Ben Franklin Technology Partners honors NEPA ingenuity
Published: July 7, 2010
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The lightening rod, swim fins, the glass armonica, the Franklin (wood) stove, bifocals, the odometer — Ben Franklin invented them all — and then some. But who and what he continues to inspire — posthumously — may be even more impressive. Just look at four NEPA-area winners of Ben Franklin’s Technology Partners’ 16th Annual Innovation Awards.
“Large business is leaving the area,” said Faith D. Clark, president of Clark Technology Systems Inc. (CTSI), Milton. “Stable small businesses are becoming the strength of our region.”
CTSI, one such small business, and winner of the 2010 BFTP Manufacturing Achievement award, specializes in engineering services and the fabrication of a range of fluid- and air-handling systems for petrochemical refineries and power generation industries worldwide.
Since its 1987 founding, the company has designed, engineered, fabricated and delivered processing systems for industrial manufacturers, power plants, petroleum refineries, paper mills, liquid natural gas producers and air separation plants.
“CTSI partners with as many regional companies as possible in producing our products,” said Clark, “examples include other fabricators, control and electrical companies, as well as coatings facilities.
“We at CTSI have grown our market share by not only ‘going the extra mile,’ but by becoming a strategic partner with our customers, recognizing their expectations to produce a product better, faster, and with lower total costs of ownership.”
Clark says CTSI, which shares cost/profit information with its customers, plans to stay in the area and expand its operations here. By providing more opportunities for jobs, she said, the area will retain its population. CTSI, said Clark, also supports its local vocational schools and high schools, providing internships and job shadowing, as well as offering staff to serve on the welding curriculum advisory board for Penn College.
CTSI’s strategic goal is to double sales over the next three years, increasing the state’s business income tax base and employee tax base.
Almost all of CTSI products are sold through Fortune 500 companies and are distributed globally. Through the SEDA-COG export assistance program, Clark says CTSI is looking to expand its horizons to international trade, adding CTSI will attend its first international trade show in September in hopes of partnering with new companies needing its expertise.
With support from BFTP, CTSI, said Clark, is implementing a company-wide Lean Enterprise System.
She said CTSI will be looking to expand either into existing facilities or building new facilities in the region, providing construction work for area firms.
Discovery Machine Inc., a firm in Williamsport, won the BFTP Product Innovation Award.
CEO Anna Griffith says DMI, a computer software company and DARPA/DoD success story with achievements in, among other areas, military training and simulating; manufacturing; and the life sciences sector, provides systems that enable companies to capture, manage, automate, optimize, embed and network the knowledge found in the experience and intellect of their key employees.
“Obviously Pennsylvania has always been known for its manufacturing sector. But, without continued innovation and reduced reliance on a retiring workforce, our companies will lose their competitive edge in the future,” said Griffith.
DMI’s patented Knowledge Capture Methodology, a revolutionary way to document the knowledge of an expert, and designed to walk an expert through introspection and articulation to document the essential tacit knowledge inherent in the decision-making process, produces information that provides a powerful framework for automation and can be applied to various domains.
By utilizing this methodology and the DMI Knowledge Service Modeler, Griffith says DMI provides a means for innovation for companies and provides a way to document the knowledge of their retiring experts.
“Customers will be able to streamline their processes, reduce overall costs and train new employees, which can lead to a substantial ROI for Pennsylvania’s companies.
“In addition,” she said, “company experts will have more time and capital to investigate new opportunities, thus encouraging further innovation and growth within the company.”
Griffith says DMI has had past successes with training and simulation systems and plans to further pursue enhanced training initiatives in commercial and DoD sectors.
By providing a means to deploy knowledge, she said, experts can create artificial intelligence entities for use within serious games. For example, knowledge of different cultures can be embedded within a training situation so that people can be trained to meet highly pinpointed goals before facing them in reality.
DMI also hopes to foster growth in the technology sector in NEPA.
“Northeast Pennsylvania is blessed with many talented professionals, but unfortunately, many leave the area due to lack of jobs. By encouraging growth of the technology sector, we can create jobs and encourage people to move back to the area. It is possible to grow within this region,” she said, adding that DMI has hired six new employees within the last year — all of whom have ties to the area.
DMI’s technology helps protect a company’s institutional knowledge in the event it enters a merger or acquisition, or staff is lured by competition. DMI customers include, among other big boys, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and the Office of Naval Research.
John T. Hoback, president of Z&H Enterprise Solutions Ltd. of East Stroudsburg, worked at the senior management level for another big boy, Amoco Chemicals Electronic Materials. Now, Z&H, a consulting company focused on leveraging his 35 years of entrepreneurial experience in managing and developing high growth businesses, offers an array of accounting, managerial and executive services designed to help high-potential, technology-based businesses grow and prosper.
Hoback, who won the Entrepreneurial Advocate Award, is associated with starting a business from an idea and growing it to over $100 million—three times (see: Amoco, Rohm & Haas and DuPont).
“Z&H will hopefully assist entrepreneurial companies in Northeastern Pennsylvania in developing their business plans for securing funding and eventual long-term success,” said Hoback, who has spent time at the bench (with numerous patents), product development, manufacturing shift management, sales, marketing, financial management to executive levels.
“Z&H will add much needed small businesses to the inventory which will help add jobs and revenue to the state of Pennsylvania.”
In addition to helping several companies in the BFTP incubator system, Hoback has also been involved in reviewing BFTP business plans.
The Entrepreneurial Advocate Award is awarded to an individual who has contributed his leadership, time and expertise to helping entrepreneurs and the BFTP accomplish their goals, demonstrating a sincere and selfless desire to see the region thrive and backs up that commitment with appropriate action.
A BFTP press release notes, “Hoback’s deep expertise, patience and understanding of the challenges of entrepreneurship allow him to effective coach young companies and his ability to effectively communicate with both technical and business investment communities render him an extremely valuable resource to Ben Franklin’s early-state clients.”
Dr. Michael A. MacDowell, president of Misericordia University was awarded BFTP’s 2010 Special Achievement Award. BFTP noted his strong vision, dedication and commitment to the program.
MacDowell was instrumental in regional technology projects and initiatives that include the Great Valley Technology Alliance, The Entrepreneurship Institute, The Northeastern Pennsylvania Technology Institute and he ensures the latest technological advancements are available to Misericordia’s students and faculty. He actively backs undertakings that lead to technology commercialization and support regional job growth.
“I try to think regionally about education and economic development,” said MacDowell. “We have the universities and colleges, which together make up about 40,000 students in the region, and we do some awfully good things together.
“I’m the first to admit I’m not a great technologist by any means, but I understand that the way you achieve economic growth is by worker smarter, not necessarily harder,” said MacDowell, “and I see the students that we’re training here, coupled with the work of the GVTA and the Northeast Pennsylvania Technology Institute — there’s a wonderful way to achieve that goal. And, if you look at the projects we’ve been involved with, like Wall Street West, the KIZ program and the extensive internships here, we have guaranteed placements where our students go through a series of training activities, including information technology application.”
If graduated and six months out without a job, said MacDowell, Misericordia finds the graduate a paid internship, which almost inevitably leads to a job.
Asked what is most exciting or promising about the BFTP Innovation Award winners and her job, Laura S. Eppler, director of marketing at BFTP of NEPA, notes BFTP award winners are nominated and selected by Ben Franklin staff, and the winners do not submit proposals for the award. “Those that are clients may have applied for funding to begin their relationship with us,” said Eppler, “But Ben Franklin’s investment evaluation process is completely separate from our innovation award evaluation process.”
Eppler notes that since 1983, BFTP of NEPA has started 408 new companies, developed 948 new products and processes, created 14,301 new jobs and retained 21,236 existing jobs.
