When a century-old steel fabrication plant reopens as a small-business incubator, it’s not just a renovation—it’s a statement about what a community values. In Greensboro, that statement is now nearly a year old.
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Historic Carolina Steel campus enters its second year as a growing hub for small-scale manufacturing, food production, health care and entrepreneurship
The Steelhouse is about bringing the right partners together to meet needs that no single organization can address alone.”— Sam Funchess, CEO The Nussbaum Center for EntrepreneurshipGREENSBORO, NC, UNITED STATES, October 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Just shy of its first anniversary since opening the initial phase of The Steelhouse, the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship is taking stock of what the transformation of the former Carolina Steel site has already accomplished—and what comes next.
The project’s first phase turned 32,000 square feet of a building that dates back more than a hundred years into flexible workspace tailored for entrepreneurs who often struggle to find affordable facilities that can scale alongside their businesses. Beyond the square footage, the effort pushes forward a larger plan for the entire 13-acre campus: preserving Greensboro’s industrial heritage while generating fresh avenues for business ownership, job creation, and neighborhood investment.
“The Steelhouse was created for a different type of entrepreneur—a small scale manufacturer who needs flexible space, room to grow and terms that make sense for a business in its early stages,” said Lisa Hazlett, president of the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship. “As we look back on this first year, we are proud that a building once dedicated to fabricating steel is again becoming a place where people make products, build companies and create opportunity.”
Construction got underway in June 2024, with D.H. Griffin Construction of Greensboro acting as general contractor. The shell of that first 32,000-square-foot phase was completed in May 2025, and tenant improvements followed. By November 2026, the building had fully transitioned from a construction zone to an active center for entrepreneurship and production.
That initial phase represents just one piece of a much larger campus vision totaling roughly 285,000 square feet. When fully built out, the plan includes a manufacturing center, food production facilities, a farmers market with retail space, and medical and office space.
Community partnerships are woven into every stage of that vision. Triad Adult and Pediatric Medicine has signed on as the project’s health care partner, with plans to offer primary and pediatric care. Because TAPM is a federally qualified health center, it can serve insured, uninsured, and underinsured patients alike—an important addition to an area that has gone without nearby health care access for decades.
“The Steelhouse is about bringing the right partners together to meet needs that no single organization can address alone,” said Sam Funchess, CEO of the Nussbaum Center. “Our role is to build the platform, create connections and help strong partners deliver services and opportunities for small business owners and the surrounding community.”
The roughly $50 million adaptive reuse project has been financed through a mix of grants, donations, and New Markets Tax Credits. First-phase funders and partners included local foundations, the City of Greensboro, Guilford County, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Golden LEAF, Truist, and CityScape Capital Group.
As The Steelhouse moves into its second year, the Nussbaum Center plans to keep developing the campus in stages, recruiting businesses and community partners, and expanding the flexible infrastructure that entrepreneurs need to launch, grow, and stay in Greensboro.
About the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship
The Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship supports entrepreneurs and small businesses through affordable, flexible space, technical assistance, shared resources and connections that help companies grow. The Center’s redevelopment of The Steelhouse extends that mission by creating a destination for manufacturing, food production, artisan enterprises, health care and community-serving partnerships.
Lisa Hazlett
The Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship
+1 336-379-5001
Why it matters: The Steelhouse shows how adaptive reuse of historic industrial sites can tackle multiple community challenges at once—from a shortage of affordable maker space to a lack of nearby health care. By weaving together manufacturing, food production, and medical services on one campus, Greensboro is testing a model that other cities may look to replicate for equitable, place-based economic development.
