as reported in Keystone Edge
Economic development officials in Centre, Blair and Bedford counties are at work on a fresh marketing campaign touting the I-99 corridor as a prime location for business growth.
“With the largest concentration of Keystone Innovation Zones and Penn State University’s leadership status in materials science, life sciences and information technologies, the I-99 corridor region is poised to take its marketing efforts to the next level to support local companies and attract new investment,” says Lesley Kistner of the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County.
The campaign is aimed at site selectors, corporate decision makers and economic development officials; it includes an annual print publication scheduled to launch this summer and a revamped website. Besides CBICC, the partners are theAltoona-Blair County Development Corporation and the Bedford County Development Association.
The three counties began collaborating in 2001 on economic growth along I-99, which runs north-south, linking I-76 and I-80. From the outset, a key objective was to leverage the strengths of Penn State.
“So while work to promote the economic development assets of the corridor is not new, the effort has been re-energized at a time when its most recognizable asset — Penn State University — has made economic development a focal point,” explains Kistner. “Under President Barron, [the school] has made dramatic improvements in its intellectual property policy — all strong selling points that make the region attractive to business.”
Adding to its appeal, the I-99 corridor has 10 Keystone Innovation Zone locations designed to link technology-based companies with university faculty and research support, and numerous Keystone Opportunity Zones, which feature a greatly reduced tax burden.
The corridor also offers easy access to “Penn State University and its world-class research across many fields of study, including a leadership in metallic materials additive manufacturing,” adds Kistner. “Low-cost energy, a skilled workforce, a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, a strategic location to Marcellus and Utica natural gas shale plays, and an efficient transportation system all combine to make the corridor and this region of central Pennsylvania attractive to business and industry.”
Writer: Elise Vider
