Innovate In Beloit
Innovation is the lifeblood of Beloit. We see challenges as opportunities for our innovation to shine. You’ll see evidence of our innovation and progressive thinking everywhere in our community.
FULFILLING A DREAM: DIANE HENDRICKS
Diane and Ken Hendricks harbored a dream for the way they envisioned their lives unfolding.
“In 1982, Ken and I had a vision,” says Diane, chairman of ABC Supply Co., Inc., the company she co-founded with her late husband. “We wanted to be productive with our lives, make a difference in our industry, and give back to those who helped us achieve our dreams. Ken and I were blessed to be born in this great nation, where we are born with the gift of opportunity and freedom. Our vision was to live the American dream by working hard, working smart, and having fun.”
Ken passed away in 2007, but Diane has carried on, continuing the dream the couple started together. Today, ABC Supply, a Beloit-based corporation, is the largest wholesale distributor of exterior building products in the United States with 970 locations, 20,4000 employees, and $18.5 billion in sales in 2022. The company has received seventeen Gallup Great Workplace Awards, which honor the most engaged and productive workforces in the world. They also received two Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards in recognition of their dedication to fostering an employee-first and engaging culture.
GENER8TOR: BUILDING A STARTUP IN BELOIT
gener8tor is a nationally-ranked venture capital firm and accelerator that brings together startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians, and artists.
The gener8tor platform includes over 75 programs spanning startup accelerators, corporate programming, speaker series, conferences, skills accelerators, and fellowships. gener8tor believes that everyone deserves opportunities, regardless of race, place, or gender.
gener8tor a nationally-ranked venture capital firm and accelerator that brings together startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians, and artists.
gALPHA Beloit is a free, venture-creation workshop designed to help entrepreneurially-minded community members create high-growth startups. gALPHA provides product ideas, mentorship, and coaching to teams and then works with them one-on-one for one month to develop an innovative and marketable product or solution.
IRONTEK
Irontek is a coworking space and entrepreneurial hub located in the Ironworks Campus in downtown Beloit.
Launching in 2016 to promote local innovation and support startups, Irontek began as an 8,000 square foot facility and has since expanded to nearly 28,000 square feet. It now serves close to 200 members, including remote workers, small businesses, and tech startups, offering flexible workspaces, private offices, high-tech meeting rooms, and collaborative amenities.
The purpose of Irontek is more than just providing office space. It hosts events, offers networking opportunities, and connects members to business support services and resources. Through partnerships with local organizations and venture networks, including Grey Collar Ventures, gener8tor, and the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce, Irontek plays a central role in helping businesses launch and grow, making it a big part of economic development and talent retention in the Greater Beloit area.
Irontek is housed within the historic Ironworks Campus, a former industrial site that once produced paper-making machinery. After the foundry’s closure in 1999, the property was acquired by Diane and the late Ken Hendricks in 2001 and redeveloped into a modern business campus.
DISCOVER NATURE AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE ROCK RIVER AND TURTLE CREEK
Nature At The Confluence creates community connections by providing inviting spaces and engaging programs.
Nature At The Confluence is an urban environmental learning center located along Turtle Creek where it meets the Rock River in South Beloit, Illinois, adjacent to Beloit, Wisconsin. Located at the half-way point of the Rock River, the property has over a mile of undeveloped waterfront and includes a five acre prairie recreation, two miles of wooded hiking trails, learning gardens, and an uninhabited island that provides safe haven for a nesting pair of eagles. Programs at The Confluence bring life to the former derelict property in the heart of South Beloit.
The Confluence campus was made possible through a combination of public land and private property purchases. The $2.2 million project was spearheaded and funded by Beloit 2020. This private organization raised all funds for land acquisition and construction of the center and then donated it to the City of South Beloit. The environmental learning center opened in June 2017 on a 12-acre parcel and operates as an independent non-profit nature center.