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Key people at Taylors Mill.
Taylors Mill transforms a historic textile mill into a vibrant mixed-use commercial and community campus. It provides flexible leasing for spaces, from artist studios to retail and offices, housing over 70 diverse businesses. The complex integrates commerce, creativity, and social interaction, preserving industrial heritage and fostering a modern hub.
The site’s revitalization began in the early 2000s when Kenneth Walker acquired portions in 2006 and the main structure by 2008, initiating affordable commercial space. Caleb Lewis purchased the property in 2015, significantly expanding this vision. He cultivated an ecosystem from the dormant landmark, leveraging its history for a unique community destination.
Taylors Mill serves entrepreneurs, artists, small businesses, and the public utilizing its dining, entertainment, and event venues. Its vision establishes a destination where history endures, fostering creativity and thriving enterprises, ensuring purposeful and well-spent time for all.
Taylors Mill is a revitalized historic textile mill in Taylors, South Carolina, transformed into a 750,000-square-foot mixed-use campus hosting over 70 small businesses, artisans, and creative entrepreneurs.[1][2][5] Originally built in 1924 as the Southern Bleachery and Print Works, it now provides affordable workspaces for tenants ranging from photographers, woodworkers, and potters to breweries like 13 Stripes, restaurants such as The Farehouse, and unique attractions like Pinky's Revenge arcade and The Mad Smash rage room.[1][2][5][6] Its mission centers on minimizing operational burdens for startups and artisans, fostering creativity, community, and grassroots commerce in a historic setting.[1][4]
The campus spans nearly 63 acres and has generated significant economic impact, including 50 jobs created, $2.1 million in income, and over $5.6 million in output through historic rehabilitation.[3] It serves local entrepreneurs, visitors seeking experiential outings, and the broader Greenville-area community by incubating small-scale manufacturers, retail, and services while prioritizing affordability over high-profit development.[1][2][4]
Taylors Mill traces its roots to 1924, when construction began on the Southern Bleachery—designed by J.E. Sirrine & Co.—as a key textile finishing facility for bleaching, dyeing, and printing fabric in South Carolina's textile heartland.[1][2][3] It peaked as an economic powerhouse, employing over 1,000 people and supporting a company village with stores, churches, and recreation, until its sale to Burlington Industries in 1965 led to closure and decades of abandonment.[1][2][4]
Revitalization started in the mid-2000s: Kenneth Walker bought outbuildings in 2006 and the main structure in 2008, renting affordable spaces to small businesses and sparking interest from artists and craftsmen.[1][2] In 2015, Caleb Lewis (owner of Carolina Recycling, an early tenant) and Greg Cotton purchased the property, expanding it into a thriving hub for over 70 tenants by emphasizing community and creativity over large corporate tenants.[1][2][4] This grassroots evolution turned a forgotten mill into a destination that reopened fully around 2011.[7]
While not a tech firm, Taylors Mill rides the trend of adaptive reuse in post-industrial economies, repurposing textile-era infrastructure—once central to the "Textile Capital of the World"—into hubs for modern creative and small-business incubation amid Greenville's tech and entrepreneurial growth.[1][2][4] Its timing aligns with rising demand for authentic, affordable maker spaces as remote work and the creator economy boom post-2020, countering high urban rents and supporting micro-entrepreneurs in sectors like digital fabrication (e.g., laser cutting) and e-commerce enablers (e.g., custom design studios).[6]
Market forces favoring it include South Carolina's historic tax incentives, regional population growth in the Upstate, and a shift toward experiential localism over chain retail.[3] Taylors Mill influences the ecosystem by anchoring Taylors' revival, fostering startups that could scale into tech-adjacent ventures (e.g., industrial design via Indventech's ventilation tech), and drawing media like The New York Times for its model of community-driven regeneration.[2][8]
Taylors Mill's trajectory points to continued expansion, with ongoing development of its 750,000 sq ft and 63 acres—including new retail and tenant spaces—to sustain its 70+ businesses and attract more visitors.[1][2] Trends like the gig economy, sustainable localism, and experiential tourism will propel it, potentially integrating tech upgrades such as digital booking for events or co-working tools to appeal to hybrid creators. Its influence may evolve from local incubator to regional benchmark for mill rehabs, inspiring similar projects while deepening economic impact in a diversifying Upstate economy—proving historic spaces can fuel tomorrow's grassroots innovation.[3][5]
Key people at Taylors Mill.
