March 28, 2019. Our program featured Phil Mitman, a former Easton Mayor and the current Executive Director of the Easton Area Industrial Land Development Company. EAILD was established in 1961 by Easton Area visionaries, industrialists, corporate and business leaders as a private, non-profit Pennsylvania Corporation. EAILD's purpose was "to improve the employment base (create/expand jobs) by attracting industries to our community."
This was achieved by EAILD's purchasing land and developing two Industrial Parks - with their numerous public and private sector partners - one in Forks Township, one in Palmer Township. Both these Parks now employ approximately 6000 workers. EAILD no longer has land investments in these Parks and the individual municipalities continue to prosper and market sites if available. From 1997 through today, the EAILD mission has been to help provide leadership and financing opportunities to facilitate the acquisition and restoration of commercial buildings in our National Register Historic District (Department of Interior, Washington, D. C.) and Local Historic District, both in Easton's downtown.
EAILD provides early stage financing that may be deemed too risky for traditional banks. The group saved the Hotel Easton from demolition and enabled it to survive into its current incarnation as the Eastonian. In the year 2000, the group purchased the 1915 era Sigal Building which now houses the Sigal Museum. An EAILD loan facilitated the purchase of property at the Simon Silk Mill which has grown to be a highly successful residential and retail neighborhood. There is no question that Easton is undergoing a dynamic renaissance, with its PA Main Street program, Easton Market District, and the Easton Ambassadors, hundreds of State Theatre shows, Crayola Experience, arts community, award-winning restaurants and tourist attractions, dynamic historic preservation projects, and more!
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