Economic Insider — September 11, 2009

Director's Focus
Linesville Acquisition Complete

After working through a rather complicated transaction, we have finally taken title to the former Tel-O-Post facility in Linesville.

Approached more than a year ago by attorneys representing the estate of the former owner of Cardinal Home Products who were faced with a serious challenge to finalize the affairs of a significant estate that included the ownership of this environmentally contaminated facility, we were able to reach an agreement to acquire the property in a fashion beneficial to all parties and the community at large. Utilizing our 501c (3) affiliate organization, Economic Alliance Foundation, Inc., the estate donated the facility and sufficent cash reserves to ensure that the facility related obligations could be met for the foreseeable future. In receiving ownership, the Economic Alliance Foundation, Inc., has assumed sole responsibility for on-going environmental remediation of the site, as the estate will now be dissolved upon the disposition of all its assets.

As you may know, ownership and management of brownfield facilities is nothing new for the Economic Progress Alliance, which has a long and successful history in operating such facilities among economic development organizations in Crawford County. The strategy to control, remediate, and reuse brownfield facilities has resulted in a considerable benefit to the region. Our plan is to continue this thrust by utilizing the Linesville property to support job and business growth in the western part of the county.

The transaction to take title to this facility was extensive and included the need to develop a new Consent Order and Agreement between the Economic Alliance Foundation, Inc., and the Pennsylvania Department of Environment Protection. I was particularly pleased that as a part of taking ownership of this facility we were able to pay more than $177,000 in back real estate taxes owed to Linesville Borough, Crawford County, and the Conneaut School District.

I’ll keep you posted on our future plans for the Linesville property as we intend to immediately prepare it for future utilization.

Until next time…

Mark Turner

Optical Filters Awarded Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) Internship

Through the Northwestern Pennsylvania KIZ (NWPA KIZ) Internship Program, fall internships will be placed with the following KIZ companies.

  • PSD Consulting
  • Clarion Research Group
  • Optical Filters
  • Deo Decises

The internship program is open to KIZ companies located within the NWPA KIZ area, which consists of Clarion, Crawford, Mercer and Warren counties. KIZ companies wishing to participate in the internship program must fall within one of the following KIZ industry clusters: Advanced Manufacturing, Clean/Green Technology, Life Sciences, or Information Technology. Compensation of the intern is paid by the NWPA KIZ in an amount up to $3,000 per intern, per semester, as funds are available. This program is beneficial to all involved parties by providing students with the opportunity to work in the real world on real projects while providing the participating companies with additional short term resources.

Optical Filters, with locations both in the UK and in Meadville, is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)-Shielded and contrast enhancement windows. They accepted their first KIZ intern in the summer of 2009 and are currently working with Northwest Commission and their education partners for placement of an intern for the fall of 2009. Michael Dent, Technical Director of Development and Quality at Optical Filters, is pleased to support and participate in the KIZ internship program.

For more information on this program or other KIZ initiatives, contact Susan Smith at (814) 677-4800 x131 or e-mail her at susans@nwcommission.org.

NWIRC Offering New Service

New and current marketing strategies that focus on the voice of the customer and utilize the latest in eCommerce marketing tactics are critical to an increased return on investment. The NWIRC is now offering website assessment for search engine optimization. This service can help provide a complete strategy for improving the function of your website and can move your website up in position on all of the major search engines, ultimately driving more traffic to your business. Assessments are confidential. For more information, contact Susan Hileman, Northwest District Manager at Northwest Industrial Resource Center, (814) 572-2077, or email Susan at shileman@nwirc.org

if you are a manufacturer in the counties of Crawford, Forest, or Warren; or go to www.nwirc.org for more information.

Taste of Meadville - September 15

The Thirteenth Annual Taste of Meadville will be held at the Market House on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, from 5-8 p.m. Over 30 local restaurants are scheduled to participate, along with wine and beer sampling. Tickets for the event are still available and can be purchased at one of the following locations: the Chamber of Commerce (908 Diamond Park), the Meadville Market House, and George’s Jewelry located in the Park Avenue Plaza. Attendees can register at the event to win one of many gift certificates from participating local restaurants. Get your tickets for this great event while they are still available, sample wonderful food from area restaurants, and help support the Meadville Market House Maintenance Fund.