CDC names new executive director
CRANBERRY TWP — Economic development efforts around the county were highlighted at the annual meeting of the Butler County Community Development Corporation, held Friday at the Regional Learning Alliance.
CDC executive director, Ken Raybuck announced the hiring of the new executive director, Steven Gifford. He will become the new director when Raybuck retires July 1.
Raybuck said a CDC committee conducted a nationwide search for the executive director position. The committee reviewed more than 20 applicants' resumes before narrowing the list to five finalists.
Gifford, a former Butler County resident, was formerly the director of the Greensburg Community Development Corporation.
“We were very fortunate to find someone in the region who has economic experience with a connection to Butler County,” Raybuck said.
Raybuck also discussed several sales agreements at both Pullman Center Business Park on Hollywood Drive in Butler and Victory Road Business Park in Clinton Township.
A six-acre parcel of property at Pullman Center is under a sales agreement with the buyer, Yeltrah PA LLC in Butler — a business partnership that includes Kent Hartley, owner of Standard Bent Glass in East Butler.
Raybuck said site work is in progress for a 20,000-square-foot spec building for medical cannabis growing facility.
“The buyer is Yeltrah. Ownership includes the Hartley family, well-known business owners in Butler County. They've created jobs at Standard Bent Glass,” he said.
“If successful in the (state) application they recently sent in for approval as a medical cannabis grower, they could employee as many as 60 people at the new facility. We're very hopeful they will have success with their application.”
At the Victory Road Business Park, Raybuck said six acres is under agreement and site clearing has begun for DDS, a New York-based construction company.
“DDS will be constructing a building on the site to house their Pennsylvania office due to the amount of work they're receiving in Butler County and the surrounding area,” he said.
Raybuck also discussed the Butler County Collaborative, which includes several county business development agencies that work to prioritize commercial development projects and work with CDC business partners to compete for limited economic development funding.
Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche introduced Mark Gordon, the new Butler County chief of economic development, and spoke of the ongoing efforts by the Butler County Collaborative to bring in new business to the county.
“We were committed to seeing these plans through and ensuring on (the CDC's) behalf that we would positioning our county with a super sales force team, for lack of a better term, that would be able to go out and attract and encourage business to expand or locate here,” Osche said. “To have a place where entrepreneurs can be successful and thrive and grow. And certainly, a place where our young people will want to stay and attract that young talent to this region.”
Osche said bringing on Gordon, was hired by the county several weeks ago, will help the county to achieve those efforts. After a nationwide search for a chief of economic development, Gordon was hired by the county several weeks ago.
Gordon was formerly the general manager of AK Steel's Butler and Zanesville, Ohio, locations.
“Mark understands this region's economic opportunity, its workforce, and most importantly, its values. We are confident for growth,” Osche said.
Gordon, who is a former Beaver County resident, spoke about how his work experiences will help him achieve the new goals for economic development of the county.
“I have a chance to live all around the world, but my roots have always brought me back to Western Pennsylvania. One of the things that excites me about this opportunity is to work with the unique qualities in our area, and that starts with the people. We have fabulous people. All we need to do is get them into a common vision and to utilize their skills, experience, and expertise,” Gordon said.
