                  
|
DEMOGRAPHICS
|
Median
Household income:
|
$48,800 |
| Civilian
Labor Force: |
65,700 |
| Employed: |
62,800 |
| Unemployed: |
2,900 |
| Unemployement
rate: |
4.5% |
| Population,
2005 estimate: |
129,144 |
| Percent
change from previous 2005
census: |
-1.8% |
|
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TOP
EMPLOYERS
(2nd
quarter,
2006,
initial
data):
|
1.
Altoona
Regional Health System -
hospitals
2. Altoona Area School District – local
schools
3. Sheetz Inc. – convenience stores, transportation & warehousing
4. Blair County – public
administration
5. Wal-Mart Associates
Inc. – retail
6. Hollidaysburg Area
School District – local
schools
7. Appleton Papers
Inc. - manufacturing
|
| Source: January
2007 statistics from the
Center for Workforce Information & Analysis,
Pennsylvania Dept. of Labor & Industry |
|
Square
miles: 526,000
County seat: Hollidaysburg
Number of corporate parks: 7
Highways: Blair County’s
highway system includes I-99,
Routes 220, 22, 36 and 764.
The new I-99/Route 220 corridor
that runs north-south through
the county will link I-80
and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The Horseshoe Curve, a national
landmark, helps trains make
the climb to the summit at
Gallitzin, a 1,015-foot vertical
rise, in 11 miles before
continuing
on to Pittsburgh. Commuter
service is also available
through the Altoona-Blair
County Airport
|
|
|
DECISION
MAKER
Stephen
J. McKnight
Director of Corporate Services, ABCD Corp.
Staff support, I-99 Corridor Alliance
|
 |
McKnight
has been with the Altoona Blair County
Development Corporation
since 2000. In addition to the new
Regional Transportation Council, featured
in the article below, McKnight is concentrating
on “positioning regional effort
to open I-99 and creating a strong
partnership with Penn State University,
teaming with faculty, students, and
research for economic-development purposes.”
He also mentioned that there are “two
or three specific urban-redevelopment
construction projects in the central
business-and-living district in Altoona
that will be announced in 2007.” These
are springing from the Altoona Visioning
Committee, which made recommendations
for positioning the city for the next
several decades. ~PBC |
|
| PROFILE |
|
I-99
Regional Transportation and Logistics
Council: Industry-led Effort to
Assess Needs
By
Harry Zimbler
Members of the I-99 Keystone
Innovation Zone have announced
the formation of the I-99
Regional Transportation and
Logistics Council. It will
be an industry-led effort
to map out a strategy for
improving the health and
profitability of transportation
and logistics companies in
the region.
“Our primary goal is
to put together a formal
training
needs assessment of the participating
industry members,” stated
Stephen McKnight, director
of corporate services and
government affairs for the
Altoona Blair County Development
Corporation. Together with
Bette Slayton, president
of the Bedford County Development
Association, McKnight is
guiding the consortium in
its early stages. Current
members of the council include:
Blair Sign Company; REI Inc.;
Blair County Airport Authority;
Smith Transport; NPC Inc.;
Sheetz Inc.; McAneny Brothers;
McCabe Trucking; Ward Trucking;
S&H Trucking; Conway
Trucking; and Barefoot Trucking.
“These are the members
as of 1/29/06,” said
McKnight. “Additional
members have been invited.”
Funding for the group is
coming from the Southern
Alleghenies Workforce Investment
Board, a state-funding agent.
McKnight says that this group
can be viewed as a workforce
development initiative. “We
are seeking to establish
the priorities of the members
in this industry partnership.
Our goal is to have the group
stay together over the long
term to address major issues
including regulatory issues
at the state and federal
levels, transportation projects,
and research and development
in transportation and supply
chain management cooperation
with Penn State.”
McKnight said he would like
to see the group’s
membership grow since only
members will be able to access
the programs that result.
“Companies will have
to be involved now in order
to
be eligible for training
dollars next year,” McKnight
explained. Interested companies
should contact McKnight at
the ABCD Corp. in Altoona.
~PBC
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©Copyright
2007 King Publishing, LLC
1305 West College Avenue • State College, PA 16801
814.867.2222 |
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