Economic Insider — January 16, 2009

Director's Focus
Strategic Plan in Process…

A few weeks back I made reference to an important strategic planning process underway at the Economic Progress Alliance. These efforts have resulted in the adoption of refreshed organizational vision and mission statements. Also, a detailed action plan for 2009 and beyond will be presented to the Board of Directors for adoption at its February meeting.

The newly adopted Economic Progress Alliance vision and mission statements are:

Vision Statement:

The Economic Progress Alliance will be recognized as the premier economic development organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by providing high quality services resulting in an exceptional quality of life in Crawford County.

Mission Statement:

The Economic Progress Alliance improves the quality of life in Crawford County, Pennsylvania by promoting, facilitating and supporting viable economic development opportunities.

These new guiding statements require the adoption of expanded operational responsibilities beyond those undertaken by the Alliance in its formative years. While the first few years of our existence were dedicated to solidifying the merger of two economic development organizations and to effectively administering the existing initiatives of the partners, the Board of Director’s future expectation for the Alliance is that we be recognized among the very best in economic development, and that we earn and provide effective economic development leadership for the community and region.

The Action Plan currently in development by the Alliance will include a detailed plan to address goals and objectives focused on economic development and operations / administration. Upon adoption, the completed strategic plan will serve both as a tool for organizing and prioritizing as well as monitoring and evaluating on-going performance. 

I look forward to sharing the strategic plan with you and the general community upon its adoption and expect it to serve us well during 2009.

Until next time...

Mark Turner

Meadville Tech Company Expands

Wood Technologies in Meadville has organized a new division, Dynasty LLC, to manage the software program, Dynasty, that was created in 2007 by owner, Sheila Wood, for use in the healthcare industry. Dynasty is an instrument data conversion tool that can work independently as a surgical management system or it can be integrated with other surgical tracking software.

Sheila Wood, a Townville native, established Wood Technologies in 1996 to assist small and medium-sized manufacturing companies with the selection and implementation of the MRP/ERP software best suited to their needs, and providing continuing support and training services to ensure the use of the software to its full potential. Starting with local firms, she grew rapidly and soon expanded her client base nationwide.

A chance encounter in an airport with a company executive from Steris Corporation led to the opportunity for Wood Technologies to further expand and diversify. Steris, an international company headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, provides infection protection and contamination control products and services to the healthcare industry. In 2006, after they signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Censis Technologies, Inc. in Tennessee for their unique surgical instrument and equipment tracking and management system called Censitrac® , Wood Technologies became the authorized implementer of the Steris Censitrac Instrument Management System.

It is this association that led to the creation of Dynasty. While implementing the Censitrac system, Wood noted a missing link and set about developing the software to solve the issue, thus the creation of Dynasty, a user-friendly conversion tool to assist sterile processing departments in verifying their instrument information prior to importing the instruments into the Censitrac software solution. When Censis declined the acquisition of this software, Wood Technologies copyrighted the program and made it available for solutions for the healthcare industry. They are currently in the process of taking Dynasty to a web-based inventory system.

When Wood established her business, she was owner and sole employee. She has steadily grown and diversified her company so that today she employs twelve technology skilled people, and maintains a large client base of manufacturing and healthcare companies nationwide. Not even thinking of slowing down, Wood Technologies plans to be an international company by 2010.

Energy Efficiency Grant Program Open

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has announced the first round of the Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant program to provide the Commonwealth's small businesses an opportunity to improve their energy efficiency and manage higher energy prices. This program is the first available through the Alternative Energy Investment Fund, part of the Governor's Energy Independence Strategy. Eligible applicants must be independent, for-profit businesses with 100 employees or fewer, located in Pennsylvania.

The Energy Efficiency Grant program provides a 25% match, up to $25,000 to implement qualified energy efficiency projects. To be eligible, annual energy savings for the project must be at least 20% for the system being replaced or 20% of the entire business's energy consumption. The project must also save the business at least $1,000 per year in energy costs. Projects that include equipment or process changes related to the applicant's manufacturing processes, business operation or building insulation are eligible. Some examples of eligible projects are: energy efficient lighting, high efficiency furnaces, boilers and air conditioners, geothermal heat pumps, windows and insulation, energy efficient refrigeration and process equipment.

Projects involving insulating energy efficiency improvements such as windows, doors and insulation must have an energy assessment of the structure undergoing the upgrade that documents the projected energy savings from the improvements. Projects involving mechanical or equipment systems that implement improvements such as energy efficient lighting, high efficiency furnace and geothermal heat pumps do not require an energy efficiency assessment of the project building, but the applicant must show that the project or project component for which funding is sought has received an evaluation by a trained energy assessment professional, small business assistance organization or trained equipment vendor that demonstrates that the project meets the minimum requirements of 20% annual energy savings and $1,000 per year savings in energy costs.

The application period is open and applications will be accepted through May 1, 2009. Grants will be awarded on a first-come first-served basis. A total of $3 million is available for this grant round. The grant application and guidelines are available online, by email, or by contacting the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Energy and Technology Deployment, 15th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market Street, PO Box 8772, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8772.

Inauguration Trivia

As the 2009 Inauguration rapidly approaches, it is interesting to look at previous inaugurations that not only reveal interesting facts but reflect the nation's history as well, such as:

  • George Washington delivered the shortest inaugural address (135 words) at his second inauguration, which was the first inauguration held in Philadelphia (1793)
  • Thomas Jefferson was the first president inaugurated in Washington DC (1801)
  • James Madison held the first inaugural ball (1809)
  • Martin Van Buren was the first president born an American citizen (1837)
  • James Buchanan's inauguration was the first known to have been photographed (1857)
  • Ulysses S. Grant's second inauguration was so cold, the valves on the band's musical instruments froze during the ball and guests dances with their coats on (1873)
  • Woodrow Wilson's second inaugural parade was the first to include women (1917)
  • Warren G. Harding was the first president to ride to and from his inauguration in an automobile (1921)
  • Herbert Hoover's inaugural ceremony was the first recorded by talking newsreel (1929)
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first and only president sworn in for four terms, was the last president inaugurated in March (1933) and the first president inaugurated on January 20th (1937) due to a change made by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution
  • Harry Truman's inauguration was the first televised ceremony (1949)
  • John F. Kennedy was the last president to wear the traditional stovepipe hat to the inauguration (1961)
  • Ronald Reagan's inauguration entailed eight inaugural balls at which 40 million jellybeans were consumed (1981)
  • William Clinton's inauguration was the first to be broadcast live on the Internet (1997)

Natural Gas Leasing for Landowners Program

The Penn State Cooperative Extension will present a Fundamentals of Natural Gas Exploration and Leasing for Landowners program on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at two different locations. The first will be held in North East at the American Legion, 17 S. Mill Street from 1:00-3:30 p.m. The second will be in Corry at the Corry Higher Education Council, 221 N. Center Street from 7:00-9:30 p.m.

Both programs will address the Marcellus Shale and the exploration process, forest consideration with gas leasing, environmental issues and water testing, and understanding and negotiating a gas lease, and will be followed by a question and answer period.

The fee for each program is $15 payable by noon, February 6th. For further information or to register, call 814-825-0900 for the North East program, or 814-664-9405 for the Corry program.