Looking for proof that manufacturing is on the rebound in Pennsylvania? Rob Smith says he can offer it.
Smith is president of Acutec Precision Manufacturing, based in Saegertown, about 30 miles south of Erie. The company employs about 275 people, up from around 200 when it trimmed its workforce during the recession. And Smith says one of his biggest challenges is finding people with the right skills for his metal-part machining business. He expects to have about 280 workers by the end of the year.
Smith credits much of Acutec’s growth to the fact that it specializes in making parts for the gas-turbine and aerospace industries, producing components that go inside helicopters, landing systems and fuel pumps. Customers in these sectors require technical expertise, and the defense contractors that buy Acutec’s parts are often required to purchase from American manufacturers.
“It’s not something everyone can do,” Smith says. “Once you find a niche, then you’ll find there’s plenty of business.”
The gas-turbine industry is also growing because natural gas is growing as a power source, he adds.
In 2007 Acutec moved into a space at the Crawford Business Park in nearby Meadville. Smith says the space owned by the Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County was less expensive than expected, freeing up money to invest in equipment that still pays dividends.
Source: Rob Smith, Acutec Precision Machining
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen