Continuing to advance his JOBS1stPA initiative, Governor Tom Corbett joined PPG Industries to open a regional headquarters for its architectural coatings business in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. The facility is located in Cranberry Township, Butler County and is expected to accommodate approximately 550 employees.
“Throughout the Pittsburgh region and the entire commonwealth, we are seeing well-known, well-respected Pennsylvania companies like PPG choosing our Keystone State as the best place to build their businesses, create jobs, and grow our economy,” said Gov. Corbett. “Government should be an advocate, not an adversary to creating jobs, and we are building a stronger Pennsylvania by making sure our commonwealth remains the best place to live, work and thrive. This is a great day for PPG and a great day for Pennsylvania.”
PPG, a leading coatings and specialty materials company, established the regional headquarters for its architectural coatings business at an approximately 118,000-square-foot facility in Cranberry Township, Butler County, consolidating operations from Louisville, Kentucky; Dover, Delaware; and Strongsville, Ohio.
“We are pleased to celebrate the opening of this new facility as it strengthens PPG’s presence in Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh region, where we’ve called home for more than 130 years,” said Charles E. Bunch, PPG chairman and chief executive officer, at today’s grand opening ceremony. “The Governor has been an advocate for businesses in the state. We appreciate his efforts in Harrisburg to create an atmosphere that encourages business growth and development. Proof of his efforts is being celebrated today with the opening of this new regional headquarters for PPG’s architectural coatings business.”
As part of this project, PPG will also expand and co-locate its North American Architectural Coatings research and development activities, laboratory equipment and personnel that are presently located at the company’s Springdale, Allegheny County, and Strongsville, Ohio locations to Harmar Township, Allegheny County. The Technology Center in Harmar Township currently includes PPG’s glass and fiber glass business and research and development activities.
Both projects – establishing the new headquarters in Cranberry and expanding the R&D facility in Springdale and Harmar - are expected to generate an investment in excess of $14 million for infrastructure, equipment and employee training, and PPG is projected to create more than 300 jobs and retain another 2,500 positions throughout the state.
The company received a funding offer from the Department of Community and Economic Development including a $1,250,000 Pennsylvania First Program grant, $618,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits and a $139,050 Guaranteed Free Training grant which will be used to train its new workforce. A $2 million loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority to be repaid within 15 years was also included.
The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, an experienced group of economic development professionals who report directly to the Governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania. The Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Allegheny County and Butler County also collaborated on this project.
Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in nearly 70 countries around the world. PPG is the world’s leading coatings and specialty material company and is Pittsburgh’s second largest manufacturing company. PPG maintains seven sites throughout Pennsylvania, including Allison Park (Allegheny County), Carlisle (Cumberland County), Cranberry (Butler County), Harmar (Allegheny County), Monroeville (Allegheny County), Springdale (Allegheny County) and Pittsburgh (Allegheny County). For more information on PPG, visit www.ppg.com.
In 2012, Gov. Corbett launched JOBS1st PA as a comprehensive roadmap to economic recovery that harnessed the state’s resources and talents to prioritize private-sector job creation and retention. Today, Pennsylvania's unemployment rate hovers near a five-year low and jobs have been growing on a consistent basis for nearly four years.
For more information about Gov. Corbett’s commitment to job creation, visit www.pa.gov.