Astro Machine Works was founded in 1984 in Ephrata, Pennsylvania with a vision to serve the custom machinery and precision parts needs of the manufacturing industry. Over the years, the organization focused on that vision while striving for continuous improvement and growth. Today, Astro-built machines and parts can be found worldwide for some of the world’s leading companies in pharmaceutical, food processing, aerospace, energy, and government. Astro recently adopted a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) to share company success with employees and fuel a culture of teamwork, dedication, and attention to detail.
Astro Machine Works serves multiple industries. We have ties to pharmaceutical, government, medical, energy and energy generation, food processing, and aerospace. For Astro, it is hard to pin-point one industry to elaborate on, so it’s exciting to see Astro-made custom machined parts and equipment in just about everything you come across in our busy lives. From protection for our country to the food that is on our plates, it’s a thrill knowing that Astro has played a little part in either the production of the specific goods we use or the actual devices that protect us.
Astro Machine Works’ vision is and always has been “creating relationships that improve and protect our world.” Everything Astro does, we do it with the intention of creating a better tomorrow. This is where the cultures of Penn College and Astro align. We are both striving for a better future, one built by knowledge of multiple generations. Walking through our buildings, there is a vast collaboration between new and old. From the knowledge and wisdom of seasoned experts to new talent striving to plant a seed of “new school” into existing processes, the desire to create a company and culture is unprecedented. You can also spot a very upbeat, understanding culture that values all our relationships. Whether these are relations with our own co-workers, our customers, or our community, we built these relationships to last with integrity and respect. All this creates a culture that works as one to achieve our end goal.
During Astro Machine Works growth, it was decided that Astro needed a good workforce development program and recruitment process. During this time Astro reached out to colleges, trade schools, and vocational schools to create a working relationship that benefited the students of today, which will turn into the workforce of tomorrow. Through an alumnus of Penn College at the time, Astro was able to reach out to Penn College and start participating in career fairs. As Astro continues to grow, we want to further our relationship with this great school in our goal of building and contributing to a better tomorrow. Currently Astro employs two Penn College graduates and one Williamsport Area Community College graduate.
Penn College is a great institution. Not only do you get a degree at the end of the two- or four-year program you enroll in, but it also gives you a direction for the future. Penn College provides areas of expertise in many more areas than just a school. Penn College cultivates relationships with world class professors, known experts in their respective fields, helps students with not only their schoolwork but with the items that school can simply not help with, giving students the opportunity to speak with an experienced, knowledgeable expert in that of their professor to gain the little nuances of the job. Astro’s return has been a few employees that continue to learn and grow into a vital part of Astro’s success. With the knowledge they learned from school, it has opened doors for them to understand that growth comes with a bit of humility and understanding that mistakes can further their knowledge just as much as successes.
Other than knowledge in the field of study, qualities that Astro looks for the most is a student’s drive and demeanor, especially in Penn College students and alumni. When a student has a drive to do better than the day before, it speaks to Astro’s culture. Astro does not want to be complacent and just “okay” with today, we are trying to grow and learn to make a better tomorrow. The start for this goal, is employees that believe in self-growth as well.
High school students that are considering Penn College should understand that Penn College does more than lessons from books and lecture halls. Classes at Penn College revolve around real world applications that will prepare you for the workforce. Gaining hands on knowledge and experience at the college level will give any student the upper hand in post-graduation. In addition to the hands-on labs, many professors were part of the workforce before dedicating their time to pass on the experience and knowledge they have gained to upcoming students. From hands-on experience to professors that have done it before, Penn College sets students up for success in their chosen career path. Ultimately making Penn College graduates desirable to employers over other college graduates.
“Penn College is a great institution. Not only do you get a degree at the end of the two or four-year program you enroll in, but it also gives you a direction for the future.”
Anne Reiner of the On the Pulse local news site visited campus recently to interview Ryan M. Witmer, a mechatronics technology student from Lancaster County.
Learn all the ins and outs of electrical and automated systems, training in specialized labs using equipment just like the pros.
Choose from a host of interconnected, yet diverse majors, ranging from automation and computer engineering to electronics and robotics.
Hone the technical skills you need to be a part of a rapidly growing career field.
Forward-thinking and industry-driven, our welding and metal fabrication programs will take you where you want to go.
Spark ideas that improve processes and impact outcomes.