Author: PMEDC

Terrafina LLC relocating to PA, Creating 120 Jobs in Monroe County

Posted on December 6, 2017February 23, 2018 by PMEDC

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced that Terrafina LLC, a food manufacturer of healthy snack options, will be relocating its operations from New York City into East Stroudsburg, Monroe County, and will create 120 new Pennsylvania jobs.

“The strong economic climate in Pennsylvania, combined with our prime location in the heart of the Northeast and low cost of doing business, provides manufacturing companies that choose to locate here with a distinct advantage over their competitors,” said Governor Wolf. “I welcome Terrafina to Pennsylvania and to Monroe County and look forward to continue to work the company to help them achieve even greater success.”

Terrafina will purchase a 72,000-square-foot facility in East Stroudsburg due to lower operating costs in Pennsylvania as well as the company outgrowing space constraints in New York City. The project includes the purchase of the building, renovations, and the purchase of equipment, computers, and furniture. The company will invest over $4.1 million into the project.

The building located at 401 Oak Street, East Stroudsburg that was purchased by Terrafina LLC.

“As we have aggressively expanded in the last couple of years, we are excited to take the next step and increase our production capabilities at least five-fold to grow and provide even more amazing products for our rapidly expanding customer base,” said Terrafina founder and CEO James Locke. “The acreage, strategic location for production, and distribution amenities offered in East Stroudsburg in northeast Pennsylvania fit our expansion plans perfectly. Also, as we consider sustainability and our carbon footprint in our growth model, we’re pleased that more than half of our energy needs will be met by a solar panel system on the roof.”

Terrafina received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for $240,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits to be distributed upon creation of the new jobs and $54,000 in WEDnetPA employee training funding. With the assistance of Pocono Mountains Industries, D/B/A PMEDC, the company will apply for a $2,040,000 low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) to assist with building and equipment costs.

The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, an experienced group of economic development professionals who report directly to the governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania.

Established in 2005, Terrafina is a sustainability-focused food manufacturer offering a variety of health snack options under its own brands and under private labels. Its core business is blending nuts, dried fruits, and trail mixes, and offers a number of packaging options from tubs, bags, and displays to private, contract, and bulk packaging.

2017 List of Best Places to Work In PA Revealed

Posted on October 31, 2017February 23, 2018 by PMEDC

The alphabetical list of the 100 companies in Pennsylvania to win a designation as a “Best Place to Work” has been revealed. This year’s list represents 23,000 employees of 44 small, 27 medium and 29 large sized companies. In order to be eligible for this process, companies had to be a for-profit or non-profit business, be publicly or privately held, employ at least 15 people working in Pennsylvania and be in business for at least one year. Making this list is a prestigious honor and winners improve their visibility and appeal to jobseekers from around the globe by carrying a trusted stamp of approval as a “Best Places to Work in PA” company.

Vigon International, Inc. located in East Stroudsburg was the only company in Monroe County selected for the list. This marks the 7th time the company was named to this very prestigious list.

Companies began the application process in March of this year. Once registered, a survey was administered to both employees and employers at hundreds of companies across our commonwealth. Winners are chosen based on who receives the highest combined scores in a twofold evaluation: a review of a company’s workforce policies, practices, philosophies, systems and demographics and results of an employee survey measuring employee satisfaction. Using a formula similar to Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America,” the Best Companies Group surveys and scores the workplace and each candidate is given an overall score.

“This is one of our favorite times of the year, when we learn which 100 Pennsylvania companies are the best in our Commonwealth,” said Ryan C. Unger, President and CEO at Team Pennsylvania. “It is a great opportunity to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development and the Central Penn Business Journal to acknowledge the leaders and people that propel Pennsylvania’s outstanding workforce.”

The numeric list of winners will be announced at a celebration dinner on Thursday, November 30th at the Lancaster County Convention Center in downtown Lancaster, PA. This year’s program is brought to you by:
Lead Sponsor & Founding Partner: Team Pennsylvania Foundation
Founding Partners: The Department of Community & Economic Development and the Central Penn Business Journal
Major Sponsor: Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr
Program Partner: The Pennsylvania State Council of SHRM

PMEDC to Host NEPIRC’s No Cost Leadership Development Essentials

Posted on October 30, 2017February 23, 2018 by PMEDC

Leadership development is applicable to all levels, in all industries.

Image of white 3D body figures standing in a circle with arms upwards and grasping neighbor's hands. The figure in the forefront is pictured in red.

Become a stronger, more impactful leader and learn how to manage teams more effectively. These 4 hour, no-cost seminars teach how to provide leadership in the midst of adversity and change. Using self-assessment tools and experiential learning, attendees examine their strengths and weaknesses while exploring best practices of exceptional leaders.

Click here to register: December 6 Session in Stroudsburg

Penn’s Northeast Creatively Submits Six Sites for Amazon’s 2nd Headquarters

Posted on October 27, 2017February 23, 2018 by PMEDC

Avoca, Pa – Penn’s Northeast (PNE), a regional economic development agency submitted six sites throughout Northeastern PA, in response to Amazon’s H2Q RFP. In addition to sending the response, PNE worked with area colleges and universities, as well as local businesses to develop a creative way to deliver the response.

The goal of responding to Amazon is to let companies across the globe know that Northeastern PA is open for business and has many regional assets to offer.

The six locations include Glenmaura Corporate Center in Lackawanna County, Arcadia North Business Park in Monroe County, Highridge Business Park in Schuylkill County and CANDO Corporate Center Phase II, Earth Conservancy and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport – all in Luzerne County.

PNE worked with students from the Allan P. Kirby Center at Wilkes University as well as employees from Keystone Automation to come up with a creative response. A large metal container was fabricated and engraved with the Amazon Prime logo.

In addition, the top 13 reasons as to why Amazon should locate to Northeastern PA were included in a second mailing. Citing a 2015 Cornell University study that listed NEPA as the worst place to be during a zombie apocalypse, a zombie survival kit was sent along with a promise to provide every future employee a survival kit should Amazon choose to locate here.

Penn’s Northeast serves as the single point of contact to assist brokers, site selectors and companies with all of their location needs. PNE provides real estate (land & building) options, workforce and employee recruitment, financial incentives, and additional assistance as needed.

The organization’s goal is to attract quality employers to Northeastern PA and enhance the region’s economy through new investments, job creation and increasing the amount of potential business opportunities for regional businesses through targeted business recruitment and unique lead generation activities.

Penn’s Northeast is a public/private partnership of agencies dedicated to assisting businesses interested in locating within Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Schuylkill and Wayne Counties.

For more information about Penn’s Northeast, please visit Penn’s Northeast.com or call 570-883-0504.

PPL Electric Utilities Continues to add Smart Grid Automation

Posted on May 16, 2017February 2, 2018 by PMEDC

PPL Electric Utilities continues to add smart grid automation on its system to increase reliability.

Smart grid improvements have been a major factor in allowing the utility to reduce the number of outages by 30 percent since 2007. The next five years are expected to bring another 15 percent improvement.

The company reports about 4,600 smart grid switches have been installed across its service area since 2012, when the first smart grid pilot project launched in the Harrisburg area. Now, there are smart grid devices nearly everywhere on the utility’s system which covers all or part of 29 counties in central and eastern Pennsylvania.

Image of electrical pole with wires as seen from below

These switches, and the computer brains behind them, automatically detect a problem on the grid and work within minutes to isolate the affected area and reroute power around the trouble spot.

Included in the total number of switches installed so far are about 600 switches added this year. More installations are planned over the next few years and the system should be fully outfitted by the end of 2020. By that time, more than 5,000 smart grid switches will be part of the PPL grid.

The utility’s smart grid work recently was honored by the Southeast Electric Exchange, an industry group, with an Industry Excellence Award. PPL’s reliability satisfaction score is among the leaders nationwide, according to J.D. Power.

Monroe Gigabit Project Gets Strong RFP Results

Posted on May 12, 2017January 31, 2018 by PMEDC

(East Stroudsburg, PA) – May 12, 2017 – The Monroe County Gigabit Project team announced forty-four (44) participants received Gigabit proposals that could help transform their organizations and economic development in Monroe County at Friday’s community meeting at East Stroudsburg University’s Innovation Center. All of the RFP proposals would reduce the costs of gigabit broadband in Monroe County. With the new pricing, organizations could decide to reduce their broadband costs, or they could increase their broadband capacity. State Senator Mario Scavello provided a positive greeting, expressing his thanks for the strong participation and provider proposals. David Parker gave a project update and next steps for the June 8th meeting. Kevin Dellicker, President of Dellicker Strategies provided an overview of the strong RFP results. Afterwards, Michael Kolba, Jr. delivered a robust cyber-security update that gave organizations ideas to tighten all aspects of their cyber-security.

“We are very pleased with the RFP results.” Dellicker stated. “In fact, there are several aspects in the proposals that are very compelling. The bottom line is, the average RFP pricing/Mbps is lower than average current pricing/Mbps from the Monroe County survey for all categories of service,” said Dellicker.

View of a room with projector screen, file cabinet and individual standing in front

Dellicker also outlined the RFP’s next steps, indicating the RFP Team will organize and share the results with each buyer. The June 8th meeting will provide updates and another opportunity to meet with the Project team.

Senator Mario Scavello remarked, “Like everyone in this room, I’m excited to see the desirable prospects that will come about for Monroe County. A big thank you to the providers for submitting such great proposals. This good news is exactly what we were hoping to receive.” Senator Scavello concluded, “these strong proposals will give customers options, ideas and ways to grow their businesses.”

The Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on April 10, 2017 to more than 100 internet service provider contacts.

The Monroe Gigabit Project is hosted by the Monroe 2030 Action Team, Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corporation, and East Stroudsburg University. A state-of-the-art incubator and company-accelerator located off Interstate 80, the East Stroudsburg University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center is located 500 yards from Interstate-80 and 70 miles from NYC.

For more information contact: David Parker at David@LewisStrategic.com or 570.656.9232. Register for the last remaining Monroe Gigabit Project meeting on June 8, 2017.

AcceleratePA is an implementation team speeding broadband, workforce and innovation initiatives across Pennsylvania. The Broadband Implementation team of Dellicker Strategies, Business Information Group and Lewis Strategic has successfully completed nearly 100 regional broadband projects in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Since 2003, industry-pioneer Dellicker Strategies has led broadband aggregation projects for schools, intermediate units, hospitals, doctors, corporations, agencies and communities. For additional information visit our website, www.PAaccelerationProject.com, and follow Accelerate Pennsylvania on Twitter AcceleratePenna and on Facebook @AcceleratePA.

Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau Announces 2017 Tourism Day

Posted on May 10, 2017January 31, 2018 by PMEDC

POCONO MOUNTAINS, PA, April 27, 2017 – The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB) has announced that this year’s Tourism Day will be held at Skytop Lodge on Wednesday, May 10. This twenty-second annual tourism marketing seminar will highlight social media and digital marketing, and their importance in the tourism industry, beginning at 11:30 AM. Immediately following the social media and digital marketing presentation, the PMVB will be holding their annual Tourism Achievement Awards luncheon, recognizing hospitality excellence in local tourism industry workers and properties.

The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB) Skytop Lodge

Andrew DelQuadro, Director of Digital Strategy at MayoSeitz Media will be the morning’s keynote speaker, aiming to explain the importance of digital marketing in the tourism and hospitality industry. Following DelQuardo will be speaker Brian Bossuyt, Director of Marketing at the PMVB, to review tips and strategies for successful social media marketing. Directly after, all attendees are invited to attend the Pocono Mountains Tourism Achievement Awards Luncheon. Employees working in the industry, as well as individual properties in the Pocono Mountains, will be recognized for their great headways, efforts, and service. Specific award categories for individuals in tourism and hospitality include the Brand Hero Award, Outstanding Tourism Employee of the Year, and the Green Award. On April 18, the PMVBannounced a new President/CEO, Chris Barrett, after Carl Wilgus’ retirement from a nearly ten-year run with the organization. Barrett is set to attend his first Tourism Day and Tourism Achievement Awards Ceremony in the Pocono Mountains.

“Being new to the PMVB, Tourism Day is a terrific opportunity for me to meet our property members, community members, and media members. It’s also an interesting way to educate attendees on the latest trends, and to reward outstanding individuals and properties in the Pocono Mountains’ hospitality and tourism industry,” explains Barrett.

About the Pocono Mountains

With 2,400 square miles encompassing Pennsylvania’s Wayne, Pike, Monroe and Carbon counties, the Pocono Mountains region is home to rolling mountain terrain, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, thriving woodlands, and 170 miles of winding rivers. Winters offer guests the opportunity to ski, snowboard, snow tube and even snowshoe their way through snowy wonderlands encompassing over 163 ski trails, while summers also cater to the active traveler allowing exploration of 261 miles of hiking and biking trails, over 30 golf courses, whitewater rafting, boating, fishing, and open access to nine state and two national parks.

Pocono Mountains visitor information is available online at www.PoconoMountains.com or by phone at 800-POCONOS
(800-762-6667). Follow @PoconoTourismPR on Twitter to stay current with up-to-date information. Established in 1934, the
Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit, membership organization. The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for the four counties of Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Carbon in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Cork Pops for New Business, Event Center

Posted on May 5, 2017January 31, 2018 by PMEDC

Hamilton Township, Monroe County – Sparkling wine bottles popped and rainbow confetti rained on Randy and Linda Rice as they opened the doors to their new winery. The moment was a dream more than a decade in the making.

Photo of confetti falling while people watch, taking photos of the doors open to a new business and event center

The couple first fell in love with wine during a trip to the Finger Lakes region of New York in 2003. The trip inspired them to try growing grapes and making wine. They started with just a few vines on a fence in front of their home. Later, they transformed their wooded hillside backyard into a small vineyard. “It was quite a challenge to remove all of the trees on our own. You had to be like a mountain goat to work the property, but it was so worth it,” said Linda.

RISKING IT ALL

Though the work was difficult, the couple loved it so much that they quit their jobs to open a winery in the lower level of their home. Linda gave up a six-figure job in pharmaceutical sales. Randy left a teaching position. Many people told them a home-based winery couldn’t be successful. However, the Rice’s strong faith led them to believe otherwise. “We believe that God gave us a vision that was guaranteed to fail unless we had His help so He could prove what faith can accomplish,” said Linda.

The business venture was more successful than they had ever imagined. They added a distillery in 2013, and quickly outgrew their small tasting room. They set their eyes on expanding.

GROWING THE BUSINESS

Randy and Linda invested everything they had to expand. They purchased about 100-acres of farmland along Walters Road in Hamilton Township. They recently completed construction of a new winery on that property. It’s about 2.5 miles from the original winery location. The project created about 30 new jobs.

THE NEW BUILDING

The new place is four times as large as the original winery. It features a covered wrap around porch with vineyard views, a round wine barrel inspired tasting bar, and a stone fireplace. The building will operate sustainably. It will have geothermal power, optimal insulation, and LED lighting. “We want to protect the earth. Our children and grandchildren have to live with the decisions we make today,” said Randy.

Outside of wood and stone building, a solitary baby tree has been planted

Woman walking by a dozen silver winery barrels

FROGTOWN BISTRO

The Frogtown family of restaurants is opening a new location inside of the winery. Chef Lyman Winner said, “This is so exciting for us. We’ve created a menu that pairs perfectly with Mountain View’s local wines.” The Frogtown Bistro at Mountain View Vineyard will feature a tapas-style menu. The bistro will be open noon-6pm daily and have special dinner hours from 6pm-9pm on most Friday and Saturday nights. Dinner schedules can change during private events. Diners should check the website for details on specific dates. The Frogtown Bistro will be the exclusive caterer for weddings and special events at the vineyard and winery.

WEDDINGS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Mountain View Vineyard has hired Kate Lewis, formerly of Skytop Lodge, as Wedding and Event Coordinator. “We couldn’t have asked to have a better event coordinator. Kate has amazing attention to detail and she’s a joy to work with,” said Linda. Anyone interested in scheduling a wedding, shower, rehearsal dinner, or other special event can contact Kate at kate@mountainviewvineyard.com

View from behind the bar of individuals socializing, dozens of wine glasses are stacked on the bar top in the foreground

In addition to private events, the winery is also looking forward to hosting many public events and community fundraisers. Randy said, “God has blessed us so much, we want to bless the community in return.”

NEW WINE RELEASE

A special commemorative wine has been aging in oak barrels for three years, waiting for the perfect moment to be released. Vision is a medium-bodied red blend made from a trio of local, sustainably grown grapes. “This is the best wine we have ever created,” smiled Linda. The wine is named Vision to celebrate the Rice’s vision coming to fruition. They only produced 500 bottles of Vision. Each commemorative bottle is hand numbered then signed by the winemakers and the artist who designed the labels. Vision goes on sale at the new winery grand opening. Commemorative gift totes and boxes will also be available.

BUSINESS TIMELINE

• Fall 2003 – Planted first vines
• September 1, 2009 – Mountain View Vineyard & Winery opens on the Rice’s 20th anniversary.
• September 1, 2013 – Mountain View Distillery opens on the Rice’s 24th anniversary
• September 1, 2016 – Groundbreaking for a new winery building on the Rice’s 27th anniversary
• May 4, 2017 – Ribbon cutting ceremony for new winery building
• Fall 2017 – Mountain View Brewing Company scheduled to open

NEW BUILDING BASICS

• Located on a 100-acre farm along Walters Road in Hamilton Township, approximately 2.5 miles from the original winery
• Four times the size of the original winery
• 3,500 square foot winemaking facility (This will allow the business to triple wine production)
• 3,000 square foot tasting room
• Home of The Frogtown Bistro
• Wrap around porch with scenic view of vineyards
• Outdoor space for vineyard weddings
• Earth-friendly construction includes geothermal energy, solar energy, and LED lighting
• The original winery building in Jackson Township will remain open as a distillery featuring Mountain View’s local, sustainably produced spirits (such as vodka, moonshine, and brandy).

DCED, PMEDC and Downtown Stroudsburg celebrate National Small Business Week at The Penn Stroud

Posted on May 4, 2017January 31, 2018 by PMEDC

Stroudsburg – PMEDC joined with DCED Deputy Secretary Carrie Lepore, Senator Mario Scavello and the local Stroudsburg community to celebrate National Small Business Week at the soon to be rejuvenated Penn Stroud Hotel. “Our small businesses are so closely woven into the fabric of our communities,” stated Deputy Secretary Lepore. “This is the heart and soul of the community and an anchor of the town square.”
Keyur Patel, owner and developer of the project added, “This has been a team effort. Everyone has played a role and helped us through the process. We appreciate the support from the borough and the financing we received from PMEDC.”

The Penn Stroud advertisement with multiple photos of different views of the building over time

The Penn Stroud has endured as an icon of Pennsylvania hospitality for over 100 years. Long before there was The Penn Stroud, it was known as The Stroudsburg Hotel, The Burnett House and The Fulmer House but only The Penn Stroud name cast a nostalgic spell over those who knew the hotel during its first incarnation decades ago. The renovation includes complete modernization while retaining historic charm. It will feature 88 spacious, elegant guest rooms; high-speed wireless Internet; an indoor heated swimming pool; a state-of-the-art fitness center and more.

A group of individuals stand around a partial complete building under renovation having conversations

Individuals are taking notes and discussing ideas in a stone building that appears under renovation

“When this hotel is back, the people who stay here will also be supporting the surrounding businesses. It will enhance the borough and the downtown. Whenever we can help small business grow, it comes back ten-fold,” commented State Senator Mario Scavello. “This is a win-win.”

PMEDC assisted the project in obtaining $2.1 million in financing for the project from the Building PA Program, PA Industrial Development Authority and the Monroe County Small Business Grant/Loan Program.

PIDA Approves Loan for Monroe County Company

Posted on April 10, 2017January 31, 2018 by PMEDC

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced Wednesday, April 5, 2017 that new statewide investments through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) program will help spur development in the commonwealth and will create and retain 78 jobs.

“It is critical that we continue to provide capital to our small businesses, and the loans approved today will do just that,” said Governor Wolf. “Today’s loans not only invest in those businesses, they invest in the communities in which they are located in helping to support the vitality and overall well-being.”

In 2017, PIDA has approved $14.3 million in low-interest loans that have resulted in $23.8 million in private investment and supported 425 created and retained full-time jobs.

Over the last month, PIDA approved more than $1.1 million in low-interest loans for four projects in Elk, Lebanon, Monroe, and Westmoreland counties that will generate more than $3.2 million in additional private investments.

The following loans were approved during the last month:

Elk County
The North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission was awarded a $63,500, 10-year loan at 4 percent on behalf of J.I.T. Tool & Die, Inc., a manufacturer of compaction tooling and precision machine components for the powdered metal, crabon/graphite, carbide and plastics industries, to assist with the purchase of equipment for its manufacturing facility at 7294 Route 219, Brockport. The total project cost is estimated at $127,000, and will retain 32 existing positions.

Lebanon County
The Lebanon Valley Economic Development Corporation was awarded a $400,000, 15-year loan at 3 percent for the first seven years on behalf of Matthew and Louise Nolt to acquire the 92-acre farm located at 131 Krumstown Road, Myerstown, where they have a dairy operation as well as two broiler houses that are contracted through Farmers Pride. In addition, the loan will also assist with the construction of a broiler house. The total project cost is estimated at $1.7 million.

Monroe County
Pocono Mountain Industries, Inc. was approved for two loans at the April meeting. A $350,000, 15-year loan at 3 percent, and a $165,437, 10-year loan at 3 percent were approved on behalf of Ailya Chemical Corporation to renovate the company’s new facility at 463 Industrial Park Drive, Mount Pocono. Ailya Chemical Corporation, a manufacturer of liquid inks and dyes, recently relocated to Pennsylvania from New Jersey. The total project cost is estimated at $1,057,201, and will create 16 new jobs and retain two existing positions.

Westmoreland County
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Corporation was awarded a $147,137, 5-year loan at 4 percent on behalf of Excel Glass Company, Inc. to assist with the purchase of a new water jet and saw machine to be located at their manufacturing facility at 103 Jayhawk Drive, Jeannette. The total project cost is estimated to be $318,483, and will create three new jobs and retain 25 existing positions.

PIDA is an independent authority staffed and regulated through the Department of Community and Economic Development. The Authority provides capital for building acquisition, construction and renovation work, machinery and equipment loans along with working capital line of credit loans, primarily for manufacturers, industrial developers, research and development firms, agricultural processors and employers looking to establish national or regional headquarters in Pennsylvania.

Qualified applicants are eligible to select either a reset rate of 4.00 percent for the first seven years or a fixed rate of 2.25 percent for real estate financing, 4.00 percent fixed rate for equipment loans, 4 percent fixed rate loans for a 12-month period for working capital and accounts receivable lines of credit, and 2 percent fixed rate for pollution prevention and energy efficient loans. Rates will be in effect for loan applications received through June 30, 2017.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, and other DCED initiatives, visit dced.pa.gov