PENNTAP Wins National Award For Technology Assistance

December 11, 2001

University Park, Pa. --- Penn State’s Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PENNTAP) has won national recognition for helping Hanover Lantern, Inc. of Hanover, Pa. modify their painting and antiquing operations to be compliant with state air quality regulations.

Hanover Lantern reported economic benefits from the PENNTAP assistance totaling $591,000 and saving 150 jobs.

The project was selected as Outstanding Project of the Year in the technology assistance category in the National Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers (NAMTAC) awards competition. The award, a plaque, will be presented at the NAMTAC Spring Awards Banquet to be held in Tucson, Arizona.

Warren Weaver, PENNTAP senior technical specialist, led the project. He says, "Hanover was faced with a difficult situation. Their supplier could not supply them with a low-solvent content coating for their outdoor lighting products, some of which must withstand very severe conditions in tropical salt-spray environments, when they found themselves in non-compliance with Pennsylvania’s air quality regulations."

Over a 15-month period, PENNTAP assisted Hanover Lantern with this issue, and as a result the firm switched their painting and antiquing operations from solvent-based to water-based paint.

Weaver was called in when Hanover Lantern was uncertain what their options were under Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection regulations and how to proceed. He worked with Hanover Lantern’s plant manager to understand the options and to identify potential solution providers. He also helped the firm modify their changeover to water-based coating. In addition, Weaver provided Hanover Lantern with a spreadsheet-based program for recording daily paint usage and for calculating air emissions as required by the regulations.

PENNTAP helps Pennsylvania businesses improve their competitiveness by providing free technical assistance and information to help resolve specific technical questions or needs that can be addressed within a limited amount of time.

NAMTAC is a not-for-profit association that provides information and a forum to enhance the performance of organizations providing business, economic, development and technical assistance to businesses and communities.

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EDITORS: Warren Weaver, PENNTAP Senior Technical Specialist, is at wjw5@psu.edu or by phone at 717-848-6669.

Contacts:

Barbara Hale (814) 865-9481 bah@psu.edu

Vicki Fong (814) 865-9481 vfong@psu.edu