SLATER, Iowa—Gross-Wen Technologies, Inc. (GWT) celebrated the opening of their new Slater office with a Dec. 10 ribbon cutting ceremony and open house.
The recently renovated space, located at 404 Main Street in Slater, will function as company headquarters for GWT’s 12 full-time and 3 part-time employees. GWT also holds office space at the Iowa State University Research Park.
Tuesday’s event featured speeches from GWT Vice President of Business Development Jon Kallen; GWT Founder and President Martin Gross; City of Slater Mayor John Kahler; President and CEO, Ames Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development Commission Dan Culhane; and Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority Debi Durham.
Guest speakers provided congratulatory remarks. Kallen and Gross took the opportunity to thank attendees who came out to support the ribbon cutting.
Gross gave special thanks to GWT Founder Dr. Wen. Gross said the two researchers developed GWT’s patented wastewater treatment technology, called the Revolving Algal Biofilm (RAB) system, while Gross was a graduate student at Iowa State.
“Dr. Wen was my professor and he taught me everything,” Gross said. “I owe all thanks to him.”
Additionally, Gross said he was grateful for the City of Slater and Mayor Kahler’s forward-thinking in choosing GWT’s “Iowa-grown” solution for the community’s wastewater treatment needs. GWT made their first sale to the Slater community in December 2018.
“Slater was considering a $6 million alternative,” Gross said. “However, I’m happy to say by using our system, the community saved over $1 million.”
Gross said more restrictive regulations for the removal of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater, are coming, likely requiring Iowa communities costly treatment facility upgrades.
“As stricter permit requirements come through in the future, the City of Slater is already a step ahead by using our technology,” Gross added.
Durham also applauded Mayor Kahler for recognizing the need for an alternative, more cost-effective wastewater treatment solution for his community.
“You said something, Mayor, and you recognized something – that we have to change the mindset in Iowa,” Durham said. “And that mindset is we are overbuilding all of these systems across our state. The problem is, our communities can’t afford to do that. We have to be more adaptable, adopting more biological resources going forward.”
Durham turned to Gross saying, “And I know you had to test in real theatre in Chicago to make that happen.”
“That’s’ got to change,” Durham continued. “We need research facilities in the State of Iowa that we can test new technologies, like Gross-Wen, that can actually bring this cost of construction down for our communities. And to think Slater is leading the way for that, again, congratulations for this big thinking, we can’t wait to see what you’re going to do next.”
GWT is a member of the ISU Startup Factory’s inaugural cohort that graduated in June 2017 and is part of the Ag Startup Engine.
Gross-Wen Technologies, Inc. Founder Martin Gross leads the Dec. 10 ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the company’s new Slater, Iowa headquarters.
