Automatic success

For Automation Alley’s Ken Rogers, it’s
all about vision.

“Knowing where you want to go and
what you want to become is what will get
you there in the end,” Rogers says. “No one
stumbles upon their goals — they first
dream them and then take active steps to
make them reality.”

Rogers has that
vision as executive
director of Automation Alley, an
organization of leaders from all backgrounds and business
sectors who combine
talent and energy to transform Southeast
Michigan into a high-tech powerhouse.

Rogers came to the organization in 1999
with no funding and no staff members, facing nearly insurmountable obstacles.

But as the sole member of the staff, he
believed in the project, envisioning
Automation Alley with a strong member
base of about 200 companies, a huge
increase from its modest 44 starting members.

Within a few years, his vision had been
surpassed and the bar had been raised.
With more than 8,200 tech companies in
the region, the Southeast Michigan area is
the fifth-largest R&D hub in the region, giving people a strong reason to stay in
Michigan.

Beyond attracting participants, Rogers
wanted to make sure companies would
have a high rate of return on investment
and a reason to stay in the region. By bringing together tech companies, government
and education entities and making partnerships happen, Automation Alley members
see a huge return on investment, helping it
grow to more than 700 member companies
to date, with Rogers envisioning an organization that will eventually reach 1,000
members.

HOW TO REACH: Automation Alley, (248) 457-3200 or
www.automationalley.com