Made in Pennsylvania: Nearly 150 Years of Manufacturing in Franklin, PA
For nearly 150 years, manufacturing has helped shape Franklin, Pennsylvania. Today, Franklin Precision Castings carries that tradition forward, employing nearly 90 people and creating skilled manufacturing opportunities across Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Franklin Precision Castings traces its manufacturing roots to 1878 and stands as Pennsylvania’s oldest continuously operating foundry. The company continues to grow in the community where its story began. Its team combines foundry expertise, engineering, CNC machining, automation and advanced manufacturing, with plans to grow its workforce by approximately 10% over the coming year.
Investing in Northwestern Pennsylvania’s Manufacturing Talent
Franklin Precision Castings employs people from Venango County and surrounding communities across Crawford, Mercer, Butler, Forest, Clarion and Erie counties. Many employees have built decades-long careers at Franklin, passing their skills and knowledge to the next generation. In some cases, their sons, daughters and other family members have joined the Franklin team as well.
Franklin invests in its people, helping employees build skills, advance in their roles and grow into supervisory and leadership positions.
“Many individuals have worked their way up at Franklin Precision Castings. We value the knowledge our shop employees have developed and the opportunity to put that experience to work for both their own growth and the success of FPC,” states Carol Donahey, HR Manager at Franklin Precision Castings.
To support that growth, Franklin partners with schools, universities, industry groups and workforce organizations. Employees participate in leadership and skills training through the Northwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC), while partnerships with the Investment Casting Institute (ICI), Venango Technology Center and the Non-Ferrous Founders’ Society (NFFS) support industry-specific training and career development.
Franklin is also pursuing opportunities through the NFFS Talent Pipeline Program and METAL (Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning) to recruit and retain skilled employees, develop future leaders and build the next generation of manufacturing talent.
Connecting Pennsylvania Students with Manufacturing Careers
Introducing young people to manufacturing is another important part of developing the region’s and Franklin’s future workforce.
Franklin has welcomed students and educators from Venango Technology Center, Slippery Rock University, and Grove City College, participated in career and internship events at Pitt-Titusville and Penn State Behrend, and hosted members of the American Welding Society’s Drake Well Section.
Through these experiences, Franklin gives students a firsthand look at investment casting and the wide range of careers that support it — from engineering, metallurgy and CNC machining to quality, maintenance, operations and sales.
In 2021, Franklin launched its summer internship program to give students hands-on manufacturing experience and introduce them to career opportunities in the region.
Students from colleges and universities across the region, including Penn State Behrend, Slippery Rock University and Grove City College, gain firsthand experience with the investment casting process and work on real engineering and production challenges. Past projects have included gate design, 3D modeling, new product development, scrap reduction and mold throughput.
Building on these efforts, Franklin continues to pursue new apprenticeship pathways that combine hands-on experience with technical training.
The company recently welcomed representatives from the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) Pittsburgh Chapter to its facility to learn more about a new Mechatronics Apprenticeship Program that GACC and the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville are developing. Franklin plans to involve members of its maintenance team in the three-year program while also exploring future pathways in CAD/CAM technical design and sales engineering.
Together, these partnerships help create opportunities for local talent to develop rewarding manufacturing careers without leaving Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Investing in Advanced Manufacturing in Franklin, Pennsylvania
Franklin Precision Castings has invested in its Franklin, Pennsylvania manufacturing operation for decades.
After a fire destroyed the original facility in 1981, Franklin worked with state and local redevelopment agencies to rebuild the foundry, re-equip its operations and rehire its workforce. In 2005, Franklin invested $7 million to expand its operations, supported in part by Pennsylvania state and local grants. The expansion added a new building and the first Shell-O-Matic robotic shelling system in the United States.
That investment continues today.
Over the past two years, Franklin has added new horizontal and vertical CNC Machining Centers and a 20,000 PSI automatic and manual ceramic shell removal system. Franklin also continues to explore robotics, automation and artificial intelligence to improve safety, quality, efficiency and consistency across its operations.
These investments strengthen Franklin’s investment casting capabilities and support skilled manufacturing jobs and expertise in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Impact Beyond the Foundry
Franklin Precision Castings’ connection to Northwestern Pennsylvania extends well beyond the foundry.
Franklin employees live, work and raise their families throughout the region, contributing to the communities they call home. The company supports that connection by participating in local events such as Franklin’s Applefest and supporting community organizations, including area police and fire departments.
Nearly 150 years after manufacturing began at its Franklin site, Franklin Precision Castings continues to invest in its people, its community and the future of investment casting in Northwestern Pennsylvania — proudly Made in Pennsylvania.