Assistance for Technology Businesses

Technology Business Assistance

Midland County
The Place to Grow Your Technology Business

Scientists at AEGIS Environments have developed a nontoxic, permanent antimicrobial coating.

The Apothecary Shoppe Pharmacies has five clean rooms dedicated to prescription compounding.

Tannas, a division of The Savant Group, manufactures lubricant testing instruments for worldwide sale.

Midland, Michigan. You might know us as being a couple hours north of Detroit, or as the headquarters of The Dow Chemical Company and Dow Corning Corporation. But did you know we're also a hub of technology business in the Midwest, with clusters in the chemical, silicone, advanced materials, and nanotechnology industries, as well as many other technology businesses?

Look at some of Midland's world-class successes in the chemical and technology industries:

Financing
Networking
Training
Business Planning
Peer Assistance

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AEGIS Environments markets and services a unique antimicrobial coating under the branding of the ÆGIS Microbe Shield that is non-toxic and permanent: unlike other such coatings, it will last for the entire life of the surfaces it coats with no loss of effectiveness. This amazing technology is already used by major clothing retailers including JCPenney and medical products companies around the world. ÆGIS through its global certified applicator network also used the ÆGIS Microbe Shield to deal with a life threatening fungal infestation at the million-square-foot Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor, Malaysia. Fungal contamination in the hospital was so intense that in some areas, even a few minutes of exposure triggered headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, nervous tics and other debilitating symptoms. ÆGIS's certified applicator treated all areas of the hospital, including above ceiling spaces, elevator shafts, and utility chases as well as occupied areas. Post-cleanup fungal levels were and have remained exceptionally low and there are no more occupant complaints even after 16 months of occupancy.
Dendritech Inc. is a world leader in the research and production of dendrimers - hyperbranched polymer molecules on a nanomolecular scale. Dendritech is one of only a handful of dendrimer researchers in the world. Among many uses they have pioneered for dendrimers, they received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. army to continue development on artificial blood for battlefield use. They also received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an environmentally friendly marine anti-fouling coating. Dendritech is working closely with medical researchers at the University of Michigan to develop a biomedical dendrimer product for use in cancer treatment.
In addition to being a commercial & residential wireless provider (WiFi), Pilgrim Technology received a $1 million sole source contract from the U.S. Army this year to continue work on mobile wireless sensors that allow Army mechanics to perform complex diagnostics of vehicles in the field from the safety of the base. This contract is in addition to another $1 million Army contract Pilgrim received in 2005. They have also implemented RFID technology for the US Navy that allows entire pallets of parts to be inventoried with a single pass by a sensor.

Midland is more than just another location for your technology business. It is a unique combination of cutting-edge, world-class research and development; an abundant and skilled workforce; outstanding cultural and recreational opportunities; and a small-town feel with low crime and a high quality of life. Read more below on the services we can offer your technology business, and explore our site to discover the flourishing economy and environment that define Midland.

Financing

Maybe you want to get your business out of startup mode and into the second stage. Maybe you have a technology idea you're trying to take to market. Or maybe you're looking for incentives to site a new location of your established technology business. Whatever the financing question, Midland County has the answers and incentives you're looking for.

Incentives: Explore our page of available local and State incentives for businesses to locate and grow in Midland.
Venture Capital: Midland County's own venture capital firm, North Coast Technology Investors, LP, stands ready to review your company's application for venture capital. For more information on venture capital sources, visit the Michigan Venture Capital Association Web site or this list of Michigan Venture Capital Firms.
Insurance Questions: Visit the Insurance Information Institute's helpful explanation of insurance for all types of small businesses.
General Financial Assistance: The Small Business Association of Michigan is an excellent resource for all types of small business financing questions. And the U.S. Small Business Administration offers a comprehensive tutorial on financing basics to help you understand your options.

No matter what your technology or stage of business, you want to make sure you can network with similar businesses to make contacts and share ideas. Midland County has a strong infrastructure of dozens of technology businesses, ranging from small-business startups to Fortune 500 corporations. And Midland Tomorrow is proud to host some of the networking events that help them succeed.

Mid-Tech conferences: Midland Tomorrow is proud to host a series of forum discussions around current technology issues. Explore information on last year's events dealing with commercializable intellectual property and events in biofuels and alternative fuel research. These forums are excellent events for networking and catalyzing business connections.
Mid-Michigan Inventors Group: This collaborative forum was developed to bring together creative people with the interest and/or the ability to make new products. Attendees learn how to market their inventions and protect their ideas, and they are introduced to local resources that can help turn ideas into marketable products. For more information, the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center.
Other events: The Midland Area Chamber of Commerce hosts many networking events for small businesses; visit their Web site to learn more. Helpful information is also available at the Saginaw Small Business Information Network. And Michigan's New Enterprise Forum hosts monthly events to link entrepreneurs with management expertise, joint venture partners, business services, capital, and other critical resources.

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Training
To grow and flourish, each business needs sources of quality employee training. A list of local training providers is given below.

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Business Planning
Strategy development, marketing, financial estimates... the process of developing and maintaining a plan to carry your technology business can be intense. Fortunately, Midland has many resources to assist your business in achieving its maximum potential.

Northwood MBA Fieldwork Program: Midland Tomorrow has partnered with Northwood University, an international private college specializing in the principles of free enterprise, to offer free business assistance to interested companies. Students in Northwood's MBA program will work with businesses on comprehensive strategy and marketing development. at Midland Tomorrow to learn more.
Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center: This business, based out of Delta College near Midland, offers numerous seminars, training and networking opportunities for small technology businesses. Visit their Web site to learn more.
Technology-Specific Information: Helpful information is available from Michigan Small Tech on growing the Micro and Nano industry. MichBio has information on how best to drive life science industry growth.
Technology Entrepreneurship: The State of Michigan offers specific information for entrepreneurs on how to “Be Your Own Boss." Also, visit this link for information on the Kaufmann Foundation's eVenturing™ training for entrepreneurs.
Other Resources: The Michigan Economic Development Corporation maintains a guide to the process of starting a business. And don't forget Business.gov, the federal government's comprehensive business resource Web site.

Peer Assistance
Want assistance from other technology businesses and research institutions in the Midland area? These companies represent cutting-edge research in the Midland area.