Fay-Penn OKs loan
Fay-Penn Economic Development Council on Friday approved a loan to help one well-known candy maker expand its horizons. “We are trying to make this place like ‘Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,'” said Bob Ferguson of Gene and Boots Candies in Perryopolis, referring to the film starring Gene Wilder.
Using a $112,500 low-interest loan from Fay-Penn’s Revolving Loan Fund, the company plans to expand its business by adding ice cream manufacturing to its candy operation.
Ferguson said the company hopes to become a major tourist attraction like Fallingwater, Ohiopyle or Laurel Caverns.
“We know that Route 43 is being used to direct traffic away from Route 51 where we are located and we came up with this idea to get the people coming back. We are working to make Gene and Boots a stop like other tourist destinations in the area.
“We are working now with Laurel Highlands Tourism to make this a bus stop,’ Ferguson said.
Gene and Boots Candies has been in operation since 1930. Mike Krajovic, Fay-Penn president, said expansion will cost $225,000 and create 10 new jobs. The 3.5 percent adjusted rate loan is for a period of 12 years.
The Fay-Penn board took the action during its quarterly board meeting, where Leo Krantz, Fay-Penn chairman, discussed the importance of having available business sites, improving education and job creation.
While much of the business expansion in recent years has been from existing companies, Krantz said Fay-Penn business specialists get calls each month from clients looking for an existing structure to move into.
“About 75 percent of our monthly inquiries ask if we have a move-in-ready building. Spec buildings are the answer, and we are going to be looking into that further,’ Krantz said.
Donna Bates, business development specialist, said many callers are looking for “large existing spaces with high ceilings of 30 feet. We just don’t have buildings like that available.’
Buildings aren’t all that businesses look for, Krajovic said: “We lost one business to North Carolina when they found a better financial deal.’
Fay-Penn also is working with the Uniontown city council in downtown revitalization. Krantz commended businessman and Fayette County Commissioner Joe Hardy for his recent flurry of spending on visible improvements.
But it apparently poses a problem with the city’s state funding sources.
“We have a dilemma,’ Krantz said. “Our job is to find matching funds for those Gov. Ed Rendell promised. We have a proposal to use what Mr. Hardy has spent as the match so we can free those state funds and use them to build the new parking garage. It’s very unusual to do that, but some of the things he did were items we planned to do with the state money. It makes it procedurally difficult.’ Krantz said about $4 million in state funding is at stake.
Kim Dillinger, Fay-Penn REACH coordinator, reported receiving $20,000 from National City Bank; $8,500 from Laurel Business Institute; and $5,000 from Carolyn Blaney to support its programs. Ronald L. Byers, National City senior vice president, said REACH will have an opportunity to look at course curriculum and “have people go into the classroom from various occupations to give practical experience to the students.’
Another project REACH is working on is Logic House, a software development program in Frazier and Brownsville Area schools.
The program will allow parents to check their child’s school records online and give teachers a better tracking tool. At Frazier, this project will be facilitated through the recent installation of wireless connectivity to the Internet in the Perryopolis area.
Sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Benedum Foundation and Carnegie Mellon University, the test program will help business, education and the community to move forward with new technology.
Krajovic said it appears Atlantic Broadband will step in as the Internet service provider for that system.