UW Stout is a place for students to get an education and come up with ideas but it's also helping companies with an idea get a step in the right direction. The goal is to get companies and students together to help each other succeed.

Mike Helfman says, "Been making and building things my whole life."

Helfman says he got started making solar collectors after he tried to fix some broken ones on his farm.

Mike says, "At the time there were no other companies making collectors in the type and size that we were looking at making any where in the middle of the states."

Mike and his wife started making the collectors in their garage, he named his company Bubbling Springs and after about three years Helfman started using the stout technology transfer institute.

Mike says, "One thing led to another and we were kind of a perfect match for the program at stout."

The director of STTI says companies like Helfman's, are a perfect fit.

Randy Hulke says, "The main thing they are going to gain is obviously the support to be successful but what we get in return is exposure to our students and facility on the commercialization and new product development."

Hulke says the group has a 75-85 percent success rate.

Hulke says, "We look for companies that aren't just going to grow and move. We want them to grow and stay in this part of the state.

Bubbling Springs has only been on its own since may but mike says after spending three years on campus he is ready for the next step.

Mike says, "It really served to ease us into the next phase of our business."

Helfman says Stout helped by keeping his overhead low by offering low rent, valuable resources and an eager work force. He's hired students while his business was on campus and now that he's on his own.

Mike says, "It was a lot easier to hire these guys when we knew who they were and knew they were good workers."

Hulke says every year, companies that have been with the program have 75-million dollars in sales.