Manufacturing Series Part 2: Meet More of NEPA's Top Industrial Producers

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Posted: August 24, 2023

National Manufacturing Week, observed October 6-13 this year, showcases the potential of modern manufacturing while fostering interest in manufacturing careers. We’ve partnered with Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) to highlight manufacturers right here in NEPA. The culmination of the six-part blog series is Manufacturing Day, a one-day event showcasing made-in-PA products.

In the lead-up to our Manufacturing Day celebration – an event that will feature more than 80 exhibitors showcasing their made-in-PA products – we’re taking a deeper look at seven more regional manufacturers in NEPA. These companies are important to our local economy and are national and globals suppliers of goods made right here in our region. Take a look.

A. Rifkin Company is a fifth-generation family-owned manufacturer of security and asset tracking bags, satchels, totes and specialized containers used in banking, legal, medical, election and other applications. Their portfolio of products includes locking night deposit bags, cash and money bags, promotional bags, GPS tracking products, security seals and labels. The company also manufactures security bags for the government sector that are used to securely transport voting ballots. Anywhere that money changes hands, there’s probably an A. Rifkin product protecting those assets.

Ball Corporation is a world-recognized leader in the manufacturing of glass containers – including the classic Ball brand canning jar – and innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverages, personal care, household and industrial products. In 2021, Ball Corporation opened the doors to its $300 million Pittston facility where it makes infinitely recyclable aluminum containers for various brands of sparkling water, seltzers, beer and carbonated beverages. With a focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility, Ball prides itself not only on the quality and delightful user experience of its containers but also on the fact that over 75% of the aluminum that Ball has ever produced is still in use today! Locally, you can find Ball products at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders games at PNC Field – just look for the Ball logo.

Belrick Corporation has been delivering precision-machined products to customers around the globe for more than 50 years. Over those five decades, the company has remained on the cutting-edge of manufacturing technology by continuously investing in the latest CNC machines, robotic welding stations and electronic inspection stations. By integrating these new approaches with the ongoing education and training of its associates, Belrick has become proficient at producing low to moderate quantities of specialized products for the military, aerospace and other demanding markets. In 2016, Deborah Barbose, the daughter of the original founder, took the reins as President and CEO.

Cheetah Chassis, originally called The Strick Corporation, was established in Fairless Hills, PA in 1966. In 1972, the company opened its operations in Berwick, where it continues to make a wide range of trailer chassis, including tankers, flatbeds, expandable trailers and lightweight models, and was rebranded as Cheetah Chassis in 2000. As a proud Pennsylvania manufacturer, Cheetah Chassis sources many of the components for its trailers from other PA-based companies such as Truck-Lite, Fleet decal and others. The company’s expert welders also work alongside the industry’s ONLY robotic chassis welding station, which they’ve named “Sparky”.

HRC Manufacturing has been providing packaging, sorting and fulfillment services to other businesses for more than 40 years. The company specializes in quick turnaround and 100% product quality for jobs that involve sealing, shrink-wrapping, blister-packing and sorting. The company serves clients across Northeastern Pennsylvania as well as throughout New Jersey and New York. They also do work for quite a few Department of Defense suppliers.

PDQ Print Center is a manufacturing facility founded in 1975 to provide marketing and branding solutions to leading corporations nationwide. PDQ offers a range of services that include fulfillment, large format color printing, direct mail, corporate apparel, promotional items and more. PDQ Print Center can create a variety of printed products like banners, brochures, business cards, calendars, envelopes, flyers, invitations, manuals, newsletters, postcards, posters, tickets and yard signs.

In 1898, Joseph E. Weiler founded Weiler Abrasives in Pforzheim, Germany, initially producing brushes for the jewelry industry. Over time, the company expanded into a global manufacturer with 1,500 employees worldwide, serving customers in more than 80 countries. Weiler Abrasives specializes in producing bonded and coated power brushes, abrasive surface preparation brushes of various grids and textures and pipeline-cleaning “pig” brushes used in the natural gas, oil and other industrial applications. Weiler products keep other industries going and are used throughout the metal fabrications pipeline, foundry, aerospace, shipbuilding, automotive, food, pharmaceutical and construction sectors. Their modern campus offers team members an on-site gym, coffee lounge, walking path around a tranquil pond and an on-site cafeteria. You may even find the owner of the company there cooking lunch!

NEPIRC’s MFG Day event is Friday, October 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mohegan Pennsylvania Casino & Convention Center in Wilkes-Barre. At Manufacturing Day, you’ll see product demonstrations, learn more about the products made right here in NEPA, participate in educational breakout sessions, network and hear from a keynote speaker Pete Ruggerio, COO of Crayola.

If you are already part of our region’s manufacturing community or wish to learn more about it, you’ll want to be at MFG DAY. Tickets are $50 for manufacturers or $100 for non-manufacturers and can be purchased ahead of time or at the door on the day of the event.

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NEPIRC is a not-for-profit consulting organization that provides world-class technical, engineering, consultative and training services to small and mid-sized manufacturers across an 11-county region of northeastern, northern and parts of central Pennsylvania. More information can be found at www.NEPIRC.com.

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