Pennsylvania International Trade Guide

  New Web Tool available for PA Exporters

This new web tool teaches exporting basics to Pennsylvania companies.  Available at www.exportingPA.org , the guide is an Export 101 course which can be customized to match learning objectives.

The guide features a state of the art Export Readiness Assessment, an extensive library of Frequently Asked Questions, a first-ever state wide calendar of trade related events and an easy access point to state funded export assistance programs.

ExportingPA.org was developed by the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia and funded by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. 

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DEP Announces Alternative Fuel Transportation       Projects Grant Opportunity

The Department of Environmental Protection is accepting applications for projects to be funded by the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program (AFIG). The program makes available $4 million in grants to assist in funding eligible projects that use or produce biofuels, alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles, or that deploy fuel-saving technology in the transportation sector.

Funding is available for school districts, municipal authorities, political subdivisions of the state, nonprofit entities, corporations, limited liability companies or partnerships incorporated or registered in the state.

Approved projects for these organizations must work to retrofit fleet vehicles to operate on alternative fuels, purchase alternative fuel vehicle for a fleet, install fleet refueling equipment for alternative fuel vehicles, or support next-phase advanced research, development and training related to alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles.

Funding is also available for school districts, municipal authorities, political subdivisions and nonprofit entities to subsidize the purchase of biofuel and provide refueling and storage equipment or related tank cleaning.

The AFIG program was established in 1992 under Act 166. By law, the program receives approximately $5 million to $6 million annually from the General Fund. The amount of funding is equal to 0.25 mills of the utilities gross receipts tax collected during each fiscal year.

The application deadline is 4 p.m., Friday, June 17. Only electronic applications will be accepted. Visit the state’s eGrants site at https://www.grants.dcnr.state.pa.us/ to apply. No costs for approved projects may be incurred prior to July 1.

For more information, visit http://www.dep.state.pa.us and click “Grants and Loans,” or contact Carmen LaRosa or Mark Brojakowski at DEP’s Office of Energy and Technology Deployment at 717-783-8411.

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Now, more than ever, your trade show marketing program must generate sales and profits. There is a lot more to creating a successful event than putting up a great display. You need an effective strategy entering your show, excellent execution at your show and proper measurement after your show. Please join us for an informative seminar that will take place on June 28, 2011 in Mercer. This seminar will be presented by Mr. Ernie White from Skyline Exhibits, Pittsburgh. You will obtain knowledge on why to exhibit, how to select a trade show, how to target your market, how to choose booth staffers, how to work the booth, how to follow up with your leads, and more!

Location:     Penn-Northwest Development Corporation

                       749 Greenville Road

                       Mercer, PA  16137-5023

Date:            Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Time:            8:30 am - Registration and Breakfast

                       9:00 am - Noon - Presentation

Cost:             $15.00 per attendee

To view full AGENDA and to register please click here or contact Katarina Ishman at katarinai@nwcommission.org or at 814-677-4800 x117.

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Gannon University SBDC Seminars:

Additional upcoming SBDC seminars:

Cold Calling

June 22, 2011  9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. @ Gannon SBDC, Erie

Accounting to Success

June 23, 2011  6:00 p.m. - 9:00 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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Sharon Regional Provides More Than $285 Million in Local Economic Support

Sharon Regional Health System contributes more than $285 million annually to the region’s economy, according to a new report released by The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). Sharon Regional also supports more than 2,600 jobs in the region through direct employment and the ripple effect of hospital-associated employment.

The report, Pennsylvania Hospitals Critical to State Economy, shows that Pennsylvania hospitals provided more the 584,000 hospital and hospital service-related jobs to the commonwealth’s workforce and $98.9 billion to the state’s economy in 2010 – up 9 percent, from $89.8 billion, in 2008.

Pennsylvania’s hospitals annually care for 1.7 million inpatients and 38 million outpatients, and they evaluate 5.8 million injured and ill people in their emergency departments. Pennsylvania’s hospitals also deliver more than 133,000 babies each year.

With more than 1,725 employees, Sharon Regional is Mercer County’s largest employer. According to the study, for every hospital job, 1.2 additional jobs are supported within the state and every additional dollar in employee compensation in the hospital sector results in 92 cents of wages to other Pennsylvania industries. This creates a “ripple effect” in terms of both total employment and total spending.

While Sharon Regional contributed more than $161 million to the local economy including more than $59 million in salaries, this “ripple effect” produced an additional impact on local businesses and vendors of $123 million, with more than $29 million coming from the salaries of additional jobs that were created.

John R. “Jack” Janoso, Jr., president and chief operating officer of Sharon Regional, is proud of the positive contributions of the hospital, both as a medical provider and as a major economic contributor to the community. “Sharon Regional operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year,” Janoso stated. “Because of this 24-hour operation and the education, experience, and skill levels needed by our employees, we tend to provide a higher wage and benefit level than many other businesses in our area, which is a real advantage to the people who work and live here. A number of other area businesses rely on Sharon Regional as a major factor in their own economic success. Sharon Regional also provides a benefit by offering advanced medical services locally that residents otherwise would have to obtain in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, or other distant cities at a higher cost, while also experiencing the added burden of having to travel and cope with large city traffic and sometimes overnight accommodations.”

On a statewide basis, the HAP report showed: 1) Pennsylvania hospitals annually provide a total contribution of nearly $98.9 billion to the state’s economy, including $40.1 billion in direct total spending and $58.8 billion in secondary spending as a result of hospital operations; 2) Hospitals support the employment of almost 585,000 Pennsylvanians, including 268,000 in direct employment and 317,000 employed as a result of hospital operations; and 3) Hospitals generate total labor income of more than $27 billion annually. Data in the report are from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, and HAP member hospitals and health systems.

“This report certainly reinforces the relationship between hospitals and the economic health of the communities in which they’re located,” added Janoso. “Also, our local communities benefited in 2010 from receiving $857,000 in wage and occupational privilege taxes from Sharon Regional. Additionally, as a non-profit community hospital, Sharon Regional provided more than $9.3 million in free and uncompensated care last year ($4.5 million in charity care and $4.8 million in bad debt), and also provided care to Medicare and Medical Assistance patients in which the reimbursement for this care was more than $4.3 million below the cost to provide it."

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Technology Marketing in a Manufacturing Culture

  6 Dimensions of Marketing Excellence

         by Daniel M. Telep, Crossroads Development, dtelep@crossroadsdgltd.com

"These six dimensions of marketing, when mastered, will make a difference in your business success.  They are foundational to the discipline and a valid test of marketing excellence." 

To read Mr. Telep's entire article located on page 10 of Made in PA, a publication of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, click here.

Industry Needs You: 2011 Student Video Contest

    ** Winners Announced **

Lawrence and Mercer County high school students were invited to represent their school and show off their production skills by creating a 3 - 5 minute video showcasing a local manufacturing company.

The 2011 Industry Needs You Student Video Contest winners were:

Mercer County:

1st – Neshannock presents Silgan/IPEC

2nd – Reynolds presents ILSCO

3rd – West Middlesex presents Ellwood Crankshaft & Machine

Lawrence County:                                                                          

1st – Commodore Perry presents Bucks Fabricating         

2nd – New Castle presents Consolidated Glass                   

3rd – New Castle presents Xaloy                                               

Videos were judged by a panel of local business leaders, as well as by public voting on IndustryNeedsYou.com.

Special thanks to the following manufacturers who participated:  Bucks Fabricating, Consolidated Glass, Doren, Ellwood Crankshaft & Machine, Extreme Machine, Flowline - MEI Division, Ilsco, IPEC, Muscle Products, Pizza Joe's, Precision Feedscrews, Veka, West Penn Printing, Wintronics and Xaloy.

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Classes teach green building skills

  Contractors learn new techniques
Sharon‐Herald – Monday, May 23, 2011
By Joe Pinchot, Herald Staff Writer

As the building of the technology center in Linden‐Pointe technical business park shows, green building is coming to Mercer County. Contractors will need to learn new techniques and regulations in order to meet the evolving standards and customer demands for environmentally friendly construction.  “With the growing green economy, there’s such a need for these skills,”  said Rebecca Moder, workforce development manager for West Central Job Partnership, which serves Mercer and Lawrence counties.

Fifty‐four contractors, architects, construction trades people and others were recognized May 10 for participating in one or more of the four classes held in October through January that dealt with green building. The classes covered the fundamentals of green building, building codes, products and certification. The sessions were held at the Hermitage Training and Workforce Development Center, which is next door to the under‐construction tech center. “They gave us very reasonable rents,” quipped Ms. Moder. “It’s a nice facility.” The contractors building the tech center were required to attend the classes, said Assistant City Manager Gary M. Gulla.

Excerpt from  Herald article "Classes teach Green Building Skills" click here for the full article