Ever wonder how electronics like cell phones and laptops are able to shrink at almost alarming rates. Companies like Ann Arbor's k-Space play a significant role in making that happen.
The nanotechnology firm specializes in thin-film characterization products for semiconductors, optical coding and material research applications. Get it?
Put in simpler terms, k-Space tests and find ways to make the electronic parts in cell phones and other electronic devices work more efficiently, using nanotechnology. A next generation company, they are exactly what investors are talking about when they muse about Michigan's new economy.
"We are about as far away from the automotive industry as you can get," says Eric Friedman, sales and marketing director for k-Space.
K-Space was founded in 1992 and recently won a Michigan Celebrates Small Business award for its products. It has grown to 14 employees, having just recently added another position, and has plans to hire another two or three before the end of the year.
In May, the firm will move to a new facility in the Dexter Research Park that is twice the size of its current home. The company was encouraged to acquire its own digs through tax incentives, abatements and the fiscal desire to own its own home.
K-Space is self-funded and has relied on a conservative growth pattern. It hopes to move into photovoltaic applications (solar panels) in the future as a natural next step toward expanding its business.
"We have a lot of technology that would be well suited for these applications," Friedman says.
Source: Eric Friedman, sales and marketing director for k-Space
Writer: Jon Zemke
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