= The Westmoreland County Industrial Development Authority recently was awarded $8.6 million from the state for the second phase of development of the Westmoreland Distribution Park, located behind the former Montgomery Ward Warehouse. Plans call for construction of six pads, or larger, ready-to-go parcels ranging in size from 9.1 acres to 32 acres. The pads would include utilities and would be leveled to save earth-moving time. About 1,000 jobs could be created with the development of the additional 200 acres of land. Westmoreland County’s industrial park system averages about 10 jobs per acre, according to Larry Larese, executive director of WCIDC. The 200 acres targeted for development will yield about 101 acres to accommodate pads, thus translating to the approximately 1,000 jobs figure. Larese said the timetable calls for completion of the final design within the next two months, with construction bids scheduled to be advertised in April. Larese said substantial earth-moving will have to be done in order to meet a targeted fall 2006 occupancy date. The $8.6 million from the state will cover site acquisition, development and utility costs. = WCIDC has applied for a $500,000 grant from the state to continue development of the Westmoreland Technology Park. Larry J. Larese, executive director of the WCIDC said the money has already been approved by Gov. Ed Rendell and will be used for a second round of infrastructure development of about 35 acres, roughly 21 of which will be available for use. The money will be used to create one large, pad-ready site. The goal would be to attract one large company to the site, rather than sub-divide it. The park does not have such sites presently. IDC hopes to market the site by summer. = St. Vincent College received a $5 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. The grant will be used to construct a Business-Conference Center to complement the south campus expansion adjacent to the planned $12 million Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. The proposed center will feature one large meeting room for groups up to 150 people, which can be expanded for up to 300 dinners. Among the center’s amenities are a kitchen, four breakout rooms, each with capacity for 45, satellite video-teleconferencing, high-tech presentation systems and exhibition space and offices for event and conference services. = A Pittsburgh businessman, William A. Kelman, has acquired substantially all of the assets of L.E. Smith Glass Co. in Mount Pleasant. This includes equipment, inventory, machinery and receivables. A purchase price was not disclosed. Mark DuMars, president of Inglewood Associates, based in Mount Lebanon, Allegheny County, was appointed in July as a receiver, or administrator, of the Smith Glass business by U.S. District Court Judge Terrence McVerry. DuMars said the deal includes provisions for the new company to acquire the Smith Glass building and more than 10 acres in Mount Pleasant Township at a sheriff’s sale next month. Kelman did not comment on the sheriff’s sale. Kelman said that he formed a new company, Port Augustus Glass Co. LLC, to acquire the glassmaker’s assets. He said plans are in the works to add new products, and perhaps diversify the business. Negotiations on a contract for the union are ongoing.

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