User:Marketdiamond/RIDC2

The Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania--known colloquially as the RIDC--is a privately funded non-profit serving the Pittsburgh metropolitan area to focus on a regional approach to economic development primarily through managing and rehabilitating area research and business parks for modern tenants. The RIDC was formed in 1955 to foster new employment opportunities and to diversify the regional economy.

Research Parks
RIDC provides development, finance and leasing of new and redeveloped research and business parks using a wide range of real estate development activities. RIDC Research and Business parks are both new development and lab or industrial transfers from such corporations as Volkswagon, Westinghouse and US Steel and include:


 * Lawrenceville Technology Park
 * Industrial Center of McKeesport
 * City Center of Duquesne
 * Keystone Commons
 * RIDC Park O'Hara (Giant Eagle headquarters)
 * RIDC Park West
 * RIDC Thorn Hill (900 acres started December 11, 1968)
 * Innovation Ridge
 * RIDC Neshannock
 * Glassport (historical involvement circa 1978)
 * Almono
 * RIDC Westmoreland
 * Pittsburgh Technology Center
 * Southpointe (historical involvement)
 * Collaborative Innovation Center
 * Beaver Manor

Non-RIDC Research and Business parks in the Pittsburgh area also include:


 * University of Pittsburgh Applied Research Center
 * George Westinghouse Research Park

Mission
RIDC's mission is to catalyze and support economic growth with quality job creation through real estate development to advance the public interest. With public, private, and institutional partnerships, RIDC captures emerging and existing growth opportunities across diverse industry sectors. A dynamic, regional economic development directed towards manufacturing, assembly, distribution, and research and development activities focuses RIDC with entrepreneurs and businesses located both within and outside the region.

Community support
With a long history of both state and regional economic research RIDC staffs professionals in financial and property management specialties, planning, engineering, construction, site selection, facility design, construction management with regular study groups that include community leaders, corporate CEOs and Chairman. A comprehensive approach is utilized to coordinate development or redevelopment projects from conceptual design through completion and occupancy. Varied industry needs, including machinery and equipment financing assistance are serviced by the RIDC for new, small and growing business enterprises, applied research and development activities and partnership with Western Pennsylvania's academic institutions. Historically the RIDC has hosted Pittsburgh Hilton conferences with area business leaders, the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and speeches from the State Secretary of Commerce. It has partnered with the Appalachian Regional Commission and Carnegie Mellon University among others  and has provided board members for the Allegheny County Planning commission for such projects as Oxford Centre.

History
In early 1955 Pittsburgh business, corporate, government and labor leaders supported a central agency responsible for developing and coordinating efforts to create new employment and economic diversity. The RIDC was established August 8, 1955 as a nonprofit corporation and has gone on to handle some of Pittsburgh's most challenging economic development, rehabilitation and real estate projects. The RIDC charter was amended February 16, 1962 to allow it to engage directly in such things as construction, purchasing, selling and financing of developments. In October, 1967 the RIDC took the first steps on being inter-county when it became the lead organization in a 9 county partnership.

Operational goals of the RIDC are to maintain a dynamic economic development portfolio through preserving, strengthening and expanding the area’s employment base through retention and expansion of job opportunities, and by developing and promoting programs that assist in the creation of a more diversified economy.

CEOs

 * John P. Robin 1955-
 * Hiram Milton 1967-1981
 * Frank Brooks Robinson 1981-

Foreign Trade Zones
The RIDC manages the Foreign Trade Zones in the area such as:


 * RIDC Park West
 * Pittsburgh International Airport
 * Leetsdale Industrial Park
 * Westmoreland Business Park
 * Millennium Business Park
 * City Center of Duquesne
 * Industrial Center of McKeesport
 * Thorn Hill Industrial Park
 * Lawrenceville Technology Center
 * RIDC Industrial Park
 * Keystone Commons
 * South Hills Industrial Park
 * Findlay Industrial Park
 * Hopewell Business Park
 * Westgate Business Park
 * Aliquippa Industrial Park
 * Ambridge Regional Center

Foreign Trade Zone #33 Subzones:
 * 33 D Mitsubishi Power Electrics
 * 33 E DNP IMS America Corporation