AlturnaMats, a Titusville company, manufactures a variety of interlocking ground-protection mats strong enough to support construction vehicles and foot traffic.

A little over a month into his new position as president of AlturnaMats, Michael Gierlach has some ambitious goals set for himself. And why not? The 23-year old has already successfully moved through the ranks of the company he started working for part-time in high school.

"The former owner was a neighbor and asked me if I wanted to help," Gierlach recalls. "I was young and ambitious and jumped at the chance."

AlturnaMats manufactures highly durable interlocking polyethylene mats that eliminate damage to lawns and landscaped areas from heavy equipment and machinery. Primary markets currently include arborists, turf installers, water-well drillers and construction companies.

The company's mats lock into place to form a continuous, solid working roadway or platform, while providing greater traction for vehicles operating in mud or sand. No two jobs are quite the same, but the typical application is a 40 x 80 foot strip, which installs in about three hours.

Over the past nine years, Gierlach cut his teeth throughout the organization, working third shift on the production line before moving into the office, where over the next five years he took on more responsibilities and oversaw tremendous growth in his role as general manager.

Operating around the Clock
AlturnaMats, which currently employs 35, does all its manufacturing in Titusville. The 12,000-square-foot facility runs around the clock, seven days a week, shipping products to a worldwide network of more than 200 distributors.

Gierlach says the key to success is in their manufacturing process. "We're all using the same type of raw materials, but our big advantage is what happens during production," he says. "The result is that our mats will not break or crack."

Just as Gierlach has grown with the company, the company has grown thanks to the support of BFTP and the Transformations Business Services Network (TBSN).

"Roy Cambpell [TBSN field officer] has worked with us in many areas as the company has grown over the past five years," Gierlach says. "We needed help in accounting, finance, human resources and more. If we didn't have BFTP's assistance, we'd still be a small mom-and-pop operation."

Making the Case for Funding
And quite possibly, Gierlach wouldn't be where he is today—in the driver's seat. "About nine months ago, I was asked by the owners if I wanted to buy the company," he says. "I never thought I'd be the president of a multinational, multimillion dollar company at the age of 23. BFTP helped me get there. Roy in particular was key in helping me understand how to make the case for funding."

Having seen the operation from all sides, Gierlach is ready to take AlturnaMats to the next level. In 2001, the company had 80 dealers domestically and one in Japan. "Since then, we've tripled the network and grown internationally," he says. "While growing the network is a focus, we are also pursuing a private-label strategy."

Gierlach recently inked a deal with United Rentals, the largest equipment rental company in the world, with more than 750 rental locations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. "We have another huge private labeling deal in the works as well," he says.

Gierlach realizes the company needs to increase capacity, but he isn't looking overseas. "Our market is still relatively young, and there is a lot of room for growth right here," he says. "It's been our focus to create jobs in Pennsylvania and keep people working, so plant expansion talks are well underway."

 From the July/August 2006 issue