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[Jan. 24th, 2006|12:21 pm] |
Erie’s expertise in education and training was reflected in two Employers of the Year honored this evening by the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County (EDCEC) at its annual dinner meeting.
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) was honored in the non-manufacturing category for its dramatic growth and local economic impact since it opened in 1993 as an osteopathic medical school. It was announced at the dinner that LECOM expects to become the nation’s largest medical school this fall when its total enrollment at Erie and Bradenton, Florida campuses reaches 1,418 – the highest number of students among 20 osteopathic or D.O. medical schools and 100 allopathic or M.D. medical schools.
LECOM has graduated more than 1,000 physicians at its Erie campus on West Grandview Boulevard, now shared by the LECOM School of Pharmacy.
LECOM Board Chair Michael J. Visnosky, Esq., and Donald Tuttle, Pharm.D., Dean of the LECOM School of Pharmacy, accepted the EDCEC award.
Custom Engineering Company earned the manufacturing Employer of the Year award for its success in customizing skilled training programs as well as multi-ton industrial fabrications that are shipped worldwide from the East 33rd & McClelland Street plant.
After suffering through the downturn in the economy that caused it to cut its employment in half, Custom Engineering has rebounded and succeeded, allowing it to increase employment back to historic levels. With this success, they facEd a shortage of skilled workers, so they designed and tested the curriculum for an intensive, four-week welding program that has served as a model for other programs. Company owner Thomas B. Hagen accepted the award.
Forty-one Erie area employers were recognized as Honor Roll companies for re-investment in Erie County, as demonstrated by increased job opportunities. Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott presented certificates to: Advanced Pressure Technologies, LLC; American Tinning & Galvanizing Company; C.A. Curtze Co.; Day Star Innovative Products & Services; EMBEDCO or Embedded Controls Corp.; Erie Insurance Group; Erie Management Group, LLC; Erie Wood Products; Finish Thompson, Inc.; IFP North America, Inc.; Paragon Print Systems, Inc.; TM Industrial Supply, Inc.; Team Hardinger; and the Victor Group, d/b/a/ Fralo Industries, Inc.
County Executive Mark DiVecchio presented certificates to: Alcor Corporation; Archi-Texture Finishing, LLC; Composiflex, Inc.; CONNEX, Inc.; Corry Micronics; Corry Contract, Inc.; CSI Industries, Inc.; DHSteel Products, LLC, Fountainhead Enterprises, LLC, d/b/a/ Formtech Enterprises, Inc.; Great Lakes Manufacturing, Inc.; Indeck Keystone Energy, LLC; Keystone Industries, Inc.; Koehler Energy, Inc.; Lake Erie Rubber Works, Inc.; Lincoln Metal Processing, Inc.; MPE Machine Tool, Inc.; Munsee Excavating; North Coast Plastics, Inc.; Qualsystems, Inc.; Quality Mold, Inc.; South One Supply & Home Center, Inc.; Windsor Beach Technologies, Inc.; and X-Cell Tool & Mold, Inc.
Certificates to companies in the “community-based” category were given out by Erie County General Authority Chairman Robert Spaulding to: Erie Homes for Children & Adults, Inc; Hermitage House Youth Services, Inc.; Our Lady of Peace School; and Saint Vincent Health Center.
These “Honor Roll” companies utilized one or more of the various programs offered through the economic development system during 2005 in order to assist in their community investments. In total, 59 loans were made to 35 companies, totaling $20.0 million. Private investment of $79.5 million matched this, resulting in a total investment by these companies of $99.5 million. This investment will produce an additional 700 jobs in Erie County over the next three years.
EDCEC President Monica Brower gave a progress report for 2005, noting these highlights of EDCEC and its related entities:
o The sale of the Uniflow Center at 1525 East Lake Road to Erie Management Group (EMG) to house its company start-ups until they’re ready for permanent facilities;
o Acquisition of the former International Paper site, which will allow EMG to locate its new companies there as well as to provide additional industrial acreage in the City of Erie for other companies;
o The acquisition of the former Kaiser aluminum site on East 12th Street, which will be home to IFP North America’s new $65 million fruit processing and juice packaging plant;
o The approval of 16 loans totaling $11.8 million for local business expansion, retention, and attraction projects. These loans leveraged an additional $71.3 million in private investment in plant, building, and equipment;
o The attraction by EDCEC of $5.65 million in committed grant funds for environmental and infrastructure work on projects such as the IP and Kaiser sites;
o The dedication of the City of Erie’s newest industrial park, the Joyce A. Savocchio Business Park, that will help provide 250 jobs to this inner-city neighborhood, and the announcement that Paragon Print Systems will construct a new facility there;
o The sale of two lots in the Fairview Business Park to allow two local companies, Connex, Inc. and Formtech, to expand their operations. |
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