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Janesville Innovation Center reports rising occupancy, stronger outreach; board and tenant updates
Summary
Blackhawk Technical College staff and the SBDC presented an update on occupancy, tenant activity and finances for the city-owned Janesville Innovation Center and described outreach that has resulted in new startups and modest revenue gains.
Mark Borowicz, director of workforce and community development at Blackhawk Technical College and part-time coordinator for the Janesville Innovation Center, and Jocelyn Kopack, resident Small Business Development Center (SBDC) consultant, updated the council on May 12 about occupancy, tenant activity and program outcomes at the city-owned facility.
Borowicz said the Innovation Center’s office suites were about 81% occupied, while manufacturing bay occupancy was roughly 54%. He listed current tenants (Asgard Custom Components; Consulting Audiology; N1 Critical; Rock County Sealcoat; Post Shields; several smaller manufacturers and office tenants) and said one office lease expires in June; suites 106 and 116 have some interest. He said the center is pursuing modest IT infrastructure work and continuing efforts to reduce the operating deficit reported in preliminary 2024 city financials.
Kopack, the resident SBDC consultant, told council she has provided about 74 advising sessions (26 unique clients) since taking the JIC contract in July and has helped start 13 new businesses; she reported roughly $65,000 in grants and funding obtained for client firms and an estimated six jobs created. She said 56% of the businesses served are women-owned and about 73% are first-time entrepreneurs. Kopack described regular workshops (including an eight-hour startup boot camp) and ongoing marketing efforts including website redesign, LinkedIn and LoopNet listings to recruit tenants.
Borowicz noted the board application process has been updated after some turnover and said the center had examined a potential food-and-beverage incubator model but determined the facility is not currently equipped for that conversion without significant capital investment and possible grant funding. He asked council members to support streamlined onboarding for new tenants and said Council member Nino will be replaced on the center board (a staffing/board change previously arranged). The presenters said they will continue outreach and report back on occupancy and finances at future meetings.
Questions from council focused on tenant recruitment, lease turnover and the center’s ability to support food manufacturing (the presenters said the center lacks current infrastructure for a food incubator).
