Amish entrepreneurs subject of Elizabethtown College discussion

Presidential Community Enrichment Series features Donald Kraybill

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Amish roadside stand sign

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA (01/20/2016)(readMedia)-- When thinking of the Amish community, the concept of entrepreneur might not immediately come to mind, but there are more than 2,000 successful business in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, that are owed and run by the Amish.

Donald Kraybill, Senior Fellow at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, speaks about this phenomenon at his Presidential Community Enrichment Series lecture. His talk, "The Riddle of Amish Business Success: Amish as Entrepreneurs," takes place at noon, Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the College's Susquehanna Room of Myer Hall.

Kraybill explores some of the factors that gave rise to Amish businesses in the past. He looks at their products and where they market them, their retail sales businesses and the factors that help explain how the Amish have been able to become so successful in business even though they stop formal education at the end of eighth grade.

Without high school or business training-and with church-imposed restrictions on public grid electricity, the Internet and ownership of automobiles-the Amish of the region are creative entrepreneurs, nonetheless.

Cost of the talk, which includes lunch, is $18. Pre-registration is required.

Contact iaenrichseries@etown.edu or Tina Zarfoss at zarfosst@etown.edu or 717-361-6410.

Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies: www.etown.edu/centers/young-center

Read about additional events at Elizabethtown College.

Elizabethtown College, located in historic Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a private coed institution offering more than four dozen liberal arts, fine and performing arts, science and engineering, business, communications and education degrees. Learn more: http://www.etown.edu/about/

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