Sep 25, 2003
PPL Electric Utilities, continuing its tradition of community involvement, has awarded more than $60,000 in grants to regional and local economic development organizations in support of their efforts to attract new jobs to eastern and central Pennsylvania.
Through its Blue Ribbon Marketing Partnership Program, PPL Electric Utilities is presenting a total of 17 grants to 13 organizations in its 29- county service area. Individual grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $6,000. Added to a first round of grants awarded earlier this year, PPL Electric Utilities has provided more than $110,000 in funding for economic development projects in its service area in 2003.
"PPL believes that support for community and economic development is not only good for our business but also the right way to do business. Through our partnership approach to economic development, we try to provide a level of support that enables regional and local organizations to do what they do best," said Donald M. Bernhard, manager of Community and Economic Development for PPL Electric Utilities.
"Blue Ribbon grants represent a funding source for programs that we believe will market the area effectively in the fiercely competitive business of economic development," he said. "Organizations will be able to leverage the dollars from PPL Electric Utilities to attract additional funding for their projects."
Economic development grants that PPL Electric Utilities awarded went to: -- Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, two grants totaling $6,000 to develop a workforce development brochure for all of northeastern Pennsylvania and to conduct a direct-mail campaign to attract high-technology businesses to northeastern Pennsylvania. -- Scranton Plan, $3,000 to support a marketing event that introduces corporate executives, real estate brokers and site selection specialists to the area. -- Wayne County Economic Development Corporation, $5,000 for Web site design. -- Pike County Industrial Development Corporation, $5,500 for Web site development. -- Schuylkill County Economic Development Corporation, $2,500 for marketing events. -- Economic Development Corporation of Lancaster County, $2,623 for printed materials. -- Capital Region Economic Development Corporation, $4,500 to develop a database of "brownfield" sites in the Harrisburg area and to improve its Web site. -- Northumberland County Industrial Development, $3,750 for ad campaign development. -- Berwick Industrial Development Authority, $6,000 for Web site development. -- Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, two grants totaling $9,000 for strategic marketing plan development; sponsorship of Experience Lehigh Valley, a special event aimed at biotech and pharmaceutical executives; and production of a digital video of available "brownfield" properties. -- Union County Industrial Development Corporation, $5,000 for Web site development. -- Industrial Properties Corporation of Williamsport, two grants totaling $5,000 for development of a credit-card-sized CD promoting the area and to support an initiative to respond to inquiries through the organization's Web site from companies and site selection specialists within 90 minutes. -- Susquehanna Industrial Development Corporation (Snyder County), $3,000 for Web site development.
PPL Electric Utilities is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL). Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation controls about 11,500 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America.
SOURCE: PPL Electric Utilities
CONTACT: George Lewis of PPL Corporation, +1-610-774-5997, or fax,
+1-610-774-5281
Web site: http://www.pplweb.com/