NBP president Alan Levin (far right) talks with (left to right) Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, and Philadelphia Housing Authority Executive Director Carl Greene about the manufacturing process during a tour on Friday, April 2.

When U.S Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan announced that 162,000 new jobs were created nationwide in March, he traveled to Philadelphia’s Northeast Building Products (NBP) as a testament of companies who are hiring new workers. On Friday, April 2, Donovan, along with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and executive director of the Philadelphia Housing Authority Carl Greene, toured the window manufacturing plant and spoke to the company’s 285 employees. 

“It was great to have them here,” says Alan Levin, NBP president and chief executive officer. “We couldn’t get them through the tour quick enough because they kept stopping to talk to those working around the plant, which was a thrill for [our employees].” 

While Donovan focused on the positive employment numbers for March, Greene focused on the $128 million dollars of stimulus money that was distributed to the Philadelphia Housing Authority in 2009 as part of the stimulus package, some of which was responsible for NBP’s uptick in business. He also focused on the window tax credit which was an even bigger factor in the company’s growth since last year, says Levin. 

Donovan also spoke of President Obama’s commitment to “making green building an engine of economic growth … and to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs,” according to NBP officials. 

“We share President Obama’s vision for a greener America,” adds Levin. “By producing high-performance, ultra energy-efficient windows, we are able to play our part by providing products that help consumers reduce their energy consumption and save money through energy tax credits.” 

Levin says he was also able to spend some time speaking with Donovan about the Homestar program that was introduced recently in the Senate (CLICK HERE for that story), a program that Donovan is integrally involved.