Latest news with #Penn'sNortheast
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill OBoyle: NEPA is gettin' better all the time
Apr. 26—WILKES-BARRE — If Mama Cass Elliot were here, she would read the Times Leader's Innovation tab and sing, "It's gettin' better." As you know, Mama Cass was the powerful voice of the Mamas & Papas group and had a few solo hits, including "It's Getting Better." "And it's gettin' better Growin' stronger Warm and wilder Gettin' better every day, better every day —And it's not hard to see That it isn't half of what it's gonna turn out to be." It's always good when you can find appropriate lyrics in the iconic music of the 1960s and 1970s. But Mama Cass really belts out that song and it fits when we talk about economic development here in Northeast PA. Just look at the Times Leader's 50-page Innovation insert today and you will see what I mean. After reading all the stories about all that is going on and will continue to happen, you will come to the same conclusion: It's gettin' better — all the time. Don't take my word for it — just read the stories. Then you will see that we all should be proud of where we live, work and play. A lot of this comes down to leadership. People like Lindsay Griffin-Boylan at the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber. And Larry Newman at Diamond City Partnership. And John Augustine at Penn's Northeast. And Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown, Pittston Mayor Mike Lombardo and our state and federal legislators who are trying to, as our Gov. Josh Shapiro says, "Get stuff done." 'It's a huge deal!' Earlier this year, Augustine, President/CEO at Penn's Northeast, said a recent ranking of Northeastern Pennsylvania as a top location for economic development represents the tremendous growth in the region. "It's a huge deal," Augustine said when the rankings came out in early March. "And most importantly, it represents the thousands of jobs that were created because of that. This ranking represents the more than 25 companies that weren't here in our area two years ago." Did you catch that? The lofty ranking for the region represents more that 25 companies that weren't here just two years ago. "It's gettin' better all the time." And take note that this ranking, for the fifth consecutive year, recognized NEPA as one of the top locations in the United States for economic development projects. Augustine said the region ranked in the Top 10 for both the number of projects and projects per capita. Yes, NEPA — the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton region — ranked 9th in the 2024 Tier 2 Top Metros by total projects (25) — and the region ranked 8th for per capita. And Augustine was quick to note that those thousands of new jobs pay "family-sustaining" wages. "Competition raises wages — that's a fact," Augustine said, adding that the ranking highlights the region's continued success in attracting and expanding businesses. Data centers are coming Just a couple of weeks ago, Augustine said in a Times Leader story that Northeast Pennsylvania has become one of the most sought-after landing spots for data centers. "They will bring good-paying jobs, lots of opportunities and add to the tax base," Augustine said. "It's a win, win, win situation." Augustine said several companies have contacted his office about building a data center in the region, but they can't be revealed for confidentiality reasons. One developer, NorthPoint Development, recently gained approval for a 15-building data center campus in Hazleton. Two others are planned around the Invenergy natural gas plant in Jessup, and others have been checking out undisclosed locations in the region. Augustine said. "You can reach one-third of the United States and half of Canada in a one-day's drive from Northeastern Pennsylvania." NEPA is clean, safe, and beautiful. We have a great educational network and we have become a regional center of arts, culture, dining, and entertainment. And there's more — historic architecture, riverfront, and high-quality public environment. In summary — NEPA has it all. And it's gettin' better. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Northeast Pennsylvania ranks in top 10 in U.S. for economic development
Northeast Pennsylvania is once again being recognized as a top region in the United States for economic development, continuing a five-year streak. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area ranked top 10 across three categories in Site Selection Magazine's Governor's Cup Awards, according to a news release from Penn's Northeast, a Pittston-based collective aiming to promote new investments, jobs and business opportunities by promoting Northeast Pennsylvania. Penn's Northeast played a key role in compiling and submitting a comprehensive list of qualifying projects to Site Selection Magazine, contributing to the local recognition. 'We participate every year and hope for the best,' Penn's Northeast President and CEO John Augustine said in a phone interview Wednesday. 'Working with our regional economic development partners, we gather the projects that have set up shop in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the investments that they've made, and submit (the projects) to the rankings.' Those rankings for 2024 were: Ninth place: Top metro by projects in the United States. Sixth place: Top metro by projects in the Northeast U.S. Eighth place: Top metro per capita in the U.S. Site Selection Magazine describes itself on its website as an award-winning magazine recognized as the leading publication in corporate real estate, facility planning, location analysis and foreign direct investment. The annual Governor's Cup Awards are the industry standard when it comes to state and regional rankings, with a ranking system that companies look at to track where other firms are moving throughout the United States, Augustine said. Penn's Northeast began submitting information for the awards seven years ago, though the region didn't secure any awards in the first two years, he said. In recent years, Northeast Pennsylvania has established itself as a hotbed for development in the warehousing and logistics industry as e-commerce giants like Amazon and Chewy increasingly expand their footprints in the region with sprawling warehouses that tap into the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area's close proximity to major interstates. A large piece of undeveloped land slated for nearly 1.4 million square feet of warehouse space is seen at the top of Rushbrook Street on the east side of the Casey Highway in Archbald on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.(Times-Tribune File)Rows of forklifts are seen at the Amazon AVP9 fulfillment center in Jessup on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. (TIMES-TRIBUNE FILE) The Governor's Cup Awards show Northeast Pennsylvania is undergoing strong, continued economic growth throughout the region, Augustine said. 'The capital investment of more than 20 companies last year locating into Northeastern Pennsylvania is over $1 billion and over 1,000 employees across the board,' he said, noting that the region also brought in manufacturing jobs. 'It's great for the local economy.' When companies decide on site locations, they look at regions of growth that have economic stability, reliable infrastructure, employee availability and the location, which is one of the area's strong selling points, Augustine said. 'We're in ongoing conversations with site selectors and developers all the time, and they recognize the rankings,' he said. 'They have mentioned many times that this is a growing place, this is top on our radar.' Because of Northeast Pennsylvania's close proximity to major highways, Augustine said companies are able to reach one-third of the United States and half of Canada in one day's drive. The region also has strong economic development partners in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, including the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce's industrial development arm, SLIBCO, and the Hazleton area's CAN DO, Augustine said. CAN DO is a private, nonprofit industrial/economic development corporation serving Greater Hazleton, according to its website. By consistently landing in the top 10 of Governor's Cup Awards, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area shows that 'this is a place where companies want to set up shop, and it puts us on a national scale,' Augustine said. In a statement Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-8, Dallas Twp., lauded Northeast Pennsylvania as 'home to a strong, skilled workforce who make this region the hub of economic development that it is.' 'Earning a spot in the top 10 is a testament to the dedication of NEPA's businesses, community leaders, and workforce. NEPA's vast interstate highway systems, natural resource availability, and access to nearby metropolitan areas allow our economy to flourish,' Bresnahan said. 'It is thanks to a commitment to growth and innovation that our region continues to prosper and foster long-term economic vitality, and I look forward to continued investments in NEPA for years to come.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NEPA ranked in top 10 in U.S. for economic development
Mar. 4—WILKES-BARRE — John Augustine III, President/CEO at Penn's Northeast, on Tuesday said the recognition of Northeastern Pennsylvania as one of the top locations in the U.S. for economic development projects is a huge deal. "This ranking represents the more than 25 companies that weren't here in our area two years ago," Augustine said. "The ranking represents that the tremendous growth in the region and the new investments and, most importantly, it represents the thousands of jobs that were created because of that." And Augustine quickly added that those thousands of new jobs pay "family-sustaining" wages. "Competition raises wages — that's a fact," Augustine said. For the fifth consecutive year, Northeastern Pennsylvania has been recognized as one of the top locations in the United States for economic development projects. "This year, the region ranked in the Top 10 for both the number of projects and projects per capita," Augustine said. NEPA — the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton region — ranked 9th in the 2024 Tier 2 Top Metros by total projects, 25; and the region ranked 8th for per capita. The prestigious Governor's Cup Awards, produced annually by Site Selection Magazine, ranks the top regions in the U.S. based on completed economic development projects. Augustine said the ranking highlights the region's continued success in attracting and expanding businesses. "Companies pay attention to the rankings that Site Selection puts out," Augustine said. "It really is the industry's go-to standard as far as how competitive states and regions are. So for NEPA to be ranked in the Top 1o in two categories is remarkable." Augustine said the high ranking is proof positive that companies are specifically selecting NEPA to do business. "In recent years, these companies have literally invested billions of dollars to locate in the region," Augustine said. "They invest in buildings, infrastructure, machinery, equipment and, more importantly, employees. Augustine said Penn's Northeast, the regional economic development agency, played a key role in compiling and submitting a comprehensive list of qualifying projects that contributed to this recognition. "This is a competitive process that takes place across the country every year," Augustine said. "Northeastern PA continues to be a region of choice for top companies and developers. There's no question our location continues to be one of the strongest selling points. You can reach one-third of the United States and half of Canada in a one-day's drive from Northeastern Pennsylvania." Augustine said companies continue to recognize this advantage as they need to get their products to market and consumers as quickly as possible. "In addition to our strategic location, reliable utilities, and dedicated workforce, our amazing education network makes Northeastern Pennsylvania a top-tier destination for business growth," Augustine said. "The results show that companies looking to expand continue to choose our region as a prime location. We continue to experience unprecedented growth, not just in warehouse distribution, but also in manufacturing." Augustine further emphasized the region's future prospects. "With ongoing infrastructure investments and a strong collaboration between the public and private sectors, Northeastern Pennsylvania is well-positioned to remain a leader in economic development for years to come," Augustine said. Site Selection Magazine, produced by Conway Data, is a bi-monthly publication recognized as a leading source for corporate real estate, facility planning, location analysis, and foreign direct investment. The Governor's Cup Awards are highly regarded within the industry and serve as a benchmark for regional economic success. About Penn's Northeast Inc. 1151 Oak St., Pittston, PA 18640 Penn's Northeast is a public-private partnership dedicated to attracting quality employers to Northeastern Pennsylvania and strengthening the regional economy through new investments and job creation. For information about Penn's Northeast, visit or call 1-800-317-1313. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
