Engineers Mark Zagata and Bill Riley didn't wait for the automotive industry to change their lives. Instead they took the initiative and started ZagataRiley a little more than two years ago.
"The motivation was to go out and try something before something bad happened to you and you weren't prepared," says Mark Zagata, the firm's president.
The Livonia-based start-up specializes in design, engineering, and manufacturing of top-notch parts for motor sports, such as race cars or motorcycles.
"People find us if they have problems that aren't solved by regular engineering," Zagata says.
More people have found the company as a place to work themselves. The company now has five employees, including one recent hire specializing in carbon fiber composites. It moved into its own space and is currently renovating it for future growth.
ZagataRiley has enjoyed "moderate growth," according to Zagata. He expects the business to double or even triple within the next year or two. That could lead to another 2-4 hires; maybe even people looking for a little change from the local automotive industry.
Source: Mark Zagata, president of ZagataRiley
Writer: Jon Zemke
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