When it comes to southwestern Pennsylvania, Ronnie Bryant wants people to think of it as a product ready to consume.

"Our region is a product we want out customers to buy,'' Bryant said.

Speaking Tuesday at the 58th annual Pennsylvania Economy League Mercer County Branch dinner at Oak Tree Country Club in Shenango Township, Bryant sounded like a true salesman. In a way, he is.

As president and chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, Bryant is in charge of an economic development and regional marketing organization that serves the 10-county region of southwestern Pennsylvania. Site Selection magazine has named PRA among the top 10 when it comes to economic development.

He acknowledged to the audience there are regional obstacles to overcome.

"We have lost a generation that we have to replace as a result of he demise of the steel industry,'' Bryant said.

Further, a nationwide study completed last June showed that most business decision-makers had a 20-year-old perception of southwestern Pennsylvania as still being a heavy industrial area. But since coming to the area from St. Louis 18 months ago, Bryant has harped on a theme of a spirit of cooperation among the Pittsburgh region's development groups.

"We serve our customers,'' he said. "We handle a project from A-Z. There is no time where we hand off a project to someone else.''

In assessing the needs of a business looking to expand or settle in the area, Bryant said PRA plays no favorites among the various communities.

"We must be perceived as an honest broker,'' he said.

To attract new businesses PRA is looking to the global markets such as Europe.

"If we're going to grow our market we must understand we can't grow it all domestically,'' he said.

But almost as if he were talking to himself instead of the audience, Bryant noted that any development agency must have contact with businesses already in its area.

Earlier this year May Co. announced it was moving 1,200 jobs out of Pittsburgh to Rhode Island. PRA didn't know the retailing giant employed that many in the city.

"All of us were caught totally off guard,'' he said. "We heard it when everyone else heard it.''