In December 1867, thirteen people met upstairs over the G.A. & I.F. Fuller grocery in Scranton,
Pennsylvania to form a Merchants Association. Their goal was to encourage the economic growth
of the city. Over the years the organization evolved into The Scranton Board of Trade and then
eventually The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce - all the while developing innovative ways
to keep Scranton's economy moving forward.
In 1914, the Chamber formed the Scranton Industrial Development Company (SIDCo), the
forerunner of all future Chamber economic development efforts. SIDCo continues the good work
of the Chamber by fostering company expansions in Scranton.
In 1945, attempts were made to diversify our economy and halt Scranton's post World War II
decline. The Scranton Plan was created as a means of accomplishing these goals. Under The
Scranton Plan, the community's private and public sectors pooled their resources to purchase
industrial sites and construct the nation's first industrial shell buildings. The success of
The Scranton Plan encouraged the formation of the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building
Company (SLIBCO) in 1945, and the Lackawanna Industrial Fund Enterprises (LIFE) in 1950 as a
non-profit community development corporation. By 1962, the Chamber had begun constructing some
of the country's early industrial parks. Since developing Keystone Industrial Park in 1962,
the SLIBCO/LIFE team has constructed 12 office, business, and technology parks totaling 2,700
acres, and seven buildings totaling approximately 1.1 million square feet.
As quality of life and image became important site location factors, the Chamber spearheaded
the development of several projects to enhance our area. For example, in 1976 LIFE provided
the seed money for the Montage Mountain Ski Resort project in the City of Scranton. Since
1983, more than two million people have skied down its slopes. In 1982, LIFE supplied the
final $500,000 to complete a $13 million renovation of the Erie-Lackawanna Train Station hotel
in downtown Scranton. The "Lackawanna Station" was the first step of a wonderful downtown
revitalization campaign. Montage Mountain, Steamtown National Historic Site, Steamtown Mall,
and Lackawanna County Stadium have all contributed to our community's quality of life and
image.
As computerized service offices were becoming a more significant part of the national economy,
SLIBCO and LIFE were building full amenity office parks to accommodate the growth of
technology firms in our region. As the business world was undergoing a technology revolution,
the value of skills and education came to the fore. To address the need for high level skills
and education in the work force, the Chamber helped bring together the business/education
partnership, Skills in Scranton. The Computer Collaborative has concentrated the effort for
information technology firms.
To promote a healthy core in the central city of Scranton, MetroAction, Inc. began to
cultivate downtown developments. The goal of these developments was to generate a vibrant
economy and jobs in downtown Scranton.
The Chamber family of organizations has a rich history of responsiveness to community needs.
It has developed 2,700 acres of land that includes industrial, office, and technology parks.
Over 21,000 jobs have been created for Lackawanna County. The Chamber is preparing Scranton
workers for the technology demands of the next century. From the construction of buildings and
industrial parks, the development of hotels and tourist attractions, to the community
partnerships of business, education, and government, the Chamber family is working to meet the
ever-changing needs of our region.
The following is a sampling of Scranton Plan, LIFE, and SLIBCO projects:
 1961 - SLIBCO and LIFE purchase 320 acres in Dunmore and Throop, developing the Keystone Industrial Park. Today, the park is home to 30 companies who occupy a total of 3 million square feet and employ 3,500 workers.
1970 - SLIBCO and LIFE purchase 390 acres in Scranton and Taylor, developing the Stauffer Industrial Park. Today, the park houses 17 companies who occupy a total of 2.5 million square feet and employ 2,000 workers.
1976 - LIFE provides $1.1 million in seed money to the Montage Ski Resort project in the City of Scranton. Since 1983, more than 2 million people have skied down Montage Mountain.
1982 - LIFE supplies the final $500,000 to complete a $13 million renovation of the Erie-Lackawanna Train Station in downtown Scranton. The Lackawanna Station Hotel (now know as the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel) becomes the first step of downtown Scranton's revitalization.
1983 - The Scranton Plan commissions a comprehensive white-collar analysis of the Scranton area. The report suggests that Scranton is well suited to recruit major office employers but needs to develop first-class office facilities.
1986 - The Scranton Plan recruits Grumman Electronics to Lackawanna County from Long Island, New York. SLIBCO and LIFE secure grants and low-interest loans from eight different sources and construct the Benton Industrial Park in northern Lackawanna County to house the Grumman operation. SLIBCO constructs a $12 million, 115,000 square foot high-tech facility and leases it to Grumman. As part of the project, SLIBCO also constructs an on-site sewage treatment plan and water holding tank while Lackawanna County rebuilds a one-mile long township-owned roadway to serve the building. The project is so complex, it is recognized nationally as one of the "Top Ten Development Deals" for 1986.
1987 - SLIBCO secures infrastructure grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and completes a 55 acre expansion at the Keystone Industrial Park. The expanded area sells out within two years, creating 500 new jobs.
1987 - SLIBCO puts the finishing touches on the 123-acre "W.W. Scranton Office Park at Montage", located at the base of the Montage Ski Resort. SLIBCO sells six acres to the New York Times Company, which constructs a $10 million broadcast facility in the park.
1988 - The Scranton Plan recruits the Prudential Asset Management Company (PAMCO) to the area from Florham Park, New Jersey. SLIBCO secures incentive financing from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and constructs a $10.7 million, 115,000 square foot Class A office facility in the W.W. Scranton Office Park at Montage. PAMCO leases the building long term and creates an initial 450 new jobs.
1988 - The Scranton Plan recruits JCPenney Telemarketing to the area. SLIBCO secures incentive financing from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and builds a $3.75 million catalog sales center in the W.W. Scranton Office Park at Montage. JCPenney leases the facility long term and hires 500 workers.
1988 - SLIBCO completes a $1.7 million, 50,000 square foot expansion to the General Dynamics manufacturing facility in Eynon, Lackawanna County. SLIBCO built the original building as a shell in 1957 and leased it to Chrysler Corporation's military tank division. In 1982, General Dynamics purchased the tank division from Chrysler and assumed the existing lease. SLIBCO's 1988 expansion allows General Dynamics to preserve 585 jobs.
1988 - The Scranton Plan commissions SRI International to do a comprehensive pharmaceutical/high-tech analysis of the Scranton area. The report notes that Scranton offers many advantages to pharmaceutical, research and development, and high technology companies but suggests that a new, upscale business park be constructed to accommodate such firms. SLIBCO initiates a search for an appropriate park site.
1989 - SLIBCO announces plans to turn 198 acres located in Scott Township, Lackawanna County, into the region's first park designed for pharmaceutical, research and development, and high technology firms. SLIBCO secures some of the infrastructure grant financing needed to build the park from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and federal government. The development is named the Scott Technology Park, built in response to SRI's 1988 pharmaceutical/high tech analysis.
1990 - SLIBCO secures infrastructure grant financing from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and begins a 200 acre expansion and land reclamation project within Stauffer Industrial Park.
1990 - SLIBCO constructs the 13.6 acre Stafford Avenue Business Park. The Scranton Plan works with local developer Public Service Enterprises to construct a series of speculative flex buildings in the park. SLIBCO's extension of infrastructure into the area facilitates the development of "Montage Medical Park" on 75 acres adjacent to the Stafford Avenue Business Park.
1993 - Ribbon-cutting ceremonies are held marking the official completion of SLIBCO's new Scott Technology Park. Ground is broken for a new 17,500 square foot toxicology laboratory in the park by Pharmakon Research International, Inc. The new $3.2 million research and development facility is financed, in part, by low-interest loans secured by SLIBCO.
1993 - SLIBCO and the Prudential Asset Management Company (PAMCO) announce plans for a 56,000 square foot expansion of PAMCO's 115,000 square foot office facility within the W.W. Scranton Office Park at Montage. SLIBCO will continue to own the complex and lease it to PAMCO.
1994 - Because of the tremendous success of its 123-acre W.W. Scranton Office Park at Montage, SLIBCO announces plans to develop a second office park - the 353-acre Glenmaura Corporate Center - on Montage Mountain. The park is constructed at the base of the Montage ski slopes and overlooks the 11,000 seat Lackawanna County Stadium and 6,900-yard Glenmaura National Golf Club. SLIBCO partners with private developer Hemingway Development Corporation and Lackawanna County to build the new park.
1994 - After a nationwide search, NatWest Bank selects Scranton to be the site of a 300,000 square foot, 1,300-employee customer service center. The Scranton Plan worked closely with bank officials and dozens of state and local agencies for more than 18-months to relocate office functions from New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey to Scranton. SLIBCO constructs the $34 million facility in the Glenmaura Corporate Center and leases it long-term to the banking giant. In 1995, Fleet Financial Group purchased NatWest's North American Banking operations and cited tremendous employee productivity at the Glenmaura customer service center as the main reason it would continue operations there.
1996 - Scranton's Greenway Enhancement Project begins (North Scranton Expressway). The Scranton Greenway Enhancement Project was a $230,000 private/public partnership that was responsible for planting over 3,044 evergreen trees, shrubs, and deciduous trees, beautifying the expressway corridor. The project represented the single largest private/public partnership forestry project in the state, with a grant of $150,000 and community fund-raiser totaling $80,000.
1997 - The Scranton Plan works closely with City of Scranton officials to recruit Diversified Information Technologies to the former Globe Store Building in Downtown Scranton. SLIBCO obtains grants and low-interest loans totaling approximately $7 million from the state and federal governments to purchase and renovate the structure. As a result, Diversified Information Technologies announces plans to locate its headquarters in Downtown Scranton at the historic MetroTech Center.
1998 - MetroTech Center opens in Downtown Scranton. Diversified's move to the new corporate headquarters location creates more than 500 jobs.
2000 - SLIBCO officials announce the expansion of Scott Technology Park, acquiring additional land for the $2.3 million project. Eight new sites are developed, totaling 75 acres.
2001 - SLIBCO purchases 1,300 acres in Jessup and Archbald boroughs for the development of the Jessup Small Business Center and Valley View Business Park. The Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) conducts a $3.5 million site grading project. Land acquisition and construction costs total $14.2 million.
2002 - SLIBCO acquires one acre in downtown Scranton. The site is used for the Scranton Enterprise Center, a $6 million, 41,000 square foot multi-tenant buidling. The second floor of the building is designated a business incubator, and can accomodate up to 17 companies.
2003 - SLIBCO begins an expansion on the Scranton Enterprise Center. The $4 million expansion will add an additional 22,800 square feet of office space and will provide 59 additional parking spaces for the tenants.
2004 - SLIBCO completes the Jessup Small Business Center and Phase I of the Valley View Business Park.
2005 - SLIBCO begins the master planning and design of Phase II of the Valley View Business Park and the Mount Pleasant Corporate Center.
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