| HAVE WE MET? December 2002 Name: Matthew McClorey As president and CEO of the Lawrence Regional Technology Center (LRTC) since June 2002, Matthew McClorey wears many different hats. “I manage a university-based business incubator that supports the creation and growth of high-technology companies,” McClorey said. “My role is to oversee all aspects of the operations of LRTC, including finance, legal, customer service, marketing, public relations and human resources. “LRTC’s mission is to help create and develop successful high-tech start-up companies by providing the resources needed to transfer technologies from the laboratory to marketplace. LRTC offers clients low-cost office space and business development advisory services. I personally work with individual client companies in areas such as business planning, market research analysis, raising capital, corporate and competitive strategy and financial management.” LRTC was created during the mid-90s to provide resources to support the formation and growth of high-tech companies in the Lawrence area. The not-for-profit organization assists early-stage start-up businesses that have spun off from the University of Kansas as well as local high-tech entrepreneurs and business owners who would like to start their own firms. LRTC is an Innovation and Commercialization Center sponsored by Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC), which provides LRTC’s annual operating budget. The organization works closely with the University of Kansas, KTEC and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. Its sister organization, the Enterprise Center of Johnson County, also operates under the auspices of KTEC. In addition, LRTC works with KC Catalyst and other economic development organizations that operate in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The organization’s current incubator facility can house four to five start-up businesses. McClorey said that LRTC is presently developing plans in conjunction with KTEC, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Douglas County and the University of Kansas to build a new incubator in Lawrence that would accommodate 12 to 15 start-up companies. “The new facility would include wet lab space to support the research and development efforts of our life sciences clients,” McClorey said. LRTC is also formulating strategies to improve access to early-stage investment capital for its clients, which include the formation of a seed fund or group of angel investors in Lawrence.” Since the new management team came on in June, it has focused on restructuring the organization and transitioning from the prior management. “I’m very excited that we are nearing the end of the transition phase and are beginning to shift more of our attention to serving the needs of the high-technology start-up companies in our community,” McClorey said. http://www.kcsmallbiz.com/2002/December/HWM_1202.htm
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