Pennsylvania's economic development leader speaks in Orwigsburg
Schuylkill County is among many Pennsylvania communities moving in the right direction thanks to a combination of state funding and coordinated planning at the local and commonwealth levels, state Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger said during a visit to Orwigsburg on Tuesday.
But more work needs to be done, said Siger, who presented highlights of the 10-year economic development strategy for Pennsylvania that he recently played a key role in devising. It is Pennsylvania's first such plan in nearly two decades.
The strategy focuses on funding and planning for agriculture, energy, life sciences, manufacturing, and robotics and technology in an effort to support small businesses, spur innovation, and strengthen local communities, he said.
'This is a blueprint for action,' Siger said of the plan while speaking at the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall during a Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
Siger was introduced by chamber president and CEO Robert S. Carl Jr., who pointed out that hall they were in was a great example of how the state and local governments can work together to improve communities. More than $700,000 from DCED was among the $2.65 million in grants that helped make the building what it is, combined with almost $900,000 in contributions from local businesses and donations, he said.
'This really is a team sport,' Siger agreed about economic development.
Recent developments in Schuylkill he highlighted were the ribbon-cutting for the $100 million Hydro Extrusion expansion in Cressona, a $750,000 investment for a 75,000-foot spec building in Highridge Business Park, a $300 million expansion of EMD Electronics near Tamaqua, a $250,000 investment into the Tamaqua historic district and $1.6 million transferred into Tamaqua's Community Revitalization and Improvement Zone.
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State Senator David Argall speaks during a Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce event at the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger speaks during a Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce event at the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger speaks during a Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce event at the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger speaks during a Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce event at the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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State Representative Jamie Barton speaks during a Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce event at the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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State Senator David Argall speaks during a Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce event at the Orwigsburg Veterans Community Memorial Hall, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
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Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2025-26 state budget plan includes proposed funding for the economic development strategy Siger helped create, including:
* A $500 million investment statewide for site development work over three years, including $125 million in the upcoming fiscal year.
* A $20 million investment for the Main Street Matters program to support small businesses and commercial corridors.
* Creation of the $10 million AdvancePA tax credit to create jobs.
* Increased funding for marketing to attract and retain businesses, support companies, train new workers and help veterans establish and grow small businesses.
* A $50 million investment in the PA Innovation Fund to foster life science and technology-related businesses.
* Funding to help plan and orchestrate the nation's 250th anniversary in Pennsylvania.
The plan also includes a housing action to address the state's aging housing stock, its varying zoning ordinances and administration of housing programs across the state, Siger said.
'Pennsylvania has really old housing,' he said, an issue that is critical for the state to address.
Counties like Schuylkill, he said, could therefore benefit from the opportunities the plan provides.
'Housing is a moral imperative,' he said, calling it an economic necessity in attracting and keeping employers.
The proposed budget was drafted by Shapiro, a Democrat, and still needs to pass a legislature in which the House has a slight Democrat majority, and the Senate is led by Republicans.
So Siger said he knows the budget could undergo changes before final passage.
But the need for economic development is something both parties agree on, he said, and he is optimistic that the initiatives and funding outlined in his strategy will go through.
'They are bipartisan, commonsense solutions,' he said.
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