A program of the Kutztown University College of Business, Entrepreneurship Week at Kutztown University, will practically take place from March 23 to 26, 2021 this year. The topic of the week is Adaptation to a changing business landscape.
A Family Business Panel is scheduled for Friday, March 26, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. via the Zoom webinar. Panelists include Lindsay Sokol Szejko, Owner and CEO of Solo Laboratories, Inc .; Missy Wilson, co-owner and manager of Setter Ridge Vineyards; Jamey Maack, President and Co-Owner of Industrial Metal Plating; and Barry L. Schlouch, co-founder and president of Schlouch Incorporated.
A week-long series of workshops, presentations and panels is offered free of charge each March. The Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce is and has been a planning partner for the Family Business Panel and the Women’s Panel for several years.
Lindsay Sokol Szejko is CEO / Owner of Solo Laboratories in Kutztown. She graduated from York College with a BS in Criminal Justice in 2005 and joined SOLO in Customer Service in 2005. SOLO was founded in 1983 by Lindsay’s father, Barry Sokol. From 2005 to 2016, Lindsay held various positions in the company, from customer service to sales and marketing. In 2012, Lindsay moved her family to Austin, TX to do business for SOLO and investigate the potential for a second location. She returned to SOLO’s home base three years later in a sales role. In 2017 she was appointed President and CEO in 2018. Lindsay has worked hard to keep the company updated with the same vision and mission since it was founded to “Serve Others, Love Others”.
Missy Wilson is a co-owner of Setter Ridge Vineyards LLC with her four siblings and parents. Growing up in rural Berks County and studying at Bucknell University in rural Lewisburg, she moved to the Washington DC area after graduating with a degree in math. After working in an accounting department for four years, she moved back to Berks County to help with the day-to-day operations of what was then Blair Vineyards. In the meantime, Blair Vineyards had expanded and opened a new tasting room north of Kutztown. Now over 30 acres of grapes are growing and they are working to become an Estate Grown winery. A few years ago, Blair Vineyards renamed its wines under the new label Setter Ridge Vineyards. Setter Ridge Vineyards has been an active member of the Northeast Berks Chamber since 2010.
Jamey Maack is President and Co-Owner of Industrial Metal Plating, an aluminum plating company based in Reading. Jamey is a graduate of Elon University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
Upon graduation, Jamey moved to Reading, where he learned the family business from the ground up. This eventually led to his becoming president in August 2009. He modernized the plant technologically, added new LEAN production processes and implemented the current business practices. Industrial Metal Plating is a successful family company that currently employs 60 people.
Barry L. Schlouch is the founder and president of Schlouch Incorporated (SI), a 285-strong site design and heavy civil engineering company headquartered in Blandon. The company provides comprehensive site preparation services throughout eastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. It was ranked number one among large companies by Pennsylvania’s Best Places to Work in 2000. The website is www.schlouch.com.
Barry is the author of the book Excellence In Construction and a popular speaker at business meetings, trade shows and conferences.
Prior to founding SI in 1983, Barry was Vice President of Rubright Construction, Inc. in Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania. Previously, he held survey and crew positions at Robert Ludgate & Associates of Reading and JE Breneman Contracting Engineers in Philadelphia.
As a member of the Young Presidents Organization, Barry has been participating in the Executive Education Program developed by Harvard University for this group for 13 years and has achieved alumni status. He also attended Penn State University and Lehigh County Community College, and completed a two-year Executive Leadership Program at Wharton Business School.
Barry was awarded Certified Equipment Manager (CEM) status by the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) in 2006 and Safety Trained Supervisor of Construction (STSC) status by the Board of Safety Professionals in 2016.
Use the following credentials to access the one-hour Family Business Panel: https://kutztown.zoom.us/j/96902594241
Meeting ID: 969 0259 4241
9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Visit https://www.kutztown.edu/academics/colleges-and-departments/business/entrepreneurial-leadership-center/entrepreneurship-week.html for Entrepreneurship Week.
To learn more about membership in the Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce, contact Lori B. Donofrio-Galley, Executive Director, at 610-683-8860 or visit www.northeastberkschamber.com.
