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College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

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Following successful 2018, Endeavor Center enters transition period as new year begins

By Ryan Mapes
Endeavor Center Manager

The Endeavor Center operated at a 100% occupancy rate for most of 2018, however the new year brings some challenges and opportunities as the Endeavor Center is going through a period of slight transition. 

During 2018, we had three partners graduate, but were fortunate to have new partners ready to come on board to fill the vacated offices.  Recent partners that have joined the Endeavor Center include:  

State Street Laboratories LLC – SSL operates as an independent diagnostic testing lab and a forensic toxicology testing lab in Piketon and Athens.

Health and Wellness Bootcamp – this company helps people connect the dots between food, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. 

Foster’s Creative Capital Inc. has changed status from a virtual partner to obtaining a physical office.  This company is focused on assisting local business owners in finding alternative sources of capital.  
Hoy insurance Group joined as virtual partner. Virtual partners do not occupy a physical office, but can utilize shared work areas and office equipment in the Endeavor Center.

InSolves, the center’s largest partner, has purchased a manufacturing facility in Piketon and is in process of moving operations to that location.  Over the next year, an office suite and the large manufacturing high bay areas will become available. Congratulations and thank you to InSolves for being a large contributor to the Endeavor Center’s success.

The Endeavor Center applied for, and received, a grant from the Economic Development Administration to hire a consultant to complete an expansion feasibility study.  One of the outcomes from the study will be to help management understand what types of incubator space are in demand.  

Co-working space and maker space are types of spaces that have become increasingly popular in the incubation industry.  Co-working space is a self-directed, collaborative, flexible, and voluntary work style that is based on mutual trust and the sharing of common core values between its participants. Co-working involves a shared workplace, often an office, and independent activity. Unlike in a typical office, those co-working are usually not employed by the same organization. 

A makerspace is a collaborative work space inside a facility for making, learning, exploring, and sharing that uses high-tech to no-tech tools.  These spaces are open to entrepreneurs and could have a variety of maker equipment ranging from 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, soldering irons, or even sewing machines.

As of January 2019, there are 18 partner companies that occupy 25 office and light industrial bay spaces.  We also have four virtual partners that occupy the building on a part-time basis but do not occupy an office.  The Endeavor Center training rooms and studio are being utilized frequently by OSU programs, our partners, and outside organizations.  Fluor continues to hold many off site meetings at our facility and our SBDC continues to strengthen partnerships by jointly hosting training events with local business development partners.