In front of about 50 people gathered at the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Sherry Capello officially opened The Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence.
The Center, as it will be known, is the product of a partnership between the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, the City of Lebanon, and SCORE Lancaster-Lebanon, an organization which provides business mentoring.
According to a press release, the aim of The Center is to “be the premier and comprehensive provider of value-added services, connecting resources, education, support, and collaboration for the Lebanon entrepreneurial community,” and is a part of the City’s broader “Grow Lebanon 2020” plan.
A task force was utilized to observe business incubators, interview local entrepreneurs, and hold focus groups to help determine how The Center could best serve the local business community.
Housed within the offices of the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, The Center has an easily accessible location within Downtown Lebanon.
“We required a primary location for important resources for education and support, and until we grow, The Chamber seemed to be a central location and natural fit as the area’s primary business organization,” said Mayor Capello, in a press release.
Community partners of The Center include Lebanon County Library System, HACC – Lebanon Campus, Lebanon Valley Career and Technology Center, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Lebanon Valley College, Community First Fund, and a future partner, Myerstown Borough.
The Center will offer an array of resources including information on how to get started in business, access to library resources and space, workshops both in-person and online, one-on-one mentoring, as well as opportunities to collaborate through community partnerships and networking sessions.
The Center‘s hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 9AM-5PM, and Fridays, 9am-4pm. Being a Chamber member is not a requirement for using The Center’s resources.
Click here for our earlier coverage on how The Center came to be.
Full Disclosure: The Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce is a sponsor of LebTown. LebTown does not make editorial decisions based on sponsorship status and sponsors do not receive special editorial treatment. Learn more about advertising with LebTown here.