1
NDSU research moving to elite category
2
Immigrants able to invest in U.S. through EB-5 visa program
3
Minnesota Angel Network established to accelerate business growth
4
Unique innovation keeps candles burning
NDSU research moving to elite category NDSU’s research activity has exceeded $100 million per year over the last seven years, with research spread across many areas of campus. DSU is the first, and only, institution in North Dakota to be named by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education to the elite category of “Research Universities/Very High Research Activity” category, which includes the 108 most successful private and public research universities in the U.S. The NDSU Research & Technology Park, with 900 employees in businesses located in the 55acre research park, includes facilities not readily available elsewhere in the Midwest. This includes Research 2, also known as the NDSU Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE). It has advanced microelectronics, coatings, and materials facilities relating to nanotechnology. Extensive robotics are used to develop coatings and materials for use in the biomedical industry, manufacturing, and other market sectors. The 77,000-square-foot secure building includes numerous high-tech laboratories, clean rooms, microelectronics, and engineering facilities. One of the many research and business partnerships developed includes one between NDSU’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering and Triton Systems, a high-tech company located in the NDSU Research Park. Triton’s expertise includes coatings for such items as military
N NDSU’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering conducts microelectronics research, with resulting inventions deployed on continents around the world. (Photo courtesy of NDSU)
RRVPB
1
RRV Research
NDSU undergraduate and graduate students conduct research alongside scientists at the Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering. The Combinatorial Materials Research Lab conducts research on coatings for biomedical, commercial, marine, and other market segments. (Photo courtesy of NDSU)
2
garments and tents to help protect soldiers in the field. In conjunction with other business partners, CNSE also played a significant role in developing unattended electronic ground sensors for perimeter defense used by the Department of Defense. The technology is deployed in several countries around the world and could have additional applications for private companies and for border security. NDSU coatings’ researchers also developed a new coatings technology to protect aircraft. “NDSU has successfully replaced chromium with magnesium,” states Philip Boudjouk, Vice President for Research, Creative Activities and Technology Transfer at NDSU, adding that NDSU is working with AkzoNobel, the largest coatings company in the world. NDSU has a licensing agreement with AkzoNobel. “Currently, they are testing the coating
RRVPB December 2011
on F-16 fighter planes and C-130 transport planes.” Another significant technology developed at NDSU’s Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering includes a project with the Office of Naval Research. The CNSE developed technology for the United States Navy for coatings on Navy ship hulls. NDSU and a global business are working on additional applications for the technology. “New ship coatings developed at NDSU are performing better than existing coatings, have no metal, and don’t leach into the environment,” Boudjouk explains. “It is estimated that the Navy has been losing 40 percent of its fuel on ships because of the increased drag on the ships. These new coatings are designed to keep sea life from attaching to the ships, thus saving fuel as well as dry dock and cleaning costs for ships.” Boudjouk adds that Research 2 (CNSE) has helped attract companies to North Dakota, allowed the university to partner with manufacturing companies to enhance or increase current jobs, trained personnel, and provided them with opportunities in North Dakota. In addition, he says students who combine research and lab experience with their classroom experience, go into the job market better prepared to land good-paying high tech jobs. NDSU currently has a research and intellectual property portfolio of more than 220 technologies.
RRVPB Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com
RRV Business
Minnesota Angel Network established to accelerate business growth Fergus Falls, MN has become a sponsor and partner with the Minnesota Angel Network in an effort help with development in the community. s an intake community we will be able to showcase what our community has,” states Jeff Ackerson, President of the Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission Board of Directors. The Minnesota Angel Network is a newly-developed non-profit organization that will help accelerate business growth among knowledge-based companies in the state. It is expected to help an emerging company to become more effective in seeking investments and to support investors by providing entrepreneurs with a customized curriculum, connect emerging companies with accredited investors, and help with the growth of entrepreneurship throughout the state. Todd Leonard, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Angel Network, says there is a huge void to fund start-up companies. “It is not just the companies, there are investors who want to invest but aren’t able to find quality companies,” he states. “Investors are sitting on the sidelines not sure where to put money.” The Network is also aligning with groups to provide leadership training. In Fergus Falls, Harold Stanislawski, Executive Director of the Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission, believes partnering with the Minnesota Angel Network could attract companies with synergies to the companies that are already operating in the community. The Minnesota Angel Network was formed after two years of planning by the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota and a consortium of business leaders, regional investor networks, Minnesota Initiative Foundations, universities, and others. The Minnesota Angel Network is an educational program for entrepreneurs seeking to raise between $50,000 and $4.5 million and an online connection between accredited investors interested in investing in Networkcertified companies. In a press release announcing the creation of the Minnesota Angel Network, Leonard notes that an assessment of what is in place and working well by benchmarking the program against the Wisconsin Angel Network
A “
and other angel networks in the United States. “Then, we solicited the input from successful angel investors and engaged some of the largest and best professional service providers in the state,” Leonard states in the release. “We have leveraged relationships with key business-related organizations, other non-profit and philanthropic donors to create a world-class, sustaining accelerator that readies entrepreneurs and creates sound investment in entrepreneurial Minnesota-based businesses.” RRVPB
Pictured are Todd Leonard, Executive Director of the Minnesota Angel Network, Harold Stanislawski, Executive Director of the Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission, Hal Leland, Fergus Falls Mayor, and David Wagy, Chief Operating Officer of the Minnesota Angel Network. (Photo courtesy of Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission)
T O G E T H E R W E S AV E .C O M ' ' '- # ' % -) . ! , $ + + - & ( $ - * & " &
Effective insulation keeps heat from getting to your roof. Find out what you can do at kWh.com.
GUESS WHICH HOUSE HAS BETTER INSULATION IN THE ATTIC.
Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com RRVPB
3
RRV Innovation
Unique innovation keeps candles burning
Unique innovation keeps candles burning
Driving through Arkansas, Aaron and Sara McWilliams stopped at a winery and noticed wax taking shape around bottles. As the family continued their travels, Aaron McWilliams started to hypothesize about how to control the flow of wax to make the wax take any shape it would need to take. hat started the McWilliams conducting several tests before finding the right ingredient for starting Spiral Light Candle, a candle with a twist, in their garage in Hillsboro, ND. “After trial and error, we came up with the spiral candle,” Aaron McWilliams states. “It took awhile to repeat that success.” Sara and Aaron McWilliams have developed Spiral Light self-filling candles out of their Spiral Light self-filling candles when first lit uses the garage in Hillsboro, ND. (Photo by Alan Van Ormer) horizontal wick on the upper edge. The candle burns around the hollow center with the wooden wick allowing the wax to drain gearing up for the tradeshow season in the first quarter of 2012. inward, filling the center. The horizontal spiraling wick self McWilliams notes that a 10,000 square foot facility with rail extinguishes when the inside wax level reaches the top of the spiral access in Hillsboro has been located. The plan is to move to that to prevent any spilling. It then creates a solid pillar candle. location in May. “This space will give us the capacity to offer 20-30 The spiral candle is patent-pending. Earlier this year, the first full time jobs in the summer and make our products available 600 small candles were delivered to a trade show in Philadelphia, internationally,” he states. PA, where 15 clients took a chance on the product. The spiral Development of a new website is also underway. candles are now in more than 45 stores across the country. The “If we manufacture in Hillsboro, our overhead goes down candles are available in two styles, eight colors, and six different because there is less cost being in North Dakota,” he explains. “It is scents including lavender, hot apple pie, lemon grass, frankincense, also more stable.” scandal wood, and cinnamon. The major challenge in producing the candles is managing McWilliams focuses on the Christian market, as well as shipping growth and knowing how fast and when to grow. “The demand for to pharmacies and flower shops. Sixty percent of those who the product isn’t a problem and selling the product isn’t a problem,” purchase the candles are independent Christian retailers, according he explains. “We’ve overcome so many hurdles in manufacturing.” to the McWilliams. PB “What we have noticed is that they selling out very quickly,” "Editor's Note: The article entitled 'Unique innovation keeps McWilliams states. “It is not something they have seen before.” candles burning' is being reprinted in its entirety because the photo of In their garage space on an acreage west of Hillsboro, three the candles pertaining to our December story in the Red River Valley employees are able to make 25 candles a day. Currently, the section are not the type of candles that Spirit Light Candle provides its production has increased to more than 100 products per day. The customers." Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com company is also looking for two more employees to expand capacity
T
4
RRVPB December 2011