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 Delaware 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 Delaware County
Southeastern PA Life Sciences Corridor
Delaware County is located within one of the largest life sciences and pharmaceutical manufacturing corridors in the United States. The greater Philadelphia region has one of the highest concentrations of pharmaceutical, biotech, and regulated manufacturing operations in the country.
Pennsylvania PE Licensing
LAPORTE maintains Professional Engineer licenses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, issued by the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers. PE licensure is required for engineering services in PA and is verifiable through the state's public licensing system.
Minutes from Delaware County
LAPORTE's West Chester, PA office is approximately 15 miles from the Delaware County seat of Media. This proximity allows LAPORTE engineers to be on-site at client facilities within 30 minutes for project meetings, field surveys, and construction support.
Delaware River Industrial Corridor
Delaware County's border along the Delaware River includes a long-established industrial corridor through Eddystone, Chester, Trainer, and Marcus Hook. Chemical processing, refining, and advanced manufacturing operations have been active in this corridor for over a century.
Cell and Gene Therapy Growth Region
The Philadelphia metro area, including Delaware County, is a national center for cell and gene therapy manufacturing. This growing sector requires specialized facility design, process automation, and electrical infrastructure that meets strict FDA and cGMP 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 has Professional Engineers licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Our engineers are qualified to seal electrical, controls, and instrumentation drawings for projects in Delaware County and throughout the state.
What industries does LAPORTE serve near Delaware County?
LAPORTE serves pharmaceutical, biotech, food and beverage, chemical, and other regulated manufacturing facilities in the Delaware County area. The southeastern PA corridor has a high concentration of these industries, and LAPORTE's engineering disciplines align directly with their needs.
How quickly can LAPORTE respond to projects in Delaware County?
LAPORTE's West Chester office is approximately 15 miles from central Delaware County. Our engineers can be on-site within 30 minutes for field work, facility assessments, and project coordination. This proximity supports both long-term capital projects and urgent engineering needs.
What engineering services does LAPORTE provide for pharmaceutical facilities in Delaware County?
LAPORTE provides electrical power distribution design, process controls and automation, instrumentation, and systems integration for pharmaceutical manufacturing. Our work supports FDA-regulated environments, including cGMP compliance, cleanroom electrical systems, and validated automation platforms.
Can LAPORTE support projects at chemical facilities along the Delaware River corridor?
Yes. LAPORTE has experience with electrical and controls engineering for chemical processing facilities. Our services include hazardous area classification, power system studies, motor control design, and process automation for facilities in regulated chemical manufacturing environments.
Does LAPORTE handle both new construction and facility upgrades?
LAPORTE provides engineering for greenfield construction, facility expansions, and upgrades to existing systems. Many projects in the Delaware County area involve modernizing aging electrical infrastructure or adding automation to existing manufacturing lines while maintaining production.
What is LAPORTE's approach to automation engineering for regulated facilities?
LAPORTE designs control systems that meet regulatory requirements from the start. For FDA-regulated facilities, this includes GAMP-compliant documentation, 21 CFR Part 11 considerations, and validation-ready system architecture. We work with major automation platforms and design systems that are maintainable by the client's operations team.
Request Engineering Fit Review
Tell us about your project and we will schedule a free technical review.