Business Alliance Project Recognized By National Group

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE) in the UB Business Alliance has been recognized for its outstanding work by the National Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers (NAMTAC).

TCIE received an award as one of nine outstanding "Projects of the Year" in the category of technology transfer for its work with the Rochester-based firm OhmCraft, Inc., entitled "Resistor Development and Characterization."

The project was led by Tim Mattulke, project manager for the Strategic Partnership for Industrial Resurgence (SPIR) at UB.

The UB project involved TCIE's work with OhmCraft, a small-growth resistors manufacturer, to expand its current product line, improve production and better evaluate the performance of resistors. OhmCraft, which manufactures specialty resistors for electronic components, wanted to expand the capabilities of its research-and-development department, but lacked the financing. So TCIE worked with the company to obtain New York State funding through SPIR, based in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which it used to underwrite some of the project's costs. With the alliance providing project management and support services, OhmCraft increased employment from 20 to 60 workers over two years, and constructed a larger facility.

Designed to provide research-and-development support and technical expertise to small and medium-sized manufacturing companies, SPIR has funded more than 470 projects during the past year.

Mattulke says SPIR "aims to bolster the state economy by promoting the transfer of knowledge from university to industry and providing consultation, research facilities and resources for industrial restructuring."

The award was presented to Mattulke at the annual conference of NAMTAC, a nonprofit association that provides advocacy, information and a forum in which to enhance the performance of organizations that provide business, economic-development and technical assistance.