![](media/image1.png){width="1.979861111111111in"
height="1.0083333333333333in"} ***News Release***

New York District Office

Release Date: March 6, 2007 Contact: John Miller (212) 264-7770

Release Number: 07-07 e-mail: john.miller@sba.gov

***By Comparison this Small Business***

***is all Wet***

**Holbrook, NY**--- Getting things wet is the goal for business owner
Frederick "Fred" Greis. That's because his engineering and manufacturing
company, Wet Technologies, specializes in building surface-finishing
systems which use high volume, low-pressure slurries of water mixed with
abrasives or high-pressure water.

The slurry process goes by many different names including wet blasting,
slurry blasting, liquid honing, wet abrasive blasting, liquid media
processing and wet etching. It is a "blast and scrub" process used for
tasks such as deburring, descaling, cosmetic cleaning, mold removal,
crack detection, surface smoothing and roughening, surface bonding
preparation and degreasing to name a few. Almost everything built by the
company earns a "green" status due to its closed loop, chemical-free
designs.

Greis had worked in the surface finishing equipment industry for ten
years, primarily on the sales and engineering side of the business. He
was presented with the opportunity to buy the business he was working
for when its owner passed away. Greis had the moral support of his wife
and the company's customers and distributors, but realized that he would
be in over his head on the management end, and deep in debt from the
first day. So he took a pass.

That's when Greis' wife Karen reminded him that there might be help
available from the U.S. Small Business Administration and its affiliated
organization, SCORE\-\--*Counselors to America's Business.* SCORE is
comprised of seasoned business executives who volunteer their time and
expertise to help small business owners with free business counseling.
As Greis put it, "I went in for an appointment and found exactly what I
needed, someone I could trust to give me experienced advice, in the
person of Counselor Mel Springer."

Springer advised Greis on the basics such as preparing a business plan,
securing and managing a line-of-credit, and how better to negotiate
sales and payment terms with large organizations. "Initially I worked
out of my basement doing the engineering, marketing, selling, and book
keeping while subcontracting out all the manufacturing operations," said
Greis. "In two years time I hired an engineer and rented industrial
space to start manufacturing in-house." Springer also advised Greis to
diversify sales outside of his primary customers in the aviation
industry. That proved to be wise advice when the aviation industry took
a downturn after 9/11. Greis has now grown his company an average of 18
percent annually over the last seven years.

Page 1 of 2

Another key to the company's success was Greis' understanding that once
a finishing system is purchased, the ongoing equipment maintenance is
critical, as is keeping the customer's maintenance technicians happy.
Consequently, he built low maintenance systems from day one. The
environmentally friendly, or "green," water-based aspect of the
company's surface finishing technology also appeals to his customers
looking to reduce the chemical waste stream from existing processes.
That's important to his customers which include General Electric, Rolls
Royce, Pratt and Whitney, Boeing, General Motors, Chrysler, Raytheon,
General Electric, Bell Helicopter and U.S. naval facilities. Most
recently, Greis visited NASA, where he was asked to demonstrate the use
of his company's technology for composite bonding preparation.

What Greis said he likes most about his plunge into entrepreneurship is
that he is in control of his own destiny even though it has left him
little time for personal pleasures. That includes taking his wife, who
is recovering from breast cancer, on vacation. Greis does see light at
the end of the tunnel because he recently hired additional sales and
technical people. That will allow Greis and his wife even more time to
devote to cancer awareness programs as well as each other.

For those thinking of going into business for themselves Greis says,
"Have a lot of experience in a minimum of one aspect of the business.
Being a little naive about some of the challenges that you're in for in
the early going is a good thing. Otherwise, most people wouldn't try it.
And, without question, don't make a move without consulting SCORE."

*Wet Technologies can be visited at:
[wettechnologies.com](http://www.wettechnologies.com/)*

\###

*All of the SBA's programs and services are provided to the public on a
non-discriminatory basis. For more information about the SBA please
visit [www.sba.gov/ny/ny](http://www.sba.gov/ny/ny).*