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Michigan initiative helps entrepreneur grow business
By DUANE M. ELLING
Michigan entrepreneur Robert Bordener, 43, has grown his newest venture, Bordener Engineered Surfaces, with the help of the Accelerated Entrepreneurship Initiative (AEI) at Saginaw Valley State University. The AEI is one of 10 economic and workforce development projects created in the region as the result of a successful bid in 2006 by the Mid-Michigan Innovation Team (MMIT) to secure $15 million in federal Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grants. In his own words, Bordener tells how the AEI is helping to create a new future for the state and its residents.
“Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. Of the 10 or so businesses I’ve started over the years, some have done really well and quickly turned a profit; others were more of a struggle.
“As a kid, I would spend hours down by a creek near my family’s home, pretending that pieces of wood were ships, sailboats and so on. But I wanted them to be more like real boats.
“So, at the age of 10, I decided to build them out of fiberglass. I learned how to mix and work the raw material for the hulls and added basic, radio-controlled engines.
“I guess it’s that same desire to take what’s in front of me and make it better that, as an adult, has helped me to start my own companies.
“Over time I’ve realized that if you’re going to do this type of work, you need to have creativity and drive, and be willing to take the rough times with the good. And it really helps to have access to the right resources and supports.
“The AEI partnership has been incredibly helpful with the launch of my new company. For example, the folks at MMIC have worked with us on Korlux, which is our showcase product. It’s the world’s first durable and flexible veneer to be made of real stone, and it grew out of my own experience of inventing new materials for countertops and other building surfaces.
“But while we knew we had a great product, we also knew it had to fit the construction requirements of the people using it out in the field. The testing and development facilities at MMIC helped us make sure it did just that.
“Even though we just recently introduced Korlux, several companies are already using it. And we’re working with the AEI to see how we can take our ‘made in mid-Michigan’ products to the global market.
“The partnership has also offered us networking opportunities, which — along with the help of McKinley Technology out of Midland — have attracted new investors to the company.
“Our company is also having a positive impact on the local economy. For example, we contract with area auto part manufacturers to produce the finished veneer. And other local companies help us with product engineering, testing and distribution. This outsourcing keeps our own company lean — we have just 13 employees — while it keeps many others working in our home community.
“I believe this ripple effect shows just how important entrepreneurs are to the state’s future. It’s our smaller start-up companies, working creatively and on the cutting edge of technology, that will bring new jobs and investments to Michigan. And the support of such partnerships as the AEI will help make it all possible.”