Success Stories
Paris Cleaners
What does Paris Cleaners do?
Paris Companies is an industrial laundry and textile services company with two primary operating units: Paris Healthcare Linen Services and Paris Uniform Services. The healthcare division provides textile and linen management services to hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare providers. The uniform division provides custom uniform rental and laundering services to industrial and commercial markets. This is an approximately $11 billion industry nationwide, and Paris is one of the largest independently-owned companies competing in this industry in the country.
What made Paris Cleaners locate in Clearfield County?
The Paris Companies of today began in 1918 as a retail dry cleaning establishment in Jefferson County, PA. An expanded business mission and growth led to a strategic relocation to DuBois in Clearfield County in 1980. A family-owned and run company since its founding, rural Pennsylvania has the type of labor force and living environment that fosters core values important to the success of a service business like Paris. Integrity and caring about the customer are at the heart of the Paris value proposition. Additionally, Pennsylvania economic development programs enable businesses to invest, grow and participate in strengthening the state’s economy. Paris now serves markets in four states but chooses to headquarter in Clearfield County.
How has the Clearly Ahead assisted you and talk about your experience working with them?
Paris has an ongoing commitment to Clearfield County that saw major construction or renovation projects in 2009, 2010 and 2011 as well as significant routine capital investment. Since 2009, Paris has created 191 new family-sustaining jobs, in total, with 122 being in Clearfield County and is among the top ten employers in the county. Such a commitment and growth would not have been possible without the assistance of Clearly Ahead Development. Paris has taken advantage of low interest financing facilitated by Clearly Ahead, and Clearly Ahead personnel provide key networking with related agencies and organizations. With its major employment base and headquarters in Clearfield County, Paris depends upon Clearly Ahead Development for important planning guidance to help maintain an environmentally-sustainable and economically-beneficial presence in the county.
Jason McCoy, CFO
Vision Quality
What does Vision Quality Components do?
Established in 2002, Vision Quality Components is a privately owned manufacture of powder metal components located in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. We have been successfully manufacturing powdered metal parts for a wide variety of industries including automotive, hydraulic fluid and power, security locking systems, recreational equipment, and also the medical and food service.
What made Vision Quality Components locate in Clearfield County?
Central Pennsylvania has long been known for its’ strength in the powder metal industry. Offering a workforce with years of powder metal experience along with key support industries instrumental in manufacturing parts demanded by the powder metal market place, Clearfield County became an easy selection for locating our start up business.
How has the Clearly Ahead assisted you and talk about your experience working with them?
Clearly Ahead Development played a key role in our business locating to the Clearfield Community. The hardworking and experienced team employed by Clearly Ahead was vital in locating a suitable building and location for our business and also assisted us with securing the financing required to get our business off the ground.
Denny Johns, Co-Founder/President
Wickett & Craig
What does Wickett & Craig of America do?
Wickett & Craig of America is a Tannery located in Curwensville, Pennsylvania. Wickett & Craig produces specialty veg-tanned leathers used in the manufacture of handbags, luggage, belts, shoes, and equestrian products. Our quality leathers are sold in the domestic and international markets to high profile manufacturers.
What made Wickett & Craig of America locate in Clearfield County?
Wickett & Craig started operating in Ontario, Canada since 1867. After an expropriation in 1989 by the city of Toronto, Wickett & Craig began an intensive search for a site for a new state-of-the-art facility. The former Clearfield Cheese building in Curwensville, which was vacant at the time, was purchased and became the new home of Wickett & Craig. Major renovations were undertaken and in 1990 production began.
With a willing workforce, the continuous resources and help of the Clearfield County Industrial Development Authority, Clearly Ahead Development and low interest loans funding from MELF, PIDA, CIDA, SBF and Clearly Ahead Development of Clearfield County, proved to be a winning location for Wickett & Craig.
How has the Clearly Ahead assisted you and talk about your experience working with them?
Our partners at Clearly Ahead have given our Company dedicated support throughout our growing years here in Clearfield County. As a resource for information, low interest loan funding and grants, we have been able to renovate and expand operations to help be competitive and viable in tough economic times and markets over the years. This partnership with Clearly Ahead Development, I am proud to say, has helped retain Pennsylvania jobs and has sustained Wickett & Craig in producing the finest Veg Tanned Leathers in the world, right here in Clearfield County.
John C. H. Lee, President
protocol 80, Inc.
What does protocol 80 do?
Protocol 80 design and develop websites, but our focus is websites that are focused on attracting high quality website traffic that converts into leads, but then also help businesses nurture leads through to sales. This is called inbound marketing.
What was the scope of the project with Clearly Ahead Development?
We worked with Clearly Ahead Development to create a custom design, convert that design into a website and then incorporate a content management system so that they can change and update the content on their own very easily. We've focused on making the website SEO (search engine optimization) friendly to ensure that their website appears in the search engines when related searches are performed.
What was your experience like working with Clearly Ahead Development and their staff?
Working with Clearly Ahead Development was a great experience. Everyone there was incredibly easy to work with and they had a clear direction on what their desired outcome of the website would be. Richie presented the content for the website in one of the best formats we have seen in over 13 years of web development. This made the process of building out the website accurate and efficient. We want to thank Richie and the rest of the team for a successful and enjoyable project!
Josh Curcio, VP/Owner