On December 20, 2009, Chancellor Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry announced the college’s plans for another development project in downtown Altoona. As a follow up to its expansion on Twelfth Avenue, Penn State Altoona plans to extend its downtown campus to Eleventh Avenue at the former Meyer Jonasson building and former Kaufman Wedding World site. 

The project is being undertaken by PSU-Altoona with the assistance of the City of Altoona, the Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation, Greater Altoona Economic Development Corporation, and Blair County General Authority. The Blair County General Authority purchased both properties for a combined $614,900 and under the collaborative project, will enter into a lease with the university. Financing for the project will be provided by ABCD Corp., GAEDC and First National Bank will serve as the lead bank with participation by other local financial institutions. The members of the General Authority expressed their sincere appreciation to the Altoona City Council, the Manager, City Staff, and especially to Mayor Wayne Hippo for their support. 

"As chancellor of Penn State Altoona, I strongly believe in the importance of institutions of higher education partnering with economic development organizations and local government to achieve the goal of economic development." said Bechtel-Wherry. "Success in revitalizing any small town or urban core does not happen automatically. We are fortunate to have visionary leadership in our city, with a mayor and city council members who are committed to revitalizing our downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, as well as progressive local economic development organizations and leaders." 

ABCD Corp. President and CEO Martin J. Marasco stated, "This is another win-win-win situation for Penn State Altoona, ABCD Corp. and the City of Altoona. This project enables us to find a beneficial reuse for an under-utilized building and help Penn State Altoona increase its educational programming opportunities in downtown Altoona. ABCD Corp., its affiliates, and Penn State previously acquire and renovate the former Playhouse Theatre (the current Devorris Downtown Center) and Penn Furniture Building (the current Aaron Building) where ABCD Corp. purchased the property and entered into a lease with PSU Altoona. Both of those projects have helped inject a new vitality into the downtown area, and we at ABCD Corp. expect this project to enjoy similar success." 

The plan for the Meyer Jonasson property is to house the college’s Entrepreneurial Center.  Entrepreneurship is one of the fastest growing majors in the nation. With a Center downtown, students will have a place to develop their business ideas and concepts as well as interact with local business leaders." said Donna Bon, entrepreneurial instructor. Altoona residents Stephen G. and Nancy L. Sheetz made a $2.5 million commitment to Penn State Altoona in the fall, the largest gift in the 70-year history of the college. This gift will be used, in part, to support the Meyer Jonasson project. 

The short-term use of the former Kaufman Wedding World site will be a parklet with benches, flowers, and trees to create additional green space in downtown Altoona, as well as limited student and faculty parking. Long term plans may include the development of a building to support the needs of the college. 

Mountain Research, LLC Receives $1 million
Mountain Research, LLC of Altoona, PA received $1 million under the Defense Appropriations Act to develop technologies to reduce cadmium levels in wastewater at the Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, PA. 

Currently the cadmium-affected wastewater is trucked off-site and disposed of as hazardous material. The goal is to either reduce the cadmium use or more effectively treat the wastewater to eliminate having to truck it off-site. “I’m estimating that we will be hiring between 6-10 chemists, biologists and engineers,” said Jim Rea, EVP. “We will spend the next year developing, testing and demonstrating for the Dept. of Defense."

Congressman Bill Shuster successfully secured $100,000 in funding for the further development of the I-99 Entrepreneurial Institute through the Omnibus Appropriations Bill. 

“I am pleased to have played a role in the further development of the I-99 Entrepreneurial Institute, which will play a major role in job creation throughout central and western Pennsylvania,” Shuster said.  

“Our region’s economic vitality rests on creating future business leaders and risk takers who are willing to bring innovative businesses to market right here in Pennsylvania,” Shuster added. “The I-99 Institute is that training ground and its location links it with growing centers of business like Washington, DC.” 

The I-99 Entrepreneurial Institute is a partnership program between Pennsylvania State University-Altoona and the Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation (ABCD Corp.). The Institute serves as a formal bridge linking entrepreneurial learning and academic research with real-world business applications and experiences. This project is one piece of a comprehensive effort to promote economic development in the I-99 Innovation Corridor. 

The $100,000 directed toward this project will enhance programs and opportunities already in place to foster economic development and support start-ups and the expansion of small businesses. 

“We are grateful to Congressman Shuster for his continued support of the region and the I-99 Entrepreneurial Institute at Penn State Altoona. This funding will allow for advancement of the program and the future development of a physical presence in downtown Altoona. The Institute is made possible through partnerships forged with ABCD Corp. and its affiliated economic development organizations, the City of Altoona, Penn State Altoona and local business leaders,” said Martin J. Marasco, President/CEO of ABCD Corp.

Taking a pro-active approach to our region’s energy and sustainability issues, the Altoona-Blair County Development Corp. has formed the Blair County Energy Consortium. This Consortium is an industry-drive initiative consisting of for-profit, non-profit and educational institutions whose goal is to reduce rapidly rising energy costs and consumption. This goal will be accomplished through technology solutions that improve efficiency, cooperative purchasing strategies and sustainable operational practices. 

In addition to the support from the more than 20 companies that form the current Consortium, we are fortunate to have recently been awarded grants of $37,500 from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, $15,000 from the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies and $10,000 from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. 

“We are grateful to have received the funding support for this cause as well as the commitment from our business community to address the energy issues that are facing all of us as a group working together,” said Marty Marasco, President & CEO of ABCD Corp. “Our goal is to identify projects that can benefit all Consortium members and implement cutting edge technologies and collaborations to help our region remain competitive and at the forefront of the sustainability and conservation movement.” 

The funding secured will be utilized to formalize the Consortium, its members and benefits; create and administer a survey for all members to gather information on energy consumption, audits and goals; collect and analyze data; identify high-priority Consortium projects to address and to research the wide array of energy related funding programs to determine those programs that could be implemented here in Blair County. 

For more information on the Blair County Energy Consortium please contact Matthew Fox at ABCD Corp. at 814-944-6113.

The roots of McLanahan Corporation can be traced to James Craig McLanahan’s family leaving Ireland in the early 1700’s, for the new America. In the early 1830’s he bought minority ownership of an existing foundry operation and in 1848, he bought majority ownership. 

James Craig was joined by his sons James King and Samuel Calvin. King and Calvin were both true early pioneers designing machines such as the first practical steam fire engine in 1855 and the first coke oven built in the US in 1866. 

Around 1890, Samuel Calvin turned the direction of the company forever by conceived an idea to wash clay from rock inside a long box and he invented the Single Roll Crusher. With overwhelming success, the two brothers decided to gear the business to build process equipment in addition to the normal foundry work. From then on, the future of McLanahan Corporation was determined...a manufacturer of process equipment and systems. 

In the late 1980’s, Michael W. McLanahan (5th generation) took over the reins and quickly began to invest money into the company’s infrastructure as well as diversifying the product lines by adding licensing agreements with internationally recognized companies and completing acquisitions of other companies. 

Through Michael McLanahan’s direction and leadership, McLanahan Corporation has developed into an international powerhouse as a supplier of not just equipment, but process solutions. The company is in the unique position of being able to manufacture many of their products from the ground up by using the latest engineering CAD systems and four Electrical Engineers with PLC software programming skills. With an on-site foundry and complete machining, fabrication, assembly, and electrical departments, just about everything can be done in-house to ensure the highest quality and customer satisfaction. 

McLanahan Corporation is poised to remain a leader well into the future as the customer base has grown from a small geographic area of central Pennsylvania to now reach around the world. Customers have grown to appreciate McLanahan’s heavy duty equipment and outstanding customer service and support. All of this has been done, without loosing our family roots or values, as the 6th generation of family, Sean K. McLanahan, son of Michael McLanahan, assumes a leadership & ownership role. 

McLanahan Corporation was honored with the 2004 National Family Business of the Year Award presented by MassMutual. The foundry is recognized by Modern Casting Magazine as the oldest family-owned foundry in the United States and McLanahan Corporation was ranked by Family Business Magazine as the 49th oldest family-owned business in the country.

The staff at ABCD Corp. has been praised by many in the community, region, state and country as being a group of some of the best at what they do. We take pride in our team approach and it has been a great honor to have Jay Strawmire, Josie Seldon and Nicole Hite as part of this team for a long time. This past December Jay retired and Nicole decided to take time away from the workplace to raise her family while Josie will be retiring in February of this year.  

Please join us in wishing all three of them the best of luck and happiness in their endeavors. Below is a short summary of each individual. 

Jay Strawmire began his illustrious career with ABCD Corp. in 1996. Jay was the key to the “Green Banana” campaign that took recognition across the state as the symbol for the I-99 Corridor. Jay served as emcee for countless events and announcements. He will be enjoying retirement with his wife, children and grandchildren. 

Nicole Hite started with ABCD Corp. first as an intern and soon there after began full-time with the company in 2001. Nicole made sure everything ran smoothly for presentations and events, especially her dedication to the Summer Sounds of Jazz concerts. Nicole will be enjoying her time with her husband and daughter. 

Josie Seldon began with Altoona Enterprises in 1991 and made the transition when it became ABCD Corp. in 1996. Josie has ensured that the office runs smoothly everyday doing much more than can fit here. Josie has 50 days left as of Jan. 8, but who’s counting! Josie will be enjoying retirement with her family.

With the new year also comes new announcements from ABCD Corp. We are pleased to announce a new hire in Tom Seasoltz, promotions for Barry Surma and Paul Cooney and our new Board Members. 

Tom Seasoltz will be joining the ABCD family as a Finance Analyst & Technical Assistant working closely with Barry Surma and Paul Cooney. Tom has served as a financial intern with ABCD for the past two summers and is completing his degree from Penn State University. He is currently working part-time and upon graduation will begin full-time in March of this year. Tom is a graduate of Bishop Guilfoyle High School and lives in Altoona.  

Barry Surma has been promoted to the position of Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Barry earned his BS in Accounting and MBA from St. Francis University and has 26 years of experience in the field of economic development, including the past 16 with ABCD Corp. Previously, he had been primarily responsible for administering ABCD’s varioius economic development financing programs. 

In his new position, Barry will continue as ABCD’s senior staff member managing various economic development financing programs. In addition, he will oversee all of ABCD’s accounting related functions including budgeting, preparation of internal financial reports as well as ABCD Corp.’s organizational and program audits. 

Paul Cooney has been promoted to theposition of Director of Business Development and Loan Programs. Paul earned his BS in Finance from Penn State University and has 15 years of commercial lending experience including the past 6 conducting economic development financing with ABCD Corp. He has been primarily responsible for generating and packaging loans for ABCD’s economic development financing programs. 

In his new position, Paul will continue to promote ABCD’s lending efforts throughout Blair County and Central PA. Paul will also continue to serve as a speaker at various venues on financing topics including those surrounding the SBA 504 program for small businesses across the Commonwealth. 

ABCD Corp. elected its Executive Committee Officers of the organization for the 2010 term consisting of: Joseph Sheetz, Chairman of the Board; Steve Foreman, First Vice Chairman; Tera Herman, Second Vice Chairman; Lori Bechtel-Wherry, Secretary; William Hoyne, Treasurer; Tim Sissler, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer; Donald Devorris, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer; Mark Moschella, Assistant Treasurer/Secretary and Dan Hoover, Assistant Treasurer/Secretary.