Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development 2022-23 Annual Report
The Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development is a non-profit corporation and is a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Certified Economic Development Organization. CED is the lead economic development agency for Beaver County, undertaking a variety of activities that support our mission. The 2022-2023 Annual Report outlines the fiscal year at the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development
Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development 2022-23 Annual Report
The Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development is a non-profit corporation and is a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Certified Economic Development Organization. CED is the lead economic development agency for Beaver County, undertaking a variety of activities that support our mission. The 2022-2023 Annual Report outlines the fiscal year at the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development
Bob Pusateri
Chair
Carey McDougall
Vice Chair
Carolyn Renninger
Secretary
Daniel Camp III
Commissioner
Dave O'Leary
Board Member
Dr. Melvin Steals
Board Member
Jack Manning
Commissioner
Joe Bevevino
Treasurer
Matt Dawson
Board Member
Ed DeMailo
Board Member
Larry Nelson
Board Member
Mike Lincheck
Board Member
Renee Suhr
Board Member
Tony Amadio
Commissioner
Bob Pusateri
Chair
Carey McDougall
Vice Chair
Carolyn Renninger
Secretary
Daniel Camp III
Commissioner
Dave O'Leary
Board Member
Dr. Melvin Steals
Board Member
Jack Manning
Commissioner
Joe Bevevino
Treasurer
Matt Dawson
Board Member
Ed DeMailo
Board Member
Larry Nelson
Board Member
Mike Lincheck
Board Member
Renee Suhr
Board Member
Tony Amadio
Commissioner
CED eyes what’s next, and with your support, we can ensure a bright economic future for the County.
Dear Members,
Thank you for another great year! I want to thank you for your continued support of Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development (CED). Without your support, CED would be unable to deliver the successes you will find in this year’s report. The 2022-2023 fiscal year highlighted the ongoing need for CED and its programs.
I have been in this position for nearly four years as this fiscal year comes to a close. These early years of my tenure at CED have seen any number of challenges and successes. While I usually take the first few lines of this letter to tell you about all that CED has accomplished, I want to take a different approach this year.
Those of you that have been unlucky enough to see me give a presentation this year, at one event or another, know that I have a slide that says, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” This is in reference to the fact that we, the Beaver County Community, spend far too much time and effort beating ourselves up. I am tired of hearing about what is wrong with Beaver County. Instead, I want to hear about and celebrate what is right with Beaver County!
Whether you see it or not, and others do, we have great communities with long rich histories that are celebrated by their residents. We have vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. We have residents who show their continued support of one another everyday through volunteerism and their faith. We have seen both a strengthening of our legacy in manufacturing and a renewed interest in our recreational assets.
What is right with Beaver County? One simply needs to look at our transportation assets, our navigable river, the two interstates, the fact that we are 15 minutes from an International Airport, and that we have a countywide public transit system that is the envy of counties twice our size. Our post-secondary institutions lead the way in cooperation and community commitment. We have great places, great people, and great businesses. I want you to remember that every one of us (you, me, and the elected officials) that represent this County and its residents are all ambassadors for Beaver County. Throughout the upcoming year, you will continue to hear about what we at CED and others think is great about Beaver County, and we ask that you share the great news about Beaver County far and wide.
We at CED are excited about the future of Beaver County, honor its past, and fully live in its present!
Lewis M. Villotti, President.
| Ambridge Regional Distribution & Manufacturing Center | Lombardo Industries Inc. |
| Beaver County Building Trades | Metal Buildings Direct Inc. / L.C. Renninger Group |
| Beaver County Transit Authority | Moderne Glass Holdings, Inc. |
| Bolland Machine | Penn State Beaver |
| c3controls | PGT Trucking, Inc. |
| Castlebrook Development Group, LLC | Pittsburgh Intermodal Terminals, Inc. |
| Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. | Shippingport Industrial Park, LLC |
| Colona Transfer LP | Sippel Steel Fab |
| Commonwealth Real Estate Services, LLC | Stefanik Properties LLC |
| Construction & General Laborers Local 833 | Steelsmith, Inc. |
| Creekside Springs, LLC | The Gateway Engineers Inc. |
| Crossgates Inc. | Town Center Associates LLC |
| Esmark Realty, LLC | Tri-State River Products, Inc. |
| First Energy | Turney Electric, Inc. |
| GCU | Uhl Construction Company, Inc. |
| Geneva College | United States Gypsum Company |
| Halama Brothers Electric, Inc. | Versatex Building Products, LLC |
| Heritage Valley Health System | West-Aircomm FCU |
| IBEW Local Union #712 | Widmer Engineering, Inc. |
| John P. O’Leary | Woodske Law Offices |
| JVGD Family Limited Partnership | Beaver Borough |
| Kenson Plastics | Borough of Monaca |
| Keystone Profiles, Ltd. | City of Aliquippa |
| Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering, Inc. | Borough of Ambridge |
Dear Members,
Thank you for another great year! I want to thank you for your continued support of Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development (CED). Without your support, CED would be unable to deliver the successes you will find in this year’s report. The 2022-2023 fiscal year highlighted the ongoing need for CED and its programs.
I have been in this position for nearly four years as this fiscal year comes to a close. These early years of my tenure at CED have seen any number of challenges and successes. While I usually take the first few lines of this letter to tell you about all that CED has accomplished, I want to take a different approach this year.
Those of you that have been unlucky enough to see me give a presentation this year, at one event or another, know that I have a slide that says, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” This is in reference to the fact that we, the Beaver County Community, spend far too much time and effort beating ourselves up. I am tired of hearing about what is wrong with Beaver County. Instead, I want to hear about and celebrate what is right with Beaver County!
Whether you see it or not, and others do, we have great communities with long rich histories that are celebrated by their residents. We have vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. We have residents who show their continued support of one another everyday through volunteerism and their faith. We have seen both a strengthening of our legacy in manufacturing and a renewed interest in our recreational assets.
What is right with Beaver County? One simply needs to look at our transportation assets, our navigable river, the two interstates, the fact that we are 15 minutes from an International Airport, and that we have a countywide public transit system that is the envy of counties twice our size. Our post-secondary institutions lead the way in cooperation and community commitment. We have great places, great people, and great businesses. I want you to remember that every one of us (you, me, and the elected officials) that represent this County and its residents are all ambassadors for Beaver County. Throughout the upcoming year, you will continue to hear about what we at CED and others think is great about Beaver County, and we ask that you share the great news about Beaver County far and wide.
We at CED are excited about the future of Beaver County, honor its past, and fully live in its present!
Lewis M. Villotti, President.
| Ambridge Regional Distribution & Manufacturing Center |
| Beaver County Building Trades |
| Beaver County Transit Authority |
| Bolland Machine |
| c3controls |
| Castlebrook Development Group, LLC |
| Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. |
| Colona Transfer LP |
| Commonwealth Real Estate Services, LLC |
| Construction & General Laborers Local 833 |
| Creekside Springs, LLC |
| Crossgates Inc. |
| Esmark Realty, LLC |
| First Energy |
| GCU |
| Geneva College |
| Halama Brothers Electric, Inc. |
| Heritage Valley Health System |
| IBEW Local Union #712 |
| John P. O’Leary |
| JVGD Family Limited Partnership |
| Kenson Plastics |
| Keystone Profiles, Ltd. |
| Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering, Inc. |
| Lombardo Industries Inc. |
| Metal Buildings Direct Inc. / L.C. Renninger Group |
| Moderne Glass Holdings, Inc. |
| Penn State Beaver |
| PGT Trucking, Inc. |
| Pittsburgh Intermodal Terminals, Inc. |
| Shippingport Industrial Park, LLC |
| Sippel Steel Fab |
| Stefanik Properties LLC |
| Steelsmith, Inc. |
| The Gateway Engineers Inc. |
| Town Center Associates LLC |
| Tri-State River Products, Inc. |
| Turney Electric, Inc. |
| Uhl Construction Company, Inc. |
| United States Gypsum Company |
| Versatex Building Products, LLC |
| West-Aircomm FCU |
| Widmer Engineering, Inc. |
| Woodske Law Offices |
| Beaver Borough |
| Borough of Monaca |
| City of Aliquippa |
| Borough of Ambridge |
B-HIVE Update and Wall-Breaking
In February of 2023, CED hosted an official “Wall Breaking” ceremony at the future home of the Beaver Valley Hub for Innovation, Venture, and Entrepreneurship (B-HIVE). At the event, Commissioners Manning and Amadio of Beaver County, State Senator Elder Vogel, State Representative Jim Marshall, Mayor Kenya Johns of Beaver Falls, Chair of the B-HIVE John Hertneky, Chancellor of Penn State Beaver Dr. Jen Cushman, and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Geneva College Dr. Curtis Songer conducted the celebratory first wall breaking to commence the start of construction. Since then, immense change has occurred at 1317 Seventh Ave. to prepare the space to house the B-HIVE. Uhl Construction was brought on to completely renovate the entire building and transform it into the official B-HIVE that is set to open before the end of the year.
The The B-HIVE’s focus is to create a next generation resource for business start-ups, including growth through a physical space and alignment of regional resources. As a nexus for an entrepreneurial ecosystem with strong internet access and fully wired conference rooms, it will serve as a resource not only for budding entrepreneurs but also for individuals currently running their own businesses from home and for companies exploring the advantages of at least a partially remote workforce. The B-HIVE will foster the entrepreneurial spirit in the Beaver Valley region and provide opportunities for residents to be creative.
Business District Initiative
CED has partnered with Town Center Associates to bring the Business District Initiative to the communities of Beaver County. As with many industrial communities, the business districts on these once vibrant main streets have become vacant or run down. Even though they are not what they once were, they are still valuable assets to the community. These business districts that have decades of investment in infrastructure give the communities “good bones” for which to rebuild. This initiative collects data regarding vacant buildings, lost businesses, new businesses, and other data involving the vibrancy of each of the following business districts: the City of Aliquippa, the Borough of Ambridge, the Borough of Beaver, the City of Beaver Falls, the Borough of Bridgewater, the Borough of Midland, the Borough of Monaca, the Borough of New Brighton, and the Borough of Rochester.
The data is collected and, it can be viewed and utilized by going to DowntownProperties.net. Together our goal is to reduce the vacancy rates in the business districts to increase community vitality and grow the local job market to create a more attractive community. The Beaver County Business District Initiative is a coordinated effort to bring business and investment into the downtown-based communities.
R&R Pipeline
In June, CED welcomed R&R Pipeline to Westgate Business Park! R&R was founded in 1984 and installs natural gas, electric, water, telecommunications, and sewer infrastructure throughout the region. They have made their Westgate office located in Beaver Falls their Regional Hub!
Pitt SBDC
CED is privileged to have a great working relationship with the Small Business Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Each Friday Senior Management Consultant for International Trade, Brent Rondon, from Pitt SBDC works out of our office to assist local businesses and entrepreneurs. Pitt SBDC provides business owners with the information and tools necessary to build successful businesses. Their mission is to develop and strengthen the businesses of Southwestern PA by imparting knowledge and expertise via professional consulting and education.
Tax Credits & Grants
CED, acting in a supporting role, has assisted Stefanik Properties in developing their Industrial Park that is located in Aliquippa, PA. During this time, CED assisted them in obtaining $500,000 in tax credits from the state that were converted to capital and aided in the creation of the park. Throughout the initial phases of the Stefanik Industrial Park project, multiple grant applications have been approved by DCED totaling over $3,000,000. CED administered those grants through cooperation agreements with both Beaver County and Stefanik Properties.
CED had also obtained a RACP grant that was utilized for the development of Westgate Business Park. Currently, $147,000 is still available from that grant, which will be utilized for the development of Lot 5 within the park.
CED continues to support GetBlock Holdings LLC throughout their execution of multiple projects for the betterment of West Aliquippa that includes affordable housing.
CED Cumulative Total
Private Investment
$
0
Projects
0
New Jobs
0
Loan Program
As the Certified Economic Development Organization for Beaver County, CED has direct access to state loan programs to support a variety of investment opportunities for local companies and has also been a direct lender supporting private investment for over 35 years. During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, CED closed on two loans totaling $401,250 in conjunction with $1,150,275 of private investment which led to the creation of 6 jobs and the retention of 5 jobs. CED also helped to facilitate one PIDA loan totaling $327,583 for Selectrode Industries for an equipment purchase. This loan was part two of a two phase lending project that began with a loan in January of 2022 for over a million dollars for a building purchase and led to the creation of 4 jobs.
Jenvest LLC
Engineering and Manufacturing Company $101,250 Equipment Loan
RomeMet
Specialty Steel Processor $300,000 Equipment Loan
Corporate Financial Summary
Financial Activity
Financial Position
Yearly Comparison
Financial Activity
Financial Position
Yearly Comparison
Photos from This Year
Celebrating
Laura Rubino's Retirement
At the end of this fiscal year, CED legend and Vice President, Laura Rubino, retired after 28 years with our organization. She was employed by CED in 1995 as a Project Manager, promoted to Vice President in 2007, and even stepped in as President for a period of time. Laura has always been a crucial part of CED where she was known as our very own Beaver County and CED historian and was our “go to” person for just about anything.
Laura truly did dedicate much of her time to Beaver County by also sitting on the Beaver County Transit Authority Board and being an essential part of the creation of the Aliquippa Economic Development Corporation. CED would like to thank Laura for her contributions to our organization and the County during her 28 years and wish her a joyous retirement filled with her family, friends, and new activities.
In Memoriam – Robert Allen Rice February 20, 1950-January 15, 2023
Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development remembers Robert “Bob” A. Rice, Vice President, who passed away on January 15, 2023.
Bob was a native of Schenectady, New York, who landed in Beaver, Pennsylvania, in 1986 for employment to market the County of Beaver’s newly formed economic development initiative, Manufacturers Assistance Program. In March of 1987, the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development (CED) was incorporated employing Bob as Vice President of Marketing. Bob retired as Vice President in February 2020.
Over Bob’s 33 years at CED, he was instrumental in orchestrating the CED Annual Reports; maintaining and tracking CED project statistics on job creation and investment; managing the Pennsylvania tax credit programs for communities and businesses in Beaver County including Neighborhood Assistance Program, Keystone Enterprise Zone Program, and Keystone Innovation Zone Program; assisting companies with loan applications; and integral in the development and marketing of the Westgate Business Park.
Bob was embedded in the Borough of Beaver actively serving on the Borough’s Planning Commission and Historic Architectural Review Board. He was passionate about the Beaver Station and the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation committing innumerable hours to the restoration of the Station and advancement of the Foundation. Bob was also an artist and history buff, particularly of the Civil War. Above all, Bob was devoted to his family.
Bob had zeal for all that he did and a passion for his family, friends, neighbors and his community. The CED Board, staff, and the community of Beaver as well as Beaver County have lost a champion and remarkable man.
