The following article appeared in the August 22, 2006 Standard-Speaker.
Article used with permission.

by: Jim Dino
jimdino@standardspeaker.com

The new Holiday Inn Express was formally opened on August 21, 2006 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the facility, located just off Route 309 and Interstate 80 in the CAN DO Corporate Center, Drums. Pictured in the front row, from left; Hazleton City Council President Joseph Yannuzzi; Donna Palermo, president of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce; Jonathan Jinks, the hotel’s general manager; Michelle Pecile, the hotel’s assistant general manager; Butler Township supervisors Robert Shelhamer and Judy Pekarek; Bill Kiel, operations manager for Deets Holdings, Inc., the co-owner of the hotel; Betty and Ed Deets, co-owners; W. Kevin O’Donnell, president of CAN DO, Inc.; Butler Township Supervisor Ransom Young; Gary Danish, chairman of the board of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce; Merle Mackin, director of the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, and Michele Mahovich, of State Rep. Todd Eachus’ office. Second row, from left: hotel architect Art Sweeney; George Hayden Sr. and George Hayden Jr., of Hayden Electric, the firm that installed the hotel’s electric and communications facilities; Butler Township Manager Steve Hahn; Levi Milnes, of Milnes Construction, the firm which built the hotel; Frank Hoegen, attorney for Ed Deets, and E. Thomas "Sandy" Sandrock, chairman of the board of CAN DO, Inc.

A part of the vision for the CAN DO Corporate Center became a reality Monday.

The grand opening for the new Holiday Inn Express hotel in the CAN DO Corporate Center, Drums, was held Monday.

Local dignitaries gathered to officially open the new, 80-room hotel, which was part of the vision CAN DO, Inc., the area’s industrial and economic development organization, had for the 1,000-acre Corporate Center when it was planned in the 1990s.

"From the beginning, we planned a hotel (to be in the Corporate Center). Today, our vision is a reality," O’Donnell said. "CAN DO is very proud of the Holiday Inn Express."

O’Donnell said a hotel was part of the vision for the Corporate Center so there would be a place close by for businesses that locate in the park to have meetings, and for the hotel to be close to the interstate highway system so travel to it could be easy.

"When we started to develop the Corporate Center, we decided to develop it for a higher quality of business," O’Donnell said. "Our vision was to develop a facility where business, employees and guests would want to come to.

"To accomplish this goal, we had to select a location with a pristine setting that was in close proximity to the market. We wanted to develop it with all of the amenities."

O’Donnell thanked Ed Deets and his partner in the hotel project, Al Roman, for making the dream of a Corporate Center hotel become a reality.

Deets said the hotel was built because of O’Donnell and CAN DO.

"Kevin O’Donnell came to me and asked me if I would consider building a hotel here in this beautiful Corporate Center," Deets said. "After several meetings, he finally convinced me to do it."

Deets thanked Levi Milnes, of Milnes Construction, the firm that built the hotel; Hayden Electric, which installed the electrical and communications facilities in the hotel; Susquehanna Associates Management, the firm that will manage the hotel, and Community Bank.

O’Donnell also lauded the Butler Township supervisors for their help with the project.

Supervisor Ransom Young said all of the original fears of the Corporate Center have not been realized, and welcomed the hotel.

"Twenty years ago, when we were having meetings about (building) the Corporate Center. He naysayers said it would use all of our water, and make the property values plummet," Young said. "CAN DO is going to supply water to some of our housing developments, and he property values in the township have never been higher."

Gary Danish, chairman of the board of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber "hopes to see the hotel in business for many, many years to come."

Jonathan Jinks, the hotel’s general manager, said among the hotel’s 80 rooms are 14 king suites, two suites for the handicapped, and four rooms equipped with handicapped amenities. Each room has complimentary Internet access.

For the business traveler, the hotel also features a business center, which sports two computers, a printer and free Internet access. Facsimile facilities are available at the hotel’s main desk.

Jinks also said the hotel has a fitness center, and will eventually have an indoor swimming pool.

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