The MBA has empowered Pennsylvania employers since 1905 — advancing business success through expert guidance, operational excellence, and a commitment to free enterprise. Today, The MBA is one of the largest regional associations of its kind in the nation, providing training, human resources, insurance and legislative services to its more than 2,000 manufacturing and nonmanufacturing members.
For 120 years, The MBA has been a constant presence in the story of our region’s economy. From its earliest days, the Association has stood beside employers, helping them solve problems, overcome challenges and seize opportunities to grow. While the world of business has transformed in ways that the founders could never have imagined, the Association’s mission and vision: to create and deliver services and expertise that help businesses solve problems and succeed, and to see these business thrive within the free market system.
The MBA’s roots stretch back to 1905, when Erie’s manufacturers found themselves fighting for survival against legislation that threatened to tax every manufacturing concern to pay for a new state Capitol. Through a flurry of telegraphs, phone calls and letters, they successfully pushed back, realizing just how powerful their collective voice could be. Not long after, the same group funded firehouses in Erie when the city lacked resources, only to be denied a place on the ire Commission. That refusal was the spark. On November 6, 1905, 61 manufacturers came together to form the Manufacturers’ Association of Erie, determined to create an organization where business voices would be heard.
The spirit of collaboration was clear from the very first Annual Dinner (now the Annual Event), held on a winter evening in January 1906. More than 150 leaders gathered at the Reed House downtown, where treasurer E.C. Moore of Erie City Iron Works set the tone. Erie, he said, was “essentially a manufacturing town,” and the Association’s future would depend on the effort and commitment of every member. It was a vision rooted in responsibility not only to industry, but to
the broader community.
As the decades unfolded, the Association became a vital player in local and national affairs. Under the leadership of Executive Secretary Dana E. Jones from 1916 to 1952, it promoted the American enterprise system, helped coordinate wartime production in both World Wars, and even supplied ambulances for local hospitals. By the end of World War II, an astounding 93 percent of Erie’s manufacturers were contributing to the war effort — proof of how deeply industry and community were intertwined.
The post-war years brought new priorities.
With the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s, Erie grew into a major port, and the Association adapted alongside it. Under President Howard Kelly, the group began offering health and safety programs, including insurance benefits that quickly became a cornerstone of membership. By the time Ray Weber took over as executive director in 1971, the Association became the biggest client or policyholder of Blue Cross of Western Pa. and was playing a bigger role on state and national stages, working with groups like the National Association of Manufacturers to represent employer concerns.
The challenges of the 1970s were familiar ones: inflation, shifting labor demands and a shortage of skilled workers. In response, the Association helped establish the regional skill center at Erie Vo-Tech and created the Golden Watch Award in 1972, later renamed for Patrick R. Locco, to honor technical students and emphasize the value of vocational careers. This period also saw the launch of programs like ACES (Americans for the Competitive Enterprise System) and Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week, designed to give students hands-on experience with the free-enterprise system. Educational initiatives flourished, from “High-Q” on WQLN to partnerships with SCORE to support new business ventures. By the time Weber retired, membership had grown from 500 to more than 3,500, cementing the Association’s place as a regional force.
The 1980s brought another transformation.
With demand for training and professional development surging, the Association expanded its programs and officially rebranded as the Manufacturers’ Association of Northwest Pennsylvania. Under Claudia Haller, who became executive director in 1987, communication with members took center stage. The monthly bulletin evolved into The MBA Business Magazine, while the Annual Dinner began drawing national figures like George Will, Robert Bork and Jeane Kirkpatrick. The Association, which located to 3537 West 12th Street, had truly become the voice of business in the region — the place media, lawmakers and the public turned to when business issues arose.
By the 1990s, the focus was on value- added services. Ralph Pontillo, who became executive director in 1990 (and passed away in 2019), pushed the Association into a new era of growth. Membership exploded past 6,500, prompting the move to its current headquarters and Conference Center on West 38th Street in 1996. The MBA became the nation’s largest regional manufacturers’ association and the first U.S. trade association to achieve ISO 9001 compliance. The Annual Event began to attract speakers of global influence, from Presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush to Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani, and Tom Ridge.
Innovation wasn’t just about policy and programming — it was also about community. In 2005, the Association’s centennial celebration featured the American Manufacturing Tribute Bike, designed with parts made by local members and unveiled by Peter Fonda at the Warner Theatre. Two years later, the Association launched Roar on the Shore®, a summer motorcycle rally that combined business, tourism
and philanthropy in a way the city had never seen. The event drew over 100,000 visitors annually, pumped nearly $25 million into the local economy, and raised more than $1 million for charities before concluding in 2019.
Change continued to shape the Association in the 2000s. In 2008, it became the Manufacturer & Business Association, a name that better reflected its broader membership. Growth accelerated again in 2009 with the acquisition of the Manufacturers’ Association of Central Pennsylvania, expanding The MBA’s reach with new offices in Harrisburg and Williamsport. And in 2014, the Association launched what has since become one of its most impactful programs: Manufacturing Day (MFG Day). What began with a film screening at the Association’s Conference Center on West 38th Street grew into a dynamic event at the Bayfront Convention Center that now brings together more than 2,000 students, educators and business leaders each year to explore modern manufacturing careers.
Expansion reached Pittsburgh in 2019, when the Association merged with the SMC Business Councils, adding 400 new members and strengthening services in western Pennsylvania. Even through leadership transitions — following Pontillo’s retirement in 2017 and the sudden passing of John Krahe in 2022 — the Association remained steadfast.
Today, under the leadership of President and CEO Lori Joint, the Association continues to evolve. Joint, who began as an MBA intern in 1990 and rose through nearly every department, now oversees a staff of nearly 30 across Erie and Cranberry Township. The MBA’s programs and services are rooted in both demand and innovation: delivering HR and legal expertise, training, insurance programs, energy solutions, logistics support and networking opportunities that help businesses of all sizes succeed.
In 2025, the Association embraced a new identity once again, rebranding simply as The MBA with a fresh logo, website and member database designed for a modern era. Its membership now spans 54 counties and seven states, from companies with two employees to global employers with thousands.
“While ‘manufacturer’ is in our name, it’s an ode to our history and not a prerequisite to being a member,” says Joint. “We are dedicated to creating and delivering services and expertise that help businesses solve problems and succeed.”
Now, 120 years after Erie’s manufacturers first came together to make their voices heard, The MBA continues to do what it was founded to do: stand with businesses, amplify their voices, and build a future where employers and communities thrive together.
