A Note from Bob Zaruta, NWIRC President/ CEO
On behalf of the Northwest Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC) and the other six IRCs across Pennsylvania, I’d like to thank Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, along with PA Senators and State Representatives, for coming together in support of the Manufacturing PA Initiative recently approved in the new FY18 Pennsylvania state budget.
The IRCs are a critical element of Manufacturing PA and our Commonwealth’s only network of public-private partnerships that provide small- and medium-sized manufacturers with technology-based services they need to thrive in today’s economy and create well-paying manufacturing jobs. The PA IRCs also provide a positive return to the Commonwealth in excess of its current investment. A recent independent analysis, conducted by Towson University, concluded that the IRC engagements with manufacturing clients last year added $75.7 million to the PA treasury (via increased sales, job retention, and job creation). That’s a $14 to $1 return on investment. NWIRC serves manufacturers in 13 counties of northwestern PA, and we are excited about the opportunities this funding will bring. Manufacturing PA will accelerate technology adoption and workforce development by continuing the essential work of the Industrial Resource Centers (IRCs) and connecting manufacturers to university-based resources.