Common Wealth Development E-Newsletter
Madison Enterprise Center & Main Street Industries
A publication of Common Wealth Development featuring our incubator businesses.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
 

Heart of Glass

Renee Miller and Renee Glass Factory

It began as a simple problem in search of a solution. Renee Miller had two difficult windows inside her home that were in a bad location creating a lack of privacy. Renee states "I had done six semesters of glass work at the University of Wisconsin and thought I could solve the problem I was experiencing by creating an opaque privacy pane for the windows. It occurred to me that this idea could work as a business if I could develop an art glass concept that was separate and distinct from traditional stained glass and if it was affordable." That was four years ago. Today Renee Glass Factory occupies space at The Madison Enterprise Center and is producing affordable art glass for both residential and commercial clients. The glass is created by fusing or slumping various glasses to create original works of art. Renee's clients choose from a wide variety of styles and colors. The glass can be customized for installation in standard window sashes, mounted as a window treatment or hung as an accent piece. She works primarily with architects and interior designers but also with homeowners. As a lighting artist "I want to use art to pull light into buildings" states Renee. "Architectural detailing is my focus through glass and through composition." Says Renee "I make it artful; there are a lot of problems with modern architecture that can be resolved through glass and light and color."

Renee was always intrigued by light and worked in lighting as a product manager for Electronic Theatre Controls for many years before she started her company. Chuckling, Renee likes to say that she was an "artist gone corporate saved by the marriage of corporate and art". An artist at heart, she is using skills honed in the corporate world to run a financially successful creative business.

Passionate about glass and her work, Renee says "I'm doing what I love; it's been the best years of my life!" She enjoys the collaboration with her customers, the process of creating designs, choosing color and light. She gets great satisfaction when a finely crafted piece is complete. "The details are so very important; that is how you can invest yourself in a space." She says.

She is currently working on two large projects. The first is a series of glass panels for the Saint Mary's Hospital addition. The second is glass integrated into the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center in Baraboo. The Aldo Leopold Legacy Center is an educational and interpretive center being developed by the Aldo Leopold Foundation. Renee considers her work on this project to be her greatest accomplishment. "I've had a substantial impact on the design of the building" says Renee about the project. This Center will be the first building in the state of Wisconsin to achieve a prestigious Platinum LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. She will be contributing eight doors and transoms as well as a dormitory wall to the project. Renee's workshop space is located in The Madison Enterprise Center. She also has a small storefront located at 1951 Winnebago Street.

For more information on Renee Glass Factory see www.reneeglass.com

Measure for Measure

Paul Nylander and imcDataWorks

Turmoil in Detroit - environmental regulations, economic downturns and corporate downsizing in the U.S. auto industry- has created a booming business niche for imcDataWorks. ImcDataWorks offers a product line of instrumentation which precisely measures temperature, pressure, acceleration, vibration, voltage, torque, flow, position, etc. They can help transportation sector developers improve efficiency or improve comfort, decrease noise levels or any number of other factors.

The automotive industry has undergone a huge transformation within the last few years. The complexity of today's cars has dramatically increased. Take a look at today's hybrid vehicles. These vehicles have an engine that can run on both electric and gasoline or diesel fuel. They have two transmissions with an engine controller that switches between the two. There may be hundreds of questions the design team may be asking (How fast is the fuel engine running? What gear is it in? When is the optimal time to switch gears?). Each of these questions requires measurement and data. ImcDataWorks instruments measure, chart and analyze this data so that the development team can improve and optimize the product. Paul Nylander, head of imcDataWorks puts it this way "We are in the business of making people's lives easier. There are a huge number of problems my customers have to face and the problems are always unique. We provide testing equipment to help engineers better understand what they just built so that they can make it even better".

Paul comes from a particle physics background. He decided that he liked electronics and data analysis and left academia to go into the testing & measurement industry. As an engineer Paul did some collaborative work with imcDataWorks (based in Germany) and was eventually able to open an office for North American sales and support. There was a need to apply German products to an American market but also a need to go beyond being just a distributor. Paul thought that the customer needed hand-holding, support, specific knowledge and customization. "This is an exciting business but not a revolutionary one." States Paul, "We really work on integrating things, on combining techniques and ideas that ultimately make the job of the engineer much easier."

The single most important factor in building his business was the tremendous support of his host manufacturer in Germany, Paul feels that their success is due to an ability to look at least two steps into the future. "You need to anticipate what you haven't yet thought about", says Paul. He is focusing on building his business and taking a long-term-view.

Paul spent two years doing research, analysis and planning in preparation for starting his business. In August he moved his business from his to home to Main Street Industries (Common Wealth Development's second stage incubator). While he has more space than he needs he's certain he will grow into the space. Paul says "I love the fact that I can talk to other business folks here in the building and utilize their expertise and experience". Entrepreneurs know that running a business is tremendously demanding requires a huge skill set. Why reinvent the wheel everyday? Paul values mentorship and other folk's expertise. Paul likes to say with a smile that "If there is a more difficult way of doing something - I will find it".

Comparing his work in the corporate world and in academia with being an entrepreneur Paul is quite happy with his choice, "I have the ability to make and implement decisions quickly with no bureaucracy and no delay". But he also believes that anyone considering starting a business must do some serious soul searching and ask themselves "How do you deal with adversity? How do you deal with two bad choices?" He feels that if you are passionate and have the skills and perseverance you should do it. "What have you got to lose?" he says. "You'll gain valuable life skills and you'll have a fun wild ride".

For more information on imcDataWorks see www.imcdataworks.com

Photography that goes "POP"

Kim Keyes & Kirsten Earley form POP Studio

J C Penney Portrait Studio this is not! Kim Keyes and Kirsten Earley's POP Studio is a fun, lively, whimsical space filled with lots of color and modern style. The POP in POP Studio stands for Photos Of People. They are primarily a portrait studio but they also do some photography of dogs and products. Kim and Kirsten met while shooting weddings, and after several years of finding themselves freelancing on the same commercial shoots, decided to combine their skills and experience to form what they call "a photographic super-duo". They both wanted to tap into their creative side and have fun with photography and portraits. Kim says "We wanted our business to be assessable, fun, and unpretentious". POP Studio - in business since October 2006 - strives to reveal the personality and the identity of a client. "We have fun with people and with portraits" says Kirsten, "Many people are amazed that going to a photographer can be fun!"

POP Studios excels at capturing people in moments of fun and spontaneity -being silly; wearing hats or costumes, in an unusual setting or doing what they love. One portrait captures the joy on a young man's face as he is doing modern dance while another shows two young boys shirtless in the summer sun horsing around in front of a cornfield - a quintessential Wisconsin scene.

Kim & Kirsten set up their studio in a 3rd floor suite at The Madison Enterprise Center. They love the space and it suites them well. They actually consider finding space at The Madison Enterprise Center to be the single most important factor in building their business. "Without affordable space we wouldn't have been able to start this business." Says Kirsten. The Madison Enterprise Center requires business applicants to submit a thorough business plan. "That's something that really helped us" says Kim, "doing that really helped us get our ducks in a row". They also love the fact that they can talk to other entrepreneurs in the building and glean business wisdom from them.

Talking with Kirsten and Kim it's clear that they feel their greatest accomplishment thus far is their identity. Look, colors, style, and website. Branding if you will. The biggest challenges currently are pricing and marketing. The photography industry is currently undergoing fundamental change due to a number of factors and many traditional photographers are going out of business. The challenge that POP Studio faces is how to properly price their product and how to market in a cost effective fashion.

For more information on POP Studio see www.popstudiosite.com

Are you an entrepreneur looking for space?

The Madison Enterprise Center (MEC) is the ideal place to BUILD YOUR BUSINESS. The MEC offers light industrial and office spaces at very affordable rates in the heart of the Williamson-Marquette neighborhood in downtown Madison. One of the great benefits of locating your business here is that you get a built-in support system of other entrepreneurs. These folks can provide you with advice, connections, and answers to your business questions. The MEC provides a fun lively atmosphere with a wide variety of businesses. Also provided are high-speed T-1 Internet access, shared conference room, on-site manager, and business assistance and referral services. We currently have spaces ranging from 1,231-2,178 square feet.

Main Street Industries (MSI) provides a supportive environment for more established businesses. Offering light industrial and office space at affordable rates just one mile east of the Capitol. This 50,000 square foot building offers 20 well-insulated, air-conditioned, accessible spaces also in a great business environment. Provided are protected loading bays with scissors lift and pallet jack, shared conference room, business assistance and referral services, on-site parking, and more. We currently have suites ranging from 1,610-1,769 square feet.

For detailed current availability call 256-6565 or sarah@cwd.org

Did You Know?

Wisconsin is very entrepreneurial.
According to a Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network Study, roughly half of the people in Wisconsin are or have been involved in the Entrepreneurial Process - i.e. they are thinking about starting a business or have started a business.

Among people involved in the Entrepreneurial Process, there is a low level of awareness and usage of state assistance programs for entrepreneurs.

Given these findings, the study recommends that actions be taken to: 1.) create a more hospitable environment for entrepreneurship across Wisconsin; 2.) motivate the large segment of potential entrepreneurs to start businesses; and 3.) assist entrepreneurs and small businesses that already exist.

Incubators contribute to local and regional economies in a big way.
Incubator graduates create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods and commercialize new technologies, thus strengthening local, regional and even national economies.
 
If you would prefer not to receive future email, or if you've changed your email address, please click here.