CLEARFIELD – “They really had what I think was outstanding patience and an ongoing commitment to Clearfield County.”
Those words, directed at two BioEnergy International LLC representatives, were spoken by Clearfield County Commissioner Mark McCracken this week.
Sam McConnell, vice president of business development, and Corinne Young, director of public and government affairs, were both included in the recognition, with the commissioners noting that everyone at BioEnergy has been “excellent” to work with.
BioEnergy announced recently that the company had settled on the Clearfield Technology Park to locate a $270 million ethanol production facility and pilot program. The company viewed several properties prior to making its final decision.
Also recognized by McCracken were Rob Swales, executive director of the Clearfield County Economic Development Corp., and Dave Fulesday, property owner in the Clearfield Technology Park.
“I think the long-term effects … are just going to be tremendous,” McCracken said.
Commissioner Mike Lytle said that the groundwork for this project was laid many years ago by a group of people no longer involved with Clearfield County government.
“When that decision was made, this is exactly what we were hoping it would turn into.”
Among those recognized by Lytle were Linda Thompson, formerly of the Clearfield County Industrial Development Authority, and Tim Fannin, former chairman of the CCIDA.
The board of commissioners at the time was comprised of Gene Lunsford, Gerry Hatcher and Lytle.
The site of the Clearfield Technology Park had been classified as a brownfield at that time, allowing for the leveraging state and federal dollars to remediate the site.
Commissioner Rex Read said, “Sometimes it does seem like ideas and dreams we have as commissioners … it takes a long time to get them realized.” Read also recognized the board of commissioners that facilitated the first steps of cleaning up the former brownfield that came to be known as the Clearfield Technology Park.