Our Services
⚡ Low & medium voltage power systems
⚡ Substation modifications & upgrades
🔋 Emergency & backup power systems
⚠️ Arc flash analysis & mitigation
📊 Power systems modeling (SKM)
💡 MEP design (lighting, fire alarm, access control, IT)
🎛️ Control panel design (UL 508A, NEC)
🤖 PLC programming, consulting & integration
🖥️ HMI & SCADA design and programming
🔄 ISA-88 batch control
🌐 Network design (IT & OT convergence)
🦾 Robotic, vision & safety systems
🔧 OEM equipment integration
📈 Historian configuration & deployment
🏭 Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
🔔 Alarm management
✅ FAT / SAT support
🚀 Startup, commissioning & training
👥 Staff augmentation
📋 GAMP5 validation documentation (URS, FDS, IQ, OQ, PQ)
🏗️ Design-build projects
⚙️ Process engineering
🔩 Mechanical engineering
🏛️ Architecture
🧱 Structural engineering
Talk to an engineer, not a sales rep.
Get a direct conversation with a licensed P.E. who understands your facility.
☎ Call (484) 301-2042 ✉ Email NateIndustries We Serve in Berks County
🍔 Food & Beverage
🥛 Dairy Processing
🍪 Snack & Bakery
🍖 Meat & Poultry
🐶 Pet Food
🌾 Agrifood
🛒 Consumer Products
🧴 Personal Care & Cosmetics
🧪 Chemical Processing
🧫 Specialty Chemicals
🔬 Life Sciences
💊 Nutraceuticals
💧 Water & Wastewater Treatment
📦 Warehousing & Distribution
📦 Packaging & Fulfillment
Why LAPORTE in Berks County
Berks County Manufacturing Base
Berks County is home to more than 400 manufacturing establishments, with significant concentrations in food and beverage processing, pharmaceutical production, and chemical manufacturing. The Reading metro area has one of the highest manufacturing employment shares in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania PE Licensing
LAPORTE engineers hold active Professional Engineer licenses in Pennsylvania, allowing them to stamp and seal engineering drawings for projects throughout the commonwealth, including Berks County.
Proximity to Berks County
LAPORTE's West Chester, PA office is approximately 60 miles from Reading, the Berks County seat. This allows for same-day site visits and responsive project support without the overhead of maintaining a satellite office.
I-76 and I-176 Manufacturing Corridor
Berks County sits along a well-established manufacturing corridor connected by I-76 and I-176. The region's proximity to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and major northeast logistics routes has supported generations of food processing, packaging, and specialty chemical operations.
Regional Workforce and Industry Depth
The greater Reading area supports a skilled manufacturing workforce and hosts facilities across pharmaceutical, confectionery, snack food, dairy, and specialty chemical sectors. Many of these operations run under FDA, USDA, or EPA regulatory requirements.
Your Engineering Team
Nate Kocher, P.E.
Partner, Dir. Electrical & Automation Engineering
LAPORTE • West Chester, PA
Engineering and management consultant with 15+ years leading controls, power distribution, and systems integration projects for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Experienced in FDA-regulated and GMP-compliant facilities across the U.S.
- P.E. Licensed in 21 States
- Penn State - B.S. Electrical Engineering
- West Chester University - MBA
Keith Morgart, P.E.
Electrical and Automation Engineer
LAPORTE • Greater Pittsburgh, PA
Electrical power and controls design engineer with extensive experience leading projects for industrial and commercial clients. Specializes in power distribution, motor controls, and code compliance across manufacturing facilities.
- P.E. Licensed Professional Engineer
- Univ. of Pittsburgh-Johnstown - B.S. Electrical Engineering
- NEC, NFPA & IEEE Standards Expert
Representative Projects
pet food • multidiscipline
Challenge: A pet food manufacturer required engineering design for a new 370,000 sq ft greenfield production facility ($315M).
Solution: LAPORTE provided preliminary and detailed engineering for MEP, automation, instrumentation, and process. Scope included 45 HVAC units, ammonia refrigeration with micro-charging, air compressors, boilers, 40 MBTU cooling tower, chiller skids (2,300 TR), and wastewater treatment. Services included procurement, construction administration, startup, and commissioning with a team of 35.
Result: The greenfield facility was designed and constructed as a fully integrated production plant.
food & beverage • automation
Challenge: A nutrition company required engineering for a greenfield whey protein plant ($800M) including receiving, heat treatment, filtration, and drying systems.
Solution: LAPORTE provided project management, preliminary and detailed engineering design for process and automation, design of automation architecture (50+ control panels, networks, operator stations, control room), procurement support, and commissioning (IQ/OQ/PQ). Scope included HTST heat treatment, disc stack centrifuges, membrane filtration (UF/NF/RO), crystallization, evaporation, spray drying, and CIP.
Result: The greenfield whey protein plant was designed and commissioned.
pharmaceutical • multidiscipline
Challenge: A national research organization required a new Biologics Manufacturing Centre with biological containment level CL2 for vaccine candidate production (5,000 m², $126M).
Solution: LAPORTE provided engineering and construction supervision for the new facility including two cell culture suites (500L and 2,000L), purification by chromatography, vial filling, secondary packaging, warehouse, offices, mechanical/electrical rooms, and QC laboratory. The facility was designed in accordance with GMP requirements.
Result: The Biologics Manufacturing Centre was completed and designed for vaccine production.
Why LAPORTE
Multiple Fortune 500 clients with 100+ completed projects across food, pharmaceutical, and chemical manufacturing.
Client Track Record
PE-licensed engineers in 21 states delivering electrical, controls, and process engineering from concept through commissioning.
Engineering Depth
Frequently Asked Questions
Does LAPORTE have engineers licensed in Pennsylvania?
Yes. LAPORTE employs Professional Engineers licensed in Pennsylvania who can stamp drawings and provide engineering services for projects in Berks County and throughout the commonwealth.
What industries does LAPORTE serve near Berks County?
LAPORTE serves pharmaceutical, food and beverage, chemical, and biotech manufacturers. Berks County and the surrounding region are home to a wide range of regulated manufacturing facilities in these sectors.
How quickly can LAPORTE respond to projects in Berks County?
LAPORTE's West Chester office is about 60 miles from Reading. Engineers can be on-site within the same day for urgent needs, and the proximity supports regular site visits throughout the project lifecycle.
What types of engineering services does LAPORTE provide?
LAPORTE provides electrical engineering, power distribution design, instrumentation and controls, automation and systems integration, and process control engineering for regulated manufacturing environments.
Can LAPORTE support projects in FDA-regulated facilities?
Yes. LAPORTE has extensive experience designing electrical and automation systems for FDA-regulated manufacturing facilities, including work that must comply with 21 CFR Part 11, GAMP guidelines, and cGMP requirements.
Does LAPORTE work with existing automation platforms already installed at a facility?
Yes. LAPORTE's engineers have experience across major automation platforms and can design around existing installed systems, integrate new equipment into legacy architectures, or help plan platform migrations.
Is LAPORTE a contractor or a consulting engineering firm?
LAPORTE is a consulting engineering firm, not a contractor. They provide design, engineering, and project support services. They do not self-perform construction or installation work.
Request Engineering Fit Review
Tell us about your project and we will schedule a free technical review.