Floor 2 The Future Case Statement

FLOOR 2 THE FUTURE: A Fundraising Campaign for the American Precision Museum

Engaging audiences in the stories of human ingenuity through the lens of manufacturing —learning from yesterday, exploring today, and imagining tomorrow.

Ushering a History of Innovation into the Future The American Precision Museum has been celebrating human ingenuity for nearly 60 years. Located in the historic Robbins & Lawrence Armory and machine shop in Windsor, Vermont is a National Historic Landmark. This four-story mill built in 1846 has a global-reaching history as the birthplace of precision manufacturing.

The innovations that took place in this building transformed the world.

Parts for machinery, rifles, and tools were previously custom-fitted by hand, making production, repairs and replacements expensive and timeconsuming. Once manufacturers were able to create precisely identical components that could be replicated, everything changed–daily life, local and national commerce, and even the global economy.

Founders of the Robbins & Lawrence Company: Richard Lawrence, Nicanor Kendall, and Samuel Robbins

Our History 1846

1851

1854

1850s - 1880s

1898

Samuel Robbins, Nicanor Kendall and Richard Lawrence, formed the Robbins, Kendall & Lawrence partnership and secured a contract to manufacture 10,000 Model 1841 rifles for the U.S. Army. T hey built a four-story armory on the south side of Mill Brook, which would become the birthplace of precision manufacturing.

Robbins & Lawrence sent six rifles to the G reat Exhibition in London, where they received a medal for the quality of their rifles, showcasing what would become known as the American System of Manufacturing to the world.

The British government ordered 25,000 rifles and 138 machines from Robbins & Lawrence, recognizing their superior manufacturing techniques.

Under various ownership over the next decades, the mill building saw cotton processed, sewing machines made, and 50,000 rifles manufactured for the Union during the Civil War.

After an idle decade, Frank A. Kennedy purchased the building and converted it into a power-generating facility, marking its adaptation to new industrial uses.

Today, the American Precision Museum shares this story of innovation in the very same town and building where the American System of Manufacturing was invented almost 180 years ago. It spotlights America’s visionary contributions to the Industrial Revolution and honors the place and people who made the Connecticut River Valley, also referred to as the Precision Valley, a manufacturing hub.

We look to this past to understand how investments at key moments in history fueled innovation and changed the fabric of American life. We find ourselves, once again, with an opportunity for a mill in Windsor, Vermont to lead the way for the next transformation.

Floor 2 the Future: A Campaign for the American Precision Museum will uphold this legacy by modernizing the museum’s infrastructure and amplifying and expanding manufacturing pathways to inspire the next great generation of makers and innovators.

A group of students of mixed ages learning the First LEGO League coding program Spike.

1966

1981 - 1984

2003

2020-2023

NOW

Threatened with demolition, Edwin A. Battison purchased the building and founded the American Precision Museum. The Robbins & Lawrence Armory was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Significant restoration and preservation work were undertaken, including renovations to the building’s structure, flooring, and roofing funded by various grants.

Major preservation activities removed the armory from the threatened list of National Historic Landmarks, reflecting the museum’s commitment to maintaining the building.

The museum continues to evolve with the opening of the Made

by Hand to Made

by Machine display, emphasizing the importance of the building’s foundation story and the birth of the American System of Manufacturing.

Floor 2 The Future Campaign: The American Precision Museum restores and expands its usable space by 45%. This allows for another 60 years of inspiring the next generation of manufacturers with an education center and a meeting and function space for our community and corporate partners.

Our Challenge Automation and advances in technology are creating new challenges and opportunities for employers, employees, and local, state, and regional economies. Investment in manufacturing is at an all-time high, and yet, the manufacturing workforce lags behind projected demand.

Snapshot: Skilled Manufacturing Sector

One reason for this is the myth that manufacturing jobs are dirty, dangerous, and dull. The reality is that manufacturing is high-tech and innovative, rich with meaningful, dynamic, and well-compensated careers.

As the birthplace of precision manufacturing, the American Precision Museum must play a critical role in changing the narrative about our industry and support the evolution and growth of American and global manufacturing. We believe we are well-positioned to be a springboard for the necessary advocacy of the manufacturing renaissance through the expansion of the experiential and inspirational learning that the APM is able to provide.

This critical growth initiative requires more usable space and infrastructure, and we see reclaiming and repurposing the second floor as the way to make this happen. By modernizing and expanding the Museum’s infrastructure right now, we can respond to the current manufacturing revival and uphold the building’s legacy as a site of industrial advancement and ingenuity. Together, we can write the next chapter of manufacturing history.

2024

2034

13.4 Million Manufacturing Jobs

17.3 Million Manufacturing Jobs

505,000 Vacant

1.9 Million Vacant

48% of manufacturing jobs in the United States are currently filled by employees aged 45 and up with 25% over retirement age in ten years. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Campaign Objectives Preservation

Partnerships

As keepers of Precision Valley history, we take pride in We believe the future of innovation is inextricably linked to the presenting the innovations of our local community past, so we diligently preserve and exhibit the artifacts and how they influenced manufacturing in of human ingenuity. Restoring and reconfiguring e h T F u ture America and across the globe. This shared or 2 our building is a critical next step in keeping Flo history unites the Museum with all and building upon this shared history, as manufacturers and facilitates the well as positioning the Museum as an creation of lasting partnerships Preservation inspirational leader in manufacturing which will enable us to meet future for future generations. challenges.

Education & Inspiration Pathways to

We believe that everyone can inspire the next Education engage in making and manufacturing generation and and should have opportunities Inspiration for hands-on problem-solving and Partnerships innovative thinking – experiences that are inspiring, accessible, inclusive and relevant. Currently our interactive exhibits and learning activities are limited to the first floor and lobby. An expanded and modernized facility will enable us to host workshops, author talks, more on-site learning experiences for science and math classes, meeting space for our corporate partners and local groups, and will provide sufficient office space for staff.

Engaging our corporate partners and local community means being able to keep our history alive, advocate, and create pathways for careers in manufacturing, and serve as a state-of-the-art gathering and collaboration space.

Renovate the Second Floor When drafting our plan to modernize the American Precision Museum’s infrastructure, we realized that, as with any old and historic buildings, we had to prioritize our strategies. We asked ourselves what updates would enable us to most effectively preserve the past, while educating, inspiring, and building partnerships for the future.

Our Goals $2.6 Million + $200,000 for endowment Completed by December 2026 Our answer is a campaign focused on reclaiming and renovating the second floor. This will increase usable space by 45% and make major strides towards bringing our museum up to modern standards.

$2.8 Million Campaign Budget Preservation $1,165,000 Red, in this image, represents existing usable space, while yellow represents the 45% additional space available after the renovations.

$305,000

Relocate Collection & Building Repairs

With early support from the State of Vermont in the form of a $500,000 matching grant, the Museum is off to a strong start.

But to achieve our goal of $2.8 million, we need your participation.

$280,000

ADA Access to Second Floor (Includes LULA)

$380,000

Code compliance for Fire Safety

This renovation, as depicted in the floor plan, will include:

$200,000

APM's Endowment

• A large multi-use classroom and conference room for educational programming and community/corporate meeting and event space

Education and Inspiration $965,000

• Educational materials & technological tools to outfit the classroom and meeting spaces

$700,000

Classroom and Conference Room

• Amenities for staff and visitors, including a coffee area, bathrooms, and a more functional office configuration

$265,000

Education Document Space and Educational Materials & Technology

• Additional collaboration spaces, including an education and document space, a small meeting room, and additional available space that could serve as additional exhibition space.

• ADA access to second floor via LULA (Limited Use/Limited Access Elevator) • General restoration and repair to the building

Partnerships $670,000 $470,000

Small Meeting Space

$200,000

Reconfiguring Office Space and Add Coffee Area & Bathrooms

Board of Trustees

Contact Us

Chet Birger, Tilton, NH

Steve Dalessio Executive Director steve@americanprecision.org

Dave Eastman Director of Development and Communications deastman@americanprecision.org

Devon Kuhrau Development Associate dkuhrau@americanprecision.org

Jerry Rex Corporate Development Director jerryrex@americanprecision.org

Rob Caron, Wells, ME Christopher Gray, Springfield, VT Eric Hagopian, South Deerfield, MA Greg Jones, McLean, VA Greg Kaufman, Washingtonville, NY Richard Kline, Cincinnati, OH Bill Lynn, West Lebanon, NH Darcy Miller, Tarrytown, NY Lee Morris, Windsor, CT Lorraine Palmer, Punta Gorda, FL Emma Saucier, Charlestown, NH Larry Schwartz, Clear Spring, MD Mike Shipulski, Lebanon, NH Don Thomas, New London, NH

196 Main Street PO Box 679 Windsor, VT 05089 802 674 5781 americanprecision.org