business that helps protect the country is now calling Bowling Green home.
Electronic Warfare Associates Government Systems, Inc. is one of the first tenants in the Small Business Accelerator in Western’s Center for Research and Development at the old Bowling Green Mall.
EWA provides information technology products and services to the U.S. Department of Defense and other government and law enforcement agencies, according to the company’s Web site.
The business accelerator creates incentives for companies to come to Bowling Green because it makes use of the intellectual capital and resources at Western, said Buddy Steen, executive director of the Central Region Innovation and Commercialization Center that manages the Small Business Accelerator.
“We’re helping to develop the technology workforce in our community, not to mention all the derivative positive impacts of building bridges to the university and lab,” he said.
EWA was one of five parties that signed a lease for the property on Jan. 13, Steen said. One of those leases was to expand an existing company in the center.
The other lessees have not been formally announced, Steen said.
The division of EWA in Bowling Green will be working with Homeland Security.
There will be 20 positions offered for software engineers at EWA, Steen said.
Phil Womble, director of the Applied Physics Institute and associate professor of physics, said the business climate helped attract EWA to the area.
One of the goals of the accelerator is to contribute to the area’s economic growth by recruiting emerging businesses or developing businesses, Chief Financial Officer Ann Mead said.
“We would be really pleased to be able to have students interested in forming companies and locating at the Business Accelerator,” Mead said.
NorthWest Nuclear has also shown public interest in being a part of the accelerator, he said.
The company also works with Homeland Security, Womble said.
Six other potential tenants are also interested in being a part of the accelerator.
“By word of mouth and the reputation of Western, occupancy doesn’t seem to be a problem,” Mead said.
The accelerator opened just after Christmas, she said.
The facilities provide businesses with a commercial environment with broadband internet and phone systems that would be able to help both the accelerator and Western, Steen said.
President Gary Ransdell said he is pleased so far with the companies that are locating at the Business Accelerator and the rest of the Center for Research and Development.
“It has taken a while to get leases in place and move the labs, but now things are beginning to take final shape and we are in leasing mode,” he said.
Reach Ashlee Clark at news@wkuherald.com.
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