A Business Incubator for Start-Up Companies Ben Franklin first opened a 12,000 square foot business incubator in 1983, in a building made available by Bethlehem Steel. The purpose of the incubator is to house up to a dozen early stage technology firms in a low-cost environment, in close proximity to resources from both Ben Franklin and Lehigh. Client firms develop products and build their businesses until they can afford space of their own. To be eligible, companies must be for-profit enterprises, have 10 or fewer employees, and demonstrate significant potential for growth. The incubator charges below-market rates, enabling startup firms to conserve capital.
Clients also save costs by sharing access to fax machines, copiers and computers.
Bob Thomson, Ben Franklin's Manager of Entrepreneurial Programs, meets regularly with tenants to act as a sounding board and mentor. Incubator staff also help companies obtain professional services and financing. These companies employ more than 2,100 people. In an attempt to retain technology firms in the region and to further revitalize South Bethlehem, Ben Franklin and a group of economic development partners built two multi-tenant facilities for intermediate stage companies. The first facility, Bethlehem Technology Center I, was completed in 1993 and provides 44,000 square feet of office, research and development, and light manufacturing space.