Like many entrepreneurs, Manfred Polk \u201987 points to a few critical prerequisites for success: diligence, persistence, patience, and the willingness to eat a lot of fast food.<\/p>\n
As vice president and chief operating officer of Anderson-Polk Engineering & Consulting, founded in May 2003, he has combined a degree in physics and biochemistry with experience managing projects for Raytheon Engineers & Constructors.\u00a0 The result is a thriving business providing process validation and development for biopharmaceutical manufacturers like Merck and Sanofi Pasteur.\u00a0 His background doesn\u2019t end there, though.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also received a lot of hands-on experience through Schering-Plough Pharmaceutical,\u201d Polk says, referring to three summers spent working in the company\u2019s biochemistry and analytical lab while he was at ESU.<\/p>\n
Six years ago, Polk and co-founder\/partner Garth Anderson decided the time was right to step out on their own. The move was not without sacrifices, though.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started the company with our personal finances,\u201d he says.\u00a0 \u201cA few of our first projects did not include any expense money; we ate fast food a lot, and with some companies taking 30 or 45 days to pay their invoices, I came close to sleeping in my car!\u201d<\/p>\n
The company was able to weather those first turbulent years, and today the two partners have the luxury of choosing those projects they would like to work on.\u00a0 They also enjoy another primary perk of self-employment\u2014direct feedback from happy customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most rewarding thing is having the freedom to perform your job above expectations,\u201d Polk says. \u201cClients truly appreciate and welcome our expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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