The Clearfield County Economic Development Corp. (CCEDC) and the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission recently hosted a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Tour within the six-county North Central Region.
The event started June 24 in Karthaus where Paul McCloskey, CCEDC vice president of Energy and Business Development, presented to 12 representatives from other countries and additional foreign investment officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).
In the morning session, McCloskey and Brad Lashinsky of the Jefferson County Development Council showcased presentations about the North Central region and presented specific information about Clearfield and Jefferson Counties.
The morning session moved from the Quehanna Motor Lodge to the Riverhill property in Karthaus Township. A presentation was given by Steve Poje, vice president of Sithe Global and owner of the property, about the capabilities the Riverhill site has for potential development.
Then, the FDI tour moved to the Shawville Power Plant, where a brief presentation was given by Rob Swales, CCEDC chief executive officer, highlighting the importance of the facility to the region.
After the morning session was complete, the FDI tour attendees arrived for lunch at Denny’s Beer Barrel and Pub, where they experienced the world-renowned pub.
In the afternoon, the attendees traveled to Sintergy Inc. in Reynoldsville, a world-class manufacturer of custom-engineered, powdered metal components. The representatives toured the facility and learned the basics of the powdered metal industry, which has become a major industry in the North Central Region of Pennsylvania.
The second tour of the afternoon moved to Staar Energy Services and Manufacturing of DuBois, where Dave Schultz, chief operating officer, and Dan McCluskey, general manager, guided the representatives through the facility. Staar is a national premier pressure vessel manufacturing and fabrication company.
The representatives learned the basic process of creating the pressure vessel and other fabrication processes they manufacture. The group had questions about the consideration of contract manufacturing with foreign clients and future opportunities for partnership of services.
After the tours, representatives and attendees were invited to the Fort Worth Restaurant in DuBois for an evening reception. Speakers at the reception included Wilfred Muskens of DCED; Joan Robinson-McMillen and John Sobel, Clearfield County commissiones; Amy Zecha of SelectUSA; and Swales and McCloskey.
Swales stated, “We are honored to have the opportunity to showcase Clearfield County to 12 foreign direct investment officers that promote Pennsylvania to industrial clients from more than 30 countries around the world.
“There are many foreign-owned manufactures established in our region. It is essential for the CCEDC to build relationships with foreign investment officers, academic institutions, and our existing manufacturers to facilitate commerce and recruitment in our area.”
The following day concluded with a Make It In America (MIIA) training at the Homewood Suites Hotel in DuBois. The MIIA training helps local economic development entities understand requirements foreign companies are looking for in site selection.
MIIA training began with investment reps panel of Jason Rose (Canada), Geert Hovens (Netherlands, Belgium, and Finland) and Angela Foley (Australia and New Zealand). Then Zecha presented the services of SelectUSA and highlighted the many advantages the United States offers for business and investment.
The second segment of the MIIA training highlighted competitive advantages central Pennsylvania has to offer foreign investment projects and skilled labor. Speakers included Dave Fecko of the PSU materials Research Institute; Dave Yoxtheimer of the Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research; and John Prendergast of General Electric Inspection Technologies.
The CCEDC is a private, non-profit, membership organization serving business and industrial development to promote economic growth, retention and diversification to enhance the quality of living and economic health of Clearfield County.
