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John Ehrlichman may or may not have said:
"Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it's awfully hard to put in again." That isn't to say history would have been different had the Nixon Administration been using an ultrasonic tube sealing device manufactured by Shelton's American Technology Inc., but at least they would not have had to deal with messy and unsightly leaks.
A better way of sealing toothpaste tubes is just one of the many products offered by American Technology, or AmTech. If something can be attached, sealed or spliced using ultrasound, AmTech has made a machine to do it.
Opened on a shoestring in 1978 with just five employees, AmTech started out scratching up business in the tri-state area. "When we started, we didn't imagine we would be worldwide," said Michael J. Patrikios, president and owner of AmTech.
Today, the company employs 100 people and "watches carefully" events in Germany where its two closest competitors recently merged. AmTech has signed an agent to represent its interests in China; it does business throughout Europe and has an office in Lyon, France.
Another sign of the company's success is that Patrikios was named the 1997 SBA Connecticut Small Business Person of the Year. While he was "honored," in a soft-spoken manner he added, "I don't know why we won."
The award is given, as its name implies, by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Awards in 11 other categories are handed out, but the Small Business Person of the Year receives top billing. Jo-Ann Van Venten, district director of the SBA, enjoys presenting the awards every year. "It gives us the ability to see how dreams come true."
There are seven criteria for the award, she said. A business must: have been in existence for at least five years; show the number of employees; have had an increase in sales or unit volume which indicates continued growth; provide current and past financial reports, which remain confidential; produce an innovative product; demonstrate a response to adversity; and show evidence of a contribution telecommunity.
Recipients are selected by an advisory counsel of business...