PENNTAP Clients Report $17 Million in Benefits
February 6, 2003
University Park, Pa. - Clients of Penn State's Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PENNTAP) reported 715 jobs created or retained and $17 million in economic benefits received throughout the Commonwealth in calendar year 2002.
According to PENNTAP's year-end report, the program provided an overall total of 770 cases of technical assistance to 670 Pennsylvania businesses in all 67 counties. Economic benefits included cost savings, sales, and capital investments as a result of PENNTAP assistance.
Nearly half of the businesses served and 70 percent of the economic benefits reported were in counties designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as economically distressed.
PENNTAP is a statewide network of technical specialists. The program 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.
Jack Gido, PENNTAP director, says, "We focus on helping smaller businesses that normally do not have the in-house expertise or time to resolve specific technical questions or needs. Last year, 77 percent of PENNTAP's clients were businesses with fewer than 50 employees."
PENNTAP's network includes specialists in e-business, environmental concerns, plastics, NASA technology, product development, safety, wood processing and technical information as well as other areas.
In 2002, PENNTAP’s e-business Technical Assistance Program, e-TAP, completed 340 cases of technical assistance and provided $6.8 million in economic benefits - the largest portion of the overall program totals. E-TAP, a partnership with Team PA, receives support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority to help small businesses with their internet, website, and information technology needs.
PENNTAP's newest undertaking, a statewide food processing industry assistance service, completed 45 cases of technical assistance and provided $2.3 million in economic benefits. The food processing assistance service helps businesses address needs related to food chemistry, food safety, shelf life, quality control, process improvements, packaging, labeling, regulations and sanitation.
Serving Pennsylvania business and industry since 1965, PENNTAP is a federal-state-university partnership for economic development and one of the nation's first technical assistance programs.
For more information about PENNTAP, visit the web site at www.penntap.psu.edu. For the name of a PENNTAP specialist near you, call 814-865--0427.
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