Regional manufacturing firms said they saw more than $120 million in revenue impact, $11.7 million in cost savings, and $21.2 million in expansion, modernization, and workforce training as part of their engagement with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) in 2021.
The financial impacts allowed those firms to create and retain more than 12,00 full-time jobs, the companies said, bringing the region’s industrial employment to nearly 44,000. NEPIRC clients reported the impacts on surveys administered by the Fors Marsh Group under the guidance of the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards & Technology.
As a result of NEPIRC client reports in 2021, the organization’s said that NEPIRC maintained its placement among the top performers in the Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Network. NEPIRC also received an award from the International Economic Development Council – a silver award for excellence in economic development.
“We’re proud of the impacts that our offerings have had upon our manufacturing clients during this critical time of rebound and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. These results speak to the expertise of our staff and the dedication of our manufacturers to continue to thrive amidst adversity, retain their existing workforce, and create new good-paying jobs,” NEPIRC President and CEO Eric Joseph Esoda said. “Our manufacturing economy has already returned to near pre-pandemic levels of employment and hundreds of job opportunities are still listed on our Manufacturing Job Board,” he added.
The Fors Marsh survey also assessed NEPIRC client satisfaction levels and their reasons for choosing NEPIRC. Most NEPIRC clients said they partnered with the organization due to its staff expertise, reputation for results, exclusive focus on the manufacturing sector, and practical costs of services.