BlackOut Design President Jack Reager was a panelist recently for the final session of the eight-week Small Business Institute series sponsored by MetroAction and the University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Along with Reager, the panel included representatives from local business development agencies like the Scranton Business Alliance, SCORE, MetroAction and the SBDC, as well as bankers from Community Bank & Trust. Reager provided institute attendees with insights and lessons learned as an entrepreneur and business owner in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Small Business Institute is organized through a collaboration between the SBDC and MetroAction and offers a one-stop entrepreneurial educational program for successful business development in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Over the past two years, the SBI has graduated nearly 70 new entrepreneurs, owners of expanding businesses and business managers.

BlackOut Design, Inc., Northeastern Pennsylvania’s leading provider of integrated marketing and design solutions, has expanded its professional staff recently with the addition of two new hires: Graphic Designer Jessica Confer and New Media Editor Nathan Milner.

Confer has already proven a valuable asset to the BlackOut team producing high quality work for BlackOut partners Independent Graphics Inc. and developing postcards to promote the new exhibit at the Melberger Arts Center Gallery, Philip A. Dente’s “Line Items.”

Milner will be responsible for managing new media efforts for BlackOut and its clients. His work will dovetail with the efforts of BlackOut’s team of award-winning designers to ensure a consistent and dynamic communication of our client’s marketing message.

Confer is a student at Marywood University. Milner resides in Lake Winola, PA, with his wife, Lori, and two daughters, Hannah and Cora.

BlackOut Design, Inc. recently helped build a comprehensive marketing message for Sandone Tire, one of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s largest carriers of passenger, light truck, and high performance tires.

BlackOut developed advertising materials for postcards, newspaper inserts and billboards that highlight the full range of services offered at Sandone Car Care Centers – from nitrogen tire inflation and wheel balancing to computerized alignment and 24-hour emergency service — as well as the more than 50,000 tires Sandone stocks.

Showing its flair for traditional design components, BlackOut created in-store signage for Sandone, in addition to generating a new corporate logo, Sammy, an example of BlackOut’s unique branding work.

For more information on the services available at Sandone Car Care Centers, visit the Sandone site.

BlackOut client Hydro4GE was recently featured in the April issue of the Great Valley Technology Alliance’s newsletter “eNexus.”

The article highlights the groundbreaking work being done by Hydro4GE in the software development arena, as well as the collaborative efforts between Hydro4GE developers and local institutions of higher education like the University of Scranton and Misericordia University.

You can read the April issue of “eNexus” here.

BlackOut Design, Inc.’s Matt Artz is among the just 200 young professionals worldwide selected to participate in the third annual World Bank and Alliance Toward Harnessing Global Opportunities (ATHGO) Global Forum.

Titled “Miracles of Development: The Effects of Good Governance and Capacity Building on Economic Development,” the forum will be held July 9-11 at World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC.

At the forum, Artz will meet with forum ambassadors, including high-ranking World Bank officials, and private sector executives, who will share their expertise on the challenges associated with achieving economic growth through good governance and capacity building.

Following successful completion of all assigned projects during the forum, Artz will be entered into the ATHGO’s Alumni Network, which entitles members to receive priority consideration for fellowships, internships and the Associates Program.

It is a prestigious honor for Artz and we’re glad to have him as a member of the BlackOut team.