Economic Insider — July 16, 2010

Director's Focus
Six Months At A Glance

While our local economy continues to experience challenges primarily associated with marginal manufacturing activity (although it seems that most local firms have seen orders stabilize, and a few are experiencing actual growth in orders) the first six months of 2010 have been busy at the Economic Progress Alliance. A quick summary...

Crawford Business Park

  • Repaved Universal Well Training Center parking lot
  • Prepared file storage facility and amended lease with Crawford County Human Services
  • Completed rehabilitation of office restrooms for Penn State Cooperative Extension, Crawford County
  • Completed rehabilitation of office space and approved new lease with Venango Community Services
  • Currently developing agreements with two new potential tenants for occupancy at the Crawford Business Park

Bessemer Street Complex

  • Developed and executed lease with dental practice for 7,000 square feet
  • Began space rehabilitation for above lease for occupancy in October 2010
  • Executed expanded lease agreement with Regional Center for Workforce Excellence

Keystone Regional Industrial Park

  • Let contracts for the construction of the water system to serve the Park
  • Began efforts to evaluate the sewer collection system serving the Park
  • Announced plans for location of Erie Renewable Energy facility at Keystone Regional Industrial Park
  • Completed preliminary assessment of Erie Renewable Energy infrastructure requirements

Linesville Business Park

  • Successfully completed required modification to PA Department of Environmental Protection Consent Order and Agreement
  • Completed demolition and removal of abandoned paint line and facility restoration
  • Executed lease agreement with third tenant: Marucci and Gaffney Excavating, Inc.

Business Retention and Expansion Program

  • Team visits to approximately 90 area businesses

In addition, a number of new leases have been executed at the Alliance owned and managed Shryock senior apartment complex in downtown Meadville. Negotiations for the potential sale of the Eldred building located on Chestnut Street in Meadville are nearing a successful conclusion.

So far so good for 2010, and here's hoping for a strong second half!

Until next time...

Mark Turner

New Website Designed to Expand Local Business Growth

PASiteSearch.com, the largest nation-wide site selection network of its kind was recently launched by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and Team Pennsylvania Foundation. The site includes up-to-date community demographics, built-in social media integration, Google Maps, and labor and infrastructure assets. According to GIS Planning, Inc., the company that designed and built the system, PASiteSearch is the first website to integrate site selection information from Pennsylvania and the United States into a single, user-friendly site.

When developing the site, DCED worked with the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, along with local economic development agencies, such as the Economic Progress Alliance, to ensure that the most critical site selection information would be readily available to users. According to Rich Hudic, President and CEO of Team Pennsylvania, "This enhancement makes SiteSearch a unique, indispensable economic development tool and it gives Pennsylvania a major advantage over other states that are competing to retain, attract and expand business." Since approximately 90 percent of all economic development research is done online, the enhancements to this site are imperative for the economic development agencies of Pennsylvania to have a strong internet presence; and according to Mark Jems, Principal, ED Solutions, Inc., PASiteSearch is now one of the best site selection websites in the nation.

To see the newly enhanced features of the site, go to PASiteSearch.com.

Greater Meadville Area Day

Please don't forget to RSVP for Greater Meadville Area Day on August 5, 2010, at the Country Club, 15955 State Highway 86, Meadville. Shotgun start for the golf scramble will be at 12:30 p.m., with a preceding luncheon to begin at 11:15 a.m. Cocktail hour is at 5 p.m., and the dinner program with the presentation of the Winslow Award will begina t 6 p.m. If you have any questions regarding Greater Meadville Area Day or still need to make your reservation, please contact Tracy Swihart at (814) 333-2299 x224, or via email at tswihart@economicprogressalliance.com. We look forward to seeing you there!

Study Time

The National Chamber Foundation (NCF) has released a study entitled "Enterprising States" in correlation with their partnership with the American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. campaign to stimulate the creation of 20 million jobs in the next decade. Prepared by the Praxis Strategy Group and Joel Kotkin, the study analyzes programs and policies in each state that encourage economic and job growth. Additionally, it addresses the nationwide need for job creation to replace the jobs lost during the recession, and the additional jobs that will be necessary in the coming years to meet demand. According to Joel Kotkin, one of the authors of the study and an internationallly recognized authority on global, economic, political, and social trends, the United States workforce will grow 40% between now and 2050. "Enterprising States" also lists the top ten entrepreneurial, exporting, workforce development, and training states.

To learn more about the American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. campaign or to read the "Enterprising States" report, go to www.FreeEnterprise.com.