PENNTAP Assists Businesses Throughout the Commonwealth

February 11, 2000

University Park, Pa. --- Businesses in every county took advantage of free assistance provided by Penn State’s Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program in 1999.

The help paid off. According to a year-end report, PENNTAP assistance resulted in $9.9 million in economic benefits, including cost savings, revenue increases and capital expenditures, for companies throughout the Commonwealth. PENNTAP also helped companies create and retain 310 jobs.

Of the 900 total cases of assistance, 120 involved Y2K-related help for small companies. PENNTAP is an "absolutely invaluable service to small businesses," said Linda Beatty of Mainstream Counseling Inc., in Huntingdon. More than 80 percent of PENNTAP’s clients were small businesses with fewer than 100 employees.

"The PENNTAP team provided many practical solutions, enabling us to avoid making several costly and time consuming mistakes," said Bill Clark of New Pig Corporation in Tipton.

PENNTAP is a network of technical specialists throughout the Commonwealth who help Pennsylvania business and industry improve their competitiveness by providing free scientific and technological assistance and information. The program focuses on helping smaller businesses that normally do not have the in-house expertise or time to resolve specific technical questions or problems.

"Our technical specialists also rely on the expertise of faculty and staff from campuses throughout the Penn State system," said PENNTAP director Jack Gido. "Support from the faculty is invaluable."

Also in 1999, PENNTAP won three Outstanding Project of the Year awards from the National Association of Technical Assistance Centers.

PENNTAP is a partnership between Penn State, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Serving Pennsylvania since 1965, PENNTAP is one of the nation’s first technical assistance programs and has been a model for such programs in many other states and countries.

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Contacts:

Dana Bauer (814) 865-3477 (o)

EDITORS: Jack Gido is at (814) 865-0427