Intervala has wrapped a $6 million expansion at the former Sony factory in East Huntingdon and is now gearing up to hire as many as 45 people, with open interviews scheduled for yesterday. The privately funded project boosts production capacity and adds new automated systems as the company deepens its presence in the RIDC Westmoreland Innovation Center, where other projects are also moving ahead that supporters say could lure more high-tech employers to the area.
According to TribLIVE, the build-out added 60,000 square feet and included automated storage-and-retrieval systems that opened up about 40,000 square feet of extra floor space. Intervala now occupies roughly 200,000 square feet in the complex. The report notes that the privately funded expansion was completed Feb. 26, and quotes CEO Rob McKernan as saying, “This expansion reflects the work we do and our commitment to the facility where we’re going to be for a while.”
The growth spurt comes with a hiring push. Intervala's careers page lists a series of open interview days, including a session on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Available roles range from SMT operators and electronics technicians to material handlers and machinists. Candidates are invited to tour the production floor during the events and are asked to bring a photo ID and a resume.
Why the old Sony plant matters
The RIDC Westmoreland Innovation Center has been remade into a multi-tenant campus that, according to RIDC, supports more than 1,000 employees. The site offers heavy power, rail access, and large contiguous floor plates that make it attractive to manufacturers. RIDC notes that current tenants include Siemens Energy and Westmoreland County Community College’s Advanced Technology Center, which helps explain why an electronics manufacturer like Intervala has dug in here.
PennSTART test track could add more demand
The industrial park is also slated to host PennSTART, a state-backed two-mile test track and research facility for autonomous-vehicle testing. Developers estimate the project at about $30 million, and site clearing began late last year. Officials expect the facility to open in 2026 and say the loop could attract more robotics and AV work to the region, according to TribLIVE.
What to watch next
Intervala currently employs about 300 people at its Westmoreland operations and says the expansion will support a new production line as it steps up hiring. In an earlier release tied to its lease renewal, the company and RIDC executives described the site commitment as part of a longer-term investment in regional manufacturing, per the company’s Nov. 10, 2025, release. Jobseekers who plan to attend the open interviews should bring a photo ID and a resume, and no RSVP is required, according to Intervala’s careers page.
