Originate to reopen in new space

Last edited 8:56 a.m., July 12, 2016

The owner of the Originate co-working space is planning to reopen Aug. 1, a month after it closed at The eFactory.

Jeremy Adams said his company signed a lease for roughly 4,000 square feet on the third floor of the Rogers and Baldwin building, 315 South Ave., by Normans Bridal Shoppe. He declined to disclose lease terms with property owner Scott Tillman.

Adams, who starts next Monday directing creative and technology services for West Plains-based Real Wood Floors, will continue to operate Originate remotely. His daughter, Aeriah Adams, will manage the Springfield co-working space.

At the new building, the Adamses plan to focus on attracting technology and design startups seeking a relaxed atmosphere with pingpong tables, foosball and music.

“There’s room for other types of environments downtown,” he said. “I really truly believe there needs to be a space for everyone.”

At The eFactory, Missouri State University’s downtown incubator, Adams said Originate had around 20 tenants - including Torrent Consulting, Double Jump Media and Software For Simon - with room for 60 when he decided to close. Adams, who paid a month-to-month lease at The eFactory, said his company was not asked to leave.

Recently, he said a few startups - including Rural First, Gremln and Gazebo Technologies - became more successful and outgrew the space, necessitating moves to larger offices.

“That’s the way it’s supposed to work,” Adams said, noting his business took a hit because of it, motivating the closure. “I wasn’t prepared for it. This year has been a difficult year.”

With that in mind, he said the new Originate would start off smaller, targeting 20-30 tenants with the ability to expand if needed.

Adams has some verbal commitments, including some from the original space.

“I would expect that some would move over,” he said, declining to disclose potential clients. “It’s based on what type of environment you are looking for.”

Originate had been a two-year tenant of The eFactory before its July 1 closure. The former Originate space at the 405 S. Jefferson Ave. building has now transitioned under The eFactory’s branding.  

Adams said he’s unsure how many tenants are on board at the new eFactory space.

Originate had been working on moving to the new space for months, but the deal had stalled, Adams said, until last week’s article on the company’s closure was published by Springfield Business Journal.

“It pushed things into high gear and we’ve got the deal done,” he said.

The 315 South Ave. building is less than a block away from the former home of The Creative Foundry, a co-working space that closed late last year.