Economy Outperforms Business News in 2022 | Jobs

Consumers have had to deal with skyrocketing inflation, supply chain problems, soaring commodity prices, fewer home-buying options, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and ongoing mass resignations. The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates to stave off a recession and may continue to do so in 2023.

However, there have been some positive financial signs recently. wall street journal Last week, it reported that inflation had fallen. Private consumption rose modestly in November. The supply chain was working fine. Increased hiring and salaries.

Food and restaurant prices are still skyrocketing, and many businesses continue to put up ‘help signs’, while gas prices hit record highs nationwide for the first time in 18 months. fell sharply to the lows of

It’s been a big year for the Monvalley Alliance.

A new CEO has been named as Jamie Colecchi was tabbed to lead the agency in April. Did.

At that time, Mary Stoller was named the organization’s new director of real estate and economic development.

Korecchi and his three staff also moved into a former community bank branch building in the heart of the Monongahela business district in September.

The MVA released its economic playbook in April. The Playbook is a coordinated, joint marketing and promotional strategy to foster economic development and continued investment in local government.

MVA also received a $2 million state grant to continue construction of Donora Industrial Park in conjunction with chocolate and confectionery manufacturer Barchemy’s expansion.

The organization also announced the first Neighborhood Partnership Program to be established in Midmon Valley. It’s a plan.

It started as a small hospital in 1897, eventually merged with another medical facility in the city, and later began to blossom with a spacious new Home Official built on farmland donated by a local family.

125 years after its inception, Washington Hospital continues to grow. It has expanded to more than 20 locations and the Washington Health System with an estimated 2,000 full-time and part-time employees, 300 medical staff, and 300 volunteers. He is the largest employer in Washington County and one of the top green employers, according to the state Department of Labor and Industry.

Being an independent health system is full of challenges, but WHS has dealt with two global pandemics, two world wars, polio, recessions, staggering inflation and other contemporary problems. .

“My lesson from our ancestors is that they got through that era with less technology, science and knowledge than they do today. If they can do it, so can we. increase.”

One of downtown Washington’s most popular restaurants closed in late August when spouses Michael and Georetta Williamson retired and closed Salomon’s Seafood and Grill after 33 years. “It’s sad, but the time has come,” Michael said after closing.

The owners, who were classmates at Washington High School in the early 70’s, have strived to provide a top-notch dining experience with varied menus, efficient service and miles of smiles for their patrons . They started in 1989 with a small store on Henderson Avenue, where they sold fresh fish and filled take-out orders. Four years later, Michael moved to a larger location in Hall, which he built on Avenue.

After finding success in Washington, the owners of Chicco Baccello decided to open a second coffee house bakery-deli in downtown Canonsburg. Chicco opened last winter at his ground floor location along West Pike Street.

Two other Washington hotspots that have been in operation for over 130 years together continue to this day. Shorty’s Ranch has been grilling specialty hot dogs on West Chestnut Street for nearly 90 years. Meanwhile, Joe Vucci Jr. is celebrating his 42nd year preparing sweet treats at Joe’s Bakery.

The Ignite Business Incubator celebrated its one year anniversary on June 1st at 57 Chestnut Street, Washington.

In its first year, Ignite provided over 700 hours of consulting support.

Another Ignite offering is the Ideas 2 Enterprise (I2E) Business Planning Workshop Cohort. It offers courses to help local entrepreneurs develop formal business plans. The next cohort is scheduled for February.

Through these services, some businesses have been able to expand, while others who have just gone mobile have been able to open physical store facilities.

Ignite Manager Lauren LaGreca said: “Deliberate action advances sustainable paths. We continue to grow and are doing well. It is proof of that.”

Ignite grew out of a Greater Washington Area business incubator. We connect, support, educate and empower entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing consulting, advising, networking and other services.

The economic development of the 10 counties area is on an upward trend again.

That was a very important takeaway from the 15th Annual Pittsburgh Area Business Investment Scorecard released in June by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and its affiliate, the Pittsburgh Area Alliance.

Its scorecard details business investment activity announced in 2021.

Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties all reported good numbers on their scorecards.

Washington County named 18 investment projects, including Innovative Electronics, which is developing a 50,000-square-foot building at Burgettstown’s Starpointe Business Park. The county scorecard also listed 10 development projects.

Green County has listed three investment projects and one development project. Fayette County named two development projects.

“Washington tends to be one of the more active counties all the time,” said Jim Futrell, vice president of market research at the Allegheny Conference. Doubled to four and Fayette is steady at two. Great rebounding within those three counties.”

Broadband expansion to underserved areas remains a major priority.

Washington County launched a broadband initiative in January, launching a pilot program near Abella by partnering with Hickory Telephone to provide high-speed Internet to 50 homes in Meadowcroft and Jefferson Township.

Several other projects were approved using federal American Relief Plan funds, with telecommunications companies splitting the costs. County officials also announced a multi-year deal in October that will bring broadband to her 6,500 customers in 10 pockets across Washington County at an estimated cost of $50 million.

Greene County officials announced in December that they had received a $1 million donation from the CNX Foundation. It will be used in partnership with Kinetic by Windstream to lay fiber cables across the northwestern part of the county. The project coincides with other phases, including installing broadband in the southwestern corner of Greene County and upgrading services in densely populated areas around Waynesburg, Carmichaels and Mount Morris.

Fayette County received a $1.1 million state grant that will be used to expand broadband service to underserved areas of the county. This will allow the county to build on the $5.3 million spent on her VITALink initiative and use federal CARES Act stimulus funds to set up 29 internet “hotspots” throughout the county later in 2020.

Broadband also enjoys wide-spread support among supporters of the McGuffey Regional Revitalization Initiative, which focuses on economic development and revitalization through the I-70 and US-40 corridors from Washington to the West Virginia Panhandle. I am getting support.

The petrochemical complex officially entered commercial operation in November, six years after Royal Dutch Shell announced that it would actually build an ethylene cracker plant in Beaver County.

A $6 billion project in Potter Township on the Ohio River is completely defunct and in trouble. Shell received a notice of violation from the state Environmental Protection Agency this fall when he exceeded air permit limits for two consecutive months during startup activities.

Production of plastics is expected to be the main outcome of the business. A cracker plant “breaks” the ethane molecule into its petrochemical building blocks, which can be refined to create polyethylene, a plastic used for a variety of purposes, from food packaging to car parts.

Pennsylvania provided Shell with a $1.6 billion tax incentive to build a complex in Beaver County in exchange for 600 ongoing jobs.

There is still a long way to go in ambitious economic development/revitalization projects stretching from Washington to the Panhandle of West Virginia along the corridors of Interstate 70 and US 40. But it’s moving forward.

The revitalization of Main Street (Route 40) is a primary objective of the Claysville Area Preservation and Revitalization Initiative (CAPRI). The borough’s shopping district is fairly vibrant, but the only business district within the sprawling McGuffey School District needs improvement.

Local officials received a $116,250 tax credit from the state to fund potential acquisition and restoration of the Sprawls Hardware Complex at 234-238 Main Street. A run-down building complex that has been vacant since 2013. Local entrepreneur Rick Newton calls it: “An iconic building in the heart of the community.”

The Roll ‘R’ Way Skating Center opened on November 4th and had long lines to get in on the first two nights. The rink at 590 Galiffa Drive is a constant stream of people.

Roll ‘R’ Way owner Frank Quintin said: “Things are moving.”

Quintin purchased the former volleyball center built by the Shoup family in 1983 and open until August of this year. The facility’s owner, Linda Shoup Miner, said it was sold because none of her descendants showed any interest in running the business.

The Skate Center’s early days featured mostly skating and arcades, but it has big plans. Pickleball is due to start at the beginning of the new year, and he already has two concerts scheduled.