park.