Article Photos

HOUGHTON - The importance of Michigan Technological University to the Michigan Tech Enterprise Corp. SmartZone doesn't stop with the name.

MTU has been tied to the SmartZone since the early days, when it joined with Hancock, Houghton and the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance to create the MTEC SmartZone. As with the other SmartZone's across the state, the nearby presence of a state university was a prerequisite.

The relationship between the SmartZone and Tech shows the benefits of that set-up, with a steady stream of talented students and faculty entering the SmartZone. James Baker, director of MTU's Technology and Economic Development Office, routinely talks with faculty and asks them about projects that may have commercial potential.

"Sometime, the faculty member will come to us and say, 'Hey, I want to start a company,'" SmartZone CEO Carlton Crothers said.

One example is Bill Endres, a Tech professor who runs Endres Machining Innovations, a company at the Advanced Technology Development Complex, a Tech-owned SmartZone incubator.

There is also a program where students have a two-year window to explore the potential of starting a company. One of the biggest success stories has been Tech Initiatives, Inc. The student start-up is marketing the CPRMattress, which hardens to facilitate CPR work.

About 80 percent of GE Aviation's staff at the Powerhouse is made up of students. There, students are trained to do junior-level engineering work that was traditionally given to senior engineers.

"You can use people in more of a junior role to do more repetitive tasks," Crothers said. "These students are being educated with higher and higher qualifications."

By being able to identify promising students early, GE puts itself in a position to replenish an aging workforce, and to lower the usual $60-80,000 cost of training an entry-level employee.

Once the students graduate, they have the option of going back to school and getting a master's degree. If they meet GE's standards, they have the option of staying in Houghton or going to work at the corporate headquarters.

"This is a win-win scenario for the students, this is a win-win for the university and a win-win for the company," Crothers said.

Because the quality of students is here, companies are here too, Crothers said. He cited a recent job fair with 300 students.

"I came from a university of 60,000, and the university did not have the job fair this university had," he said.

Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com.