IDEA Center Company Lands Investment
(photo courtesy University of Notre Dame)
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowTrion Coatings LLC, based at the University of Notre Dame’s IDEA Center, has landed an investment from North Carolina-based Nucor Corp. The company has developed an environmentally-friendly chrome plating process in partnership with Notre Dame faculty.
The investment gives Nucor a minority equity position in Trion’s parent company. Nucor will work with Trion to commercialize the technology by building a commercial facility for the process at its St. Joe, Indiana operation. The North Carolina company will hold exclusive worldwide license agreement rights for the technology.
The company says its process results in faster electroplating speeds, more wear resistance and higher performance results than the traditional method. It says its chrome plating process will also have a market advantage as environmental regulations become more stringent.
The IDEA Center has launched nearly 30 startups in its first year of operation. Associate Provost and Innovation Vice President Bryan Ritchie will be a guest this weekend on Inside INdiana Business With Gerry Dick.