Penn-Northwest Development Corp. is working on an economic development plan for Mercer County which it hopes to finalize in July.

Details of what Mercer County's lead economic development agency is looking to place in that plan were unveiled Monday.

"The core of the plan is there, but there are a number of issues we need to address,'' said Larry Reichard, executive director.

Some of the ingredients for the plan come from the "Bosworth study," completed in February for Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission. That study took an overview of economic development efforts in northwestern Pennsylvania and suggested improvements.

Penn-Northwest endorsed the Bosworth study in March and is working with other counties to implement that plan for the region.

As for Mercer County, Reichard gave an overview of what is being sought here:

   » Creating a minimum of 1,000 acres for industrial parks and other properties for the next decade. Currently, there are no industrial parks along the Interstate 80 corridor, the county's core market.

   » Updating the Mercer County Comprehensive Plan.

   » Create a $5 million fund to jump-start the industrial parks and create development at abandoned industrial plants and on "greenfield'' sites.

   » Conduct an organizational assessment to determine responsibilities for site development at the county level. Local industrial development corporations are responsible for industrial park and property development in their respective geographic areas of the county.

   » Identify new funding sources to support high tech businesses.

James E. Winner Jr., chairman of Sharon-based Winner International, said the area must focus on how to get jobs back and concentrate on primary businesses, which could spawn spinoff jobs. He also called for implementing the Bosworth study into Mercer County's development plans.

"What we have doesn't work,'' Winner said.

Mercer County Commissioner Olivia Lazor said the need to funnel economic development into one cohesive plan is urgent. "You have 48 municipalities in Mercer County who kind of do their own thing,'' she said.

Board members gave an overview of the county's economic situation, showing it is in a slump. Over the last year, plant closings and downsizings have meant the loss of 970 jobs.

In recent months, Werner Co. said it would move ladder manufacturing operations out of its Sugar Grove Township plant, resulting in the loss of 500 jobs, Oxford Automotive in Masury is closing for a loss of about 135 jobs and Wheatland Tube will close a mechanical tube plant, which means the loss of 115 jobs.