When a local company needed to grow, its leaders turned to the Centre County Economic Development Partners (CCEDP) and laid out the challenges and opportunities.
"In order to grow, we needed to increase production capacity in the form of a second machine, which would require a larger building and a second shift," explained Bruce Pellegrino, Vice President of Marketing at Sensor Networks, Inc. (SNI). "To start that domino effect, we needed assistance to acquire a second machine."
"In order to grow, we needed to increase production capacity in the form of a second machine, which would require a larger building and a second shift," explained Bruce Pellegrino, Vice President of Marketing at Sensor Networks, Inc. (SNI). "To start that domino effect, we needed assistance to acquire a second machine."
This type of game-changing growth opportunity is exactly what the CCEDP values when it engages with local companies to stay in the area and grow - increasing a company's productivity and expanding its workforce with local hires. With a CCEDP investment, SNI was able to purchase a second machine this year and is now open for business in their new location at 366 Walker Drive in State College. SNI has nearly doubled the square footage of their work space and will grow their team to 125 full-time employees.
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“On behalf of the Centre County Economic Development Partnership, we are proud to partner with Sensor Networks,” said Vern Squier, President & CEO of CBICC/CCEDP. “Our partners are dedicated to this area growing together, which is exactly what we are celebrating today. This is a tangible example of business growth, jobs growth, and the growth of our local economy – all accomplished through focused partnership.”
“Sensor Networks is super-excited to be settling into our new home here at Washington Centre in State College,” said Pellegrino. "Today we will be dedicating our new enhanced production capabilities and appreciating all of the assistance and financial support that we’ve been getting from CBICC and the local business-friendly communities.”
Pellegrino also emphasized access to a local workforce in order for SNI to continue its growth trajectory.
"Our ability to serve the customer is based on access to engineers and machinists," Pellegrino noted.
Pellegrino also emphasized access to a local workforce in order for SNI to continue its growth trajectory.
"Our ability to serve the customer is based on access to engineers and machinists," Pellegrino noted.
The company’s customers are heavily based in the aviation sector and frequently visit the Happy Valley headquarters to trouble-shoot issues with SNI’s experts.
SNI is a modern-day manufacturer, constructing sensors that send data to companies such as Southwest Airlines in order to keep a plane engine's fan blades working properly. The transducers that SNI manufactures are either permanently affixed to send data remotely or are brought in for routine testing purposes. SNI's international clients, like General Electric-Aviation, rely on the sensors to keep people safe and to keep equipment in proper working order. This means safer travelling conditions for people flying worldwide – and into Centre County.
SNI is a modern-day manufacturer, constructing sensors that send data to companies such as Southwest Airlines in order to keep a plane engine's fan blades working properly. The transducers that SNI manufactures are either permanently affixed to send data remotely or are brought in for routine testing purposes. SNI's international clients, like General Electric-Aviation, rely on the sensors to keep people safe and to keep equipment in proper working order. This means safer travelling conditions for people flying worldwide – and into Centre County.
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The machine that SNI needed and that set off this local economic investment in our community was a CNC (computer numerical control) lathe machine. Run by a computer, the nimble machine has five axis points from which it can cut. This helps SNI work on a piece of equipment that has a composite of both metal and plastic, with the machine easily cutting between the layers.
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This purchase and its chain reaction of economic impact in our community was made possible by a $122,000 investment package funded by CCEDP partners: Centre County Government, College Township, Ferguson Township, Patton Township, State College Borough, Halfmoon Township, and Spring Township.
To learn more about CCEDP partners or economic development in Centre County, please visit cbicc.org or contact Jennifer Myers, Vice President of Economic Development (jennifer@cbicc.org | 814-234-1829).
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With an unparalleled depth of experience and expertise in the highly specialized fields of ultrasonic and remote visual technologies, the Sensor Networks team brings together the very best minds and industry experts in the business to deliver smarter solutions with a refreshingly personalized approach for the world’s critical asset management applications. Developing breakthrough innovations that transform and integrate the definitions of cost-effective, precision and ease-of-use, Sensor Networks addresses unique industrial challenges including: remote non-intrusive corrosion monitoring of plant piping, vessels and other components in refineries as well as experience-based UT applications engineering, standard and customized transducers and remote visual tooling for demanding in-situ test and inspection applications in aerospace and power generation.
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The Centre County Industrial Development Corporation, which hosts the Centre County Economic Development Partnership (CCEDP), operates under a diverse economic development platform, ranging from entrepreneurial development, business retention and expansion, business recruitment efforts, and numerous small business assistance pathways. A significant part of its economic development activities is concerned with keeping and growing the businesses that are already located here (i.e. business retention and expansion) and in concert with that effort, it has developed evaluative criteria which can be used to assess the viability of projects. The economic development goal is to assist many sizes and types of companies, but also to identify those that may be worthy of additional assistance from CCEDP partners. These companies would typically be viewed as being key to the economy, change-making in their growth plans relative to community impact, producers of significant investment and job impact in the community, etc. Through the CCEDP partnership, this approach allows for a collective evaluation, useful to all partners, that can substantiate the net positive effect of any transaction seeking additional assistance from the partnership.
