State College Firm HAMR Joins Neighborhood 91

Add another link to the supply chain at Neighborhood 91.

The campus dedicated to advanced manufacturing on Monday announced its newest tenant: HAMR Industries, a developer of advanced materials and manufacturing techniques based in State College.

The company will operate a new facility built by master developer The Buncher Company on the N91 campus, located on Pittsburgh International Airport property. Construction is set to begin in 2023.

“The advantages of Neighborhood 91 are clear, and HAMR is excited to join the neighborhood,” said Dr. Michael P. Schmitt., CEO and senior research scientist. “HAMR has acquired new AM equipment that will allow us to rapidly expand and mature our technologies, and N91 provides the perfect ecosystem to foster innovation.”

Founded in 2016 by Schmitt and Dr. Jeremy Schreiber, HAMR’s goal is to take research and early-stage technology out of the lab and into real-world use. The company focuses on developing advanced materials and manufacturing techniques for components used in “harsh and extreme environments.”

HAMR’s partners and collaborators include the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, and Pennsylvania State University.

The company’s expertise in application-driven development of advanced technology is a perfect fit for Neighborhood 91, said Vince Gastgeb, senior vice president of Corporate and Government Relations for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates PIT.

“We are pleased to welcome HAMR to our growing Neighborhood 91 community,” he said. “The work they are doing in materials development will shape the future of advanced manufacturing, and we are excited it will be happening at the Neighborhood 91 campus.”

Alongside another new tenant, Metal Powder Works, the original Neighborhood 91 facility is now at capacity, with current tenants Arencibia, an industrial gas management firm, and manufacturers Wabtec Corp. and Cumberland Additive. Construction on the next phase and building is set to begin in 2023.

Neighborhood 91 is the world’s first end-to-end additive manufacturing production campus that provides all the elements of advanced manufacturing on one campus. Adjacent to four runways at PIT, it has potential for rapid part deployment for customers around the world.

HAMR’s addition to the campus is the latest validation for the unique development, said Brian Goetz, executive vice president of Buncher Company, the master developer of Neighborhood 91.

“In a brief three years, Neighborhood 91 went from concept to reality as a result of partnership with the community and innovative companies that believe in N91’s overall mission of condensing and accelerating the AM supply chain process,” he said.