JAMES L. "JIM" CARINO

JAMES L. "JIM" CARINO

James Louis Carino was born on March 18, 1933 in Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania to Anthony F. Carino and Bertha Carlson Carino. His family moved to Indiana in 1946 and he enrolled in what was known as the Indiana Lab School, graduating in 1949. He then attended the Kiski Prep School and graduated in 1951. He was accepted at The University of Pennsylvania (PENN) and graduated in 1955. While in college he joined the NROTC and upon graduation he was commissioned an Ensign in the US Navy Reserve and was called to active duty immediately and assigned to the amphibious force Atlantic fleet for a two year tour and honorably discharged as a Lieutenant J.G. in 1957.
 
After his time in the Navy, Carino returned to Indiana and began his career of developing the Christmas tree and seedling growing business his father had started in 1946. Carino married his wife Carolyn Fox in in 1971 and their daughter Laura was born in 1973. Laura is married to Kevin Musser and they have two children, Mason and Harper.
 
When Carino returned to Indiana in 1957 the Christmas tree industry was beginning to explode. Fueled by the introduction of the Scotch Pine variety, the availability of inexpensive land and abundant labor force the opportunities to rapidly expand, not only growing Christmas trees, but also supplying planting stock to the hundreds of growers entering the business existed. In the next few years, with an aggressive marketing plan, he took what was once a small secondary business to the next level and developed one of the largest wholesale Christmas tree companies in the United States. Carino was a member of the large Christmas tree growers of the U.S.; this organization had only 10 members and was comprised of growers who shipped over 100,000 trees in a year. This company was known as Carino Nurseries. At the same time Carino was developing one of the largest seedling and transplant nurseries in Pennsylvania, this company know as J.L. Carino Nurseries, Inc. shipped millions of plants per year to customers in over 40 states and Canada.

In 1969 Carino and his father, formed a natural gas production company. This company was known as AFCO Energy Production Company, Inc. AFCO began as a working interest partner in the development of the Pineton Field Oriskany natural gas field. This was a joint operation with Felmont Oil, T.W. Phillips, Consolidated Gas and National Fuel Gas Co. This field continues to operate to this day. AFCO continues as the operator of several shallow wells on Carino properties.
 
During his career as a Christmas tree grower, Carino won more than 200 awards in Christmas tree competitions on the local, state and national levels. His greatest accomplishment was in winning six first place awards and the Grand Champion award at the Pennsylvania Farm show in one year. This record still stands to this day. Carino also supplied a 35’ Concolor Fir to decorate the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg as well as a show winning Douglas fir to decorate then Governor Casey’s office.
In 1992 Carino along with plant scientists from N.C. State University were on the cutting edge of implementing a biotechnology called Mycorrhizae, which would strengthen seedlings and transplants, abilities to withstand stresses associated with plant mortality. The result was the most extensive ectomycorrhizal fungus seedbed inoculation in the world. 

Carino is a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Indiana and an associate member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Naples, Florida. 

 
Business Organizations and Clubs:
Carino is a past Director of S&T Bancorp and Chairman of the Wealth Management Committee.  Past member and officer of the Pennsylvania Christmas tree growers Association and founding member and officer of the Pennsylvania Tree Improvement Program (Penn-tip). Carino was also a member of the National Christmas Tree Growers Association, Pennsylvania Landscape and Nurseryman’s Association, the PA Independent Oil and Gas Association and numerous other local, state and national Christmas tree, nursery and forestry associations.
 
Carino is a member of the Indiana Country Club and Kensington Golf and Country Club Naples, FL, Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, Nittany Lion Club at Penn State, Presidents Council at IUP and Headmasters Club at The Kiski School.
 
Notable Charitable Contributions:
Carino has been a private philanthropist who contributed generously to various universities, schools, hospitals, churches, civic and charitable organizations, the poor, hungry, veterans and others in need of help.
 
More notable contributions and gifts are as follows:
Capital campaigns at Indiana Regional Medical Center including Bork Emergency Center, Herbert Hanna Oncology Center and most recently the Centennial campaign. 

Alice Paul House capital campaign, Kiski Prep School Capital campaigns, Penn State University School of Forestry, Andy Kuzneski Memorial Football Field, Indiana Symphony Society, American Red Cross, a gift of mineral gas resources to the Foundation for IUP, establishment of the Carino Family Scholarship Endowment at IUP, Jimmy Steward Museum, Boy Scouts at Camp Seph Mack and the Indiana Free Library.
 
​Keeping public recognition of his giving to a minimum has been a priority. In 1998 Carino established the Carino Family Foundation, which will perpetuate his love of giving into the future. Carino’s daughter, Laura Carino Musser is the trustee of this foundation. 

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