West Side IT firm FutureNet Group expects to add 25 jobs this year

FutureNet Group, a West Side, minority-owned IT firm, does much more than just deal with the technical needs for environmental and construction industries.

Helping to rebuild New Orleans? FutureNet is on that. Consulting about the environmental needs for the Detroit Riverfront? That's FutureNet, too. Creating the way-finding signs downtown for the Super Bowl? Yep, FutureNet.

No wonder it was named as one of the state's Top 12 small businesses by the Michigan Small Business Administration in 2006. FutureNet is growing about 70 to 80 percent annually. Its employee base has grown to 45 people since its founding in 1994 and expects to add another 25 jobs within the next year.

It also moved to a three-acre parcel near the intersection of I-96 and Evergreen in 2006. There it has renovated a 40,000-square-foot building, which includes 8,000 square feet of office space. More than enough room for the expected future expansion.

"We are growing very fast and aggressively," says Jay Mehta, general manager for technology for FutureNet. "We needed a bigger home."

Mehta also touts the company as "recession proof" because it focuses on four sectors: environmental, construction, engineering and technology. Between those four places, there will always be enough work, according to Mehta.

"Maybe one or two might be running slow but the other two will be running hot," Mehta says.

Source: Jay Mehta, general manager for technology for FutureNet Group
Writer: Jon Zemke