DEDICATION HELD FOR BUILDING 100 INNOVATION CENTER AT THE NAVY YARD OF PHILADELPHIA
Speakers Emphasize 'Building the Future'
PHILADELPHIA - May 12, 2008 - Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP), Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) and Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) today celebrated the dedication of the Building 100 Innovation Center, located at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia."
With a crowd standing nearby, representatives of the three organizations cut a green ribbon to officially establish the building -- part of a multi-year, multi-pronged effort to establish a regional hub for research, development and commercialization of physical and engineering sciences, particularly green technologies, and energy partnerships -- at The Navy Yard.
'Building the Future' was the theme of the event attended by a crowd of supporters, including public officials, business leaders and high school student members of the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), which helps empower young people to change their lives through being entrepreneurs.
"With the Building 100 Innovation Center, we are focusing attention on the physical and engineering sciences," said RoseAnn B. Rosenthal, President and CEO of BFTP/SEP.
"Developing capacity in these areas will complement the region's significant life sciences strengths and propel even greater regional growth."
Last year BFTP/SEP moved its headquarters to The Navy Yard to operate the Building 100 Innovation Center with DVIRC. The Center is located in a 32,000-square-foot, turn-of-the-century brick building that once was a Marine Corps barracks. Office space in the building already is at near capacity with startup technology companies, university partners and venture funds.
The keynote speaker at the event was Dr. Dennis Cheek, Vice President of Education for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation - the nationally renowned Kansas City, MO-based group influential in the national discussion on entrepreneurship, education, technology transfer and angel investment. In his position, Dr. Cheek is instrumental in assisting the foundation to further its mission of helping people achieve economic independence.
State Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky also spoke at the dedication along with Andrew Altman, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's deputy mayor and commerce director.
Touching on the 'Building the Future' theme, Joseph Houldin, CEO of DVIRC, said great things will come from Building 100.
"DVIRC, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania and PIDC have been working together for a long time to make the Building 100 partnership a reality," said Houldin. "Today is a proud day for all of us as we celebrate this grand opening with our friends and fellow residents from Penn State and some of the area's most dynamic organizations. I truly believe we have created a new hub for entrepreneurship, ingenuity and business growth, right here in Philadelphia's historic Navy Yard."
John Grady, senior vice president of PIDC said Building 100 is already creating an atmosphere of excitement that is attracting new, emerging companies and stimulating ideas for new initiatives at The Navy Yard.
"Our organization is happy to have this on-site capability to nurture new economic growth for the shipyard," said Grady. "This will provide new business ventures and jobs for the region."
In March 2005, Gov. Ed Rendell designated The Navy Yard as a Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) with access to a variety of state incentives for technology development. The Navy Yard KIZ is lead by a partnership of the PIDC, Penn State, the U.S. Navy, BFTP/SEP, DVIRC and the City of Philadelphia.
By establishing the Building 100 Innovation Center as the core for commercialization activity, the partnership will leverage federal and university research grants to drive business development and job creation in areas including advanced manufacturing, power systems, propulsion, energy and nanotechnology.
Since 1982,
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania has served as a catalyst for stimulating entrepreneurial potential through the integration of systems designed to accelerate the transition of scientific discovery and technology development to commercialization. Part of a statewide network in Pennsylvania, BFTP/SEP provides entrepreneurs and established businesses the capital, knowledge, and networks they need to compete in the global marketplace. BFTP/SEP has provided more than $130 million to over 1,600 regional enterprises through various funding means. BFTP/SEP is a founding partner of the Nanotechnology Institute (NTI) and the Mid-Atlantic Nanotechnology Alliance (MANA) and is funded by Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development.
http://www.sep.benfranklin.org
The Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) has provided "best practice" consulting services to small - mid-sized manufacturers in Southeast Pennsylvania since 1988.
DVIRC's primary focus is growing business value for our clients. Our team of professionals has functioned at every level within a manufacturing organization - from leadership through lean transformation. Last year alone, DVIRC assisted 155 clients generate an excess of $130 million in value added impact. In addition, DVIRC achieved a 4.8 out of 5.0 ranking in Customer Satisfaction according to Synovate, an independent market research firm.
DVIRC offers stand alone services, or complete turnkey solutions to develop a reliable strategy and action plan that specifies timelines and performance measures to ensure client success. Consulting Services include: Strategy Development - Action Plans; Business Valuation; Market / Sales Development; Internet Marketing; Business Process / Information Technology; Lean Transformation; Quality / ISO Management; Institute for World-Class Manufacturing (IWCM) - On-site Custom Training, Lean Certification; Human Resources and Talent Development.
http://www.dvirc.org
Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) is a private, not-for-profit Pennsylvania corporation founded in 1958 by the City of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce to promote economic development throughout the city.
PIDC's central strategy is to leverage financing and real estate resources to retain and to grow employment in Philadelphia. PIDC also coordinates tax incentive and work force development programs offered by the City and the Commonwealth. Clients range from the traditional base of commercial and industrial businesses to the developers of large, public purpose facilities in all neighborhoods of Philadelphia.
http://www.pidc-pa.org 
