Congressman Fattah Announces Economic Development Grant for Job Creation to Philadelphia's Ben Franklin Technology Partners

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02) announced today that the Economic Development Administration (EDA)—a U.S. Department of Commerce bureau—has awarded $600,000 to the Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP) for a job creation initiative centered on the growing medical devices industry. Fattah is a lead appropriator on the House subcommittee that oversees funding for the Department of Commerce and EDA.

The grant will support BFTP's creation of the Advanced Manufacturing for the Medical Device Industry initiative. The program seeks to develop and expand advanced manufacturing practices that will lead to job creation in Southeast Pennsylvania's medical device industry. BFTP is an award-winning, technology-based economic development entity that has invested more than $170 million in capital to grow more than 1,750 regional enterprises across Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As a state representative in 1983, Fattah helped sponsor the creation of BFTP; it has since been endorsed by every Pennsylvania governor and state assembly.

"This initiative will make Philadelphia a worldwide leader in medical device manufacturing, generate new jobs for Philadelphia families, and spur more than $5 million in private investment. Ben Franklin Technology Partners has an impressive history and track record of investment and job creation in Philadelphia and throughout the Commonwealth, and today's grant award is further proof of their success using technology-based approaches to spur industry growth and create jobs in emerging sectors of our local economy," Congressman Fattah said. "Medical device manufacturing is a rapidly growing sector that serves as a natural complement to Philadelphia's dominant healthcare industry. It makes sense to focus on economic growth in this area, and I'm pleased and proud to have the EDA award this competitive grant to the Partners for this exciting new program."

Congressman Fattah has made domestic manufacturing initiatives a key component of his legislative agenda in Congress. Earlier this year, through his role as Ranking Member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS), Fattah lead the passage of the CJS Appropriations Act, providing $247.5 million in FY15 funding for the Economic Development Administration.

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah

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