$50,000 Miller Fabrications Solutions LaunchBox Endowment established

DuBois, PA – After touring the North Central PA LaunchBox powered by Penn State DuBois and visiting the Idea Lab on the Penn State DuBois campus, Dave Miller, Miller Fabrication Solutions’ chairman of the board, established the Miller Fabrication Solutions Endowment. This investment of $25,000, met with a one-to-one match by Penn State through a recently concluded program, will provide a $50,000 endowment for the NCPA LaunchBox for operation costs.

“Our company culture and philosophy has always been to improve the lives of our families, employees and the community we live in. The LaunchBox has done a great job of supporting entrepreneurs and businesses, and we share the same vision of continually improving and making our region a great place to live and work,” said Miller.

Miller Fabrication Solutions was established in 1963 as a welding and machining operation, and it has since grown to include steel, industrial, assembly, and finishing solutions for original equipment manufacturers. Miller Fabrication Solutions provides services for a diverse array of industries including construction and forestry; industrial machining; material handling and conveying equipment; mining and oil and gas; transportation; valve and hose; engine and turbine parts; and agricultural.

Developing an ecosystem of workforce development, entrepreneurship, and support for the region plays a vital role in retaining and attracting professionals and tradespersons and their families. Miller said, “Recruiting talented engineers and employees also depends on whether their families can thrive in our region. Penn State DuBois understands the bigger picture, and the LaunchBox is another tool for our area to use to further that aim.”

Bradley Lashinksy, director of the North Central PA LaunchBox, commented, “On behalf of the NCPA LaunchBox, I cannot thank Dave Miller and Miller Fabrication Solutions enough for their generous contribution to the sustainability of our program. I have personally known Dave for several years, and his commitment to improving the regional economy goes unmatched. I truly appreciate everything he has done over the years to support entrepreneurship and grow the regional labor force, and this endowment will only continue to help the LaunchBox grow and thrive.”

Since 2015, the Invent Penn State initiative has awarded seed grants to 21 campuses to create LaunchBoxes and innovation spaces, and to date, the NCPA LaunchBox has served over 14,700 clients, including 42 new startups. This mission is continuously driven through collaboration with area industry and communities.

Launched in 2019, the North Central PA LaunchBox provides services such as assistance with business plan development, assistance with grant applications, educational seminars for entrepreneurs, workforce training and more. A downtown location contains offices for industry partners, a conference area and coworking space that provide facilities fitting the needs of LaunchBox clients performing research and development for their products and services.

The LaunchBox also innovates solutions for area businesses and individuals in the on-campus Idea Lab. Featuring 12, 3-D printers, 3-D scanning hardware and software and a vinyl printer/cutter, the lab is available to anyone in search of help in developing a prototype, reverse engineering, and inspection.

Lashinsky is available to assist businesses and individuals in finding ways to meet their unique needs. He can be reached at 814-375-4704 or bwl128@psu.edu.

For information on all giving at Penn State DuBois, contact Director of Development Jean Wolf at 814-372-3038 or jaw57@psu.edu.