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Recent Newsletter

July 28, 2026

Hey SynergyMill friends,

Nine.

That's it. That's the whole number.

Our goal for the next to weeks is to get nine $849 annual memberships. That's what stands between the workshop we have right now and the one we've been telling you about for over a year.

Nine people in the next two weeks. That's the ask.

Small number, huge impact. Let me show you what it unlocks.

 Walls and power. The main workshop gets its walls and an electrical upfit. One big cash expense and then we're shootin' down the runway. 

Sounds boring, I know. Here's what boring buys us:

 The plasma cutter wakes up. That awesome CNC plasma cutter Mike and Erin Ford donated? We can finally fire it up, teach people how to run it, and start cutting real projects out of steel plate.

 Classes go on the calendar. Welding, 3D printing, first aid, laser cutting, circuit board fab. Real dates, real schedule.

 More disciplines open up. Sewing, pottery, art, AI, robots, and yeah, that weird hobby you love.

 Studio spaces open. Small businesses and makers get a specialized workspace they can't find anywhere else in Greenville.

 The conference room gets walls. Actual walls. Meetups, trainings, and partner meetings happen in a real multimedia room instead of out in the open.

 Partnerships unlock. Other nonprofits and youth groups are literally waiting on us to have a space where they can grow their mission.

And projects like Ivey's can go big. She's turning discarded vape units into Meshtastic radio nodes and handing them out to people in tough spots. People who are unhoused. People in recovery. People climbing out of a bad situation. It's a free network that helps them find the resources they need. Vape trash becomes a lifeline.

That project just needs a workshop with power and space. That's the only thing standing in the way.

 What you get for the next year:
24-hour access to the shop
Free or discounted classes
Free event attendance
Your name on the sponsorship wall with a special nameplate
Time with the smartest, friendliest people you'll ever meet
The pride of knowing you made it happen for Greenville

Already a monthly member? You can upgrade to annual right in your Zeffy account, and that counts as one of the nine.

Business owners, I'm talking to you too. There's room to sponsor equipment, operating costs, and events. Hit reply and let's talk.

 Why membership isn't really about the shop

Here's the thing people misunderstand: our membership isn't an entry fee to some club. We don't sell day passes. We give access away for free every single day. Swing by almost any afternoon and see for yourself.

Just show up. The door is open. People bring projects, get broken things fixed, or just follow their curiosity to learn something new.

Your membership is what makes that possible for everyone else. Including the folks who can't afford it. Including the person whose whole income changes because they finally got their hands on a machine and somebody patient enough to show them how it works.

Lowering that barrier for other people is the entire reason I do this.

And that's not some abstract idea for me. When I was fourteen I met a UMKC professor named Dr. Ken Blundell. The day I graduated high school he gave me my first job as a research assistant at the Design Productivity Center business incubator. He handed me the keys to a room full of brilliant people building wild, innovative things. That was 40 years ago, and it set the course of my entire life.

 Eleven years of community action proof

SynergyMill is run entirely by volunteers and funded by people like you. Just this past year we sponsored TEDxClemsonU and TEDxFiveForksYouth. We ran the Power Tool Drag Race at the Imagine STEAM Festival. Last week we set up a booth at the Southeast Game Exchange and fixed cosplay costumes for free. Hundreds of people have made SynergyMill their drop-in spot to make something.

Eleven years and it keeps working. Hit this goal and SynergyMill is here for Greenville far into the future.

 So here's the ask, one more time

Our goal for the next to weeks is to get nine $849 annual memberships. 

Here's how:
Fill out the payment form to get started as an annual member and we'll get you fast-tracked into membership.
Already a member? Upgrade to annual in your Zeffy account
Or make a direct donation to the facility upfit fundraiser
Sponsorship questions? joeyloman@synergymill.com

The vision of SynergyMill is too big to be carried by just a few people. My dad told me the reward for doing a great thing is being the one who made it happen. I'm reaching out because I think you already see what this place can be, and I believe you're one of the people who can make it happen. 

 I'll match you

I'm personally putting up $2,000 in matching donations between now and January 1st. If you've been sitting on the fence, this is the moment your dollar does double duty.

I'm asking now because we are at the exact point where a little momentum turns into everything, and no momentum turns into nothing.

We have the tools. We have the building. We have eleven years of proof and a community that shows up. The thing we need is nine people who decide, this week, to make it real.

Open House and new member orientation every Tuesday at 6pm. Bring a friend. Bring a project. Come see what you could be part of.

Stay awesome and wreckless,

Joey

p.s. Nine is just the minimum to get us over the hump. Anything past that and it all happens faster. Read more and donate directly right here: facility upfit fundraiser