U-M grad recruits serial entrepreneur pop to Ann Arbor to grow Avomeen

Shri Thanedar spent a few years in Ann Arbor in the early 1980s conducting post-doctorate work at the University of Michigan's Department of Chemistry, but the serial entrepreneur ended up elsewhere in the U.S., founding and exiting startups. He sold the last of his startups and retired when fate, or more specifically his son Neal Thanedar, came calling him back to Ann Arbor.

"At the time I was living on the beach in Florida," Shri says. "My son's preference was to stay in Ann Arbor and start something in Ann Arbor."

Neal had just graduated from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business in 2010 and recruited his father to help him launch Avomeen Analytical Services. The Ann Arbor-based startup features a full-service chemical testing laboratory specializing in pharmaceutical testing and investigative analysis.

Avomeen Analytical Services has grown from the father-son duo 14 months ago to 10 employees, four independent contractors and a few interns today. It has a client list with more than 200 companies from across the U.S. It plans to keep growing, attracting new clients and growing its brand with wins like coming out on top of the Startup America Super Bowl Pitch Contest at this year's ACE event in Ann Arbor.

"We're growing very rapidly, at actually twice the rate as my previous companies," Shri says. He credit's Neal's enthusiasm and skills for driving that growth, which Shri expects will allow Avomeen Analytical Services to double its revenue and staff this year.

Source: Shri Thanedar, CEO & owner of Avomeen Analytical Services
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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