Sustainable Business Center

The Sustainable Business Center
2900 West Main Street
Galesburg, IL
(309) 343-1191

The Sustainable Business Center (SBC), located in Galesburg, IL, has been created to capture the following synergies in one place: green technology, local, organic food, and better energy sources. The Sustainable Business Center is a mixed-use business incubator that fosters collaboration in both business and culinary endeavors.

Sustainable Business Center (SBC) serves as a place for the development of new green businesses. We provide innovators with support services and resources to assist them with this launch. We offer not only mentoring and education, but give them a place for collaboration and the exchange of ideas.

The SBC differs from other business incubators because of our focus on companies that address the issues of sustainability.

We encourage and embrace the practices and principles built around a triple bottom line business model. Also known as the three “P’s”, this philosophy means that people, planet and profit are all equally important to a successful business.

The Sustainable Business Center, located in the former Carhartt Building at 2900 W. Main Street, was donated to the HumanLinks Foundation for the purpose of creating a green business incubator in Galesburg.

The SBC will not only act as a business incubator; but also serve as a place where people can create, purchase, and sell locally grown food through the use of the commercial kitchen and cafe.

What is a business incubator?

According to the National Business Incubation Association, business incubation is a business support process that accelerates the successful development of start-up and fledgling companies by providing entrepreneurs with an array of targeted resources and services. These services are usually developed or orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the business incubator and through its network of contacts.

So, what makes a green business incubator green?

At the SBC, we focus on green technology. We are in the process of upgrading our energy systems to make them more efficient. We use reused/reclaimed office furniture. We recycle and will be composting once the on-site garden is producing. We encourage employees to ride their bikes to work.

The traditional definition of sustainability calls for policies and strategies that meet society’s present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development reflects not the trade-off between business and the environment but the synergy between them.

What We Offer:

The Sustainable Business Center (SBC) offers incubation services to new, green businesses including:

Our main focus is on start-up and early stage companies. Staff will be available to mentor and guide new businesses by providing assistance with:

Located on 10 acres of land, the SBC offers 80,000 square feet containing 3 large warehouse/distribution/manufacturing spaces in addition to 8,000 square feet of office space.

Green Businesses:

What is a Green Company?

A Green Company is associated with green products or services that utilize resources more efficiently, provide renewable sources of energy, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize environmental impact.

The Sustainable Business Center seeks people with ideas, businesses, and manufacturers who want to turn innovation into a profitable and sustainable future. Businesses located within the SBC will showcase and apply energy efficient technologies focused on sustainability and green technology.

Types of businesses that can benefit from our services include, but are
not limited to, the following list:

Commercial Kitchen:

In addition to promoting green businesses, we are equally focused on supporting local food. In spring 2011, we offer a kitchen incubator or commercial kitchen that will help early stage catering and retail food businesses by providing commercial equipment that allow for food preparation, packaging, and distribution of finished products in an environment that offers the top level of food safety. We are equipped with commercial stoves, commercial mixers, storage, large stainless steel work tables, and storage space.

When someone is ready to take that next step from cooking in a private kitchen for family and friends to preparing a recipe for community members, several items need to be considered. Necessary licensing is critical as well as obtaining product liability insurance.

That is where we enter the picture.
We offer short and long-term leases at reasonable rates.
Our kitchen will be run by a certified food professional.

We will offer:

Café

The SBC, in addition to the kitchen and processing facility, will provide retail space featuring staples and items that years ago used to be made by hand including:

Fresh food will be available daily. The menu will change with the seasons. We serve lunch.

Expected opening: spring 2011

Facilities

Contact:

For more information on the Sustainable Business Center, please contact Cindy Teel, the Facility Manager. She can be reached at (309) 343-1191 or email her at cindy@sustainablebusinesscenter.com

For information regarding leases and incubator services, please contact Eric Dilts. His email address is eric.dilts@ebinetwork.org

For information regarding our commercial kitchen or café, please contact Peggy Wilke at peggy@sustainablebusinesscenter.com

For information regarding local food and agriculture, please contact Lorelei Ullrich at lorelei@sustainablebusinesscenter.com