’burg and Beyond

Milton, Pa.

Bucknell’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers support to entrepreneurs and small businesses across six Pennsylvania counties, including Juniata, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder and Union. With the launch of StartUp Milton, it now has entrepreneurial incubators in three of them. Housed in the Milton Community Center on South Front Street, StartUp Milton became a reality through a partnership with The Improved Milton Experience and a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Development Grant.

Boots on the Ground

With three offices and a coworking space for new entrepreneurs, StartUp Milton mirrors the established incubators in Lewisburg and Danville while being uniquely positioned to serve the Milton community directly.

“Our team is meeting with community members, consulting with entrepreneurs who want to start businesses and with local business owners,” says SBDC Director Steve Stumbris. “We’re helping to grow new businesses and keep them in the local region.”

Serving Community

SBDC Assistant Director Denny Hummer, the primary contact for StartUp Milton, emphasizes the importance of this initiative in fulfilling the SBDC’s mission as a steward of the entrepreneurial community.

“This truly allows us to be in community,” Hummer says. “Beyond geography, we’re creating a shared identity. If you can figure out what the identity of the community is, you can serve it better. We’re just starting that process in Milton.”

Open for Business

StartUp Milton celebrated its grand opening in September. Student members of the SBDC consulting team began delivering services and support to the new businesses emerging from this initiative over the summer.

— Mike Ferlazzo