History
DRIVE (Driving Real Innovation for a Vibrant Economy) was formed in 2015, after county commissioners and community leaders came together to consider how best to promote economic development in Columbia and Montour Counties. Recognizing that financial challenges are independent of political boundaries, and that any solutions to these challenges would benefit the common good, the DRIVE organization was formed as an economic development council of governments where the counties could work together cooperatively.
The key to the success of DRIVE is a strong commitment by its member counties (Northumberland, Snyder, and Union joined in 2020) to collaborate on solutions to common problems for the region.
Since its inception, DRIVE has engaged in many regional projects, bringing job opportunities and capital investment, while growing and diversifying the economic base.
Some key examples over the years include:
Redevelopment of Metso Minerals facility in Danville
The Metso Minerals facility in Danville has served as a hub for the town’s industrial activity since 1919. Over the years, the site has been used for machinery fabrication, munitions manufacturing, and other services for the mining, oil, and gas industries. In 2017, DRIVE took ownership of the property after Metso announced it would move its operations to York, PA. With the assistance of a $1,000,000 Multimodal grant from Pennsylvania’s Dept. of Community & Economic Development, DRIVE re-established rail access to the facility, upgraded the rail crossings and bridge and constructed a new access road to make way for new industries.
Today, the 20+ acre property is home to a culinary equipment company and a lumber products business. The 32,000-square-foot office building serves as DRIVE’s headquarters and is also home to StartUp Danville. StartUp Danville is a business incubator developed in partnership between DRIVE and Bucknell University's Small Business Development Center, and the Business Hub for growth stage small businesses.
Sunbury Textile redevelopment in Sunbury
In 2020, Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC announced it would cease operations in the Sunbury facility. The site was initially developed as a textile mill around the turn of the century. For more than 20 years, Glen Raven produced fabrics for outdoor/indoor furniture markets. The closure displaced 110 employees. The company donated the 57-acre property and 400,000-square-foot facility, which had been in operation in Sunbury for 66 years, to DRIVE, which, in turn, found two new operations in 2021, bringing many jobs back to the area.
Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC originated in Selinsgrove in 2008 and expanded to Sunbury in 2019. Continued growth necessitated another expansion and relocation soon thereafter. In 2021, it moved into the Sunbury textile mill, allowing for a much larger production area, offices, increased warehousing and logistical capacity, and a “coffee laboratory” to educate and train area coffee roasters. Later in 2021, Sivana Converting LLC purchased the remaining 350,000-square-foot portion of the building space for its industrial hemp manufacturing. The move required 50 new jobs within its first year, and it plans to expand the operation further.
Wireless broadband network – DRIVEnet
Residents and businesses in the DRIVE five-county region are fortunate to have access to high-speed internet through the DRIVEnet Wireless Broadband Network, and two service providers - SkyPacket Networks and CentreWISP. What began in 2018 as an affordable broadband pilot project in Montour County, funded by a loan from Geisinger, has grown into a fully functional network for underserved and unserved rural residents, across 1,750 square miles of Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Union, and Columbia counties.
The region’s need to expand high-speed broadband internet became critical with the COVID-19 pandemic as people turned to work and schooling from home. DRIVE’s member counties contributed $3.2 million in CARES Act funds to expand the network’s reach. Employing the latest technology, the carrier-grade network now reaches more than 23,000 locations, primarily in unserved and underserved areas.
Days Inn Hotel redevelopment
DRIVE seeks to help the community grow and adapt as required. In 2020, the organization became a conservator for a former Days Inn in Danville, that had sat vacant since 2014. Built in the 1960s, the property had fallen into disarray. DRIVE helped facilitate the purchase of the property by Liberty Group in 2022, which completed demolition in the summer of 2023. The group intends to begin construction on a new structure in 2024.
Before Demolition
After Demolition
Country View Family Farms
In 2022, DRIVE worked with numerous state and regional organizations to facilitate the construction of a $47.3 million feed mill expansion plant in Union County by Country View Family Farms, LLC. The 100-plus acre rail-served site initially brought 51 new jobs to the area while retaining 231 existing, full-time jobs statewide. Country View Family Farms planned to invest nearly $50 million into the project over three years.
Its impact on local economic development is significant, as it presented the ability for regional family farms and rural businesses to engage in new opportunities in agriculture commodities markets. Involved organizations include the Governor’s Action Team Department of Community and Economic Development, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Focus Central PA, and DRIVE.