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POM Wins Top Honors for Successful Commercialization Endeavors

19 September 2000

POM Wins Top Honors for Successful Commercialization Endeavors

    LANSING, Mich., Sept. 19 The POM Group, Inc., has earned
top honors from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for its
successful technology commercialization endeavors.  The award was presented
today at the Michigan State Capitol in conjunction with MEDC's Michigan
Commercialization Investment and Commercialization Success Awards program.
    Each year, the MEDC, a statewide economic development agency, honors top
Michigan businesses in the categories of advanced manufacturing, venture
capital, life sciences, and information technology as a means to promote
Michigan as a technology leader.  Organizations are nominated for the awards
by Michigan universities and the MEDC.
    "The winners exemplify the successful transfer of technology to
commercialization," said Richard Snyder, chair of the MEDC executive
committee.  "Commercialization success in these important industries is key to
helping the state develop into a national leader in the technology driven
economy."
    In each of the four categories, one company is selected as the
"outstanding achiever" in its field.  POM, based in Plymouth, Mich., was named
Outstanding Achiever in the advanced manufacturing category for its
commercialization of a laser-based direct metal fabrication process called
DMD(TM) (Direct Metal Deposition).  This patented process, which is capable of
producing prototype and production tooling for the plastic injection molding
and die casting industries, is based on technology developed under the
leadership of Dr. Jyoti Mazumder at the University of Michigan.
    "POM is a premiere example of advanced manufacturing technology emerging
from a Michigan university," said Snyder.
    Top honors in other categories were:

    -  Venture Capital:  EDF Ventures, Ann Arbor, Mich.
    -  Information Technology:  Interlink Networks, Ann Arbor, Mich.
    -  Life Sciences: Lumigen, Inc., Southfield, Mich.

    For a complete listing of winners, see http://www.medc.michigan.org .
    POM, based in Plymouth, Mich., is one of the world's first companies to
introduce a reliable, laser-based direct metal fabrication process capable of
producing prototype and production tooling associated with the plastic
injection molding and die casting markets.  A minority owned and operated
service bureau and OEM, POM provides DMD process equipment as well as finite
element analysis, CAD/CAM, fabrication and repair services.