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| Company type | Limited liability company |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Dr. Evan D. Malone |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, PA , United States |
Number of locations | 3 |
Area served | Pennsylvania
New Jersey Delaware |
Number of employees | 50 |
| Website | https://nextfab.com/ |
NextFab
[edit]NextFab Studio, LLC (DBA NextFab) is a network of membership-based makerspaces with locations in Philadelphia and Wilmington.[1] Founded in 2009 by Dr. Evan Malone, the for-profit company opened its first location in West Philadelphia’s University City Science Center.
NextFab offers users education on and access to manufacturing and prototyping equipment, and is associated with the maker culture and DIY culture.
After TechShop declared bankruptcy and closed all ten domestic locations in 2017, NextFab became the largest network of for-profit makerspaces with three locations in the United States.
History
[edit]NextFab was founded as a for-profit limited liability company in 2009 by Dr. Evan D. Malone, the son of American businessman and philanthropist John C. Malone. Evan Malone received his undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Pennsylvania at the age of 29, and his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Cornell University.[2] While at Cornell, he co-founded Fab@Home, the first multi-material 3D printer that's credited with sparking the consumer 3D Printing revolution.[3] During his time at Cornell, Malone took the Fab@Home 3D printer to Johannesburg, South Africa as part of MIT’s Fab Lab, an outreach effort that introduced off-the-shelf digital fabrication tools and design software to communities around the world.[2]
"It was inspirational to see how people with absolutely no technical background were able to invent and produce things that could lift them from poverty. Plus, it got tons of publicity. I felt like I could have an impact." - Dr. Evan Malone
NextFab's first location, a 4,400-square-foot space located at 3711 Market Street, opened to the public as a part of the University City Science Center's business incubator in 2010.[4] The project was funded by Malone's family trust and cost $400,000.[2]
After four years, NextFab relocated to a 21,000-square-foot facility on Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia in 2013. The expansion project was supported by a $5 million investment from Malone's family trust.[2]
In December 2014, NextFab opened a second location at 1227 N. 4th Street in the city's South Kensington neighborhood. Co-located with Impact Hub, part of an international coworking network,[5][6] NextFab's 4,000-square-foot workshop space had been previously occupied by 3rd Ward, a Brooklyn-based arts collective.[7][8] Impact Hub remained in the building with NextFab until 2015 when the company's executive director announced that the branch would close in December.[9] In February of 2018 the building was sold to Daniel Wackerman, CEO of John A. Steer Company[10][11] and NextFab transferred its lease to continue renting the space on the first floor.
NextFab's newest location opened in June of 2017 in the creative district of Wilmington, Delaware. Aided by the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation (WRC) and a $350,000 grant from the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO)[12], the expansion was officially announced in late 2015 and was estimated to take a year and a half to complete.[13] The project was delayed slightly after the first prospective building lease fell through.[14] On June 14th, 2017 NextFab hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate its opening at 503 N. Tatnall Street.[13]
In November 2015, the Council on Development Finance, DEDO’s advisory board, approved a Delaware Strategic Fund grant to assist NextFab with its plans to expand into the city of Wilmington. NexFab is partnering with the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation (WRC) to create a new NextFab operation in Wilmington’s Creative District. Wilmington’s Creative District is part of a national wave of creative placemaking initiatives that seek to transform urban areas.[15]
In July 2018, NextFab announced its plans to close the location at 1227 N. 4th Street and relocate half a mile north to a large warehouse at 1800 N. American Street. Within the 60,000-square-foot building, NextFab planned to occupy around 21,000-square-feet and share the rest with multiple sub-tenants including a local reuse non-profit, The Resource Exchange.[16] The expanded location was scheduled to open by the end of 2019. [17][18][19]
References
[edit]- ^ Key, Peter. "Philadelphia Business Journal". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- ^ a b c d Greco, JoAnn. "Manufacturing a Future". The Pennsylvania Gazette. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- ^ "Fab@Home". Creative Machines Lab - Columbia University. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- ^ Pacheco, Liz. "Open Shop: Co-working "gyms" provide tools and space for beginners and experts alike". Grid Magazine. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- ^ Reyes, Juliana (2014-11-18). "NextFab to open new makerspace at Kensington's Impact Hub". Technical.ly Philly. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ Reyes, Juliana (2013-07-05). "Impact Hub Philly: arm of international coworking network to run coworking at 3rd Ward". Technical.ly Philly. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
- ^ Jenkins, Kristina (2013-05-15). "Long-Awaited 3rd Ward Philadelphia Opens Today, Bringing Coworking, Education And Artsy Events To Northern Liberties". Uwishunu - Philadelphia Blog About Things to Do, Events, Restaurants, Food, Nightlife and More. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
- ^ Ryzik, Melena (2013-10-10). "3rd Ward, Brooklyn Art and Design Space, to Close". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
- ^ Shelly, Jared. "Impact Hub Philly to Close Kensington Co-Working Space". Philadelphia Magazine.
- ^ "Property | phila.gov". Property. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ Kostelni, Natalie (2018-07-05). "From South 2nd to North 4th, J.A. Steer finds new HQ - Philadelphia Business Journal". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ "NextFab makerspace could be key to Wilmington's future". delawareonline. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
- ^ a b Quinn, Holly (2017-06-15). "NextFab officially opens in Wilmington's Creative District". Technical.ly Delaware. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
- ^ Nagengast, Larry. "Creative District moving forward as NextFab settles on its home there". www.delawarepublic.org. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
- ^ "Delaware Business Times - CEDS FY16 Annual Report" (PDF).
- ^ Vider, Elise. "Remaking Philadelphia at NextFab". Keystone Edge. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ^ DiStefano, Joseph N. "NextFab to replace 4th St. jewelry-textile makerspace with 5x larger site on American St". The Inquirer. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ^ Cineas, Fabiola (2018-07-24). "NextFab Is Preparing for a Big Philly Expansion". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ^ Streva, Virginia. "NextFab in North Philly is expanding to a new 21,000 sq.-ft. building". www.phillyvoice.com. Retrieved 2019-05-28.