To call Synergy Mill a makerspace doesn’t really do justice to the facility inside the NEXT Manufacturing building on Birnie Street in West Greenville.
According to co-founder Joey Loman, the coworking space/community workshop is like a gymnasium where, for a monthly fee, tools and professional equipment meet people with creative ideas and a desire to learn how to turn those ideas into something tangible.
“We have become an unintentional business incubator,” Loman says. “We’re not creating businesses that will change the world but we are creating businesses that will change people’s lives.”
The 2,500-square-foot space has a range of tools and capabilities for hobbyists and skilled craftsmen, alike. There are tools for carpentry, metal machining, welding, laser engraving and 3D printing.
There are sewing machines and even a piano because, Loman says, “Sometimes you need a piano.”
He explains that at the heart of the makerspace concept is the notion that people often have wonderful, creative and even wacky ideas but lack the tools to turn those ideas into reality. Synergy Mill provides not only the physical tools, but the expertise to make productive partnerships of those tools and those that use them.
“A makerspace is more than just tools and materials and workbenches,” Loman says. “Those are things a makerspace needs. But what a makerspace really is, is a launchpad for adventure.”
Since its founding in 2016, Synergy Mill has grown to more than 150 members whose average $59 monthly membership fee gives them access to the space and available tools. Studio and artisan spaces are also available starting at about $300 per month.
Loman says the pandemic hit Synergy Mill particularly hard as communal spaces were essentially shut down. He adds that NEXT Manufacturing was very understanding and deferred rent for a year, but now that things are reopening, those delayed costs are coming due.
Loman says Synergy Mill’s application for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status was delayed because of COVID-19 and the organization was thus unable to qualify for federal pandemic relief programs.
“We’ve just had to do the hard work,” Loman says.
- Founded in 2016
- Joins tools and expertise with enthusiasm and creativity
- Incorporates 2,500-square-feet of carpentry, metalworking and 3D printing as well as studio space
- For more information about Synergy Mill, visit synergymill.com.
