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Biz in the Valley is a monthly roundup of business events in Beaver Valley and beyond. To submit an article, please email csuttles@gannett. com.
PepsiCo opened a new 150,000-square-foot satellite and distribution warehouse in November north of Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township.
Workers at the facility along International Drive will distribute 10 million units of PepsiCo beverages annually, adding ready-to-drink products from Pepsi, Aquafina, Gatorade and Starbucks, to stores in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Washington.
Previously, the company operated a distribution facility in McKees Rocks for more than six decades and recently moved to the new site with plans to expand.
Approximately 275 workers have moved from the McKees Rocks center to the new location, which can house up to three hundred workers. The construction can be expanded to 32,000 square feet for long-term growth.
The nonprofit RiverWise won a $49,000 state grant to move forward with the development of plans and design of a network of food centers in Beaver County.
The funding, administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Farm Bill Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program, aims to expand the source of novel foods to underserved areas.
The initiative is a multi-year collaboration with Crop and Kettle of Beaver County, said Daniel Rossi-Keen, executive director of RiverWise.
“By combining their connection to the grid with RiverWise’s planning and strategizing capabilities, we maximize the price of collaboration and build a more resilient network together,” he said.
“If we want to create another long-term for Beaver County, we want to start thinking more strategically about the underlying formulas that contribute to the prosperity of the network,” Rossi-Keen continued. “A strong, interconnected food formula is a must-have for fitness in any network. That’s why we’re excited to think about how a network food hub can bring together farmers, food entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, culinary scholars, and much more.
Beaver County’s food distrust rate was 12. 8% in 2021, with a food distrust rate for children of 18. 9%, according to the Community Food Bank of Greater Pittsburgh.
Once the plans solidify, RiverWise will work to secure investments and partners to expand the center.
“Connecting others in need to a new food network available seamlessly helps us move forward in the fight against food insecurity,” said State Rep. Rob Matzie, D-16, Harmony Township, who announced the grant. The investment will allow RiverWise to expand this network by developing plans and designing a network food center. A broader reach to all parts of the network ensures that more families have the new foods they want.
The U. S. Department of Labor has recovered $11. 4 million in back wages and damages for more than 1,000 workers at dozens of Mexican restaurants in Plaza Azteca, including Robinson Township.
The consent judgment issued through the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia resolves a dispute similar to payment practices at more than 40 Mexican Plaza Azteca restaurants, owned by Ruben Leon, in seven states.
Investigators said employers violated the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act when they paid staff predetermined amounts and failed to pay staff minimum wage or reimbursement for work hours. Employers also failed to keep accurate records of staff work hours and wages, according to the department.
“Our investigators found that Plaza Azteca was aware of its legal obligations to pay minimum wage and overtime to staff and to maintain accurate payroll records and yet intentionally ignored federal law,” said Jessica Looman, the department’s wage and hour administrator.
The ruling, which the employers agreed to move forward to a scheduled jury trial, includes a $625,000 civil penalty and requires Plaza Azteca’s employers to hire an independent representative to ensure certain payroll and recordkeeping practices comply with federal hard labor law.
Novak Auto Parts, a family-owned auto recycling business in New Sewickley Township, has been named Certified Auto Recycler of the Year through the Association of Auto Recyclers.
The national trade organization’s project is to “promote energy conservation and general resource utilization. “
“Novak’s commitment to meeting the environmental and protective compliance needs of CAR’s Professional Automotive Recycling Program ensures its standing among those in our industry,” said Sandy Blalock, executive director of the association.
The company’s owners said Novak Auto Parts “bears little resemblance to the style of a salvage fleet,” noting that its cars “go through a rigorous disassembly procedure in which all fluids are drained, safely contained, and used intelligently. “
The fuel is reused to force paint vehicles on-site, the oil is used to heat buildings, recycled freon is sold to repair shops, and water used to wash car parts is collected, filtered and reused on-site, Novak’s owners said.
The president of Tenaris in the United States, Luca Zanotti, will preside over a new industrial agreement based in Washington, D. C. for oilfield tubular products manufacturers in the United States.
Six brands representing 19 services in nine states and approximately 7,500 U. S. The U. S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the creation of the U. S. OCTG Manufacturers Association. U. S.
Tenaris owns two generators in Beaver County, a Koppel foundry and a seamless tube plant in Harmony Township.
Zanotti is under pressure over the importance of selling and creating reliable domestic supply chains, “like a world-class U. S. OCTG industry. “
“Foreign producers, many of whom come from countries that don’t have a local market for OCTG and therefore have excess off-market capacity, make up about a portion of the U. S. market,” Zanotti said. “U. S. industry can upgrade those imports and create thousands of good-paying jobs at U. S. OCTG plants. “U. S. and U. S. metal generators. that get their coils hot-rolled, while reducing the carbon footprint.
This article appeared in Beaver County Times: Biz in the Valley: PepsiCo Opens Distribution Center Near Airport