Catalyst Connection Report Shows Its Power in Strengthening Southwestern PA’s Manufacturing Sector

Catalyst Connection, a not-for-profit organization that provides consulting and training services that help small manufacturers in the 12-county southwestern Pennsylvania region accelerate revenue growth and improve productivity, has released its 2022 Annual Report. Last year, Catalyst Connection helped bring more than $7.5 million in grant funding to the region which stimulated more than $66 million in capital investments and workforce training, resulting in the retention or creation of more than 700 manufacturing-sector jobs, and almost $90 million in retained sales.

The organization was also active in strengthening the region’s defense supply chain through the AIM Higher Consortium, a wide-ranging program funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. The more than 200 companies with which Catalyst Connection worked last year reported nearly $15 million in sales and $12 million in cost savings, and nearly 200 jobs created and more than 500 jobs retained. Those figures represent increases from the previous year.

“The investments we are helping manufacturers make in physical and human capital are ushering in a new era of making things that puts the economic future of our region squarely on the shoulders of southwestern Pennsylvania’s manufacturers,” says Petra Mitchell, Catalyst Connection’s President and CEO.

The innovation cluster that Catalyst Connection helped to create has been recognized by the U.S. Economic Development Administration which awarded a grant to the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative. Catalyst Connection is a member of the group, which received one of only 21 federal Build Back Better Awards. The Award enables the Collaborative’s partners to accelerate the adoption and implementation of new technologies..

Mitchell and her team are most proud of the increased breadth and depth of services offered, including organizational development; workforce training; strategic planning and business resiliency; digital marketing, lead generation, and sales performance; innovation acceleration; and export control and ITAR compliance.

To complement those capabilities, Catalyst Connection is developing a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility portfolio of services to engage workers from all backgrounds as they gain new skills and pursue career opportunities in manufacturing.

About Catalyst Connection

Catalyst Connection is a private not-for-profit organization that provides consulting and training services to small manufacturers in southwestern Pennsylvania to help them accelerate revenue growth and improve productivity. By collaborating with clients and the entire manufacturing community, Catalyst Connection contributes to the growth, vibrancy, and ongoing robustness of manufacturing throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.

The organization is supported, in part, by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Catalyst Connection is headquartered in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood in the Mill 19 development on the site of a former steel mill. Download Catalyst Connection’s 2022 Annual Report.