Many IT start-ups begin with the idea of providing superior service to small and medium-sized businesses. Not so with VAL-IT.

The Ypsilanti-based firm specializing in teaching IT skills first and foremost, and is targeting the big boys of the business world – like corporations, university student bodies and major industrial clients. The idea is that IT is such a fast-growing sector, someone has to train the people for all of those new knowledge-based economy jobs.

"It's to address the needs of knowledge professionals," says William Bathgate, CEO of VAL-IT. "They are needed over all industries."

VAL-IT's three employees and handful of independent contractors all have extensive backgrounds in the IT world. Bathgate wants to leverage those into a profitable business. He choose to set up shop in Ann Arbor SPARK's East Incubator in downtown Ypsilanti to be near the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw County's east industrial core.

Bathgate has no plans to hire right away, but can see adding jobs when the classes start rolling in and the need warrants the extra workers.

Source: William Bathgate, CEO of VAL-IT
Writer: Jon Zemke