Hoover, 74, co-chair/CEO of Spring Cove Container and Allegheny Mountain Spring Water, will be the 21st recipient of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence.

This prestigious award will be presented tonight at the chamber’s Business Excellence Dinner at the Blair County Convention Center.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who is regarded as a business leader in the region and has positively impacted the Blair County business community for an extended period of time.

Hoover admits he was surprised when he was notified that he would receive the honor.

Dan Hoover, co-chair/CEO of Spring Cove Container and Allegheny Mountain Spring Water, has been a longtime advocate of early childhood education in the area. “Our region has no greater advocate for early childhood development than Dan Hoover,” Roaring Spring Borough Council President Rodney Green said. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

“I was so humbled by it,” Hoover said. “All those who preceded me I hold in very high esteem. I am honored to be on that list. I know a lot of them well and consider them friends. It was a surprise.”

Chamber President/CEO Joe Hurd said Hoover should probably have received this award several years ago.

“He’s certainly as accomplished as both a business leader and a community steward as others who have gone before him,” Hurd said. “As much as Dan has accomplished, he’s been more effective directing credit toward others. I’ve never known him to take credit for anything despite the fact that there’s been much to take credit for. Low key, high attainment: that’s Dan Hoover.”

The great-great-grandson of the founder of Roaring Spring, Daniel M. Bare, Hoover, who is named after Bare, has spent most of his life in the borough.

He started working at a young age at Spring Cove Container, which was founded by his father, Robert, in 1965.

“When the plant opened, I was 15, I worked at the carton plant every summer through high school and college until I graduated. I liked the manufacturing environment,” Hoover said.

Hoover graduated from Central High School in 1966 and went on to Juniata College to study economics and business.

When he graduated, he resisted returning to the family business — either at Roaring Spring Blank Book or Spring Cove Container — because he felt the need to get some type of experience elsewhere.

He took a job with Celanese Fibers Co. in Cumberland, Md., and worked as an operations analyst for nearly five years.

Then his father came calling.

“My father came down to visit us and laid out how he could use someone like me with my background if I would come back and join the business,” Hoover said. “(My wife) Cindy was always a supporter so we moved back here. We moved back here into Daniel Bare’s house in 1975 and are still living in it.”

He has held several positions at the family businesses over the years. He started as assistant plant manager, became assistant general manager, then vice president/general manager before becoming president in 1991. He became CEO in 2002 and co-chairman of the board with Bob Allen, his second cousin, in 2010.

Hoover said he has always been a “people person.”

“I’ve enjoyed working with the people,” he said. “Businesses succeed with good people. If you are not improving and developing new products and improving equipment, you will not succeed. It is a constantly changing environment. If you are not improving, you will not survive.”

Hoover said since 2010, his role has been “strategizing and decision making,” not so much with the day-to-day operations.

He credits others for his success.

“I respect all of the employees of the company. I feel they are equal partners with us being successful,” Hoover said. “If you have people pulling apart, it does not work; things work if you are pulling in the same direction.”

Hoover has been a key player in Roaring Spring over the years, said Rodney Green, Borough Council president.

“Throughout his lifetime, Dan and his businesses have been one of the primary economic anchors of our community. Roaring Spring residents and families have been supported financially and our related service groups have benefited greatly from his generosity and leadership,” Green said.

Hoover cites his father, Robert, as a role model.

“I grew up under my father, who was clearly a role model and mentor for me. I respect guys like Ben Stapelfeld, Mark Barnhart and Barry Smith — all guys who built very successful businesses. I view them as people I hold in high esteem and glad I am a friend of them,” he said.

Hoover also is quite proud of his great-great-grandfather.

“Daniel Bare was a man ahead of his time,” Hoover said. “He built and started the paper mill in 1886-87. He was a devout Christian. He would help anyone who needed help. He started many other businesses and put people in leadership roles,” Hoover said. “He had the kind of heart I hope I have. He helped so many people.”

Hoover is also proud of his roles outside of the business.

He was an original member of the New Pig Corp. board and is a longtime member of Altoona Blair County Development Corp.’s board.

Marty Marasco, retired ABCD Corp. president/CEO, has known Hoover for more than 30 years.

Marasco said Hoover is a friend and a mentor.

“For more than 20 years, Dan has served on ABCD Corp. … always with unwavering dedication,” said current ABCD Corp. President/CEO Steve McKnight. “Dan is a man of integrity, with no pretense. He tells it like it is, and I’ve come to realize that he’s always right about it, whatever that may be.”

His biggest passion over the years has been in the field of early childhood education. He has been a member of the board of Child Advocates of Blair County since the late 1980s and has served as its chairman for more than 20 years. He is also a member of Pennsylvania’s Early Learning Investment Commission, founded by Gov. Ed Rendell in 2007.

“I was offered a chance to go to Harvard to get educated by experts in brain science. I learned 90 percent of brain growth occurs between ages 0-5. If we do not expose kids to quality learning, we will lose them,” Hoover said.

Hoover also became part of the chamber’s early childhood subcommittee.

“Our region has no greater advocate for early childhood development than Dan Hoover. Dan is an exemplar of servant leadership and is so deserving of this special recognition,” Green said.

Hoover is a longtime member of Grace Brethren Church in Martinsburg.

“I view Jesus Christ as my savior. I pray daily,” Hoover said.

Hoover has no immediate plans to retire “as long as I have my health and am contributing.”

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.

The Hoover file

Name: Daniel B. Hoover

Age: 74

Position: Co-chair/CEO of Spring Cove Container and Allegheny Mountain Spring Water

Education: 1966 graduate of Central High School and 1970 graduate of Juniata College

Family: Wife, Cindy; sons, Daniel B. Jr. in Columbia, S.C., and Joseph R. in Greenville, S.C.; seven grandchildren

Quote: “I hope I am remembered as someone who was friendly and respected people.”

In fine company

Previous Recipients of the Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Ernie Wissinger – 2002

G. William Ward – 2003

Stephen Sheetz – 2004

Donald Devorris – 2005

Willard Campbell – 2006

John Wolf – 2007

Lee Hite – 2008

Donald Detwiler – 2009

Michael McLanahan – 2010

Barry Smith – 2011

Fred Imler – 2012

Ben Stapelfeld – 2013

William Thompson Jr. – 2014

Timothy Sissler – 2015

Marty Marasco – 2016

Harry Sickler – 2017

Ann Benzel – 2018

​Rex Kaup – 2019

​Mark Barnhart – 2021

​Joe Keller – 2022