EARLIER INITITIVES
ARDUINO
DAY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MERGER
Now serving as a single voice for business in the county.
In 2014, three regional business organizations merged into a single entity serving all of Wayne County. The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, The Southern Wayne regional Chamber of Commerce and the Pocono Lake Region Chamber of Commerce became the Chamber of the Northern Poconos.
EV CHARGING STATION
With the help of SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support), Wayne County obtained a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection to install a two-port charging station for electric vehicles at The Stourbridge Project, co-working space and business incubator, in Honesdale.
SOUTHERN WAYNE BROADBAND EXPANSION
Installation of new fiber broadband lines were completed by Laurel Highlands Telecommunications in February 2020. The county received a grant in support of the project, in the amount of $300,000, from the Local Share (Gaming)Account for Mount Airy Casino. This grant allowed the 144-count fiber line to be extended approximately 12.5 miles along route 196 from Canaan Township, through Hamlin, reaching the Sterling Business & Technology Park. This expansion provides connections of a gigabyte or more at competitive pricing.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR AGRICULTURE
In 2018 the county received a $50,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), which the county matched with $50,000 to cover the cost of the Agriculture Economic Development Study.
“We need the farmers to revitalize the agriculture industry. We need the farmers to work with Wayne Agriculture Tomorrow to address their needs. Their involvement in the implementation is key to its success.” - Jane Bollinger
GETTING OUT OF THE FOXHOLE: ENTREPRENEUR SERIES
A direct result of a discussion held at a Wayne Tomorrow Action Committee meeting in 2017, the Foxhole Series was launched by the Quality of Life Working Group (currently dormant) to give local small business owners a chance to get out of their everyday surroundings and meet with their peers, local and regional experts and officials to talk about the present and the future.
The series was designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners to connect and share problems, solutions, and forward-focused ideas for building their business and Wayne County's economy, utilizing library resources to get the information needed to succeed.
PROTOTYPING LAB
To further support local entrepreneurs, the Stourbridge Project (now, Stourbridge Tech Hub) created a prototyping lab outfitted with the equipment needed to develop a working prototype. The Stourbridge project also offers classes and one-on-one instruction on how the equipment work.
LAB FEATURES INCLUDE:
- Glowforge Pro Laser Cutter
- Shotbot 18 by 24
- Solvent tank for dissolving support material
- Stratasys F170 3 Dimensional Printer
- Tools for finishing your prototypes
ROCKET COMPOSTING MACHINE
Diverting Food Waste
After seventh grade students at the Wayne Highlands School District attended an environmental education program, they decided to try to divert food waste from landfills with a more comprehensive recycling program. Working with Corporate Waste Consultants, fellow students, teachers and staff, the school prevented 20 million tons of waste from entering a landfill.
With the assistance of the county, the school district received a grant to purchase an A900 Rocket Composter, said to be capable of processing nearly 500 gallons of food waste a week.
Green Business of the Year Award
For those efforts, the Wayne Highlands School District earned the Green Business of the Year Award in 2016 from Sustainable Energy Education and Sustainable Energy Education, Development and Support (SEEDS).
Pilot Effort
In 2018, several Wayne County departments have joined in a pilot effort to provide summer food waste from their meal programs, and The Cooperage Project is doing the same with the children's free summer lunch program, made possible through a partnership with Wayne Highlands.
