Observer Reporter
Saturday, Feburary 21, 2004

Waynesburg business receives $4,000 grant


WAYNESBURG - Separation Design Group LLC, an advanced technology product development company in Waynesburg, was recently awarded
a $4,000 micro grant from Innovation Partnership.
The grant supports the company's effort to prepare a proposal for submission to the Department of Energy for control of non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases. The research carried out by SDGroup will develop Meso Frequency Adsorption Technology (MCAT), an innovative separations technology that will be used in industrial process improvements.

SDGroup recently relocated its offices and laboratory to Waynesburg and has four employees. The group hopes to collaborate in the future with the U.S. Department of Defense.

MCAT has broad commercial applications, including oxygen enrichment for increased combustion efficiency, fuel cells and aerospace applications and upgrading coal bed methane. Other uses of the proprietary technology include cooling computer chips and portable cooling devices.

SDGroup's mission is to develop MCAT for multiple applications. The implementation of low cost, energy efficient separations will create major improvements in environmental quality and increase the competitiveness of industries that rely on separation technologies for a substantial portion of their operations.

Innovation Partnership is a collaboration of economic development agencies in Pennsylvania, including the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers, Ben Franklin Technology Partnership, Catalyst Connection (based in Pittsburgh), Innovation Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Life Science Greenhouses.

This partnership has been designed to increase both the quantity and the quality of the statewide Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposal preparation and proposal assistance.
Small Business Development Center at the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business assisted SDGroup in making vital connections to the Innovation Partnership program.
Paul Petrovich, technology consultant at the SBDC, reviewed various white papers, concept papers and presentations and provided feedback when applicable.

Jeanine Henry, management consultant, reviewed SDGroup's business plan and provided secondary research information and cited references in the company's behalf.

Tim Deis of Catalyst Connection reviewed the grant-winning proposal and the final proposal submitted to the DOE, as well as two proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation.

For more information on SDGroup and Small Business Development Center, call Brenda Hetrick at 412-648-1528.