House, Senate honor agency for boosting manufacturing
Lehigh Valley Business article
By Brian Pedersen
March 15. 2013 9:00AM
Reflecting the growth of the state’s manufacturing sector, the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives designated March 13, 2013 as Industrial Resource Center Day in Pennsylvania.
Seven industrial resources centers are located throughout the state, including Manufacturers Resource Center, a Bethlehem-based economic development and manufacturing consulting organization that advances the performance of manufacturing companies.
Each IRC helps small and medium-sized manufacturing companies respond to changing markets, new technology and the competitive pressure of the global economy.
Over the past 25 years, nearly 640 manufacturing companies completed projects with MRC; 4,768 projects have been completed to date; and 41 percent of these projects were completed by 474 different third-party consultants.
According to MRC’s client impact survey results over the last 10 years, the organization helped create and retain 8,390 jobs; yielded $16 million in increased workforce investment; $210 million in increased plant investment; generated $35 million in cost savings; and reached $924 million in increased and retained sales.
Impact survey results for MRC are administered by an independent organization hired by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
“I am gratified to see how manufacturing has come center stage for the role it must play to get this economy roaring back,” said Jack E. Pfunder, president and CEO of Manufacturers Resource Center. “This organization has partnered with more than 600 manufacturers over the past 25 years. We look forward to continuing to help these companies advance and to be a part of the resurgence of manufacturing.”