Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Tribotex award
Pasha Pavlo Rudenko, left, founder of Tribotex, stands with Vladimir Borisov, Tribotex research and development engineer, at the company's display in Tampa, Florida.
A local company was named a winner of a Defense Innovation Award at the 2017 Defense Innovation Technology Acceleration Challenge in Tampa, Fla.
Held Oct. 3-5, the technology-prospecting event draws representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, NASA, Air Force Space Command, Department of Energy and more.
Tribotex, owned by Pasha Pavlo Rudenko and based out of a garage in Colfax, was awarded for a self-forming carbon coating which reduces metal wear in engines.
“It was surprising because we participated last year, and it didn’t get such a response,” said Rudenko.
The award was presented in the energy category. A company called Techconnect puts on the conference.
“You talk to people there who are really smart,” Rudenko said. “They’re always at the forefront of technology. They pick the best for themselves, you know what I mean?”
In May, Tribotex was named for another honor, a National Innovation Award at a Techconnect conference in Washington, D.C.
Afterwards, the Colfax company applied for consideration at the Tampa event.
“The technology component in the military is the key to retain superiority,” said Rudenko. “The cost of maintenance of large military forces is substantial and growing.”
Rudenko, who earned a Master’s Degree from WSU in Materials Science in 2014, started his company in 2010. The product is a syringe with a red liquid containing nano-materials which reduce friction, repair damage and reverse engine wear.
The idea came out of research Rudenko did as a graduate student at WSU.
Rudenko began his higher education in Ukraine at Kharazan University.
Ultimately, his studies led to his business venture, for which Tribotex received a 2015 grant for $733,000 from the National Science Foundation’s small business program.
The company has five employees.
“We’ve expanded into the living room now,” Rudenko said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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