Kevin Fern made a career as two things: a serial entrepreneur and a veteran of the alternative fuel vehicle industry. He is using both to build up his new firm, Crazy Diamond Performance.
The Shelby Township-based startup specializes in natural gas technology for automobiles. It is working to help transition more vehicles away from relying on gasoline for power to using compressed natural gas.
"We see a lot of merit in natural gas-powered vehicles," says Steven Bridson, business development manager of
Crazy Diamond Performance. "It is beneficial to the U.S. because there is a lot of natural gas here."
The 3-year-old firm is utilizing compressed natural gas (a clear, odorless, and non-corrosive fuel) in its products. When combusted in a vehicle, it produces lower exhaust emissions, reducing carbon dioxide by 25 percent, and there are almost no evaporative emissions. With 120-octane and nearly the same energy content as gasoline, current generation compressed natural gas engines are just as powerful as their gasoline counterparts.
Crazy Diamond Performance currently has a team of four people working on its technology. It recently hired two people and is planning to hire more soon.
"We expect to bring on more people as the project we are working on are approved and funded," Bridson says.
Crazy Diamond Performance recently joined
Automation Alley's 7Cs program, which helps small companies learn the basics of manufacturing and how to turn it to their advantage when growing their business.
"We think the 7Cs program will help us get the Crazy Diamond Performance message out to the industry," Bridson says.
Source: Steven Bridson, business development manager of Crazy Diamond Performance
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.