                  
|
DEMOGRAPHICS
|
Median
Household income:
|
$61,700 |
| Civilian
Labor Force: |
70,800 |
| Employed: |
68,200 |
| Unemployed: |
2,600 |
| Unemployement
rate: |
3.7% |
| Population,
2005 estimate: |
135,758 |
| Percent
change from previous
2005 census: |
3.5% |
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TOP
EMPLOYERS
(latest
data as of Q1 2003):
|
1.
Penn State University
2. Centre County Government
3. State College Area School District
4. Mount Nittany Medical Center
5. Wal-Mart Associates Inc. |
| Source: Chamber
of Business and Industry
of Centre County |
|
Square
miles: 1,108
County Seat: Bellefonte
No. of corporate parks: 14
Transportation: Located
in the middle of Pennsylvania,
Centre County is within
a day’s drive of
all major Northeastern
cities, including New
York, Boston, Philadelphia,
Baltimore and Washington,
D.C. Interstate-80 traverses
the northern part of
the county allowing direct
access eastbound to New
York City and westbound
to Chicago – or
all the way to San
Francisco. Completion
of I-99 (State
College) to I-80 now
makes it even easier
to access the highway.
Construction is progressing
on the other portions
of I-99, which will
link the PA turnpike
to the
south with I-80 in
Centre County. University
Park
Airport has numerous
flights each day by
scheduled airlines.
Centre Area
Transportation Authority
is a fixture in Centre
County, providing bus
and van rides to county
citizens.
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DECISION
MAKER
Donna
Holmes
Director Penn State Small Business Development Center |
 |
By
Brian E. Bassett
A comprehensive tag at the
end of Donna Holmes’ Penn State
SBDC e-mail speaks volumes. It
reads, “’Helping
businesses start, grow and prosper.’ An
affiliate of the national network
of Small Business Development
Centers. Pennsylvania SBDCs assist
entrepreneurs and small businesses
through consulting, education
and business information.”
Working closely with other area
leaders, Holmes has a hands-on
understanding of the problems
facing students, workers and
businesses – and the training
needed to overcome those problems.
“In center County, based upon
the activity of the SBDC, I am
seeing that prospective business
owners and small business owners
seem to have a more optimistic
view of the future and the economic
climate than immediately after
9/11,” Homes remarked.
“For example, the SBDC saw 347
clients in 2005, which is an
increase of 24 percent from last
year – and 703 participants
attended seminars, which is a
13 percent increase in attendees
from 2004. Also, the lending
climate seems to be more favorable,
as the SBDC helped more clients
obtain funding for their businesses.”
Creation of the Centre County
Revolving Loan Fund was a big
step in assisting businesses
which had good ideas and legitimate
financing needs – but for
one reason or another were not
bankable.
In closing, Holmes was pleased
to report, “We’re
looking forward to partnering
with organizations to help our
clients as well as partnering
with schools to explain that
owning your own business is an
option for students to think
about.” ~PBC |
|
| PROFILE |
|
| Incubator
tenant receives $25,000 KIZ
grant
By
Brian E. Bassett
STATE
COLLEGE – The
Chamber of Business and Industry
of Centre County (CBICC) was
pleased to announce that NanoHorizons,
a tenant in the CBICC’s
Business Incubator Program,
received a $25,000 grant from
the Keystone Innovation Zone
(KIZ) Program.
The I-99 Innovation Corridor
Economic Development Alliance
and KIZ Program were launched
in 2002 to accelerate the creation,
attraction, and expansion of
knowledge-based businesses
along the three-county corridor.
Economic development officials
in Centre, Blair, and Bedford
counties have worked closely
with Penn State administration
to systematically leverage
the university’s core
research areas and their primary
research focus, materials science.
“NanoHorizons represents a model
outcome demonstrating the successful
convergence among the university,
technology, and the related
advantages our region can offer
advanced manufacturers and
research firms,” said
Steve McKnight, director of
the I-99 Corridor KIZ. “In
partnership with Ben Franklin
Technology Development Authority
and the Pennsylvania Department
of Community and Economic Develop-ment,
we are pleased to help further
advance their successful operations
through this investment. The
KIZ program and its established
micro-research investment pool
support a very targeted strategy
to help accelerate potential
high-growth, wealth-generating
industries.”
“We are very pleased that the
KIZ program has made a significant
investment in materials research
in the Centre Region of Pennsylvania,” said
Robert Burlinson, president
and CEO of NanoHorizons. This
investment will allow NanoHorizons
to further its research and
development in the engineering
of “fabrics of the future” with
a wide variety of antimicrobial
properties.
Burlinson went on to say, “NanoHorizons
is Pennsylvania born and bred
to keep jobs in Pennsylvania.
It has gone from three to 17
employees and is giving the
local economy a boost by putting
PhDs and manufacturing people
back to work. With help from
Life Science Greenhouse of
Pennsylvania, Ben Franklin
Partnership, and local investors
this could very well be Penn
State’s ‘Gatorade.’”
Founded in 1998, NanoHorizons’ focus
is nanotechnology applications
in the drug discovery, microelectronics,
consumer products, and health
care industries. The company
has licensed a comprehensive
portfolio of nanotechnology
intellectual property from
the Penn State Research Foundation.
Its research and development
team continuously produces
additional real-life solutions
to key problems using nanotechnology
in applied materials science.
ARC Outdoors/Arctic Shield® announced
a line of fabrics utilizing
NanoHorizons’ additives
to be sold under their new
E47 brand name. E47 fibers
and textiles are based on NanoHorizons
E47 Polyester Master Compound
and NanoHorizons E47 Cotton
Additive. “These nanoscale-engineered
additives contain highly-specialized
nanoparticles whose molecular
designs enable them to permanently
integrate antimicrobial properties
into cotton and polyester products,
without otherwise affecting
the fundamental performance
properties of the base fiber.”
David Jordan, CBICC Incubator
Program manager, believes that
NanoHorizons is a “poster
child” for the incubator
program, and is optimistic
about Centre County’s
future economic plans.
In other news, CIBCC President
John Coleman said, “The
Centre County Strategic Plan
unveiled last fall set the
strategy for going forward
for Centre County, and how
to respond/react to economic
development.”
Important considerations outlined
by Coleman include:
Position Centre County in a
more attractive way
• Provide buildings and sites
for businesses to start up,
relocate, and expand in manufacturing,
industrial, and technology
perspectives
• Work together with Penn State
University
• Align resources to make the
area attractive
• Determine targeted areas
• Determine how to find, approach,
and lead businesses
Set up a local venture-capital
network
• Now conducting research
• Working with Ben Franklin PArtnership
in Centre County
• Should have results by summer,
2006
Shift from traditional manufacturing
to technoskills
• Advance on new Central Pennsylvania
Institute of Science and Technology
(CPI)
• Collaborate with CBICC and
Centre County Commissioners
• Work with technical school
at Pleasant Gap interchange
Increase availability of land
• Offer more shovel-ready sites
• Prepare and maintain an electronic
database of available sites
• Work with private sector developers
• Help people and businesses
locate and expand in the county
Improve infrastructure
•
Sewer, water, and transportation – including
the airport
• Work with county government
and community leaders
County leaders are convinced
that these strategic guidelines
will attract, assist, and retain
businesses and workers in the
Centre region, and give a boost
to the local economic development.
~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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