Biz in the Valley: Aliquippa gets $700K to convert former school
Biz in the Valley is a monthly roundup of business happenings in the Beaver Valley and beyond. To submit an item, email csuttles00@gmail.com.
Leetsdale plant expands
Utility-scale solar tracker manufacturer Nextracker and JM Steel in late April celebrated a years-in-the-making expansion in Leetsdale to accommodate an increased demand for steel torque tubes used to assist in the movement of solar panels.
Fabricator JM Steel, formerly BCI Steel, and Nextracker reopened the historic Bethlehem Steel factory at the Leetsdale Industrial Park two years ago to make solar tracker parts for large-scale arrays in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic. The trackers keep solar panels pointed at the sun as it moves across the sky.
New production lines added to boost output will more than double the facility’s capacity. The workforce will grow in conjunction with the expansion.
“We are proud to announce the expansion of this historic steel factory in Pittsburgh, which we have been honored to call our home for more than 100 years,” said Tony Calandra, CEO of JM Steel’s parent company JENNMAR Holdings. “This partnership with Nextracker allows for significant investment in advanced manufacturing and brings high-quality jobs back to our communities. We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring our Pennsylvania-based employee count to more than 500.”
The expansion marks 20 new or expanded U.S. manufacturing partner facilities for Nextracker since 2021, allowing the company to provide 25 gigawatts of domestic solar tracker capacity annually.
“The U.S. solar market is continuing to demonstrate strong growth,” said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextracker.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s January short-term energy outlook forecasts solar and wind energy will lead U.S. power generation growth for the next two years. With the number of new solar projects coming online in 2024, analysts expect U.S. solar power generation to grow 75% from 163 billion kilowatt hours in 2023 to 286 billion kilowatt hours in 2025.
Matt Smith, chief growth officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, called the JM Steel-Nextracker move a “powerful partnership focused on advancing American manufacturing and America’s energy transition.”
“The future depends on leveraging a diverse portfolio of resources that addresses our environment, energy needs and economic opportunity at the same time,” said Smith.
Shot in the arm for Aliquippa’s redevelopment plans
The City of Aliquippa received a $700,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency in April to help convert the former St. Joseph School into affordable housing units and retail space.
Awarded through the state’s Community Revitalization Fund Program, the money will support the city’s revitalization efforts just months after its exit from Act 47 distressed status.
State Rep. Rob Matzie, D-16, Harmony Township, said the funding will help Aliquippa “embrace its new independence and forge a path to a stronger, more resilient future.
“A key part of those efforts will include securing state investments that help revitalize and rebuild the downtown into more productive spaces,” Matzie said.
The West Aliquippa site has been closed for decades. Plans for its revitalization include 11 new affordable residential units, retail space occupied by a standalone tenant, adjacent lots with parking, a hydroponics lab, a community event space and a playground.
The total project cost is roughly $4.1 million.
UPMC cuts 1,000 jobs
Pittsburgh-based hospital system UPMC in late April cut 1,000 jobs due to what leadership cited as ongoing post-pandemic challenges.
The layoffs primarily involved non-clinical and administrative staff. Other cuts were made by closing open positions and eliminating redundancies, said Paul Wood, UPMC vice president and chief communications officer. The cuts impact just over 1% of UPMC’s more than 100,000-person systemwide workforce.
“The entire healthcare industry continues to face the realities of a still-evolving, post-pandemic marketplace,” Wood said in a statement. “UPMC is responding to these challenges and opportunities while remaining true to its mission of providing exceptional care for patients, employees, members and communities.”
The healthcare giant reported a $198 million operating loss in 2023 – with a $27.7 billion total operating revenue for the year.
Company leadership said UPMC would offer severance pay and benefits coverage to those affected.
Lawrence County celebrates Stonecrest Business Park groundbreaking
Developers of Lawrence County’s first privately developed business park in more than 40 years held a groundbreaking in March.
The 213-acre Stonecrest Business Park in New Beaver is expected to house light manufacturing businesses, warehouse space and pad-ready sites with public utilities.
The project, to be built on the former Stonecrest Golf Course site, is expected to create 1.5 million square feet of space and generate 750 to 1,000 new jobs.
Preparation work is underway and site development is expected to begin in early 2025. The first building, to cost about $15 million, will likely be completed by fall 2025.
Chrissy Suttles is a freelance business, energy and environment reporter for The Times and other publications. You can reach her at csuttles00@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Biz in the Valley: Leetsdale solar manufacturer grows capacity
