Facilities

Facilities

309.343.1191



Located on 10 acres of land, the Sustainable Business Center is an 88,000 square foot facility designed to meet the needs of your start-up or established business. The center offers office space and accompanying office amenities, warehouse storage, manufacturing space, land for organic agriculture production, and a Food and Drug Administration-certified commercial kitchen. Tours are available upon request and we look forward to helping you envision your business at the Sustainable Business Center.



Office Space

The Sustainable Business Center is committed to ensuring that your work environment is as comfortable as possible. 4,400 square feet of partially furnished office space is available with suites ranging from 100 square feet to up to 300 square feet. We also offer the following amenities to help make your day-to-day tasks more efficient and ensure that basic business needs are met.

  • Referrals to business support resources and services
    through our network of contacts,
  • A large conference room equipped with a projector,
  • Communal kitchen space equipped with a microwave,
    refrigerator, and sink,
  • Copiers, printers, a fax machine, and a shredder,
  • Telephone services,
  • Shared high-speed Internet service,
  • Janitorial services,
  • Secretarial services.


Warehouse Storage & Manufacturing

The Sustainable Business Center has dedicated 18,000 square feet of facility space remaining for warehousing and/or distribution. We offer you the opportunity to use the space in the design that works best for your unique business. The following tools are provided to our tenants:

  • Metal racks,
  • Forklifts,
  • Pickers,
  • Loading docks.

Your businesses' privacy and safety are a top priority. Each section of the warehouse is fully compliant with our local fire department, is regularly checked to ensure that safety measures are up to par, and each section is only accessible to approved employees through a building-wide security system.



FDA-certified Commercial Kitchen

To sell prepared food to the public, the Food and Drug Administration requires that the product is prepared in a certified commercial kitchen. Our 3,600 square foot certified commercial kitchen and seating area allows for food preparation, packaging, and distribution of finished products in an environment that offers the top level of food safety. Our state-of-the-art facility is equipped with:

  • Commercial stoves,
  • Commercial mixers,
  • Large stainless steel worktables,
  • Storage space.

Run by a certified food professional, our facility is available for early stage catering and retail food businesses, cooking classes, on-site catered events or parties, or simply a place to test your recipes. Retail space is also available for products produced in the commercial kitchen or approved by the Sustainable Business Center.

All ingredients used in the kitchen must engage in environmental consciousness practices as per Sustainable Business Center regulations: no toxic persistent pesticides used in production, non-genetically modified organisms, no fertilizer amendments, and utilize livestock that has been humanely raised with no added hormones or antibiotics. Reservations to use the space can be made through our Facility Manager.



Organic Agriculture Production

Providing support to sustainable operations in our local food economy is a key mission of the Sustainable Business Center. Located in an area known for its fertile soil and agricultural production, we have converted the acreage surrounding our facility into multiple agricultural plots to provide fresh foods to en season restaurant and to local food banks. We also provide members of our community with hands-on educational opportunities to learn about building a sustainable farm or garden. All agriculture production that takes place on our grounds adheres to strict sustainbility methods including using heirloom seeds, organic fertilizers and pesticide-free techniques.

We hope to encourage our community to start thinking about the methods and means of where their food comes from. Our garden this year featured tomatoes, summer squashes, radishes, peppers, melons, peas, green beans, cucumbers, spinach, herbs, and raspberries. Below are links to resources on local food systems and sustainable agriculture in addition to tips to help you start your own garden!