The East Lansing Technology and Innovation Center
(TIC) will take in two more start up companies this week, pushing the
city-sponsored incubator far ahead of its one-year projections.
Most
of the 14 tenants are technology related. Their services include: homeland
security, media arts, telecommunications, engineering arts, web
development, and web-based e-commerce, says Jeffrey Smith, project
manager.
Tucked atop the Barnes and Noble bookstore on Grand River Avenue, the space that recently was little more than one cavernous room now houses 14 businesses. 
The last office will soon be filled, and only four individual work stations remain.
GiftZip, Sam Hogg’s web-based company launched late last year, will take the last office in the space designed by Studio Intrigue.
David
Sterrett’s U.S. United Energy Systems will take a work station. His
company seeks to improve the efficiency of batteries for electric
vehicles.
Smith attributes the center’s success to “the
forward-thinking city planning staff” he works with, “such as Jim Van
Ravensway, Tim Dempsey, Lori Mullins, Heather Pope, and countless
others.”
But a critical piece of the formula is locating in a
walkable area, where young workers can take a break and walk to
restaurants or the dry cleaners.
“We benefit greatly from the Michigan State University (MSU) campus being so close,” he says.
The campus came even closer last month when MSU Technologies
moved into space adjacent to the TIC. MSU Technologies identifies and
commercializes inventions created by MSU researchers. The university
ultimately plans to locate an intern program nearby as well.
To
beautify the entire office area and increase community involvement, a
display of local artwork from various galleries, called Visual
Stimulus, was also added last weekend.
Source: Jeffrey Smith, East Lansing Technology and Innovation Center
Gretchen Cochran, Innovation & Jobs editor, may be reached here.
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