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BDC offers business seminar

LENDING A HAND — Leaders of the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle presented a $15,000 donation from the economic development group and Hackman Capital Partners to the Brooke County Pioneer Trail Association for equipment to cut tall grass along the trail, which extends from the county’s southern end and through Beech Bottom to the Wellsburg Yankee Trail. Participating in the presentation were, from left, Bill D’Alesio, BDC board chairman; Lenny DeWitt, president of the trail association; and Pat Ford, BDC executive director. -- Warren Scott

FOLLANSBEE — Those thinking of starting their own business or existing business owners considering expanding are invited to a workshop aimed at helping them develop a plan.

Set for noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 at Vito’s 2 restaurant, the Business Boot Camp is a joint collaboration of the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, Follansbee Chamber of Commerce and First Microloan of West Virginia.

BDC Executive Director Pat Ford said the West Virginia Small Business Development Center also will join the BDC and First Microloan of West Virginia in presenting sessions on securing financing for a new or expanded business, developing the business plan required for loans for such endeavors and marketing the business.

The cost to participate is $10, which includes a meal. There also will be door prizes during the program.

Those interested in attending should register by calling the BDC at (304) 748-5041.

Ford expressed appreciation to Chamber President Tony Paesano, Debbie Puskarich, the chamber’s executive director; and other chamber members for their cooperation in planning the event.

He added another Business Boot Camp is planned for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Chester City Building and the BDC is accepting reservations for it also.

Ford said the BDC continues to market the former Follansbee Steel property it purchased last year. He said two parties have expressed interest in the site but there are no firm commitments yet.

The economic development group also has been recruited by the Brooke County Board of Education to market the Follansbee Middle School buildings and adjacent property. Plans call for the school to close next year, when the county’s new middle school is set to open.

Last week Ford told the Brooke County Commission the Beech Bottom Industrial Park has a new tenant: Lineal Industries, a Bridgeville, Pa., company involved in the installation of pipelines.

He noted it’s among several businesses related to the natural gas industry that have moved into the former Wheeling Corrugating plant.

Others include Sunoco Logistics, which is building a natural gas pipeline through southern Brooke County; Pe Ben USA, a Houston, Texas company that also builds natural gas lines; Green Energy Initiatives, a St. Clairsville company involved with water testing and environmental reporting for gas drillers; and ProFoam, L&M Logistics and Ally Onsite, all companies that provide support services to the industry.

The plant also is occupied by Jupiter Aluminum, a producer of aluminum coils for building and construction that has signed a $4.1 million 10-year lease with the BDC; and PreCoat Metals, which uses about 80,000 square feet there to store steel coils it treats at its Weirton facility.

The BDC acquired the former steel mill through an arrangement with Hackman Capital Partners, a real estate investment firm that purchased it through an auction held as part of bankruptcy proceedings by RG Steel in 2012.

The Los Angeles-based company retains rights to the plant itself and receives a portion of each lease.

Last week Ford and Bil D’Alesio, chairman of the BDC board, presented a $15,000 donation from Hackman and the BDC to the Brooke County Pioneer Trail Association for equipment to cut the embankment along the trail.

The trail extends from the south end of Brooke County through Beech Bottom and to the Yankee Trail at the south end of Wellsburg.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)

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