Lt. Gov. visits Wheatland Tube, talks about Wheatland/Hermitage merger

HERMITAGE, Pa. (WKBN) – This is the fifth month since Hermitage absorbed the borough of Wheatland. It’s already been recognized by the state.

Hermitage picked up the Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence earlier this year and the administration took a look at the progress Thursday.

Lt. Governor Austin Davis got a front-line tour of Wheatland Tube. The plant has been around since 1931. It makes 286,000 tons of pipe a year for fire sprinklers and other uses.

“We saw is a great company that’s investing in American workers and investing in American steel,” Davis said.

Wheatland has a new galvanizing line that was a $100 million investment and is building a $50 million automated warehouse. It will be capable of holding 15,000 bundles of manufactured steel.

Davis also saw a big benefit from Wheatland merging into the city of Hermitage.

“I take back what happens when communities come together to help move their community forward,” Davis said.

The Lieutenant Governor heard plenty about the successful merger. He was also encouraged to keep fighting for Western Pennsylvania.

“The Governor and I are tired of losing to Ohio, which is why we proposed a $500 million Pennsylvania SITES program (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites)in this year’s budget to help refurbish sites that have been left and abandoned for years to get them ready for economic development,” Davis said.

Wheatland and Sharon Tube have 462 workers who pay an earned income tax on roughly $39 million in compensation, but the city is careful to reinvest it in services and is able to help the city grow.

“So we’ll go out as a city and partner with them and help them grow and expand. We think great things can happen here in the Wheatland neighborhood of Hermitage,” said Mark Longietti, director of business and community development.

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