StartUp West Virginia Manufacturing Program – Participant Spotlight
TechConnectWV and RCBI announced the first class of StartUp WV Manufacturing on March 5, 2012. Below is a spotlight on two of these innovative and entrepreneurial businesses – HCS Technologies and MarTek Limited.
HCS Technologies Inc. is a West Virginia-based, disabled veteran-owned company in Morgantown, W.Va. The company is in the business of developing and building alternative energy and smart grid power products for marketing to the Dept. of Defense and non-governmental organizations.
HCS is planning to manufacture and sell small-scale hybrid (alternative energy/generator) based power platforms as well as grid-based intelligent power management systems. The company is working with the StartUp Manufacturing Program to help with the design and construction of the weather-proof enclosure for the products’ electronics.
MarTek Limited is a West Virginia company that focuses on designing and manufacturing a line of safety equipment used to protect employees from hazardous electrical arc-flashes. This safety equipment, marketed under the trademarked name of “Chicken Switch”, is focused on positioning an employee safely away from the potential of dangerous arc-flash hazards during high voltage switching activities.
MarTek is now developing a new product that will address another similar arc-flash hazard that occurs when a large breaker is being removed from a section of switchgear. The StartUp Manufacturing Program is providing MarTek with technical assistance and access to state-of-the art machining and prototyping equipment to assist in the development of a critical component within the product.