Celebrate the people, businesses, and organizations shaping Lawrence County’s future.

Now in its 10th year, the Impact Awards have grown from an economic development event into a beloved community tradition.

Each year, we honor leaders across business, nonprofit, public service, and civic life, from new and expanding companies to long-standing employers, developers, and dedicated volunteers.

Businesses wishing to distribute promotional items may drop them off at the Forward Lawrence office or contact overby@lawrencecounty.com to arrange pickup. We anticipate 300 attendees.

Visit the event page for more information including tickets and sponsorship opportunities.

Friday, Apr 10, 2026 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

The Alpine Room at SNPJ | 270 Martin Rd | Enon Valley, PA 16120

Lawrence County Historical Society Perk-Up

Thank you to the Historical Society for graciously hosting this unique Chamber Perk-Up. We enjoyed an inside look at the mansion while learning about this history of Butz Flowers, the pop-up display honoring an iconic Lawrence County business.

Butz Flowers & Gifts is believed to be the “Oldest, Continuously Operating Flower Business in America,” is celebrating its 152nd anniversary.

Meet the CEO - Banker's Breakfast

Chamber board member, Amy Stapleton, of WesBanco helped organize and coordinate a breakfast at The Venue by Weber Catering.

Forward Lawrence's CEO, Albert "Chip" Abramovic, was introduced to our network of bankers and financial institution professionals.

This meet-and-greet helped strengthen relationships that support business growth across Lawrence County.

Great Energy Gathering (GGXII)

A large regional networking reception, the Great Energy Gathering (GGXII) brought together hundreds of attendees at the Hilton Garden Inn Southpointe. The room stayed busy from start to finish.

This year's event showcased the region’s energy and economic momentum, drawing professionals from across sectors to exchange ideas and build relationships. Conversations ranged from market outlooks to real projects already taking shape across the region.

The third cohort of the Advanced Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship (AMP) program kicked off in January with the largest class yet of Lawrence County high school students.

The predominantly online program offered by Pennsylvania College of Technology welcomed 40 students representing Shenango, Neshannock, New Castle, Laurel, Union, Ellwood/Lincoln, and Wilmington high schools, as well as the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center.

The program is supplemented with three hands-on mobile lab sessions which are being held for most students at the Shenango Recreation Center, adjacent to Shenango High School.  Because of the size of this class, students from Wilmington High School are participating in these labs with Mercer County students at Farrell High School. The labs are again being led by Dr. Peter Kushinikov, Professor of Engineering at PennWest University/Edinboro.

More than 30 students attended the first lab on February 13^th at the Rec Center where they learned about the role of pulleys and levers in manufacturing. Future labs will focus on robotics, electrical, and motors.

The self-paced program, which runs from January through May, is offered at no cost to students, and is designed to increase knowledge of manufacturing concepts and skills and increase the number of prospective employees choosing manufacturing-related career pathways. 

Students who successfully complete the AMP Program are eligible to earn the Certified Manufacturing Associate (CMfgA) Certification from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, a pre-apprenticeship certificate from the Pennsylvania College of Technology, and a certificate of recognition from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

Many of the 22 students who completed the program last year went directly into the manufacturing workforce, while others used the program to supplement their future education and training and pursue careers in such areas as robotics, engineering, and technology.

Julie Michael Smith, Project Manager for the Lawrence Mercer Manufacturing Coalition, (LMMC), believes in the program. “We are appreciative of our partners, Penn College and Forward Lawrence, bringing this impactful program to area high school students to improve the talent pipeline for our manufacturers. Investing in training and raising the visibility of the rewarding, appealing careers in manufacturing are LMMC'S top priorities”.

For more information on the AMP Program, please contact Paul Bucciarelli at Forward Lawrence: paul@lawrencecounty.com

Pursuing Federal Grant Funding: A Guide for Regional and Local Applicants

The guide is organized around five stages of the grant application development process, Performing, Post Submission, Activities Making the Case, Soliciting Letters of Support, Organizing the Effort Positioning for Success.

Walkworks Grant

Applications due March 20, 2026

Walking, biking, using a wheelchair, and accessing public transit are independent, reliable, and resilient transportation modes that are healthy for our bodies, minds, finances, communities, and the environment. The WalkWorks motto is “mobility options for all.” The WalkWorks Program looks forward to a time when everyone in Pennsylvania has a full range of transportation options available to them.

Reducing Underage and Dangerous Drinking Grant (RUDD)

Applications due March 20, 2026

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (“PLCB”), Bureau of Alcohol Education’s Reducing Underage Drinking and Dangerous Drinking (“RUDD”) Grant offers additional resources and funding to eligible community partners to develop and enhance the PLCB’s mission to reduce underage drinking, reduce dangerous drinking by those who are of legal drinking age, and promote responsible alcohol consumption by those of legal drinking age.

902 Recycling Grant Application Guidelines | Department of Environmental Protection | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Municipalities compliant with Act 101 that have a mandatory trash collection program or projects seeking support for a residential recycling program that have a corresponding commercial recycling program may apply for up to $250,000 in funding for eligible recycling program development or implementation costs.

Community Conservation Partnership Program

Applications close April 30, 2026

This grant program, managed by the DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation (BRC), builds connections between Pennsylvanians and the outdoors by supporting recreational improvements, natural resource conservation, and community revitalization efforts.

Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program

This program accepts applications on a continuous basis.

This program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. This program assists qualified applicants who are not otherwise able to obtain commercial credit on reasonable terms.

Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.