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From Staff Reports
LEWISTOWN -- Six members were elected to serve the community on the Mifflin County Industrial Development Corporation board during its annual meeting Wednesday.
New members include: Christina Calkins-Mazur; Matthew Cram, representing Trinity Plastics; Reid Hannon, representing Philips Ultrasound; Marie Kirkpatrick, of Primary Health Network; Karin Knode of TIU/Careerlink and Scott Welham. Elected members will serve a three-year term.
During the meeting, held via Zoom call, MCIDC President and CEO Nick Felice thanked new board members for their willingness to volunteer their time.
Felice outlined some positives of 2023, noting some projects that MCIDC has in the works.
"MCIDC intends to move forward with development of the Building 5C site," he said. "We have secured state and county grants totaling $ 750,000 to help us raze the structure and reconstruct a building pad in its place."
Felice said preliminary engineering is underway, positioning the board to bid the project before the end of the year.
Felice noted that renovations to the interior of the CareerLink facility, known as Building58, were completed in 2023.
"MCIDC invested over $80,000 for lighting, paint and flooring improvements throughout most of the building. The interior was outdated, in poor condition and needed a freshening," he said.
Felice said a tenant -- TIU-11 -- agreed to some cost sharing on the project.
The rehabilitation of the railroad line that enters the plaza from the southside is likely to begin in 2023 and continue through 2024, Felice said.
"Rail contractors will reconstruct nearly 600-feet of track, which allows for tankers and hopper cars to be brought to our agricultural tenant Growmark," he said.
The $250,000 project will replace rail, ties and a switch, which accesses a tank farm and material elevator.
Felice mentioned, "Growmark has been a tenant of ours for many years. Access to rail is important to their operating model. MCIDC is fortunate this rail infrastructure has been in place for many years and continues to provide value to a local company. A $157,628 PennDOT Rail Freight Assistance grant is helping cover the costs of the project."
Administratively, MCIDC continues to see a steady revenue stream providing the resources to properly maintain the facilities and support economic development efforts.
"Mifflin County is blessed to have its development efforts supported almost entirely through private-sector revenues. MCIDC is mostly a real estate management company leasing manufacturing, warehouse and office space to local businesses and nonprofits, which provides for job retention, as well as job and wealth creation," Felice said. "We continue to effectively reuse hundred-year-old space in support of business operations. It Is truly a perpetual redevelopment project."
Another development underway is the NuVisions $ 2.2 million expansion in two phases.
Phase I was purchase and improvement of the old Crider-Mitchell Construction office/warehouse property along Depot Street.NuVisions is expanding their window coverings business. Phase II will have them rehabilitating their current Valley Street building.
"Our sister agency, the Mifflin County Industrial Development Authority, is administering a $1 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant on their behalf. This vital support is making this project a reality," Felice said.
Concerning workforce development, MCIDC continues to support the Juniata Valley Chamber of Commerce's Business and Education Committee.
Felice said, "our organization has provided funds to help the group's activities which are dedicated to exposing middle and high school students to technology based and hands on career paths. Our economy needs individuals who can critically think and do, in a physical sense. Carpenters, plumbers, electricians, machinists and mechanics are all needed throughout the economy. The Committee works to ensure students get the full picture on what opportunities are out there and how they can access the training to enter these fields." He continued, "this committee is our local 'farm system' in a manner similar to a minor league baseball. Weare developing players for current and future positions. While robotics is working its way into more manufacturing processes, there will be the need to maintain these machines."
Felice also thanked outgoing board chair Jason Ufema. Ufema will continue to serve on the MCIDC executive committee and assist with continuing initiatives.