BCEDC Held its 58th Annual Dinner at the Fuge
Bucks County Economic Development Corporation held its 58th Annual Dinner and Reorganization Meeting on Wednesday, April 20 at the Fuge in Warminster. The Fuge is now an entertainment and banquet venue but once was one of the labs at the Johnsville Naval Air Development Center (NADC). It was the Aviation Medical Acceleration Laboratory (AMAL) the centerpiece of which was the largest and most powerful human centrifuge that the world has ever seen. The venue was unique and interesting as its history.
The dinner was attended with over 210 attendees. The keynote speaker was Jerry Guarini, Deputy Technical Director, NADC (Naval Air Development Center) which was later known as the Naval Air Warfare Center. A physicist by training, Jerry spent over 30 years at NADC. Mr. Guarani discussed the technological accomplishments at NADC through the years and how it was the lead Naval Air research laboratories in the nation. The Center’s primary responsibility was Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) with the most significant achievement being the design of the of an avionics system for ASW Patrol Aircarft (P3C-ANEW).
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NADC’s expertise caused it to become more involved with Tactical Aircraft and Missile systems. The Center was assigned as the Navy’s LEAD Field Activity for the new Fighter-Attack F/A-18 aircraft. To this day, the F/A-18 is still the Navy’s foremost fighter aircraft, and remains the aircraft of choice by the Blue Angels.
NADC was the LEAD Lab in the selection of a new aircraft for the TACAMO system that, in the event of an attack upon the United States, provides a communications link between the President and the Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines.
In a program known to only a few employees, the NADC redesigned, and installed, a new avionics suite in the helicopters used by the Marines to transport the President. The helos were delivered one at a time, after nightfall, and placed in a secret hanger where the team completed the changeover. They would then be removed under the cover of darkness and replaced by another of the fleet until all the aircraft had been renovated.
Jerry was only able to highlight some of the programs that the Center was involved. The Center made significant contributions to the US Government-DOD and the Navy. Jerry’s knowledge and enthusiasm of the center wowed and educated the guests.
Rob Rose, Green Sources, USA, BCEDC new member said, “I was very impressed with the BCEDC Annual Dinner. It was well attended and I met many people from a wide range of businesses. The meeting was informative and provided a greater understanding to a new comer like me of all of the BCEDC’s work. The Fuge as a venue was unique and having a former employee provide a history of the center through his perspective provided me a greater appreciation of the center. Well done!”
BCEDC presented awards to Bucks County companies for their participation in their loan programs. Four Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (state program) loans, two Business Builder Loans (BCEDC program) and one Small Business First (state program). The projects created 142 jobs and retained 42 with a total project cost of over 20 million dollars invested in Bucks County. The companies were Scope Metals, USA, Inc./HADCO, Bensalem Township; Shades of Green, Falls Township; Jadeite Foods, LLC, Bensalem Township; Pendant Systems Manufacturing, Bensalem Township and I-95 Business Center at Keystone Park 2, Bristol Township. Firstrust Bank participated in two of the projects and was also recognized.
The Event was sponsored by Provident Bank, Diamond Sponsor, PECO, Platinum Sponsor and Customers Bank, First Niagara, Univest, Wells Fargo, 44 Business Capital, LLC were gold sponsors.
Each attendee was presented with an auxiliary charger for their electronic devices and a Say ‘Yes’ to Bucks beverage coaster.