People who live near state borders think little of traveling across state lines to work or shop. Building relationships with government agencies is harder, but a partnership across the Pennsylvania-Ohio border has received national recognition for showing it can be done.
With the help of a federal grant, in 2008, Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania and three counties across the state line in Ohio conducted a regional study of business activities in the five counties, which are home to about 750,000 people. The results of the study showed that while people often moved back and forth across state lines within the five counties, the border created an artificial barrier when it came to government investment.
Gary Gulla, assistant city manager in Hermitage, PA, points out that economic-development funding often comes from state capitals, and government officials are usually hesitant to provide money to train workers who live somewhere else. But in this case, the governors of Pennsylvania and Ohio signed letters agreeing that for economic and workforce development purposes, the five counties were to be treated as one region.
A major piece of that partnership, the LindenPointe business campus in Hermitage, was the subject of a recent presentation to federal officials in Kansas City, MO. Officials from the Labor and Commerce departments, which contributed money toward the project, said LindenPointe was a prime example of collaboration among government agencies.
LindenPointe currently houses eight businesses, and Butler County Community College is building a satellite campus there. Construction on a workforce training center finished this year. Currently being built is a tech center with business incubator space and a testing laboratory.
Source: Gary Gulla, City of Hermitage
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen