Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce News Newswire

Pittsburgh International Airport remains powerhouse for region

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Pittsburgh International Airport remains a major economic engine for the region, directly and indirectly supporting 71,000 jobs that last year pumped $5.7 billion into the economy, airport officials said Friday.

But the airport supported almost 24,000 fewer jobs than it did in 2000, resulting in an inflation-adjusted $1.1 billion in reduced economic activity, according to airport data.

Beyond the overall losses, airport jobs pay less, on average, than they did at the start of the decade. Yet, the cost of doing business is up for some companies because flight cuts have lengthened business trips to cities that once had nonstop service from Pittsburgh, a local airline industry analyst said.

"It's hard to compare the two sets of numbers," said Brad Penrod, executive director of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, referring to economic analyses of the airport in 2000 and last year.

In 2000, Pittsburgh International was a bustling US Airways hub, with 20 million passengers and 615 daily flights to 114 destinations. Today, no longer a hub, Pittsburgh has 150 daily flights to 38 destinations and is expected to finish the year with 8.1 million passengers, a record-low for the 17-year-old airport.

Low-cost carriers flocked to Pittsburgh after the hub closed, resulting in cheaper fares. But thousands of jobs were lost with the hundreds of flights, including ones at former pilot and flight-attendant bases and a large reservations center. US Airways' locally based employment alone fell from more than 12,000 at the start of the decade to about 2,000.

"Many of those (departing) jobs paid well," said Bill Lauer, a Sewickley-based airline industry analyst.

The authority paid the consulting firm Wilbur Smith Associates $67,800 to determine the economic impact of Pittsburgh International and the Allegheny County Airport.

Wilbur Smith, which also did the 2000 study, looked at economic activity tied directly to the airports, including military installations near Pittsburgh International and business park companies on authority property. The firm analyzed indirect employment at restaurants, hotels and other businesses supporting the airports.

According to last year's study, released Friday, Pittsburgh International directly and indirectly supported 71,160 jobs with wages totaling $2.1 billion, or $29,511 per job, and had an overall economic impact of $5.7 billion. Direct, on-airport employment totaled 12,100 jobs with combined wages of $540.2 million, or $44,645 per job.

Authority Chairman Glenn R. Mahone said the airport's direct employment "means Pittsburgh International Airport has the fifth-highest number of employees in the Pittsburgh metro area." Authority spokeswoman JoAnn Jenny could not identify the other four.

Still, the 2000 study showed that the 94,800 jobs directly and indirectly supported by Pittsburgh International generated an inflation-adjusted $3.4 billion in wages, or $35,610 per job, and $6.8 billion in overall economic activity. That study did not include data on direct, on-airport employment.

"It's obvious the airport is an absolutely critical component in the region's overall economy," Lauer said. "But in terms of high-paying jobs and the value of the airport ... the loss of (service offered from the hub operated by) US Airways was critical."

By Tom Fontaine
TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Sally Haas elected chair of Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce Executives

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Sally Haas has been elected incoming chair of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Haas is president of the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce and she described PCCE as “kind of like our lifeline to what’s going on inside the chamber industry.” PCCE hers as a professional association for chamber of commerce manager in the Commonwealth.

In her new role, Haas will lead a team of 15 chamber of commerce executives who serve on the PCCE board. Her one-year term runs through December 2010.

“It’s important that we become a lifeline for our members,” Haas said. “There are so many best practices out there — we need to get those ideas flowing.”

Haas has been involved in chamber work for nearly 20 years. She started her career with the Bethel Park Chamber of Commerce, then served as executive director of the North Suburban Builders Association. She has been president of the airport chamber for about 12 years.

Under her leadership, the airport chamber has grown to serve 1,000 members, with initiatives that have fostered global relationships with China and the United Kingdom.

- Pittsburgh Business Times

State budget cuts threaten to isolate library collections

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Libraries in Pennsylvania could suddenly seem a lot smaller if people can no longer order hard-to-find books or popular movies and music from public collections nationwide.

Librarians and patrons say they fear free access to interlibrary loans and powerful computer databases will become the latest casualties of cuts the Legislature made to subsidies flowing to more than 3,000 public libraries.

In an e-mail sent this week to library directors, M. Clare Zales, deputy secretary for libraries, said she and the state Department of Education would soon explain how statewide library programs would be curtailed.

She noted that $11 million earmarked for free interlibrary loans and database access in 2008-09 was slashed to about $3 million for 2009-10. The loan program allows people to order items from other libraries for free.

Zales was not available to comment, and state officials couldn't say when libraries will learn more.

"As far as what is going to be cut, I can't hypothesize," said Leah Harris, an Education Department spokeswoman.

"It might be that we'll still have some of these programs, but they'll be scaled back," she said. "We don't have the luxury to just blanket-fund things at this point."

Some library boards are weighing whether to charge patrons to cover the cost of mailing or trucking materials, said Maria Joseph, director of Moon Township Public Library.

"A lot of us don't want to do that," said Joseph, whose library handles hundreds of interlibrary trades a week. "The whole point of the library is to be free."

Peggy Tseng, interim director of Monessen Public Library and District Center, said her library's $539,000 annual state subsidy has been reduced 20 percent this year, or by about $107,800.

Since it serves as an inter-library loan hub for Westmoreland and Fayette counties, it can't afford to pay for services such as loans or databases.

"We have benefited from it so much that the thought of limiting access to it is so sad," said Amy Joyce, 38, of Moon. She orders books and DVDs from other libraries weekly, particularly when she wants to read up on the latest research about autism. One of her two sons is autistic.

"I can get these esoteric titles from a university library or a business library, and it's free of charge. That's amazing," she said.

Carol Sepesky, a 20-year reference librarian and Monessen's assistant director, said losing access to the POWER Library collection of periodicals, scholarly papers, out-of-print classic books and accredited databases would be devastating to library users. The system is paid for and operated by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, part of the state Department of Education.

"I had a woman here yesterday that was looking for peer-reviewed articles on teaching mathematics to children, and she found the full text of over 200 articles," Sepesky said. "A lot of libraries have cut a lot of subscriptions to magazines, and so they rely on POWER Library. Without it, we would not have anything."

Libraries are eligible to use it if they're part of the "Access Pennsylvania" statewide library card program, which requires libraries to share materials. POWER, interlibrary deliveries and the statewide library card systems had a budget of $7.29 million in 2008-09, but about $3 million next year.

Of the 501 school districts in Pennsylvania, 421 rely on POWER Library exclusively in their libraries, said Glenn R. Miller, executive director of the Pennsylvania Library Association in Mechanicsburg.

"That means they buy no other resources and offer no other databases to students," he said.

Miller said demand for libraries is rising, growing 30 percent since 2000. Circulation in Pennsylvania increased 5 percent from 66,444,431 items in 2007 to 69,653,240 in 2008, which he called "an historic high."

Last year, the POWER Library system handled 38 million database searches in Pennsylvania, and about 16 million items were loaned among libraries in the state, Miller said.

"You can't stretch $3 million to take care of all this stuff," Miller said. "The state has to figure out its priorities. These are some really tough decisions to make."

Some libraries are cautioning patrons who frequently order books from other libraries to expect limitations.

"There's a very real possibility that we won't be able to get items for them as we have in the past," said Leslie Pallotta, director of Cranberry Public Library.

She said trading materials among libraries in Butler County and within a partnership district that includes Lawrence, Butler and Armstrong counties won't be a problem, even if the state subsidy is cut. They have budgeted some money to keep it going locally.

At a Butler County library directors meeting last week, Pallotta said some directors have noticed libraries in other parts of the state have hesitated to send requested titles.

"They're afraid they might not get them back because the funding might not be there," she said.

It's official: I-376 designation takes effect

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

HOPEWELL TWP. — Drivers rolling along the highway at 60 mph probably didn’t realize they were crossing the threshold to a new era, but 50 well-dressed people gathered roadside at the foot of a glistening red-and-blue sign embraced the moment.

Highways traversing Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence and Mercer counties were united Friday as Interstate 376, a designation granted by the Federal Highway Administration. The first sign was unveiled along the westbound lanes of former Route 60 in Hopewell Township.

The merger, which involved the Parkway East, Parkway West, Routes 22/30 and Route 60, stretches more than 70 miles from the Pennsylvania Turnpike exchange in Monroeville to Interstate 80 in Mercer County.

The new “I-376 corridor” includes downtown Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh International Airport, and links both entities in an interstate system that connects with Interstate 80, a major artery between New York City and Chicago.

The project, when completed, will cost $39 million, including signage and improvements required by the highway administration. Roadwork will continue in Lawrence and Mercer counties into 2010.

“Today marks a significant and historical milestone for western Pennsylvania … (and) will benefit this region of the commonwealth for many years to come,” PennDOT Secretary Allen Biehler said Friday from a roadside podium.

Drivers won’t notice any immediate difference in their daily commutes, but the unified interstate roadway could be a marketing tool to attract new businesses to the area.

Decision-makers with money to build businesses and hire people are “looking for interstate corridors,” according to Barbara McNees, president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce.

“We are poised to take advantage of this opportunity to grow the region and create new jobs,” she said.

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-4, McCandless Township, who was in Washington, D.C., Friday tending to congressional business, also sees potential.

“The designation of Interstate 376 is literally putting our region on the map as a place that has the highway infrastructure that businesses are looking for when they consider where to expand and relocate,” Altmire said through a spokesperson.

Dan Cessna, PennDOT Region 11 executive, said new signs will be posted beginning Monday, but the entire sign process could take a year. He said the new I-376 will also appear on state and federal maps in the new year.

By: Bill Utterback

Beaver County Times

FLABEG Solar U.S. Corp. Opens New Solar Mirror Plant With Greater Product Range

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

FINDLAY, Ohio and NUREMBERG, Germany, October 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Now on
stream: FLABEG, global leader in high-tech glass and mirror applications, is
opening a new production facility for solar mirrors which are used to help
generate electricity at large-scale solar power plants. The new 209.00sq.ft
manufacturing facility is erected in the Clinton Commerce Park near
Pittsburgh International Airport.
    The factory will have an annual capacity to deliver parabolic curved
mirrors up to 450 MW for PT plants. This production site is therefore
equipped to produce tempered solar mirrors in addition to the established
monoliths, untempered mirrors.
    "Our philosophy has undergone no change, nevertheless we want to be fully
prepared for all possible changes in the law," commenting FLABEG CEO Axel
Buchholz on the extended production range. "We expect some federal states
will introduce standards for safety glass for Concentrated Solar Power
applications. Our core production will remain with untempered solar mirrors."
    Field tests indicate a breakage rate of 0.027% for FLABEG untempered
solar mirrors. At such low levels breakage is not an issue.
    "As always FLABEG continues to keep abreast of the changing demands of
the market," says Buchholz. The facility will in future also be home to
thinglass applications for Solar Dishes and Concentrated PV and also flat
mirrors for Power Tower heliostats and Linear Fresnel power plants.
    FLABEG, founded in 1882, is an independent company with manufacturing
facilities in Europe, America and Asia. FLABEG is active in the commercial
sectors of automotive mirrors, solar glass mirrors and technical glass,
specializing in all processes of glass finishing, and sets technological
standard in terms of the company's core competencies - bending and coating.
    FLABEG Solar U.S. Corp.
    Mr David Littau
    2201 Sweeney Drive
    Clinton Commerce Park
    PE 15026
    ph: +1-724-719-8529
    David.Littau@flabeg.com
    http://www.flabeg.com



SOURCE  FLABEG Holding GmbH

FLABEG Solar U.S. Corp., Mr David Littau, 2201 Sweeney Drive, Clinton Commerce
Park, PE 15026, ph: +1-724-719-8529, David.Littau@flabeg.com

Fortuna Energy's parent company to open office in Pittsburgh

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Talisman Energy, the Canadian parent company of Fortuna Energy in Big Flats, plans to open an office in Pittsburgh that will focus on the company's growing Marcellus Shale drilling operations in Pennsylvania.

Fortuna spokesman Mark Scheuerman said some of the jobs at the Fortuna office will be transferred to the Pittsburgh office, which will be called Talisman USA.

But he also said the Big Flats office will remain open to handle the company's extensive land holdings in New York and monitor the gas production from its Trenton-Black River wells.

"Talisman Energy is going to establish a U.S. office in Pittsburgh and that's the extent of what's been determined," Scheuerman said Monday afternoon.

"We see it as recognition of the commitment to Marcellus Shale by our parent company. How it goes forward will take a year to work itself out. There will be some transition of jobs, but that will be determined at a later date. This is not a wholesale shutdown of the (Daniel Zenker Drive) office.

"Marcellus Shale is a multi-state operation and there are opportunities in New York and Pennsylvania," he said. "We have had great success early on and this was seen as the right way to go in order to coordinate all of the North American operations that are focused on Marcellus Shale."

In March 2003, Fortuna became active in the Trenton-Black River natural gas scene when Talisman, based in Calgary, Alberta, spent $310 million for drilling rights to 420,000 acres in Schuyler, Chemung and Steuben counties.

The following year, Fortuna more than doubled its land leases by paying $65 million to acquire the rights to an additional 475,000 acres in the Southern Tier, Ohio, West Virginia and northern Pennsylvania.

Flush with the success of its Trenton-Black River program -- 75 producing wells have been drilled into the formation so far -- Fortuna moved into a new $4.5 million 30,000-square-foot headquarters at Airport Corporate Park earlier this year.

The project was partially financed by a $500,000 investment by Fortuna, a $250,000 Empire State Development loan and a low-interest $1.12 million loan from the Chemung County Industrial Development Association.

A total of 88 employees work in the Big Flats building, which is owned by Riverside Realty.

"(The developer) received mortgage tax abatement and a sales tax abatement for the construction. Fortuna has been eligible for the Empire Zone benefits for a while and will continue to receive them because they created more jobs than was projected," said George Miner, president of Southern Tier Economic Growth.

He also predicted that despite the new Pittsburgh office, Fortuna would maintain "a good-sized labor force" at the Big Flats location.

"The gas industry is strong," he said. "We are seeing a lot more activity over the last few months. (Fortuna) has made a substantial investment here. They signed a 10-year lease with Riverside Realty and that's what gives me the optimism.

New de-icing regulations won't affect Pittsburgh International

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

FINDLAY TWP. — Pittsburgh International Airport will not be impacted by proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations aimed at reducing environmental threats created by the runoff of aircraft de-icing chemicals.

The proposal would require airports to collect 20 percent of the runoff of de-icing chemicals, which could seep into nearby freshwater sources. Pittsburgh International collects 60 percent of its runoff, according to Allegheny County Airport Authority spokeswoman JoAnn Jenny.

The new regulations would require the national’s largest airports to install de-icing pads or other collection systems to trap the runoff of de-icing fluids. Pittsburgh International has used a de-icing pad since 2002, Jenny said.

The EPA estimates the new regulations would reduce runoff chemicals by 40 million pounds over the course of a year.

“These de-icing operations use large amounts of chemicals, which may drain off airport facilities to nearby rivers, lakes, streams and bays. Airport discharges from de-icing operations can have major impacts on water quality,” according to the EPA proposal.

By: Bill Utterback - Beaver County Times