Software Firm New Incubator Tenant For Grand Valley

MUSKEGON -- A company that develops software for small businesses, government offices and Fortune 500 companies is the newest tenant at Grand Valley State University's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center on the Muskegon waterfront.

Corlnet, LLC, based in Muskegon with an office in Grand Rapids, has signed a two-year agreement with Grand Valley to occupy business incubator space at MAREC. The nearly 2-year-old company offers proprietary software products, managed services, and custom software development to clients across the U.S. in locations such as West Michigan, California, Texas and Florida.

The company has public and private sector clients in industries such as education, health care, insurance, aerospace, transportation, and manufacturing, including furniture makers. Founder Hank Betten, a 28-year-old Muskegon native, moved into MAREC Nov. 1. He leads a team of six full-time employees.

Betten said that although there are numerous software companies in West Michigan, Corlnet is one of the few owned and headquartered locally in the Muskegon Lakeshore region. The location allows clients to have face-to-face interaction with the company's developers.

"Our company includes software engineers, developers and architects who can build custom software for customer-specific needs, versus other types of companies that often adapt existing 'one-size-fits-all' products that may not serve a customer's unique business process," he said.

A commitment to Muskegon is one reason Betten chose MAREC.

"My family has always been dedicated to the Muskegon community, which doesn't get credit for its talented work force," he said. "When I hired my team, all were very talented Muskegon residents looking for work. The talent is here. We've had a great year, and I see it continuing. I expect to double our staff to 12 employees in the coming year."

Arn Boezaart, director of MAREC, said Corlnet is an excellent example of new business development in Muskegon.

"Corlnet joins another MAREC incubator tenant, LongerDays.com, as an important addition to a new generation of Muskegon-based, technology-focused business start-ups," he said. "As part of the Muskegon SmartZone, it's important for us to support locally based technology start-ups as well as energy-related businesses."  

Betten said Corlnet's ultimate goal is to revolutionize the marketplace for the IT infrastructure industry so it more effectively engages the customer and end-user in developing solutions for business needs.

Corlnet joins four other MAREC business incubator tenants, including Energy Partners, Logical Lighting Systems, LongerDays.com, and McKenzie Bay International. Learn more about the business incubator program here.

The Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center in Muskegon is an economic development initiative of the City of Muskegon in partnership with Grand Valley State University and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. MAREC offers a range of business start-up and incubation opportunities for technology companies with emphasis on renewable energy, in partnership with the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC).

For more information, contact Joe Graczyk, MAREC incubator manager, at (616) 331-6914 or graczykj@gvsu.edu.