David W. Fletcher Incubator + Labs

HCC cuts the ribbon on new David W. Fletcher Incubator + Labs

(October 21, 2021) - Aspiring entrepreneurs now have a new resource in Washington County, as officials at Hagerstown Community College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today for the David W. Fletcher Incubator + Labs.

The Fletcher Incubator is located on the HCC campus and housed inside the former Technical Innovation Center, which underwent an $11 million renovation, and is now the Center for Business and Entrepreneurial Studies. It offers 34,000 square feet of space, along with business development and other support services for local business owners, entrepreneurs, and independent workers. New tenants have committed to nearly half of the space available for tenant occupancy.

“The mission is to grow economic development in Washington County, by recruiting those in and outside of the county, to start or grow their businesses in the Fletcher Incubator,” said HCC President Jim Klauber. “We work with these start-ups from day one, to prepare them for graduation and to spin them off to our economic development friends in the city and the county, where they can sustain and grow.”

Several entrepreneurs-in-residence will take the lead in offering incubator tenants perspective and life lessons learned through the process of trial and error in their own business development. These businesses include HighRock, Warehouse Cinemas, Hearty Pet and Ship Simply, and Weiss Brothers. Seasoned executives from these companies are excited to share some of the secrets to their success, to stimulate idea sharing and promote business growth among the tenants in the incubator.

“The Fletcher Incubator + Labs launches in the most opportune time to be an entrepreneur. We harness the energy and excitement in American society to enhance innovation and accelerate ideas,” said Justina Shaw, Director, David W. Fletcher Incubator + Labs. “We welcome all businesses, at any stage, to join our community as we learn, leverage and launch together!"

The Fletcher Incubator has community support from partners such as the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, TEDCO, Washington County Community and Economic Development, the Alice Virginia and David W. Fletcher Foundation, and SCORE.

A public open house will be held on Thursday, November 4, from 4 to 6 p.m. Tours of the facility will be provided and information will be available on tenant space and services.

You can learn more about the David W. Fletcher Incubator + Labs at www.incubatorhcc.com or by contacting Justina Shaw at 240-500-2479.