Community
where history meets innovative tech
Our campus
TOURS & EVENTS
CAMPUS PARTNERS
The Historic Planewave Campus
Looking around our campus, you see glimpses of historic and modern buildings nestled among mature midwestern trees and contemporary art installments.
While our daily work focuses on reaching the depths of the universe, our campus welcomes community members to experience science, technology, engineering, art, and math in Adrian, Michigan.
The property was championed by Quaker Laura Haviland, a famous abolitionist, suffragette, and social reformer who was instrumental in the Underground Railroad. It became part of the prison system in 1891 and was renamed the Girl’s Training School in 1925.
The school was abandoned by the state of Michigan in the early 2000s, triggering the city of Adrian to purchase it for $1 in 2011. When we decided to look for a new headquarters outside of our original location in California, we were introduced to this beautiful campus and uncovered an opportunity to build something unique. We purchased the property in 2018 and have invested millions in upgrading many of the existing buildings and adding new manufacturing facilities.Â
Complementing our campus community, the River Raisin Ragtime Review, distinguished as one of North America’s three professional Ragtime orchestras, has embarked on a venture to transform the historic church building into their permanent residence.
Our campus is open to the public as we offer private and group tours for schools, a campus-wide disc golf course, support internships in all departments, and host our annual Open House and Science Expo event to spark and inspire more within science and the arts.
Our team travels to schools to talk with students about math, science, and aerospace and serves on local, regional, and state boards, committees, and panels. We have also invested in the community through the purchase and renovation of local mixed-use and commercial buildings as well as workforce housing throughout the city.
The opportunities for community engagement and partnerships have exploded with our move to this beautiful campus and friendly community, but it’s also provided an opportunity to expand our business. Since moving to Adrian, we’ve grown from 15 employees to 90. The expansion of our production was critical to the development of three new products including our 1.5-meter telescope, the largest production observatory-class telescope in the world.
Campus Partners
Adrian Center for the arts
The Adrian Center for the Arts offers artist residencies, gallery space, classes, summer activities for youth, and professional development for art teachers.
The River Raisin Ragtime Revue (R4) is a professional theater orchestra dedicated to preserving and restoring ragtime—our country’s original popular musical style.
The Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute (SBWI) is a non-profit post-secondary trades college, providing education and career opportunities through the artistry of woodworking.
