Joseph Lettiere named CAN DO vice presidentJoseph Lettiere has been promoted to the position of vice president of CAN DO, Inc., Greater Hazleton’s economic development organization, announced CAN DO President W. Kevin O’Donnell.

Lettiere, who first joined CAN DO in 2000 as an economic development specialist, quickly earned the title of marketing director and then vice president of marketing, before most recently being named vice president of CAN DO.

cargillwebCargill’s Hazleton facility in CAN DO’s Humboldt Industrial Park recently made global history with a recycling initiative that will impact the environment for a lifetime. 

Although the company has locations in 71 countries, the Hazleton plant became Cargill’s first one to take its operations 100 percent landfill-free after a three-year journey.

HawkMtn Labs, Inc. has been serving Eastern Pennsylvania through its environmental testing laboratory services for the past 30 years. When the business was seeking funding for equipment and building improvements, it approached CAN DO to utilize the company's services as an Area Loan Organization and Certified Economic Development Organization.

CAN DO utilized its connections with the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, as well as Luzerne County, to obtain five loans the company will use to improve and expand its operations. Jim Kelshaw, CAN DO's Director of Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, endeavored on behalf of HawkMtn Labs President and CEO Jeffrey Gittleman to obtain nearly $600,000 in loans, in addition to the money CAN DO was able to provide the company.