Team Specialty Products' $2- million expansion in Albuquerque came about in part because of proximity to customer Sandia National Labs and proximity to highly educated people.

“S

ometimes, technology transfer is like crossing Death Valley in July."
   That's how Team Specialty Products President Danny Sachs describes what it's like to take great technology ideas from the ivory tower to commercial application. Yet that's exactly what he and his brother Bob did in launching and growing a lucrative high- tech business in Albuquerque, N.M.
   Founded in 1985, Team Specialty Products (TSP) recently completed a US$2 million, 40,000- sq.- ft. (3,716- sq.- m.) expansion of its manufacturing and office space at 1400 Eubank Blvd., S.E., in Albuquerque.
   The company specializes in developing, fabricating and testing state- of- the- art mechanical and electronic products. TSP's clients include Sandia National Labs, Los Alamos National Labs, Northrup Grumman, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Boeing and Bechtel Nevada Corp.
   Sandia has 20,000 suppliers but only nine strategic partners. TSP is one of them.
   Sachs says his company's success would not have occurred apart from its New Mexico location. "Because of the business climate in the Albuquerque corridor, we are going to need more space in the next couple of years to meet the demand," he says. "We are looking at a little bit of risk with this expansion, because we don't need all the space right now."
   But Sachs sees no downside in taking that risk.
   "We are growing faster than expected. Because of our location, we have been able to do special work in manufacturing for the national labs of the Department of Energy," he said. "We have expanded into Air Force work and commercial work, too."
   When asked how his Albuquerque location helped his company grow, Sachs says, "It is very easy to maneuver in this market. You still need to do your due diligence. But given that, you can approach your bankers here with a good business plan and move forward. The whole value chain works very well here."
   Others would seem to agree. Forbes magazine recently ranked Albuquerque as the No. 1 city in the nation for business and careers.
   TSP has 70 employees and expects to add more as it grows in the coming years. "Over the last few months, we have added three master's degree- level people," said Sachs. "We have also added assembly people and highly qualified machinists. There are a lot of high- degree people here. There is no shortage of getting them here. The trick is finding the right person. We've got a lot of well- educated people but also good, hard- working people."
   The greater Albuquerque- Los Alamos region is one of the top five areas in the country in terms of Ph.D. degrees per capita.
   Like other firms in Albuquerque, TSP was founded in the area because of the presence of Sandia Labs. "We are a go- to company for the people at Sandia," Sachs said. "If they have an experiment they want to do, they come to us for the experimental hardware."