PEDA - Pennsylvania Economic Development Association

News

  • 02/05/2016 11:38 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Click here to read more.

  • 02/02/2016 8:17 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Jamie B. Keener, AICP, is a Shareholder with Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) and Senior Sales Executive for the firm’s Eastern Region.  In this role, Jamie is responsible for driving business development activities, identifying and tracking new client leads, managing proposal and qualifications package development, and for client management. He also assumed office management responsibilities of the Shippensburg, PA office that opened February 1, 2016 following development of a strategic alliance with Carl Bert & Associates.

    Originally from Shippensburg, PA, he earned his bachelor’s degree in geography from Bucknell University and began his professional career in York, PA. After 12 years in York and 12 years in the Poconos (where he was active with the Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce) he returned to southcentral PA. In addition to his new role with the Chamber, he is involved with several community and industry-related organizations, including; West Shore Chamber of Commerce (Chairman of the Board), the Hampden Township Zoning Hearing Board, the Cumberland York Areal Local Defense Group (CYALDG), ULI – Central PA Council, and Greater Carlisle Chamber - Legislative Affairs. He coaches Little League Baseball in Hampden Township and Upward Basketball. 

     


  • 02/02/2016 8:12 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Light at the End of the Tunnel – Update on the Titusville Towne Square Building Renovations

    Almost at the one - year point from a devastating fire that severely damaged the historic Towne Square Building in downtown Titusville, there is light at the end of the tunnel, renovations are finally coming together. And, as one community member mentioned – it is good to see lights on again in the Blue Canoe Brewery! 

    The evening of St Patrick’s Day 2015, a fire broke out in an adjacent downtown building, rekindled the next day in the Towne Square Building, resulting in a total loss to the fourth floor, and severely damaged lower levels including the ever popular Blue Canoe Brewery. PEDA member Titusville Community Development Agencies (TCDA), was housed on the fourth floor, along with a full service Conference Center.

    PEDA Executive Committee member Jim Becker, Executive Director of Titusville Community Development Agencies is in charge of the renovations. Titusville Redevelopment Authority – an arm of TCDA owns the Towne Square Building. 

    The only way to begin renovations was with use of three very large and very expensive cranes. For  approximately six months cranes were used to remove the entire fourth floor, secure the building structure, apply a roof on the third floor that could someday be built upon, and reinstall HVAC systems. Three state routes intersect where the cranes sat - rest assured the community was very happy when the detour around the cranes was no longer needed!

    Additionally, seven other businesses were displaced due the fire. First and foremost TCDA staff focused on placing tenants in temporary locations. Within days those tenants that needed temporary offices had them. Building owners with vacant office space reached out, calls regarding donations of office equipment and furniture came in quickly, and fundraisers were held to assist emergency response teams, businesses and individuals, “There was, and still is an outpouring of support that is humbling,” said Jim Becker.

    Fast forward to today -the brewery kitchen layout has been reconfigured to be more efficient, and all the major kitchen equipment is in place with a new walk in cooler. Workers are pushing hard to get the brewery open. A new entryway glass enclosure was installed. Codes have changed since the brewery was first built, so another venting system had to be installed that returns tempered air. Hardwood flooring is down. New lighting fixtures are going up. Tables will be delivered soon.  And most important, beer is being made on-site!

    Contractors are finishing up work on the first floor and will soon move upstairs to begin work on the upper two levels. Tenants meetings have been held to discuss floor plans and space accommodations. A full service Conference Center will again be available near the incubator office suites. The previous conference room was used frequently, so getting that area up and running right away is important. Planned are two additional smaller conference rooms to accommodate meeting demand. There is no date for completion, but the clock is ticking…..

    Everyone working on this project is dedicated to seeing it through to the end. They understand what this building means to the Titusville community. Staff at TCDA have also come to realize that a building sometimes is not just a building – in this case, the saving of the Towne Square building represents light at the end of what could have easily been a very dark tunnel. 

    For additional photos and to stay updated visit: www.tcda.org


  • 01/19/2016 11:53 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Click here to access the Young Professional Scholarship Request Form for PEDA's spring and fall conferences. This scholarship opportunity is made available through the generosity of FirstEnergy Corp.



  • 01/19/2016 10:31 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    With 2016 spring conference registration brochures hitting the street this week, PEDA is now accepting and encouraging your submission of 2016 fall conference session proposals. Please use the following outline in submitting your proposals to be considered for the October 31 - November 2, 2016 event at Kalahari Resort and Convention Center.

    • Explain your proposed session topic, title, and overview.

    • Explain what is innovative about your proposed session and topic(s) of focus.

    • Explain your presentation approach / style.

    • Describe what the key takeaways will be for conference attendees.

    • Provide any information you feel will help us better understand what you want to do as a presenter.

    • Provide name / title / organization for each of the speakers / presenters you're recommending for consideration.


    In your submission, please include your name, title, organization, phone number, email address, and mailing address and send via email to PEDA at conferences@peda.org, labeling the Subject line "2016 PEDA Fall Recommendations".  Thank you for your assistance.

    Click here to view PEDA's current sponsorship brochure.


    #PEDAspring16

    #PEDAfall16

  • 01/05/2016 8:53 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA) Combined State Plan is now live and available for public comment.  Please click here to review the plan and don't miss out on this opportunity to comment before the plan is submitted to the Department of Labor.  Information is provided on how and where to comment as well as where additional information can be obtained.   

    You may want to take a look at the section where it describes coordination between economic and workforce development.  The Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) are required to coordinate with local economic development agencies.

    If you have a problem with the link, you can also find the plan and the additional information on newPA.com. The public comment period ends on February 2, 2016.

  • 12/03/2015 8:14 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Thank you to all of the 2015 membership survey participants. In an ongoing effort to meet the needs of PEDA members, we conducted a brief survey to not only better understand the make-up of our membership, but to also ensure we are meeting the membership’s needs.

    One thing really stood out – based on the survey participants’ feedback, it appears that we have an age gap in economic development and more importantly an experience gap. As an association and industry, this brings up a vital issue – what does succession planning look like in your region? How can we begin to fill the generational gap?

    We look forward to bringing more economic development young professionals into the fold at PEDA through the Young Professional Scholarship for our annual conferences funded generously by FirstEnergy and continuing this important conversation in 2016.

    Membership Information

    Number of years of PEDA Membership: 60% 5 Years+

    Type of membership

    -          Economic Development Professional: 60%

    -          Allied Professional + Public Official: 0

    Satisfaction (scale of 1-5): 98% of respondents denoted 3 to 5

    Value of membership – in order of respondents’ priority

    1.     Networking

    2.     Conferences

    3.     Discounted Event Regis

    4.     PEDI trainings

    5.     News/Comm.

    6.     Legis. Voice

    Demographic Information

    Demographic Data

    • -          66%: age of 50+
    • -          50/50 male to female ratio

    Experience

    • -          45%: 25 years of experience
    • -          ~30%: 5-14 years of experience
    • -          ~7.5%: 15-24 years of experience


  • 12/02/2015 8:56 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Bruce J. Reddock

    Economic Development Specialist

    Bruce J. Reddock joined the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce in July 2015 as part of The Scranton Plan, the industrial marketing arm of the Chamber. As Economic Development Specialist, Bruce is responsible for attracting new industries and assisting in the expansion of local businesses within Lackawanna County, as well as implementing the marketing initiatives set forth by the Scranton Plan. Through prospect visits and tours, this initiative generates economic development projects which assist in the creation and retention of jobs to Lackawanna County.

    After graduating from Misericordia University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government, Law, and National Security, Mr. Reddock relocated to New York City to begin his professional career taking a job in the education and technology industry.

    While living in New York City Bruce became an avid runner and his affiliation with the Scranton-owned Brooklyn Running Company re-ignited his love for Northeastern Pennsylvania.  He could not resist the call and returned home in January 2015. 

    Prior to his role at The Chamber, Bruce held several marketing positions with multi-national companies dealing in both the B2B and B2C channels.  He was the Graduate Program Territory Manager for The Princeton Review of NYC and most recently held the role of Market Development Manager for Coca-Cola Refreshments.  Bruce’s experience working in both a major metropolitan and large geographical area have fostered his ability to be nimble, creative, responsive, and focused.

    He currently resides in Old Forge with his brother, Matthew, and dog, Maverick.


  • 12/02/2015 8:53 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Crystal Window & Door Systems Expands in Pennsylvania

    - Manufacturer Purchases Building and Property in Northeast PA for Production -

    Working with the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s industrial and economic development affiliates, Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO) and the Scranton Plan, national manufacturer Crystal Window & Door Systems, headquartered in New York, recently purchased a 226-acre property in northeast Pennsylvania on October 1, 2015 to expand its production capabilities. The property, which is comprised of a parcel of undeveloped land and a developed parcel with a 336,500-ft2 partially outfitted building, was purchased for $5 million.

    "Crystal Windows' acquisition in Pennsylvania is the next step in our long history of expansion and growth," said Thomas Chen, Chairman and CEO for Crystal. "For 25 years, Crystal has provided quality products to the construction and fenestration industries, and once up and running, this new production facility will enable us to continue to serve our growing customer base across the nation for a long time to come."

    The newly acquired property is located in Benton Township (with a small portion in Scott Township) in Pennsylvania, just north of Scranton, a mile from Interstate 81. Originally owned by Northrop Grumman and then by Owens-Corning, the property was partially but never fully outfitted for production operations. The facility was bought by The Wolfington Companies of King of Prussia, PA and its affiliates in 2003 and has not been further developed. Crystal Windows is looking to change that, and plans major interior renovation and outfitting for production and administrative spaces, as well as major equipment acquisition for a number of vinyl and aluminum window assembly processes.

    “This is great news for the greater Scranton area and we are happy that another manufacturer is choosing to expand and create new jobs in Pennsylvania,” said Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin. “Governor Wolf is committed to ensuring that we build a climate that attracts business and supports our manufacturers so that we continue to realize successes like today’s announcement.”

    The company plans initial production of windows and the hiring of 30 to 50 workers to begin early next year. Employment will ramp up as production increases and is expected to exceed 300 when the factory reaches full capacity in a few years. In the long term, further development of the property may result in even more hires.

    Crystal's chronology of significant expansion efforts since its startup in New York City in 1990 include an 85,000-ft2 Chicago factory in 1996, a large new 205,000-ft2 facility in Queens, NY in 2001, the 2003 acquisition of a 131,000-ft2 aluminum extrusion plant in Union, MO and the launch of a 116,000-ft2 Riverside, CA manufacturing operation in 2012. With the latest acquisition in Pennsylvania, the manufacturing footprint of Crystal Window & Door Systems and its affiliates is approaching one million square feet. The company also operates sales and distribution offices in New York, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis and Southern California. With over 500 employees nationally, Crystal distributes products in over 40 states and the company is ranked amongst the top 35 window and door manufacturers in North America.

    Crystal has worked closely with The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce for almost two years to identify opportunities in the region, to facilitate important introductions, and to iron out the details of this specific project. "I would like to thank everyone at The Chamber for all their hard work in bringing this purchase to fruition. I'd like to particularly recognize Chamber President Robert Durkin, and his economic development experts Andy Skrip and Molly Lorenzen for their professionalism," said Mr. Chen.

    The real estate broker representatives for the deal were Kim Meincke and Ruth Wang of Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL). Law firms representing the buyer were Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn of Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, PA and The O'Brien Law Group of Susquehanna, PA. Law firms Silverang, Donohoe, Rosenzweig & Haltzman of St. Davids, PA and Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin of Lansdale, PA represented the seller. Financing for the acquisition is provided by Webster Bank. Site inspections, legal and engineering reviews, and property appraisals have been conducted by several local and regional Pennsylvania firms.

    "We are excited to expand in Northeast Pennsylvania. We know the potential for further manufacturing expansion here is terrific. As we develop this new facility and expand our production operations, we will not only need new workers but also a wide variety of services and materials from regional Pennsylvania suppliers. We're looking forward to being an important part of the community," said Mr. Chen.


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