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HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2015-07-23 Makersmiths Innovation Forge Town of Leesburg News Release For Immediate Release Media Contact: Betsy Fields, Research & Communications Manager bfields@leesburgva.gov  703-771-2734 Makersmiths Innovation Forge Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Set for Saturday, August 1, 2015 Leesburg, VA (July 23, 2015) – On Saturday, August 1, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. Makersmiths will hold a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate their new makerspace, Makersmiths Innovation Forge. Leesburg Mayor Kristen Umstattd and Leesburg Town Council are scheduled to offer a few remarks and assist in the ribbon cutting ceremony. Makersmiths Innovation Forge is located at 71 Lawson Road SE, Leesburg, Virginia. The ribbon cutting celebrates the opening of 3,000 square feet facility which will house various tool and work areas, such as woodshop, metal shop, electronics, 3D printing, CAD, Laser cutting, CNC, crafts, prototyping and fabrication. This space will be used both for regular access for Makersmiths members, as well as educational programming for members and the community. “We are excited to open up our makerspace to the community; after more than a year of planning and community events, this space is a key asset in building the maker movement in our community. Here entrepreneurs, hobbyists, students, engineers and artists find the space, tools, training and most importantly a community of like-minded people to enable them to build their dreams” stated Pat Scannell, CEO of Makersmiths. Leesburg’s Economic Development Director, Marantha Edwards, remarked “For months the Town’s Economic Development team has been a significant liaison to boost the expansion of manufacturing, innovation, creativity and job creation. It started with supporting changes to our zoning ordinance to continual support of entrepreneurial programs and events in the Mason Enterprise Center. Education and exposure to this initiative is a powerful opportunity for growth in Leesburg”. The grand opening will begin at 11:00 a.m.with demonstrations and light refreshments. The ribbon cutting will take place at 11:30 a.m. with a tour of the facility immediately following. About Makersmiths: Makersmiths is a membership based non-profit maker organization in Loudoun County, Virginia. Their mission is to build a community of Makers in Loudoun by providing a facility (aka makerspace), tools, training, community events and other enabling resources. For more details about Makersmiths please visit http://makersmiths.org. # # #