Business leaders from Pittsburgh toured Cambria County Wednesday and met with local companies and county leaders. They want to promote Cambria County as a destination for defense, technology and manufacturing industries.

The Bridge to Pittsburgh project started in 2016 after a $900,000 grant from the Department of Defense studied how to rebuild the defense industry in Cambria County.

John Dubnanski, the county grant facilitator and the project’s manager, said Cambria County was the 2nd hardest-hit area per capita in the country when the defense industry took a downturn in 2008. But, he said they’re working to rebuild it.

One way is by connecting businesses in Pittsburgh to Cambria County and promoting it as a destination to relocate their companies or start branches.

Wednesday, a couple dozen members of the Pittsburgh Technology Council toured the area and met with industry leaders from the county.

Some incentives include tax breaks, cheaper rent and cultural and recreational opportunities.

Another plus is the number of universities and colleges in the area, which could provide the businesses with young, skilled and motivated workers.

“Whenever the companies are willing to relocate to Johnstown or open up a branch in Johnstown you want to make sure that you’re able to provide employees for those opportunities. So a lot of the job creation efforts and a lot of the employment situations are based on the local colleges, universities, the schools we have here,” said Melissa Komar, the executive director of the Johnstown Redevelopment Authority.

Project leaders said the Pittsburgh businesses have expressed a lot of interest in Cambria County and there are some exciting announcements coming up. However, nothing they can share just yet.

WTAJ will keep you updated on any deals or developments the companies make.