KIZ Coordinator’s Report
February 20, 2009
Mapping Status
I have been informed via email from Sheri that the approvals of our
property modifications are 98% percent complete. The only outstanding request
is for the Ernst property. Sheri is supportive of this addition but it still needs final
approval.
Please note that the Warren request was not approved as requested.
DCED has modified the request from the addition of the 1,030 square feet to a
swap of the Warren Hospital for the entire Warren County Industrial Complex
facility. The entire facility was designated to eliminate the need to return for
additional requests for the same facility.
The mapping corrections for the Clarion Business District (Clarion
Research Group), Paint Township (Clarion Laminates), North Street & Park
Avenue (2W Technologies & Dynasty Software), and Crawford Business Park
(Optical Filters) are all included within the 98% that have been approved.
Pending Micro Grant & Intern Requests
Michael Dent, owner of Optical Filters has scheduled a meeting with me
for February 18th to review a KIZ Micro Grant and intern request. As soon as all
necessary documents are in order for the micro grant it will be forwarded to the
Executive Committee for their review. The internship description will be
forwarded to Amara and Jim Fitch at Allegheny for potential interns.
I have been notified that Clarion Research Group will be submitting a
request for a summer intern. Cindy Nellis will be in contact with Bob at Clarion
University to set this up.
Metrics
Attached for your review
Company Tracking Document
Attached for your review
Tax Credit Training Seminar
KIZ Resources will be presenting a Tax Credit workshop at the NW
Commission on February 27th at 9:30. Notices have been sent to our KIZ
companies and the CPA’s and accounting firms that are in our region. KIZ
Resources is a company out of Altoona that brokers tax credits. They present for
numerous KIZ as a free service. We are not endorsing their company but their
four years experience with the credits is a valuable resource of information for us
to utilize.
1 of 4
2/18/09
KIZ Quarterly Meeting
The KIZ Coordinator’s have been notified that the required quarterly
meeting is scheduled for March 4th and 5th in Harrisburg. Items of discussion are
to include the progress of our Strategic Plans and the Semi Annual Reporting
Portal.
Meadville Pipeline Company Referral
Jill Groves from the Meadville Redevelopment Authority and I met with a
pipeline company interested in moving into the Meadville Industrial Complex and
Business incubator (Old Talon facility). This company is presently working with
the Gannon SBDC on their business plan and with a local attorney on their
incorporation.
Company Visits
I have made fourteen company visits since the first of the year. At each of
these meetings I have highlighted the internship program and the micro grant we
have available. Over the next few weeks I will be following up with them in an
attempt to encourage the submission of brief job descriptions and check on their
status for micro grant requests.
After I have a formal notification of the property modifications I will be in
contact with the pipeline companies to schedule follow up meetings with each of
them.
Coordinator’s Tax Credit Certification
KIZ companies are required to attach a KIZ Coordinator’s Certification to
their application for the KIZ Tax Credit. These certifications will be sent out to
our KIZ companies to verify their incorporation date, location, and identification of
any partners that they have had or are presently working with. I have requested
information on each company’s partner relationships to include with this
certification.
Pipeline Companies Approval/Confirmation Pending Formal Notice of
Property Modifications
Clarion Laminates – Incorporated 4/12/2005, under Advanced
Manufacturing and the Clean/Green Technology clusters, Clarion Laminates
utilizes over 80% of post-industrial recycled waste in its operation which is
located in the Paint Township KIZ node in Clarion. Its innovative process
qualifies the company as KIZ.
Dynasty Software - Incorporated 12/30/08 under the Information
Technology industry cluster and located in the North Street & Park Ave Node in
Meadville, Dynasty Software is a spin-off company from Wood Technologies.
Located in Meadville at 375 Chestnut Street, Dynasty software is copyrighted
and the company is solely owned. It is software used in operating rooms to
assure all instruments are accounted for before and after surgery. This software
developed in 2007 is designed to assist with data validation prior to final data
import to Steris Corporation’s exclusive surgical instrument management solution
2 of 4
2/18/09
called “Censitrac”. As of March 2008, all “Censitrac” implementations utilize
Dynasty software. Dynasty is marketed in conjunction with “Censitrac” which
presently services 24% of the hospital market. This software is presently a client
based application and future plans include developing Dynasty as a web-based
product which would be able to be expanded to hospitals that are not able to
purchase the “Censitrac” software solution in addition to their marketing to other
Instrument tracking solutions as a part of their implementation process.
Forward Vision Systems Inc. was incorporated on August 1, 2008 and will
be locating at the Warren County Industrial Complex node. As one of only four
companies in the world trying to develop this product it would qualify under the
Advanced Manufacturing industry cluster in their production of enhanced vision
systems for general aviation aircraft. No other system has received FAA
approval but Forward Vision expects to receive their approvals by the end of
2008. The system is the lightest and easiest to install and is the only
upgradeable enhanced bi-vision system in development. The basic EVS-100 is a
long range infrared sensor and the upgrade in development is to overlay a visible
light camera image with that and fuse the images. Additional development down
the road is to overlay synthetic vision with infrared so not only would you have
what looks like your GPS view but real time images as well. There are a number
of other related developments in R&D including virtual heads up displays, non
aviation capabilities, etc. in the works. The business plan is projecting 3-5
employees over the next 3 years which includes wire harness manufacturers,
quality control personnel, supervisors, and administrative personnel. Wage rates
are planned at 2+ the minimum as a start.
Ernst Biomass was incorporated on 11/13/08 and is identified under the
Clean/Green Technology cluster. This is a locally held corporation formed to
meet emerging regional energy needs in a sustainable, renewable manner. This
company will process, dedicated energy crops, crop residue, and wood and
waste biomass into a uniform fuel for residential, commercial, and industrial
heating or utilization in a combined heat and power facility. The process will
involve the collection and stockpiling of feedstock, drying, and grinding feedstock,
densifying the dry, ground material, and preparing it for shipment.
Plant Advancements was incorporated on 1/3/08 and is identified under
the Clean/Green Technology and Life Sciences industry clusters. This is a
renewable bioenergy company with a focus on the primary production of biomass
for the growing biofuels industry. Plant Advancements’ research will develop
new elite improved varieties of switchgrass and other energy crops and products
used as feedstock for biofuels. The company will use conventional breeding,
genomics, advanced breeding, and biotechnology to provide sustainable
solutions for the biofuels industry. The near-term product goals (1-3 years) for
Plant Advancements include the development of improved and regionally
selected varieties of switchgrass through conventional breeding.
I would request that the Board consider the approval or confirmation of the
listed companies pending formal notification of the property modifications.
3 of 4
2/18/09
Answer Zone Intern
At the December NWPA KIZ Board meeting a payment of $1040 was
approved to support an intern to develop the Answer Zone, a one stop shop,
central webpage that will link to the best available content for entrepreneurial
education identified through annual research. I have been informed that the
intern description will be available next week and the search for a qualified
student from among the NWPA KIZ colleges will begin after that.
Status of Keystone Innovation Grant
It had been DCED’s intention to release the KIG Guidelines in late
February but have now put them on hold for the immediate future. When created
as part of Governor Rendell’s initial stimulus package, the Keystone Innovation
Grant (KIG) program provided $10 million in funds to support this grant program.
With the last round of KIG funding, the $10 million line item was expended.
Funding for any future solicitation of Innovation Grant proposals will be
contingent on BFTDA budget allocations and funding approvals by the BFTDA
Board. I will keep you informed as information is made available.
4 of 4
2/18/09