A Houston-based analytic software company that counts among its clients some of the nation's leading firms will open a new office May 1 at Western Michigan University's Business Technology and Research Park.
In PolyVista's first major expansion in a decade, the company will open a business development office in Kalamazoo and immediately hire and train 10 to 20 young recruits to become part of a team that works with customers.
"Our top priority is finding talent," says PolyVista's Jim Willard, who will lead the Kalamazoo office. "I'll be building a team that can focus on finding new homes for our technology."
PolyVista provides businesses with access to a search engine that can analyze data and discern patterns and issues. The searches are capable of the same kind of data analysis and text mining used for national security reasons, but are done within the budget constraints most companies can afford, Willard says.
Southwest Airlines, for instance, uses PolyVista's text and data-mining analysis tools to enhance the analysis of data in its pilot reporting program.
The air conditioning systems and services business Trane uses PolyVista tools for early detection of warranty-related issues. The company can then correct them and pass the information on to its engineering and design teams to avoid problems in future products.
PolyVista has a close relationship with Microsoft. The company launched in 1995 with technology developed by scientists from the former Soviet Union. PolyVista's patented search engine also analyzes data in such areas as trade compliance, reliability, marketing and operations; and in finance, energy, transportation, manufacturing and insurance industries.
The move to Kalamazoo is a strategic effort to expand PolyVista's base, says Willard, a Michigan native. Although the company was originally focused on expansion in northern Virginia, Michigan proved to be an attractive alternative because of the relatively low cost of doing business in the state and the focus on growth and business outreach.
The opportunity to locate in a university community like Kalamazoo also was high on the company's wish list for expansion.
"Five years ago, this wouldn't have worked for us," Willard says, "but there's been a major culture shift in Michigan and a move away from the legacy thinking that was once dominant. We really like the environment and the entrepreneurial spirit we find here now."
PolyVista's Kalamazoo office will be located in the Granite Park I Building, 4664 Campus Drive.
Get information about available jobs by sending an email inquiry or resume
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Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Jim Willard, PolyVista
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