June 14, 2005

BATTELLE PROGRAM RECEIVES MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AWARD

Cleveland, OH--A Battelle-managed program that assists small, minority-, and woman-owned companies won the 2005 Minority Business Development Recognition Award from Ohio Governor Bob Taft last week.

The NASA Glenn Garrett Morgan Commercialization Initiative (GMCI), located in Cleveland, is a technology transfer and commercialization program sponsored by the NASA Glenn Research Center. It increases the competitiveness of small firms located in the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast by providing enhanced access to NASA technology, programs, and expertise.

"Small businesses are the drivers of our economy and the key to innovation and the technological vitality and sustainability of our nation," said Gail Wright, GMCI manager since its inception in 1998. Wright accepted the recognition award at the Governor's Minority Business Development Recognition Awards Reception.

GMCI is one of several key programs initiated by NASA Glenn to help link Ohio firms with NASA R&D. Other projects include the Great Lakes Industrial Technology Center, the Glennan Microsystems Initiative, and the recently established GATE program.

"Recognition of this program by the Governor tells you a lot about the quality of this activity and its impact on regional economic development," said Marty Kress, VP of Battelle's NASA group. "It also reiterates the value of the NASA Glenn Research Center to economic activity."

Battelle is a global leader in science and technology. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, it develops and commercializes technology and manages laboratories for customers. Battelle, with the national labs it manages or co-manages, oversees 19,000 staff members and conducts $2.9 billion in annual research and development. Battelle innovations include the development of the office copier machine (Xerox), pioneering work on compact disc technology, medical technology advancements, and fiber optic technologies.

For more information on Battelle, visit www.battelle.org or contact Media Relations Manager Mark Berry at (614) 424-5544 or at berrym@battelle.org. For more on GMCI, visit www.nasagmci.org. For additional information on other Battelle Cleveland projects, visit www.battelle-cleveland.org.