Innoventor, Inc. recognized by U.S. Small Business Administration

6/18/2012 By Linda H. Conway

Kent Schien, Innoventor FounderInnoventor, Inc., which was founded by MechSE alumnus Kent Schien, has been named ‘National Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year’ by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Written by By Linda H. Conway

Kent Schien, Innoventor Founder
Kent Schien, Innoventor Founder
Kent Schien, Innoventor Founder
Innoventor, Inc., which was founded by MechSE alumnus Kent Schien, has been named ‘National Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year’ by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Schien’s company was selected from among nine regional prime contractors to receive the award in recognition of the company’s outstanding service as a prime contractor of goods and services to the federal government.

The award was announced last week as part of the National Small Business Week celebration in Washington, D.C.

“The federal government put nearly $100 billion in federal contracts in the hands of small businesses last year,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. “Those small businesses–including the ones being honored today–are creating jobs and delivering innovative products and services to make America stronger. Today, we celebrate the achievements of small businesses as well as their partners and advocates in the federal contracting community.”

Innoventor is a design/build engineering firm founded in the basement of Schien’s home in 1996. The company, located in St. Louis, MO, is the recipient of numerous previous awards. Innoventor’s core competency is combining cross-industry experience and cutting edge technology to provide innovative solutions for a variety of customer demands. Its customers include the government, aerospace, military, automotive, commercial, industrial, agriculture, food and beverage, medical, pharmaceutical and power industries. It has been a prime contractor at Warner Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia for the cesium-based master regulating clock, a precision instrument that regulates secondary clocks in complicated systems, for the E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post for the U.S. Air Force.

Schien, who received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1981, has continued to be actively involved with the department and the university. He is a past president of the MechSE Alumni Board and has, for many years, partnered with the department in helping to prepare its students for the real world. His company provides co-op and extern programs, as well as a number of scholarships and awards.


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This story was published June 18, 2012.