Building on its commitment to develop its manufacturing within Pennsylvania, Acutec Precision Aerospace Inc., is pleased to announce it has received a $250,000 from the State of Pennsylvania and Governor Tom Wolf as part of its Pennsylvania First Program. This grant will be used to expand its Meadville facility and create 60 new machining jobs. The company credits the growth within the aerospace industry, including the development of both the Boeing 737MAX and Airbus A320NEO aircraft, as the primary reasoning behind this initiative.
Over the course of 2018, Acutec has been engaged with three phases of expansion:
- Phase I: development of a 5,000-square-foot internal expansion completed in May, incorporates a new classroom, IT, a conference room, and a piston assembly cell.
- Phase II: construction of a new 13,000-square-foot building on the southwest corner of its Meadville facility for finished goods.
- Phase III: rehabilitation of a 73,000-square-foot space within the Crawford Business Park for additional manufacturing space and its saw and raw material department.
“What excites us most about this growth is that it will involve us hiring an additional 60 employees to our existing workforce,” said Nick Ozorak, digital media specialist for Acutec Precision Aerospace. “We have been based in Crawford County for 30 years because of the strong workforce here. Without the high quality of employees, we would not have this opportunity to expand.”
In addition to the $250,000 Pennsylvania First grant provided by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), a $120,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits will facilitate the hiring of new employees. In conjunction with this, the Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County (EPACC) applied for a $2.2 million low-interest loan through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) in preparation for the Phase III expansion.
“Anticipating customer expansion is a component of what puts us ahead of the game,” said Elisabeth Smith, chairman of Acutec. “We are lucky to have our facility based in the Crawford Business Park and to work with the EPACC to accommodate this growth.”
“The decision by a high-tech manufacturer like Acutec Precision Aerospace to grow its workforce here in Pennsylvania shows that the industry recognizes the quality of our workers,” Governor Wolf said. “Acutec has a decades-long history in Crawford County, and I applaud their decision to stay here and grow in the years ahead. This is great news for workers in the area, great news for Acutec, and great news for Pennsylvania.”
Phase I will be complete by the end of the second quarter of 2018. Both Phase II and Phase III will occur simultaneously, with each space being utilized by the end of 2018.