UT agency’s chief draws praise

Rick Stansley, Jr. is head of University of Toledo Innovation Enterprises.

One of the key reasons Isofoton North America chose the greater Toledo metropolitan region for its factory location was our growing, profitable relationship with the University of Toledo and our justified commitment to invest in its potential.

The cornerstone of that relationship revolves around our daily interactions with the unusually gifted, dedicated, intuitive, and helpful Rick Stansley, Jr. (“UT agency’s chief draws faculty fire; $1,200-a-day salary questioned as cuts loom,” Jan. 27).

Mr. Stansley is a long-term player who sees around corners and beyond horizons. He’s done more to ensure the success of Isofoton North America in northwest Ohio than I have.

At Isofoton North America, we often try to describe the Rick Stansley difference to federal agency executives, supply chain provider allies, solar project developers, the media, and companies interested in joining us in northwest Ohio — anyone who is interested in finding out more about our company and why we’re in Ohio.

Most of the other universities we work with closely have not been able to provide a proven, high-level business-academic visionary such as Mr. Stansley, who is focused on uplifting regional economic welfare through the university platform.

Most other universities also have not been able to persuade someone to focus exclusively on the demanding and often frustrating day-to-day trench warfare of finding, developing, and managing university-inspired start-ups and technology spin-offs for the long-haul, and not just the quick hits.

Most universities either have not recognized how desperately they need this unique brand of private-academic talent, or don’t know where to find it.

The company I chair and of which I am a minority shareholder, Isofoton North America, hired Incenu, as The Blade article states. We are fully pleased with the results we obtained.

We won a seat on one of the two teams that were awarded the right to participate in the Department of Energy Plug & Play competition, in collaboration with the University of Toledo, even as we were opening our factory doors to begin commercial production of the next generation of lightweight rooftop-mounted solar technology. This will help to drive the costs of a 2.5 kilowatt residential rooftop solar system, fully installed, down to $1.50 a watt from $4.90 a watt in the near future.

We make sure we’re in line with all the other northwest Ohio solar cluster companies that stand in front of Mr. Stansley’s door on a weekly basis to request more of his insights, direct guidance, and support.

We are figuring out our company’s strategies not only with the Turning Point Solar project that your paper has covered, but also how to achieve the growth curves we believe are possible locally — as many as 330 local jobs by 2014.

MICHAEL PECK

Chairman Isofoton North America

Napoleon