The Moshannon Valley Economic Development Partnership (MVEDP) is proud to be a partner with many business leaders located throughout the Moshannon Valley region.
The Spotlight on Business features are intended to provide the public with additional information about the businesses that employ area residents and call this area home.
Organic Climbing LLC is a manufacturing company that has been located within the Moshannon Valley Regional Business Park since 2009.
The company was founded by Josh Helke in 2004 in his garage while he was living in Laramie, Wyoming. After 20 years, the company now has 30 key employees that produce the quality products that Organic Climbing is known for.
The company has received national and international recognition for its forward-thinking designs and products.
Products include custom crash pads for rock climbers, custom chalk bags and buckets, bouldering mats and pads and custom apparel.
Since 1991, there have been 26 business owners that had a connection to the Happy Valley region and that brought their businesses to the greater Philipsburg/Moshannon Valley region. Those 26 business owners comprise the MVEDP’s “List of 26.”
Helke is one of the 26 Happy Valley-connected business owners who located his business to the greater Philipsburg region.
When Helke’s wife took a faculty position with Penn State, it was necessary for him to move his business to central Pennsylvania.
He initially struggled to find suitable manufacturing space and support in State College. Eventually, he learned of the MVEDP’s building facilities and was welcomed to the Moshannon Valley Regional Business Center located within the MVEDP’s Regional Business Park.
For nine years, Organic Climbing occupied space within the Moshannon Valley Regional Business Center. Under Helke’s leadership, the company continued to grow during that time and he then needed to make a decision about the company’s future home.
In August 2017, Helke purchased Lot #5 in the Regional Business Park and in 2018, a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility was built there. The facility features solar power and is one of the first solar-powered sewing factories in the world.
Also in 2018, Organic Climbing added a sibling brand to their company: Nittany Mountain Works. With the motto “From Camp to campus” Nittany has products for the general outdoor market with a current product offering geared towards the cycling market with hopes of expanding into school bags for students around the central Pennsylvania area.
Distributed world-wide and highly respected for the made in USA Quality and solar-powered production, Organic Climbing continues to grow at a sustainable level each year.
Following their past history of growing into their available workspace and seeing that they were no longer able to expand within their 2018 built facility, Organic Climbing purchased adjacent Lot #6 in the Business Park.
The plan is to expand into another building that will be constructed on that lot, additional building space that is needed for additional manufacturing and development space for both of its growing brands.
In 2022 Organic Climbing launched its 4-day work week and employees now enjoy 3-day weekends every week so they can enjoy their families and the great outdoor opportunities that surround us in central PA.
For more information about Organic Climbing and Nittany Mountain Works unique manufacturing space in the Regional Business Park, please see their video here: ORGANIC Climbing X Nittany Mountain Works SOLAR SEWN.