The Factory Song with LYRICS

ST. MARYS — When Bekki Titchner wrote “The Factory Song,” she never imagined she’d win an award for it. What she knew was that she was angry and wanted to sing it out.

She recalls that during the economic downturn between 2008-2009, Elk County had one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, largely because so much of the industry there is tied to automative production.

“It was a horrible time and I read an article in one of the metropolitan newspapers saying basically ‘why does anyone live here?’ I really took that personally because I do want to live here. And that’s where the lyrics came from and where the song started,” Titchner said. “I started asking myself why do we live here, especially because it’s not the easiest place to live.”

For inspiration, Titchner looked to local industry, which historically includes extraction — like lumbering and coal mining — as well as manufacturing, which has been the identity of the region for nearly a century.

Speaking of “The Factory Song,” Titchner first acknowledged her husband Mark, who is its co-writer.

“It wouldn’t have been a song without him,” said Titchner, who added that the members of the Titchner-Scott band helped to make the video and song whole. They include: Mark Santinello on bass; Matt Santinello, lead guitar; Don Strandberg, drums; and videographer Kyle Yates of Jefferson County, who also won the Artisan of the Year award.

The song was submitted to the Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriting Contest and it came in as runner-up in the state. Titchner also laughs and smiles, saying that the band played the song at a bluegrass festival in Potter County and won $20.

“I always thought the song would make a good video because of the photography of industry that has always gone on here. It’s a treasure trove of history,” said Titchner, who said the band received a $2,000 Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts grant to make a music video of the song.

The video was shot in the old Allegheny Coating building in Ridgway. Local historian Ray Beimel from the St. Marys Area Historical Society, as well as historians John and Bob Imhof, and Kim Bonfardin provided the band with historic photographs.

After the historic information was gathered, the video turned its eye to the industry that currently exists here, including Straub Brewery in St. Marys, Embassy Powdered Metals in Emporium, and Horizon Wood Products in Kersey. Other industries also expressed interested but time constraints and budget didn’t allow their involvement.

“It was just something I wanted to do because this is where we live,” Titchner said. “And there’s always the dialogue that if you’re here you failed because you didn’t leave.”

She said one of the most poignant impacts of the video is that when it has been shown, it has started that dialogue of how do we keep people here and halt outmigration.

“We tried to get a little bit of everything, knowing that you’re not going to get it all in,” Titchner said. “It’s impossible to condense this place into three-and-a-half minutes.”

Serving as Elk County’s Recycling/Solid Waste Coordinator, when Congressman GT Thompson’s aide Deborah Pontzer, who is also on the PA Wilds board, called her, Titchner was wondering what grant she had applied for for the recycling center.

Each year, the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. (PA Wilds Center) recognizes outstanding individuals, organizations, programs, communities and places that exemplify the great work being done across the region to develop nature tourism and the outdoor recreation economy in a way that creates jobs, diversifies local economies, inspires stewardship and improves quality of life.

“I really was surprised,” said Titchner of the announcement that she had been awarded the Conservation Stewardship (Individual) Award Winner by the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc.

As Elk County Recycling/Solid Waste Coordinator, Titchner successfully navigated an innovative recycling program to success, when so many others have struggled to do so. She and the team at the Recycling Center have taken the lessons learned from the area’s industrial heritage and put them into practice with an aim towards conservation.

“We’re thrilled to honor such an inspiring group of award winners this year; their work and dedication is making a powerful impact in the region that will be felt for generations to come. I encourage everyone to join us in celebrating these leaders, while also commemorating the important anniversary of 15 years of the Pennsylvania Wilds work, region, and mission!” said Ta Enos, Executive Director of the PA Wilds Center.