Central PA has a lot of great natural resources and Centre County has high quality spring water, which makes us a top contender for the next bottling facility in Pennsylvania.

Centre county is thirsty for new manufacturing jobs.

Vern Squier is the CEO of the Centre County Industrial Development Corporation (CCIDC) which is affiliated with the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County.

“Well our manufacturing economy here in Centre County has been slowly declining in terms of numbers of employees through time,” Squier said.

Recently Nestle Waters North America reached out to discuss potential plans to bring a bottling facility for its Deer Park spring water brand to Centre County.

“This company will be significant because they’re an international name, household name,” Squier said.

Eric Andreus, Natural Resource Manager of Nestle Waters North America, said “The types of jobs that are associated with the Nestle waters facility and the bottling operations are safe, clean, well-paying jobs.”

Andreus said Centre County is ideal for a water bottle plant because of the area’s clean natural water

“But also the Interstate 99 corridor, as well as the educated workforce,” Andreus said.

Andreus added that it would be a $50 million investment to build a 250,000 sq. ft. building with an annual $55 million economic impact that will also support 130 jobs a year.

“The company is strong, and when we make a commitment to the community, we intend to be in that community for many years to come,” Andreus said.

Other cities in the northeast are being considered for the facility, but Andreus said Centre County is the front-runner.

“So this is our chance to kind of fight back and say ‘look, we have an opportunity, put a quality company in play, with a clean product and create some good jobs in the process,'” Squier said.

Nestle said they should make a decision later this year and plan to have a new facility built by 2020.