Small Products Mean Big Business For Arkansas Company

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -David Nelms thinks small, but the result may mean big business for Arkansas. Nelms’ company, Arkansas Microelectronics Development Corporation (AMDC), makes a very small product, but this high-tech company has big benefits.

"Any state would love to have AMDC," explains John English, director of the Genesis Technology Incubator. "It is a clean, environmentally-friendly company with substantial growth potential in the government and private sector for its products. And that growth will mean higher-paying, high-technology jobs for Arkansas."

Nelms established AMDC at Genesis in 1997 and it has grown steadily. In addition to contracts with NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense, AMDC recently received one of the first two Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Fast Track contracts ever awarded in Arkansas. The $630,000 contract, along with $158,000 in Arkansas Science and Technology Authority (ASTA) matching funds, will allow Nelms to prepare the AMDC technology for commercialization.

AMDC produces a "product to improve other products." Nelms and University of Arkansas researches have developed methods for mounting capacitors directly under the microchips on circuit boards, as well as directly on top of the chips. Not only does this save space on the board, but it allows the chip to work more efficiently.

"The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, which is a part of the Department of Defense, is interested in this technology," noted Nelms. "They, of course, are interested in smaller, more efficient missiles."

Nelms’ work has also generated a lot of interest in the private sector for applications such as cell phones, pagers and laptop computers. His technology could significantly reduce the weight of these products while enhancing their efficiency and extending their function.

A native of Batesville, Ark., Nelms earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Arkansas. Although he wanted to stay in Arkansas, he faced the same dilemma as many graduates - the number of jobs in Arkansas was limited, particularly in microelectronics. Starting AMDC has allowed him to stay in Arkansas and build opportunities for other graduates.

"One of the major problems facing Arkansas is 'brain drain’ caused by university graduates leaving the state to look for high-tech jobs," said English.

The award-winning Genesis Technology Incubator was established to strengthen the technological and economic base in Arkansas. Genesis supports opportunities for Arkansas science and engineering professionals to establish their own high-technology companies. Client companies like AMDC help reverse that exodus of graduates by creating jobs for them in Arkansas.

Genesis provides its clients a lot more than office space. Clients have access to more than 40 specialized research laboratories, libraries, research expertise and an on-site machine shop for prototype production. In addition, each client is assigned a business mentor from the Genesis board of directors, which comprises 15 prominent business leaders from Arkansas.

"It couldn’t have happened without the facilities Genesis and the University of Arkansas provide for high-technology research," Nelms said. "The big advantage Genesis offers high-tech companies is the opportunity to work with students and researchers at the University of Arkansas."