NEP Broadcasting's work is behind-the-scenes, but the fruits of its labor are highly visible during events such as NBC Sunday Night Football.
The company designs, builds and operates mobile television studio trucks used to broadcast sporting events as well as entertainment shows like the Academy Awards.
NEP is headquartered in Harmar with a manufacturing site at the University of Pittsburgh Applied Research Center (U-PARC).
Although the company had been based for years at a site along Freeport Road in Harmar, its growth necessitated a move, and NEP expanded to U-PARC about six years ago.
“We were out of space, so having a place close was helpful,” said Joe Signorino, NEP's vice president of systems integration and site manager for the U-PARC location. “We need a fairly big building. Sometimes we want to pull (a truck) inside for a year to work on it.”
NEP's building is visible from the Route 28 expressway.
Inside the tower that features the University of Pittsburgh logo is what the employees call the “tower of terror.” It has an old freight elevator that they use to get to the eight floors, where they store parts and have a full-scale replica of the inside of a production trailer.
The U-PARC building is ideal for several reasons, Signorino said.
The 36-foot ceilings make it possible to pull in the trailers, and an indoor crane that former owner Gulf Oil put in allows them to lift heavy equipment into the trucks.
NEP's building accommodates a number of work areas, including a cabinet shop, welding area, metal cutting space, a mechanics shop and an area to manufacture cable assemblies and wiring work.
“It's all custom-made stuff to be lightweight and space efficient,” Signorino said. “Our goal is to maximize space and workflow and everything has to move and fold up.”
— Jodi Weigand
