Openings, closings and leadership changes: Business news you may have missed in January

Jessica McAllister
·3 min read

A new year can bring new beginnings, and that was true for a number of Centre County businesses in January.

Several businesses opened their doors while new beginnings for business owners — retirement — led to closure announcements for others.

Below is a look at what you may have missed over a busy month of business news.

Now open

  • A new sports card and memorabilia shop, Nittany Cards Plus, opened this month at 1631 S. Atherton St. Owner Jason Dambach sells cards and collectibles from all four major sports, everything from individual cards and box sets to autographed jerseys and memorabilia.

  • Centre County’s newest Dollar General opened earlier this month at 586 E. College Ave., Bellefonte.

  • Pure Barre held the grand opening of its State College location on Jan. 22. Located at 19 Colonnade Way, Suite 107, the studio is owned and operated by Aaron and Erin Porta. The business offers a variety of instructor-led classes, including an intro class for newcomers.

Pure Barre opened in January at 19 Colonnade Way in Patton Township.
Pure Barre opened in January at 19 Colonnade Way in Patton Township.

Closures

  • Conklin’s Corner Antique & Gift Barn in Philipsburg closed Jan. 7 after more than 23 years in business. Terri Conklin, 60, who owns the business with her husband, state Rep. Scott Conklin, said she plans to retire. In its place, Earl Rissler plans to open Sowers Market this spring. The market will be a healthy food store with a focus on fresh, local ingredients.

  • Three locally-owned furniture stores are set to close by mid-March, owner Brad Ishler told the Centre Daily Times. Ishler plans to retire and close Amish Furniture Connection (Benner Township) and his two Your Furniture 4 Less locations (Benner Township; Rush Township).

  • The CVS Pharmacy located inside the downtown State College Target is set to close Feb. 20, the company announced. It’s part of a company restructuring that will close dozens of CVS Pharmacies inside the national retailer.

Your Furniture 4Less on Benner Pike is pictured on Jan. 17.
Your Furniture 4Less on Benner Pike is pictured on Jan. 17.

Joining forces

  • Penns Valley Building Supply announced that it has acquired Triangle Building Supply (Witherite Building Supplies and Services, LLC, which includes both the retail store and rental center) and Triangle Home Showcase, LLC, which will now operate as Bellefonte Building Supply (Triangle Construction & Roofing and Triangle HVAC are not part of the acquisition).

  • Best Line Equipment announced an agreement with Astec Industries that gives the State College-based company distribution rights for Astec road construction equipment throughout Western Pennsylvania, Northern West Virginia and Northwestern Maryland. The collaboration “represents a significant step for Best Line Equipment in expanding its offerings and capabilities in the asphalt paving equipment sector,” a press release states.

Leadership changes

  • As of Jan. 1, Bill Arrowsmith is the new leader of the Restek Corporation in Bellefonte, after Bryan Wolcott retired as head coach effective Dec. 31. Arrowsmith has been with Restek since 2017, serving first as chief financial officer and then the company’s general manager since January 2023.

  • Penn State Health appointed Don McKenna as the president of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on a permanent basis. He served as the president of Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers before taking on the role of interim president of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in July 2023.