Resources: Success Stories: Hornet Technologies

Educator, Netrepreneur Hornet Technologies

Hornet Technologies is a K12 initiative in Orange County, Virginia. School administrators were pretty sure that having kids repair cars or build bird houses in shop was not the best way to prepare their youth for the global Knowledge Economy. School administrators agreed to provide space and a modest startup budget to begin instructing high school students on how to assemble, test, and support desktop computers. The superintendent agreed to buy the systems from the effort if the quality was adequate.

The quality was adequate, and in a short time, not only did the school system stop sending their technology dollars out of state, they had a world class computer manufacturing facility that was saving tax dollars while giving youth marketable skills. The county government also began buying their desktop machines from Hornet Tech (the name for the effort).

As laptops have become more popular in schools and the demand for desktop systems declined slightly, Hornet branched out into doing broadband wiring, first in the schools, and then in other locations around the county.

The effort grew out of its original space in the high school, and that led to the rehab of an old, unused mill building. That became the Orange Business Incubator, which has become a resounding success.

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