Ann Arbor-based Evigia Systems has big plans for its radio frequency ID tags, which should lead to greater local expansion.

"What we want to do to radio frequency ID tags is what has been done to cell phones," says Karl Ma, vice president of marketing for Evigia Systems. "We want to make them lighter, cheaper and smaller."

The company started with one person in 2004 and has grown to 14 people today. Most of that growth has occurred in the last year as it added eight jobs. That expansion is expected to continue in the near future, with Ma foreseeing the firm's staff tripling.

Key to that growth is landing a major contract, which Evigia hints will occur soon. The firm is partnering with "a well-known name brand" firm that Ma declined to name. He expects that partnership will be key in attracting the U.S. Department of Defense to the tune of $430-$480 million.

Only a few other companies are competing for the contract and Ma sees Evigia as the company to beat. If all goes well, it will mean $100 million more in revenue and the addition of 70-100 people. A big bump in business for this small Ann Arbor start-up.

Source: Karl Ma, vice president of marketing for Evigia Systems
Writer: Jon Zemke