Philipp Emma saw the writing on the wall in 2005 when it came to Metro Detroit's economy. At the time he was working for a company that relied on the automotive industry business as its main client. He decided to put his future in his own hands by starting
Global E.
"I basically decided based on the economy that it was time for me to be on my own," Emma says. "I needed to give it a try."
The Dearborn-based tech firm has grown nicely since, selling software services and point of sale software packages for restaurants and hotels. The 7-year-old company now has 11 restaurants that use its software, which has allowed it to hire a new employee. It now employs two people, a handful of independent contractors and the occasional intern.
"We're starting to build our client base so we can rely on ourselves and not a sub-contractor," Emma says.
Global E has formed a number of relationships with major tech corporations, such as Cisco and Microsoft. it plans to launch a new Cisco software package for small businesses later this year.
Source: Philipp Emma, president of Global E
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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