Governor Tom Wolf’s Office announced Monday that 26 new full-time jobs will be coming to Huntingdon County.
The commissioners said that with the vacant facilities that are in the county, they’ve been making the effort to appeal to companies. Curbs Plus, Inc. joins ACPI as another manufacturer to move to Huntingdon. ACPI is bringing an estimated 400 jobs to the county.
“We’re very fortunate here in the county to not only get Curbs Plus, but ACPI coming in here within this year opening up… working with the board of commissioners and with our partner agencies like the Southern Alleghenies to attract them here,” Jeff Thomas, a Huntingdon County commissioner, said. “They had several options to go to and they picked Huntingdon County and we’re very proud of that.”
With the move into existing vacant facilities, the companies have had to invest money into making sure the equipment is up to date with their standards. Curbs Plus is estimating that their modifications will cost over $717,000; that kind of investment makes the commissioners believe the companies are investing for the long run.
“The development of that building in there that had been vacant, they’re putting money into that,” Mark Sather, a Huntingdon County commissioner, said. “So, they’re going to be in there for the long hall as well as the skill set of the employees are going to be here for the long hall. So it’s a good win-win for Huntingdon County.”
The commissioners said those skill sets are being developed at places like the Huntingdon Career Technical Center. Having an abundance of skilled workers ready to hit the lines is one of the things companies find attractive about the county.
“The diamond in the rough that we have in Huntingdon County with the trained workforce and we do tend to have a little higher unemployment rate, but from an employers aspect that gives them a larger pool to pick from,” Scott Walls, a Huntingdon County commissioner, said. “As well as the people traveling outside the county that would like to stay here.”
