This past June, I had the privilege of speaking to the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Development Cohort VII as they graduated from the yearlong program.
Among my remarks were comments made about the economic future of Beaver County in a video scripted and produced by RYNO Production Inc. The video collaboration was completed in 2019 as the Shell Polymers facility was being constructed. There was immense pride and excitement around our manufacturing and energy-related legacy being restored and how this largest construction project in North America and Pennsylvania history was putting us on the map.
The video begins with, “They say that to see what the future holds, you must first look at the past.” Our past was forged by steel, and we recounted the impact Beaver County has had on the construction of America, from the Empire State Building to the Golden Gate Bridge. Our steel helped win wars and make the products that made us the envy of the world. We Beaver Countians are extremely proud of that history and we predicted a renaissance and new beginning was about to take hold.
It is clear to those of us who work every day on improving the quality of life in the county that our bright future is coming to fruition. Beaver County is leading the way in creating manufacturing, construction, entrepreneurship, hospitality, healthcare and technology investments.
That growth and prosperity started with Shell Polymers and that video. Shell has not only produced over 800 permanent jobs, they kept the county moving forward and financially viable by investing billions of dollars (reportedly $14B) in the regional economy during the pandemic. In addition, they continue to support many of our schools, nonprofits, workforce development, senior programs and Main Street businesses. They not only bring financial stability, but they also bring new leadership, talent and volunteer resources to our communities. They are meeting their promises on job creation and striving to fulfill their obligations to be a good neighbor. We are grateful to have them in our community.
While Shell paved the way, it was just the start of billions more being invested in Beaver County. Vista Corp. soon followed with the purchase of the Shippingport Nuclear Power Station and has become a tremendous neighbor and employer. When looking to expand into the U.S. market, Stoelzle Glass noticed what was being constructed along the Ohio River and purchased the Monaca glass facility. Their investment has expanded the workforce and invested in new technology.
A partial list of others that have invested and continue to help grow and diversify our economy since Shell announced includes Tenaris Steel, Beemac Trucking, St. Barnabas Health System, UPMC, Highmark, Heritage Valley Health System and Kenson Plastics. Most recently, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products announced an $86M advanced switchgear facility. The Frontier Group recently announced $3.2B for converting the former Bruce Mansfield power plant back to an energy-producing facility that will bring a state-of-the-art hyperscale AI data center. Again, more jobs, more economic diversification, more growth and more potential for Beaver County.
As a county, we have also invested millions of ARPA funds into infrastructure improvements of our municipalities and county assets, like our national award-winning Connect Beaver County Broadband implementation. We continue to work with entrepreneurs and developers throughout the region to ensure Beaver County continues to attract and retain workers and families supported by those businesses.
Sometimes we are too focused on the task at hand that we can’t always see that there has been a remarkable transformation in our legacy river towns. From Aliquippa to Midland, from Ambridge to Beaver Falls, and in Monaca, New Brighton, Rochester and Bridgewater. In addition, our retail centers in Economy and Brighton, Center, Chippewa, Hopewell Franklin, North Sewickley and New Sewickley townships continue to bring in new retail, restaurants and housing.
Our tireless work ethic, community resilience, combined with tremendous geographic and infrastructure advantages (along with the natural beauty of our rivers, parks, farmland and forests), are producing a new era of prosperity and quality of life in Beaver County. Like any county in the commonwealth, we have many continuing obstacles to overcome and problems to solve. We are not naïve and know that our work is never done. But those of us who actually live, work and play in Beaver County can see and feel the progress every day.
That video in 2019 ends with the tagline of, “We are proud of our past; tireless in our present; and confident in our future … Won’t you join us?” Please know that we are always willing to collaborate with anyone wanting to make Beaver County a home for their business and family.
Jack Manning is a Beaver County Commissioner.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Your Turn: Beaver County’s proud legacy brings a bright future