Carbon County manufacturers now have a one-stop-shop directory to help them build business networks within the county.

Dawn Ferrante, executive director of the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation, the organization that sponsored the creation of the comprehensive directory, explained that the booklet contains 41 businesses throughout Carbon County that are in the manufacturing field and build or develop some type of product. These manufacturing businesses which include companies like Bradford Clocks in Weatherly, Ametek Chemical Products in Nesquehoning, and Horsehead Corp. in Palmerton, just to name a few employ over 2,000 men and women in the community."People ask me all the time why most of the low interest financing available is for manufacturers and I tell them, because those kinds of jobs usually support life sustaining wages. And then their next comment is usually, 'well we don't have any businesses like that in Carbon County,' but we do," said Ferrante. "The thing that most people don't realize is that while manufacturing has certainly taken a hit in our country, it is not dead. It has become a highly technical, complex business and it's important that we continue to support and grow these local companies. It's also important that our neighbors know the value of what the manufacturers do, have been doing and will continue to do in our community."She added that the directory was an evolution from a list the EDC had on the industry in the county. To help make the list as accurate as possible, letters were sent to businesses to find out what they were making. The responses were then compiled into one document outlining each company.The directory will now be updated on an annual basis and is available to the manufacturers for use as a business tool to create quality contacts within the county. It was also distributed to local political representatives for use as a resource to assist the community."There has been an additional positive outcome from developing it," Ferrante said. "It is hoped that the business-to-business aspect of the directory will further its impact on the local economy through a multiplier effect. We tried to make this directory as comprehensive as possible."She added that some companies may have been inadvertently missed in the first round of letters and if so, she would like to know so she can include them in the next edition of the directory.Companies which were not contacted but would like to be included in the directory can still be included by contacting Ferrante at the Carbon County Economic Development office at (570) 325-2810.