Lancaster-York : Innovation & Job News

PaceControls is an important green technology company, yet it has nothing to do with solar, wind, geothermal or biofuels.  The York-based company, however, has everything to do with conserving energy, and doing it in a way that meets the immediate needs of commercial and residential customers alike.

While countless other companies are focused on supplying clean, next-generation energy, PaceControls is helping stem the tide of demand with its PACE2 product line. The company, which recently received a nearly $250,000 investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, sold about 1,000 energy-saving retrofit controls for HVAC and refrigeration (HVACR) units in the third quarter alone, bringing its overall market presence to 10,000 units installed for customers like McDonald's, Whole Foods, the City of New York, and Marriot.

"There are a lot of interesting technologies coming along, but they're 5-10 years away," says Bob Shaw, PaceControls' senior vice president for business development and partnering. "Right now the most important thing is to conserve energy without significantly effecting the consumer, without requiring a lifestyle change."

Shaw indicates the primary reason for the company's growing success is its commitment to rigorous testing and trials of the PACE2 technology, which establishes optimal run times for HVACR compressors and burner units--the primary energy-consumption elements in most HVACR equipment. He estimates 30 independent studies in the last four years and a growing list of 9 million data points to back up the product's claims.

The PACE2 installs for roughly $1,000 per unit controlled, like each rooftop fan of an air-conditioning system, and Pennsylvania customers can take advantage of the state's Act 129 incentives to save up to roughly 33 percent.  Shaw says payback, or the expected time it takes to recoup the cost of investment, can be achieved in about two years.

"There are a lot of creative things being done right now, but most require replacing entire HVAC systems or installing large infrastructure to centralize control," says Shaw, who notes the PACE2 is especially beneficial for users of natural gas. "There's not many things you can install for $1,000 per point and get that kind of savings."

Source: Bob Shaw, PaceControls, LLC
Writer: Joe Petrucci

In the Popular Science stories describing the energy-saving products that the Bresslergroup designed and were honored by the widely read magazine's Best of What's New awards, the Philadelphia industrial design firm isn't even mentioned. For the Bressler team, however, working behind the scenes is nothing new. Neither is working on transformative innovations.

"We're as much an engineering firm as a design firm, so Popular Science is sort of a nice holistic recognition of what we do," says managing partner Michael Flanagan. "We make it look great, work great and feel great."

The products Bresslergroup designed--the Thermal Leak Detector for Black and Decker and the Sole Power Tile for Pennsylvania-based SRS Energy--were among 100 products chosen by Popular Science editors that have a positive impact on the world and challenge the future's possibilities. Not surprisingly, both products are green technologies that have been in existence for several years and required Bressler's design ingenuity.

The Leak Detector is a hand-held device that helps homeowners detect energy leaks around the house, helping save 20 percent on heating and cooling costs. The Sole Power Tile combines photovoltaic electricity generation with actual roofing tiles, an aesthetic victory over bulky solar panels.

Awards are nothing new for Bresslergroup, which boasts at least 80 of them since its founding in 1970. The company, which employs 22, has also authored more than 100 patents.

While the company maintains a diverse client roster among the medical, consumer, commercial and industrial product lines, it has flexed its muscles recently with green and medical product development, even during the recession. While Bresslergroup has survived the recession, it grew used to double-digit growth prior to the downturn and looks to resume that growth through expanding its workforce and targets in 2010.

"We have strategic bullseyes," says Flanagan. "It's been a conscious effort to do more and talk more about sustainable product development. We're good at medical as well, and we've chased it with the economy sputtering."

From a tactical perspective, Bresslergroup has really made its mark in product usability--like making a GPS or smart phone more compatible with its digital interface. For example, Bressler has developed a kiosk in use at a gate in Boston's Logan Airport that allows users to download movies and entertainment content while waiting for their flights or pick-ups.

"We're merging industrial and interface design," says senior designer Mathieu Turpault. "A lot of times, you can tell if they're disjointed. We try to pull all those touch points together."

The company works with plenty of corporate big guns, like GE, Motorola, DuPont and Hewlett-Packard, and also has a stable of Pennsylvania companies, like Nielsen Kellerman in Boothwyn. Bresslergroup is even working to build a better mouse trap, with Havahart of Lititz.

"We may see the continuation of optimization work, for cost and to chase away waste," says Turpault.

Source: Michael Flanagan and Mathieu Turpault, Bresslergroup
Writer: Joe Petrucci

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Photos: Top, Michael Flanagan; Bottom, Mathieu Turpault

On a creative whim, an intern at Pennsylvania Bio created the character Helixman, "investigator of all things interesting and protector of all things innovative" who has guided readers through 14 trips to different parts of the state, uncovering their bioscience gems.

"It's really clever, just one of those things to have a little fun, especially in today's environment where everyone is a little dour," says Mickey Flynn, president of the statewide trade association.

That's a theme that Flynn's organization has helped bring to Biotech 2009, the world's annual premiere biosciences conference, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Nov. 16-17. More specifically, Flynn and company are trying to inject life into an industry that, like most others, is still feeling the grim effects of the global recession.

Biotech 2009 promises to do just that, as well as give potential collaborators or partners forums to present, share and drill down ideas.  Thirty-seven companies will make 15-minute presentations on their latest and greatest discoveries, while there will be 18 "partnering suites," for company reps to meet and share ideas.  Some new additions to the conference program includes FDA updates as well as social media.

"Everybody recognizes how important it is, especially when times are tough, to get together and share ideas," says Flynn. "We tried to adjust our programs to what's happening with the current state of affairs."

The conference also features a record-size Innovation Corridor, in which students, faculty, investigators and entrepreneurs compete in a judged poster presentation.

Flynn expects about 800 attendees, double the number that participated only five years ago.

Source: Mickey Flynn, Pennsylvania Bio
Writer: Joe Petrucci

Oil analysis of machinery is a well-established and competitive industry in the U.S. But grease, used as a lubricant in nine times as many of the world's bearings than oil, is not. That's because getting a reliable grease sample without shutting the machine down and tearing it apart is usually impossible, and subsequently it has become common practice for manufacturers to test only their oil-lubricated machinery.
 
A small company in York has stolen the grease spotlight and hopes to sell its solutions to oil analysis labs across the country. Maintenance Reliability Group (MRG) in York has developed the Grease Thief, a grease sampling tool that allows for a consistent and representative sample to be taken.
 
"What we're trying to drive home is if you test the grease prior to failure you can actually extend the bearings' lives, save money and avoid costly downtime," says MRG lab manager Lisa Williams.
 
Oil analysis labs have typically ignored grease analysis because available methods require oil.  Grease, itself an oil that has been thickened to a specific grade, has its own grading system. MRG's Grease Thief, initially made with a syringe pump bought on eBay, makes sure the grade is up to par. There are separate Grease Thief kits for electric motors, pillow block bearings and motor operated valves.
 
MRG is working with Airline Hydraulics in Bensalem on building an analyzer for the Grease Thief and plan to begin beta testing next month. MRG plans to sell the kits and analyzers to existing oil analysis labs to help these labs expand their business to include grease analysis.  MRG's biggest customer is the National Institutes of Health, for which MRG president Richard Wurzbach serves as a consultant as part of its Condition Based Maintenance Program. MRG has also helped a major pharmaceutical company, which was having bearings failures in its grease-lubricated machines at its headquarters, by doing a root cause analysis on the actual bearings.
 
MRG, which received about $75,000 from Ben Franklin Technology Partners last year, has recently entered into a partnership with the Millersville University Software Productization Center to develop software to manage the data gleaned from the Grease Thief and produce reports.
 
"The goal is to increase the productivity of the test," says Williams. "We have a lot of data we need to know how to deal with."
 
Source: Lisa Williams, Maintenance Reliability Group
Writer: Joe Petrucci

Gettysburg is preparing for another invasion.

The historic battlefield and town will observe the 150th anniversary of the 1863 Civil War battle in 2013, and the president of the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau expects that 4 million people will visit.

That’s a million more visitors than Gettysburg (population 7,500) now attracts each year. CVB president Norris Flowers says the expected crowds will require investment in three areas: tourism infrastructure, from improved roads to hotels; marketing, including concerted overseas efforts; and event planning.

The economic impact of the popular National Military Park is huge for Adams County. In 2007 tourism generated $345 million; an increase in tourism, peaking in 2013, promises to earn as much as $400 million, which Flowers says is a conservative estimate. The investment will result in permanent improvements and jobs.

“We look at this as our Olympic moment,” says Flowers. “The infrastructure we build stays on, as it does in Olympic host cities.”

New attractions have boosted tourism. The 2007 opening of a new Visitor Center at the battlefield, the re-installation of the famous cyclorama painting, and the opening of the David Wills House in the center of town prompt repeat business. "A large percentage of our visitors come on multiple occasions," says Flowers.

From Pittsburgh to Chambersburg and from Carlisle to Wrightsville, many other Pennsylvania towns were vital Civil War sites. The state’s Historical and Museum Commission plans a traveling exhibit and other special events for the sesquicentennial celebration.

Source: Norris Flowers, Gettysburg CVB
Writer: Chris O’Toole

In a state full of quality business incubators and economic developers, the Murata Business Center, tucked away in Carlisle, has emerged this year as one of the most decorated.

Last month, Murata earned Program of the Year honors during the Pennsylvania Economic Developers Association fall luncheon. Murata was recognized for its ongoing work that includes seven incubated companies that are still in business and nine current tenants in its incubator that employ close to 80 workers and generate $7 million in revenue.

Over the summer, Murata took home a national honor as the National Business Incubator Association awarded it the NBIA Soft Landings International Incubator designation. Murata offers a full slate of business services for nondomestic firms that have helped them enter the U.S. market, like WebpageFX, which came to South Central PA from Germany.

For Murata, success has been achieved simply by connecting a bevy of resources for local entrepreneurs. 

 “We’re trying to connect in a lot of different ways,” says Karen Gunnison, an attorney who represented many area businesses and joined Murata as executive director two years ago. “We’re on Twitter, and I’ve actually met live people that way.”

Murata is located in a Keystone Innovation Zone as well as a Technology Corridor Enterprise Zone, and both state programs provide tax credits and financing assistance. Its Dream It, Do It programs have been popular. The informal program spotlights successful start-ups and resources available to those gearing up for their new business venture and will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 18 in Shippensburg at the Market Cross Pub and on Nov. 23 in Harrisburg at the Appalachian Brewery.

Source: Karen Gunnison, Murata Business Center
Writer: Joe Petrucci

As an elite athlete, freshly armed with a degree in entrepreneurship and a marketing strategy that’s gaining fans on both sides of the Susquehanna,  Sarah Lanphier has proved she’s got the stuff to compete. The 22-year-old triathlete brought her energy food firm, Nuts About Granola, to a national audience last week, when her product was selected as the “snack of the day” on The Rachael Ray Show. The  Emmy-award-winning daytime talk show attracts 2.6 million viewers a day.

"I didn’t expect a huge increase in sales from (the exposure), but we’re selling three times the volume of last week,” Lanphier reports happily. "It’s like, a business now."

Lanphier founded her business with her mother Gayle in the spring of 2008, at the end of her junior year at Ellizabethtown College. Captain of the school’s triathalon team, she thought that health snack foods would make a profitable fundraiser for the team. When the hunch proved right, she incorporated and gained a retail foothold. Nuts About Granola now retails at 17 central Pennsylvania markets and coffee shops, as well as online, and the firm has expanded its offerings at the Central Market of York  to a cafe that offers build-your-own fruit and yogurt parfaits.

In early September, Lanphier contacted the Rachael Ray Show about its daily product feature and was asked to supply samples. She loaded 150 bags of granola (enough for a studio audience) into a car and drove to the show’s New York studio. Two weeks later, she learned her “College Staple” flavor would be featured September 28. 

Noting the natural connection between her avocation--she recently placed sixteenth nationally in the USA Triathlon, competing in a one-mile swim, 40 K bike race, and 10 K run--Lanphier amps up her firm’s local visibility by showcasing her product at road races and triathalons in the region and using local suppliers, like Wilbur Chocolates,  Zimmerman’s peanut butter, and Lehman’s Orchards of York.

Both the product and the owner are high-energy. As she noted in a recent blog post, “I think I have put in 10 consecutive 12-hour workdays with a half marathon thrown in the mix, but every minute past exhaustion is going to be worth it for my 10 seconds of fame. Munch on kids!”

Source: Sarah Lanphier, Nuts About Granola
Writer: Chris O'Toole

A friend approached Adrian Fang three years ago asking if there was an easier way to manage a food order for a luncheon for his sales team. Fang, whose background is in IT, began to think of ways to create an online platform to streamline orders. Then last year, another friend told Fang about the newly opened Millersville University Software Productization Center.

That's what friends are for.

Not only did Fang help solve his friend's original food-ordering quandary, but he partnered with Millersville to introduce CruzCourt, an online food ordering software, to roll out the product more than a year ahead of schedule. On Oct. 15, Fang and Millersville will celebrate the launch and partnership with a party at the Murata Business Center in Carlisle.

Fang's CruzStar is the first company to work with the SPC, which provides students and faculty who work in the areas of computer science, design, business marketing, and public relations, and he thinks other entrepreneurs can also benefit from the center's services.

"When we started up, we didn't have the financial resources to develop a prototype and go into R&D," says Fang, a 2003 graduate of Lafayette College in Easton who previously developed eLearning tools for 65,000 employees of the Social Security Administration. "Millersville was very dedicated and we built a pretty strong relationship with them."

CruzCourt is essentially a virtual cafeteria, allowing corporations who have more than 100 employees and don't have the resources to build and manage a cafeteria or want to eliminate the costs of running one to provide employees with a customized and easy way to order meals. CruzStar is still signing up caterers and food providers for the service, who will also utilize the software to manage order fulfillment.

Fang also has an ROI calculator that estimates how much productivity is lost (sometimes a half hour or more) on ordering and retrieving meals during the workday. He hopes to develop a market in the Harrisburg area and then expand into the King of Prussia area outside of Philadelphia.

Source: Adrian Fang, CruzStar
Writer: Joe Petrucci

To explain what Pennergy Source is all about, Mike Smeltzer eschews a grand, formulated mission statement and instead rattles off a list of modest, yet obviously interconnected accomplishments. They form a dream for Central Pennsylvania to house the supply chain of choice for manufactured products in the renewable energy industry, but in order to get there, he and Pennergy has to start somewhere.

That means getting simple tasks under their belt like developing a web presence, getting buy-in from the appropriate regional manufacturers, and making presentations to large companies—like Spanish wind energy giant and PA newcomer Gamesa--that can make that dream come true.

 “We’re pooling resources to generate job activity,” says Smeltzer, who directs the Manufacturers Association of South-Central Pennsylvania. “It’s virtual economic development. Our challenge is to communicate with the world our idea.”

A 2008 study found Central Pa. Is well-positioned for energy-related manufacturing. The still-growing consortium of about 25 companies includes established regional energy players like Komax Systems and will respond to quotations from major original equipment manufacturers in sectors including wind, biofuels, energy efficiency, solar, nuclear, geothermal, and traditional energy. The companies, in turn, share profits from contracts gained from their new partners and collective marketing power with Pennergy, which is supported by the South Central Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board and the state Department of Labor and Industry.

Smeltzer is also excited about a blooming relationship with Penn State University’s Pennsylvania Prosperity Project, the State College institution’s economic development strategy initiative, and tapping into the intellectual and research resources of the state’s rich higher education landscape. Smeltzer is targeting international and domestic trade shows and a beefed-up web presence as the branding of Central PA as a renewable energy hub gains momentum.

“It can move quickly and we have to find ways to move fast,” says Smeltzer.

Source: Michael Smeltzer, Pennergy Source
Writer: Joe Petrucci

"Candy is absolutely an affordable luxury. Because it’s affordable, people buy it," says Mike Schmid. That creates a sweet spot for his family’s firm, York’s Wolfgang Candy Company. The 88-year-old manufacturer has floated above recent economic trends by honing a niche market supplying private label items for grocers like Whole Foods, Giant Eagle and Kroger and mass retailers like CVS. Since June, it’s hired 40 more people.

Wolfgang recently spent $800,000 to upgrade production equipment on one of its lines, about half coming from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's Manufacturers Equipment Loan Fund. The new gear includes robots affectionately named  Lucy and Ethel in honor of the 1952 "Job Switching" episode of  I Love Lucy. At the same time, its private label business has grown, as it supplies items like European-style truffle cookies and chocolate-covered berries to chain stores nationwide.   

"Our market for our own branded products is primarily the northeast U.S.," says Schmid, a member of the fourth generation to run Wolfgang’s. "Our private label market is nationwide."

For Wolfgang, which formerly marketed to fund-raising groups, the move beyond single-source sales has jump-started earnings. Schmid says he expects 2009 revenue to increase  by 30 percent over last year.

Source: Mike Schmid
Writer: Chris O’Toole

There's plenty to do in Cumberland Valley, an area defined by Cumberland County and in close proximity to Central PA's larger cities and tourist/business destinations.  But that area's to-do list, from outdoor activities to historic and educational sites and arts performances, is part of a problem of sorts for the Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau.

"The county has never been branded," says Valerie Copenhaver, director of marketing for the visitors bureau. "There's so many different things, so many assets the county has that it's really necessary to take all of them and figure them out and differentiate them."

The area's attractions include downtown Carlisle and Mechanicsburg, the Army Heritage Trail, the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center in Shippensburg, Carlisle Events' Car Shows, and the Allenberry Resort and Playhouse. There's also three state parks, a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, and world-renowned fly-fishing destinations.

Tourists who come to the region for Cumberland Valley's vast natural beauty and business people who travel there for the area's manufacturing and military sectors have a significant impact. Direct travel-generated tax relief amounts to nearly $1,000 per household and travel-generated employment is at 12,555 jobs, according to a 2006 study.

A marketing study last year resulted in several recommendations for the visitors bureau, like reformatting its visitors guide to a 4x9 pocket-sized book and its website to be less directory-oriented and more experiential.  The biggest task, though, is defining what Cumberland Valley means to its residents and visitors alike, and the Copenhaver has enlisted North Star Destination Strategies to help brand it.

"We need to try and fulfill the consumers' aspirations, to help them experience the feelings they want to feel," says Copenhaver, who noted Cumberland Valley's typical leisure visitor is a baby boomer within a five-hour drive.

Source: Valerie Copenhaver, Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau
Writer: Joe Petrucci

The Women and Money Project isn't window-dressing for the PA Treasury Department. It's a program near and dear to those involved in implementing it and has considerable credibility as a result. Most important, it's helping Pennsylvania women position themselves for stimulus funds and other opportunities in the new economy.

State treasurer Rob McCord was raised by a single mother who worked hard to make ends meet. Dr. Eliazabeth Randol, the director of the Women and Money project, was the director of the University of Scranton women's center before becoming a campaign manager and chief of staff for a Lackawanna County commissioner.

"We do have intellectual capital to unleash," says Randol, who is traveling around the state speaking to women business owners and entrepreneurs. At her first stop in Scranton two weeks ago, Randol focused on pursuing stimulus funds and government procurement.

That included getting certified as Women's Business Enterprise and placed on the federal Central Contractor Registration list. The program was built in part upon Randol's research, which included more than 100 phone calls with women in business.

"I heard over and over how ignored these women business owners feel as far as their ability to get into the boys club, in particular as far as contracting goes," Randol says. "They can't get a phone call back, can't get in the door."

Randol is quick to point out the goal for federal procurement with women-owned businesses is 5.0 percent, and the most recent estimates put that percentage woefully short at 3.4 percent.

"For a long time, many women have thought about starting their own business, but there's a lot of creative energy that will continue to be unleashed as people are getting laid off and have to figure out where their income is coming from," says Randol, who will be in York on Oct. 20 and Philadelphia on Oct. 22 for the next workshops. "I think women have a good ability to identify needs in a community and come up with creative solutions."

Source: Dr. Elizabeth Randol, PA Treasury Department
Writer: Joe Petrucci


Barbara Kasoff, President, CEO and Co-Founder, Women Impacting Public Policy

Elizabeth Randol, Director, Treasury Women & Money Project

Rob McCord, Pennsylvania Treasurer

Kristin Dempsey, Vice President, Dempsey Uniform and Linen Supply

Thanks to an expanded database, anyone who works at Pennsylvania Bio member companies will have access to information to strengthen not only their own business, but the sector as a whole throughout the state.

Pennsylvania Bio has teamed up with Scranton-based Life Science Analytics to release the new and improved MedTRACK Database. The database is a comprehensive business development tool offered by PennsylvaniaBio member companies as part of their membership.

"This expanded database allows our members to conduct due diligence for business development activities, partnerships, and collaborations," says Pennsylvania Bio president Mickey Flynn. "Key features, such as worldwide patents, competitive products, trend analysis, and other tools ensure that our members can find the information they need to continue growing their companies and Pennsylvania's bioscience industry."

Life Science Analytics provides company info on more than 16,000 companies worldwide. Pennsylvania Bio members can search for things like active ingredients (by product name or associated symptoms), analyze royalties paid to companies for their products, and estimate sales forecasts by taking into account patent expiration and regulatory approval. Members of the media also have access to the database for accurate, up-to-date information.

A host of other tools are also new, like Competitive Products, Drug Delivery, Extended Product Profiles, Merger Tool, M&A Search, Milestone Calendar, News Manager, Pipeline Profile and Trend Analysis. Ultimately, Flynn says, the hope is to provide targeted screener capabilities to quickly perform market assessments and evaluate potential partners.

Source: Mickey Flynn, Pennsylvania Bio
Writer: Joe Petrucci

With 389 applications in front of him and his Department of Environmental Protection colleagues from business, universities, municipalities and other institutions asking for some $800 million, Pennsylvania deputy secretary for energy and technology deployment Dan Griffiths has a tall task over the next several days. They're spending $21 million on dozens of grants through Pennsylvania Green Energy Works, a new entity that combines several existing energy related programs, and will announce its initial grant recipients on Monday at a public meeting in Harrisburg.

"We have a responsibility. We're in the fast lane on this one," says Griffiths. "We think we'll see substantial results with jobs, renewable energy creation and use."

Money has been pouring in for Green Works, albeit piecemeal. Next week's funding is made up of $10 million from a recently announced $39.8 million federal stimulus shot and will go to projects that are shovel-ready within six months and strive to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and stimulate growth in renewable sectors.

In the fall, Griffiths expects to announce another round of grants involving wind energy, with grants for geothermal and revolving loan program for green building coming early next year. Each funding success plants the seed for more federal money--another $50 million for state energy projects is at stake.

Griffiths says the state has a "more structured quality control system" to monitor all these new projects to ensure that the money is being used properly and that successful projects pave the way for more federal funds.

"One of the things we can't do is take care of every need, but we can demonstrate effectiveness, create a trained workforce and establish demand that will go into the market after we've spent the money," Griffiths says.

Source: Dan Griffiths, Pennsylvania Green Energy Works
Writer: Joe Petrucci

A new audio application created by Lancaster-based FlyCast allows BlackBerry users to tune in without plugging in.

FlyCast 2.0 allows users to stream or cache radio programming on mobile devices. Version 2.0 of the company's flagship product works on BlackBerry's current models, including BlackBerry Bold, Storm, and Curve. The upgrade allows users to stream radio content without the USB connection required for the previous version. Users can download the new  program free to stream content or purchase cached programming for as little at $9.95 for five hours, for the life of the device. 

Company founder Sam Abadir says the new version will be available for Apple’s iPhone 2G, 3G, 3Gs, and iPod Touch and Android phones like T-Mobile G1 "by the end of the year."

"We look at this as fairly unique," says Abadir. "Unlike Pandora, it’s not a pure music play. It’s an overall media experience, incorporating  talk and comedy and sports. Video will be a big part of what we do going forward."

Founded in 2006 as BroadClip Inc. and known as FlyTunes until 2008, FlyCast delivers popular radio and video content to portable cellular and WiFi devices. The company says it has more than 1,500 content partners providing regional, national and specialty content.

FlyCast is a top ten application in both the Apple and BlackBerry App stores, and was named one of the "Best Products of CES 2009" by PC World magazine. It is also available for PC and Macintosh platforms.

Source: Sam Abadir
Writer: Chris O'Toole