Reichard to Step Down as Executive Director of Penn Northwest

News Release-Penn Northwest Development Corporation:  6/2/2011

The Penn Northwest Development Corporation announced today that Larry Reichard, Executive Director of the Corporation for the past 25 years, will be stepping down as Executive Director effective October 1, 2011.  Reichard was hired in October of 1986 and during his tenure with the corporation was directly involved in over 440 successful economic development projects throughout Mercer County with over 1 billion in new public and private investments being made in the area.  Reichard will remain as executive Director of the Corporation until October and thereafter in a  more focused project management capacity and will assist in the transition with a new Executive Director of the Corporation.

On stepping down Reichard indicated “that succession planning actually started with discussions nearly two years ago with then Chair Bill Perrine and now with major organizational changes being considered, coupled with some personal health issues this past year it is simply time to put a fresh face on the economic development program going forward”.  

In 1988 under Reichard’s direction Penn Northwest launched the Mercer County business calling program which became one of three  prototypes for the PA DCED Business Retention and Expansion Program implemented under the Ridge Administration.  “Nothing fancy, no laptops, no sophisticated data base’s at that time”,   said Reichard,  “just an aggressive initiative  to sit down, talk to business and industry, and determine what specific needs companies had and then provide the follow-up service to deliver the resources essential to their growth and expansion of operations in the county”. With 80% or more of new jobs and investments coming from existing companies attending to the needs of our existing Mercer County companies was paramount then and  is now a critical part of the Mercer County economic development program” Reichard added.

Among many other accomplishments from 1986 to 1994 Penn Northwest and Mercer County were the recipients of $4.0 M dollars in funding assistance in what was then called the Steel Valley Assistance Program.  In 1987 The Steel Valley Assistance revolving loan fund was established by Penn Northwest which later became the Mercer County Industrial Growth Fund with nearly 100 low interest loans closed to date and over $12 million in loan proceeds distributed facilitating nearly $100 M in public/private investments in Mercer County.  Penn Northwest loan funds for industrial and manufacturing projects are still available 25 years later  for business and industry throughout Mercer County.

Over the years Reichard has been active in the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association with Penn Northwest honored as the Associations Small Economic Development Agency of the Year award in 2002, Penn-Northwest was a recipient of the Dominion 2004 Community Impact Award, and received the PA Planning Association Outstanding Planning Award in  2000 for its joint economic development and planning collaborative with Mercer County Regional Planning for the Strategy 1000 site development initiative. In 2009 Reichard was honored by NAIOP, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, with the “Supporter of Development” of the year awarded by the Pittsburgh Chapter.

Click here for information on the Search for an Executive Director

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NORTHWEST COMMISSION ANNOUNCES A NEW BUSINESS OUTREACH PROGRAM IN THE EIGHT COUNTIES OF NORTHWEST PA INCLUDING CLARION, CRAWFORD, ERIE, FOREST, LAWRENCE, MERCER, VENANGO AND WARREN

A Press Conference was held on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 to formally launch the new Business Outreach Program for the region in the offices of the NW PA Regional Planning & Development Commission, 395 Seneca Street, Oil City, PA.A partnership has formed among the eight counties of NW PA and regional economic development partners around a newly developed business outreach program being launched today in the region. 

In July, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) made the decision to cease involvement with the Business Retention & Expansion Program (BREP).  The 8 counties of NW PA decided they wanted to explore opportunities to continue a program in the region because of the value it brings.  The outreach tool provides an understanding of the needs of regional businesses and provides a method to connect the businesses to public and private resources to help them, grow, retain jobs and create jobs.

The Erie Regional Chamber provided leadership and resources to create the new outreach tool on behalf of the region.  Individual counties are working with Executive Pulse an international business retention software leader that has developed the platform.  Executive Pulse is headquartered in Erie, PA.  The “new” outreach tool is customer centric, comprehensive, measurable, and flexible.  These qualities will lead to better information gathering by each county and will aid in policy and program development.

Regional Chamber Report Featuring LindenPointe

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Gannon University SBDC Seminars:

          First Step Workshop

August 4, 2011  9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. @ Gannon SBDC, Mercer Office

Harness the Power of Social Media

August 16, 2011  9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. @ Gannon SBDC, Erie

 

For additional information, contact:

Jodie M. Camillo, M.P.A

Educational Program Coordinator

Gannon University SBDC

p: 814.871.7452

www.sbdcgannon.org

camillo002@gannon.edu 

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PNDC Recertified as an Industrial Development Corporation

On July 6, 2011, the Penn-Northwest Development Corporation (PNDC) received official confirmation from the Pennsylvania Department of Economic and Community Development that it has successfully met the renewal requirements set forth in the certification guidelines and the Pennsylvania Industrial Developjment Authority (PIDA) board has approved the organizations request to continue administering the PIDA loan program to eligible businesses located in Mercer County. 

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FEATURED PROPERTIES FROM MERCER COUNTY'S DATABASE OF AVAILABLE SITES & FACILITIES

660 Barkeyville Road, Grove City, PA:

242,000 SF  Warehouse/Distribution Facility For Sale; 28'-30' Ceilings; 19 Loading Docks, 29.4 Acres

2908 Mercer-West Middlesex Road, West Middlesex, PA:

51,756 SF Manufacturing/Industrial/ Warehouse Facility For Sale;

12'-30' Ceilings; 5 Loading Docks; 30.9 Acres

For a complete list of sites and facilities in Mercer County, please visit:  www.penn-northwest.com

First Energy Efficiency Initiatives from FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania Utilities