WHITTAKER SITE DEVELOPMENT MOVES FORWARD

Forward Lawrence and the Lawrence County Economic Development Corporation (LCEDC) are advancing plans to bring a long-dormant industrial property in the City of New Castle back into productive use.

About a year ago, the LCEDC was gifted the former Whittaker Rotowash property on South Croton Avenue, where commercial cleaning products were once manufactured. The site's aging buildings have sat idle for years. Our plan is to demolish the existing structures and construct a new building of roughly 10,500 square feet, designed for warehouse and light manufacturing use.

We are working with Beatty Architecture of New Wilmington and Gibson-Thomas Engineering of Union Township to design an attractive building that a growing local company or a new employer can proudly call home.

The total project is estimated at roughly $2.2 million, and the LCEDC has assembled a strong mix of public and private support to make it happen. To date, $1.2 million has been committed:

• $500,000 in state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding, secured in partnership with the Redevelopment Authority of Lawrence County
• $500,000 from the May Emma Hoyt Foundation, a private grant that reflects the foundation's continued investment in New Castle
• $200,000 in Local Share Account (LSA) funding through State Senator Brooks, which will cover demolition of the existing buildings

An additional request of up to $500,000 has been submitted to the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) through the Northwest Commission and is currently under review.

Ready-to-go industrial space is one of the most common requests we hear from businesses looking to grow or locate in Lawrence County, and it's one of the biggest gaps in our inventory. Once funding is finalized, the project will move into detailed design, with demolition as the first visible step.

3RD ANNUAL STATE OF THE COUNTY

"Advocating on behalf of the business community is becoming a larger part of the work we do here at Forward Lawrence," ~Lyndsey Overby, Director of the Chamber of Commerce

Forward Lawrence held its 3rd Annual State of the County event at Westminster College, bringing together county, state, and federal officials to discuss progress for local businesses and what's ahead. The event this year was sponsored by PA American Water, CTR Payroll | HR, and UPMC Jameson UPMC Horizon.

State Senator Michele Brooks, joined by Senator Elder Vogel and State Representatives Marla Brown and Aaron Bernstine, pointed to held-the-line personal income taxes, a phase-down of Pennsylvania's corporate tax rate, and regulatory relief as wins for local business, while flagging housing, energy, and data centers as the issues shaping what comes next. Brown cited more than $54 million brought into the district over the past four years; the panel also weighed in on Pennsylvania's exit from RGGI, the risk of retiring power sources faster than renewables can replace them, and how the state should site new data centers as demand for electricity grows. The panel was moderated by Alex Halper, Senior VP of Government Affairs with the PA Chamber of Business & Industry.

Lawrence County Commissioners Chairman Dan Vogler, Dan Kennedy, and Chris Sainato provided updates on local projects, including courthouse improvements, and the purchase of the former St. Joseph's Church property that will soon be home to the Lawrence County Children and Youth Services center.

Melanie Brewer, district director for U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, detailed federal funding in the pipeline including funds for repaving Route 18 in Wilmington and Route 422, along with support for rural hospitals and broadband expansion.

Have a policy issue you'd like to see addressed? You can submit it through the Forward Lawrence Advocacy page at www.lawrencecounty.com/advocacy. These submissions help us advocate on your behalf with the officials in Harrisburg who can make change happen. Photo Gallery

UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS

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RECENT EVENTS

INSIDE THE METRO

PAUL BUCCIARELLI

WESTMINSTER ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDENTS SUPPORT LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES

As the new academic year begins, Forward Lawrence will again partner with students from the Westminster Entrepreneurship Center, (WEC), to offer support to area small businesses.

The (WEC) is part of Westminster College’s School of Business and offers Westminster students the opportunity to work with small businesses in Lawrence County where they experience real-world situations including concept creation, innovation of ideas and business ownership strategies. Approximately 70 Westminster students comprise the WEC, which is led by Eric Gaber, Lecturer and Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR) at the college.

During the 2025 – 2026 academic year, WEC students supported multiple Lawrence County businesses which ranged from restaurants, a recreation center, antique store, wilderness lodge, and distribution center.

For Lindy’s Lunch in Neshannock Township, WEC students designed a refreshed menu to provide a more modern feel, as well as engaged the Westminster baseball team to establish a sponsorship which sold Lindy’s food at a Westminster football game. 

WEC students created two (2) holiday themed flyers for Echoes of Time, an antiques and vintage collectibles store in New Castle.

For JBG KidZone, a kids and family recreation center in Union Township, WEC students conducted research to identify grant and fundraising opportunities.

In many cases, WEC students support small businesses in such areas as social media, marketing, event planning, and operations.

“Small businesses direct the work of students for the specific needs of the business. So the students gain valuable experience while supporting the business for tasks and assignments that small entrepreneurs may not have the resources to take on”, according to Gaber.

If you have or know of a small business that could use this kind of support, and are interested in working with WEC students, please contact Paul Bucciarelli at Forward Lawrence: paul@lawrencecounty.com or 724-651-7795.

MEMBER UPDATES

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

The Lodge at Water's Edge

Asana Sunday with Core Movement Pilates!

September 27th | 1-3 PM

The Alchemy of Flavors | Volume 3

September 30th | 6-9 PM

Photography Retreat with Wildwood Photography

October 20th

United Way of Lawrence County — Fall Event Lineup

·      Elijah Prophet of Fire fundraiser (October)

·      Day of Caring

·      Taste of the Town

·      Fall Home Buyer Classes

United Way of Lawrence County

Villa Maria Education & Spirituality Center — Upcoming Programs

Several retreats and programs are open for registration: Click Here to View Event Calendar

Call 724-964-8886 to register for any Villa Maria program.

Moraine State Park & McConnells Mill State Park — Current Public Programs

The monthly roundup of public programs at both state parks is available here.

Oktoberfest Celebration

Saturday, September 19, 2026 · 4:00 – 11:00 PM

Neshannock Creek Brewing, 20 S Mercer St, New Castle, PA · Free

Neshannock Creek Brewing's 3rd anniversary celebration with an Oktoberfest theme — seasonal beers, food trucks, games, and entertainment.

Brewery website

Westminster Arts and Cultural Events

Bringing big-city entertainment to the quaint town of New Wilmington, Westminster College is pleased to bring top entertainers to the region through the Celebrity Series. Hosting performers like Michael Bolton, the Tenors and Amy Grant, the Celebrity Series offers season tickets as well as individual ticket purchases.

Check out Westminster's full schedule of arts and cultural events

16th Annual Lawrence County Veteran Stand Down

Friday, October 2, 2026 · 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM · Cascade Park, New Castle

A community-based event supporting homeless veterans and service members with health screenings, free haircuts, hygiene products, a free lunch (veterans only), and military surplus items. Vendors can register via the linked sign-up form; donations and volunteers are coordinated through Missy Dellaverson-Russell at Lawrence County Community Action Partnership.

Vendor sign-up form

View PA Career Link Event Calendar

Sept. 22— 10:00 AM–10:00 AM — Resume Workshop

Sept. 22— 2:00 PM–3:00 PM — Lawrence County PA CareerLink Orientation (in person)

NOW HIRING

GRANT AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Funding opportunities can help manufacturers turn growth and energy goals into action.

Join Catalyst Connection, NWIRC, Lawrence Mercer Manufacturers Coalition, PennTAP, and Forward Lawrence for the ARC ARISE Energy Grant Workshop for Manufacturers — a free session on manufacturing grant opportunities, including funding support for energy-related projects.

You'll hear directly from manufacturers who've already secured grant funding and leave with practical next steps for building a competitive application.

📅 October 15, 2026

🕖 7:30 – 9:45 AM (BONUS / Optional) Energy Efficiency session follows, 10:00 – 11:45 AM)

📍 Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA, McKelvey Campus Center

💲 Free — breakfast included

If your manufacturing company is considering a growth, operations, or energy-related project, this workshop is a chance to learn about funding and next steps.



Learn more and register: Energy Grant Workshop: Funding For Manufacturers

#Manufacturing #EnergyEfficiency #EnergyGrants #ManufacturingSupport #CatalystConnection