There are over 130 companies and thousands of jobs at RIDC Industrial Park in O’Hara Township alone. It was RIDC’s first development project, more than 60 years ago, and one of the first planned light industrial parks in the country. O’Hara is a prime real estate location in the competitive North Eastern Pittsburgh submarket, houses over 3.75 million square feet of office, industrial, manufacturing and warehouse space – and it has been home to many prominent tech start-ups that have become significant job creators in the region.

RIDC’s commitment to prioritizing job creation has been a central factor in its development decisions since the beginning and there are many case histories connected to O’Hara of companies that in a variety of fields that found early homes in the park and purchased buildings there or moved nearby as they outgrew their initial facilities.

Today, while RIDC owns only about 10% of the property in the park, we’re proud of how it’s continued to thrive, particularly as a life sciences cluster, including companies involved in cutting edge research and the production of life saving products.

Among O’Hara’s attributes, which have been attractive to tech and life science companies alike, include:

• Proximity to the universities in Oakland and other tech companies in Lawrenceville and the Strip District, which are only a few minutes’ drive away.
• Free parking and considerably lower costs for space than in the denser city neighborhoods.
• Easy access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, making it a commuting destination for a large portion of the region’s workforce.

All of these are important considerations for any company, but particularly early-stage companies whose growth requires flexible space and funding. And it is centrally located in the midst of vibrant residential communities with highly ranked school districts, multiple parks, trails and recreational facilities, and convenient retail venues.

In addition to the many life sciences companies located at RIDC O’Hara, several prominent tech companies have found it to be a strong, strategic location. Aerotech, which solves motion control and automation challenges for complex applications in demanding industries, has had its corporate headquarters located there since 1974; and a predecessor to what is now Motional, a leading autonomous vehicle firm that has since relocated to RIDC Mill 19, got its start in O’Hara as well.

When it comes to Pittsburgh’s leading tech clusters, O’Hara Township has had a long and strong presence that puts it front and center with a long list of successful and innovative companies.