Austrian-based ZETA Group Invests in Pennsylvania

ZETA Group

Pennsylvania’s Office of International Business Development (OIBD) is committed to helping international companies that are looking to expand into the U.S. find their perfect location here in the commonwealth. They can assist with setting up a U.S. entity, identifying and visiting potential sites, researching available workforce, infrastructure, and tax climate, and connecting the business with the key economic development players in the region.

One such company that OIBD supported is the ZETA Group, an end-to-end solutions provider for the pharma and biotech industry headquartered in Austria. After establishing a U.S. entity in 2020 with help from OIBD, the company is growing steadily in the U.S. market and well-positioned for continued success in North America. We sat down with Lindsay Smart, CEO of ZETA USA, to talk about his experience bringing the company to Pennsylvania.

Expanding into the U.S.

In 2019, Lindsay Smart, who at the time was the head of sales for the UK and Ireland territories at the ZETA Group, was assisting the company in planning its global growth strategy. After extensive research, it became clear that ZETA’s next step was expanding into the U.S. market. The company requested Smart to head the new ZETA USA as its CEO and lead the charge for finding the right location for its U.S. operation.

“Right away, we knew we wanted to be located in a biotech hub on the East Coast,” Smart says. “An East Coast location would enable us to have some overlap with the working hours in Europe. But it was even more important for us to locate into a true biotech hub because, as a provider of full-service biotech solutions for clients, that’s where our customers and competitors would be. Being located close to our peers would also allow for the collaboration and information exchange that is so crucial for our industry.”

Connecting with PA’s International Resources

Through a regional economic development organization, the ZETA USA team connected with OIBD to assist them through the process of evaluating potential site locations for the new U.S. headquarters.

However, in March 2020 – the same month that ZETA USA was officially incorporated – the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Although the onset of the pandemic caused delays, OIBD was instrumental in assisting Smart with site selection amidst the turbulent conditions.

“I had to travel seven times in one year during the pandemic,” he says. “But Jason Hunt, the economic development professional at OIBD who we worked with, helped with travel visas, which was invaluable for travel during that time. He also set up itineraries for multiple site visits, educated us about benefits like the Keystone Innovation Zone program, and connected us with the right people on the ground. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the area and demonstrated a great degree of understanding of what we were trying to achieve. I really don’t think we would have been able to do it without him.”

Choosing Pennsylvania

When it was time to make a final decision on a location, Smart and his team ultimately decided on Spring House Innovation Park, a 600,000-square-foot business and research campus in Montgomery County just outside of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia area’s geographic location and high concentrations of biotech companies were big draws, but other factors weighed into the decision as well.

“We also looked at educational infrastructure, transportation infrastructure and connections with Europe, and real estate costs,” Smart says. “And ultimately, none of the other states we were considering offered what Pennsylvania could in the Philadelphia region.”

As ZETA USA continues to grow, Smart and his team have focused on partnering with local universities and co-ops to recruit the next generation of talent. “The high concentration of academic excellence in the area was a big draw for us, and we were able to benefit from it immediately. Recruiting isn’t easy for anyone right now since demand is so high, but we feel it’s extremely important to be proactive and reach out to universities, who have all responded with enthusiasm,” Smart says. “The makeup of our company is extremely diverse because that was incredibly important to us. We have a deliberate strategy of prioritizing diversity in our hiring – women and people from all backgrounds. Hiring young people is important to us as well so we can ensure we’re securing our institutional knowledge for years to come.”

“And ultimately, none of the other states we were considering offered what Pennsylvania could in the Philadelphia region.” – Lindsay Smart, CEO of ZETA USA

The next step for ZETA USA is continuing its growth strategy in this market, taking cues from the successful growth of the company’s European operations. Smart notes that ZETA USA has its first projects on board, and they will look to continue to succeed with those while expanding their project portfolio and employee base. “We operate in a highly competitive global marketplace. But what sets us apart is the breadth of our offerings – from feasibility, to concept design, to production and fabrication, to installation – we are truly integrated project deliverers. We can take a project with our own staff, with our own team, from the cradle to the endpoint. And we’ve invested heavily in our engineering tools to reduce the project time for our clients as much as possible.”

In the meantime, Smart is enjoying his new life in the Philadelphia area. “I love living in Philadelphia,” Lindsay says. “Everybody I meet from this area has been nothing but welcoming. There’s a great music scene, restaurant scene, and sports scene – my family is now ardent Eagles and Sixers fans. I’m a working-class guy, and when I came to Philadelphia, it immediately felt like my kind of town.”

To learn more about the Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development, visit the DCED website. You may also contact the Harrisburg OIBD team or OIBD’s global investment representative in your country. Stay up-to-date on DCED news by following us on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.