Solvus Global Named Small Manufacturer of the Year
Worcester-based advanced manufacturing technology company innovates and incubates, collaborating with government, industry and academia
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has named Solvus Global the 2024 Small Manufacturer of the Year for Massachusetts.
Solvus Global is a technology solution provider for materials and manufacturing, specializing in the areas of additive manufacturing, machine learning, and sustainable materials processing.
Dr. Aaron Birt and Dr. Sean Kelly earned the recognition as leading experts in various fields including machine learning, materials and manufacturing with a passion for using technology to develop solutions for critical industry problems.
“It’s amazing seeing how far a homegrown enterprise such as Solvus Global has come,” said District Director Robert Nelson. “The SBDC Central Regional Office at Clark University and the SCORE Worcester Chapter providing mentorship and counseling proved vital to the company’s journey to scale.”
Solvus Global leveraged SBA lending, including an equipment line of credit and a revolving line of credit for operating expenses to support their expansion. In addition, a Paycheck Protection Program loan helped keep staff employed with the business until recovery from the pandemic.
In 2019, the rapid growth of the company required shifting from Solvus Global’ s first office and lab space into the 8,000 sq. ft. facility – now the global headquarters in Worcester, MA. Through a partnership with Army Research Laboratory and VRC Metal Systems, Solvus Global additionally operates out of a collaborative production and R&D facility in Webster, MA.
In 2021, Solvus Global renovated an existing 32,000 sq. ft. warehouse into a Center for Scaled Innovations (cSIM) in Manufacturing to grow large production and workforce development in the City of Leominster.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as Small Manufacturer of the Year. Growing up in the area, it has been so exciting to see the resurgence of manufacturing in the region and we’re grateful for the support we’ve had from leaders in the region to have the opportunity to be part of that growth,” said Dr. Sean Kelly.
With support from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), Solvus Global has established an internship program with local colleges and universities such as Quinsigamond Community College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute to prepare the next generation of advanced manufacturing workforce in the North Central Massachusetts region.
The number of employees at Solvus Global has risen from 3 co-founders to 90 employees today.
“We exist to solve problems in the manufacturing technology industry, but at the end of the day it’s all about the people. Ideas are easy to come by, but really execution is that hard part and you can’t do that without amazing people like the ones on our team at Solvus,” says Dr. Aaron Birt.
The company was nominated by Patrick Royce, Vice President, Webster Five Bank.
Dr. Birt and Dr. Kelly will be honored at the annual National Small Business Week Massachusetts Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 10th, 2024, at the Doubletree Andover.