When Michael Engster arrived in Ponca City from Germany in 1995, he had a hundred and seventy-eight dollars in cash, a wife, two sons, and a dream.

He believed that there was a niche for a company that repaired and remanufactured machinery spindles.

So Michael founded Centerline, Inc. Today, his company serves 350 customers worldwide and has sales close to three million dollars.

When Michael began pursuing his dream just a few years ago, he probably never dreamed that in 2001 he would be named Oklahoma’s Small Business Person of the Year:

“I’m very grateful to America and to Oklahoma for giving me and my family the opportunity to be successful. The state, the people, the bankers, and Pioneer Technology Center – everyone helped us.”