Shipping Containers for Sale in Philadelphia, PA

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The sale of more than 200 million boxes of Girl Scout cookies each year can be traced back to a single experiment at Broad and Arch streets in 1932, where a group of Philadelphia Girl Scouts and their parents launched what would become the most successful youth-led fundraiser in the country.

Long before online ordering and cookie-tracking apps, the first batches were baked in ovens at Philadelphia Gas and Electric, now PECO.

Kim E. Fraites-Dow, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, said the idea came from parents who worked at the company and volunteered with the Girl Scouts.

"So in 1932, there were girls and parents in Philadelphia who, the parents worked at what is now PECO. So, Philadelphia Gas and Electric at the time, and they were volunteers for Girl Scouts, and they had ovens at their location on North Broad Street. And so they asked the company, would you mind if we try to bake, you know, in bulk, some cookies to help these girls with their fundraisers?" she said.

Fraites-Dow said the aroma drifting down the street quickly drew customers.

"And people were walking by, and they're like, 'What's that smell? OK, we need some of that,'" recalled Fraites-Dow.

The following year, cookies were baked again at the same location.

By 1934, the Girl Scouts of Greater Philadelphia partnered with Keebler to produce Refoils, launching the first commercial cookie sale. Promotions went out to churches, streetcars, radio stations and newspapers. Boxes held 44 cookies, and at six boxes for $1.35, buyers saved three cents. Between 110,000 and 114,000 boxes were sold, helping pay off a balance for Camp Indian Run.

"They saved money to do programs, to travel, to do amazing projects," Fraites-Dow said. "And so the first year was kind of an experiment, and the second year was a commercial cookie sale."

The success quickly spread.

"So it was so successful that it was picked up by our national organization just two years later. And now it's the largest girl in business in the world," she said.

Today, cookie shipments arrive by helicopter or truck, and troops nationwide sell roughly 200 million boxes annually at an average of $6 each. Seventy-five cents of every dollar earned is reinvested into the Girl Scouts organization.

Fraites-Dow said the tradition continues to honor the "entrepreneurship and vision and revolutionary spirit of people in the city."

This year's cookie season began in mid-January, but cold weather prompted an extension.

"We actually extended our sales through March 22nd this year," she said. "So if you see a girl in your neighborhood, please talk to her, ask her about what she's planning to do with her cookie proceeds, and buy a box of cookies during cool."

The business model now used nationwide still traces its roots to that Center City corner where a few determined Girl Scouts first turned baking into a movement.

A global health care company says that it will begin making state of the art cancer fighting medicines in our area.

It's a move that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says won't just save lives but will also create jobs.

Johnson & Johnson said it will construct a new facility on Sumneytown Pike in the Spring House section of Lower Gwynedd Township in Montgomery County.

They unveiled what the facility will look like when it replaces an existing building and said it will focus on next-generation cell therapy treatments for fighting cancers and other diseases.

"For someone facing cancer, weeks can feel like years. What we are building is manufacturing excellence and hope," Johnson & Johnson CEO Joaquin Duato said.

Montgomery County Commissioner Jamila Winder shared how the life sciences sector is growing for the county.

"When a global innovator like J&J chooses to invest $1 billon in our community, the impact is profound," Commissioner Winder explained.

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The project will create 4,000 construction jobs during development and then 500 biotechnology jobs over the next 12 years.

"It's no wonder some of the most innovative pharmaceutical companies are here because in Montgomery County they get access to our highly skilled workforce, our robust infrastructure and our major institutions of medicine and education," Winder said.

Pennsylvania is contributing more than $41 million in grants and tax credits for the project.

"What draws us to Pennsylvania and keeps us here is its extraordinary workforce, the talent, leading universities and community colleges and a business friendly environment that lets us invest, innovate and grow," Duato explained.

Construction is set to begin later this year and the plan is to have the site fully operational in 2031.

A Code Orange alert is in effect Wednesday, Feb. 18, for all of southeastern Pennsylvania due to poor air quality levels around the region.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said the alert is in effect for Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties. Lehigh, Berks and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley are also under a Code Orange.

Philadelphia on Wednesday launched an online air quality tracker that shares pollution data in real time using dozens of ground-level monitors around the city.

Why is the air quality bad today?

According to the DEP, there's an elevated level of fine particulate matter, aka tiny solid particles or liquid droplets, in the air. Particles like soot, dust and dirt can be seen with the naked eye, while other particles are so small they can't be seen without a microscope.

"Very light surface winds, a temperature inversion, fog, and only light rainfall" contributed to a PM2.5 concentration, which falls under the DEP's Code Orange level.

To reduce the amount of irritating particles in the air, people living in the alert area are urged to reduce or stop using fireplaces and wood stoves and avoid burning leaves, trash and other materials.

Who is most impacted by the poor air quality?

The groups most sensitive to air pollution during a Code Orange are young children, the elderly and anyone with respiratory problems like asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis.

People in these groups should limit outdoor activity Wednesday, the DEP says.

In:

Taylor Chip announced the company is filing for bankruptcy and closing its Philadelphia locations.

The Lancaster County-based cookie company said it launched seven years ago as a self-funded operation with no outside investors, and that as it expanded, it took on additional risk to grow. "Some worked. Others did not. That reality is part of building a business," the company said in a statement.

Taylor Chip said it signed leases in Philadelphia in late 2022, expecting the stores would open on a timeline similar to prior locations, which typically took about three months. Instead, the company said permit delays stretched as long as six months per permit, turning what it expected to be a roughly six-month process into nearly two years.

During that period, Taylor Chip said the Philadelphia stores carried ongoing expenses without being able to operate at full capacity. Without investors, the company said it relied on "creative financing" to keep moving forward, but ultimately the Philadelphia locations did not generate enough profit to offset the debt tied to the prolonged delays.

Taylor Chip said it will continue operating and will refocus on its rural locations, its e-commerce business and newer initiatives, including Taylor Chip Nutrition.

"Building something from nothing means taking risks, and not every bet pays off the way you expect," said Doug Taylor, co-founder of Taylor Chip. "We’re proud of what we built in Philadelphia, even though it didn’t work the way we hoped. This decision allows us to protect the heart of the brand, take care of our team, and keep building for the long term. If you’re in the middle of a hard chapter, keep going, it doesn’t define you, and it’s rarely the end of the story."

Taylor Chip still has locations in York, Hershey, Intercourse and Manheim Township.

About Taylor Chip

Based in Lancaster County, Taylor Chip was founded by Sara and Doug Taylor, who created the brand a year after getting married. The company grew from local farmers' markets to brick-and-mortar locations and a nationwide e-commerce business. The company currently sells cookies, ice cream and coffee, and said Taylor Chip Nutrition is planned as "the first 100% seed oil-free protein dessert," launching online and in CPG stores nationwide.

Philadelphia, PA – Dangerous cold conditions are expected to continue across eastern Pennsylvania and much of New Jersey tonight through Monday morning, with wind chills plunging well below zero and posing serious health risks for anyone outdoors.

According to the National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly, wind chill values tonight will range from -5 to -15 degrees across most of the region, with even colder readings as low as -25 degrees possible in the higher elevations of the Poconos. The combination of bitterly cold air and steady winds is expected to make conditions especially hazardous overnight.

An Extreme Cold Warning remains in effect for the southern Poconos and Carbon and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania until 10 a.m. Monday. A broader Cold Weather Advisory covers the rest of eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and northern Delaware through Monday morning.

Forecasters warn that frostbite can occur on exposed skin in as little as 15 to 30 minutes under these conditions. Residents are urged to limit time outdoors, dress in layers, cover exposed skin, and bring pets inside. Local officials also recommend checking on elderly neighbors and ensuring heating systems are functioning properly.

The cold snap is expected to gradually ease beginning midweek, as temperatures trend upward and wind chills become less severe. Until then, officials stress that the overnight hours into early Monday will remain the most dangerous period.

Anyone traveling early Monday morning should plan for harsh conditions, especially in rural and elevated areas, and allow extra time to warm vehicles before driving.

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