JUNE 2010

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World Environment Day Highlights the Pittsburgh Region's Green Strengths

Learn more about the PRA's Riverfront Media Tour and view the photo gallery. Learn more about World Environment Day and our world record-setting Paddle at the Point.

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More Economic Development News

President Obama Updates Nation from Pittsburgh, Uses Transformation Story as Inspiration for a Bright Future
President Barack Obama visited Pittsburgh on June 2, 2010, speaking about national economic issues from Carnegie Mellon University. He pointed to the Pittsburgh region's transformation – strongly propelled by excellence in technology, innovation and community collaboration – as an example of the bright future that's possible through deliberate investment in innovative, sustainable solutions to our nation's most pressing problems: "When [the steel] industry shrank and so many jobs were lost, who could've guessed that Pittsburgh would fare better than many other Rust Belt cities, and reemerge as a center for technology, green jobs, health care, and education?" he said. Read a longer excerpt and/or the full transcript

Hunting Energy to Locate Facility Near Marcellus Shale Activity in Latrobe
Houston, Texas-based Hunting Energy Services Inc., a division of London-based Hunting PLC, [recently] announced it will locate a manufacturing and service facility in Latrobe, east of Pittsburgh, to be closer to Marcellus Shale drilling activity. The company is expected to add close to 20 jobs, including sales staff, administrative personnel, and skilled and semi-skilled technicians. The facility, located in the Westmoreland Airpark near the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, is 28,000 square feet." Read More

PUMPCO Energy Services to Set up Shop in Westmoreland County
"The Marcellus Shale boom has brought a new Texas company to Westmoreland County, near Pittsburgh. The Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation reports that its board of directors approved an option agreement with Valley View, Texas-based PUMPCO Energy Services, Inc. for 31.5 acres of property in its Interstate 70 Industrial Park, in South Huntingdon Township. According to WCIDC, PUMPCO provides oil and gas cementing and other services to the gas drilling industry." Read more

Westinghouse Headquarters Spurs $500M Worth of Growth in Cranberry Township
Westinghouse Electric Co.'s headquarters expansion is driving other development in Cranberry, including two new retail and office projects and a business park that will add jobs … In all, 10 projects, with an estimated value of more than $500 million, have been approved or are being built in the Butler County township, allowing it to sidestep the recession." Read more

For $47 Billion, Dutch Royal Shell Buys East Resources of Warrendale
"Dutch Royal Shell plc announced today that it will buy Warrendale-based energy company East Resources, Inc. for $4.7 billion. The European corporation will use the acquisition to become a player in the Marcellus Shale natural gas play. East, which recently completed its new corporate offices in Warrendale, is among the top five companies in the Marcellus according to drilling permits issued." Read more

Pittsburgh is #1 in Nation for Private Sector Hiring in April
"Pittsburgh hit a new high in April as the number one region in the country with the biggest growth in private sector jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the region added 17,800 total jobs, including 16,700 jobs in the private sector between March and April of 2010. The 1.6% increase was higher than 40 other regions in the U.S. and almost twice as high as the national figures, points out Harold Miller in PittsburghTODAY, which reports regularly on how the region compares to others across the country based on indicators like economy, health and demographics." Read more

Netronome Lands $23M to Grow Operations
"Network flow processor developer Netronome has landed a $23 million financing round to fuel company growth and launch a new era in the way network processors are built … The company plans a major expansion of global operations in sales, marketing and manufacturing, spreading 20 to 25 new employees throughout the company. Netronome, with headquarters in Cranberry, has offices in Boston and Santa Clara and modest offices in London, South Africa and China. The Pittsburgh jobs will be mostly in technical support and sales, says Phil Compton, senior vice president of finance." Read more

Advantech Lands $14M to Make New TV Technology, Hiring
Churchill-based Advantech global limited is working on new technology that could replace LCD technology as the leading-edge. The company "has received $14 million from investors in China to establish a small manufacturing center in Lawrenceville's Chocolate Factory and begin building an inline, Thin Film Transistor (TFT) production line using AGL's patented shadow mask deposition process. Sales and licensing of its backplanes and production lines to TV and e-paper manufacturers worldwide will begin as early as 2011." Read more

Gorell Windows & Doors Expands Workforce, Adds Indiana County Jobs
Gorell Windows & Doors announced that it has added 19 employees to its workforce over the past month. Eighteen manufacturing associates and one office worker have been hired, bringing the company's total personnel number to 370. Gorell previously had recalled all of its furloughed employees at the beginning of its spring hiring season. Because of rising consumer confidence and record increases in new business acquisitions, Gorell anticipates hiring additional new production employees over the next four months. Read more

Leading Video Game Developer, Eutechnyx, Gains £6 Million in Financing
UK-based Eutechnyx, one of the world's leading independent videogame developers – which has a presence in the Pittsburgh region – has secured a £6 Million investment led by Amsterdam-based venture capital outfit Prime Technology Ventures, which specializes in investing in innovative technology-driven companies. The £6 Million will help finalize the development of a ground-breaking new title set to revolutionize the racing genre, as well as enable Eutechnyx to develop its forthcoming free-to-play infrastructure as the firm expands into the world of casual online games." Read more

Strip District Firm ModCloth Raises $19.8M
"ModCloth Inc., a young Internet commerce company based in the Strip District, has raised more than $19.8 million from two venture capital partnerships. The company, which focuses on women's clothing, also could sell another $12.8 million in securities, according to a registration filing with the Securities and Exhange Commission dated May 24. Founded in 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University student Susan Gregg Kroger and her husband, ModCloth operates warehouses on the South Side and in Ambridge." Read more

FMC Technologies Returns to Indiana County 
"After a three-year absence, FMC Technologies is returning to Indiana County … FMC's fluid control division, a manufacturer of flowline equipment for the oil and gas industry, is building a 10,000 SF sales and service center in Burrell Township's Corporate Campus. Construction is under way, and the service center is to open by August." Read more

CONSOL Acquires 95 Percent of Outstanding CNX Shares
"CONSOL Energy Inc. [recently] said it has acquired 95 percent of the outstanding shares of CNX Gas Corp. that it did not already own, for $918 million." Read more

New $1B Mixed-Use Site in Washington County in the Works, Adjacent Interstate Access
A new project called Cool Valley is in the works in Washington County. The "$1 billion, 911-acre commercial and residential development adjacent to Interstate 79 and the county's successful Southpointe mixed-use park." Read more

Ground Breaks on Findlay Township's Chapman Commerce Center Development
Chapman Business Properties recently broke ground on Chapman Commerce Center – planned to be a $150 Million, 2.6 million SF development offering industrial, warehouse, office and commercial space, just off the Findlay Connector in proximity to Pittsburgh International Airport. The first phase of the Center's development will be 93,000 SF of Class A industrial/distribution space. This former strip-mined Brownfield site will soon be home to LEED-certified buildings and sustainable stormwater facilities. View a photo gallery of the groundbreaking

Pittsburgh International Airport Chosen by UTi Worldwide Inc. as Air Cargo Distribution Point
Global freight forwarders are showing new interest in Pittsburgh. The Allegheny County Airport Authority announced that New York-based UTi Worldwide Inc. has selected Pittsburgh International Airport as its distribution point for chartered cargo flights from Asia. UTi Worldwide is an information-focused global integrated logistics company that provides air and ocean freight forwarding, contract logistics, customs brokerage and other supply chain management services to customers around the world. Read more

Pittsburgh's Transformation: Why Kentucky Came to Pittsburgh to Learn Best Practices
Kentucky leader Tom Eblen discusses why Louisville and Lexington Kentucky planned a recent benchmarking visit to Pittsburgh to learn about best practices in regional transformation. "Pittsburgh reinvented itself by leveraging its assets – sometimes literally. The city has $6 billion in philanthropic assets, thanks to old industrial families with names such as Heinz, Carnegie and Mellon. While that money has been a huge help, several Pittsburgh leaders echoed the comments of Grant Oliphant, president of The Pittsburgh Foundation. 'It's really not about money,' he said. 'It's about leadership and imagination.'" Read more

Pittsburgh Teaches Detroit "How to Get There From Here"
"Pittsburgh was once where Detroit is now -- 18.8 percent unemployment in its 10-county region, with some counties approaching 30 percent, and a legacy industry, steel, on the ropes against strong foreign competition. Today, Pittsburgh's unemployment rate is 8 percent. It still makes steel -- but in a smaller, cleaner, more specialized and more technically advanced context. And it's developed whole new industries to diversify its economy. How Pittsburgh got from there to here was the focus of a fascinating panel discussion Thursday morning at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference." Read more

Pittsburgh Again Named "America's Most Livable City" – This Time By Forbes
"Forbes Magazine has once again named Pittsburgh its 'Most Livable City' in its annual report that looks at cost of living, unemployment rate, income growth and crime rates, among other factors. 'Indeed, Pittsburgh's art scene, job prospects, safety and affordability make it the most livable city in the country, according to measures studied,' according to the magazine." Read more

Culture Club: NYC's Time Out Mag Picks Pittsburgh as its Prime Aesthete Getaway
Time Out magazine singles out Pittsburgh as the place to find affordable, world-class art – from the Andy Warhol Museum to the Science Center and the Toonseum. Read more

Matrix Solutions is Growing with the Times, Hiring
"Matrix Solutions on Pittsburgh's North Side is growing with the addition of three to its software department in response to changing times and the changing landscape of media sales.
As a provider of sales strategy management software for the media sales industry, Matrix strives to meet the unique advertising demands of newspapers, TV stations, radio and cable." Read more

Stimulus Funds Bring Supercomputer to Pittsburgh Area
"Starting next fall, the Pittsburgh area will be home to a groundbreaking supercomputer that could help scientists across the country unlock some of the mysteries of life at the molecular level, ultimately helping produce better drugs to treat diseases. The Anton computer, made by D.E. Shaw Research in New York, is so powerful that the molecular dynamics simulations it can do in a day would take weeks or months on the most powerful supercomputers available today." Read more

Innovation Works Celebrates 10 Years and $48M in Cutting Edge Company Investments
"What better place to celebrate Innovation Works' (IW) 10 year milestone than McKesson Automated Healthcare in Cranberry, a company that Rich Lunak helped shape into a supplier of robotic hospital pharmacies 22 years ago? An early recipient of funds from IW, the company has grown to 1,200 employees today … Innovation Works has directly invested $48 million in 659 companies that have, in turn, helped to create nearly 3,000 jobs and launch 662 products in the last decade. Most of the jobs are highly skilled, with an average wage of $54,750." Read more

Bayer's Eco-Center Takes the Green Life Down to Net Zero
"A conference center on Bayer's Pittsburgh campus is taking green where few buildings have gone before – net zero sustainability. The solar-powered center, infused with a wall of green perennials, floor to ceiling windows, repurposed slate and wood and Polycarbonates, Polyurethanes and coatings by Bayer MaterialScience, consumes the energy it generates for a net-zero carbon footprint. Any leftover energy goes back to the power grid, too, as the building monitors its own energy generating activity. Green has never looked so good … It's serving as a model for sustainable building solutions and a showcase of construction materials and technologies developed by Bayer MaterialScience." Read more

Language Translation App from Carnegie Mellon Revolutionizes Travel and Communication
"Carnegie Mellon's Alex Waibel is the rock star behind a hot app that is breaking language barriers and promoting international understanding. Going overseas and don't know the language? Jibbigo will assist you in carrying on a conversation. Speak (or type) the words into the phone and instantly communicate with another as naturally as the spoken word. The app is bi-directional, allowing for a two-way dialogue in one of five languages. And unlike any other translation app on the market, it doesn't require an Internet connection and can be downloaded for $25." Read more

CB Richard Ellis Touts Strength of Pittsburgh's Commercial Real Estate
Pittsburgh was again "extolled as a commercial real estate market that continues to demonstrate stability and strength, standing out as a successful exception in a national industry wracked by deep recession [at the recent] CB Richard Ellis Pittsburgh Real Estate Symposium." A Boston-based CB Richard Ellis executive Arthur Jones said, "In the last two years, Pittsburgh has really been the only market to see growing fundamentals." Read more

Financial Times Features Pittsburgh in "Future of Cities: Regeneration" Article
In a May 19, 2010 Special Report in the Financial Times – The Future of Cities:  Regeneration – Pittsburgh and its innovative Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) were included in the article "Funding and social capital are key factors."  Spearheaded by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development in 1996, the SIF provided a private sector financing resource to fill financing gaps for critical regional economic development projects.  PNC Financial Services Group CEO Jim Rohr was interviewed for the article which considers how projects might have been jeopardized unless new sources of funding were identified.  Rohr's comments raise awareness of the Pittsburgh region, its innovative collaboration and its transformation among the Financial Times high profile readership. Read more

Carrie Furnace Ownership Deal Allows Large Brownfield Reclamation to Begin
"An organization that has worked for years to redevelop the Carrie Furnace property that once was part of U.S. Steel Corp.'s Homestead Works has taken a major step forward. Allegheny County has turned over a 15-acre site at the property to Steel Industry Heritage Corp., and received from it ownership of the hot-metal bridge onto the site. No money changed hands in the swap, which will allow work to begin on what is the largest undeveloped brownfield site in the county." Read more

University of Pittsburgh Ranks No. 18 Among Nation's "Top 29 Powerful Tech Colleges"
The University of Pittsburgh is 18th in the nation among "Tech's 29 Most Powerful Colleges," according to a new ranking of that title by the American news reporting and opinion Web site The Daily Beast, which is published by former Vanity Fair and New Yorker editor Tina Brown. The respected news reporting and opinion Web site's goal was to "identify which colleges…have turned out the most undergraduates destined for high-tech greatness." Read more

City of Pittsburgh Launches Campaign to Retain College Grads and Showcase City Amenities as www.PittsburghCityLiving.com
"Pittsburgh has teamed up with local universities and schools to launch a unique campaign to make sure each and every graduate gets the message that the city wants you to stay in Pittsburgh, make it your home. The web site PittsburghCityLiving.com, is about helping [people find] the perfect Pittsburgh neighborhood and settle in … Explore the region's 90 distinct neighborhoods and cultural amenities." Read more

USA Today Names Great Allegheny Passage Among Nation's Top 10 Bike Trails
USA Today named the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail – which you can take all the way from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. without ever exceeding a 2% grade – among the nation's best. Read more

Pennsylvania Parks Named "Best in Nation"
Pennsylvania has been named best in the nation for state parks and the honor was celebrated earlier this month at Ohiopyle State Park. The 117-state-park system in Pennsylvania was awarded the top honor by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association." Read more

EVENTS

June – August – Your Business & Marcellus Shale: Building Business Connections
Is your business poised to profit from Pennsylvania's gas boom? The hottest natural gas boom in the world is right here. The Marcellus shale formation is driving energy firms to Pennsylvania, and the influx of dollars is creating significant business opportunities with natural gas and service companies, supporting businesses and worker spending. Plus, the spending from lease and royalty payments promises to ripple through our economy for years to come. Position your business to compete. Penn State Cooperative Extension experts have the knowledge and expertise to help you understand the potential benefit of Marcellus Shale development on local businesses, communities, and economies. This six-part webinar features convenient early bird sessions 8-9:30 a.m. Five sessions remain and will be held on June 16, July 7 and 21, and August 4 and 18. Each installment features a different focus.

June 9 – "Understanding the Importance of Women Power"
Look Who's In The Corner Office Now - And What Does that Mean to You? Women are launching new businesses and creating new jobs at a pace that far exceeds their male counterparts. Why? And what does that emerging trend mean for entrepreneurs and investors? Join your fellow entrepreneurs and investors at the Pittsburgh Golf Club on June 9 from 5:30-8 p.m. for the final program of Enterprise Forum Pittsburgh's 2009-2010 season. Moderated by Matrix CEO Suzy Teele with a panel of successful women business owners, we'll explore the significance of the changing demographics in the corner office – and what might mean for your own business and career.

June 10 – Entrepreneur’s Growth Conference
Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will host its 12th annual conference with this year’s keynote speakers Roger Byford, CEO of Vocollect, Inc., and Ed Stack, CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. The event draws some 500 attendees annually who want to:

• Reenergize their business with new resources, new ideas & new contacts
• Experience unparalleled, nonstop networking with leading experts, investors, peers & future customers
• Choose from over 15 expert-led workshops on the hottest topics in business today
• Attend a Business Building Tradeshow featuring 50 exhibits, live demonstrations and prizes
• Receive cutting-edge strategies in marketing, sales, raising money, management, & growth 

A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Christine Hughes at 412.396.1631 for information.

June 17 – Breakfast Briefing: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Electro-Mechanical Systems – A History of Transformational Technologies
Greg Hempfling, Senior Vice-President will introduce the audience to Curtiss-Wright Corporation: formed eighty years ago by the merger of companies created by Glenn Curtiss and the Wright Brothers – pioneers who soared to new heights of human achievement – manned flight.  Mr. Hempfling will trace the roots of Curtis-Wright and its legacy of transformational technologies to three unique EMS facilities in the Pittsburgh region each with their own legacy of innovation and growth.  These three units employ more than 1,000+ engineers, scientists, crafts persons and support staff who support their business units that are recognized as  technology leaders in Defense, Industrial, Power Generation and Oil and Gas Markets. Presented by the Pittsburgh Technology Council with support from Catalyst Connection from 7-9:30 a.m. at the Rivers Club. Cost: $40 Member/$175 Non-Member.

June 18 – Chamber of Commerce Business Networking Reception at PNC Park
Join regional chamber members at the Trib Total Media Hall of Fame Club at PNC Park for a business networking reception. The cost of $60 for members, or $70 for non-members include one Pittsburgh Baseball Club Level ticket for that evening's Pirates game vs. the Indians, a pre-game buffet, a chance to meet current Pirates players and members of the 1960 World Champion Pirates team who are scheduled to appear and a panel discussion featuring:

• Bob Nutting – Chairman of the Board of the Pittsburgh Pirates, President & CEO of Ogden
• Newspapers, Inc., and Chairman of Seven Springs Mountain Resort
• Frank Coonelly – President of the Pittsburgh Pirates
• Mark Shapiro – Executive Vice President, General Manager of the Cleveland Indians
• Dennis Yablonsky – Chief Executive Officer of the Allegheny Conference
• Moderator – Bill Flanagan, Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations of the Allegheny Conference

June 18 – Friends of the Riverfront's Trail Mix(er)
Setting its stage at the newly renovated Mogul Mind Movie Studios along the Allegheny River, this year's annual Trail Mix(er) is sure to be a hit. Unlike past years, a full picnic-style dinner will be served. Different themed bars will present libations of significant movie eras. Opportunities to rub elbows with the seen and not so seen superstars of Pittsburgh's trails and environment. Media wall and green screen on-site ready for your photographic fun! From 5:30-11 p.m. Cost: $50.

June 25 – "Egypt Today: Opportunities in Business and Technology" including panel discussion with a Distinguished Delegation from Egypt
The Pittsburgh Middle East Institute hosts a panel of delegates from Egypt – including Hisham Fahmy, CEO of American Chamber of Commerce, Egypt and M. Gamal Moharam, Chairman, MGM Banking and Financial Consultants and President of American Chamber of Commerce, Egypt. They will join local experts representing Pittsburgh's business and technology community (from the Allegheny Conference, Google Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Technology Council) to discuss mutual opportunities and connections. At the Duquesne Club from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost: $60, table of 8-10 available.