Most people associate Fargo, North Dakota with the setting of a gritty and witty story about a quaint detective discovering a gruesome murder involving a woodchipper. As I leave you with that unsettling image from the Coen brothers’ Fargo for a moment, I’ll hasten to add that it isn’t all Buscemis and McDormands. It’s also the hometown of North Dakota’s first 3D printing hub, Fargo3DPrinting.
Fargo3DPrinting doesn’t have a home yet, but it does have a business strategy in place, formulated by its co-owners, Jake Clark and John Schneider. The thing about Jake and John is that they’re young in comparison to most business owners; John is 23 and Jake is just 21. After engaging in several meet-ups at John’s own hackerspace, the two decided to jump into the 3D printing market, offering 3D printers, services and workshops. Jake has informed us that their main 3D printer line is made up of MakerBots. They sell, lease and service 3D printers and train customers in their use, as well as supply the filaments that go along with them. They already have a teacher’s workshop planned for February, in which teachers from local schools and colleges will be invited to learn about how the technology can be used in the field of education. Jake lets us know that they don’t plan to be without a formal location for long. Later in the year, Fargo3DPrinting hopes to open up a retail store to house their operations. In addition to retailing MakerBots, the two will provide local 3D scanning, printing and designing services for their customers.
The technology has already caused a stir, prompting visits from the local news. Jake doesn’t seem to be bashful about his age, as he tells ABC news, “It’s fun for me. It’s exciting to tell people, yeah I’m 21 years old and I started a 3D printing company in Fargo, I co-own a 3D printing company in Fargo. It’s awesome.” Perhaps this is because Jake is an ambitious person, knowing that his age and experience are outweighed by his enthusiasm for the industry. After receiving his Associate of Applied Science Degree in Mechanical Drafting & Design from the Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Jake went right into starting his own (prior) business, Tovek Drive Systems, where he began his work in design and printing services. And, now, he can awesomely say that he “co-own[s] a 3D printing company in Fargo.”
I have no doubt that Jake and John will find a home to sell their wares. They’re already a testament to what a good amount of gumption, and a good community college, can do to help individuals make a name for themselves — as well as make a name for Fargo that doesn’t involve a woodchipper.
