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The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC Helps CBHNP Expand Facilities

HARRISBURG (February 9, 2007)- The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC (HRC/CREDC) announced today that it provided financing to Community Behavioral Healthcare Cooperative of Pennsylvania, dba Community Behavioral Healthcare Network of Pennsylvania (CBHNP), to construct new office facilities at Clover Hill Business Park, West Hanover Township, Dauphin County. This 30,000 square foot property will house claims and benefits administration, provider relations and other offices. It will replace the company's current and much smaller location on Old Jonestown Road.

CBHNP was incorporated in May 1995 as a Pennsylvania not-for-profit corporation and began operations that same year. It was created through an investment of 104 charter member agencies that provide behavioral health services within the Commonwealth. CBHNP was created to contract with insurers, HMOs, and other purchasers to provide quality managed drug and alcohol and mental health services in an efficient and competitive manner. CBHNP employed 109 full-time individuals at the time of application in 2005. At that time, CBHNP committed to creating 39 full-time jobs within three years. They have already created 31 of those jobs. Today, they provide 140 full- time jobs to our region and continue to grow. They are already working on a 20,000 square foot expansion to this new office space, so they can accommodate 80 new hires, which is expected to occur in the next three years.

Robert Bickford, Chief Financial Officer, stated, "As our business has grown over the last 6 years, from 5 to 140 employees, we have made it a corporate goal to keep a balance between maintaining adequate cash flow and staying in front of our growth curve. By providing us with a PIDA loan, HRC/CREDC has provided us with the opportunity to construct our operations facility while, at the same time, fund our current operations. We are excited about continuing operations in Dauphin County and look forward to the completion of our expanded facility which will allow us to consolidate our operations from two locations to one. Locating in West Hanover Township will enable us to have access to a great pool of prospective employees to fill the 80 new positions we will be hiring for over the next 6 months."

HRC/CREDC provided a Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) loan of $1,442,430 in conjunction with Fulton Bank financing and other equity contributions.

The total project costs were $4,808,099. The PIDA loan program provides low-interest loans to eligible businesses that commit to creating and/or retaining jobs in Pennsylvania.

The Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC), is the economic development arm of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber, and is the leading organization for promoting and performing economic development activities in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties.  The group offers a variety of programs and resources to help attract, retain and expand business in the region.

The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC serves as a catalyst for promoting growth and quality of life in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties by providing a unique blend of business, community and economic development and advocacy services under one roof to boost our economic vitality and livability as a region. HRC/CREDC has been accredited with four stars from the United States Chamber of Commerce.