Ponca City Entrepreneur Set To Compete for National Prize

Oklahoma Small Business Administration

OKLAHOMA CITY — Born, raised and educated in Germany, Mike Engster came to Ponca City, Okla., with only $178 cash, a wife and two sons, and a unique idea for a business repairing and re-manufacturing machinery spindles. From a mustard seed budget and two employees, Engster has nurtured and matured Centerline to an operation serving 350 customers worldwide with sales close to $3 million. Because of his phenomenal success, Engster was recently named Oklahoma’s 2001 Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration.

“Each year for the past 38 years, the President has issued a proclamation for the celebration of Small Business Week as a time when America salutes the achievements and economic contributions of the nation's 25 million small businesses,” said Dorothy Overal, SBA Oklahoma District director.

“To be chosen one of 53 outstanding small businesses nationwide, from among millions, demonstrates what a superb entrepreneur Mike Engster truly is,” she said.

Engster will compete for the national award with top small business persons representing each state, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam, during ceremonies in Washington, D.C., May 6-12.

Although successful now, the beginning days in the machinery-spindle-repairing business was a struggle. At one point, although he received help from an old family friend, Engster was forced to sell some of his remaining assets for enough money to feed his family.

Engster describes the machinery spindles as small engines within a machine. He explained rotating machine components (spindles) are used in all milling, grinding, drilling, engraving, routing and polishing machines. Most of the production machines, which contain spindles, are expensive, produce high volume and are used on more than one shift. Downtime on these machines can cause a major loss of production. It was here that Engster saw his market niche. Centerline Inc. was soon born to provide an efficient and fast repair service.

Engster chose to locate his company in Ponca City because of the Pioneer Technology Center’s business incubator facility. The facility provided graduated rent assistance that allowed him to get his business off the ground in the important first few months of operation, without much cash outlay. The center also provided Engster with access to computers and secretarial assistance.

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