Commissioners approve tax-exempt status for bonds

A company says it will add 68 jobs over the next three years.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer County commissioners made it a little less expensive for a local company to borrow money.
During their meeting Thursday, commissioners approved tax-exempt status for bonds to be sold by Primary Health Network, allowing the company to pay a lower interest rate on the bonds. The $1.8 million bond issuance will help finance a $2.1 million expansion at three of the company's sites in the county. Company officials say the expansion will create 68 jobs over three years.
Marsha Braatz, vice-president of finance for the corporation, said the three expansion projects include:
Purchase of Park Place at 350 Sharon-New Castle Road, Farrell, where several offices will be consolidated into a community facility offering holistic health care ranging from obstetrics/gynecology, dental and pharmacy services to Reiki and acupuncture.
An expansion of offices in Sheakleyville to more than double the size to make possible an expansion of office hours for its internal medicine specialist, pediatrician and psychiatrist and addition of a clinical social worker.
Remodeling of a building used for finance and billing at 121 E. State St., Sharon.
Jack Laeng, Primary Health CEO, said the company is experiencing a "phenomenal" demand for services. He said one reason is what seems to be an "exodus of physicians" from this area or a lack of new ones coming in.
Primary Health Network is a nonprofit corporation based at 100 Shenango Ave., Sharon. Its mission is to expand medical services available in rural areas, and the company offers its services scaled on the ability to pay.
It already employs 46 people in Mercer County and operates 23 sites in seven counties. It also operates offices in Farrell, Hermitage, Mercer and New Castle.