Business Briefs are short reports on what’s happening around Chester County.

Pilotless Black Hawk Passes Crucial Pentagon Test

Helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky has been working since last year on plans to convert a retired Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter, a workhorse of the military for more than 30 years, into an “optionally piloted” aircraft. The move is now closer than ever as Army officials said that a recent test of the prototype proved very successful.

The custom-built chopper not only managed to pick up payload but also then delivered it several miles away all on its own. Should future tests provide to be similarly successful, the Pentagon may look at a fleet of UH-60s capable of either flying autonomously or with the aid of a remote pilot.

“The autonomous Black Hawk helicopter provides the commander with the flexibility to determine crewed or un-crewed operations, increasing sorties while maintaining crew rest requirements,” said Mark Miller, Sikorsky’s Vice President of Research & Engineering.

Beneficial Bank to Expand SBA Lending Through the Purchase of Conestoga

Beneficial Bancorp has announced that it plans to buy Conestoga Bancorp for $105 million in cash. The transaction should close in the first half of the next year.

Chester Springs based Conestoga has 14 branches in Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Lehigh counties. The bank has an asset base of $712 million with a healthy balance of $506 million in loans and $530 million in deposits.

In addition to its equipment leasing subsidiary, Conestoga is also very active in Small Business Administration lending, one of the key areas where Beneficial has looking to expend.

Beneficial President and CEO Gerard Cuddy said that the deal “strengthens our position in the Philadelphia marketplace and provides an opportunity to meaningfully improve our earnings profile as we begin to deploy our capital from the second step conversion.”

Bruce Mowday to Take Part in 9 Local Events this Month

This Tuesday, Chester County author Bruce Mowday kicks off a busy November with a talk on Pickett’s Charge: The Untold Story in Allentown before the Civil War Round Table of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Venues for the nine speaking and signing engagements scheduled for this month will be in Thorndale, Chester Springs, Downingtown, Chadds Ford, West Chester and King of Prussia.

An author of over 16 books on history, sports, business, and true crime, Mowday was recently featured on the Discovery ID channel, as well as an appearance on C-SPAN.

“I’m honored that the round table officials selected me to give a presentation on my book on the Battle of Gettysburg,” said Mowday on Tuesdays’ event.

For more information about his schedule and events see here.

Bryn and Dane’s Looks at Taking Center City by Storm

Horsham based Bryn and Dane’s is looking to expand the reach of its healthy but fast food concept from its current suburban locations such as Plymouth Meeting and Ambler right into the heart of Philadelphia.

The company has secured the interest of several major investors such as Michael Golden, the co-founder of GSI Commerce and Deborah Fine, the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret Pink. As a result they have signed three new leases and obtained more than $2 million in new investment. The new funding allows the company to clear its current debt and move forward with expansion.

The company is already using technology to boost its business with touchscreen menus that show customers which of the menu items are suitable for their dietary needs, so gluten free customers for example, will only see those options. However, the company does not want to de-humanize the customer experience.

Founder Bryn Davis said “Restaurants that are able to use technology while humanizing it, will win in the end.”