New business development announced
Monday’s announcement about a new business development will directly impact Pat Hresko of Jones Mill. “It means that when I graduate this December from Penn State University with my degree in computer technology I will have a high-paying job waiting for me,’ the student said.
The job could be with Advanced Acoustic Concepts (AAC), a high-tech engineering firm that will move into a $3.5 million, 40,000-square-foot facility in the University Technology Park next to Penn State’s Fayette Campus.
Hresko is one of 11 student interns AAC has employed for the past couple of years offering them a 40-hour week with pay to learn practical applications for their degree fields.
The new AAC facility, which should be completed no later than mid-2003, is another step in the company’s expansion here in Fayette County.
AAC is creating systems to protect U.S. ships and submarines from torpedo attacks. It currently operates from a 4,000-square-foot facility on West Main Street in Uniontown.
U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, earlier this year secured $12.4 million for AAC as part of that project.
Brian W. Boyle, AAC executive vice president, said it was Murtha who helped AAC locate in Fayette.
“When we started our business model, we knew Congressman Murtha had a vision about when he wanted to do in Fayette County. That was, in part, to keep young people here.
“So we wanted a relationship between the college and the private sector to help accomplish that. We have achieved that goal,’ Boyle said. “We also wanted to establish a business model, become a leader in the community and do all of this from Fayette County.’
Boyle said AAC will create about 40 “high-paying professional jobs’ by the end of the year and up to 100 jobs by 2004. Salary levels for “seasoned software engineers,’ with five years or more experience will range at about $80,000 a year.
“Each year we continue to make progress. To be a small business doing roughly $20 million a year and to be able to come to Fayette County like this shows the importance of the partnerships. We wanted to develop the talent we use from home. We have put these students into an aggressive program where they learn marketing, engineering and computer technology. There is about $4 million now coming into Fayette County from our company,’ Boyle said.
He added that AAC decided on a new building in order to “send a message to other technology companies that technology has arrived here.’
The AAC “Surface Ship Torpedo Defense Trip Wire Torpedo Defense System’ the company is developing is a multi-faceted program to protect non-combatants against torpedo attack. What makes this system cost-effective is it can be towed behind a ship and fully integrated in the vessel’s electronics.
Workers will be needed with backgrounds and skills in engineering and technology, manufacturing, systems integration and product support.
Mike Krajovic, Fay-Penn Economic Development Council executive vice president, said Fay-Penn will build the facility and lease it to AAC. “It will cost about $3.5 million,’ he said, adding that Fay-Penn will finance it through private sources.
The new facility will be located on a 3.7-acre site within the technology park. Fayette County’s first business park in more than 25 years, the technology park is a $5.5 million development on about 147 acres in North Union Township.
“The structure is being built to support AAC’s expansion from its existing Route 40 location. The building is being designed to meet the existing and future needs of AAC and completion is expected by early to mid 2003,” Murtha said at the announcement Monday.
“Advanced Acoustic Concepts is part of a rapidly growing base of high-tech jobs here in Fayette and surrounding counties,” Murtha said. “These are the type of engineering jobs that hold great promise for the future because they build our reputation as a location for technology companies and help us to retain or attract back our young people.”
Murtha commended AAC for the establishment of an internship program in association with Penn State University. For the third straight year, the company will be providing employment opportunities for local engineering students. He added that the company is now working with California University in Washington County to establish an internship program there as well.
“We cannot overstate our gratitude to Congressman Murtha for his support of our Fayette County operations. AAC has offices throughout the country and our experience here over the last two years has been very favorable,” added Boyle.
“We have found Fayette County to be a great place to do business. Part of our task involves recruitment of a highly skilled workforce, and this area has the amenities to attract bright young talent. The proximity to Penn State and our association with the university is an added benefit,’ Scott Seehoffer, AAC vice president and general manager, said.
“This is the first business attraction project of its kind with skilled engineering employment opportunities to be announced in the history of Fayette County,” Krajovic said, adding it is the “first time such a thing has happened in Fayette County. These will be high paying jobs that will have a large economic impact on Fayette County.”
“Thanks to the efforts of Congressman Murtha, we were able to attract a technology firm like AAC. Without Mr. Murtha, AAC would not be located in Fayette County,’ Robert Eberly, Fay-Penn president, said.
AAC has 10 employees locally and 11 interns working primarily on $12.4 million in defense funding that Murtha directed to the U.S. Navy Surface Ship Torpedo Defense Project.
The jobs created will range from design/development engineering to skilled electronic assembly and test engineering. The funding has enabled AAC to develop the U.S. Navy’s next generation shipboard training and logistical support systems. The development of these systems consists of learning, knowledge and management components, which will require local jobs with advanced software capabilities.
AAC was formed in May 1989. Since then, AAC has emerged as a leading supplier of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) automated real time multi-processing systems for both the commercial and government market place.
AAC operates three divisions: Integrated System Division (ISD) and AAC Technologies Division (ATD), both located at its corporate headquarters in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., and its Advanced Training Systems Division (ATS) out of Dahlgren, Va.
AAC has performed as a prime contractor to the U.S. Navy as well as a supplier to General Dynamic-Electric Boat, IBM, Lucent Technologies, AT&T, Lockheed-Martin, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies, Rockwell International and Logicon.
In addition, AAC has utilized its real time image processing system in a consortium with Brookhaven National Laboratories, Cablevision and Stonybrook Hospital.