The 500 workers at Penn United Technologies owe their jobs in part to Robert Montgomery of Cabot.

Montgomery urged his brother-in-law, Carl Jones, to pursue his dream of starting a company.

“He was actually the one who spurred my dad,” said Bill Jones, Penn United president.

Bill Jones said because of that encouragement, his father founded Penn United in 1971 with fellow machinists Robert Becker and Charles Barton.

Montgomery, 77, died this week at Good Samaritan Hospice in Cabot.

Montgomery, who married Jones’ sister Myrna, also was one of seven founding investors in the startup business that now employs 500.

“They never thought it was going to grow like it has,” Jones said.

Montgomery still was a shareholder in Penn United.

He and his brother-in-law initially worked at Oberg Manufacturing.

While Jones embarked on his journey with Penn United, Montgomery bought land in Butler Township and started his own business, Taylor Rental, which later became Grand Rental Station.

The Fox Funeral Home in Saxonburg is handling his funeral arrangements.