Brentwood Secures Grants to Drive Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

Brentwood Industries, Inc. has received grant funding from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania and Penn State Berks to advance a multi-phase digital transformation initiative across its Pennsylvania manufacturing facilities. These projects will strengthen Brentwood’s operations, enhance customer experience, and create new opportunities for the region’s manufacturing workforce.

Advanced Scheduling with Ben Franklin Technology Partners & Alvernia University

Ben Franklin Technology Partners awarded Brentwood a $25,000 Challenge Grant to support its Advanced Scheduling Implementation Project. This competitive grant recognizes Brentwood’s leadership in applying modern manufacturing and digital technologies to strengthen operations and support regional economic growth.

The project will implement capabilities within Brentwood’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, with goals to:

• Improve scheduling and delivery performance.
• Optimize manufacturing efficiency and labor utilization.
• Enhance raw material planning and energy management.
• Reduce scrap rates over time.
• Advance digital tools for supply chain transformation.

The initiative also involves students from Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute for Economic Development & Entrepreneurship, who will work directly on the project to gain hands-on experience in digital transformation while contributing to innovation in Brentwood’s manufacturing processes. Brentwood is matching the grant with $25,000, reflecting the company’s own investment of time and expertise in advancing this initiative.

“This project will give us a clearer, more connected view of our operations,” said James Mitchell, Director of Strategic Supply at Brentwood. “By aligning production plans with real-time data, we’ll be able to make faster, more confident decisions that improve efficiency and delivery performance.”

This effort is expected to create 15 new positions and retain 30 existing jobs in Reading, PA by 2026, while boosting manufacturing capacity by 5–10% and accelerating adoption of digital systems over the next three years.

Shop Floor Digital Transformation with Penn State Berks

In parallel, Brentwood is partnering with Penn State Berks through the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Fellows Initiative, supported by a grant of $100,000+. Four undergraduate students — two in Information Technology and two in Electro-Mechanical Engineering — will be embedded at Brentwood for one year.

Working alongside Brentwood experts, the students will catalog equipment inputs and outputs, integrate Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and develop dashboards for real-time visibility into shop floor performance. The project will help standardize data, strengthen predictive maintenance, and lay the groundwork for advanced digital tools such as digital twins and AI-driven analytics.

“This fellowship gives students the opportunity to see how data and technology come together to improve manufacturing performance,” said Erin Connelly, Industrial Systems Engineer at Brentwood. “They’re helping us connect machines, systems, and analytics in ways that make our operations more efficient and responsive.”

Investing in the Future

Both initiatives provide valuable workforce development opportunities, introducing students to rewarding careers in manufacturing and giving them the chance to apply their skills in a real-world environment alongside Brentwood experts.

“These projects are about more than technology — they’re about building the future of manufacturing at Brentwood,” said Walter Banta, Chief Operations Officer at Brentwood. “Working with partners like Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Alvernia University, and Penn State Berks allows us to modernize our systems to deliver for customers today, while also investing in the next generation of talent and innovation.”

Together, these initiatives will lay the foundation for smarter planning, greater visibility, and scalable practices across Brentwood’s global operations. They also reflect Brentwood’s long-standing commitment as a family-owned manufacturer to investing in innovation, creating high-quality jobs, and supporting the communities where it operates.