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A building at Pennsylvania State University's branch campus at DuBois will be transformed into a regional manufacturing hub for north central Pennsylvania with help from a federal grant.
The creation of the DuBois Center for Innovation Regional Manufacturing Hub is significant for economic development in the region and transition plans for the Dubois campus in Clearfield County.
DuBois is one of seven Penn State branch campuses slated for closing at the end of the 2026-27 academic year. The others are Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre and York.
Penn State announced the award this week of a nearly $40 million federal grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The federal grant will leverage additional public and private commitments, including up to $150 million in potential investment from industry partner Bunting Magnetics & Magnetic Applications.
The hub will be located in the DuBois Educational Foundation Building. The initiative will establish a new, long-term role for the facility in supporting regional industry, workforce development and economic growth, Penn State officials said. The building is expected to be transferred to the DuBois Educational Foundation.
The hub's mission is to transform north central Pennsylvania's manufacturing economy and accelerate innovation in the region's industry for pressed materials -- a specialized field of manufacturing that transforms fine metal and other material powders into high-performance components and products through processes involving pressure, heat and advanced technologies.
The investment represents a significant step toward positioning north central Pennsylvania as a national center for advanced materials innovation, manufacturing commercialization and workforce development, said Douglas Wolfe, associate vice president for research and director of strategic initiatives at Penn State.
Pressed metals industry
North central Pennsylvania is home to one of the nation's largest concentrations of pressed materials manufacturers, with 64 companies representing approximately 43% of industry employment nationwide, Wolfe said. These companies produce critical components used in manufacturing sectors ranging from automotive and industrial machinery to aerospace, energy, defense and medical technologies.
The project goals include training approximately 150 workers annually by year five, supporting 50 apprentices within three years and contributing to the creation of 200 jobs at regional companies.
Penn State is working with a coalition of regional partners, including the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, Workforce Solutions for North Central PA, the DuBois Educational Foundation, North Central PA LaunchBox, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern Pennsylvania, the state Department of Community and Economic Development and the pressed metals industry.
"Magnet Applications has made magnets in DuBois since 1992 and is the only U.S. maker of bonded neodymium magnets," said Robert Bunting, president and CEO of Bunting Magnetics Co. and Magnet Applications Inc. "The DuBois Center for Innovation gives our engineers and Penn State researchers one place to work on what comes next: finishing rare-earth magnets here for defense, aerospace and energy customers. That means skilled manufacturing jobs in north central Pennsylvania and a magnet supply chain America controls."
U.S. Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Centre, and the Shapiro administration touted the project. Construction and facility redevelopment activities are expected to begin in the coming months, with the DuBois Center for Innovation projected to become fully operating within 16 months.
Transition for two other campuses
Meanwhile, Penn State's Board of Trustees approved plans last month to sell the branch campuses at Shenango in Mercer County and Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County to development companies.
JCL Development plans to redevelop the Shenango campus as a hub for education, workforce training and economic development.
HGC Development plans to redevelop the Wilkes-Barre campus for several uses, including a planned education partnership with Misericordia University, and an event and conference center.