Hans Peter Michelet has been called a
serial entrepreneur because he’s constantly starting and developing a variety of
businesses, but one of his most ambitious
efforts is as chairman of Energy Recovery
Inc., which manufactures energy recovery
devices used in seawater reverse osmosis
desalination plants.
Michelet was an early investor in ERI back
when it had only two employees and was still
just an R&D venture, and he’s overcome
many obstacles to ensure the company’s success today.
Michelet was originally told by engineering
experts that ERI couldn’t manufacture a
pumping device out of available ceramics
technology that could withstand the pressure
and tolerance specifications required. He and
the inventor defied their expectations and
proved them wrong.
He also had to make changes to ERI’s management team. He believed that the company
needed the right team for the right time, and
that meant ousting the founder of the company. On top of that, he moved the company
from Virginia to California to be near a new
management team.
Then financially, the company was burning
through cash as it developed its technology.
Michelet was able to convince a small group
of investors to commit to the process more
than most venture capitalists would probably
tolerate.
Today, as a result of Michelet’s leadership,
the company is a market leader and changed
the economics of desalination. On top of that,
this executive chairman has created jobs.
What started out as a two-person start-up has
turned into 54 employees in the United States
and another 13 in offices in Shanghai, Dubai
and Madrid.
HOW TO REACH: Energy Recovery Inc., (510) 483-7370 or
www.energyrecovery.com