Local company manufactures product renovating road construction
AHMEEK — A small business in Keweenaw County is poised for big things in the near future.
A manufacturing company in Ahmeek has a long road ahead of them.
And that’s good news because they produce a fiber reinforced polymer rebar used in the construction of roads. Neuvokas Corporation developed a specialized process for producing GATORBAR, a product that costs no more to produce than traditional steel reinforced rebar but is lighter and lasts longer.
Neuvokas Corp. CEO Erik Kiilunen said, “It’ll provide a longer lasting concrete that won’t corrode, which everybody in the Northern Michigan area knows. Basically, it provides a superior concrete pavement by reducing the total amount of cracks in the pavement.”
The company employs nine people in Keweenaw County, with two more working out of Houston, Texas, where their target customer is located.
Neuvokas recently came away with the People’s Choice Award at the 2015 Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. Besides adding to their growing collection of awards, they also received an influx of cash.
Kiilunen said, “Cash is always critical. Cash measures your runway, in the language we use, the cash you have determines how long you survive, if you make it. So, the additional $10,000, obviously, we’re going to put it towards the marketing and sales effort in Houston.”
GATORBAR is also expected to be included in the major road reconstruction project in Hancock next year.