Economic Insider — April 9, 2010

Director's Focus
Erie Renewable Energy in Crawford County

Of course, this week’s news centers on Tuesday’s announcement by the principals of Erie Renewable Energy (ERE) that its tires-energy facility will be constructed at the Keystone Regional Industrial Park in Greenwood Township, Crawford County. While originally slated for development on the former International Paper site in Erie, developer Greg Rubino is presently concluding efforts to acquire an eighty acre site owned by Hon Industries which is ideally suited to meet the requirements of this project.

While in the works for about two years, ERE’s original interest in the Keystone Regional Industrial Park was to accommodate a tire shredding operation; a single component of the tires-to-energy facility. However, the inevitable development of all required services, including the availability of a large quantity of process water, and relative lack of land use conflicts at the Park impressed the developers.

This project is expected to:

  • Invest $375,000,000!
  • Create 200 - 300 construction jobs for a period of about 24 months!
  • Create 60 permanent jobs with average wages of $50,000!
  • Create 200 + direct support jobs!
  • Produce an assessed value (for taxation) of $100,000,000 plus!
  • Consume 800 tons of waste tires per day!
  • Generate 90 Megawatts of power!

During the next month or so, the Economic Progress Alliance and ERE will execute a Memorandum of Understanding to define our respective responsibilities to include infrastructure construction, and the provision of on-going services, such as process water and sewer services, and access to the Alliance-owned rail line. While the vast majority of necessary improvements are in place to accommodate this major project, the expansion of some services will be required.

While fully appreciative of the critical roll state agencies such as the DEP will play in the review and permitting of this project, I am optimistic that the development team assembled by ERE is very capable of successfully planning, financing, and completing this major project. For our part, we are fully committed to work closely with ERE and to do all within our ability to ensure a safe and economically beneficial project for the residents of the region.

Of course, there is much work to be done before we can fully celebrate this announcement. But, tangible evidence of our efforts to develop the capacity to effectively accommodate major industrial growth in Crawford County is beginning to come into focus.

I’ll keep you posted.

Until next time…

Mark Turner

Welcome

The Economic Progress Alliance would like to welcome Community Services of Venango County as the newest tenant of the Crawford Business Park. They are currently moving into the first floor of the Bainbridge Center, adjacent to Crawford County Human Services and will open their doors for service on April 19, 2010.

Community Services of Venango County already provides an Early Head Start Program in Venango County, and will begin to offer the same service from their Crawford Business Park location to residents of Crawford County. This program is a federally funded, home-based Early Head Start serving pregnant women and families with children under the age of three throughout Crawford County. For more information on this program, please visit their website at www.csvenango.com, or call (814) 332-0242 after April 19 for more information.

Matchmaking Event

The Western Pennsylvania Office of the Small Business Administration invites business owners to a Lender Matchmaking Event. This event will give business owners the opportunity to meet with representatives from federal, state, and local agencies, and to talk one-on-one with lenders and development specialists.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at each of the following locations. Seating is limited, so contact Marianne Fischer at (412) 395-6560 ext. 126, or by email at marianne.fischer@sba.gov to make your reservation now!

April 14 – Altoona Blair Development Center, Altoona

April 21 – Erie Convention Center

May 5 – Somerset Country Club, Somerset

May 11 – Red Fern Banquet Facility, St. Marys

May 20 – One Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh

June 1 – Regional Learning Alliance, Cranberry

No Registration Fee*Bring Your Lunch

Area Schools Compete in Robotics Event

Over thirty teams from fifteen schools in Crawford, Venango, Mercer, and Clarion Counties will come together on Saturday, April 10, 2010, at Meadville Area Senior High School to Battle their Bots Off! Area teams are making last minute preparations to compete in the fourth annual RoboBots competition.

The competition, which is presented by the Northwest Pennsylvania Chapter of the NTMA and is sponsored by many local businesses, is modeled after the BattleBots IQ program. This unique competition gives involved students the opportunity to design and build their own robots and gain hands-on knowledge of math, science, engineering, and manufacturing, thus giving them an awareness about a possible future in manufacturing or technology. Doors open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 10, 2010, and the event is free and opened to the public.

Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Corporators of the Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County will be held on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at the William J. Douglass Corporate Conference Center, located at 764 Bessemer Street, Meadville, PA. There will be a social hour beginning at 6 p.m., and the meeting is scheduled to commence promptly at 7 p.m. This year’s guest speaker is Mr. Roger Willis, President of Universal Well Services. If you have not done so already, please mark your calendar to attend. If any Alliance Corporators have any questions regarding the meeting or still need to RSVP, please contact Tracy Swihart at (814) 333-2299, ext. 224, or via email at tswihart@economicprogressalliance.com