Dennis Wilke, the chairman of Precision Manufacturing Institute (PMI), says that he would like to see more young people choose to stay and make a home in Crawford County. He points out the area’s many attributes:
Central location. Crawford County is within a two-hour drive of three major cities: Pittsburgh, Erie, and Cleveland. While the setting is more suburban and rural, it’s still close to urban areas and is the best of both worlds.
Solid base of manufacturing jobs. Many of the county’s top 50 employees are in manufacturing: Acutec Precision Machining, which machines metal parts, has a local state-of-the-art facility. Channelock manufactures high-quality, American-made pliers and hand tools. Greenleaf Corporation makes technical ceramic products that are sold worldwide. Lord Corporation develops adhesive, coating and motion management technologies.
Vibrant educational institutions. Trade schools, including PMI and the Crawford County Area Vocational Technical Schools are located here, and students often have jobs at one of the many manufacturing plants even before they graduate. Excellent colleges and universities, including Allegheny College and the University of Pittsburgh Titusville are also in the county.
Low Cost of Living. Housing prices are much more inexpensive in Crawford County than in neighboring areas. People move to the area because they get “more bang for their buck,†so to speak, and stay here because it’s such a nice place to live.
Manufacturing and Energy Jobs Are On The Rise
“To get more young people to choose to stay and make a home in Crawford County, we must continue to promote and grow our industrial economic base and encourage entrepreneurism,” says Mr. Wilke. “We have honest, hardworking people here. We make things in northwestern Pennsylvania, and we should be proud of that.”
If you are interested in learning a trade or would like to update your skills so that you can be hired at one of the many manufacturing companies in Crawford County, contact PMI today.