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BUCKS COUNTY, PAA Solar Power in BucksFalls Township, Pennsylvania will soon house one of the country’s largest solar-energy installations, which will include a 16.5-acre array of 17,000 panels producing enough power to meet the annual power needs of up to 400 homes. The $20 million facility will be financed by Epuron, a subsidiary of the German-based Conergy Group. It will be designed and installed by SunTechnics Energy Systems Inc., a sister company, and located on land leased from Waste Management. The idea for such a facility came from a collaboration between Exelon and two local solar entrepreneurs, Sarah Hetznecker and Gary Sheehan. The husband and wife team cofounded Mesa Energy L.L.C. of Malvern in 1999, which installed rooftop solar systems for homeowners, businesses and institutions. They brought their ambitious idea to Exelon and moved forward, eventually partnering with Epuron, which purchased Mesa Energy for an undisclosed price. Southampton’s Environmental Tectonics Corp. (ETC) has been named the official space-flight training provider for Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic is a subsidiary of British entrepreneur Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, whose mission is to make space travel available to all through the world’s first commercial space airline. ETC will begin training space travelers in September with its simulators for training, testing and rides. The company said that the new contract puts “Pennsylvania on the map as the current center of commercial space training.” BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJLocal College Representative Offers Guidance on Public Health Preparedness Joy Spellman, Director of Burlington County College’s Center for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) was recently published in the second edition of “Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness for Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Terrorism and Other Hazards.” This celebrated textbook serves as a leading resource in classrooms at major colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. It provides nursing students with the most current, valid and reliable information available. Each chapter has been researched and reviewed by experts in order to provide the highest standards for preparing students for terrorism, disaster, and public health emergencies.
Joy’s chapter entitled “Theory and Preparation of the Public Health Nurse for Disaster Response” includes a case study that highlights the purpose of the simulation center housed in the CPHP at Burlington County College. The CPHP increases the competency of frontline public health workers to respond to all hazards through the use of simulation training in both the classroom and in the field. With 16 mobile human patient simulators, the CPHP has the most anywhere in the country outside the US Military. CAMDEN COUNTY, NJLocal CEO Recognized as Entrepreneur of the YearErnst & Young recently awarded Cherry Hill’s Douglas Clark, president and CEO of Ameriquest Transportation and Logistics Resources, the Entrepreneur of the Year 2007. Clark created a patented business model used by AmeriQuest to provide the transportation industry with the ability to drive efficiencies and cost savings out of the supply chain. This recognition was a part of the service category in the Greater Philadelphia region. CHESTER COUNTY, PACCEDC and PASA Form Strategic Alliance to Aid Agriculture in Southeastern PA The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) and the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC) recently announced they are forming a strategic alliance to strengthen the economic success of local farms and overall positive impact of local food systems for communities in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Agriculture is a vital component of business in Chester County and elsewhere in the region. The partnership will provide greater resources for the local farming community.
The PASA is a statewide membership organization for farmers and farming enthusiasts who believe that economic viability of farms can be achieved while also improving the natural environment and serving the communities in which they are located. PASA is one of the largest and most active organizations in the United States operating in support of sustainable farming systems. For more information, see www.pasafarming.org.
GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NJLease Approved for Paulsboro PortThe South Jersey Port Corp. awarded Paulsboro a 90-year lease to operate what will be the first new port to be built on the Delaware River in 35 years. The waterfront is an attractive location because it is 13 miles closer to the Delaware Bay. Paulsboro’s Mayor John J. Burzichelli commented on the importance of the port for job creation and economic development. Paulsboro took title to the land recently after a nearly four year court battle over its right to the property by eminent domain. MERCER COUNTY, NJFrom Beantown to the Garden State Boston-based Total Learning Concepts is moving its headquarters to Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The provider of pharmaceutical and biotech sales training wants to be closer to the pharmaceutical industry activity in the Greater Philadelphia region and to better serve its customers. It will locate in the same building as its affiliate Publicis Selling Solutions and, as a result, be closer to its clients enabling more face-to-face interactions. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PAShrinking Waists Grow a Company Nutrisystem was named by Fortune magazine as the #1 Fastest Growing Company in the country. Located in Horsham, Nutrisystem is an online diet company that has expanded its men’s businesses with ads featuring Dan Marino. It beat out 99 other companies listed and has experienced 433% average earnings per share growth in a three year period. NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DEDelaware Recognized as a Top Place for BusinessDelaware and New Castle County were recently recognized among the top places in the country for business. Expansion Management's 2007 “Best Cities for Business Recruitment and Attraction” ranked Delaware in third place for business relocation and New Castle County in fourth out of the midsize county category. A national magazine targeted for business executives, Expansion Management compares regions and communities to help CEOs decide where to locate a business. To do so, the magazine based its rankings on the number of business establishments relocating to a new market in the past eight years. French Aircraft Company Expands in New Castle AirportFrench aircraft manufacturer, Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., will be expanding its maintenance facility at the New Castle Airport in an effort to meet demand for the customization of aircrafts and private jets. In the past, such customization was outsourced by the maintenance shop to Little Rock, Arkansas. Dassault recently converted its shop to a 22,000-square foot hangar and will need to hire 100 additional workers. The new jobs will pay between $40,000 and $50,000 and some will be unionized. The state has provided $162,000 in work force development funding since 2003. Dassault is one of 14 aviation companies in the state, which together employ a total of 6,500 workers. The estimated economic impact of the industry to the state is $154.7 million.
University City Celebrates Report Card Results, Job and Retail Growth Philadelphia’s University City District, a service agency funded by donations, recently issued a 40-page annual report card, touting job growth of 10 percent since 2004, climbing apartment and home prices, a growing number of newly constructed residential units and expanding retail, office space and space available for start-up technology companies. This success story is the result of a 12 year-long collective revival effort on behalf of big institutions, small businesses and residents, which addressed crime, filth and ther problems affecting the prominence of their renowned institutions. These institutions - University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Drexel and others - have all played prominent roles in this revival by investing in the neighborhood and expanding their existing facilities.
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