Why Ogden

If you live and work in Ogden right now, you can probably rattle off a dozen or so reasons to the “why Ogden”

question without pause. Here are our answers to why we feel UNION and Ogden are perfect for one another.

• Ogden is Utah’s second-most urban city and has a great deal of infrastructure, history, and growth

opportunities that are in alignment with current trends in urbanism. Other cities are starting to look

toward Ogden as an icon for smart growth.

• Most importantly, Ogden is deep into the process of undergoing a massive identity shift,

demonstrated by a citywide rebranding effort. The city is transforming away from the blighted half

suburb half urban city it has been in recent decades and into a thriving and vibrant urban hub.

This is made evident through the stunning increase in occupied buildings along 25th Street and

Washington Boulevard in Ogden’s downtown. As Ogden grows, we are seeing development expand

into new parts of the city, such as the River Front, Jefferson Historic District, the Junction, Business

Depot Ogden, The Exchange Project, and now Kie sel Avenue. Initiatives like the Bicycle Master

Plan and Master Plan for Arts and Culture are further evidence that Ogden City is growing up and

taking big strides toward being a cool and vibrant city.

• UNION Industrial Coworking fills a major market need in Ogden, Utah and also meets much

larger market demands. Our immediate reach will be Weber and Davis Counties, but our reach

and draw will include all of Northern Utah and beyond. Our marketing strategy has and will create

a network of support and customers with international reach. In addition to our top priority of

serving the existing Ogden community, we will act as a magnet that pulls creative talent to the city.

Ogden’s passion to become a vibrant urban hub is evidenced by the City’s renewal efforts and has already

attracted a high number of manufacturing initiatives.

Project Time Line and Updates

We have been actively engaged in securing a location that will provide economic development and arts impact for Ogden City while providing convenient, high quality, centrally located space for makers, supporters, educational institutions and the community.

We are set to secure our 10 year lease on the Hurst Building, 2439 Kissel Ave. in downtown Ogden.

Demolition on the building is complete and Lotus Development anticipates completing the Core and Shell schematic design by late July, 2016 providing the basic layout that we need for our Design Charrette, tentatively calendared for the week of July 18, 2016.

Ogden City’s project manager, Sara Meess aggress with our project team that occupancy should take place between June and September 2017.

To receive Project Updates and information on upcoming membership, community and fundraising events please subscribe to our newsletter (LINK)

What is Industrial Coworking?

WHAT IS INDUSTRIAL COWORKING?

Coworking + Work Shop = Collaboration and Innovation

Most people are familiar with traditional coworking spaces and tech hubs – especially due to their impact on the social and economic fabric of our lives. We have taken inspiration from these models and brought them to product-based business. We provide the tools, equipment, space and training to help today’s makers transform their passion into a viable, thriving business.

Traditional coworking spaces have grown famous for the combination of high-speed internet connections, desk space, strong coffee, and a sense of community that encourages innovation and new business development.  Industry sectors were created and fortunes made in these incubators of innovation and creativity.

The pace and impact of these software and ‘app’ innovations that were conceptualized, created, and perfected in traditional tech hubs has begun to slow.

Success is now being driven by innovation in areas such as defense, outdoor recreation, medical devices, aerospace and small batch ‘artisanal’ manufacturing.

Enter UNION, the INDUSTRIAL COWORKING SPACE. We provide the tools, equipment, programs and space to conceptualize, innovate, collaborate, and CREATE the specific prototypes and production capacity maker members require and which is, for the most part, cost prohibitive costing in excess of $500,000.

Maker members conceptualize, innovate and create in our numerous fully outfitted labs/shops including:

Tech Lab

  • Design software by Autodesk
  • Computers (desktop and tablet)
  • 3D printers
  • CNC router
  • Laser cutter
  • Large format printer
  • Vinyl cutter
  • Vacuum former

Metals Lab

  • MIG welders
  • TIG welders
  • Plasma cutter
  • Mill/lathe combo
  • Sandblast cabinet
  • Miter saw
  • Grinders
  • Kick sheer

Wood Shop

  • Table and band saws
  • Planer
  • Jointer
  • Drill press
  • Lathe

Textile & Print Lab

  • Multi-color screen printer
  • Sewing machines
  • Dark room

 

By adding the industrial component, we provide makers, product innovators, inventors, and creators with access to otherwise cost prohibitive equipment necessary to conduct their work, while retaining the incredible benefits of traditional coworking including collaboration, teaching and mentoring.

Of equal importance, is our business development and incubation, which assists our makers in developing and successfully launching their business. To read more click here.

Our world has experienced numerous important and interesting developments from collaborative work environments.

The glassblowers on the Venetian island of Murano are a fascinating example.  The fall of Constantinople in 1204 set a small community of glassblowers to sail to Venice, arguably the most important hub of commerce in the world at that time.  By its nature glass blowing tended to burn down the city’s wooden structures so the city sent the glassblowers to the island of Murano.  “Unwittingly, the Venetian doges had created an innovation hub: by concentrating the glassmakers on a single island the size of a small city neighborhood, they triggered a surge of creativity that lead to the discovery of clear glass, eye glasses, reading and the printing press to provide reading material that the newly spectacled population demanded. The density of Murano meant that new ideas were quick to flow through the entire population. The genius of Murano was a collective affair.  Steve Johnson, How We Got to Now, 2014.

The Square payment processing solution was created at San Francisco’s Workspace and now has a valuation of over $560 million.

Research and experience have demonstrated that a certain degree of planning significantly increases the likelihood of success for a new business or product.  

Our innovative Development Lab (Dev Lab) provides classes, workshops and mentoring to help our maker members define their product, their market and path to profitability.

Promising, viable concepts are mentored and incubated to help them successfully navigate start up.  

Venture funding may be available for promising concepts.  We are witnessing a shift in venture funding’s definition of success as more investment is being made in the food industry.

Lastly, promising concepts that are moving through incubation and start up are paired with a motivated and successful Weber State University business graduate to run the day-to-day operations and to provide a business specialty missing in the maker.

We project 5 successful startups by Year 2 which will stimulate the Ogden economy, tax base, and employment.

The addition of business development support dramatically increases the chances and scale of success for our members. In combining these elements, UNION catalyzes innovation, economic development, creative achievement, and community bonding.