For many aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses, finding the money to design and prototype their ideas can be a tremendous challenge.
Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP) helps bridge that gap through its various programs and grant offerings, and a new alliance with
EFE Laboratories will provide young companies with even more of the connections, technical expertise and financial capital they need to bring their products to market.
Led by majority owner and engineer Kip Anthony, EFE is a leading manufacturer of controllers, communication tools, medical devices, and other electrical and mechanical engineering solutions.
With 35 employees and growing, the Horsham-based lab has already helped clients obtain matching
Ben Franklin FabNet (BFFN) prototyping grants.
For example, its work with
SureShade has allowed founder Dana Russikoff to both expand the company's market reach, and move the design and manufacturing of its retractable boat shades back to the Philadelphia area.
Not content to simply refer clients to the BFFN program, EFE actively reaches out to growing companies facing various developmental challenges and a lack of R&D capital.
"I’m trying to make sure that, through the network and connections I have, clients receive the help they need to move their manufacturing process forward," says Anthony.
An established engineer with an MBA, Anthony understands the vital role manufacturing plays in the economy, and is passionate about sharing EFE's capabilities and experience with the larger entrepreneurial community.
"There are a lot of good people behind this," he insists, discussing how EFE's new alliance might help bring manufacturing jobs back to the region. "[There’s] a lot of shared passion, and a lot of drive and desire to succeed."
Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Kip Anthony, EFE Laboratories