| Written By Craig Scharton |
It’s hard to believe – the Claude Laval Water & Energy Technology (WET) Incubator has already been open for a year! We are working hard to position the WET as the center point in the regional effort to turn the Central Valley into a world leader in water technology. Along with our partner, Fresno State’s International Center for Water Technology (ICWT), we are striving to serve the existing water technology companies in our region, develop new technologies and new companies, and become a place where the world will come for its water solutions.
We’ll be celebrating our first birthday with a special breakfast gathering on Thursday, May 1. If you believe in this effort and would like to hear about the water and clean energy companies that we are incubating and our upcoming plans, please join us.
During the past year the WET has had a full house. We have five great companies representing a wide variety of perspectives in the water and clean energy fields. All have grown considerably during their time with us, and our program has continued to develop alongside of them.
We have been honored to have many guests at the WET during the past year and encourage all of you to set up a time to tour this world-class facility. We have had many international visitors including a Member of Parliament from Australia, a group from a Shanghai clean energy technology park, and the Trade Minister from Sri Lanka.
In addition, we have had a conference of business incubator professionals from around the nation and elected officials past and present – from our congressmen and assembly representatives to our county boards and city council members. Many government agencies had their departments come through to meet with our businesses and to see ICWT’s incredible testing and certification lab.
We have also had widespread positive media exposure from our local media from Oakhurst to Porterville. We have also had national and statewide coverage from Huell Howser’s public television show to Waste News to a front page story in California Fresh Fruit and Raisin News.
Thank you to the Business Journal for the WET’s recent award in the Community Impact category. The impact that the WET Incubator will make on our region has only begun! Finally, I want to acknowledge the outstanding staff that keeps the facility running and who keep our incubating businesses on the road to success – Gary and his team are the best friends a start-up business could ever hope to have.
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