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SEPTEMBER 2009
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While we prepare to welcome the world here for the Pittsburgh Summit on September 24-25, our region is being reported as a model for economic, environmental and quality-of-life transformation. From the cover of Site Selection ("Bridges to the World: Pittsburgh is a Beacon of Growth for its State, Region and Nation") to a 25-page Pittsburgh economic development spread in Southwest Airlines' Spirit magazine, (PDF) our vibrant and diverse economy – with some 30,000 jobs available now – is taking center stage.
Today's Pittsburgh combines our historic strengths in advanced manufacturing, energy, financial services and health care with the tech-driven, innovative industries of tomorrow. Get more regional information at the Pittsburgh Press room: G20pittsburghsummit.org.
Hiring 50: Express Energy Services Expands to Fayette County
"As natural gas drillers continue the rush to the Marcellus Shale, Pennsylvania is seeing a corresponding increase in energy-related employment. Express Energy Services is the latest company to expand here, with a second location in Perry Township, Fayette County that is hiring 50 new workers." Read more
Johnson Matthey Opens New Emissions Control Catalyst Plant
Johnson Matthey – a world leader in advanced materials technology recently opened its new emissions control catalyst manufacturing plant on an 11.5-acre greenfield site in the Fayette Business Park in Georges Township. The $43 million, 150,000 SF state-of-the-art facility near Smithfield, Pa. will create 110 advanced manufacturing jobs. The company also purchased 17.5 additional acres in early 2009 to accommodate future expansion.
BNY Mellon Provider Hiring 200 in Robinson
"The operational services provider for The Bank of New York Mellon Shareholder Services is expanding its customer service facility in Pittsburgh. TRG Customer Solutions, based in Jacksonville, Fla., will hire up to 200 new customer service representatives for its office in Robinson to handle phone calls related to the bank's shareholder services unit, which handles stock transfers. Work on transitioning call volume to the new facility has begun and will be completed by the second quarter of 2010, BNY Mellon said in a news release." Read more
Westinghouse Adds More Space to New Global Headquarters
"As it continues to move into its 915,000 SF [global headquarters] campus north of Pittsburgh in Cranberry, Westinghouse Electric Co. has secured nearly 300,000 SF of added office and light industrial space as it continues to work to keep up with its growth." Read more
LNE Group Opens Pittsburgh Office
LNE Group, one of the largest federal, state and local government bi-partisan advocacy and grant writing firms in the Midwest, is opening a new office in Pittsburgh. With offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Berlin, Germany, LNE Group has the ability to serve the advocacy and grant writing needs of clients at all levels of government. The firm's office in Berlin, Germany represents companies doing business at the European Union and national government levels. Dan Dolan has been appointed director of LNE Group's Pittsburgh office. Mr. Dolan, a Pittsburgh native, is formerly of the Commonwealth's economic development department, where his specific focus was international company attraction. He will leverage this in LNE Group's international advocacy and grant writing business.
PennEnvironment Opens Pittsburgh Office
Formerly centered around the Philadelphia and Harrisburg region, PennEnvironment has chosen to open an additional office in Pittsburgh to better serve statewide interests and capitalize on the environmental interest and assets for which the region is fast becoming known.
Ground Breaks on New Washington County Flex Building
Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association Inc. (MIDA) recently broke ground at its Alta Vista business park for the construction of a 51,325 SF flex-space building. Phase I of Alta Vista is under way. Read more
Marcellus Shale Drilling Activity Robust Despite Low Natural Gas Prices
"The number of natural gas wells permitted and drilled in the Marcellus Shale formation, including Western Pennsylvania, continues to climb despite the lowest natural gas prices in seven years." Read more The Pittsburgh region is strategically positioned atop the Marcellus Shale, which Penn State University recently reported to have generated $2.3 billion in total value added and 29,000+ jobs across the state in 2008 alone. With the increased pace of development in 2009, economic output is projected to exceed $3.8 billion, total job creation is expected to be 48,000+, and state and local tax revenues are projected at some $400 million. Read the report (PDF)
BusinessWeek: Pittsburgh No. 6 Strongest Housing Market in U.S.
BusinessWeek ranked Pittsburgh No. 6 among the 30 strongest housing markets in the nation. Boulder, Colorado topped the list. Read more
It's Cheaper to Own than to Rent in the Pittsburgh Region
"Pittsburgh-area first-time homebuyers are discovering what purchasers in other parts of the country only can dream of: It's cheaper to own than to rent. A new study by real estate companies Reis Inc. and Zillow.com compared all costs associated with owning and renting in 20 major metropolitan areas nationwide. Pittsburgh and Detroit were the only two locations where owning was less expensive than renting. The results were published by BusinessWeek." Read more
Regional Tech: Updated Industry-Specific Regional Data Reports Available Now
The Pittsburgh Technology Council has updated its comprehensive State of the Industry reports on the areas of technology excellence for which the Pittsburgh region is known, spanning advanced manufacturing, financial services, information and communications technologies, health care and life sciences, education and research, and energy and environmental solutions. Get detailed information on industries such as CyberSecurity, Entertainment Technology, Tissue Engineering, Robotics, Specialty metals and more here.
Pittsburgh Equity Partners Announces First Funding Round for ShowClix, Hiring
"ShowClix, the online ticketing startup, has received a round of funding from Pittsburgh's newest venture capital group, Pittsburgh Equity Partners, allowing the firm to hire and expand. In addition to seeking a larger space, ShowClix plans to add an additional 10 to 15 people." Read more
Blue Belt Technologies Readies Robotic Handheld Surgical Tools, Hiring
"A Carnegie Mellon spinout, Blue Belt Technologies … is pioneering computer-assisted orthopedic surgery. Its handheld robotic surgical tool eliminates the need for multiple instruments during surgery, helping to reduce overall surgery time and the risk to patients… Blue Belt has raised $4 million to date, including $1.5 million in grant funding from NIH and a creative generation of cash from sponsored research projects and consulting work. Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse and Innovation Works offered early support … The company currently employs seven, hopes to hire three to five engineers in the near future and plans to locate production and distribution operations here." Read more
ClearChoice Energy Smart Grid Approach is Sustainable and Cash Back, Hiring
"Putting power back on the grid and giving cash back to businesses is what ClearChoice Energy is all about. Based in Bethel Park, ClearChoice is a smart grid technology that invites companies to conserve energy during peak periods when energy is in high demand. For universities, school districts and certain businesses, who can afford to drop off the grid at times, such as in the summer months, reducing electricity consumption becomes a revenue generating activity." Read
more
Plextronics Receives $14M; Akustica Joins Bosch, Stays in Pittsburgh
Solar Power tech innovator "Plextronics, Inc. has landed a $14 million B financing round led by Solvay North American Investments, the Belgium chemical and pharmaceutical group that has invested $12 million in the company so far... In other news, Pittsburgh-based Akustica, maker of the world's smallest and only single-chip MEMs, as in micro-electro mechanical systems microphone, was purchased by The Bosch Group." Read more
Carnegie Speech Forms Joint Venture with U.S. Intelligence Community
"Carnegie Speech in Oakland has joined in a strategic and technology development partnership that will position the company to support the CIA and the broader U.S. Intelligence community. A global provider of software for assessing and teaching spoken-language to non-native speakers, Carnegie Speech will work with In-Q-Tel, a strategic investment firm based in Arlington, VA, which partners with companies developing cutting-edge technologies that serve the national security interests of the United States." Read more
Fortune 100 Fastest-Growing List: Ansys, Thermo Fisher Scientific and TreeHouse Foods
Washington County-based simulation software maker Ansys Inc. is No. 33 in Fortune magazine's 2009 list of the world's 100 fastest-growing companies. Thermo Fisher Scientific (No. 69) and TreeHouse Foods Inc. (No. 96) also have presences in the Pittsburgh region. Read
more
Inc. Magazine's 500 Fastest-Growing List: SingleSource Property Solutions and Geo-Solutions Inc.
"Two local companies made the latest Inc. magazine 500 list of the nation's fastest-growing, privately-held companies based on percentage revenue growth over the last four years. SingleSource Property Solutions, of Canonsburg, was ranked No. 141 in this year's list, and No. 4 among all real estate-related companies … Geo-Solutions Inc., of New Kensington, was ranked No. 322 and No. 2 among engineering companies." Read more
New Air Service: Pittsburgh-California United Flights Serve Business
Last month, United Airlines' launched its new nonstop daily service from Pittsburgh to both Los Angeles and San Francisco. With schedules geared toward business travelers – with no red-eye return flights and schedule times for easy connections to the Far East and Australia – it's a clear asset for regional businesses. However, like our Delta Airlines nonstop flight to Europe, it is important that the business community take advantage of this service in order to keep it, so please consider it for your next cross-country flight.
Carmell Therapeutics Pioneering Sports Injury-Healing Biomaterial
"Pittsburgh startup Carmell Therapeutics is developing a revolutionary approach to injury that hopes to tap into the $1 billion sports medicine market. Founded in 2007, the technology – a biologically active plastic for treating injuries to bone and connective tissue – was developed jointly at Carnegie Mellon University and Allegheny General Hospital." Read more
Pittsburgh Leading E-Democracy with iBurgh, First City to have an Apple App
"Pittsburgh is the first city in the country to have its own Apple app. YinzCam, the Pittsburgh startup that brought mobile viewing to the Penguins during the Stanley Cup season... has partnered with the city to launch iBurgh and a new era of e-democracy... A spinout of Carnegie Mellon University, YinzCam has developed iBurgh as a free iPhone app that enables users to communicate directly with the city's 311 system. See a pothole that needs fixing? A down tree? Take a picture and the site is geotagged and sent directly to the city's server. The YinzCam tech recently made Network World's Top 10 List of sports technologies to love." Read more
$10M from NSF: Carnegie Mellon Researchers Uncover Answers to Diseases
"Computational biologists at Carnegie Mellon have developed a technique that may help to unravel the many genetic variations that contribute to diseases such as diabetes, asthma and cancer. Professor Eric Xing and postdoctoral scientist Seyoung Kim have developed a graph-guided method, called GFlasso, that reveals an entire network of genes or traits that are responsible for complex diseases. Since many of the traits are correlated, associations between networks of genes and clinical traits can be found that may lead to new discoveries." Read more
Growing A Thriving Life Sciences Sector through the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
This retrospective article shows the key role that the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse has played, and continues to play, in assisting start-ups with bringing life-saving technologies to the marketplace – and in distinguishing the Pittsburgh region as a center of life sciences innovation. Read more
3 Rivers Venture Fair Shows off Breakthrough Tech Innovations on September 15, PNC Park
Drawing a record number of sponsors this year and featuring Forbes Media CEO Steve Forbes as the keynote speaker, the upcoming 3 Rivers Venture Fair will draw prominent venture capitalists and breakthrough technology. "This year 30 companies were selected through a rigorous selection process... a list that includes more life science companies than IT for the first time ever. More than 500 venture capitalists, private investors, investment bankers and business leaders are expected to peruse the show and wide ranging technologies for the hottest emerging markets and cutting-edge innovation." Read more. See the Events section below for more information.
September 14, 2009 – Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Pittsburgh's Monthly Dinner/Speaker featuring Allegheny Conference CEO Dennis Yablonsky
Hear more about the upcoming Pittsburgh Summit 2009 from Allegheny Conference on Community Development CEO Dennis Yablonsky. At the Duquesne Club in Downtown Pittsburgh from 5-7 p.m. Cost: Members: $55, non-members: $85
September 15-16, 2009 – 3 Rivers Venture Fair
The PRA is a proud sponsor of the 3 Rivers Venture Fair, which is among the nation's most prominent showcases of breakthrough innovations in technology, life sciences and energy. Every 18 months, 500+ A-list venture capitalists, private investors, investment bankers, and leaders in business, finance and entrepreneurship convene in Pittsburgh to discover opportunities in the hottest emerging markets and meet cutting-edge innovators from a 10-state region and beyond. Since its founding in 2002, the 3 Rivers Venture Fair has helped participating ventures raise more than $292+ million in investment capital. At PNC Park.
September 21, 2009 – Economic Champions Summit – Continuing the Growth of Our Region's Economy
Presented by the Route 228 Regional Corridor Alliance, the Economic Champions Summit will showcase the Route 228 corridor in immediate advance of the G-20 Summit. It will include an active discussion of both strength of community and strength of policy in front of 250 community leaders as to why the economy is thriving in Butler County. The outcome will be to identify and promote those opportunities (regionally, nationally or even internationally) that exists today and how future success can be sustained. At the Marriott Pittsburgh North in Cranberry from 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. Cost $35. View the invitation (PDF)
September 22, 2009 – Energy Inc.
Energy Inc. is a half-day conference, reception and trade show on Sept. 22 that will focus on business opportunities for companies in western Pennsylvania in the energy industry, with a special emphasis on traditional energy sources such as natural gas, coal and nuclear power. Various programs and expert speakers from 1-7 p.m. See link above for details. Cost: $99 for Pittsburgh Business Times subscribers, $119 for non-subscribers.
September 28, 2009 – "LEED the Way to Green Buildings – Part IV: Sustainability & Green Products
Learn about Phipp's Conservatory's ‘Green Heart Project', and how to adopt a more sustainable relationship to the environment. Also learn about expanding the availability and use of green building products in this region, and about new options for improving your home & business environment. Speakers: Richard V. Piacentini, Executive Director, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, one of the world's most sustainable conservatories, and Janice Donatelli, President Artemis Environmental Building Products. From noon-4 p.m.
October 25-29, 2009 – Materials Science & Technology 2009 Conference and Exhibition (MS&T ‘09)
MS&T '09 is the leading forum addressing structure, properties, processing and performance across the materials community. Produced by a partnership of four leading materials societies, it brings together scientists, engineers, students, suppliers and others to discuss current research and applications, and shape the future of materials science and technology. At the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
November 12, 2009 – Annual Pennsylvania Business Technology Conference
Discover technology trends and tools to grow your business. The Pennsylvania Business Technology Conference (PBTC) is designed to equip companies with the information they need to make smart technology decisions that will enhance their profitability, productivity and market adaptability. Discover the Newest Innovations in: eMarketing, business intelligence, IT management, wireless Technologies, finance & accounting, web analytics, networking, security and software. Keynote speaker, Adam Kmiec, Director, Interactive Marketing Innovation, MARC USA, will speak about "Adapting to the Digital World – Becoming a Socially Savvy Business." At Duquesne University from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Allegheny Conference | Contact Information
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