9 11 14 centre county gazette cbicc

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT OF

THE CENTRE COUNTY

GAZETTE

September 2014

front Centre

DRIVINGECONOMICGROWTHThe entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well and moving Centre County forward.

2 | September 2014 www.cbicc.orgfronttCentre

GOOD NEIGHBORS MAKE STRONG COMMUNITIES.

At Penn State, our students, faculty, and staff support the economies in the communities where we live, surrounding

our 24 campuses across Pennsylvania.

Our research and development expenditures contribute to the economy, both locally and statewide, through innovation

and technology transfer.

We partner with industry to lead research efforts—fueling the economy for the future and strengthening our communities.

www.cbicc.org September 2014 | 3fronttCentre

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5 — Mission Critical Partners: a passion for public safety is leading to impressive business growth

8 — Goot Essa: artisanal cheese company committed to quality products through quality methods

12 — Lasers for Innovative Solutions LLC perfecting 3D scientifi c imaging method

14 — TechCelerator@StateCollege Boot Camp graduates next wave of entrepreneurs

17 — Penn State’s role in our region’s economic growth

22 — National conference seeks to capitalize on PSU research strength

24 — CBICC: PREPing the region for economic growth

26 — State, CBICC are partners in the effort to attract new business opportunities

THE CENTRE COUNTY

GAZETTE403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801

Phone: (814) 238-5051 • Fax: (814) 238-3415www.CentreCountyGazette.com

PUBLISHERRob Schmidt

MANAGING EDITORChris Morelli

STAFF WRITERBrittany Svoboda

SALES MANAGERDon Bedell

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTSAmy Ansari, Vicki Gillette

BUSINESS MANAGERAimee Aiello

AD COORDINATORKatie Rimmey

GRAPHIC DESIGNBeth Wood

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTKristin Blades

CONTACT US: To submit News: [email protected], Advertising: [email protected] Gazette is a weekly newspaper serving Centre County and is published by Indiana Printing and Publishing Company. Reproduction of any portion of any issue is not permitted without written permission. The publisher reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement for any reason.

front Centre


A message from the CBICC

Offi cersPresident/CEOVern Squier, CBICCChairTed McDowell, AmeriServ BankVice ChairWilliam Joseph, First National BankSecretaryDavid Gray, Penn State UniversityTreasurerFred Leoniak, ParenteBeard LLC

Board of DirectorsTim Boyde .......................... Centre County GovernmentSteve Brown ..................... Mount Nittany Health SystemBetsy Dupuis .............................................. Babst CallandTom Fountaine ........................... State College BoroughO.J. Johnston .................................................. ConsultantLeanne Martin .................................................. M&T BankMark Morath .......... Hospitality Asset Management Co.Lee Myers ........................................................... GeisingerMichael Schaul ..................................... The WHM GroupBrad Scovill ......................................................... Kish Bank

Ex Offi cio MembersDavid Capperella ......................... Capperella FurnitureCristin Long ............ McQuaide Blasko Attorneys At LawJohn Sepp .................................. Penn Terra Engineering

Chamber StaffVern Squier, President/CEOLesley Kistner, Communications DirectorMary Resides, Economic Development Team SpecialistAndrea Harman, Membership/Committees Team

SpecialistShannon Brace, Staff Assistant

Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County200 Innovation Blvd., Ste. 150State College, PA 16803-6602(814) 234-1829Fax: (814) 234-5869E-mail: [email protected]: www.cbicc.org

Published by The Centre County Gazette403 S. Allen St.State College, PA 16801-5252(814) 238-5051; (800) 326-9584Fax: (814) 238-3415E-mail: [email protected]: www.centrecountygazette.com

Welcome to this edition of front +Centre.Front + Centre is designed to offer a glimpse of

some of the promising economic activity taking place in Centre County — from the home-grown business success stories to the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County’s day-to-day work to the efforts of business, community and educational lead-ers who share CBICC members’ vision of a healthy and vibrant pri-vate sector.

Often, the work being done takes place quietly and behind the scenes. It is our hope that by read-ing front + Centre, the community will have a better understanding of the collective commitment that exists to move Centre County’s economy forward.

We hope you fi nd front + Cen-tre to be of value. If you are not a CBICC member, we invite you to join us as we work collectively and collaboratively within the com-munity to make Centre County a great place to live, work and conduct business.

Sincerely,Vern SquierPresident and CEOChamber of Business & Industry of Centre CountyTed McDowellSenior Vice President, AmeriServ BankCBICC Board Chairman

VERN SQUIER

TED MCDOWELL

ON THE COVER Clockwise from left: Novasentis employees manufacture electromechanical polymer actuators that deform, vibrate, create sound and sense pressure. The core technology was developed at Penn State University; Mission Critical Partners employees strategize a solution for a public safety client; Penn State junior and aerospace engineering major Ben Garelick assembles a printed 3-D model of the Penn State Lunar Lion team’s spacecraft during a team meeting. Credit: Patrick Mansell, Penn State News and Media Relations


Mission Critical Partners: a passion for public safety is leading to impressive business growth

Backed by an experienced leadership and sup-port team passionate about its work, Mission Critical Partners, Inc. (MCP) is gaining national attention not only for its industry knowledge in helping local, state and federal government clients improve pub-lic safety communications, but for the company’s impressive, steady growth as well.

MCP got its start in the CBICC’s Technology Cen-ter business incubator at Innovation Park. The com-pany’s Grays Woods facility – with its modern design, abundant natural lighting and state-of-the-art tech-nology – is today headquarters to a growing team of public safety consultants working throughout the nation.

With four practice areas, MCP supports public safety clients by helping them improve strategy, pol-icy, systems and processes. The company’s capabili-ties include: broadband deployment; emergency management communication; consulting and mas-ter planning; facility and technology design and in-tegration; public safety radio; public safety consoli-dation and shared services; and next generation 911

MCP has nine principals who serve as key leadership in the pub-lic safety consulting fi rm. Two of the nine include President and CEO R. Kevin Murray, ENP, and VP and CFO Sam Kerns, CPA.

Kerns said the company’s indus-try experience — 300 years in one practice area alone — and pas-sion about public safety are driv-ing its impressive growth. Over the past few years, the company has grown about 30 percent a year and almost 40 percent this year.

Having recently added signifi -cantly to its staff, the company employs 76 people, with plans to increase that number to 80 in the near future. They serve their clients out of offi ces in Dallas, Raleigh, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, with an-

other 20 employees working out of their homes in

MCP’s Gray’s Woods headquarters.

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Sam Kerns


other parts of the country. In the early years of MCP’s founding, Kerns stressed

that it was a strong support system in Centre County for start-up businesses — including Ben Franklin Tech-nology Partners and the CBICC business incubator — that enabled the company to succeed.

“When we were just starting out, it was really nice to reach out to someone from Ben Franklin to get some guidance in marketing, accounting or general business,” he said. “No matter what our needs, they were always willing to help.”

The CBICC accommodated Mission Critical’s growth by providing additional space within the in-cubator. They also enabled MCP to qualify for the Pennsylvania Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) Tax Credit Program.

“Plus, there were many times that we used com-mon meeting areas and this saved us from having to rent even more space,” Kerns said, adding that the location of the Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel being across the street from their offi ce was very convenient, not only for our out-of-town candi-dates but for out-of-town staff.

While building a base of state and national clients, MCP continues to positively impact Centre County as well.

MCP was instrumental in the development and implementation of Centre County’s new 911 radio communications system.

MCP worked closely with the county commission-ers, Chairman Steven G. Dershem, Chris Exarchos and Michael Pipe — to support the county in site acquisition to improve coverage and increase the total count from 13 sites to 19 sites. Site development

support for the county included overseeing all new “reconditioned” shelters and generators that were installed at all sites at a greatly reduced cost.

Kerns noted that all sites were ready ahead of schedule for the delivery of the vendors’ equipment. MCP also conducted all of the FCC licensing for ev-ery site in the system, based on the fi nal design. MCP was also in attendance, along with county staff, for the formal testing period during which all equipment was built, staged, and tested at Motorola’s head-quarters in Schaumburg, Ill.

Kerns said MCP worked closely with the coun-ty and the vendor during the testing phase of the system, assuring that the county received what they paid for. MCP provided guidance and fore-thought in the development of a cutover plan and

Visit us at www.pennterra.com3075 Enterprise Drive, Suite 100,

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Cutting the ribbon at MCP’s new corporate headquarters.


supported the county during the multi-month transi-tion of users from the old system to the new.

“During the entire process, Mission Critical Part-ners integrated the radio system upgrade project into other related projects we were supporting in the county, including the 911 center renovation and 911 phone system upgrade,” Kerns noted.

MCP also facilitated the creation of a Memoran-dum of Understanding between Centre County and Penn State University.

“The intention was to set forth terms of agree-ment, including fi nancial considerations, system access, equipment location, system management, licenses, ownership/usage, and organizational com-mitments,” Kerns said. “This will result in savings for both the county and the university.”

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Artisanal cheese company is committed to quality products through quality methodsGoot Essa founder John Esh is dedicated to producing cheese in the old-world style

John Esh’s business wasn’t a typical client of the Centre County Industrial Development Corpora-tion’s Loan Fund.

The economic development arm of the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County is well accus-tomed to providing occasional Revolving Loan Fund fi nancing and other support services to local start-up companies in the technology and life sciences fi elds, as well as supporting established businesses operat-ing within Centre County.

In fact, some of these cutting-edge businesses once operated or currently operate out of the CBICC business incubator in the Technology Center at Innovation Park.

An Amish farmer with interest in starting a special-ty cheese business was something a little out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, in 2001 when Esh and his dairy nutritionist founded Goot Essa, the CCIDC helped by providing loan funding for inventory acquisition and working capital.

“Providing funding for Goot Essa was an excit-ing opportunity to help a local farmer establish and grow his business,” said Mary Resides, CBICC Eco-nomic Development Team Specialist.

“Without help from CBICC, Goot Essa would not have survived,” Esh added.

More than a decade later, Goot Essa is an estab-lished and popular local company with a product line of artisanal cheese that can be found in many local eateries and as far away as California.

Esh’s relationship with the Chamber also contin-ues as Goot Essa is among the organization’s nearly 1,000 members.

Goot Essa means “good food” in the Amish dia-lect. Its products, which include homemade fudge, apple butter, mustards and jellies as well as cheese, are made with old-fashioned recipes and methods.

Esh said the decision to enter the cheese business instead of traditional fl uid milk production came down to a desire to keep his family – his wife and nine children – on their farm near Hublersburg in sce-nic Nittany Valley.

“We knew we couldn’t compete with farms with

large herds of cattle,” Esh said of his 80 cows, a small herd by industry standards. “We wanted something that would give us a competitive edge. Cheese has a shelf life, so it is more versatile.”

About 75 percent of the milk from Esh’s cows is used for cheese production, with the remaining 25 percent earmarked for the local butter/milk pow-der co-op. Milk for Goot Essa’s sheep’s milk cheese comes from an Amish farm in Clarion County.

Other accomplishments of Goot Essa are that it helps provide markets for other Amish farmstead products and jobs for up to 20 people in the Amish community.

Esh considers himself to be a “purist” who is dedi-cated to producing cheese in the old-world style.

Goot Essa’s cheese caves, located on his well-kept farm, are fi lled with 14-pound wheels and 45-pound blocks of natural rind cheese aging on wooden boards. With the temperature inside the main cave of 52 degrees and slightly cooler in the winter, up to 10,000 pounds of cheese ages for eight to 36 months before it reaches its maximum fl avor. It is then washed, cleaned and ready for sale. A small-

The Esh family farm in the scenic Nittany Valley.


er blue cheese cave holds up to 2,000 pounds.Goot Essa offers six signature cheeses in various

tastes and textures, pure cheeses that have the cri-teria Esh desires – nutty and buttery.

Esh himself is not personally fond of fl avored cheeses, but understands that “the market wants fl avor, so we have 13 total cheeses.”

While cheese making came natural to Esh, mar-keting Goot Essa was an early challenge.

“In agriculture, we are taught all of our lives how to produce, but not how to market,” Esh said. “Por-traying a nice image of the farm is part of marketing, I suppose. It does impact the public perception of the food.”

Esh’s picturesque farmstead reinforces his philoso-phy in marketing his products.

Esh is also meticulous about the care for his cows – which he milks twice a day – and their special nu-tritional needs.

“They require a balanced diet of grain and hay as well as pasture,” he notes. “The more you fi ne tune their nutrition, the better they produce.”

Half of the cheese Goot Essa produces is distrib-uted throughout the North East corridor, from Rich-mond, VA and Washington, DC to Baltimore, Phila-delphia, Manhattan Long Island and Boston.

A balanced diet for Esh’s herd is crucial to production.

“We knew we couldn’t compete with farms with large herds of cattle. We wanted something that would give us a competitive edge.”

— John Esh, Goot Essa founder

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Cheese reaches peak fl avor in the Goot Essa cheese cave.


“That is our main market,” Esh said. Locally, Goot Essa is certainly well known. Esh said

State College is a big market, with 10 local restau-rants incorporating Goot Essa cheese in their menus and various farm markets carrying Goot Essa prod-ucts. The Penn State Visitors Center during football season is another Goot Essa cheese marketing ven-ue.

Goot Essa can also be found in fi ve cheese shops in California, and the business is working on expand-ing its reach.

“Our biggest challenge is that the cheese is hand made in small batches, so labor costs are higher

than mass-produced cheese,” he said. “We look for markets that are willing to pay a higher price and that appreciate the quality of the cheese.”

In the effort to reach new customers, Esh noted it is hard to compete in the Midwest, in states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, which are known for cheese. However, he feels Goot Essa pro-duces superior cheese that is competitive in the gourmet market.

With a commitment to producing quality products through traditional methods, and ongoing efforts to develop new products, Goot Essa is a Centre Coun-ty success story with a robust future.

CRITERIA FOR ARTISANAL CHEESE ■ Natural animal husbandry: minimal use of

antibiotics none in cheese-making milk, as organic as possible

■ Terroir: clean water, biodiversity of natural plant feed, unique, local character

■ Seasonal: regional and species variation all play a part

■ Single milk source: farmstead of local production

■ Minimal manipulation of milk, including pasteurization

■ Traditional recipes: manufactured by hand■ Aging: ripening, elaboration all done by/with

natural, non-synthetic, non-artifi cial methods/ingredients

Source: Mastering Cheese by Max McCalman and David Gibbons

Better Outcomes. Quality Care.Stroke. Trauma. Brain Injury.

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GAZETTE

September 2014

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DRIVINGECONOMICGROWTHThe entrepreneurial spirit is

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Centre County forward.

The CenTre CounTy GazeTTe

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MatureLifestyLesOrganizations provide social connectionsBy BRITTANY [email protected]

STATE COLLEGE — The importance of being physically active in your later years of life is much discussed. But what about maintaining an active social lifestyle? Sev-eral area programs offer a variety of ways to do this, through outlets such as educa-tion and research.Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at

Penn State, a nonprofit developed from a grant given to the College of Health and Human Development in 2007, is a good re-source for seniors who are looking to stay active with an educational twist.The organization has about 1,200 mem-bers, according to OLLI executive direc-tor Sarah Benton. The courses offered vary

in length, from one to 12 sessions, topic and where they take place, which has ex-panded to areas including Bellefonte and Philipsburg.

“They are all for peer enjoyment,” Ben-ton said. For a $50 annual membership fee, people can participate in any the 350 courses offered.

Course topics include subjects ranging from art, music, dance, crafts, cooking and health and fitness to history, politics, lit-erature, science, math and technology. A majority of courses are offered Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at a vari-ety of locations, including Penn State class-rooms and facilities, local parks, churches,

playhouses and retirement homes in the area.

OLLI is able to provide the programs they do, Benton said, through its hundreds of volunteers. If members are looking to become more involved with the organiza-tion, they can join one of the 13 commit-

tees or instruct a course. Course instruc-tors are retired teachers and professors, as well as subject experts and hobbyists. “We allow (the instructors) to choose within the timeframe of what they’re teaching, what type of content they’re going to be giving and how much time they need,” Benton said. Many instructors, she said, have expressed their gratitude for this system.

“They start teaching and inevitably they’re in my office asking, ‘When can I teach again?’ because they’re so excited,” she said. “They really haven’t had the ex-perience of learners who want to be there and are engaged. It’s pretty exciting for people who taught for several years.”Benton stressed that both education and socialization is what drives OLLI. Es-pecially for people who are new to the area or might be struggling with retirement, joining an organization such as OLLI can help get seniors involved in the commu-nity.

“When they get connected with OLLI, what happens is almost exactly what hap-pens in high school,” she said. “You’re in class and you’re chatting and sitting next to somebody, and interestingly you have mutual interest by the class you take.”Branching off from classes are special interest groups and social groups. The special interest groups are usu-ally an extension of a class. “Let’s say you

have a writer’s class and the group wants to keep meeting to discuss that. It has to be all inclusive so anybody can join,” Benton said.

The social groups include people who meet for local theater performances. There are also three meal groups — supper, lunch and singles supper. These groups

meet monthly at a variety of places, such as a member’s home or a restaurant out-side of State College.In addition to classes, OLLI also offers

many one- and multi-day trips that pro-vide an even more unique learning experi-ence.For seniors who want to be a part of

research and connect with students, the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State is a good place to start.“We have all different kinds of research that goes on here,” said Amy Lorek, re-

search and outreach associate at the cen-ter. “We’re trying to understand aging, and the way we understand that is by conduct-ing research. What we need is people who are willing to participate.”Research opportunities include cogni-tive studies, such as receiving brain scans

and participating in a series of memory tests, as well as physical activities.“I think there’s something for everyone depending on what they’re willing to do,”Organizations, Page 24

Valueline

THERE ARE A variety of social groups for seniors. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute — otherwise

known as OLLI — is one of the most popular in Centre County.

By BRITTANY [email protected]

STATE COLLEGE — As fall and football season descend upon central Pennsylvania, many will converge on the area to celebrate the Penn State Nittany Lions as they take on Big Ten and other rivals through November.

“Activity will increase based on the activi-ty of the community,” said offi cer Kelly Aston of the State College Police Department. And on special event weekends, such as a home football game weekend, about 70 percent of incidents involve alcohol in some way.

According to Centre LifeLink reports, the number of calls and alcohol-related inci-dents and assaults increase from September

Safety, Page 6

www.CentreCountyGazette.com September 4-10, 2014 Volume 6, Issue 36 FREE COPY

The CenTre CounTy

GazetteOff and running

Week One of the high school football season is in the books. There were several winners in Centre County, including State College. The Little Lions ushered in the Matt Lintal Era with an impressive 34-20 win./Page 19

Opinion ............................ 7Health & Wellness ......... 8, 9

Education ....................... 10Community ............... 12-14

Gazette Gameday ...... 15-18Sports ......................... 19-23

Arts & Entertainment .... 24What’s Happening .... 25, 26

Group Meetings ........ 26, 27Puzzles ............................ 28

Business ..................... 29, 30Classifi ed ........................ 31

TIM WEIGHT/Gazette fi le photoTAILGATE TIME: As students return to campus and Penn State football begins, police see a rise in alcohol-related crimes both on and off campus.

TIM WEIGHT/Gazette fi le photoKNOW YOUR LIMITS: Penn State students celebrate while watching the United States play in the World Cup earlier this summer. Special events often involve the use of alcohol, according to police.

Culture of drinking affects entire State College community

By MICHAEL MARTIN [email protected]

STATE COLLEGE — The re-turn of students to Penn State for the fall semester brings many things to State College: nervous freshman, proud parents, a sense of youthful energy — and the abuse of alcohol.

For about the fi rst eight weeks of class, university and local po-lice see a spike in alcohol-related crimes: open containers, minors violations, noise complaints and more.

Sgt. Frances Pollack of the Penn State police department said this early semester spike

happens every year as students explore the newfound sense of freedom that comes with be-ing away from home for the fi rst time.

“Most students will have a few drinks and be OK, but we en-counter the ones who don’t know their limits,” Pollack said. “These are the students who may be hav-ing alcohol overdoses, or were involved in some other alcohol-related incident.”

The incidents that involve al-cohol are varied and pervasive. Pollack says roughly 43 percent of the crimes they deal with in-volve alcohol, which she admits may be a low estimate. Other

common crimes, such as theft, may be infl uenced by alcohol, but this is often diffi cult to con-fi rm.

State College Police Chief Tom King deals with similar issues, with approximately two-thirds of overnight calls during the semes-ter involving alcohol as a factor.

“We are careful not to say these crimes are caused by alco-hol,” King said. “We are not mak-ing a causation argument. The use of alcohol is not an excuse for committing a crime.”

The common crimes that King sees that involve alcohol include

Drinking, Page 6

Offi cials: make safety a top priority during Penn State football weekends

Faith Centre plans clothing giveaway

By CHRIS [email protected]

BELLEFONTE — For families struggling to make ends meet, back-to-school shopping can be a burden.

Whether it’s new jeans, T-shirts or hoodies, the cost can add up rather quickly.

That’s where the FaithCentre comes in.

The FaithCentre, located at 110 W. High St. in Bellefonte, is offering free clothing to students in grades kindergarten through 12. The clothing giveaway will take place beginning on Monday, Sept. 8. It ends on Friday, Sept. 12.

The giveaway is open to all area students.

“It’s not limited to Bellefonte. Everyone is welcome to come and participate,” said Nicole Summers, executive director of the FaithCentre.

According to Summers, stu-dents are invited to selected three outfi ts — top and pants, skirt or dress — and one pair of shoes. Students can choose the clothing from anywhere in the store with the exception of the boutique and rustic wear sections.

The child must be present to take part in the giveaway. The Faith Centre is open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“That gives parents two eve-

nings to come and bring their children,” Summers explained.

Summers said that FaithCen-tre employees will have to abide by the rules of the giveaway — no exceptions.

“We’re not making exceptions to the rules because we expect it to be kind of chaotic,” Summers said. “But it’s a great opportunity for kids to get some needed back-to-school clothes. Our goal is that children in the community feel comfortable and confi dent when they go back to school.”

There are no income guide-lines for the event, Summers said. Everyone is welcome.

“Nothing like that,” Summers said. “It’s pretty much open to anyone who feels that they’re in need of back-to-school clothing.”

The free clothes builds on last year’s event, when the FaithCen-tre gave away gift certifi cates at the Blessing of the Backpacks, which is held at a local church just before school starts. Some children lost their gift certifi cates, so the powers-that-be at the FaithCentre decided to change things around for this year.

“We thought it was kind of limited,” Summers explained. “It was only helping the kids who show up at that particular event. We decided to do our own thing and open it up to the general Centre County population and take the event on ourselves.”

School has already begun throughout Centre County, but Summers thought the time was right to hold the giveaway.

“We wanted kids to have a week to settle in and get used to their routine. They’re still going to need clothes the week after school starts,” she said.

Clothing, Page 5

TIM WEIGHT/For the GazetteDRESS FOR SUCCESS: The FaithCentre in downtown Bellefonte is having a Back to School free clothing giveaway from Sept. 8 to 12.

IF YOU GOWhat: Back to School Free Clothing EventWhere: FaithCentre, 110 W. High St., BellefonteWhen: Sept. 8 through Sept. 12More info: www.faithcentre.info


Inside the CBICC Business IncubatorLasers for Innovative Solutions LLC perfecting 3D scientifi c imaging method

Lasers for Innovative Solutions is a cutting-edge start up that is developing a new scientifi c imaging method that allows researchers to study their subject in full 3D and color using a novel laser-based tomog-raphy technique developed at Penn State.

L4IS is one of many promising research-based start-up companies currently operating out of the CBICC’s Technology Center business incubator at In-novation Park.

The company was founded by Benjamin Hall and computer programmer Brian Reinhardt. They later brought Drew Yanders on board as business devel-opment manager.

L4IS got its start in Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL), where Hall conducted micro-ma-chining work, which involves cutting, bending and coloring metal with lasers.

It was during his work at ARL that Penn State’s Roots Lab, headed by Dr. Jonathan Lynch, called to see if ARL could help with the root cross-sectioning bottleneck slowing their phenotyping work on maize roots.

“It was a very slow process,” Hall explained. “Each section of a root had to be hand cut using a micro-scope and a razor.”

Under the time-consuming process, it took up-wards of an hour to cut just three usable slices. The department quickly found itself with a 20,000 item backlog, and growing.

With his laser experience, Hall took on the chal-lenge of fi nding a quicker, more effective way for horticulturists to study the genetic makeup of corn roots and other plants.

After successfully applying for a small NSF grant, he then worked through some technical issues. The end result was a process of cross-sectioning plants to show internal structure using an ultraviolet laser. The method produced highly contrasted images. Better yet, it enabled the cutting of 11 slices per second — a dramatic improvement in time and effi ciency.

However, the full capability of what could be achieved through Laser Ablation Tomography (LAT) – the foundation of L4IS’s business — came about almost by chance.

“One day while eating breakfast, I decided to de-construct a video of a root being pushed into the laser into its individual frames, each representing a

cross-sectional ‘slice’ of the root.” Hall explained. “I wanted to know what it looked like.”

By the time Hall fi nished his bowl of cereal, he had located a computer program to digitally stack the slices, recreating the root in 3D form.

“It was really awesome,” he said. Hall showed directors at the Applied Research

Laboratory, who encouraged him to fi le for a pat-ent. That patent is currently pending.

He then made the decision to start a business based on his digital dissection breakthrough – a vi-sual analysis technology that is simple, quantitative and rapid, and that creates a colorful 3D sample that can be studied for years.

Hall said the process has signifi cant implications

Cofounder Ben Hall views a 3D rendering of a sample after the laser ablation process.


The Laser Ablation Tomography process is capa-ble of rapidly acquiring structural and composition-al data in three dimensions with micron resolution. LAT™ uses fl uorescent and hyperspectral imaging to obtain highly contrasted, colorful stacks of images in opaque biological specimens.

An ultraviolet laser-sheet is created with a laser and a rapidly swept galvanometer scanner. A cam-era focused on the face of the laser-sheet captures images of the sample as it is incremented into the sheet from the opposite side. This process is continu-ously repeated until the desired sample volume is ac-quired. The high intensity of the laser sheet induces fl uorescent emission in the sample’s surface layer, producing distinct spectral characteristics depend-ing on molecular composition.

After imaging a complete sample, the stack of im-ages is processed and reconstructed into a high-reso-lution volume rendering that can be analyzed, quan-

tifi ed, segmented and virtually dissected. Acquisition speeds exceed that of conventional techniques like x-ray and confocal microscopy. This method allows for data acquisition at unprecedented speed with little to no need for staining or complex preparatory procedures.

LAT™ is ideally suited for life science applications such as high-throughput phenotyping, general ana-tomical inquiries and scientifi c discovery. The high resolution volume renderings can be viewed, manip-ulated and virtually dissected.

for plant breeding and the Ag Bio industry, which is the bulk of L4IS’s current work.

“We wanted to start off with an application that we are most familiar with – plant biology,” he explained. “We didn’t want to explore other areas at the expense of what we know best.”

The company is also sticking to a service-based busi-ness model as they continue to refi ne and develop the technique.

However, the process has potential uses in a wide range of industries, from health care and pharmaceuti-cal to oil and gas.

“The technology has implications for the natural gas drilling industry, enabling a quicker examination of shale rock permeability, porosity and organic content, key factors in selecting drilling sites,” Hall noted.

The company has also done work with insects for an

entomologist at the Smithsonian Institute. Breaking into new markets is challenging, Hall said,

because the process is brand new and not well-known yet.

“There is overlap between what can be done by tra-ditional x-ray and also by LAT, but it’s the unique fea-tures of LAT that make it a compelling technology,” he said. “We can say it is signifi cantly faster than x-rays in plant biology, while giving you colors that allow the de-velopment of 3D compositional and structural maps. You get nuances you can’t see with through x-ray.”

As Hall plans for the future of Lasers for Innova-tive Solutions, he is quick to credit the CBICC Incu-bator and Ben Franklin Technology Partners for sup-porting the company’s growth throughout the start-up phase and for continuing to provide robust support.

“I couldn’t have a better experience,” he said.

WHAT IS LASER ABLATION TOMOGRAPHY?

Root collage Root cross-section, full screen capture

Bee stinger cross section


TechCelerator@StateCollege Boot Camp graduates next wave of entrepreneurs

This summer, another Ben Franklin TechCelerator@StateCollege Boot Camp concluded, with six new start-up companies presenting information about their technologies and services in hopes of winning $10,000 in seed money for their potential business ventures.

The CBICC/CCIDC is a partner in the TechCelera-tor, along with Ben Franklin Technology Partners, In-novation Park at Penn State, Penn State Offi ce of Technology Management, Penn State Small Busi-ness Development Center, Venture Investment Fo-rum and Ben Franklin Transformation Business Service Network.

Part of the mission of the TechCelerator is to in-crease the number of successful business start-ups in State College and the surrounding area, and to increase the number of university spin-off companies in the region.

During the 10-week Boot Camp program – a change from the previous eight-week format – par-ticipating companies met together for joint mentor-ing, as well as individual mentoring sessions with part-ners of the TechCelerator@StateCollege. More than 500 hours of mentoring services were provided.

At the conclusion of the program, the companies pitched their ideas to a panel of judges, which in-

cluded CBICC Entrepreneurship Committee Chair-man Todd Erdley, president and CEO of Videon-Central. In the audience were graduates of previous boot camps, representatives from the partners of the TechCelerator and CBICC Board members, in addi-tion to members of the community.

At the end of the presentations, two companies were selected to evenly share in the $10,000 funding prize — Trans-Cell Conversion Technology and IVF Cell Technology.

Trans-Cell Conversion Technology — Dr. Gong Chen

Trans-Cell’s technology will provide a revolution in brain repair for patients suffering from brain injury, stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson Disease and other neu-rological dissolvent by a method of repairing glial scaring caused by injury to the brain or illness. Cur-rently, no method of repair exists. This process could be life-changing for treatment of millions of people.

The company has a patent pending and has con-ducted clinical test research on animals. It is working toward a pre-clinical trial on humans, which will take 5 years to 8 years to complete. “Big pharma” has expressed interest in partnering with Trans-Cell. Dr. Chen’s lab currently has 20 employees, with a need to hire additional employees.

IVF Cell TechnologyThe newest CBICC Business Incubator affi liate

company is developing an in vitro fertilization (IVF) to decrease the number of dairy cows deemed infer-tile. Cows that have diffi culty in conceiving through artifi cial insemination are costly to farmers because they aren’t milk producing and as a result, need to be replaced in the herd.

Boot CampWinner

Boot CampWinner

“The TechCelerator Boot Camp program helped me to identify the many aspects of starting a business; everything from how to fi nd customers to how to deliver the product to a customer. …I would recommend the Boot Camp to anyone trying to convert a concept or idea into a commercial enterprise.”

— Todd Waybright, founder, IVF Cell Technology, Boot Camp graduate/winner


To founder Todd Waybright, the Boot Camp program was a valuable learning experience for launching his business.

“The TechCelerator Boot Camp program helped me to identify the many aspects of starting a busi-ness; everything from how to fi nd customers to how to deliver the product to a customer,” Waybright said. “The TechCelerator instructors met with me after each class to help me solve problems specifi -cally related to my startup. I would recommend the Boot Camp to anyone trying to convert a concept or idea into a commercial enterprise.”

The CBICC Business Incubator is helping Waybright continue the challenging transition from research to successful entrepreneur.

“The business incubator provides me with a busi-ness address that gives me credibility with my ven-dors and customers,” he continued. “It also gives me access to experienced consultants who can help me grow my company. I would recommend it to any startup that needs a physical location for their company and needs professional guidance to com-mercialize their business.”

The TechCelerator@StateCollege and the Busi-

ness Incubator are just two examples of the many initiatives/programs that contribute to the Centre County’s dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem.

TECHCELERATOR@STATECOLLEGE BY THE NUMBERS

Bellefonte 205 Park Place 353-1770

State College 1961 S. Atherton St. 861-5500

State College 2610 Green Tech Dr. 861-4747

Companies formed/forming aft er four boot camps over two years

Dollars in millions of start-up funding

Dollars in millions of revenue generated

Companies based on PSU research

Full or part-ti me employees

Join Today

“Membership in the CBICC has helped increase our visibility and

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The CBICC presents: The First Annual

‘State of the County’ Luncheon

Featuring Centre County Commissioners Steve Dershem, Chris Exarchos and Michael Pipe

Tuesday, Sept. 16 Penn Stater Conference Center

Join the CBICC for a special forum at which county officials will address timely topics on the minds of business leaders and residents, as well as present

their vision for the future of Centre County.

Full event details and registration information are available at www.cbicc.org.


Penn State’s role in our region’s economic growth

By ERIC J. BARRONPresident, Penn State

One of my fi rst speaking engagements as presi-dent of Penn State was to the general member-ship of the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC). I talked about one of my favorite topics—the University’s role in economic development and student career success. This is a subject of great importance to Penn State and to the larger community, so I’m pleased to have been invited to share my thoughts with the read-ers of this publication.

In 1859, Penn State’s fi rst president, Evan Pugh, urged Penn State faculty members and their stu-dents to “make original investigations and publish them to the world.” He fi rmly believed that a fun-damental part of Penn State’s mission was to gen-erate knowledge that served Pennsylvania, the nation and all of humankind.

In the decades since, Penn State’s researchers, scholars and scientists have improved the quality of life in countless ways.

Scientists are using nanotechnology to design better human heart-assist devices. Engineers are using additive manufacturing to create intricate turbine engine parts while reducing energy use and waste. Students are engineering robotic sys-

tems to perform complex tasks on distant plan-ets. Business leaders are developing the fi nancing plans for start-up operations.

Penn State is a powerful economic engine as well. Even in 2009, external evaluators determined that Penn State is the single largest contributor to the state’s economy at more than $16 billion dol-lars annually.

Research activity and entrepreneurship drive growth. Consider that public research universities produced 436 start-ups in 2010 alone, according to the National Science Board, and you begin to understand the tremendous potential. Private uni-versity research and innovation multiplies the im-pact, which leads to business creation and high-wage jobs.

A recent study indicates that since 2005, start-ups were the greatest contributor to job creation and to job growth overall .

Across the country, you’ll fi nd the lowest unem-ployment rates in the areas of the highest con-centration of research activity: State College at 3.6 percent, compared to the Pennsylvania rate of 5.7 percent.

Madison, Wisconsin, has an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent; again lower than the 5.8 percent rate statewide. And Palo Alto’s unemployment rate is 2.8 percent, compared to 7.8 percent for California.

A CULTURE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIPIN EVERY COLLEGE

Generating this type of economic impact is the result of business and entrepreneurship ef-forts across the university-- not just in STEM fi elds, but in the arts, health and human development, education and more. But, we need to do more than just keep the doors open to innovation. We need deliberate strategies to promote economic development and a culture that rewards entre-preneurship.


: PENN STATE’SIMPACT

Special to front + Centre


One strategy to further this culture is to establish positions for Entrepreneurs-in-Residence or Profes-sors of Practice, individuals who have been suc-cessful in creating startups and leading entrepre-neurial activities.

These leaders can mentor students and faculty in their efforts to develop products and build com-panies. Some colleges already have these posi-tions, but others are just establishing them.

For example, the College of Arts and Architec-ture recently hired the fi rst professor of arts entre-preneurship.

It’s also critical that we identify and invest in fi elds of high potential, and that we build partner-ships between inventors and entrepreneurs. These mutually benefi cial relationships can help propel an idea successfully to market.

You can see the impact of these collaborations in student-led projects such as the Penn State Lunar Lion and Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team. In both cases, students from several disci-plines (engineering, business, communications and others) have teamed up and the results are extraordinary.

Other ways to accelerate commercialization and inspire investors include:

■ Intellectual Property (IP) Fairs and “sneak peeks” for business and industry groups;

■ Funded competitions (university-incentivized startups) that support taking ideas to the market-place (licenses, startups);

■ Mechanisms to reward inventors and entre-preneurs;

■ Penn State branded platforms for attracting venture capital; and

■ A student innovation foundation that sup-ports research and development, invention, tech-nology and innovation, while also helping stu-dents manage the process that takes a product from concept to market.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE AND PUBLIC-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS

Last year, Penn State’s research expenditures topped a record $848 million; an investment that resulted in jobs, innovation and growth. Penn State typically partners with more than 400 com-panies annually and consistently ranks near the top nationally in annual spending in science and engineering research.

About 30 percent of Penn State students are engaged in research and creative activities with

faculty. What’s more, Penn State’s research fund-ing comes from a broad base of sources, refl ect-ing a diversity of initiatives across all academic disciplines.

Yet, there’s a perception that research is con-centrated in private institutions, such as Stanford or Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While their reputation as innovation hubs is indisputable, public universities are capable of taking on a sig-nifi cant share of the spotlight—and the success

Patrick Mansell, Penn State News and Media Relations

Kara Morgan, a Penn State junior majoring in aerospace en-gineering, examines a 3-D printed model of the Lunar Lion spacecraft during a team meeting. Morgan is part of a team of students from a variety of majors who are combining their disciplines and expertise in a global race to land and operate a robotic spacecraft on the moon by 2015.

Patrick Mansell, Penn State News and Media Relations

Penn State Lunar Lion team members Michael Welch (left) and Alwin Paul examine a quadcopter test-stand assembly during a team meeting. The quadcopter model assists the team in determining the pitch and roll measurements for the creation of the Lunar Lion spacecraft. The goal of the team is to measure their designs against some of the world’s rising stars in space exploration and to land and operate robotic spacecraft on the Moon by 2015.


that perception fosters.To do so, we need to strengthen our private and

public partnerships. We need to expand our net-work of mentors and services, build connections that will help access venture capital, and provide free or nearly free space to incubate companies around Penn State.

To help our ambitious students and faculty ad-vance their concepts, we need to be able to in-novate. For example, can Penn State help set up an external enterprise that enables our entrepre-neurs to gain access to Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)-Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants that help turn ideas into products?

Additional benefi ts can be accrued by pro-moting direct partnerships with companies, while participating in visioning, economic develop-ment councils and regional chambers, such as the CBICC. These steps can help us transform the region into a destination for education, entrepre-neurial culture and workforce development.

STUDENT CAREER SUCCESSAll of those ideas bring us back to where we

began: the students. Opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship teach “real world” skills that prepare students for competitive careers.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that we should focus student offerings on current job opportuni-ties. We should always encourage students to fol-low their passion, and connect them with equally passionate faculty and mentors. What I am sug-gesting is that if we are driving Penn State’s intel-

lectual property to the market, and we are teach-ing at the cutting edge, then we will be placing our students into the very careers created by our economic development. We also need to con-sider:

1. There is a high correlation between the na-tional rank of the university with the salaries of our graduates.

2. We can increase our potential to create eco-nomic impact if we consciously invest in emerging disciplines with long-term impact.

3. We can help students choose a major with their “eyes wide open” by providing titles, salary range, our student outcomes and current em-ployment rate by discipline (even if it won’t be the case when they graduate.

4. We should emphasize critical employment skills, like critical thinking and communication, by embedding them into the curriculum.

5. We should continue to promote career ser-vices for our students. Penn State’s Career Servic-

“With the support of the business community, public partners and students, faculty and staff, Penn State can create a powerful path to economic development, while placing students into emerging fi elds.”

— Penn State President Dr. Eric Barron


es offi ce is ranked highly in national surveys and already nearly every business magazine survey places Penn State at or near the top in starting salaries or cites Penn State as the place to recruit. However, there is opportunity to promote access to these services to even greater numbers of stu-dents.

TIE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER SUCCESS TOGETHER

At Penn State economic development and career success are complementary goals. We see this as a two-way street, and one that leads to positive outcomes for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the larger community. With the sup-port of the business community, public partners and students, faculty and staff, Penn State can create a powerful path to economic develop-ment, while placing students into emerging fi elds.

As president of Penn State, I share Evan Pugh’s belief that we need to contribute our knowledge

to improving quality of life in the world. I look for-ward to working with business leaders to continue that worthy mission.

Thank you for supporting our efforts.

Patrick Mansell, Penn State News and Media RelationsPenn State seniors gathered for a group photo prior to 2012 fall commencement ceremonies at the Bryce Jordan Center.

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The CBICC, along with Innovation Park, are help-ing to co-sponsor an upcoming national forum on the technology, application and business of additive manufacturing for small and medium enterprises.

Sponsored by America Makes and organized by the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D) at Penn State, the forum will be held Oct. 22-24 at the Penn Stater Conference Center.

The event will be bring together leading industry experts for a comprehensive program designed to challenge small to medium sized business on how to strategically implement additive manufacturing in their operations and become players in an industry that is changing the face of manufacturing in nu-merous fi elds, including aerospace, medical, ener-gy, and oil and gas.

In speaking to the CBICC’s support of the forum, President and CEO Vern Squier said additive man-ufacturing holds signifi cant promise for the local economy.

“With Penn State University’s status as a leading research institution for additive manufacturing/3D printing, Centre County has the potential to be an industry hub,” he said. “From a business recruitment standpoint, to be located in where cutting-edge research is taking place; where advancements are being made, and to be close to the talent coming out of the university, is a strong selling point.”

Penn State and the Applied Research Laboratory run CIMP-3D, which is DARPA’s (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) additive manufacturing demonstration facility.

They work with DARPA and federal Department of Defense partners to help them understand and eval-uate metal 3D printing for land, sea, air and space applications.

CIMP-3D also works with more a dozen industry partners on additive manufacturing research proj-ects and is Penn State’s primary interface to Amer-ica Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing In-novation Institute.

Penn State’s CIMP-3D is one of the leading cen-ters in the country, with a goal of being the top R&D

center in the United States for engineered additive manufacturing components within the next 3 years to 5 years.

Squier said there is state, national and internation-al interest in CIMP-3D.

This past spring, the state Department of Com-munity and Economic Development’s JOBS1st tour visited the center. To date, CIMP-3D has given tours to more than 1,000 visitors ranging from to entrepre-neurs and start-ups seeking to start 3D printing relat-ed businesses to multi-national corporations trying to understand how additive manufacturing will impact their workforce and supply chains.

Tim Simpson, Professor of Mechanical and Indus-trial Engineering at Penn State University and co-director on CIMP-3D, said companies that have visited the facility range from applications and end-users [aerospace, medical, energy, oil & gas, auto-motive] to material/auxiliary suppliers and machine vendors.

“Many of these are Pennsylvania-based compa-nies, especially powder metal producers,” he noted.

Simpson said no other university has Penn State’s range of additive manufacturing capabilities, which range from powder characterization to additive manufacturing of large and small-scale metallic parts to non-destructive inspection/qualifi cation techniques.

Penn State has active research and related edu-cational programs in all of these areas.

National conference seeks to capitalize on PSU research strengthAims to engage small to medium size businesses in additive manufacturing


He sees a great opportunity to lever-age the research expertise with Penn State’s new Intellectual Property (IP) poli-cy for industry-sponsored research.

“The timing for this forum couldn’t be better,” he said. “Companies of all sizes are trying to separate the hype from the reality in additive manufacturing right now, and we offer them the opportunity to learn that fi rst-hand by working with the university through CIMP-3D without having to negotiate over who owns the IP.” To date, CIMP-3D has trained more than 100 practitioners in additive manu-facturing with metallic materials through intensive hands-on industry practicums.

The partnership between CBICC and CIMP-3D, located in Innovation Park, emerged from the shared interest to take advantage of this unique opportu-nity and draw national attention to the region through the October forum.

Tim Simpson, Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Penn State University and co-director on CIMP-3D, provides an overview of the facility’s capabilities to state offi cials participating in the Corbett administration’s JOBS1st tour.

CBICC Business Before HoursPennsylvania Free Enterprise Week

8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.Registration starts at 7:45 a.m.Wednesday, September 24Hoag’s Celebration HallHoag’s Celebration Hall

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young people why the free enterprise system is so vital. John the CBICC as it welcomes special guest speaker John Trombetta, president and CEO of the Trombetta, president and CEO of the

Foundation for Free Enterprise Education, who will highlight the internationally acclaimed summer program, and

opportunities for business community involvement and support.

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The CBICC, through its Centre County Industrial Development Corporation arm, has long provided economic development assistance to new and ex-isting businesses in Centre County as a state PREP [Partnership for Regional Economic Performance] partner and as a BREP [Business Retention and Ex-pansion Program] partner long before then.

Implemented in July 2010 and replacing BREP, PREP is a statewide network of partners designed to work in concert to deliver vital business assistance services across 10 regions of the Commonwealth. The CBICC is part of the 10-county SEDA-COG re-gion, which comprises Lycoming, Clinton, Centre, Miffl in, Juniata, Snyder, Northumberland, Montour, Columbia and Union counties.

Local and regional PREP partners have the experi-ence and know-how to assist individuals who have an idea and need help with the basics of starting a new venture, from writing a business plan to securing necessary fi nancing.

PREP also meets the demands of existing compa-nies that seek assistance in all aspects of success-ful business development and growth, from questions about equipment investments to workforce train-ing.

For the CBICC/CCIDC, the face of the PREP part-ner program is Economic Team Specialist Mary Re-sides.

Resides has been involved with economic devel-opment work for the CBICC since 2006.

Resides visits businesses within Centre County to inform them about the professional service provid-ers in the region that are ready to assist them with concerns they may experience and with assistance in building successful businesses.

“The ultimate message is that there is no ‘wrong door,’” she explained. “While I may not be able to assist with all of their needs, I act as a liaison to other service providers with the expertise and experience required.”

The PREP program uses a confi dential database allowing partners to refer clients to the appropriate service provider. Access to historical information about the initial visit makes the transition from one service provider to another more comfortable for the client.

Resides is also responsible for tracking and report-ing program outputs and outcomes to the regional PREP coordinator, participating in PREP meetings, and other economic development related work, such as preparing and submitting responses to proj-ect inquiries from the Governor’s Action Team and the Offi ce of International Business Development (See article on the next page).

As a PREP partner, the Chamber often works close-ly with regional economic development partners, such as the Moshannon Valley Economic Develop-ment Partnership, which covers Philipsburg and a small portion of Centre County.

MVEDP Executive Director Stan Lafuria said one of the key features of the PREP program is the way in which it promotes coordination among all the differ-ent organizations.

“Regular meetings are held with all of them rep-resented,” he said. “We receive updates on state budgets and program initiatives and we work closer together to ensure that the businesses are being pro-


: THE CHAMBER’SROLE

CBICC: PREPing the region for economic growth

LOCAL SERVICES THE CBICC/CCIDC PROVIDES INCLUDE:Incubator space for start-up companies;

confi dential requests for building or site options; local and state funding; assistance with the state Keystone Innovation Zone tax credit pro-gram, if applicable; and responses to general questions.


vided the best possible services.” Lafuria credits CCIDC Economic Development

Specialist Mary Resides with being an excellent “part-ner” in economic development in Centre County.

MVEDP provides additional, alternative properties to service the needs of Centre County.

Resides said while economic development agen-cies work to ensure that their own communities thrive economically, working collaboratively across PREP regions can bring business investment and job cre-ation that directly and indirectly benefi ts the entire region.

“Regional collaboration is important,” she said, pointing out another example of this effort is the

state-designated I-99 corridor Keystone Innova-tion Zone, which includes Centre, Blair and Bedford counties.

The CCIDC coordinates the management of that KIZ.

The CBICC’s role as a state PREP partner is just one of the many ways the chamber works to foster busi-ness success and economic growth in Centre Coun-ty.

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State, CBICC are partners in the effort to attract new business opportunities

In its role as a state Department of Community and Economic Development PREP partner, the CBICC/CCIDC works closely with the Governor’s Action Team and Offi ce of International Business Development in the ongoing work to bring new business opportunities to Pennsylvania generally and to Centre County spe-cifi cally.

Much of this work takes place quietly, behind the scenes. At any given time, the CBICC/CCIDC may re-ceive project requests through GAT or OIBD from clients seeking Pennsylvania locations to conduct business.

When the CBICC/CCIDC receives an inquiry from the state, the confi dential requests are very basic, in-cluding only “need to know” information about build-ing and land site requirements required by the client. GAT assigns project names unrelated to the business to avoid any potential identifi cation, as anonymity is often crucial to a project successfully moving forward.

“Our role is to submit detailed information about

available properties/sites in the county best fi tting the requirements and to provide demographic informa-tion about Centre County,” said Mary Resides, CBICC/CCIDC Economic Development Specialist.

Resides said the turnaround time to submit potential locations is very short, typically one or two days.

The confi dential nature of the requests means that economic development organizations – even the state at times – aren’t aware if they are competing region-ally, statewide or nationally for a potential business investment. The site selectors that contact the Gover-nor’s Action Team may also be contacting other states with the same request if the client isn’t determined to locate in Pennsylvania.

“In most cases, we do not know the outcome of the project unless we are fortunate enough to make the ‘short’ list,” Resides said, noting that typically, not more than three to fi ve locations move to a “short” list.

If a second request is received, it asks for more spe-cifi c, detailed information about the property/facility and the local community.

“To continue to be a viable location, it is extremely important to provide the required information within their timeline,” Resides said. The amount of information required can be extensive and the time given to fulfi ll the request abbreviated.

If the second request for information warrants it, the site selector schedules a community/site tour. At this point, their job is to eliminate sites, further reducing the list of sites that ultimately will be toured by the client themselves.

OIBD works with international companies seeking a presence in Pennsylvania who are willing to make a fi -nancial investment in and create jobs within the Com-monwealth.

Their requests are also confi dential, with short re-sponse times, and they are shared statewide. OIBD projects are also named to protect the client, although at times, the client’s country is known.

When it comes to requests for information, again, time is of the essence.

“By the time a site selector has contacted a commu-nity, their client company has already done extensive research,” said CBICC President and CEO Vern Squier. “There is an expectation that the process will proceed quickly from this point, particularly because project de-lays result in increased costs and lost revenue.”

Squier said cooperation and assistance from prop-erty owners and their representatives is vital, as well as having a current inventory of prospective locations.

Jean: Passionate volunteer to local groups and training hard for her next 50-mile race

mountnittany.org

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aahhhhhUnderstanding what matters means Jean has a primary care

physician working with her, exploring health needs that change

over time. And it helps keep her passion for biking going strong,

so Jean can spend her golden years hitting the trails.

Your life. Our team.

adventure A NEW

WELCOMING YOU TO ANY OF OUR FAMILY AND INTERNAL MEDICINE PRACTICES IN:

• Bellefonte

• Penns Valley

• Mifflin County

• State College: Park Avenue,

Green Tech Drive and our newest

location on Blue Course Drive

Call us today at 844.278.4600 (toll free) to make an appointment.

9 11 14 centre county gazette cbicc

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