The National Business Incubation Association named Appareo Systems the 2010 Outstanding Incubator Graduate in the technology category on May 18 during the Association’s International Conference on Business Incubation in Orlando, Fla. David Batcheller, chief operating officer; Ahron Walter, chief financial officer; and Brenda Wyland, incubator manager, accepted the award at the conference. There were an estimated 550 people from 44 countries at the conference.
A graduate of the Technology Incubator at the NDSU Research and Technology Park, Appareo Systems uses relatively inexpensive electronic components in place of the heavy, expensive equipment traditionally used in avionics such as flight data recorders. Appareo’s equipment is a fraction of the size and cost of traditional flight data recorders, allowing operators of small aircraft to enjoy the same safety benefits that large aircraft operators have.
Barry Batcheller, who now serves as the company’s president and CEO, founded Appareo Systems in 2001. The firm, which graduated from the incubator in 2009, has built a team of more than 60 employees with an annual payroll of nearly $3 million and annual revenues of more than $6 million.
Business incubation programs like the NDSU Research and Technology Park Technology Incubator catalyze the process of starting and growing companies by providing entrepreneurs with the expertise, networks and tools they need to make their ventures successful. The National Business Incubation Association estimates that in 2005 alone, North American incubators assisted more than 27,000 start-up companies that provided full-time employment for more than 100,000 workers and generated annual revenue of more than $17 billion. Approximately 7,000 business incubators operate worldwide.
The relationship with the NDSU Research and Technology Park’s Technology Incubator has proven beneficial for Appareo Systems. The firm received value-added services that include technical assistance, market research, networking opportunities and valuable university relationships, including the ability to recruit talented students.
The National Business Incubation Association is the world's leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. Each year, the National Business Incubation Association Incubation Awards honor the business incubation programs, graduates and client companies that exemplify the best of the industry.