Ground Broken for Farrell Commerce Center
FARRELL, Pa. – Once completed, the new Farrell Commerce Center will be another arrow in Mercer County’s quiver of economic development tools, says Randy Seitz, president and CEO of Penn-Northwest Development Corp.
The Mercer County economic development leader was among the federal, state and local officials and industry representatives who offered remarks at Tuesday morning’s groundbreaking for the 12,000-square-foot structure, what is hoped to be the first of others to be developed on the 4.5-acre site. The project is being developed by Future Building of America Co.
“Where we stand now, 15 years ago, you can’t imagine the blight that was up here, the empty buildings,” remarked Farrell’s city manager, Mike Ceci. “It was in bad shape.”
With assistance from state government, the city installed infrastructure to create a light industrial park and Rick Kennett, Future Building’s president, “took a bet on the city,” Ceci said.
The building will be anchored by Winona, Minn.-based Fastenal Co., which is relocating from its existing Farrell location where it has five employees to take 5,000 square feet of space in the new building, where it is expected to double its employment. Fastenal distributes industrial, safety and construction supplies and offersthird-party logistics, inventory management, manufacturing and tool repair.
“It was kind of rugged. It was run down,” said Justin Young, Fastenal district manager, referring to the site. The Shenango Valley is “a growing, thriving area for us” and the company needed a new building, he said.
“They liked Farrell. They liked everything about it,” said Arnie Clebone, president of Mid American Resource Co., an economic development consultant engaged by the city of Farrell. “It is a key location. It’s right in the middle of everything.”
Clebone discovered Fastenal’s need for expansion and desire to remain in Farrell while visiting companies on behalf of the city. He also came across Future Building of America Co., which was interested in expanding its operations. FBA prefabricates energy-efficient walls for buildings.
“You talk about a town that is tough. You talk about a town that is resilient,” remarked U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3. “What you were able to put together here is absolutely fantastic.”
As snow fell outside a tent erected for the ceremony, Kelly mused that in Washington, where he works, people don’t work together to get things done for America. “We seem to work opposite each other, and it’s not enough to win a vote, you’ve got to make the other party look really bad. That’s not what made our country great. That’s not what made our states great. And that’s sure as heck not what made our communities great. … Especially in towns like this it was everybody working together that made it work," the congressman said.
Completion of the building is expected by the end of March, and Clebone said his company is working with Penn-Northwest and the Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce to find additional tenants for the building.
“If this works out well, not only do we have more land here for more buildings, we also have more land further down the road,” Seitz added. That land, like the property for the Farrell Commerce Center, is in a Keystone Opportunity Zone, where businesses can qualify for abatements on certain taxes.
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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