The Onvo Travel Plaza at Schuylkill Highridge Business Park held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting event on October 22, 2024. The 37-acre travel plaza can be found at exit 119 off Interstate 81 in Cass Township, Pa.

Since setting up its first truck stop in 1988 in Tunkhannock, Pa., Onvo has built a network of travel plazas, convenience stores, and restaurants dedicated to serving the traveling public. Today Onvo businesses include more than 40 travel plazas and gas stations, 24 quick-service and full-service restaurants, petroleum distribution, and six hotels in Pennsylvania and Upstate New York.

A recently released analysis (Fourth Quarter – 2023) of the economic impact of the Highridge Improvement District has revealed that one of the district’s major economic benefits is the $416.2 million in labor income derived with 7,187 jobs. Expressed as a average income per job this is equal to $57,910 annually or $27.84 per hour.

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Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA)

The Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) provides low-interest loans and lines of credit for eligible businesses that commit to creating and retaining full-time jobs and for the development of industrial parks and multi-tenant facilities. Loan applications are packaged and underwritten by a network of Certified Economic Development Organizations (CEDOs) that partner with PIDA to administer the program. SEDCO is a CEDO serving all of Schuylkill County.

Eligible Enterprise Types

• Manufacturing Enterprises
• Industrial Enterprises
• Healthcare Enterprises
• Agricultural Processors
• R&D Enterprises

Funding Details

A loan made from the PIDA Fund must be secured by no less than a second or participating second mortgage on the project premises. The PIDA Fund is utilized for real estate projects where the loan amount is greater than $400,000 or the eligible operating entity has more than 100 full-time employees worldwide.

Multi-Tenant Facility Projects

Real estate acquisition, construction or renovation projects where the facility will house two or more eligible enterprise types as indicated above.

• 50% of the eligible total project costs up to $2,250,000 when the PIDA loan is secured by a first or participating first mortgage on the project premises.
• 40% of the eligible total project costs up to $2,250,000 when the PIDA loan is secured by a second or participating second mortgage on the project premises.
• One tenant cannot occupy more than 80% of the building’s total square footage.
• No more than 15% of the building’s total square footage can be occupied by an ineligible tenant.

Industrial Park Projects

Involving the acquisition and development of land for eventual sale to eligible enterprise types as indicated above.

• 75% of the eligible total project costs up to $2,250,000 and the loan must be secured by a first or participating first mortgage on the project premises.
• Multi-Tenant and Industrial Park projects are exempt from job requirements.
• Typically, a feasibility study is required when the project is speculative in nature. Please consult with PIDA if requesting a waiver of this policy.

SEDCO directors and staff joined Gov. Josh Shapiro, state and local legislators and executives of EMD Electronics on April 12, 2023 in their announcement of a $300 million investment in semiconductor specialty gases manufacturing at the EMD Hometown facility that will create nearly 200 jobs in Schuylkill County.

Pictured left to right are SEDCO Director Marty Brophy, Corporate Assistant Secretary Letitia Reiser, Vice Chair Christine Verdier, President Frank Zukas, Economic Development Manager Mark Minnig, Chair Ken Huebner, and Immediate Past Chair Karen Kenderdine.

As part of its investment, EMD Electronics  will build a new 96,500-square-foot facility, creating the largest integrated specialty gases facility in the world. The additional capacity will allow EMD Electronics to meet surging demand in the electronics and semiconductor industries.

The company has committed to creating 68 new jobs and retaining 289 existing, full-time jobs at its Schuylkill County location within the next five years. Approximately 120 jobs will be created to help with the construction of the new facility.

EMD Electronics, the North American electronics business of Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany, manufactures chemical-mechanical planarization slurries, ultra-thin dielectric and metal precursors of film, formulated cleans and etching products, and delivery equipment for the semiconductor and electronics display industries. The company is one of the 10 largest manufacturing employers in Schuylkill County.

Onvo, a hospitality company based in Scranton, PA, acquired a 37-acre property in Cass Township with the intent to develop the site into a travel plaza.

Onvo Travel Plaza – Highridge, located at exit 119 of Interstate 81, will serve travelers and truck drivers with premium fuel, food service, and a convenience store. The property is located at the Highridge Business Park, which is a 2,000-acre development covering Butler, Cass and Foster Townships.  Developed by the Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO), the park is home to several distribution and manufacturing operations including Wegmans, Lowes, Wal-Mart, and Tyson Foods among others.

The 9,500 sq. ft. building will feature a full-sized Burger King restaurant with a drive-thru window as well as an Onvo convenience store among other amenities for travelers, commuters, and truck drivers. The property will also have 65 parking spots for cars and 34 parking spots for trucks, with the company planning to add an additional 56 truck parking spots in the future.

Construction on this project will begin in early fall 2021 with the company aiming to open the site for business by 2023. Onvo Travel Plaza – Highridge will create up to 70 full-time jobs between the convenience store and Burger King. The property also has potential for additional retail, food service, and hospitality development that will also be explored by Onvo.

Founded in 1988 in Tunkhannock, Pa., Onvo has grown into a network of over 50 businesses, including 32 travel plazas and gas stations, 23 quick-service and full-service restaurants, and 5 hotels located throughout Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Onvo is behind various developments in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, including a 110-room Residence Inn hotel project set to open this summer near in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. as well as travel plazas in Blakeslee, Lake Ariel, Tannersville, Tobyhanna, among other locations. Onvo employs over 1,000 team members throughout the Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania region in various roles related to hospitality, customer service, and petroleum distribution.

The Schuylkill County Commissioners, Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) and NEPA Alliance have partnered to deliver the COVID19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) for eligible businesses in Schuylkill County. The CHIRP program was recently announced by Governor Wolf and approved by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to help hospitality businesses across the Commonwealth financially impacted by closures and lost income due to the COVID19 pandemic. The State Legislation allowed for a maximum grant amount of $50,000, however, in order to positively impact the most Schuylkill County businesses this funding will be limited to $25,000 grants at this time.

“There are so many Schuylkill County businesses that have endured closures, were subject to decreased capacity allowances and staff lay-offs during this past year,” said County Commissioner George Halcovage. “These funds will serve as much-needed lifelines to those in the hospitality and restaurant industry as these businesses press on to continue operations. Again, it is imperative that we support our local business community. We look forward to the success of this program that will be professionally managed by NEPA Alliance.”

“SEDCO has enjoyed decades-long partnerships with our county commissioners and the NEPA Alliance in the successful completion of economic development projects across Schuylkill County,” said Dave Snyder, Chair of the SEDCO Board of Directors.

“Our CHIRP program coordination with NEPA allows us to call upon their regional staffing capabilities in order to process a potentially large number of applications in a relatively short time,” noted Frank Zukas, President, Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO).

Hospitality businesses in Schuylkill County interested in applying for this program should visit nepa-alliance.org/chirp for program guidance and application or contact call Steve Ursich at NEPA Alliance at 570-891-4649 or sursich@nepa-alliance.org.

“We are proud to assist Schuylkill County in ensuring hospitality businesses get this grant assistance as soon as possible,” said Jeffrey Box, President & CEO of NEPA Alliance.

SEDCO, has directed economic development projects throughout Schuylkill County since 1952. Its 60-member Board of Directors consists of representatives of the county-wide business, civil and community leadership. SEDCO and its predecessor agencies, in conjunction with county and local government officials, have developed industrial and business parks supporting the creation of more than 10,000 jobs in Schuylkill County.

The NEPA Alliance, a regional community and economic development agency, serves the seven counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania including Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne. NEPA Alliance services include Business Financing, Government Contracting Assistance, International Trade Assistance, Non Profit Assistance, Transportation Planning, Research and Information, and Local Government Services. For more information about NEPA Alliance visit www.nepa-alliance.org or call 866-758-1929. “This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”