About 255 employees of State College-based C-COR Electronics Inc. could be relocated soon and work alongside 50 new colleagues if the company follows through with aggressive plans for a new manufacturing facility in Centre County.

C-COR, a 35-year manufacturer of cable television equipment, announced intentions Monday to expand its manufacturing facilities in both State College and Altoona -- a move that could increase the number of jobs in both areas, said Dick Perry, president and chief executive officer.

Both projects are slated for a late October completion.

"The schedule is very aggressive," said Sally Thiel, corporate communications manager. "We're growing at a very good rate and it looks like the growth is going to continue."

The company has not chosen a location for the plant, but is waiting for offers from area land owners. After reviewing proposals, C-COR's board of directors will choose a site at its April 25 meeting, Thiel said.

Perry said he believes the new facility, which will require about seven acres, will be a welcome addition to the area.

"We don't have any hazardous wastes, nor do we use much water," he said. "We're really known as a clean industry -- the kind the people love to have in their community."

The new building, to encompass about 50,000 square feet, would house C-COR's manufacturing department of 255 workers. The present facility, located on Decibel Road, holds both manufacturing employees and 195 support staff members, including sales and administrative personnel.

The company plans to take land offers from around the county, but officials say a location in or near the Centre Region would be most desirable.

"We're accepting inquiries or proposals from really anyone in the surrounding municipalities who would be interested in having our facilities located there," Thiel said. "We really don't want to get too far from this area because we have a really good work force here and we don't want to inconvenience them."

Construction for a new Altoona manufacturing facility will follow the same timetable as the Centre Region plan, Perry said. The new plant would be a substantial improvement over the current one, which is located in a used roller-skating rink, he said.

Although C-COR is now in a position to expand, only three years ago the company was operating at a net loss. A combination of a lull in the cable industry and some unprofitable investments forced the company to change management and marketing strategy, Thiel said.

"It took us about two to three years to make the turnaround," she said. "We sold off a number of unprofitable ventures and cut back on employees drastically," Thiel said.

Fortune magazine in January ranked C-COR second-best performer for 1988. C-COR's stock value rose from $5.75 in December 1987 to $22.50 at the end of last year, giving its investors a 291 percent return, Fortune reported.

Perry said the company's mid-1980s slump was due largely to a lack of aggressive marketing strategies.

"We didn't have a strong sales force," he said. "There was work out there, but we weren't getting our share."

After expanding its sales in Europe, C-COR grossed in excess of $53 million in sales, doubling last year's figures, Perry said.

"The cable market in England is really opening up and they're granting franchises, so we're going to be in their bidding like everyone else and we expect to get our fair share," he said.