Ben Franklin to Invest $540,000 in Seven Companies.

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. -- The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP) board approved investments of $540,000 with seven Pennsylvania companies. BFTP is a state-funded economic development organization that links early-stage companies and established manufacturers with experts, universities, funding, and other resources to help them prosper through innovation.

BFTP will invest in the following early-stage companies:

Common Grace Inc., Columbia Crossroads
Investment: $35,000
Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy and improve the
manufacturing efficiency for a unique new crystal pendant product line
called SOUL. The unusual properties of SOUL jewelry arise from a
proprietary carving technique.

Core Business Solutions, Inc, Lewisburg
Investment: $150,000
Develop product enhancements to Core's DocBase Direct(TM) software
application, an Internet-based document management solution. DocBase
Direct reduces the cost of achieving and maintaining ISO9000
certification by automating the required work processes. The software
completely automates the development, review, approval, and
distribution of any electronic or paper document, form, or file. These
enhancements, in combination with new alliances with key technology
partners and an expanded marketing program, will increase sales.

Core People Resources, Wind Gap
Investment: $50,000
Provide technical enhancements and customizations to software
supporting human resources, and implement marketing and
commercialization efforts for this innovative software package. Core
People Resources will provide subscribers with a cost-effective,
constantly available, and comprehensive array of current personnel
policies, programs, and forms to facilitate the subscriber's legal
compliance and use of best HR practices.

Digital Amplifier Company, East Stroudsburg
Investment: $100,000
Design and build a self-contained, single-channel, high-performance
digital amplifier module that can be easily integrated into a
multi-channel audio amplifier system. These modules will be utilized
by traditional and high performance audio equipment manufacturers. The
designs provide better power and performance than other products
available, and are based on the company's proprietary CLDjam(TM)
digital amplifier technology.

Laydee Lorayne, Inc., Selinsgrove
Investment: $15,000
Begin operations to manufacture and produce high quality and
reasonably priced post-operative compression garments. These garments
are used primarily by individuals recovering from post-cardiac,
cosmetic, and weight loss surgeries to reduce swelling and improve
patient comfort.

Thor Power Corporation, Bethlehem
Investment: $150,000
Complete development of a new, proprietary motor/controller design.
The first application of the design will be a power tool line that
will almost double operating efficiency, providing twice the power at
half the weight, with better ergonomics, and using about half the
energy as the competition. Further applications to other appliances
will follow. The company will design and market its
electronically-driven, brushless direct current motor systems for
devices that typically utilize traditional alternate current (AC)
induction motor designs.


BFTP announces the following investment in an established
manufacturer:

Tray-Pak Corporation, Reading, Berks County
Investment: $40,000
University Partner: Lehigh University's Enterprise Systems Center
Support and implement enterprise-wide system improvements for this
manufacturer of custom thermoformed packaging. Develop and implement
new and streamlined processes in manufacturing operations, including
production planning, scheduling, and material planning.