Geeky TechShop Founder Plans National Franchise Rollout

Imagine gathering in one place dozens of the local -- and not so local -- geekerati. Picture an assembly of artists, technicians, designers and engineers. Hobbyists, tinkerers, and the geeky-by-trade. Young and old, men and women of every stripe, their only common trait a drive to build and create. What could draw this crowd together? What lure would bring some of them a hundred miles or more? Would you believe me if I said all it took was an empty building? A scant few days ago we converged on a nondescript business park on the edge of Durham, North Carolina, summoned by the siren song of arc-welders and metal lathes. In the shell of a former office space, we listened as Jim Newton and Scott Saxon spun the dream they plan to make a reality in just a short time. By way of introduction, Jim Newton is the founder of TechShop,... [read full story]