The Pennsylvania Allies Program was designed for professionals working in roles that actively support economic development organizations (EDOs) and their efforts within PA communities. Through the provision of training for local stakeholders, they - along with their local or regional EDOs - will be well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities to jointly champion their communities. With this aim in mind, we're sharing the following story of an economic development success that was made possible because a number of community-minded individuals and organizations recognized the project's importance and committed themselves to working together through the processes necessary to achieve their vision.

The Problem: In 2016, Metso Minerals announced it was moving its operations out of Danville, PA, ending a manufacturing history dating back to the 19th century. The 20+ acre site included three industrial buildings in various states of disrepair, a 32,000 square foot office building, and nearly 10 acres of brownfield land.

The Coalition: DRIVE, an economic development council of governments, engaged corporate leadership about the prospects for the property. Montour County Commissioners supported DRIVE’s efforts to acquire the property. At the end of 2017, Metso donated the brownfield site to DRIVE.

The Process & Outcome: With the property now in public hands, other partners came alongside to spur development. With Montour County acting as the grantee, a $1M grant was awarded by Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development to re-establish rail access to the property and construct a new access road. Both the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority and North Shore Railroad & Affiliates contributed matching funds toward the project. The new roadway and rail access spurred the creation of a new industrial park. The area is now home to Strong Pools & Spas as well as Atlantic Culinary Environments. Sherwood Lumber recently announced plans to develop a new distribution center on the site.

In addition to industrial development on the site, DRIVE reimagined uses for the vacant office building. In 2019, DRIVE moved its offices into a newly renovated portion of the building. Soon, a collaboration with the Bucknell Small Business Development Center (SBDC) created StartUp Danville, an entrepreneurial incubator. With the rise in business startups during the pandemic, additional space was added to StartUp Danville using a USDA Rural Business Development Grant. Today, the office hosts nearly twenty businesses between the incubator and the Business Hub.