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MOUNTAINSREGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

HQ for Innovation Technology, workforce drive growth in region’s economy

SPONSORED BY CARBON COUNTY, MONROE COUNTY, PIKE COUNTY AND WAYNE COUNTY AND THE POCONO MOUNTAINS VISITORS BUREAU | 2016 -17

2016 EDITION | VOLUME 2 POCONO MOUNTAINS REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR OF CONTENT | BILL McMEEKIN EDITOR | BECKY HENSON CONTRIBUTING WRITERS | TEREE CARUTHERS, CARY ESTES, HEATHER JOHNSON, BILL LEWIS, EMILY McMACKIN STAFF WRITER | KEVIN LITWIN

ART DIRECTOR | LAURA GALLAGHER LEAD DESIGNER | SUSANNA HAYNES SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS | SAMANTHA FRAZIER, HEATHER HAUSER, AMY HIEMSTRA, VIKKI WILLIAMS GRAPHIC DESIGNER | LINDSEY HIGGINS

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS | JEFF ADKINS, MICHAEL TEDESCO PHOTO EDITOR | MICHEAL BETTS COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN | ALISON HUNTER

INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER | SCOTT YOUNG AD PRODUCTION/SALES SUPPORT COORDINATOR | COURTNEY COOK

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION/SALES SUPPORT MANAGER | KATIE MIDDENDORF AD TRAFFIC ASSISTANT | PATRICIA MOISAN

WEB DESIGNER II | RICHARD STEVENS SOFTWARE ENGINEER | DYLAN UNDERWOOD

CONTROLLER | CHRIS DUDLEY SENIOR ACCOUNTANT | LISA OWENS ACCOUNTS PAYABLE COORDINATOR | MARIA McFARLAND ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE COORDINATOR | DIANA GUZMAN

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY | KRISTY GILES HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER | PEGGY BLAKE

Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corp. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by email at [email protected].

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2 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide CONTENTS POCONO MOUNTAINS REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE 2016 EDITION | VOLUME 2

16 40 12 BUSINESS TOURISM DESTINATION 20 FOR ALL BUSINESS CLIMATE THE RIGHT ADVANCED SEASONS ADDRESS MANUFACTURING STAYING The topography is just A prime location and MADE IN THE one part of the appeal POWER standout quality of life of life in the Pocono Location advantages, make the Pocono POCONO Mountains region lifestyle appeal draw Mountains region MOUNTAINS new residents and a hotspot for business REGION new investment to the From fire apparatus Pocono Mountains region to food packaging, the region crafts a sophisticated advanced manufacturing sector MAIN STREET, STROUDSBURG: JEFF GREENBERG; RODRIGUES BIKER: MAURO CLUB / DOLLAR PHOTO MAIN STREET,

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 3 Read Pocono Mountains Economic Development anytime, anywhere!

POCONO businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains

REGIONALMOUNTAINS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

InnovationHQ for Technology, workforce drive growth in region’s economy

SPONSORED BY CARBON COUNTY, MONROE COUNTY, PIKE COUNTY AND WAYNE COUNTY

AND THE POCONO MOUNTAINS VISITORS BUREAU | 20

16 -17

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains CONTENTS

ON THE COVER Tobyhanna Army Depot is the largest electronics maintenance facility for the U.S. Department of Defense. Photo by Steve Grzezdzinski/ Courtesy Tobyhanna Army Depot

28 37 7 VERVIEW O 8 SCOVER DI 49 ECONOMIC PROFILE 24 24 28 37 TECHNOLOGY & EDUCATION & WORKFORCE HEALTH CARE ENTREPRENEURSHIP WORKING IN GOOD HEALTH HQ FOR SMARTER Region’s health facilities enhance INNOVATION Standout colleges stock the Pocono the quality of care with expanded Pocono Mountains institutions offer Mountains region’s businesses services, new alliances resources that make entrepreneurial with highly skilled workforce breakthroughs possible 44 32 LIVABILITY TRANSPORTATION ART SMART & LOGISTICS Rich in arts, culture and history, the CENTER OF Pocono Mountains region enchants THE ACTION residents and visitors alike Location advantage, strong transportation sector drive the economy of the Pocono Mountains region VCONCERT: PENN’S PEAK VCONCERT:

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 5 VISIT OUR ADVERTISERS

Dein Properties, LP www.deinproperties.com East Stroudsburg University www.esu.edu Essa Bank & Trust www.essabank.com Express Employment Professionals www.expresspros.com First Energy Corp. www.firstenergycorp.com First Keystone Community Bank www.fkcbank.com Hanover Engineering Associates Inc. www.hanovereng.com Holiday Inn Express www.holidayinnexpress.com/ stroudsburgpa Legend Properties Inc. www.lpre.com Liberty Homes www.libertyhomespa.com/poconolife Monroe County Industrial Development Authority www.pmedc.com Mount Airy Casino www.mountairycasino.com Mountain View Vineyard, Winery & Distillery www.mountainviewvineyard.com Pennsylvania Career Link – Monroe County www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us Pocono Manor Investors, LP www.poconomanor.com Pocono Medical Center www.poconohealthsystems.org Stroudsburg-Poconos Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau www.poconomountains.com Pocono Raceway www.poconoraceway.com PPL Electric Utilities www.pplelectric.com Roadhouse Restaurant www.smugglerscove.net Sanofi Pasteur www.sanofipasteur.us Skytop Lodge www.skytop.com St. Luke’s University Health Network www.slhn.org The Crossing Premium Outlets www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/ the-crossings UGI Utilities The Holiday Inn Express Stroudsburg hotel is ideally located off Interstate 80 www.ugi.com in the heart of the scenic Pocono Mountains. We are located just miles from Vigon International East Stroudsburg University, The Crossings Premium Outlets, and many other www.vigon.com Pocono companies and attractions. The hotel is just a few years old Weiler Corporation and has the amenities a business or leisure traveler is looking for. www.weilercorp.com Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1863 W. Main St. • Stroudsburg, PA 18630 • 570-872-9040 International Airport www.holidayinnexpress.com/stroudsburgpa www.flyavp.com

6 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide OVERVIEW

10 Good Reasons to Live and Work in the Pocono Mountains Region

1. At the summit: The four- 4. New meaning to life 7. Smart stuff: The region county Pocono Mountains region science: A legacy of innovation offers a spectrum of higher is home to more than 338,000 people can be seen in the presence of education options, from and a diverse economy that has companies like Sanofi Pasteur, four-year degree and graduate developed key industry sectors which maintains its headquarters degree programs to associate in manufacturing, life sciences and major vaccine manufacturing degree, technical programs and and logistics. operations in the region. certifications. Higher education 2. The right place: The 5. Made in the Pocono institutions work closely with region offers a lower-cost location Mountains region: The business and industry. advantage between New York manufacturing sector includes 8. Linked in: The region and Philadelphia, an integrated Tobyhanna Army Depot and is served by I-80, I-84 and transportation network and an companies like the KME I-380, as well as several major ample supply of high-quality Kovatch Organization highways. The northeast business parks and shovel-ready and Boyce Products Ltd. extension of the turnpike industrial sites. 6. To your health: connects the region to 3. Launching pad: A pool of Providers including Pocono Philadelphia. The Pocono knowledgeable workers, access to Medical Center, Wayne Mountains region also offers facilities, financing and technical Memorial Hospital and Blue access to more than 95 million support, and an inviting lifestyle Mountain Health System U.S. and Canadian consumers create the perfect environment offer high levels of care within an overnight drive. for entrepreneurs. and the latest treatments. Shortline railroads serve 90 local industries and link

8 to Class I carriers Norfolk Southern Railroad, CSX 957 Pocono Mountains and Canadian Pacific. Region To New Harrisburg 9. A great place to visit: York City Pittsburgh Philadelphia With a backdrop amid the WAYNE Delaware Water Gap, Upper Delaware River, and other Honesdale waterways, woodlands and mountains, the region offers

84 Milford adventures in all four seasons. PIKE 10. A great place to live: 380 Pocono Mountains communities MONROE blend cultural sophistication, 80 Stroudsburg Delaware R. unrivaled natural attractions, access to major metro amenities 76 CARBON im Thorpe Lehigh R. and the ease of small-town living.

51 The region has distinctive NENEWW ERSEY PENNSYLVANIA downtowns where preservation 476 and planning have attracted

78 unique retail and entertainment.

6 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 7

To Philadelphia

88 Discover the Pocono Mountains

THINGS TO DO RIGHT ON TRACK The Pocono Mountains region offers visitors some unique ways to experience its scenic splendor. Train excursions take riders through many of the region’s picturesque towns and standout natural attractions, such as the Delaware Water Gap and Lehigh Gorge.

The Stourbridge Line (www.thestourbridgeline.net), operated by the Delaware Lackawaxen & Stourbridge Railroad Co. (DL&S), offers a seasonal schedule with weekend service as well as community- related event trains from Memorial Day through the fall foliage season, taking riders along 25 miles miles of historic rail along the Lackawanna River Valley.

The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway (www.lgsry.com) offers riders a 70-minute, 16-mile excursion aboard vintage coaches built as early as 1917 and pulled by diesel engines. The trip runs from the former Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) Station in Jim Thorpe along the Lehigh River over bridges, through Glen Onoko, and into the magnificent Lehigh Gorge State Park. The railway also offers a number of special event trips throughout the year, such as the Autumn Leaf trips during fall foliage season. PHOTO: MARK J OSMUN PHOTO:

8 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide 8 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 9

THINGS TO DO HORSE SENSE For anyone looking to tap into their inner cowboy, the Pocono Mountains region offers ample opportunity. From horse-drawn hayrides to riding stables to dude ranches, horsing around is a year-round activity in the region.

Horseback riding is a major activity on the 800 acres of trails at the Malibu Dude Ranch in Milford in Pike County. Out of the saddle, visitors can enjoy archery, a shooting range, fishing, a rowboat on the lake or a game of horseshoes, and in colder weather, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and ice skating.

Fernwood Riding Stable in East Stroudsburg, Happy Trails Stables in Lake Ariel, Woodlands Stable & Tack in Gouldsboro and the Triple W Riding Stable in Honesdale are among the many places to mount up in the region.

COOL COMPANY A NEW LEAF It is appropriate that a community named Green Township would be the home of a plant-growing operation.

All Fresh Farms, an indoor hydroponic production and packaging operation, set up shop in Pike County in 2015, where it plans to grow and package lettuce mixes, kales and basil year-round.

The Florida-based company acquired a 50,000-square- foot former manufacturing facility on a 10-acre site, where it is investing more than $3.4 million. All Fresh plans to double the size of the facility within the first five years of operation and create at least 200 new jobs over the next three years.

The company received nearly $900,000 in grants and tax credits through Pennsylvania’s Department of Economic and Community Development. The company said the leafy vegetables and other produce from the Pike County operation will be labeled “locally grown” and delivered to markets within 400 miles, including Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and New York City.

MADE HERE SIGNATURE BUSINESS THEY MAKE THE MOLD For more than 20 years, Architectural Polymers has provided concrete solutions for precast, tilt-up and cast-in-place construction projects that offer a superior 5B alternative to traditional brickwork and masonry. Envelopes a year that are shipped The company, based in Palmerton in Carbon County, serves architects, building from United Envelope, owners, general contractors, and pre-cast concrete manufacturers with thin brick the 75-year-old custom inlay systems, thin bricks, concrete and architectural form liners, photo-engraved envelope printing service form liners, tiles, mold rubbers, concrete art, and architectural stain products that can be found in a variety of projects. that houses its largest manufacturing facility The company’s Versa Brix M products were used in construction of the $345 million in Mount Pocono and Mercy Joplin Hospital, which replaced a medical center leveled in a 2011 tornado that employs 300 people. devastated Joplin, Mo. The new hospital was named a 2015 Design Award Winner by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute.

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 11 BUSINESS CLIMATE

STAY ING POWER

12 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide By Emily McMackin

amous for its lush mountain landscape and pristine lakes and streams, northeastern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains region has long been a place of escape and adventure for visitors looking to relax, rejuvenate and explore away from congested cities nearby. More than 26 million people travel to the Pocono FMountains each year to visit its numerous resorts, ski, snowboard, hike, bike, kayak, fish, hunt or just enjoy nature. Tourism brings in more than $3 billion a year and supports nearly 50,000 jobs locally, but it is just one of the forces shaping the dynamic economy of this resort mountain community. The region, which encompasses Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties, is home to manufacturers that make vehicles, equipment, furniture and other products distributed worldwide, as well as a life sciences sector that includes the world’s largest vaccine producer, Sanofi Pasteur. Many of the region’s top employers are companies built by people who vacationed in the area and loved it so much they moved their business there, says Chuck Leonard, executive director of the Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corp. Along with its spectacular nature and limitless recreation, the region’s location between the New York and Philadelphia metros offers close proximity to major markets without the cost or hassles of operating out of them. “Businesses can operate at a lower cost here than New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or Massachusetts and keep more of their money,” Leonard says. “Their taxes are lower, yet they still have access to those marketplaces – and it is easy to get to them because of our excellent highway system.” LOCATION ADVANTAGES, Positioned for Business LIFESTYLE APPEAL Major interstates such as 80, 380, 84 and 476 run through the region, and I-81 is minutes away. The DRAW NEW RESIDENTS region has miles of railways with local shortline carriers that connect to Class I service via Norfolk AND NEW INVESTMENT Southern, CSX and Canadian Pacific Railways. “People are reaching out and looking to this area TO THE POCONO because they are familiar with it, they like the quality MOUNTAINS REGION of life, and they realize that if they can support their business here, they want to be here,” says Mary Beth Wood, executive director of the Wayne Economic Development Corp. Businesses can easily find skilled workers to meet their needs, from veterans to graduates of local

The 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is one of the jewels of the Pocono Mountains region,

PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/ALEX POTEMKIN ISTOCK.COM/ALEX PHOTO: which offers a wealth of outdoor recreation options.

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 13 14 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide technical institutes and nearby colleges. economic development for the Carbon The region is known for its strong school Chamber & Economic Development Corp. systems and workforce development Living in the region means hiking partnerships. through national parks, fishing on the “Employers here rate their workforce Upper Delaware River, watching NASCAR among the best in their operations,” at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond and Leonard says. skiing on some of the Northeast’s best The region is home to innovators, slopes one day, and driving to the Lehigh No. of such as power brush and abrasives Valley or a major city nearby the next to Businesses manufacturer Weiler Corp., children’s shop, dine, catch a hockey game or attend magazine publisher Highlights for a Broadway show. Carbon County: Children and concrete form fabricator With specialty health care, resorts Architectural Polymers, as well as the and attractions growing in the Pocono 1,134 Tobyhanna Army Depot, where Mountains, people are finding even more sophisticated electronics work takes reasons to stay. Monroe County: place for the military. “We are fond of saying that you get two paychecks for working in the Pocono 3,360 Best of All Worlds Mountains: the first is the one you get from Pike County: With technology access and amenities an employer, the second is the privilege of growing in the region, more companies living here,” says Carl Wilgus, executive 888 are seeing the Pocono Mountains as a director of the Pocono Mountains Visitors destination for business, as well as Bureau. “People used to gravitate to where Wayne County: a vibrant place for attracting and the jobs were; now they are discovering 1,311 retaining talent. where they want to live first and finding

“They like the unspoiled nature that we the jobs or creating them. That bodes well Source: U.S. have,” says Kathy Henderson, director of for destinations like ours.” Census Bureau

14 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide STAFF PHOTO BY Jeffrey S. Otto BUSINESS DESTINATION The Right Address A PRIME LOCATION AND STANDOUT QUALITY OF LIFE MAKE THE POCONO MOUNTAINS REGION A HOTSPOT FOR COMMERCE

By Teree Caruthers

hen Weiler Corporation Silicon Valley or other traditional tech hubs. founder Karl E. Weiler Weiler, which now manufactures power brushes was looking to relocate for surface finishing, recently completed a multi- his New York-based brush million dollar expansion in the region. manufacturing company, “It’s the wonderful combination of being in the he chose the Pocono country and having access to the beauty that surrounds Mountains because the lush landscape reminded him us, and also being close to major metropolitan areas,” Wof the Black Forest Region of his native Germany. says Weiler of the Pocono Mountains’ appeal. “It’s Fast forward 60 years and his grandson Chris very easy to travel from here. Newark Airport is very Weiler, company CEO/President, says many of the close. If you want to see a show in New York City, you same amenities that attracted the elder Weiler to can go see a show. You want to see world-class the region keep the company there and help attract museums, you can head down to Philadelphia. a number of new investments. You also have everything that’s nearby. Among those investments: Kahr Arms, a firearms I think the Pocono Mountains are a unique place manufacturer that moved its operations from in that you really can have the best of both worlds.” New York to a 40,000-square-foot facility in Pike Ready and Able Workforce County, and Lehighton Electronics, a more than 50-year-old leader in the semiconductor industry Weiler says the availability of a skilled workforce that has chosen to grow and expand in the Pocono is also an amenity that helps attract and retain Mountains region rather than businesses to the region.

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 17 Weiler Corp. has been a fixture in the Pocono Mountains region since 1957. The company, which makes power brushes used in industry, recently completed a major expansion.

STAFF PHOTO BY Michael D. Tedesco Kalahari Resorts chose to invest in the Pocono Mountains region in part because of proximity to 44 million people within a four-hour drive. The resort includes an indoor water park and convention center.

“You have that small town feel and work ethic in outdoors, smaller, traditional classrooms, a sense combination with investments that have recently of community,” Nelson says. been made to support business. Certainly the new “Then on the other side, there is the Big Apple and campus at Northampton Community College is a all it has to offer in art, technology, music, museums, great example,” Weiler says. “East Stroudsburg dining and nightlife. Thousands of New Yorkers call University has also done a lot to support local the Pocono Mountains home and make the commute businesses – whether it’s through the innovation each and every day. In many ways, the Pocono center or helping with talent development.” Mountains are the great escape, and that is very While a recent acquisition has given his company attractive to today’s modern family.” greater access to European markets, Weiler says he In 2015, the company opened the $220 million has no plans to move the company’s headquarters. African-themed Pocono Manor resort, including “We have deep roots here,” he says. “Whether it’s the fourth indoor water park built in the Pocono attending local parades or working with the United Mountains and a 100,000-square-foot convention Way and other local organizations, we feel like we’re center. Kalahari spent more than 10 years part of the community. And the quality of life here researching opportunities to expand the brand helps us attract talent, not only from this region into the East-Coast market. but from the surrounding areas.” “The Pocono Mountains were deemed an ideal fit for us. Having a potential audience of over 44 million Lifestyle Choices people within a four-hour radius was a key driver,” Todd Nelson, president of Kalahari Resorts, Nelson says, “as well as the year-round offerings in agrees, noting the region’s enviable quality of life the Pocono Mountains. From the many great outdoor as one of the factors influencing his company’s experiences Mother Nature created to the large ski location decision. resorts, great golfing and the nostalgic aspects of “The Pocono Mountains region is growing, and the region, the Kalahari fits in perfectly, providing a this creates infrastructure that is attractive to unique experience that offers something completely families. It is such a great location in part because new to the visitors of the Pocono Mountains.” parents and children have the unique ability to experience such a wide-range of opportunities Find more about local business in the Pocono Mountains

KALAHARI RESORTS: MATT KOSTERMAN KALAHARI RESORTS: MATT within just a few hours from home. The great at businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains.

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 19 ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

Made in the Pocono Mountains

FROM FIRE APPARATUS TO FOOD PACKAGING, THE REGION BUILDS A SOPHISTICATED ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SECTOR PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM/KRISTINAGREKE PHOTO:

20 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 21 PROUDLY SERVING THE POCONOS FOR FOUR GENERATIONS Each Restaurant is Independently Owned and Operated.

VOTED BEST PIZZA! Catering Available

The HOME of Fresh Fish Great Burgers, Steaks, for a Few Clams Sandwiches & Salads

Voted Best Restaurant Voted Best Restaurant in Tannersville by USA Today MT. POCONO in Mt. Pocono by USA Today and Pocono Record 570-839-PIES and Pocono Record TANNERSVILLE 570-629-2277 570-620-9055 570-839-9678 www.smugglerscove.net www.baileyssteakhouse.com Route 611 • Tannersville, PA Route 611 • Tannersville, PA www.vocellipizza.com 1224 Pocono Blvd. • Mt. Pocono, PA

22 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide By Bill Lewis echnology-driven unparalleled combination of advantages. Average manufacturing is The company’s 44 employees manufacture Mfg. Wages thriving in the Pocono safety labels, and environmental and Mountains region, where facility safety signs for customers in more a deep pool of skilled than 180 industries. $45,656 workers, lower cost of “When it comes to our employees, Carbon living, outstanding quality of life in a one of the main advantages that they can scenic, rural setting and an integrated benefit from is the quality of life that they $75,140 Ttransportation network providing quick can enjoy by living in this beautiful, rural Monroe links to major cities are key advantages. area of the country while still receiving “We have the best of both worlds,” says competitive wages,” says Annette Martin, Harold Schafer, CEO of Technical vice president of human resources. $41,028 Process & Engineering Inc. (TPEI) in “We love our location in Milford. It’s Pike Lehighton, a maker of continuous mixer a small town with a beautiful setting, and single screw extruders for the plastics adjacent to the Delaware River, in the $35,724 and rubber industries. northern edge of the Pocono Mountains Wayne “Our employees can enjoy outdoor in some of the most pristine state and activities, including white water rafting, national wilderness on the East Coast. Source: U.S. BLS, camping, fishing and hunting, with quick Not only are we situated where the states 3Q 2015 access to water parks, ski slopes and lakes. of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey Yet we are within two hours of Manhattan meet, but since we’re only 90 minutes from or you can be in Washington, D.C. in New York City’s international airports, % of Mfg. three and a half hours and enjoy all they we’re strategically well-suited to the Jobs have to offer,” he says. domestic and international travel Clarion Advanced manufacturers in the region, staff regularly take,” Martin says. which comprises Carbon, Monroe, Pike Econo-Pak, a provider of packaging and Wayne counties, produce everything services, arrived in Pike County in 2014. 13.7% from military hardware and food In Milford, the family-owned company packaging to fire protection apparel handles cookies, crackers, muffins and and precision machinery. candy produced by companies with Carbon Tradition Meets the Future household names. Tobyhanna Army Depot, located in In Wayne County, New Wave Custom Monroe County, is the place all branches Woodworking produces custom furniture of the armed forces turn to for the repair, 11.1% created by a unique combination of upgrade and integration of command, traditional artisanship and computerized control, computer, communications, equipment that includes 3D laser scanners intelligence, surveillance and Monroe and computerized numerical control reconnaissance systems. Army aviation (CNC) wood carving machinery. New officials recently brought together Wave, which opened as a one-person Tobyhanna Army Depot and Rockwell operation in 1991, now employs 30 Collins expertise to repair cutting-edge 1.7% people and has a 55,000-square-foot technology used on the CH-47F manufacturing space. Chinook helicopter. In Lehighton, Majestic Fire Apparel The most important advantage offered Pike manufactures fire retardant hoods, in the region is the skilled workforce, says accessories and apparel, as well as Schafer. He credits the schools and visibility products and illumination education resources, particularly Carbon devices that are relied upon by firefighters, County Vocational Technical School. “One 9.5% the military and industrial users. of the strongest things in the community is the working relationship we have with Small Town, Big Advantages Wayne our vocational school and the overall For Clarion Safety Systems, being education system. Students graduate Source: PA Department located in Pike County offers an ‘job ready,’” Schafer says. of Labor & Industry

22 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 23 24 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide TECHNOLOGY & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

HQ for Innovation

POCONO MOUNTAINS REGION OFFERS WEALTH OF RESOURCES THAT MAKE ENTREPRENEURIAL BREAKTHROUGHS POSSIBLE

By Teree Caruthers

ntrepreneurs are the driving force Stroudsburg University. Among its initiatives is the in today’s knowledge economy. Entrepreneurship Leadership Center, which uses They create jobs, introduce new university-driven research to help entrepreneurs with technologies and encourage business planning, and the ESU Business Accelerator. innovation and an exchange of ideas. The accelerator has spawned a host of innovative In the Pocono Mountains region, companies, including Marathon Studios, which a host of supportive resources – from highly skilled manages a network of web properties, apps and talent to access to research – has helped launch and services used by more than 2.5 million people Elure a growing list of entrepreneurs positively around the world. impacting the region’s economy. Lyme-Aid, another accelerator-launched business, was a student-faculty research project that resulted Smart Start for Startups in the production of a tick testing kit for humans The Pocono Mountains region boasts a number and animals. Lyme-Aid represents the first student- of Small Business Development Centers that offer faculty research project commercialized in the affordable work space, access to markets and university’s history and the first in the 30-year history managerial and technical support. of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Wayne County’s Stourbridge Project is a 24-hour, “I think being located at a university makes a big seven-day-a-week co-working site that provides difference,” says retired ESU professor and co-founder entrepreneurial companies with managerial and of Lyme-Aid, Dr. Jane Huffman. “We have an MBA technical support, affordable work space and a program, a masters in public health program, and collaborative environment that encourages innovation. they’ve done the research to know what the needs are One of the region’s key assets for attracting and of the people. Whenever you start a business, you cultivating entrepreneurial talent is East want to provide a product that solves problems.”

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 25 Lyme-Aid, which developed a tick-testing and removal kit, began as a student-faculty project at East Stroudsburg University and was launched from ESU’s accelerator.

STAFF PHOTO BY Michael D. Tedesco Culture of Collaboration Economic Development formed the Pocono Mountains Angel Network, which works in collaboration with the The university’s Business Accelerator program ESU Business Accelerator and the Pocono Mountains provides an entrepreneurial environment that Keystone Innovation Zone to secure investment supports business startups, encourages innovation opportunities for early stage companies, including and enhances the economic vitality of the region, says Mary Frances Postupack, vice president of student and faculty companies. economic development and research support at ESU. The university also launched the Made in the “Companies have access to management and Poconos campaign in cooperation with the Pocono technical resources including faculty and students,” Mountains Visitors Bureau, Pennsylvania CareerLink she says. and the Pocono Mountains Economic Development Additionally, the U.S. Department of State has Corp. to showcase the unique products made in the approved ESU to issue J-1 Visas to international region and to inspire university students to pursue companies interested in locating there for business. their business goals and bring new products to fruition. ESU is the only university in the country approved “I think having a small university is really to issue the J-1 Visa for that purpose. important for [fostering entrepreneurship],” The accelerator also encourages a spirit of Huffman says. “We’re not Penn State or Ohio State, collaboration and idea exchange between companies but we have a lot more freedom to be creative and in different industries. Lyme-Aid worked with to pursue ideas. I think that’s really important to Marathon Studios to develop a mobile app that will have in place.” help users of the tick-testing kit to “identify the ticks Huffman says the region’s quality of life is also right from their phones,” Huffman says. an attraction for entrepreneurs. “Besides the university, we have a quality medical Capital Investments center, affordable housing and great recreational ESU works to find investment capital for budding opportunities. All these things combine to make the businesses. The university’s Center for Research and region attractive,” she says. The region offers employers a wealth of workforce resources, such as Carbon County Technical Institute.

STAFF PHOTOS BY Michael D. Tedesco EDUCATION & WORKFORCE

Work i ng Smarter

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES STOCK POCONO MOUNTAINS REGION COMPANIES WITH HIGHLY SKILLED WORKERS

By Teree Caruthers

he key to attracting and retaining additional training after determining there was a top companies often lies in the need to upgrade the EMT programs and services ability to provide access to a highly in Monroe County. skilled workforce. In the Pocono The college also works with Tobyhanna Army Mountains region, public schools, Depot, the region’s largest employer, to help recruit university and community and and train potential IT employees. NCC offers a range technical colleges work with business leaders to stay of programs from cybersecurity and health care to abreast of workforce needs and maintain a steady flow manufacturing technology and criminal justice, as Tof talent – and training – to high-growth industries. well as a number of continuing education programs. “The importance the college plays in workforce Training Grounds development is reflected in how we work with The Monroe Campus of Northampton Community employers and with local economic development College (NCC), for example, recently partnered with organizations to ensure that the workforce has the the Pocono Medical Center to provide EMT educational preparation and interpersonal skills

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 29 that will enable them to be successful in employment to enter the region’s booming tourism industry. opportunities,” says Matthew J. Connell, dean of “Our students work closely with the Lodge at Northampton’s Monroe Campus. “We utilize advisory Woodloch, Settlers Inn and Great Wolf Lodge among boards that work with our academic programs to others. They get the hands-on experience, they job make sure that what we’re offering in our curriculum shadow and then usually are hired right after meets employment and employer needs.” externships and internships,” says Kellyn Nolan, Lackawanna College’s Lake Region Center Director. Good Business Partners Nolan says the school also partners with leaders in Connell points to the college’s 20-year relationship health care, agriculture, banking and even criminal with biopharma company Sanofi Pasteur as an justice to not only give students opportunities to example. Northampton developed an associate degree gain real-world experience, but also a leg up in the in biotechnology program to help keep the company’s job market. 3,200-person vaccine manufacturing operation in “Students in our physical therapy assistant program Swiftwater staffed with the specific skills it requires. go into different medical facilities and observe what “We’ve had a very strong relationship with other physical therapists are working on, and then Sanofi,” Connell says, “and as a result of that when they’re done with their clinical hours, most of relationship and conversations with key Sanofi them are hired,” Nolan says. “Our accounting majors staff members, we decided to add the biotechnology obtain externships and internships at local banks program. With their help, we’ve made sure that what and accounting firms. We’re currently working on we’re offering meets Sanofi’s needs but also ensures a collaborative internship/externship program for that graduates have options to gain employment in sustainable agriculture programs, where students other areas that require a biotechnology background.” can learn different farming techniques and then Lackawanna College’s Lake Region Center works possibly start or work on a farm.” with both business and community leaders to build Smart Starts programs that help ensure graduates move from the classroom straight into jobs. In particular, the The Monroe Career & Technical Institute (MCTI) college’s Kiesendahl School of Hospitality and and Carbon County Technical Institute play a major Tourism partners with area hotels and resorts to role in the region’s workforce development efforts give students hands-on training and preparation by working with local schools to give high school

Higher Education in the Pocono Educational Mountains Region Attainment (Adults 25+)

East Stroudsburg Northampton University Community College East Stroudsburg, PA (Monroe County campus) 89.4% 28.8% Esu.edu Tannersville, PA Northampton.edu Lackawanna College High School Some College or Lake Region Center Northampton Graduate Associate Degree Hawley, PA Community College Lackawanna.edu (Pike and Wayne counties) Honesdale, PA Lehigh Carbon Northampton.edu Community College 20.9% Tamaqua, PA Wilkes University Source: American Lccc.edu (Monroe County location) Community Bartonsville, PA Survey, Five-Year Bachelor’s Degree Wilkes.edu Estimates, 2014 or Higher

30 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide students a head start on their career path and by developing programs of study that meet the specific needs of a growing economy. “Our programs are designed, maintained and updated through a collaborative effort with business and industry partners, MCTI instructors, administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to meet the employment needs in the local area,” says Dr. Carolyn Shegelski, MCTI director. “This effort goes well beyond curriculum and equipment. This collaborative effort spills over to work- based learning activities that include cooperative education, job shadowing, and internships. We are also working to meet one of business and industry’s greatest needs at this time – employability.”

The region’s colleges, such as Northampton Community College, offer a variety of training progams to meet the needs of employers.

30 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS Center of the Action TRANSPORTATION NETWORK, LOCATION ADVANTAGE DRIVE THE REGION’S ECONOMY

THE POCONO MOUNTAINS THE REGION’S THREE MAJOR DISTRIBUTION AND REGION OFFERS ACCESS CORPORATE AIRPORTS WAREHOUSING OPERATIONS TO MAJOR HIGHWAYS SERVE EMPLOYERS SUCH AS HAVE FOUND THE REGION’S INCLUDING I-80, I-81, I-84, JOHNSON & JOHNSON AND CENTRAL LOCATION TO BE I-380 AND I-476. SANOFI PASTEUR. A KEY ADVANTAGE.

32 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide By Kevin Litwin

he Pocono Mountains region is subsidiary of FedEx that provides supply chain linked in, offering an integrated services for technology, retail, consumer and industrial transportation network and access to goods, operates a facility in Mount Pocono that employs interstates, rail service and airports. more than 400 workers. Located strategically between New York and Philadelphia, the All Aboard Pocono Mountains region is served by several major While interstates and highways help drive the Tinterstates including I-80, I-81, I-84, I-380, I-476 transportation sector, rail is also a key component and several major highways. A supply of well- of the area’s freight-moving capabilities. Class I rail positioned business parks, such as Arcadia North carriers Norfolk Southern Railway and Canadian Business Park in Monroe County and Sterling Pacific serve the region. Shortline operator Reading Business & Technology Park in Wayne County, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad serves nine provide numerous shovel-ready sites. Eastern Pennsylvania counties, while the Stourbridge A number of major distribution and warehousing Line provides freight rail service in Wayne County. operations have taken root in the region, including The Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Wal-Mart, which operates a center in Tobyhanna Authority owns and oversees 100 miles of active rail with a workforce of more than 1,200. GENCO, a in a territory that includes Monroe and Wayne

Sterling Business & Technology Park The Sterling Business & Technology Park in Wayne County, one of the Pocono Mountains region’s many high-quality sites, recently attracted Sutphen East Corp., a manufacturer of firefighting apparatus. The company acquired a 25,000-square-foot building in the park and plans to invest $1.6 million in the project and create 60 jobs.

MOON ROAD

SR 3004

E K RIVE I E P IV GEGE DDRIVE DR N E HRIDGE R DG U RI NORTHRNO T CK N LO O M T E M S H O A O E N R OAD

W E S T PINE RIDGE DRIVE R ID G E D R IV E

STEPHANIE LANE

PHA

PR TWIN ROCKS ROAD AD ON R AD OA RO D ING RL ROAD I STE ND U S T R IA L P A R K

R O A D

ILLUSTRATION BY Kris Sexton

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 33 counties, with Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad Co. contracted as its carrier to Driving Distances from the provide all freight-hauling services. Pocono Mountains Region “We started our rail authority in the early 1980s and hauled less than 500 1. Scranton: 48 miles carloads during the first year, and 2. New York: 83 miles nowadays we handle more than 8,000 3. Philadelphia: 102 miles carloads annually,” says Larry Malski, 4. Baltimore: 183 miles president of Pennsylvania Northeast 5. Washington DC: 223 miles 6. Pittsburgh: 227 miles Regional Railroad Authority (PNRRA). 7. Boston: 273 miles “Our 100 miles of track stretch from 8. Cleveland: 390 miles 7 Carbondale to Scranton, and from Scranton through the Pocono Mountains to East Stroudsburg and the Delaware Water Gap. We serve about 25 active 1 2 freight industries that depend on our 8 railroad, plus we own several land 6 3 parcels adjacent to the tracks for more companies to locate.” 4 The largest customer hauling freight 5 via Delaware-Lackawanna railcars is the Ardent Mills flour processing facility in Mount Pocono, with its wheat hauled to the plant from North Dakota, South Dakota and Canadian provinces. Other major rail clients include Bestway Lumber in Cresco,

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34 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide Keystone Propane in Tobyhanna, Linde accommodate more corporate jets, and its Bulk Transfer Facility in Carbondale, business has increased every year since. and the Monadnock Non-Wovens filter “Area companies like Sanofi Pasteur, media plant in Mount Pocono. Johnson & Johnson and Wal-Mart use Malski adds that the PNRRA works our airport along with many tourists closely with the region’s economic who visit Camelback Mountain Resort, development organizations to attract Mount Airy Casino Resort, Kalahari Airports companies to locate along the rail lines. Resort & Convention Center and two in the “We are in conversations with several annual NASCAR races at Pocono prospects and are currently working with Raceway,” says Dave Moyer, chairman Region three good leads for the near future,” he of the Pocono Mountains Municipal »» Cherry Ridge says. “Rail is the most environmental Airport Authority. Airport friendly way to move freight, and it is Moyer adds that the airport is vital Honesdale also the least expensive. For example, as well as convenient to the region hauling cargo in one railcar is equivalent because the next closest facilities are »»Spring Hill to five truckloads on the highways.” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport about 25 minutes away, and Lehigh Sterling Jet Set Valley International 45 minutes away. Also accommodating the Pocono “Also attractive is that two industrial »»Pocono Mountains Mountains region are a number of parks border Pocono Mountains Municipal Municipal airports, including Cherry Ridge Airport Airport,” he says. “We have a lot of good things going for us.” Airport in Honesdale, Spring Hill Airport in Tobyhanna Sterling, and Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport in Tobyhanna. Three Find more about transportation and years ago, Pocono Mountains Municipal logistics in the Pocono Mountains at extended its runway to 5,001 feet to businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains.

HEALTH CARE

In Good Health

THE REGION’S HEALTH FACILITIES ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF CARE WITH EXPANDED SERVICES, NEW ALLIANCES

By Heather Johnson

or more than a century, Pocono Network, which will bring continued growth and Mountains health-care providers expansion to the region. have offered residents quality care “We are jointly committed to add more community from nationally and internationally health-care centers,” says Pocono Health System recognized medical professionals. president and CEO Jeffrey Snyder, noting the addition To improve that quality and of centers in Bartonsville and Brodheadsville in accommodate a growing business and visitor climate, Monroe County. “These centers are highly accessible, Fmedical centers in the region have launched new comprehensive and anchored with urgent and facilities, new departments and new services. primary care.” Pocono Health System’s flagship hospital, Pocono Pocono Health System and Lehigh Valley Health Medical Center, celebrated its 100th anniversary in Network also plan to build Pocono Medical Center 2015. The hospital was recognized by U.S. News & West, a new hospital in Pocono Township. The facility World Report as among the top 10 percent best will give residents top-notch care and clinical Pennsylvania hospitals for 2015-2016. Its clinical capabilities close to home. capability and patient care ranked 16th in the state. Other recent developments include an emergency In late 2015, Pocono Health System announced room expansion, which coincides with the medical an agreement to merge with Lehigh Valley Health center’s continued designation as a Level III Trauma

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 37 The Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg was named to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional Hospitals list.

38STAFF || PHOTO Pocono BY MichaelMountains D. Tedesco Regional Economic Development Guide Center. “We have one of the busiest ERs 108-bed facility will include four in state,” Snyder says. “We need to have operating rooms, two procedure rooms, the additional infrastructure to support and a cardiac catheterization laboratory. that volume along with our high- An on-site helipad will support the performing medical staff.” emergency room. Residents also have easy access to Independent and Growing Palmerton Hospital and Gnaden Huetten Wayne Memorial Hospital, a nonprofit, Memorial Hospital in Lehighton. Both community-based hospital based community hospitals fall under Blue in Honesdale, provides inpatient Mountain Health System. and outpatient care for more than 30 specialties, from cardiac and cancer care to emergency services and intensive care. Already a certified Primary Stroke Center, Wayne Memorial Hospital plans to become a Level IV Trauma Center. To achieve this goal, the hospital plans to build a helipad. The hospital anticipates the new helicopter-landing pad to take flight in mid-2016. “The new heliport would be less than a mile away from our hospital,” Wayne Memorial Hospital CEO David Hoff says of the proposed addition. “We anticipate transporting patients suffering life- threatening illnesses within minutes.” Around the same time, Wayne Memorial Hospital will also launch a mobile mammography service to cater Wayne Memorial Health System operates Wayne Memorial Hospital to rural patients, as well as a new cardiac in Honesdal and offers care in more than 30 specialties. catheterization laboratory. “We often have to transport people with more The physician-led Geisinger Medical advanced cardiac problems to Scranton,” Group includes 12 hospital campuses, Hoff says. “We hope to reduce the need including one in Mount Pocono. It for people with heart problems to leave offers family medicine and many the area.” other specialties with evening and Anticipating continued growth, Wayne weekend hours. Memorial Hospital plans to expand its The Pocono Mountains region also facility to include more than 100 beds includes specialty treatment facilities, in private instead of semi-private rooms. such as the Upper Delaware Valley “We’re adding 54 new rooms, which Cancer Center in Milford, which uses will address privacy issues, as well as the latest technology to treat patients. improve patient satisfaction,” says Hoff. Rehabilitation centers, home care, Specialized Services assisted living facilities and other services ensure comprehensive care. Health care expansions continue Whether residents experience a life- throughout the Pocono Mountains region. threatening illness or a bad case of the St. Luke’s University Health Network, flu, the Pocono region’s diverse health which comprises six hospitals and more care facilities ensure they receive than 200 primary care, outpatient and appropriate care. Hoff, in particular, other sites, recently broke ground on a new recognizes the positive growth. campus in Stroud Township. St. Luke’s “Pennsylvania hospitals do a good University Health Network officials job of providing comprehensive care,” estimate a fall 2016 completion. he says. “At Wayne Memorial, we look The proposed 193,000 square-foot, forward to a bright future.”

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 39 Clockwise from top: Biking through Lehigh Gorge State Park; Making a splash at the Aquatopia Indoor Water Park at Camelback Resort; Hiking at George W. Childs Park in Pike County.

40 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide TOURISM For All Seasons THE MOUNTAINS ARE JUST ONE PART OF THE APPEAL OF LIFE IN THE POCONOS

By Cary Estes

ou don’t have to poke towns. It’s the depth of the offerings in around in the Pocono the Pocono Mountains during all four Mountains for very seasons that make it so appealing.” long before finding an outdoor activity Water, Water Everywhere that fits your tastes. While the mountains might receive There are nearly as many recreational name recognition, water is just as Yopportunities in the region as there are important to the appeal of the region. mountain peaks, from the high-energy A prime example is Lake Wallenpaupack, of snow skiing to the laid-back leisure which has 53 miles of shoreline spread of floating along one of the numerous across 5,700 acres, making it the third- waterways. largest lake in the state. “The Pocono Mountains is a four-season “One of the great things about this lake destination,” says Brian Czarnecki, sales is the natural beauty of the shoreline,” and marketing director at Camelback says Steve Gelderman, who owns Resort. “It appeals to families, individual Wallenpaupack Scenic Boat Tours with travelers, adventure travelers. You have his wife, Bridget. “It’s not like some lakes

LEHIGH GORGE: POCONOMOUNTAINS.COM; CHILDS PARK: RUSS SCHLEIPMAN CHILDS PARK: LEHIGH GORGE: POCONOMOUNTAINS.COM; lake regions, the mountain regions, quaint where all you see are homes along the

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 41

shoreline. The homes here are tucked back, so you get to see the landscapes along with wildlife, like bald eagles and ducks. You really get to enjoy the natural beauty of the lake.” One of the region’s top fishing locations can be found in the southern foothills of the Poconos at Pohopoco Creek in Beltzville State Park. This trout stream feeds into the 949-acre Beltzville Lake, a popular spot for both boaters and migrating waterfowl. Another natural gem within the region is the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a sprawling 67,000-acre park surrounding 40 miles of the Delaware River. With more than 100 miles of trails, the park offers numerous hiking opportunities, along with canoeing, rafting, fishing and camping. The Delaware River is the focal point of the Scenic, Wild Delaware River Geotourism Program. The goal of the project, which encompasses four Pennsylvania counties, is to help create It’s a beautiful place to just get away.” Blue Mountain Resort nature-based tourism activities. The in Carbon County The falls are open to the public from offers visitors outdoor program is being promoted by the National April through November and are accessible adventure including Geographic Society, which is working by a network of hiking trails and bridges. skiing, rope courses with local organizations, businesses and biking trails. and residents to map the best travel The Four Seasons experiences, stories and businesses in There was a time when tourism in the the region. Pocono Mountains basically shut down For those who like their outdoor in the winter, but that certainly is no recreation mixed with information, the longer the case. The region now offers 166-acre Kettle Creek Wildlife nearly 200 trails on seven ski areas for Sanctuary offers hiking and kayaking a wide variety of winter activities, programs through its 7,200-square-foot including skiing, snowtubing, toboggan education center. runs and snowmobiling. Blue Mountain The Niagara of Pennsylvania Resort has 39 trails dedicated to winter sports, and then turns around when the Since 1904, visitors have been drawn snow melts and offers 21 trails for to the beauty of Bushkill Falls, a series mountain biking. of eight waterfalls that have been dubbed Even when the weather outside is “The Niagara of Pennsylvania.” The falls frightful, several area resorts keep the are on land owned by the estate of fun going with large indoor waterparks. Charles Peters, who opened Bushkill Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari Resort, Falls as a tourist attraction back when Camelback Resort and Split Rock Resort visitors arrived on horse-drawn carriage. all provide opportunities for visitors to “The estate of Charles Peters is swim and slide regardless of the dedicated to the stewardship of natural temperature outdoors. resources. So a lot of what you see there “This is now a year-round recreation looks the same has how it did back in and vacation area,” Hannan says. “In the early 1900s,” says Bushkill Falls fact, you have a lot of people who used to spokesperson Diane Hannan. “It’s quiet, vacation here who have become full-time it’s back to nature. You don’t have loud residents, just because they enjoyed it so music, there’s limited cell service. much all year long and decided to stay.”

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 43 LIVABILITY

ART SMART

RICH IN ARTS AND CULTURE, THE POCONO MOUNTAINS REGION ENCHANTS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS

By Becky Henson

ut of the city and into a scenic Making A Scene wonderland. It is a feeling shared by residents and visitors alike The Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe in the four-county region that in Carbon County opened in 1881 with a comedy encompasses the Pocono production, but it soon became a hotspot on the Mountains region, situated just Vaudeville theater circuit. The theater didn’t have outside of two major metropolitan areas. microphones back then, but hosted some big names The region is known for its stellar hospitality of the time, including Mae West, Al Jolson and Oand outdoor activities in a picturesque setting John Philip Sousa. The theater went through many that’s just a short distance from the 24-hour bustle transitions over the years, used as a movie house for of New York and Philadelphia. The region is also three decades, and then a warehouse for pocketbooks rich in arts and culture with venues for everything until the Mauch Chunk Historical Society purchased from theater to live music. the building in 1974 and began restorations. Many theaters date to the late 1800s and feature Today, Mauch Chunk Opera House prides itself on local theater groups, musicals and other performing being a distinctive venue for live events. It recently arts. Festivals and mountaintop views also abound underwent major upgrades with a new roof, sound in the region and offer a little something for everyone system, electrical, seats and lighting. whether interests are the performing arts, music “It’s an unusually intimate and special place to or libations – or all of the above. perform,” says Dan Hugo, Mauch Chunk Opera

44 || Pocono Mountains Regional Economic Development Guide Downtown Jim Thorpe has been called “Switzerland of America” by the Swiss Tourist Board because of its picturesque location.

STAFF PHOTO BY Michael D. Tedesco Top to bottom: Mauch Chunk Opera House, a historic live event venue; Pocono Raceway, House media relations. “The town of Jim Thorpe is known as NASCAR’s Tricky a really special place in itself. You can come here for Triangle; Penn’s Peak, a concert venue that offers a few days and enjoy yourself and do all kinds of great shows and great views. things without ever getting in your car.” Other theaters in the Pocono Mountains region are also entertaining guests with a historic draw and engaging performances. The Ritz Company Playhouse in Hawley in Wayne County, once a movie and Vaudeville playhouse, is home to the Ritz Players theatrical group. The troupe performs every season with players from many different backgrounds and ages. Productions have run the range from The Wizard of Oz to Young Frankenstein. About 40 miles south in Stroudsburg, the circa- 1920s Sherman Theater went through major renovations in the 2000s, recreating the sound and comfort the historic theater brought to audiences and visitors. The Shawnee Playhouse in Shawnee on Delaware in Monroe County served as a local playhouse and then a radio studio from 1904 until after World War II. The theater was rebuilt with the help of community donations and now serves as a playhouse for residents and visitors – almost in its original form and beauty. “There’s nothing like the arts in the Pocono Mountains,” says Laura Goss, Poconos Arts Council executive director. “People come here to see something different than in New York City, and an enormous amount of talented people and artists move out of the city to live here for the better pace of life.” Music In The Mountains Along with theaters, the Pocono Mountains region offers live event spaces amidst scenic surroundings. The Buck Hill Skytop Music Festival was formed in 2010 to offer musical and educational events through a summer music festival and performances throughout the year. Performances in intimate settings around the region feature chamber music, opera, cabaret and pop music. The Dorflinger Suydam Glass Museum and Sanctuary in White Mills hosts the Wildflower Music Festival, a series of performances across a range of musical genres that draws heavily from the New York City area. Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe is a mountaintop event venue that surrounds visitors with panoramic views. The venue can entertain up to 1,800 guests at live music events, weddings and other private events. It also offers outside seating for an unobstructed view of the Pocono Mountains. “There’s festivals and music everywhere in the summer,” says Goss. “The arts and environment

work really well together in the Pocono Mountains.” PENN’S PEAK CONCERT: SAVOR The Spirits of the Pocono Mountains CRAFT BREWING, DISTILLERIES AND VINEYARDS FLAVOR THE REGION

The Pocono Mountains region is A short distance away in Kresgeville, two major metropolises,” says Brian no stranger to visitors or their desire to the family-owned Big Creek Vineyard Bossuyt, Director of Marketing at indulge in local libations and brews puts meticulous detail into every vine the Pocono Mountains Visitors while visiting. The four-county region and taste of its wines. The family Bureau.“We’re working out the details features wineries and breweries for believes in the “terroir” of their wine of adding a tour package right now visitors and residents alike that offer and invites guests to drink, reflect and for the Poconos Spirits Trail.” everything from striking views while enjoy their vineyard. Brews are also a big hit in the you sip to organic apple wine and In the past decade, the many region, with many microbreweries liqueur at the Pocono Limited Winery. family-owned wineries have become offering full menus to pair with unique At the Mountain View Winery and an integral part of the Poconos craft beers with names like RIP’s Distillery, visitors can experience the communities. The unique tastes and Purple Magic Ale from the Irving Cliff aromatics of its full menu featuring selections of seven of the Poconos Brewery, Slam Dunk Zen Dunkelwiezen wines (and spirits) from a dry red to wineries are a short distance away at the Barley Creek Brewery, Sunfish a sweet white. Guests can pair wines from each other and have become Blonde Ale from the ShawneeCraft with chocolates, hummus, gourmet known as the Poconos Wine Trail. Brewing Company and the cheeses and dips – all while being “The breweries and wineries bring Chewhoppa IPA from the brewery tucked in the mountainside in Neola. a lot of people, and day traffic from 3 Guys & A Beerd.

businessclimate.com/pocono-mountains || 47 Ad Index

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LIBERTY HOMES ROADHOUSE RESTAURANT Ad Index (cont.)

SANOFI PASTEUR

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ST. LUKE’S UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK

THE CROSSING PREMIUM OUTLETS

UGI UTILITIES

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ECONOMIC PROFILE

Population (2014) Median Major Employers Household Income 5,090 Tobyhanna Army Depot Carbon County: 338,347 $48,900 2,400 Monroe County: Sanofi Pasteur

$57,408 1,850 Pike County: Pocono Medical Center Carbon County: 64,441 $59,340 Monroe County: 166,314 1,400 Pike County: 51,401 Wayne County: Mount Airy Casino Resort Wayne County: 51,548 $49,313 Pennsylvania: 1,200 Civilian Labor $53,115 Wal-Mart Distribution Center Force (March 2015) 1,100 Carbon County: Per Capita Income Woodloch 31,400 Carbon County: Monroe County: $24,861 825 79,200 Monroe County: East Stroudsburg University $25,494 Pike County: 25,300 Pike County: 650 $27,691 Great Wolf Lodge Wayne County: Wayne County: Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 22,600 $24,005 PA Department of Labor & Industry

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