MONESSEN - Wearing a button promoting green energy, Rostraver Township businessman Doug Farnham officially opened the doors Tuesday to a new, multimillion-dollar complex.
About 100 people gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Green Energy office complex at the Monessen Riverfront Industrial Park. The event was held at the new Monessen Food Pantry, located adjacent to the Green Energy building.
With a singer and refreshments, the festive ceremony culminated years of work by Farnham, state, county and local leaders to turn the brown field site in Monessen into a thriving industrial area.
Farnham, president of Farnham and Pfile Co. Inc., credited completion of the Green Energy complex to a myriad of officials and Gov. Ed Rendell for initiating a public/private partnership that enables the two entities to work together on public land projects.
Construction on the 52,000-square-foot Green Energy building began in 2006. The building's tenants will focus on "green power," or electricity derived from non-polluting renewable energy resources. The building was constructed by the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland County in conjunction with the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp., (WCIDC) through a $5 million state grant.
Farnham, who invested an additional $2.5 million, said the total investment for the new buildings and equipment in Phase II at the industrial park was over $15 million.
Speaking at the ceremony were Westmoreland County Commissioner Tom Ceraso, who served as master of ceremonies; state Rep. R. Ted Harhai, D-Monessen, city Councilwoman Mary Jo Smith, John A. Skiavo, chief executive officer of the Economic Growth Connection, and Frank X. Horrigan, regional director for the Governor's Action Team.
Representatives for Westmoreland County Commissioner Tom Balya, State Sen. J. Barry Stout, D-Bentleyville, and other local politicians were also in attendance.
The Monessen Riverfront Industrial Park project kicked off in 1994 through the support of the late state Rep. Herman Mihalich and the WCIDC.
Phase I involved razing the land once home to Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel and building a 250,000 square-foot facility. Farnham invested $5 million to construct the building and was instrumental in bringing Maronda Homes to the site.
Farnham told the crowd he remembers the day several years ago he made a "cold call" to the president of Maronda Homes. When his secretary informed Farnham he didn't take blind calls, Farnham quickly quipped, "I told him I had an offer he couldn't refuse."
Farnham also had praise for Harhai, who he said worked tirelessly to get the funding and turn the blueprints into reality.
Harhai called the project one of the best "examples of a public and private partnership in the entire state of Pennsylvania."
Farnham said Consol Energy, the largest producer of energy sources in the state, PFBC Environmental Energy Technology Inc., Families for PA Coal (FORCE), and a Canadian company, Pumpaction, will occupy the new Green Energy building. Farnham's company offices will also move there.
The building also features a wellness center, a cafe and a walking path that will enable employees and the public to access the river front.
Proceeds from the cafe will benefit the Monessen Food Pantry.
