Times Staff Report
HAMMOND | A Munster resident with more than 25 years of experience in high technology-related business has been appointed executive director of the new Hammond Business Incubator.
Gregory J. Boyan began his appointment this week. He previously served as general manager of Computer Overseas Corp., a Chicago-based export trading company. He also has worked for small and larger companies in fields of electronics, information technology and embedded computers.
The Hammond Business Incubator is a joint operation of the city of Hammond and Purdue University Calumet. It is intended to spur economic growth and development within Hammond by attracting start-up businesses and providing them with needed support and expertise to grow and thrive.
Hammond has contracted Purdue Calumet to manage and operate the incubator.
"Hammond anticipates this incubator becoming a catalyst for future growth in the downtown area," Hammond Economic Development Director Rick Calinski said. "Our hope is to position the incubator as a leading facility for growing transportation and logistics companies.
"Our long-term goal is to nurture businesses out of the incubator and help them grow in revenue and job creation as successful employers in Hammond and Northwest Indiana."
As executive director, Boyan is responsible for developing a business plan for the incubator, overseeing financial management, establishing technology development prospects, developing and implementing business support programs to help start-up businesses maximize growth and success, provide mentoring and business counseling to clients on an as-need basis, and supervise and train Purdue Calumet student interns to prepare industry analyses, market assessments, technology evaluations and financial projections for client firms.
"Greg Boyan is an effective, experienced business leader who is capable of directing important initiatives as part of Hammond's efforts to advance economic development," Purdue Calumet Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Nabil Ibrahim said. "We at Purdue Calumet look forward to partnering with the city and this incubator in this exciting venture."
Boyan calls the Hammond Business Incubator "a dynamic business model, showing new companies how to develop, fund and sustain a business operation. We hope to produce many successful firms that can leave the business incubator financially sound and free standing. It will help to create new jobs and revitalize and strengthen the local economy."
Boyan holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School.
Eventually, the Hammond Business Incubator will be housed in downtown Hammond at 5209 Hohman Ave. in the former Mercantile National Bank accounting facility. The building, which is being renovated to accommodate the incubator, was donated to the Hammond Redevelopment Commission. In the meantime, Boyan has a temporary office at the Purdue Calumet Entrepreneurship Center at 1247 169th St.
