The company has gone from six employees in 2008 to 17 today, including five new hires since the ownership change in April.

"We're quickly running out of space," says Stephen Hall, vice president and general manager of EAG Coatings Solutions. "We have plans to have 5-6 more people in this office and are expanding our facility another 2,000 square feet."

The company specializes in paints and coatings, plastics and polymers, and adhesives and sealants. It's already working with Idea Paint to create a dry erase covering that can be applied to any surface just like regular wall paint. The company has been affiliated with Ypsilanti and Eastern Michigan University since the 1970s.

"We have a very good retention rate so our existing customers stay with us for a very long time," Hall says. "We have two large customers who for the last three years have used us for all their development needs."

Source: Stephen Hall, vice president and general manager of EAG Coatings Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
News from Concentrate

As a guest speaker contributing to EMU's Creative Scientific Inquiry Experience program, Strenski will explain the economics of solar power and how it works. The seminar is open to the public and will be held at Strong Auditorium from 4-5 p.m. on November 30.

A commercial Google filmed on Solar Ypsi and projects of that ilk in the Detroit area has garnered over 210,000 hits on YouTube since its airing last month, Strenski says. Hits have come from every U.S. state and worldwide, from Cyprus to the Seychelles Islands.

And advice-seekers have filled Strenski's e-mail in-box:

"'How do I make a freestanding cellphone charger, how do I get panels installed in Haiti?' Some guy wanted to make solar panels and take that to Africa and show people how to make their own solar panels; all kinds of really off-the-wall questions," he says. "And I try to answer all of them."

Solar Ypsi's capabilities are still growing. To go with the ongoing expansion plans for the Ypsilanti Food Co-op, Strenski is figuring out how to install another row of solar panels on the roof.

He's got bigger things on his mind, too.

Along with Brian Tell, president of Toledo-based Shade Plex, a maker of flexible solar-electric building fabrics, Strenski is looking into purchasing defunct local properties, placing solar installations there, selling the power generated back to the utility (DTE, in the case of Ypsilanti) and then re-investing the proceeds into property enhancements.

"From a philosophical point it's interesting," he notes. "Could you use a solar farm or a solar installation, or the revenue from a solar installation to not only pay itself back but also to renovate an old industrial site?"

We'll see. Other than the environmental give-back, the payback to communities could be off the charts.

Source: Dave Strenski, founder and volunteer coordinator of Solar Ypsi
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar
News from Concentrate

The downtown Ann Arbor-based website allows those attending a Michigan Football game to reserve a parking space online beforehand for the price of the spot and a $5-$7 convenience fee. It eliminates the game-day search for a space and allows groups of friends to converge and tailgate on the same spot.

"We thought, why isn't there a website people could reserve a spot at?" says Kapica. "I thought that was a great idea."

Kapica and Bond and their wives built the website earlier this year and launched it at the beginning of the 2011 U-M football season. It now has access to almost 3,000 parking spaces, ranging from house lawns to the 1,800 spaces at Ann Arbor Golf & Outing. The service has been hot and cold, with extremely light turnout for the Eastern Michigan University game (lots of locals) to selling out every spot for the Notre Dame game to lots of out-of-towners.

The start-up plans to expand this service to other sports venues in the Midwest, specifically other Big 10 teams, other professional markets, such as Detroit, and even for big, non-sporting events like Art Fair.

"This isn't something that will stay in football," Kapica says. "Art Fair has a huge need for parking and parking reservations."

Source: Jason Kapica, co-founder of ParknParty
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
News from Concentrate

Ann Arbor SPARK also announced the 2010 officers at its annual meeting. Stephen Forrest, vice president for research, University of Michigan is board chairman.  Tim Marshall, president and CEO, Bank of Ann Arbor, is vice chairman. David Parsigian, partner, Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP will serve as the board of directors’ secretary.  Laurel Champion, executive vice president, AnnArbor.com was selected as treasurer of the board of directors.

All new Board of Directors and Executive Committee members were announced at SPARK’s annual meeting on May 20^th.  The annual meeting also marked SPARK’s 5^th year of business.

Conference activities include presentations by:

o Chris Holman, publisher of the Greater Lansing Business Monthly and Small Business Advocate for the state of Michigan, who will offer tips on starting a business.
o Tom Root, managing partner of Zingerman’s, on customer-focused success.
o David Merritt, owner of IMU T-Shirts, an apparel brand that plans to innovatively change the face of fashion by building its foundation on a socially conscious platform.
o Katherine Hilboldt Farrell of Katherine’s Catering will discuss how she “Catered her Way to Success.”
o Nick Pagano, director with YTB and co-author of “The Morality of Money” will discuss “Multiple Streams of Revenue.”
o Joe Venuto, a recent EMU graduate, will discuss “Entrepreneurship: Going into Business for Yourself.”

The Sesi Conference, in conjunction with the American Chinese Students Association and Chinese Week, is proud to present a two-part series focusing on international business. Dr. Jamie Hsu of Lawrence Tech University will host “East Meets West Business,” followed by a panel discussion “Doing Business in China,” featuring panelists John S. Wilson, attorney at law and Mr. Wei Wang, president of Atra Plastics, Inc.

Networking along with a continental breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m. followed by opening remarks. A sit-down lunch follows and the conference concludes with the keynote speaker. After the conference is the Skandalaris Business Plan Competition as high school and university/community college students compete for cash prizes totaling more than $5,000.

The event is free but registration is required. Visit the Center For Entrepreneurship website or call Paul A. Nucci at (734) 487-0902 for details.
Sesi Entrepreneurship Conference

Read the whole story.

We don’t view any place in the state of Michigan as competition to us. We view the rest of the state as partners. If there are things that we can do or things that we’re doing that will allow the rest of the state to improve at a more rapid pace, we think it’s in our best interests to do it. We think as the rest of the state gets better, the Ann Arbor region gets better. Read more in today’s Business Review article.

Also, Open Source partnerships with the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, and the University Research Corridor are making it possible to leverage educational resources, accelerate technology transfer and retain knowledge workers. Through our commitment to Open Source, Ann Arbor SPARK will continue to grow businesses in the Ann Arbor region…and help transform Michigan into a national hub of economic activity. Read more in the SPARK 2008 Annual Report.