Zyvex, the first molecular nanotechnology company, today announced its first company spinout: Zyvex Performance Materials (ZPM). The new company leverages Zyvex’s long-standing reputation as an industry leader, its existing nanomaterials patents, proprietary methods, core technologies, and revenue-generating customer base.
ZPM, which is in the process of scaling its business to meet the growing demand for commercial applications in nanomaterials, is locating their business in Columbus, Ohio in order to be in close proximity to the epicenter of the advanced materials industry (subject to the approval of state and local incentives). The company expects to add at least 25 people to the new facility over the next twelve months (with more to follow) and is currently interviewing for their startup staff. Interested parties can meet key members of the team at the ZPM booth during the Ohio Nanotechnology Summit in Akron on April 23-25.
“There is increasing interest from aerospace, consumer goods, and industrial product markets to use our nanomaterials to impart enhanced thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties in composite systems,” said Thomas W. Hughes, ZPM’s General Manager. “By scaling up our production technology and resources, we can meet this industrial demand and provide our customers with the best solution available. Ohio is an ideal location for our facility since we’ll be close to our customers and strategic partners as well as key scientists, engineers, and production resources.”
As part of this expansion, ZPM is also increasing its presence at their satellite facility in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Nanomaterials Prototyping, Testing and Characterization Facility at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology’s Polymer Processing Center (SDSM&T-PPC) was established in July 2006 under a cooperative agreement with Governor Mike Rounds.
Two industry leaders have already joined the company’s board: James R. Von Ehr and David W. Heard.
Jim Von Ehr is a highly regarded leader within the nanotechnology industry. In addition to founding Zyvex Corporation and the Texas Nanotechnology Initiative, his personal contributions helped establish the University of Texas at Dallas NanoTech Institute. He is also an invited member of the Nanotechnology Technical Advisory Group (NTAG) to the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
David Heard has a broad range of experience which includes founding entrepreneurial start up companies such as Spatial Networks (which was sold to Alcatel in 2004 for over $300M), raising over $240M of private capital as the CEO of Santera Systems, running and turning around Somera, a $100M publicly traded company, and leading a $900M division of Lucent Technologies, a Fortune 50 company.
Mr. Hughes was previously the Chief Operating Officer for Applied Sciences Incorporated and the General Manager for Pyrograf Products, Incorporated, the manufacturing affiliate for Applied Sciences.
The company’s NanoSolve® materials have received worldwide acclaim, including the prestigious R&D100 award. ZPM has an impressive list of key customers with products in the areas of aerospace and defense, healthcare and medical, semiconductor and electronics, biomedical, and marine. ZPM materials are also used in sporting goods, including Aldila’s golf shafts and Easton Sports baseball bats, bicycles and hockey sticks.