Sentinel photo by RUTH EDDY Zachary McCoy, reliability engineer at Philips, explains the operation in the system and assembly area during a tour of the plant given to MCIDC board members. Shown from left to right are: Board Member Nate Metzler, Board Member David Krentzman, Board Bookkeeper Mattea Meyers, Board Member Karin Knode, Board Chair Marie Kirkpatrick, and McCoy. The MCIDC board held its quarterly board meeting at Philips on Tuesday and were then given a tour of the facility. Brett Corl, R&D Engineer also conducted a tour.

From staff reports

LEWISTOWN — The Mifflin County Industrial Development Corporation outlined new technology initiatives and toured a major local manufacturer during its April quarterly Board of Directors meeting, held at Philips Ultrasound.

Board members began the meeting with a presentation from Vista Site Selection, which demonstrated a suite of virtual tools designed to help businesses compare labor markets and evaluate potential expansion or relocation sites. The platform uses artificial intelligence to quickly aggregate demographic and workforce data.

MCIDC President and CEO Nick Felice said the tool could significantly improve how the organization responds to inquiries from prospective businesses.

“The tool is amazing. It collects and aggregates demographic and workforce data in seconds, as opposed to days,” Felice said. “Our office deals with prospects or site consultants looking at Mifflin County for expansion or relocation. This tool can provide very timely data support as we craft replies and answer questions.”

Felice added that he was pleased to introduce the technology to board members, noting that many took notes during the presentation.

The board also discussed implementation of a new asset management program to better oversee MCIDC’s nearly one million square feet of property. After reviewing several vendors, the organization selected FMX to host and manage its data.

According to Felice, the system will integrate information such as property locations, revenue and expenses into a centralized platform, helping both staff and board members better understand operational costs. A mapping feature will also be included to improve usability.

“It’s our goal to provide Board members with real-time data to help them make informed decisions,” Felice said.

Following the meeting, officials from Philips Ultrasound provided a tour of the Reedsville facility, which employs more than 600 people. Felice said the visit gave board members a firsthand look at one of the county’s largest manufacturing operations.

“With more than $150 million invested in Mifflin County over the last two years, it was good for our members to be on-site and tour a first-class manufacturing operation,” he said. “Philips Ultrasound is a major contributor to our local economy, and we are extremely glad to have them here in our county.”