Broadway Home Center, a local family-owned business, has been located at the same corner at 1601 Broadway Ave., in Mattoon for six years. Co-owner Tanner Kroening has been an avid supporter of the Elevate mission since day one and calls the center, “A great space for people in the [Coles County] community to utilize.” Tanner also is a part of Mattoon Emerging Leaders, a professional development group in the area.
Tanner’s support of the center is creating opportunity for himself and others. At the 2021 ClassE Trade Show a seed of encouragement to utilize 3D printers as an asset to his business came to Ta-
Broadway Home Center Co-Owner Tanner Kroening and Elevate Tech Intern Alex Fearday.
nner. While visiting the tradeshow, which happened at Elevate in early May, he met ClassE student Rick Wright who is currently away on the Notre Dame Idea Center Paid Internship Opportunity, made possible by McHugh’s Restaurants.
During this discussion, Rick demonstrated the 3D Printing capabilities at Elevate. This interaction would lead to Tanner and Broadway reaching out to Elevate Executive Director, Carlos Ortega recently when one customer faced a multiple-month backorder on the fridge their family ordered, simply due to the manufacturing delay of one specific washer caused by disruption to the production chain related to COVID-19. Using the skills possessed by Elevate Tech Intern and Lake Land College Student, Alex Fearday the printers available at the center were able to print dozens of the specific part within 24 hours. “Using 3D printers at Elevate meant a family went from waiting months for their refrigerator to be repaired to receiving a repair within a day,” says Elevate Staff Member, Dallas Jones.
Elevate is glad to support innovative efforts such as 3D printing that will continue to create and encourage entrepreneurship in the Coles County Area!