Click here for the form. 

Click here for the ATHENA Award nomination form. 

Click here for the list of past Award recipients.

Membership renewal invoices were mailed last week for July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. Please let us know if you didn't receive yours. ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com or mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com

New Event! Disc Golf - September 1

Date Change! Budget & Legislation Luncheon - October 1 from 11:45 to 1:00 p.m.

Contact Yvonne at  ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com  or 814.643.1110

Thanks to all of you that completed our recent employment survey. Here’s a quick overview of the results.

The overwhelming majority of those completing the survey are not having trouble getting employees to return to work. There seems to be more of an issue with this across the country than there is in Huntingdon County. Employers are having trouble finding new employees, which is no surprise to us. Half of those responding say that finding employees was also an issue for them before COVID.

Out of those responding that they are having difficulty finding new employees, half of those attribute it to the extra $300 a week unemployment compensation. The other half of the respondents cite lack of specialized training and experience as hindering their ability to hire.

Those with open positions have as many as forty-five openings. There is a pretty equal split of full-time and part-time positions available. There is also a wide range of salaries and hourly rates being offered for open positions, and contrary to what we’ve heard, many of the positions that can’t be filled pay very well. To attract employees, many businesses are offering increased wages. Some are offering sign-on bonuses, increased benefits, and flexible hours.

When asked what the Chamber can do to help them find employees a few respondents asked that we help them advertise their openings. This is a good time to remind you that you can post jobs on our website, huntingdonchamber.com. We have been promoting that section of our website via Facebook. The issue of the inability of some employers to offer healthcare benefits was also mentioned. Some things have recently changed, so watch for more information about an upcoming webinar with speakers that will share that information. The webinar is on September 21 at 9:00 a.m.

If you are hiring, please send position information to ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com or login to the member section of our website to post your jobs. We've begun promoting this on Facebook.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners, an award-winning, tech-based economic development program, is offering emerging entrepreneurs and small manufacturers the opportunity to participate in our fun, risk-free $50,000 BIG IDEA contest. In the past few years – maybe because of the popularity of the TV show, Shark Tank - there has been a growing interest in pitch competitions by the private sector, economic development professionals, and just regular folks who have an idea for an innovation that could turn into a business opportunity. So, why do most people enter Ben Franklin’s BIG IDEA Contest? 

For this $50,000 BIG IDEA Contest, we are looking for tech innovators located anywhere in our 32-county footprint in Pennsylvania (Northwest, Central, Southern Alleghenies, and South Central) who are developing new products, processes, or software applications. 

APPLY: https://bigidea.benfranklin.org

Click here

Vaccine sign up now available. Per the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Penn Highlands Healthcare is vaccinating any Pennsylvanian ages 12 and above. Please call the PHH Vaccine Information Line at 814-503-4735 to sign-up or by visiting www.phhealthcare.org/vaccine to schedule a vaccine. If have questions, please call the PHH Vaccine Information Line at 814-503-4735 Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Click here to view the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Fact Sheet to learn more about the Paid Leave Tax Credit, how it works, and who is qualified to received it.

Click here to view the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s Fact Sheet to learn more about how to claim the tax credit during quarterly filings and additional resources for employers about the program.

Looking for more ways to promote your business?

Tag the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce in your Facebook posts and we will share them on the

Huntingdon, PA - Promotions & Activities page. This page is followed by more than 4,000 people and it is free advertising for you.

Click here for access to timely resources.

Yvonne Martin