When Al Holloway went looking for a “makers’ space in Kalamazoo, “there was not one, and that’s when I founded the makers’ guild.” Holloway, who is technical resources manager for the Air Zoo, is one of the founders of the non-profit Kzoo Makers. The Project Editor for Southwest Michigan’s Second Wave on the Ground Kalamazoo, Theresa Coty O’Neil wrote about the makers’ space as part of their series on the Eastside Neighborhood.
An old warehouse on East Michigan Avenue is the home toKzoo Makers. Holloway says they needed enough electrical power and floor space for a full woodworking shop, metal shop, welding equipment, laser engraving, 3-D printing machines, electronics lab, and more.
But with all of that equipment, Holloway says “what really makes the makers’ space work is the people that are there.” He says the makers can help each other with projects, or learn a new skill from one of the other makers.
Extended interview in WMUK's WestSouthwest podcast.
On the Ground Kalamazoo Project Editor Theresa Coty O’Neil says she was struck by the enthusiasm and curiosity that the makers bring to their projects. She says the makers’ space is at a good spot right the entrance to the Eastside Neighborhood from downtown. Coty O’Neil says Kzoo Makers shows what can happen when people who are like-minded and start trading “their expertise and enthusiasm.”