Westinghouse Electric Company is investing $200 million to construct an 800,000-square-foot facility in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The facility will serve as the company’s headquarters and technology center.
Over the next five years, the project is expected to create at least 931 new jobs and retain 2,243 existing jobs. Upon completion of this project, Westinghouse will have approximately 4,400 employees in western Pennsylvania.
Westinghouse’s $200 million expansion project was coordinated through the Governor’s Action Team, which consists of economic development professionals who serve as a single point-of-contact for businesses considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania. The Governor’s Action Team and Westinghouse worked with the Community Development Corporation of ButlerCounty and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development to secure a $6 million funding offer to the company from DCED. The financial package consists of a $2.25 million Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority loan, a $1.65 million Opportunity Grant, a $1.25 million Infrastructure Development Program grant and $860,000 in Customized Job Training funds.
The company is also eligible to apply for a $10 million loan through the Citizens Job Bank program, which offers low-interest loans to companies that commit to creating or expanding jobs in Pennsylvania.
“Without the Strategic Development Areas legislation I signed into law last November, Westinghouse might have relocated out of Pennsylvania,” Governor Rendell said. Strategic development areas legislation gives the Governor the power to create special zones that offer tax incentives to businesses dedicated to creating new jobs and investing their resources in the areas that become SDAs. Each SDA must have the full support and endorsement of the affected municipalities. Companies operating in SDAs must own or lease the property in question and create or maintain 500 jobs within three years or make a capital investment of at least $45 million.