Create, collaborate and kick up some dust at Synergy Mill coworking space in Greenville
Are you looking for a place to paint, saw, create, build, make some noise and kick up some dust? Then you need to check out Synergy Mill, a 2500-square-foot coworking makerspace located inside the NEXT Manufacturing building on Birnie Street in West Greenville.
A non-profit community workshop, Synergy Mill is a place where Upstate hobbyists, engineers, inventors and artists share tools like table saws, metalworking and welding equipment, 3d printers, laser cutters and electronics, and collaborate on ideas.
“This is a place where a hobbyist can come to build awesome stuff, a small business can set up shop or an entrepreneur can start a business, says Synergy Mill Co-Founder Joey Loman. “It’s not only a workshop with a lot of tools that you probably don’t have at home, but also a place where you can share ideas, get help with projects, collaborate and have fun.”
Synergy Mill is where imagination comes to play, Loman says. It has served as creative space for projects from a teardrop trailer built for personal use to OkieDokie Smokey, a Greenville-based company that makes purses, birdhouses and other items from recycled cigar boxes.
“One of our members built a teardrop trailer from scratch,” Loman says proudly. “He took it on vacation and sent back photos along the way. For his fellow Synergy Mill members, it became as much about the adventure as it was about the project.”
Synergy Mill members have 24/7 access to the facility and equipment. Membership also includes free classes, prototyping materials and high-speed internet access. The makerspace also hosts an open house every other Tuesday that allows prospective members to see the space and its offerings.
Synergy Mill also presents classes to the public. The lineup for this month and next includes a photography workshop, how to make Valentine balloon creations, jewelry making with exotic materials and a MIG welding workshop. Costs for the classes vary, so check the events page of the Synergy Mill website for details.
New in 2020
Synergy Mill is kicking off 2020 with expanded services and lower member rates, Loman said.
“We want the space to be available to a large, diverse community and we never want price to be a barrier to that,” Loman said. “There are some awesome projects and prototypes that have been developed here. We believe we can have a real impact on the economy of Greenville and the Upstate.”
To encourage more community involvement, Synergy Mill also is opening its doors to Upstate artists who will help “bring the space to life” in 2020, Loman said.
Learn more by visiting the Synergy Mill website or email joeyloman@gmail.com.
