32A — January 25 - February 7, 2013 — Economic Development — Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marejournal.com
E conomic D evelopment
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania Accolades continue for Ben Franklin TechVentures Incubator
B
en Franklin TechVen- tures (BFTV) i s an award-winning technol-
panies that create as many as 200 sustainable, highly paid jobs and retain 100 more jobs in the first three years. Twenty-five early-stage firms, employing 158 people, are cur- rently located in BFTV. Since 1983, the incubator has gradu- ated 55 successful companies, together grossing more than $620 million in annual rev- enue, and creating more than 5,400 jobs. Both the or iginal Ben Franklin TechVentures reno- vation and the TechVentures2 expansion engaged Spillman Farmer Architects and Allied Building Corporation. Ben
Franklin TechVentures2 has a photovoltaic solar array on its rooftop and the latest energy management and light-har- vesting technologies, produced by Coopersburg, PA-based Lutron Electronics, integrated throughout the building. Lead- ership in Energy and Envi- ronmental Design (LEED) certification is pending. Ben Franklin TechVentures brings together entrepreneurs, Ben Franklin staff, and Lehigh faculty and students to acceler- ate the growth of the region’s technology economy. The Ben Franklin team continues to support TechVentures resident
companies with management guidance, business planning, strategic planning, and mar- keting counsel; connections to angel investors and venture capitalists; and assistance in preparing and perfecting fund- ing presentations. Ben Frank- lin shares its new Innovation Institute meeting, learning, and conference facilities space with local corporate partners and programs. Ben Franklin TechVentures provides an en- trepreneurial culture that fuels innovation, accelerates the suc- cess of early-stage technology firms, and supports high-value job creation. n
ogy-based incubator/post incu- bator facility that is owned and managed by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of North- eastern Pennsylvania (BFTP). BFTV provides resident com- panies with the support of an experienced incubator staff, the synergy of working in proximity to other early-stage companies, rental costs lower than mar- ket rates, flexible floor plan- ning to accommodate specific needs, and access to Lehigh University’s facilities, equip- ment, faculty, and student re- sources. These factors combine to greatly enhance incubator resident companies’ probability of success. The recent facility expansion, Ben Franklin TechVentures2, added 47,000 s/f to the existing building, including wet labs, of- fice/meeting space, and a park- ing deck. Since its grand open- ing in October 2011, the facility has received an abundance of recognitions and awards. Ben Franklin TechVentures2 won the 2011 Pennsylvania Economic Development Associ- ation Project of the Year award, and first-place national honors in the U.S. Environmental Pro- tectionAgency’s 2011 ENERGY STAR Challenge Contest. In January 2012, TechVentures won the American Institute of Architects Eastern Pennsylva- nia Award of Merit, and two Mid Atlantic Real Estate Jour- nal Best of 2011 Awards. The National Business In- cubation Association (NBIA) named Ben Franklin TechVen- tures the 2012 National Incuba- tor of the Year, a remarkable repeat of Ben Franklin’s 2001 honor. The NBIA is the world’s leading organization advancing business incubation and en- trepreneurship. Most recently, TechVentures2 was recognized as a Sustainable Community by the Lehigh Valley Branch of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Penn- sylvania creates and retains highly paid, sustainable jobs by linking companies with experts, universities, funding, and other resources to help them prosper through innovation. The north- eastern center is headquartered in Ben Franklin TechVentures on Lehigh’s University’s Moun- taintop Campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and is part of a four-center economic develop-
Ben Franklin TechVentures ©2011 Halkin Photography LLC
ment initiative that is funded by the Pennsylvania Depart- ment of Community and Eco- nomic Development. Ben Franklin TechVentures2 will allow BFTP to accommo- date start-up technology com-
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