Shapiro Administration Celebrates Bette Brown Slayton Business Park Groundbreaking, Creating Shovel Ready Opportunities for Businesses in Bedford County

Supported by one of the first PA SITES grants and additional Commonwealth funding, this Bedford County Development Association project will provide shovel-ready sites for nine new or expanding businesses and create 60 construction jobs in Southcentral Pennsylvania.

CNBC recently ranked the Commonwealth as the top state for business in the Northeast - jumping four spots from last year's Top States for Business in America ranking.

Governor Josh Shapiro's Economic Development Strategy is making Pennsylvania a national leader in economic development, innovation, and job creation.

Bedford, PA - Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger highlighted Pennsylvania's $6.7 million investment to support construction of the 44-acre Bette Brown Slayton Business Park in Bedford County, which is expected to provide nine shovel-ready sites for new or expanding businesses and create 60 construction jobs.

The Bedford County Development Association (BCDA) project received a $2.8 million PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites) grant ― one of the program's first awards announced by Governor Josh Shapiro in May 2025. The project also received $1.65 million in loans through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) and $2.3 million through the Multimodal Transportation Fund.

"I'm thrilled to help break ground on the Bette Brown Slayton Business Park in Bedford - one of the first PA SITES-funded projects to begin construction," said DCED Secretary Siger. "The Shapiro Administration is investing in projects like this one that create shovel-ready industrial sites to attract more businesses to Pennsylvania. We look forward to seeing the jobs, investment, and opportunities the Bette Brown Slayton Business Park will create for Bedford County and the Commonwealth."

This BCDA project will support industrial, manufacturing, and logistics operations by offering flexible sites, strategic access, and the infrastructure businesses need for long-term growth.

"Today's groundbreaking represents more than the start of a business park, it represents opportunity," said Jen Marsh, President & CEO, Bedford County Development Association. "Thanks to the Commonwealth's investment through PA SITES and the collaboration of our many partners, Bedford County is creating the shovel-ready sites businesses need to invest with confidence. This project shows what's possible when we move at the speed of business and work together to create jobs, attract investment, and strengthen Pennsylvania's economy."

The new park is named in honor of BCDA's founding President and CEO Bette Brown Slayton, who helped shape Bedford County's economic future during her 35 years of leadership.

"Having this business park bear my name is the honor of a lifetime. I accept this recognition with deep gratitude and humility, knowing that nothing we have accomplished over the past 35 years was ever the work of one person," said Bette Brown Slayton, Founding President & CEO, Bedford County Development Association. "Every success has been the result of the dedicated BCDA board members and staff, elected officials, business leaders and countless others who believed in Bedford County's future. I share this honor with them."

Investing in Site Development to Attract Businesses

Governor Shapiro and DCED developed PA SITES after soliciting feedback from national site selectors who help companies decide where to relocate and grow.

The Governor worked across the aisle to secure $500 million for site development in his 2024-25 bipartisan budget, including $400 million for PA SITES. The program also played a critical role in securing two historic economic development deals announced earlier this year ― Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson.

PA SITES funding can be used for planning grants to conduct plans or feasibility studies for prospective sites, as well as construction grants and loans to help finance strategic investments to enhance sites across the Commonwealth. Award amounts are determined based on a competitive analysis that includes the applicant's need, the marketability of the fully developed site, and the project's alignment with the key industries in Pennsylvania's 10-year Economic Development Strategy, and local and regional priorities.

The first round of PA SITES awards were announced in May 2025, the second round in October 2025, and the third round in February 2026. DCED administers the program, accepting applications and award grants and loans for eligible projects on a rolling basis.

Spurring Economic Growth and Development in the Northeast's Top State for Business

Under Governor Shapiro's leadership, the Commonwealth is a national leader in economic development. Pennsylvania is the only state in the Northeast with a growing economy and the region's top state for business according to CNBC.

The 2026-27 budget builds on that momentum by investing even more in long-term economic growth and innovation, ensuring communities across Pennsylvania can compete and win:

• $125 million to create the Innovate in PA 2.0 program, funded through Insurance Premium Tax Credits. This program will provide capital for promising startups, fund clinical trials for the life sciences, and enhance the Commonwealth's innovation network to help these companies succeed.
• $3.75 million increase in state funding for small minority-owned businesses across the Commonwealth through the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program.
• Maintains $20 million for main streets and small businesses through Main Street Matters to strengthen commercial corridors that are the heart of Pennsylvania's communities.

Since taking office, the Governor has already attracted over $41 billion in private-sector investment which has created more than 24,000 good-paying jobs across the Commonwealth - including the largest private-sector investment and the largest life sciences investment in Pennsylvania history.

Learn more about the Shapiro Administration's efforts to support Pennsylvania's workers and businesses to build a stronger, more competitive economy for all Pennsylvanians.

For more information about DCED, visit the agency's website, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT: Kat Breitmayer, [email protected]