by PIDC
January 15, 2016
Categories: Team Members,
You may know that PIDC offers financing products and real estate services to help you invest, develop and grow in Philadelphia. But you may not know the dedicated staff that is here to help you connect to those products and services. It is our pleasure to introduce you to the team you should know!
BRAD BOONE- Manufacturing & Industry
You should know Brad if you are a traditional or not-so traditional manufacturing, distribution, warehousing, logistics, or transportation company.
“Two of my great loves – are the City of Philadelphia, and real estate (how the built environment can change lives). I was originally drawn to PIDC after reading about many of their projects. When I returned to Philadelphia after living in Washington, DC for 8 years I knew that I wanted to somehow be involved in both real estate, and the revitalization of the City; PIDC allows me to do both. And I assumed that somewhere along the line, development and revitalization would bring more quality pizza (one of my other great loves) to our city.
“One of my favorite success stories to tell is in June of 2015, I responded to a general website inquiry from Millstone Spirits Group (New Liberty Distilling), a new (2 year old) craft distiller of Bourbon and Rye Whiskey in South Kensington. Within two hours of my call with the CFO of Millstone, my colleague David Langlieb and I were on the Market-Frankford Line in route to South Kensington for a tour, and discussion of ways in which PIDC could help Millstone with their growth. Ultimately PIDC was able to provide Millstone with a $750,000 Working Capital & Equipment Loan that will help finance Millstones’ inventory and other working capital needs. Millstone is located in a former multi-story horse stable that was once part of the Crane complex; great event space, and tasting room.
“Some of my favorite places in Philadelphia include, eating at Osteria for great pizza, and wine (one of my other loves) & Vedge. In my down time you may find me at North bowl; Bank & Bourbon, Tria Wine Bar, Ranstead Room, Wissahickon Park, or at one of the summer concerts at The Mann Center for Performing Arts.
“It all comes down to the City of Philadelphia, real estate, pizza, and wine!”
Contact Brad Boone at .
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Commercial Businesses
You should know Marla and Heather if you are a small to mid-size business providing a service or selling a product.
MARLA S. HAMILTON
Marla is an Economic Development professional with more than 25 years’ experience in economic development planning and implementation. In her portfolio she works closely with Commercial businesses, Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprises (WBE) and Disable Business Enterprises (DS-BE). Rarely can you walk down the street with Marla without stopping at least once because of running into a client or someone with whom she’s partnered during nearly 15 years at PIDC.
“PIDC fills a real business need and we work hard to respond to changes in the marketplace. We provide a tangible product through affordable financing, and we also provide the intangible by being a resource partner for initiatives like Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses. It’s a blessing to witness PIDC’s impact on business growth and projects throughout the City, knowing that many expansion projects and development projects wouldn’t happen without our involvement. We honestly live by our tagline, “…driving growth to every corner of Philadelphia.”
“I’ve had the good fortune of working with outstanding entrepreneurs across all industry sectors. All my clients are rock stars who I value and who bring incredible value to Philadelphia. My job is to listen, understand the vision of the owner and what they are trying to accomplish in the business, and then be their biggest advocate in matching them to the needed resources – sometimes it’s financing, sometimes it’s coaching – oftentimes it’s both.
“Philadelphia is fortunate to have the Mural Arts Program and the Schuylkill River trail – both are personal favorites and add to the quality of life of a large City.
Contact Marla S. Hamilton at .
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HEATHER HANOWITZ
“I am excited to work for Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation and am thrilled to have the opportunity to increase access to capital to small businesses dedicated to growing and creating jobs within the City of Philadelphia – a dynamic and culturally diverse city I feel privileged to call home.
“I recently worked with the owner of Mama’s Wellness Joint. She had been in business for just over 3 years and could not access affordable capital to refinance credit card debt she originally used to get the business up and running. After 3 years of paying steep credit card fees with interest rates between 15% and 25%, she was approved for a PIDC Working Capital and Equipment Loan that will help her begin paying off principal and lower her interest expense to only 6.25%. Throughout the application process I helped my client create financial projections and set goals for paying off debt. We also budgeted for future expansion and set the ground work for opening a second location.
“When I’m not work some of my favorite places to eat/shop/play in Philadelphia include, the Reading Terminal Market is not only my favorite place to eat, but also grocery shop on the weekends. I love how diverse the food options are, and who doesn’t like to satisfy their food cravings just before they begin grocery shopping? I am also a huge fan of 13th Street because it has a wonderful mix of places to eat, shop and play all at once. Food options are growing by the hour with new restaurants like Double Knot and Bud & Marilyn’s, but my long time favorites are Nomad Roman Pizza (10pm happy hour specials are amazing), Vedge (for my vegan cravings), and El Vez (aka margarita heaven!).”
Contact Heather Hanowitz at .
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ANNE NEVINS- Corporate & Commercial Development
You should know Anne if you are a corporate or commercial developer looking to invest or develop in any neighborhood in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is a smart choice for commercial investment and development. In recent years, the city has experienced a boom in the development of hotels, mixed-use residential and commercial projects, downtown retail, and neighborhood shopping centers.
“What I love most about PIDC is the diversity of what we do as an organization. Having worked here for 9 years, I can truly say that I still learn something new every day– about an industry sector, a business, an entrepreneur, or a neighborhood in our great city. It’s a privilege to help connect people who want to invest in Philadelphia to the resources they need to succeed!
“I’m excited that many of my favorite family activities on the weekends involve our PIDC clients! From ice skating at Dilworth Park to enjoying the fountains at Sister Cities to visiting the Philadelphia Zoo, there are so many great places for kids to learn and explore in the city. Not to mention the many fantastic restaurants, like Pizzeria Vetri in Fairmount and The Industry in South Philadelphia, which we regularly enjoy!”
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IVY OLESH-Referral Partners
You should know Ivy if you are a banker, accountant, attorney, broker, or site selector.
“I love being a part of a mission-driven organization that is invested in helping Philadelphia continue to grow. It’s nice to work in an environment where our bottom line is helping people and trying to figure out ways to get stuff done.
“I recently worked with a business lender who needed some help—his client needed additional capital to grow his business, but the bank couldn’t provide what the business needed for a variety of reasons. The business lender, looking out for his client’s best interests, called PIDC to see if we’d be able to help and after working closely with the client, PIDC was able to loan them the capital they needed!
“When I’m not at work I love to eat, shop and play in Philadelphia. Raising a young child in the City means we spend a lot of time in the City’s fabulous parks and playground, museums, and retail stores! You can usually find us at Taney playground, the Arthur schoolyard, the Franklin Institute, the Zoo, The Schuylkill River Trail, or walking around the streets of Center City or Graduate Hospital. We also love to go out to eat as a family and have been committed to bringing our son along to restaurants all over the City so that he can experience the foods we love to eat. We go to Chinatown, Center City, Fishtown, South Philly, West Philly, really all over, exploring different foods and cultures.”
Contact Ivy Olesh at .
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PATRICK O’CONNOR- The Navy Yard
You should know Patrick if you are interested in leasing or developing space at The Navy Yard.
As Manager of Navy Yard Real Estate, I work on leasing transactions, business development, and project management. The Navy Yard is home to more than 11,000 employees and 145 companies in the office, industrial/manufacturing, and research and development sectors, occupying 7 million square feet of real estate in a mix of historic buildings and new high-performance and LEED® certified construction.
“I enjoy coming to work at a campus that’s so diverse. From the businesses to the activities, there are opportunities for a business meeting in over 20 acres of parks, tours of unique office space and great places to grab a bite to eat from restaurants to gourmet lunch trucks.”
Contact Patrick O’Connor at .
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SAKINAH RAHMAN- Tax-Exempt Financing
You should know Sakinah if you are interested in learning how tax-exempt financing can work for your non-profit or manufacturing business.
In her role at PIDC, Sakinah markets and manages tax-exempt programs as well as develop, as market conditions and new legislation warrant, new tax-exempt bond programs, in collaboration with other public finance professionals. Two examples of developed tax-exempt bond programs are the City’s Recovery Zone Facility Bond Program (2009) and PAID’s Tax-Exempt Equipment Lease Purchase Program (2010).
“I find it exciting to work in an industry that is forever changing. I’m always looking for new opportunities to serve my clientele. I’ve had the pleasure of serving on many panels as an industry expert and enjoy working with other industry professionals to educate the public about tax-exempt financing.”
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Project Finance and Community Investment
You should know Lawrence and Wendy if you are planning or undertaking a community development project.
LAWRENCE MCCOMIE
Since joining PIDC in March 2012, Lawrence has the responsibility for originating, underwriting and closing tax-advantaged and subordinated financing for large-scale real estate and community development projects. Lawrence specializes in a tax-advantaged product called New Markets Tax Credits (“NMTC”), a Federal tax incentive used to attract private equity investments in low-income communities. Lawrence is a Vice-President of the Project Finance Group for the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (“PIDC”), a multiple award winning NMTC allocatee, where he is primarily responsible for underwriting and closing transactions utilizing PIDC’s NMTC allocation. He has over 24 years of economic development financing experience.
“I enjoy working at PIDC because of its unwavering commitment and mission to attract scarce financial resources to the City of Philadelphia.”
Contact Lawrence McComie at .
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WENDY WEISS
Since joining PIDC in 2007, Wendy Weiss has played a key role in large scale development projects, particularly those in underserved communities. Those projects include Spectrum Health Services, Bakers Centre, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and NewCourtland LIFE Center.
“I enjoy the work that I do. Being hands on in a project that can sometimes take years to complete is all worth it seeing it from the Groundbreaking to Grand Opening. Knowing that these projects are helping to secure the future of a community is inspiring.”
Contact Wendy Weiss at .