Modern Industries marks 75 years as an industry leader

613 West 11th Street Erie, PA 16501 Phone: 814/455-8061

Modern Industries is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022 as the area’s largest Heat Treating and Metallurgical Testing supplier in the tri-state area. According to the company, both divisions are the area’s “go-to” resource for customers who want the highest quality and valued services.

Modern’s other two divisions, MachiningManufacturing and Products-Work Holding, sell mainly outside the Erie area throughout North America. While some of its customers have asked Modern to expand overseas, its owners come to the same conclusion every time, “at this time, we are committing our time, money and resources to the current locations who will service the surrounding communities and North America.” Modern currently employs 210 people who are located at six locations: two in Erie, one in Meadville, one in Kersey Pa., one in Pittsburgh and one in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

Modern is owned by three brothers who all work in the business — Dennis, Matt and Tim Sweny. All three are the second generation of the Sweny family to lead the business and started at Modern immediately after earning their engineering degrees. Today, the third generation of the Sweny family is beginning to learn the business as it prepares for the future. In fact, before and during the pandemic, Modern’s owners and Board made tough decisions to continue investing in their plant, equipment and people at a time that was difficult. Their plan was to position themselves for a rapid rebound from the COVID-19 effects — and that’s exactly what happened. The company is now back to pre-pandemic levels and is forecasting growth for Modern’s four divisions to be 20-percent growth in 2022 and 15 percent in 2023.

Modern’s biggest challenges are like most companies today, “recovering and growing employment needs caused by the pandemic’s reactions,” states Co-President Dennis Sweny, “… to find good employees like we have today is so important for growth and very difficult. It is shocking to see the industrial skill needs in the Erie community workforce. It was bad before the pandemic, but I have never seen anything like this in my 43-year career. While the area trade schools and colleges are doing everything they can, it just isn’t enough. There needs to be greater numbers of people who want to be trained for industry. Perhaps the parents and colleges have given industry a bad name and we are now paying the price.”

Modern Industries remains an industry leader and major boost to the manufacturing industry and region through its continued investments, including: • Machining Division — Invested $4 million in new equipment, added machine monitoring systems, continued certifications for AS-9100,

IATF 16949, ISO 9001 and ITAR Registared.

Apprenticeship Program and Training paid by Modern. • Heat Treating Division – Addition of the area’s largest and only 10 Bar Vacuum

Furnace, installed a new operating and furnace control system, Continued

Certification on NADCAP AC, AC-7102,

ISO 9001, IATF 16949 and ITAR registered. • Materials Testing Division — Added new equipment; continued certification for

NADCAP Testing #4319187722, GE S-400, PA-

DEP – Water Testing, ISO-9001, PA Dept. of Agriculture — Dairy. • Employee Development — The company

presently has more than 40 openings that need to be filled in 2022, offering increased wages at all levels, free training and benefits. For more information about Modern Industries, visit modernind.com.

The Manufacturer & Business Association, in conjunction with the MBA Business Magazine and Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center, recently held the Women in Leadership IMPACT Luncheon both virtually and in person at the Association’s Conference Center in Erie. The event was sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Northwest Bank, along with centerpiece sponsor Potratz Floral Shop & Greenhouses. For more information about upcoming events, visit mbausa.org.

More than 80 participants attended this year’s Women in Leadership IMPACT Luncheon, which focused on diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

Adrienne Dixon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center, was this year’s featured speaker.

Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center team members, Board members and guests (shown here with Dr. Dixon) enjoyed the luncheon. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield was a sponsor of the event.

Potratz Floral Shop & Greenhouses in Erie was a proud sponsor of the beautiful centerpieces, which were taken home by guests.

You’ve given a lot of thought to your employees’ health coverage. And you’ve come to a familiar conclusion — nothing’s better than UPMC Health Plan. Choose us for affordable plan options. Full in-network access to UPMC along with other doctors and hospitals in the community. Access to 24/7 virtual urgent care. Service from a designated Health Care Concierge. And digital health tools that keep up with busy lives and schedules. All this is worth sticking with, don’t you agree?