Fay-Penn honors local engineer
For Russell B. Mechling Jr., last night was more special than just attending Fay-Penn Economic Development Council’s 10th annual dinner meeting. Fay-Penn presented the local engineer with its annual Eberly Economic Development Award, noting Mechling’s contributions to job and business creation in the county.
“I am very honored,’ Mechling said, adding that his firm, Fayette Engineering, is marking its 100th anniversary this year.
Fayette Engineering has grown to more than 50 employees under his tenure.
“My grandfather and two partners (Louis Mechling, E.L. Zearly and H.M. Crawford) started it in 1902. For many years, at least up to the 1950s, we used some of the same equipment they bought brand new. Today, things are a little different,’ he said.
His involvement started in the 1960s when he assumed responsibility for the business. “One of my first roles was to represent the company on the Greater Uniontown Industrial Fund and the Fayette Development Council,’ which had won a major victory when it enticed Rockwell International to open a factory on North Gallatin Avenue in Uniontown.
Today, Mechling is Fay-Penn treasurer and active in the group’s role to create jobs and improve the quality of life in Fayette County.
As an example of the agency’s growth since it’s inception in 1992, Mechling, in his treasurer’s report, noted how Fay-Penn’s revolving loan fund has grown to about $9 million.
“Our goal was to reach $10 million by 2005. Well, we will probably meet that goal this year,’ he said.
A special plaque and award were also given to Robert Eberly, Fay-Penn founder and president, and Mike Krajovic, executive vice president, for this work.
The plaque honoring Eberly will be placed in Fay-Penn’s offices on permanent display.
State Sen. Richard Kasunic, in relating some of the events in Fay-Penn’s first decade, noted Eberly took the development challenge “head on.
“A group of us went to the state asking for some development money. They were reluctant to give it to us unless they were sure it would be spent wisely. Some feelings may have been hurt at the time but this group has grown and prospered under his leadership,’ Kasunic said.
But it has been more that just leadership.
Krajovic noted that the Eberly Foundation has given Fay-Penn about $2 million in the past year, $1 million of which went straight into the revolving loan fund.
“We have come a long way and we definitely have challenges we will need to address in the next 10 years,’ Krajovic said.
In its first decade, he added, Fay-Penn has completed 164 economic development projects that have resulted in investment of about $179 million in public funds and $589 million in private funds.
“New construction dollars have totaled almost $448 million,’ he said, qualifying that figure by adding that much of it will come from Duke Energy’s power plant construction near Masontown.
“But we have also helped create or retain nearly 5,400 jobs and $80 million in annual payroll dollar,’ he said.
Some of the challenges, Krajovic added, will be to create new housing, improve education and build new sewer and water systems.
He noted that Fayette County currently has a negative birth rate.
“That means that there aren’t as many people being born as there are dying. That also means that we can’t afford to have any student in the future not graduate from high school.
“We could be passive and just let things happen on their own. But we need to be active and set goals for ourselves. We need to look at where we want to go over the next 10 years.
“We have the ability of moving forward, of putting all these things together, to make our future a success,’ he said.