A keen interest in marine biology, saltwater aquariums and hi-tech gadgetry led
EcoTech Marine founders Tim Marks, Pat Clasen and Justin Lawyer to invent a new kind of circulation pump for saltwater aquariums: the VorTech pump.
The device consists of two parts, one inside the tank and the other outside, coupled by high-power magnets. A propeller sits in the water on one side while the motor and electrical supply attach to the outside of the tank.
This magnetic, through-the-glass pump is the only device of its kind for saltwater aquariums in the world, and it has enabled Marks, Clasen and Lawyer--all of whom are in their twenties--to establish a profitable startup company since they came up with the idea it two years ago.
The pump helps to create a healthier environment inside saltwater reef tanks while protecting fish and coral from heat and electrical shock.
Marks met Clasen at Lehigh University, where they were roommates, and Lawyer through an Internet community for saltwater aquarists. They built saltwater aquarium equipment out of their basements before founding EcoTech in 2003, while they were all still students.
Marks graduated from Lehigh University with a master's degree in mechanical engineering in 2006, Clasen is currently completing his master's in material science at Lehigh, and Lawyer is finishing his bachelor's in physics in Oklahoma.
EcoTech is a member of the
Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone, which has invested in the company through technology transfer grants and a paid internship program.