Joseph J. Houldin

Joseph Houldin is CEO and founder of the DVIRC, an economic development organization established in 1988 to assist advanced manufacturers throughout the Philadelphia region grow business value. Joe has provided the leadership instrumental in the growth of DVIRC as one of the highest performing centers in the country.
Committed to the belief that a strong manufacturing sector lies at the heart of a thriving community, and convinced that today’s global marketplace demands an increasingly more
sophisticated workforce. Joe has led the charge to develop the area’s “talent pool” through the Applied Engineering Technology (AET) educational program. This initiative, formed in partnership with Pennsylvania’s academic, business and government leaders, has become a national model for Science, Technology
Engineering and Math (STEM) education. As a result, in 2007, funded by a grant from the National Governors Association, the Philadelphia Navy Yard will soon become home to the area’s only STEM Center.
The STEM Center represents only one aspect of DVIRC services to be housed in the Building 100 Innovation Center at the Navy Yard. DVIRC is piloting new services at the Navy Yard that support
revenue growth for small and medium-sized manufacturing
enterprises (SMEs), including market research, market develop¬ment and new product development. In these efforts, DVIRC is working closely with economic development and private enter¬prise partners, area universities, federal laboratories, and research institutions to drive economic growth through the development of commercially-viable technologies to SMEs.
Seeing the need for educational leadership in the region around the STEM Center concept, Joe organized the Greater Philadelphia Engineering Deans Economic Development Council. The Council is comprised of engineering deans from the tri-state regions eight engineering schools.
Most recently, Joe has begun to work with private capital firms in order to build solid relationships
between the region’s manufacturers and the private capital community. In these efforts, he works closely with business, community, and academic leaders, as well as government agencies at the state and federal levels.
Before founding DVIRC, Joe served as Vice President of the Philadelphia Industrial Development
Corporation (PIDC). He holds a bachelors degree from Villanova University and a Masters degree in City and Regional Planning from the Catholic University of America.