BELLEFONTE — The good fortune of a State College business is benefitting the start-up business incubator in Bellefonte known as SpringBoard.
Vana Dainty, executive director of BelleKey, announced Feb. 7 at the Centre County Board of Commissioner’s regular weekly meeting that software company Blue Mountain Quality Resources of State College has grown out of its space and has moved to a new facility in College Township. She said $23,000 worth of office furnishings, all of it less than three years old, did not make the company trip, and as a result, the business incubator inherited them.
“We can’t thank Jim Erickson (owner of BMQR) for his generosity in donating these work stations,” said Dainty. “We’re going to save more than $12,000 by not having to purchase these now. That money we save here can go to other programs of SpringBoard. We’re very, very thankful.”
Blue Mountain Quality Resources provides software to pharmaceutical companies all over the world. It employs 50 people.
Erickson said he started his company in the bedroom of his home in the late 1990s. He said, at that time, it would have been nice to have space available for startup businesses. That is why he said he supports the incubator program and why he donated the office furnishings.
“I believe in what they are doing,” said Erickson. “I look back and think of how we started, in that small bedroom, without any help like this. Now, new entrepreneurs have a leg up, and a place to push themselves off the ground.”
In addition to the work stations, Blue Mountain Quality Resources also donated several conference tables, chairs and filing cabinets to SpringBoard.
In other business, the commissioners:
■ Approved a contract renewal between the county and Vigilant Security Inc. to provide security monitoring/panic buttons. The contact total is $453.75.
■ Approved a proposal between the county and Service Access and Management Inc. for orientation, training and support for the assistant administrator for service and support coordination. The proposed total funding amount is $5,325 ($2,750 for January and February, $1,375 for March and $400 per month for April, May and June).
■ Approved a contract renewal between the county and Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corp. for staff training, training materials and follow-up support as need for the WorkKeys program. The contract total is $62.25 per examinee.
■ Approved a contract renewal between the county and Law Office of Miller, Kistler and Campbell to provide solicitor services at $1,000 for an annual retainer of general advice and a rate of $175 per hour if specific legal matter would occur.
■ Noted Centre County government offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, in observance of Presidents Day.
