Biz in the Valley: PepsiCo opens distribution center near airport, planned food hub gets grant funding & more

Biz in the Valley is a monthly roundup of business happenings in the Beaver Valley and beyond. To submit an item, email csuttles@gannett.com.

PepsiCo opened a new 150,000-square-foot distribution and satellite warehouse just north of Findlay Township’s Pittsburgh International Airport in November.

Workers at the facility, located along International Drive, will distribute 10 million cases of PepsiCo beverages annually, including Pepsi, Aquafina, Gatorade and Starbucks ready-to-drink products, to retailers in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Washington counties.

The company previously operated a distribution facility in McKees Rocks for more than six decades, recently relocating to the new site with plans for expansion.

Roughly 275 employees moved from the McKees Rocks center to the new location, which can accommodate as many as 300 employees. The building can be extended by 32,000 square feet for future growth.

Plans for community food hub in Beaver County clear hurdle

Nonprofit RiverWise received a $49,000 state grant to move forward with the planning and design of a community food hub in Beaver County.

The funding, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture through the Pennsylvania Farm Bill's Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program, is centered on expanding the supply of fresh food in underserved areas.

The endeavor is part of a yearslong partnership with Beaver County’s Crop and Kettle, said RiverWise executive director Daniel Rossi-Keen.

“By combining their connection to the community with RiverWise's capacity for planning and strategy, we are maximizing the value of collaboration and building a more resilient community fabric together,” he said.

“If we want to create a different kind of future for Beaver County, we have to start thinking more strategically about the underlying systems that build community thriving,” Rossi-Keen continued. “A strong and interconnected food system is critical to the health of any community. So, we are excited to think about how a community food hub can bring together farmers, food entrepreneurs, business people, culinary students and more.”

Beaver County’s food insecurity rate was 12.8% in 2021, with a child food insecurity rate of 18.9%, according to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Once plans are solidified, RiverWise will work to secure funding and partners to develop the hub.

“Connecting folks who are struggling to an easily accessible network of fresh food helps us make inroads against food insecurity,” said state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-16, Harmony Township, who announced the grant. “Securing this new funding will help RiverWise expand that network through the planning and design of a community food hub. Broader outreach to all parts of the community helps ensure that more families have the fresh food they need.”

Restaurant owner with Robinson location to pay millions in back wages

The U.S. Department of Labor recovered $11.4 million in back wages and liquidated damages for more than 1,000 employees at dozens of Plaza Azteca Mexican restaurant locations, including the one in Robinson Township.

The consent judgment entered by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia resolves litigation related to pay practices at more than 40 Plaza Azteca Mexican restaurants owned by Ruben Leon in seven states.

Investigators said employers violated overtime and minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act when they paid back-of-the-house employees predetermined amounts and failed to pay some employees minimum wage and overtime compensation for hours worked. Employers also failed to maintain accurate records of employees’ work hours and wages, according to the department.

“Our investigators found Plaza Azteca knew of its legal obligations to pay workers minimum wage and overtime and keep accurate payroll records and, yet, willfully disregarded federal law,” said the department’s wage and hour administrator Jessica Looman.

The judgment, which employers agreed to prior to a scheduled jury trial, includes a $625,000 civil penalty and requires Plaza Azteca employers to retain an independent consultant to ensure payroll and recordkeeping practices comply with federal labor law.

Family-owned auto recycler earns national recognition

Novak Auto Parts, a family-owned auto recycling business in New Sewickley Township, was named Certified Automotive Recycler of the Year by the Automotive Recyclers Association.

The national industry organization’s mission is to "promote the conservation of energy and the total utilization of resources."

"The Novaks' commitment of adhering to the environmental and safety regulatory compliance requirements of the professional auto recycling CAR program assures their status as one of the best in our industry,” said Sandy Blalock, the association’s executive director.

Company owners said Novak Auto Parts “bears little resemblance to the outdated model of a salvage yard,” noting their vehicles “undergo a rigorous auto dismantling process in which all fluids are drained, safely contained and put to good use.”

Gas is repurposed to power on-site work vehicles, oil is used to heat buildings, recycled freon is sold to repair shops and water used to wash car parts is collected, filtered and reused on-site, Novak owners said.

Tenaris president elected chairman of new trade association

Tenaris U.S. President Luca Zanotti will serve as chairman of a new Washington, D.C.-based trade association for American manufacturers of Oil Country Tubular Goods.

Six manufacturers that represent 19 facilities in nine states and approximately 7,500 American workers recently announced the U.S. OCTG Manufacturers Association.

Tenaris owns two Beaver County steel plants, a Koppel melt shop and a Harmony Township seamless tube mill.

Zanotti in a statement emphasized the importance of promoting and developing reliable domestic supply chains, "such as a world-class U.S. OCTG industry."

“Foreign producers, many from countries that do not have a local OCTG market, and, consequently, have non-market excess capacity, account for roughly half of the U.S. market," said Zanotti. "The U.S. industry can replace these imports and create thousands of high-paying jobs in American OCTG plants and in the American steel plants that supply their hot rolled coils, while reducing the carbon footprint.”

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Biz in the Valley: PepsiCo opens distribution center near airport