The Beaver County Chamber of Commerce hosted 200 business owners, non-profit agencies, and community leaders at our Annual State of the County on February 7, 2025. This year's event set us apart from past events because we hosted our County Commissioners and our State delegation.
(View the PDF flipbook here or continue reading below.)
• Actively support ongoing education initiatives in Beaver County from preschool through post-secondary education and training.
• Support the implementation of broadband access to all parts of Beaver County.
• Work with County partners to increase the vitality of Main Streets (e.g., blight removal, ease path to investing in renovations, considering an Ombudsman role, targeting zoning and land use fixes).
• Serve as the voice for a competitive business climate at the federal, state, and local levels of government (e.g., tax policy improvements, more efficient regulatory regime).
Our master of ceremonies and board chair, Kathryn Klaber, then gave the floor to our Beaver County Commissioners. We heard some key updates, including Chairman Camp sharing they "have prioritized Human Services and Public Safety at the county level."
Mr. Manning stated that not only are we financially sound and stable, but we are charting for growth moving forward... and that Beaver County's hotel tax revenue hit a high of 1 million dollars in 2024, even after the construction of the Shell plant was complete. And we, as county leaders, are investing these funds back into Beaver County." Additionally, Commissioner Camp shared that "County leaders reinvested 78% of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds [specifically] into Beaver County programming and investments."
The Beaver County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to share that our Beaver County Board of Commissioners and our Chamber's 2025 Government Priorities overlap on goals and look forward to working together as Business@Work. Partners In Progress.
Commissioner Camp shared that our County is "proud to commit $300,000 over multiple years to Flourish Beaver County." This commitment aligns with the Chamber's priorities to support ongoing education initiatives within our County.
Commissioner Manning said, "Broadband/connectivity progress in Beaver County has removed a barrier of entry to the tech sector and its associated workforces." Our Chamber will continue to support the implementation of broadband access to all parts of Beaver County, as this affects every aspect of our county's economic growth and community vitality.
The widespread implementation of Broadband/connectivity has been a partnership that includes Michael Baker International (MBI), and we are thrilled to have them as a 2025 Beaver County Chamber Rivers Partner.
The Commissioners noted that MBI is continuing to work with Beaver County in additional ways, including continuing to innovate the County's GIS system. These initiatives between Beaver County and MBI are just another positive report for the people and businesses of Beaver County, in addition to the Commissioners sharing that our main streets have bounced back from the disruptions of 2020 and are vibrant.
The final portion of our event was hearing from our state delegation, who shared updates on how they are advocating for and working towards success for Beaver County. Senator Elder Vogel, Jr., and Representatives Josh Kail and Roman Kozak engaged in Q&A as well as sharing four key takeaways:
1. Permitting reform is long overdue. The proposed solutions are complicated, given the nature of our Commonwealth and the sheer number of local government entities. The legislature is working on some fixes, such as "deemed approval," to accelerate timelines.
2. Senator Vogel referenced a pending announcement that the Penn State Beaver campus will receive $8 Million towards a new lab, expanding Pennsylvania’s Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System. This historic investment supports several of our chamber priorities, including supporting education on the secondary level and continued investment to ensure a competitive business climate, specifically in the agriculture community. The Chamber congratulates the Senator and all involved in bringing this additional asset to Beaver County.
3. Pennsylvania has the opportunity to be a leader in electric generation and reliability, with a diverse network of generation sources positioned within the Marcellus & Utica shale footprints. The previous Governor of Pennsylvania unfortunately drove needed capacity off the Commonwealth’s grid thanks to the inclusion of Pennsylvania in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The current administration can reverse this decision and deliver more reliable and affordable energy to our residents and neighbors.
4. Lastly, our state officials welcome the Chamber and its members to Harrisburg to advocate with leaders in the General Assembly and the Governor's office for the priorities that will help Beaver County grow and thrive.
If you would like to be alerted to the Chamber's Government Affairs efforts and how you can be a part of moving our priorities forward, please contact the Chamber office.
