A year ago, BioStar Energy was not even a spark in the eyes of its founder, Gil Fuleki.
The company’s story began when the Perry County (Ohio) Board of Developmental Disabilities (BDD) hired Fuleki as a consultant to find sustainable and fair-wage job opportunities for their clientele in an effort to overcome an overall lack of jobs in Perry County. The unique solution Fuleki proposed was to develop, build and operate what is known as an “anaerobic biodigester” — a vessel that stories decomposing organic matter under zero-oxygen conditions to generate methane gas. This gas byproduct can then be burned as a clean and renewable fuel.
After seeing the real potential of this concept, Fuleki decided to turn his idea into more than one project. While the original project was under way, Fuleki and David Couch, superintendent of the Perry County BDD, applied for and won a Local Government Innovation Fund grant from the state of Ohio to receive assistance to develop a feasibility study for a larger-scale project.
When the grant was awarded, Fuleki turned to Shmuel Roth at startup consultancy TechGrowth Ohio to figure out how he could turn his idea into a full-fledged business.
TechGrowth Ohio has been instrumental in the growth of BioStar Energy. The group keeps BioStar informed of potential new opportunities, and provides business consultation, strategic planning and marketing services. They also provide assistance to access financial tools and capital, and help prepare the company for investment.
Most importantly, TechGrowth Ohio works with Fuleki as president of BioStar to help map out a strategic plan to achieve the future goals of the company.
“We created our business from the bottom up. We try to fashion a solution that answers all of the organization’s needs by customizing design solutions.” — Gil Fuleki
What sets BioStar apart from other biogas firms is its unique philosophy. The people at BioStar believe that designing their solutions to meet each individual customer’s needs will build loyalty and attract new clients to their business.
“We created our business from the bottom up,” said Fuleki in a recent interview. “We try to fashion a solution that answers all of the organization’s needs by customizing design solutions.”
From its company philosophy to its use of anaerobic biodigesters in innovative ways, Roth said he believes that BioStar serves the Perry County region’s financial,
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