I'm Taking My Good News Where I Can Find It

Oct. 7, 2010

The economic wallahs tell us that the economy is getting better -- sort of. Unless you're reading them on the days when they're in a bad mood, and they're telling us the opposite--or, of course, unless you're one of those poor souls still trying to find work after a layoff or graduation. Then, the economy really does still pretty much stink. Meanwhile, since psychology plays a big role in this glass-half-empty/half-full scenario (I don't think anybody's saying it's any better than half full--at best), I'm always on the look-out for the good news.

The economic wallahs tell us that the economy is getting better -- sort of. Unless you're reading them on the days when they're in a bad mood, and they're telling us the opposite--or, of course, unless you're one of those poor souls still trying to find work after a layoff or graduation. Then, the economy really does still pretty much stink. Meanwhile, since psychology plays a big role in this glass-half-empty/half-full scenario (I don't think anybody's saying it's any better than half full--at best), I'm always on the look-out for the good news.

So I was happy this morning when two pieces of good news popped up in my mailbox. Neither of them is world-shattering. They won't cause a triple-digit upturn in the stock market or have a major impact on the employment numbers for the month of October. What they are, however, is a sign that even in these problematic times, some folks are doing well enough to invest in the growth of their own companies--which is always a positive sign.

First, from Michigan:

ISSYS Announces Manufacturing Expansion
 
YPSILANTI, Mich.- October 7, 2010 - Integrated Sensing Systems, Inc. (ISSYS) announced that it has completed its 2010 manufacturing expansion project, adding 5,400 square feet to its existing facility. The expansion is dedicated to high-quality manufacturing of system-level products based on ISSYS MEMS chips that are fabricated in its current cleanroom facility. The expansion includes assembly lines, production laboratories, clean assembly/packaging rooms and calibration areas for both medical and industrial products. The new floor space also includes a combination cleanroom and Faraday cage for final assembly and calibration area with capacity for over 10,000 units/year of ISSYS' wireless, batteryless medical implants. 


Dr. Nader Najafi, ISSYS President and CEO, stated that "ISSYS' MEMS cleanroom facility has the capacity to produce hundreds of thousands MEMS chips. The expansion area allows ISSYS to manufacture system-level products based on these enabling MEMS chips. These products include wireless, batteryless, sensing implants (applications include congestive heart failure and traumatic brain injuries), and industrial fluidic devices such as the FC10 methanol concentration sensor, FuelSense, MassSense, and UL-approved density and flow meters."


According to Doug Sparks, Executive VP of ISSYS, "This new manufacturing site will allow ISSYS to ramp up the production of its MEMS-based microdensity sensors and eventually the MicroCoriolis mass flow meters. The latest product, the FuelSense density meter is gaining traction in the monitoring of fuel and petrochemical quality, fuel custody transfer, fuel type and fuel blending markets.  Its small size and added features gives it a significant advantage over current density meters based on steel resonating tubes. Phase I expansion accommodates production of over 10,000 industrial units per year."


And from Missouri:

MYNAH Technologies, LLC: Incorporated in the State of Missouri
 
Effective October 1, 2010, MYNAH Technologies, formerly a division of Experitec, Inc., has become MYNAH Technologies LLC, incorporated in the state of Missouri. The new company is led by Larry Tietjen, CEO, Martin Berutti, President and COO, Nobin William, Vice-President Technology, and Todd Anstine, Vice-President Operations. 
 
MYNAH Technologies as a division of Experitec, Inc., closed its 2010 fiscal year September 30 with sales growth of 30% over fiscal year 2009, posting their best results ever. The end of the year was also marked by the release of MiMiC v3.3dynamic simulation software for automation system acceptance testing and operator training. Included in MiMiC v3.3 is the release of Advanced Modeling Objects, a set of rigorous first-principles,
 
Larry Tietjen, CEO of MYNAH Technologies, LLC, commented that he is excited about the future of the company. "This new release of MiMiC, the change in corporate structure and our strong leadership team, have positioned MYNAH for aggressive business growth in the coming years as the process industries emerge from the global recession."
 
MYNAH's MiMiC Simulation Software is used in more than 1000 sites in 68 countries worldwide ranging from hydrocarbon production and refining to chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech industries. MYNAH Technologies' headquarters is located in the St. Louis metropolitan area, in Chesterfield, Mo., USA.