business resources
The Chamber, through the Centre County Industrial Development Corporation, is the primary agency for Centre County businesses needing access to business development resources. Additional resources for extra business and economic development assistance include: Ben Frank Technology Partners (814 863-4558, www.benfranklin.org) The partnership provides seed capital to new and early-stage, technology-focused businesses. Penn State Small Business Development Center (814 863-4293, www.sbdc.psu.edu) Funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Penn State University and the Pennsylvania SBDC, the Penn State SBDC offers free business consultation, planning and startup help. Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP 814 865-0427, penntap.psu.edu) PennTAP assists with produce development and research, usually in the manufacturing and technology areas of commerce. Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE 814 234-9415, scorepa.org) A network of retired business professionals, SCORE provides assistance to anyone wanting to start or expand a business. Their free business consultation can include seminars on specific topics or business startups in general. Innovative Manufacturers Center (IMC 570 329-3200, www.imcpa.com) IMC offers free consultation about production and manufacturing operations; helping to increase efficiency and secure ISO-9000 certification. Moshannon Valley Economic Development Partnership ( 814 342-2260, www.mvedp.org) MVEDP is responsible for economic and community development in western Centre County. Susquehanna Economic Development Authority-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG 570 524-4491, www.seda-cog.org) This regional partner provides access to state and federal economic development programs for a multitude of projects, including building and site construction, export assistance and procurement assistance. |