Northcentral Pennsylvania needs to think outside the box in
growing the wood products industry across the region, including
offering educational programs which kick start entreprenueralship
and niches in the market and take advantage of the resources
already in place.
“We are sitting on a gold mine with the wood industry here,” Dr.
David Soriano, associate professor of chemistry at the University
of Pittsburgh at Bradford, said Tuesday during the first of three
public meetings focused on developing a strategic plan for the wood
products industry in the region.
Soriano has asked for approval to create a two-year associate
degree in wood technology, one of a handful of programs offered
through the university that could be used to help grow the market
for the industry.
To that end, Regional Technology Strategies Inc. of North
Carolina, an internationally recognized firm with expertise in
rural economic and workforce development, has been engaged by the
Lumber Heritage Region, North Central Pennsylvania Regional
Planning and Development Commission and Pitt-Bradford to assist in
developing a plan which will help the industry compete in growing
high-end global markets.
In addition to Tuesday’s meeting, similar sessions will be held
in DuBois and Williamsport this week. Officials will then gather
the information and issue a final report in the future. Members of
the firm also spent the course of Tuesday meeting with local wood
industry, business and municipal officials, along with
representatives of the Allegheny National Forest and the university
to gain their insight into the issue.
As with most rural matters, those in attendance said a major key
to the industry’s survival and future growth depends on young
people and creating a job environment which keeps them from
traveling outside the region following graduation.
“We spend a lot of time helping rural regions define their
assets and look to help create intensive, high-wage jobs,” Sarah
Butzen of Regional Technology Strategies said. “The idea is the
well-being of the community and figuring out where the
opportunities in a certain industry will be.
“Education is one of the stakeholders that must be included in
the process,” Butzen added.
With that said, Rick Esch, vice president for Business Affairs
at Pitt-Bradford, said the university has either established or is
looking at creating various associate degree offerings that should
help match future workers with those industries currently doing
business in the area.
As background, Esch said at one time the university offered
programs related to the petroleum industry in the 1970s and
1980s.
Soriano said students as early as the sixth and seventh grades
have to be engaged.
“We have to start there,” Soriano said. “We have this wood
industry here and we shouldn’t have people leaving to go work in
North Carolina.”
North Carolina is also rich in wood industry manufacturing,
particularly furniture.
Meanwhile, officials said another offshoot of the wood products
industry is the hospitality business, of which Wayne Fawbush of RTS
said in discussions with community leaders it appeared there was
“no infrastructure for the development of high-end tourism across
the region.”
“There are limited resources in that area,” Esch replied. Esch
has been involved with the Tuna Valley Trail Association and
Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau.
“There are artisans here, but they have no way to market the
wood products. It also seems like all the high-end lumber gets cut
and leaves the area. Somehow we have to take advantage of the raw
material here.”
Soriano said he believes the region will experience a surge in
bio-refineries in the near future, adding “there is tremendous
potential for wood chemistry” jobs.
Officials across the region have repeatedly stated they are
looking at incorporating the current job market with such tourism
initiatives as the Pennsylvania Wilds, a multi-county consortium
promoting various aspects of tourism in the area. The development
of the U.S. Route 6 corridor is also a high priority of the Rendell
administration.
