The coolest things created in the Alleghenies
By: Holly Riddle
When you think of the Alleghenies, what do you imagine? Lush mountain landscapes? Lakes, rivers and streams ready for exploring and adventure? Small towns filled with charming local businesses?
While all of those are synonymous with the region, the Alleghenies also offer so much more — like a bevy of technologies, products, services and solutions that are changing our communities and the world. Add in a few tasty treats and you have the coolest things made in the Alleghenies. Here are a few of our favorites.
Sheetz convenience stores
It’s not a product, per se, but it is a staple on any Alleghenies road trip (or a road trip around anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic, for that matter). Sheetz started out in Altoona, in 1952, and now has hundreds of locations around the region. We all have our favorite Sheetz treats, whether you go for a made-to-order breakfast sandwich or one of the many tantalizing apps on the chain’s large menu.
Boyer Candy Co.’s Mallo Cup
Also getting its start in Altoona, Boyer Candy Co. is probably most famous for its vintage-style Mallo Cup. For more than 85 years, the global confectionary leader has churned out not only these Mallo Cups, but also the Clark Bar, Smoothie Cup and Jimmie Stix.
Benzel’s pretzels
Benzel’s is a leading pretzel manufacturer with over a century of experience offering a diverse line of products made with precision and care. Founded by German immigrant Adolph Benzel in 1911, in Altoona, today, Benzel’s still only produces pretzels, but has established an expertise that sets its products apart from the rest.
Rockland Manufacturing heavy machinery attachments
Started in 1953, Rockland Manufacturing now offers more than 250 heavy machinery attachments and holds over 40 patents. Attachments are manufactured at two plants in Pennsylvania (and one in Texas). Company milestones include designing and building the first wheel loader rock bucket and the world’s largest dozer blade. Rockland also pioneered ideas that have since become industry norms, including horizontal wear strips on excavator buckets, high-strength USA steel in place of cast lips and hydraulic thumbs.
JLG Industries’ access equipment
Inspired by a trip to Hoover Dam, JLG Industries founder John L. Grove built and sold the first JLG aerial work platform in 1970. It was the start of a success story transforming the way workers access hard-to-reach heights both safely and efficiently. Today, the company boasts an international footprint as the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of access equipment.
UXV Technologies drones
A newcomer to the Alleghenies, Denmark-based UXV Technologies, a leader in unmanned systems and advanced robotics, opened a 7,000-square-foot facility in Johnstown earlier this year. It’s the first production facility for the company in the United States.
Empire Kosher poultry products
Originally founded in 1930s New York in an effort to bring kosher foods to America’s suburbs and rural areas, Empire Kosher relocated to Mifflintown in the 1960s. Today, the company is the largest kosher poultry producer in the United States.
DiamondBack truck covers
DiamondBack was born at Penn State in 2003. The company’s chief engineer had some equipment stolen from the back of his truck and, when he went looking for a secure truck cover, couldn’t find one that he liked. With that, an idea was born. Now, DiamdonBack offers load bearing, durable truck covers that can securely stow goods in the truck bed and still carry heavy loads, like a stack of firewood or an ATV, on top.
KCF Technologies sensors
Who knew such a small sensor could have such a big impact? KCF Technologies sensors monitor millions of assets across a wide variety of industries — oil & gas, automotive, paper — and the result is massive savings in both money and lost productivity, for the company’s client base, which includes myriad household names.
Steller Floors
Wood flooring that clicks together to form a floating floor, requiring no special installation and, best of all, can be uninstalled and removed to be used again and again? It all adds up to the fastest and easiest installation process for wood flooring on the market — which is likely why Steller Floors has been growing at a rapid rate since launching in 2018.
Sensor Networks Inc. sensors
Sensor Networks Inc. produces sensors for a variety of customers, but, in one of its proudest customer success stories, an aircraft engine manufacturer reached out to the company after multiple instances of catastrophic engine failure on specific aircraft, which had resulted in emergency landings and, in one instance, a fatality. The engine manufacturer commissioned Sensor Networks engineers to design a sensor to detect cracks within the dovetail section of the aircraft’s engine fan blades. The Sensor Networks team created the necessary sensors (enough for 1,200 aircraft), and successfully detected other engine damages that had not yet been detected, preventing potentially countless additional failures.
Xact Metal 3D printers
Xact Metal has made metal 3D printing accessible and affordable in a way that was previously unheard of. According to the company, “With a desire to enable more and more designers, developers and manufacturers to experience the benefits of high-quality metal 3D printing at the best price possible, Xact Metal aims to change the perception that additive manufacturing is only for capital-rich companies.”
Did we include your favorite Alleghenies-made product or solution? If not, let us know!
Holly Riddle is a freelance lifestyle and business journalist. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.
