Entrepreneur Archive:
Mo-Sci Corporation

Specialized-Glass Manufacturer's Entrepreneurial Journey
Leads to Commercial Success with Help from UMR SBTDC

Mo-Sci Corporation — Rolla, MO
Assisted by:
Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, UMR's Small Business & Technology Development Center

Back in the early '80s Delbert Day, a University of Missouri-Rolla ceramic engineering professor, had a vision for glass. But not just any glass. He envisioned special products such as microspheres, powders and continuous glass fibers for unique applications in medicine, pharmaceuticals, aerospace and electronics.

Day's special vision for glass became a reality soon thereafter in the form of a product called TheraSphere™. Now, more than 20 years later, that vision has led to a range of high-tech applications in such diverse areas as cancer treatments and blood filtration, electronic displays and automotive mirrors, flip chip technology and sporting goods equipment.

	Mo-Sci Corporation offers specialty-glass manufacturing services for a variety of high-tech applications

Professor Day's vision also led to the development of Mo-Sci Corporation, the Rolla-based firm he founded in 1984. The company arose because no supplier within the glass industry was willing to make TheraSphere, according to Ted Day, president of Mo-Sci and son of the professor.

"Dad thought there might be other companies that had a similar need to acquire niche glass materials in low-volume/high-margin markets," says Ted. "Mo-Sci was started with that concept in mind and after 23 years—serving 1,000-plus customers and exporting to 40-plus countries—I think he was right."

Of course, during the first few years Mo-Sci operated on a slender thread, like most new small businesses. In Mo-Sci's case that slender thread had a name: SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) awards, which are limited-amount R&D grants available for promising research efforts of interest to any of a variety of federal agencies.

Mo-Sci began writing SBIR proposals soon after start-up. Within four years it had received six Phase I awards ($100,000 each) and two Phase II awards (up to $750,000 each). One of those Phase II projects, biodegradable implants, is getting ready to come to market, according to Ted.

But in addition to SBIRs, two other factors led to the firm's development. One was its ability to level the playing field among much larger companies by structuring Mo-Sci to take advantage of personnel and assets available through UMR. The Days also assembled a business plan that combined all aspects of the services its customers needed, Ted says.

"These were R&D, analytical, pilot, and full-scale production and post-forming services. No other specialty glass manufacturer that we know of has done this."

Today Mo-Sci serves 85 percent of Fortune 500 companies. It is also the sole specialty-glass supplier to 47 of the top 50 and to four of the top five companies on that list.

As an example, Ted cites his firm's work with giant health care product manufacturer Johnson & Johnson: "J&J came to us in the late '80s and asked if we could develop a glass microsphere that would be inert in human blood, while also being of very high quality and narrow size distribution."

Mo-Sci soon began producing the microspheres to J&J's specs, which call for a diameter of 70-90 microns...the width of a human hair. Initial monthly shipments ranged from 10-30 pounds. Today Mo-Sci is J&J's sole supplier of the minute glass orbs and ships 2,000 pounds per month. J&J's annual revenue from BioVue™, the card that utilizes the microspheres, is in the $800-million range, according to Ted.

Because of the Days' astute approach to the business side of the operation, Mo-Sci has grown more than 2,000 percent in the past 20 years, with most of that growth occurring in the last five years. During those growth years Mo-Sci also found a helpful partner in its pursuit of business growth. UMR's Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC), which calls itself the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach (CEO), has served as a networking resource for Mo-Sci.

"CEO has identified many programs that Mo-Sci may have overlooked in its initial solicitations," says Ted. "The most obvious feature that CEO has continued to work on with Mo-Sci is bringing people and resources together to have a fair shot at getting an SBIR award."

"Our experience with UMR's CEO has been outstanding. The quality of response we've received has been excellent with each and every encounter."

Mo-Sci's president notes that proposal preparation and reporting criteria for SBIRs can vary significantly, depending on which federal agency or department seeks applications. He finds CEO's help in identifying potential submissions and resources is unequalled.

As a result, Ted Day gladly offers a clear-as-glass endorsement: "I would certainly recommend CEO's services to anyone who operates a small business and is considering venturing into the SBIR/STTR program."

Mo-Sci Corporation
4040 Hy Point North
Rolla, MO 65401
www.mo-sci.com
Phone: 573-364-2338
Fax: 573-364-9589
E-mail: admin@mo-sci.com

This story was featured in the December 2007 newsletter

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