The Armstrong County Business Retention Office, headed by George Skamai, along with Armstrong County Commissioners, John Strate, Anthony Shea and Pat Fabian, initiated their 2024-25 business tours.
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) spearheads this overall effort; the SPC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the 10 county area in Southwestern Pennsylvania that helps counties, including Armstrong County through the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), their inclusive cities, municipalities and townships access over an estimated $39B in state and federal transportation and economic development funding has been allocated to the region through 2045.
The Armstrong County Commissioners and Planning office wants to go one step further with these visits and identify opportunities to expand and grow the business within the county.
For the first round of business visits, the Armstrong County team visited Growmark FS LLC, Custom Design Monuments and 84 Lumber.
Growmark is located at 656 Tarrtown Road, Adrian, PA 16210.
Nestled along the west side of the Allegheny River, the current business evolved from its predecessor, Agway in 2004.
The Growmark brand offers professional farmers, as well as the weekend gardener various seed and fertilizer products.
The company receives it bulk product deliveries by both rail and truck and then distributes them to their clientele.
The majority of the clientele are in about the 50-radious of the business.
The Adrian Growmark typically has about 12 employees on the payroll, with the main position needed being CDL drivers.
The current manager, as well as long-time employee, Keith Pollock, has served at Growmark since 2007 just after his graduation from Penn State with a degree in Agronomy.
One of the unique services offered is soil testing to create a customized fertilizer blend for the soil type and crop to be planted, for optimal results, thus reducing the need to purchase any unnecessary product.
Besides the normal crops such as corn, soy, rye, wheat and vegetables, cover crop seeds are also sold for winter soil preservation, and to support rapid regrowth of natural gas and pipeline construction locations.
Orders for 2025 crop seeds are now being taken as the areas farmers finalize their 2024 crop harvests.
Crop protection products are also sold; these products are used for weed control and improving plant health.
For more information about doing business with the Adrian Growmark, folks may review product line at URL https://www.growmarkfs.com/Agronomy/Ag-Locations/Location-Detail/kittanning-pa or call at 724-543-1101.
Custom Design Monuments is located at 399 Butler Rd., Kittanning, PA 16201.
Co-owner, Jennifer Johnson, and her husband, Andrew, are a caring couple, along with their team of professionals who take pride in helping families navigate through some of their hardest times in life’s journey.
This family owned business is a labor of love that started with Jennifer’s father, Tim Stennett, in 1979. Mr. Stennett (Feb. 14, 1953 — Aug. 29, 2024) worked at the business until his retirement in 2010 handing the reigns over to his daughter, Jennifer, and son-in-law, Andrew.
Custom Design Monuments has a business footprint that covers all of Western Pennsylvania, as well as a sub-contract with the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese.
The business offers a large product line of finely crafted monuments and markers designed using traditional and laser etching.
A popular service provided is pre-planned monument orders.
Jennifer said, “pre-planning is a great way to help the family members left behind to know one’s exact wishes”.
Andrew said another part of their business is replacing, repairing, and sometimes placing a new monument for the first time, on an existing grave site.
For more information regarding Custom Design Monuments products and services, visit customdesignmonuments.com or call 724-543-6159.
Nestled just behind the PENNDOT/Social Security building, 84 Lumber is located at 169 Butler Road, Kittanning, PA.
The manager of the Kittanning location, Matt Spangler, has been at his current post since January 2024.
Matt’s newness to the store however, does not mean that he is new to the profession.
Matt is a seasoned 84 Lumber manager, who’s last assignment was in Texas for the previous five years working his way up the ranks.
Prior to his Texas assignment, Matt worked at 84 Lumber in southern Pennsylvania for several years.
The Kittanning 84 Lumber store caters to both contractors and walk in customers, with approximately 70% of their clientele in the contractor space.
Matt said the Kittanning store has approximately eight to 10 employees on staff, which include Customer Associates, Sales and Management personnel.
Matt said 84 Lumber offers a Manager Trainee program for folks looking for new opportunities and careers.
For additional information regarding the Kittanning 84 Lumber location and its product and service lines see https://84lumber.com/store-locator/store-detail?storeId=260 or call 724-545-6284.
Over the next year, the Business Retention Team via the auspices of the IDC, and Commissioners will travel to all parts of the county to visit the county’s various businesses.
Businesses interested in being considered as part of these visits may reach out to the county’s Business Retention Office lead George Skamai at 724- 548-3397 | gjskamai@co.armstrong.pa.us
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