35 Years of Strategic Guidance & Lasting Impact

2023 marked 35 years of Catalyst Connection helping small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) improve their competitiveness. Founded as a Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (IRC) and a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) affiliate, we have been at the forefront of helping SMMs in the 12-county southwestern Pennsylvania region retool and diversify. Looking ahead to the next 35 years, the future is bright.

To refresh or acquaint you with our origins, we initially helped companies transition from being dependent on heavy industry and offer hope to communities that were hit hard by the closure of large industrial plants.

With our assistance, SMMs in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties have expanded their operations, diversified their markets, competed against offshoring and consolidation, and employed tens of thousands of workers in high-paying, family-sustaining careers. Those businesses and individuals have helped to revitalize communities, allowing people to raise their families near where they grew up.