In Bucks County, Vertical Screen Inc., an employee screening firm in Southampton, will receive a nearly $2.3-million PIDA loan to build a 51,000-sf building that will serve as its headquarters. The $14-million project, sponsored by the Bucks County Economic Development Corp., will create 104 jobs and retain 166 others.

Nutek Disposables Inc., a manufacturer of washcloths and baby wipes, will receive $2 million to build a new 53,000-sf facility in Clinton County's Wayne Township. Fifteen new jobs will be created and 63 existing ones will be retained via the $6.8-million project, sponsored by the Clinton County Economic Partnership.

According to the release, the Regional Industrial Development Corp. of Southwestern Pennsylvania will receive a more than $1.6-million PIDA loan to continue developing the City Center of Duquesne, a 250-acre business park in Allegheny County. The $4.1-million project involves the construction of a new 20,000-sf building on the site of the former US Steel Duquesne Works, and is expected to create 25 jobs when completed.

A $600,000 PIDA loan will help Healthcare Lighting Inc. acquire and renovate a 24,000-sf building in Erie County's Fairview Township. Healthcare Lighting, which manufactures lighting for hospitals and other medical facilities, intends to create six new jobs and transfer 18 existing employees to the new location as part of the $1.5-million project, according to the release. The Greater Erie Industrial Development Corp. is the local sponsoring agency.

In the release, Rendell notes that as part of his "Protecting Our Progress" strategy, he recently lowered the interest rate on key economic development loan programs to 2% below prime. The move, Rendell says in the release, was intended "as an incentive for companies to act immediately on their goals for the future." PIDA has funded more than 400 projects with more than $390 million in loans since 2003, according to the release.