Ann Arbor's Adaptive Materials hires 4 in 10th year of biz

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 | Source: Concentrate

Adaptive Materials has some high expectations for the next decade, now that its first one is behind it.

The Ann Arbor-based firm recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with 58 employees, including four hired this year. The company expects to continue that growth in the next decade as it gets ready to put its products in every RV, boat, ambulance and, well, any place that can use a highly efficient fuel cell.

Adaptive Materials is the brain-child of University of Michigan grad Aaron Crumm. He came up with a way of turning fuels like propane into electricity instead of heat. That means its technology can convert a small propane tank used for camping into a generator that can keep a fridge going during a blackout. Think an emergency generator strong enough to power appliances but small enough to carry in your pocket.

The company started out as a research-and-development firm, but has since grown vertically, taking on more manufacturing. It recently moved to a 60,000-square-foot space on Ann Arbor's south side, allowing manufacturing to take up about half of the firm's resources.

"We'll continue down that path," says Michelle Crumm, chief business officer for Adaptive Materials.

Adaptive Materials' plan is to roll out its products into more and more niche markets. It would like to see it used in places, like third-world countries, by soldiers, by first responders and ever for things like border protection.

Source: Michelle Crumm, chief business officer for Adaptive Materials
Writer: Jon Zemke