The Final State of the Union
This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.
Summary:
Patrick Govang says the American Jobs Act will give his Ithaca-based company the ability to create more jobs
The White House Business Council invited small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the country to a forum we hosted with Business Forward earlier this month. While they were here, we spoke to some of the people we met about the secrets of their success, and found out how the American Jobs Act will enable them to grow even more quickly in 2012.
e2e Materials was founded in 2006 with a simple premise: Soy-based biocomposite furniture, cabinetry and other wood-based products could be stronger, lighter, safer, cheaper and more sustainable than those made from other wood composites. In just 5 years, President and CEO Patrick Govang, formerly a director at Cornell University’s Center for Materials Research and an 18-year veteran of the automobile industry, has grown the company from a one-man operation to a business supporting 24 full time employees.
“From our technology to our production processes our team innovates on all fronts, and taken together, we have the potential to create a tremendous amount of value, says Govang. “Our raw materials can all be grown in one year, rather than 20 for a tree. Our processed materials are both stronger than the competition and biodegradable, and can be processed to complex and custom shapes, minimizing waste and cost. Our products contain no formaldehyde or toxins. And we use only 19 percent of the energy that’s required to produce comparable wood-based products. Better products, American innovation and outrageously green.”
As it grows, e2e plans to source all of its agricultural raw materials from within 100 miles of their Ithaca, NY-based production facility. In the next four to five years, e2e plans to meet its growing demand with a major production operation that will support up to 200 manufacturing jobs and as many as 1,500 related agricultural jobs in New York State.
Govang believes his company will grow even more quickly if Congress embraces the President’s plan to create jobs. “The tax credits for both equipment investment, and the payroll tax breaks contained within the American Jobs Act will be critical as we look to greatly expand our production in the coming years.”
