Two years ago, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) voted unanimously to allow MAGNET to buy the closed Margaret A. Ireland School at the corner of Chester and East 63^rd Street in Cleveland’s Hough Neighborhood.

Just over one year ago, construction began on what would become the Manufacturing Innovation, Technology and Job Center and MAGNET’s new headquarters. The transformation of this abandoned building into a burgeoning host of manufacturing opportunities was underway.

This month, the building officially opens for work, tours, experiences, consultations and more! The building – a beacon of manufacturing – is ready to welcome manufacturers, donors, community visitors, staff and partners. Partner organizations in our building include: CMSD, Cleveland Water Alliance, Women in Manufacturing, Towards Employment, NEOSTEM and the Great Lakes Science Center.

With the continued goal of making the region the nation's manufacturing capital, we wanted to ensure the new space and our work could happen in a highly visible Cleveland location. MAGNET was drawn to the former school’s combined presence on a busy thoroughfare (Chester Avenue) and as part of the Hough and MidTown communities. Further, the connection this location gave us to neighborhood residents was important. MAGNET hopes to positively change the perception (or lack thereof) of manufacturing among underrepresented communities.

The updated two-story, glass-framed manufacturing floor, complete with Industry 4.0 technologies and a sample factory floor, is visible to passing motorists and pedestrians. The building also includes 6,900-square-feet of classroom space for area students, meeting space available to the public, and hands-on career-related activities for students and adults. Visitors and passers-by alike can see how we truly roll up our sleeves and do the hard work, but moreover it demonstrates our commitment to equity and inclusion.

"Being in a neighborhood is both symbolic and important. We want manufacturers to come and see that their future workforce is in neighborhoods like Hough," said MAGNET President and CEO Ethan Karp.

Designed to support the Manufacturing Blueprint pillars, the building includes areas dedicated to Talent, Transformation, Innovation and Leadership. The airy, inspirational space, built with the support of more than 100 area companies, individuals, and foundations, is a reminder that manufacturing is alive and well in Northeast Ohio.

Here’s a sneak peak into some of the exciting things you’ll find inside:

Ball Wall: Discover your perfect manufacturing career path by answering a handful of questions on a touch screen, and watching your potential pathways unfold on the giant, interactive ball wall.

Interactive Kiosks: Explore local companies, careers and community stories around manufacturing right here in Northeast Ohio.

Engineering Floor: The engineering and manufacturing space is dedicated to helping regional manufacturers improve their operations, machinery and more. One service we offer is to improve the Industrial 4.0 technology of our clients, including the use of automation and cobots, which are robots that work with and are responsive to humans.

Start-Up & Innovation Area: MAGNET helps startups develop their physical product ideas. Dedicated space has been allotted to entrepreneurs where they can work with MAGNET startup advisors and engineers to develop prototypes or do light manufacturing.

Student Demo Area: Students can design and test their car, even choosing the parts, in the student activity center. Once the design is finalized, students can run the car on a series of ramps that can be programmed at different angles of incline with success measured based on how much weight the car can carry up which angles.

Advanced Manufacturing Technology Area: Learn about injection molding by activating levers to fill clear molds with colorful dye. Explore how computers help engineers map precise paths for laser cutting. Cut into a wax block using a real three-axis mill. Explore metal forming. Practice welding in virtual reality while learning about angles and speed.

Stem-Themed Playground and Park Space: Play outside on the state-of-the-art science-centered playground by lifting a set of bowling balls via a large lever, flying across the zipline and doing some 3D sand “printing.” Or, shoot some hoops on the sensor-enabled basketball courts.

Thoughtfully Designed Mural: Darius Steward is our featured muralist for the wall facing the playground. His custom piece features famous African American manufacturers and engineers.

The building is to be shared, used, and enjoyed, so come – take a tour, play outside, watch our machines at work, discover new technologies or career options. On October 28, the Manufacturing Innovation, Technology and Job Center will host a Community Open House from 1:30-6:00 – join us! Read more about the opening day celebration here.