PA Chamber members are leading the way across Pennsylvania, creating jobs, investing in their communities, and driving innovation. Each week, we are proud to spotlight some of the latest news and accomplishments from businesses across our membership. Manufacturing Wabtec has signed a $390 million material and technical support agreement with South Africa’s Transnet Engineering to help improve the reliability and performance of Transnet’s Class D43 and D44 locomotive fleets. Under the agreement, Wabtec will provide components, technical expertise and predictive maintenance capabilities designed to enhance locomotive availability, accelerate maintenance turnaround times, and strengthen long-term fleet management. Company leaders said the partnership supports efforts to improve freight rail service along critical transportation corridors while reinforcing logistics competitiveness. Read more from Pennsylvania Business Report. Hanwha Philly Shipyard has secured its first contract to build ships for the U.S. Navy, a $269 million award to construct a medium landing ship for the Navy and Marine Corps in partnership with TOTE Services. The contract includes options for up to three additional vessels and marks a significant milestone in the shipyard’s transition toward serving both commercial and military customers. Company leaders said the contract advances Hanwha’s goal of expanding U.S. shipbuilding capacity, with plans to invest billions of dollars in shipyard infrastructure, increase production, and create thousands of jobs at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Read more from the Philadelphia Business Journal. Hydro has begun construction on a $53.5 million modernization project at its manufacturing facility in Cressona, Pa., reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to advanced manufacturing in Pennsylvania. The project includes the installation of a new indirect extrusion press line that will replace equipment dating back to the 1950s and introduce advanced automation and energy-efficient technologies. Operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2028. Read more from PennLive. Financial Services Mid Penn Bank has promoted Heather Hall to president of its western division, a leadership role that oversees customer development and client experience across a 10-county region that includes portions of western and central Pennsylvania. Hall previously served as senior executive vice president and has held a variety of leadership positions with the bank, including chief lending officer and market president for the Greater Harrisburg market. The promotion comes as Mid Penn Bank continues to grow its presence across Pennsylvania and New Jersey through a combination of acquisitions and organic expansion. Read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times. PNC Financial Services Group has announced a key leadership transition, promoting Alexander Overstrom to chief financial officer effective March 1, 2027. He succeeds longtime CFO Rob Reilly, who will become executive vice chairman after more than a decade in the role. Overstrom currently serves as head of retail banking and has played a significant role in several major growth initiatives, including the integration of BBVA USA, the expansion of PNC’s national branch network and the recent FirstBank conversion. Read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times. Retail Dick’s Sporting Goods has announced a multi-year partnership with Caitlin Clark, making the Indiana Fever star the first professional athlete to serve as a brand partner for the company. The announcement follows Dick’s acquisition of Foot Locker, for which Clark will also serve as a partner as part of the agreement. The partnership will include national and global marketing campaigns, as well as the promotion of Clark’s footwear, apparel and other product lines across retail and online channels. Read more at the Pittsburgh Business Times. Amazon announced plans to hire 300,000 seasonal employees nationwide for the holiday season, including more than 1,700 full-time and part-time positions in the Harrisburg, Lancaster and York regions. The company said many seasonal workers will have the opportunity to transition into permanent roles following the holiday season. Starting January 1, seasonal employees working at least 30 hours per week will become eligible for healthcare coverage. Read more from PennLive. Education Carnegie Mellon University has appointed Jason Brown as the next director and CEO of its Software Engineering Institute (SEI), effective Nov. 14. Brown will lead the federally funded research and development center, helping guide its work in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software engineering and national security. He joins the SEI from Applied Intuition and previously held leadership roles with Google and the U.S. Air Force, where he helped launch the Air Force Artificial Intelligence Accelerator at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was a founding member of the Defense Department’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. Read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times. Engineering PNK Group is exploring the sale of a portfolio of 12 industrial properties totaling approximately 7 million square feet, with a potential value of about $1 billion. More than 75 percent of the portfolio is already leased under long-term agreements with blue-chip tenants, while the remaining properties are expected to become available once their rental income stabilizes. The portfolio features modern industrial facilities built using PNK Group’s proprietary construction technologies and is designed to support a range of warehouse, distribution and manufacturing uses. Read more from PR Newswire. Energy Eos Energy Enterprises has begun consolidating its battery manufacturing operations from Turtle Creek to its new 432,000-square-foot Thorn Hill facility in Warrendale, a move the company says is already improving production efficiency and supporting future growth. During its third-quarter earnings report, company leaders said the consolidation is proceeding on an accelerated timeline, with the new facility producing approximately 20 percent more batteries per shift than the Turtle Creek operation due to improved equipment and facility design. Eos also reported third-quarter revenue of approximately $82.7 million, a year-over-year increase of 171 percent. Read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times. FirstEnergy subsidiary Keystone Appalachian Transmission Company (KATCo) has been selected to participate in a nearly $20.8 million grid modernization project through the U.S. Department of Energy’s SPARK program, helping evaluate advanced technologies designed to strengthen electric grid reliability and support future energy demand in Pennsylvania. As part of the initiative, KATCo will work with the Electric Power Research Institute and other industry partners to test technologies on an existing transmission line between Butler and Karns City. The project will evaluate tools such as Dynamic Line Ratings and Advanced Power Flow controllers, which are designed to improve visibility into grid conditions, reduce congestion and maximize the use of existing transmission infrastructure. Read more from Pennsylvania Business Report. Professional Services RKL has been named one of Construction Executive’s Top 50 Construction Accounting Firms for 2026, earning the No. 33 spot in the national ranking of firms serving the construction industry. The Lancaster-based advisory firm was recognized for its dedicated construction practice, which provides audit, tax, advisory, technology, and workforce solutions to contractors, builders, developers and real estate owners. The annual ranking evaluates firms on factors including construction-related revenue, client base, industry expertise, and specialized credentials. Read more from Central Penn Business Journal.