Engineering Scope

Electrical Engineering

Power distribution, substation, and medium-voltage design for Montgomery County's dense pharmaceutical and life-sciences plants along the Route 422 corridor and the Lansdale-North Wales manufacturing belt, where utility-grade reliability and clean-room loads sit on the same site. We deliver low and medium voltage power systems, arc-flash analysis and mitigation, and clean-room electrical design built to NEC and IEEE standards.

Controls & Automation Engineering

PLC/SCADA, HMI, and control-panel design for the batch-driven pharma and specialty-chemical operations concentrated around King of Prussia, Norristown, and Souderton. Our engineers handle Allen-Bradley/Rockwell systems integration, ISA-88 batch control, OEM equipment integration, PLC programming and migration, UL 508A / NEC panel design, and GAMP5 validation documentation for regulated facilities. For multi-area upgrades, we can design Purdue-model OT networks, build and install UL 508A panels, and provide fixed-fee or T&M execution with project management.

Process Engineering

Process design, P&IDs, and mechanical/utilities engineering for Montgomery County's food and beverage processors, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and chemical producers, from legacy plants in Pottstown to newer suburban facilities. We size and document utilities, lay out process flow, and carry projects through startup and commissioning, with staff augmentation available when in-house teams need licensed depth.

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Plant and Facility Work in Montgomery 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

Local and Project Context in Montgomery County

Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Concentration
Montgomery County sits at the center of the greater Philadelphia life sciences corridor, one of the largest biopharma clusters in the United States. The region is home to numerous FDA-regulated manufacturing and R&D facilities producing vaccines, biologics, and specialty pharmaceuticals.
Pennsylvania PE Licensing
LAPORTE's engineers hold Professional Engineer licenses in Pennsylvania, meeting the state requirements for stamping and sealing electrical, instrumentation, and controls engineering deliverables for regulated manufacturing projects.
Proximity to Montgomery County
LAPORTE's West Chester, PA office is located approximately 28 miles from central Montgomery County. This allows for same-day site visits, rapid response during commissioning, and hands-on support throughout project execution.
Diverse Manufacturing Base
Montgomery County and the surrounding Philadelphia suburbs support a variety of regulated manufacturing, including pharmaceutical production, food and beverage processing, specialty chemical operations, and biotechnology facilities. Many of these operations require ongoing engineering support for automation upgrades and regulatory compliance.
Regulated Industry Experience
LAPORTE has more than 25 years of experience delivering electrical and automation engineering for facilities subject to FDA, USDA, EPA, and OSHA oversight. This includes design for cGMP environments, hazardous area classifications, and clean utility systems common across Montgomery County manufacturers.

Engineering Leadership

Photo of Nate Kocher, P.E.
Nate Kocher, P.E.
Partner, Director of Electrical and Automation Engineering
LAPORTE • West Chester, PA

Engineering and management consultant with 15+ years of work in control systems, power distribution and systems integration for food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

  • P.E. Licensed in 21 States
  • Penn State, B.S. Electrical Engineering
  • West Chester University, MBA
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Photo of Keith Morgart, P.E.
Keith Morgart, P.E.
Electrical and Automation Engineer
LAPORTE • Greater Pittsburgh, PA

Electrical power and controls engineer whose work includes power distribution, motor controls and code compliance for industrial and commercial facilities.

  • P.E. Licensed Professional Engineer
  • University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, B.S. Electrical Engineering
  • NEC, NFPA and IEEE standards
Connect on LinkedIn

Representative Project Work

pet food • multidiscipline
Project need: A pet food manufacturer required engineering design for a new 370,000 sq ft greenfield production facility ($315M total constructed cost).
LAPORTE scope: 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.
Outcome: The greenfield facility was designed and constructed as a fully integrated production plant.
food & beverage • automation
Project need: A nutrition company required engineering for a greenfield whey protein plant ($800M total constructed cost) including receiving, heat treatment, filtration, and drying systems.
LAPORTE scope: 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.
Outcome: The greenfield whey protein plant was designed and commissioned.
pharmaceutical • multidiscipline
Project need: A national research organization required a new Biologics Manufacturing Centre with biological containment level CL2 for vaccine candidate production (5,000 m², $126M total constructed cost).
LAPORTE scope: 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.
Outcome: The Biologics Manufacturing Centre was completed and designed for vaccine production.

Project Questions

Does LAPORTE have engineers licensed in Pennsylvania?
Yes. LAPORTE employs Professional Engineers licensed in Pennsylvania who can stamp and seal electrical, instrumentation, and controls engineering drawings for projects in Montgomery County and throughout the state.
What industries does LAPORTE serve near Montgomery County?
LAPORTE serves pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food and beverage, and specialty chemical manufacturers. Montgomery County and the greater Philadelphia region have a strong concentration of these industries, particularly in life sciences and biopharma production.
How quickly can LAPORTE respond to projects in Montgomery County?
LAPORTE's West Chester, PA office is roughly 30 miles from Montgomery County. Engineers can be on-site the same day for urgent needs, and the proximity supports efficient collaboration during design, construction, and commissioning phases.
What engineering disciplines does LAPORTE provide?
LAPORTE provides electrical power distribution design, process controls and automation, instrumentation, PLC and DCS programming, SCADA and MES integration, and systems integration engineering. All work is built for regulated manufacturing environments.
Can LAPORTE support FDA-regulated facility projects?
Yes. LAPORTE has extensive experience with cGMP facility design, including validation-ready automation systems, 21 CFR Part 11 compliant controls, clean utility monitoring, and environmental monitoring systems for pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers.
Does LAPORTE handle hazardous area electrical design?
Yes. LAPORTE engineers design electrical systems for NEC Article 500 and Article 505 classified areas, which are common in chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. This includes area classification studies, equipment selection, and installation design for hazardous locations.
Is LAPORTE a contractor or a consulting engineering firm?
LAPORTE is a consulting engineering firm. We produce engineering designs, specifications, and programming, but we do not self-perform construction or installation work. This keeps our recommendations independent and focused on the owner's best interest.

Engineering support in nearby areas

Engineering support for Montgomery County, PA

Serving Montgomery County, PA from West Chester, PA
Suite 200, 158 West Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19382
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