MOUNT UNION, Pa. (WJAC) — Governor Josh Shapiro (D) toured a manufacturing facility on Thursday in Huntingdon County to highlight economic development across the commonwealth, as well as his economic agenda.
Pennsylvania has a rich industrial history, once dominating national and international manufacturing. Shapiro used his tour of a Cabinetworks facility in Mount Union to promote Pennsylvania's potential future in the sector.
"Working hand in hand with the private sector," Acting Department of Community and Economic Development Sec. Rick Siger told a crowd of workers at Cabinetworks "we're sending a clear signal that Pennsylvania is open for business."
Last year, with the help of the state investment, Siger said Cabinetworks agreed to invest $23 million to upgrade and expand their component plant in Mount Union. Cabinetworks commits to creating about 320 new jobs in Huntington County.
"This facility is a huge transitional effort for us, supporting the growth of Cabinetworks Group," Chad Miller, the vice president at Manufacturing at Cabinetworks Group, said. "And we're going to do some very exciting things here in Mount Union. But it's all about the support we've gotten at every level of government."
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The Governor's team also says the expansion project will help create and retain 1,694 jobs in a number of rural Pennsylvania counties.
"To succeed, we have to create growth-focused policies," Siger emphasized. "We have to break down bureaucratic barriers and move at the speed of business to ensure job creating projects like this happen right here."
He later said: "For example, the Pennsylvania First program is the most important tool we have to help us win competitive business projects."
Cabinetworks received nearly $1 million from the Pennsylvania First program, as part of their expansion. Shapiro said the company also received more than $600,000 in workforce development grants to increase the skills of their workforce.
"I believe Pennsylvania has an opportunity to be a great economic leader in the nation, where we can bring back manufacturing, bring it back from China and do it here in this Commonwealth," he said. "But I also recognize, for too long the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's government has been a barrier to progress."
The Governor has proposed a $12-million increase in his budget for the Pennsylvania First program this year.
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"It's important to me that we don't leave any community behind," he said. "That's another reason why I'm happy to see the investment right here in Huntington County. I think a key to our future success in Pennsylvania is by making sure rural communities like this see investment from their state government, see the promise of a company like Cabinetworks and say, 'You know what, we can build that here too.'"
Shapiro also mentioned he wants to invest nearly $24 million more in vocational and technical apprenticeships and bringing career and technical education back into Pennsylvania classrooms.
"We know that when new businesses relocate here or existing businesses expand here," Siger said, "that means more jobs for our workers and it means sustainable long-term economic growth for our communities — the kind you see happening right here at Cabinet Works in Mount Union."
The Governor said this expansion "has the potential to be a real game-changer" in rural counties like Huntingdon.
"Cabinetworks is bringing really good jobs to this community, not just 327 of them, but really good jobs, jobs that are starting at a pay rate of 17 to 18 bucks an hour," he noted.
"I would point out for the record," Shapiro continued, "that's a full $10 more per hour than our state minimum wage, which is totally unacceptable. And [that's] why I'm trying to raise our state minimum wage in order to keep up with where great companies like Cabinetworks are."
Calling on lawmakers from both parties to help pass his budget, Shapiro argued his agenda will make Pennsylvania more competitive in manufacturing.
"I believe that communities like Mount Union are gonna be key to that progress," said the Governor. "When we invest in our workers, when we invest in our main streets, when we invest in that vo-tech in our classrooms, we are going to see real opportunity for our future."
Shapiro also mentioned that he would like to visit the facility again, once its expansion is complete.
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