Musser 2.0
Safeguard Scientifics founder Warren "Pete" Musser's current firm is staffing up and says it'll make more Internet and tech investments.
The Musser Group, headed by octagenarian Warren "Pete" Musser, who ran Safeguard Scientifics for 48 years and through several investment cycles until he left amid the dot.com bust of 2000-01, has beefed up its staff, and publicist Alisa King says the Wayne-based firm is spreading cash -- it won't say how much -- to a string of Web and tech start-ups. Musser still holds breakfast meetings at the Radnor Hotel. It's almost like the 1990s never ended.
New hires include Main Line physician Robert J. Kreb 3d, accountant Michael R. Holly, and attorney James L. Murray. Investment examples include CeeLite, developer of a low-power "lighting technique", run by old Safeguard hand Howard E. Goldberg (ex-ceo of InterDigital Communications Corp.) from an office in Blue Bell, with most operations in Taiwan; LotandHome.com, "a website of only new construction homes" that was "developed by Fred Catona who also was one of the founders of Priceline.com"; and College Fanz Sports Network, "a website for mostly college, but also professional, sporting information," chaired by ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen and run by University of Delaware baseball player-turned-real estate investor Darren Pulito from an office in Mt. Laurel.