FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Anne Kirby, Founder
Anne@thesweetcore.com
(717) 945-6380
Lancaster, PA — The Candy Factory is excited to celebrate five years of coworking in Lancaster City. As the first coworking space in Central PA, The Candy Factory has grown to a community of 70+ members ranging in various professional backgrounds including design, marketing, consulting, technology, development, accounting, photography, nonprofits and more.
The Candy Factory opened in
July 2010 and operated within the Kepple Building — 300 Block N. Queen St. — for over four years. In 2013, they started renovation on part of the old Lancaster Storage Co. Building located at 342 N. Queen St., Warehouse D and relocated in August 2014. The new location not only increased square footage, but also offered space to grow.
Following the Open Coworking Space movement, a global initiative, The Candy Factory provides space for members to work, meet with clients and network. Another coworking perk is the Coworking Visa, a program which allows members to use other coworking spaces all over the world and in turn, members of others spaces can use their space.
“The key to a successful coworking movement is the community and how invested they are,” say Anne Kirby, Founder. “Five years is a big milestone for us. When we opened our space in 2010, no one knew what coworking was. We had to educate the public, the city and even our members. Since we’re a traditional space, our focus is on community, collaboration, sustainability and openness — the core values of coworking. Our members are like family and we truly care about their success. Our family extends beyond our space and we’re part of a global community. Where else can you interest with new people on a daily basis? Our members are not tenants, they don’t rent a desk or have a lease; rather, they are part of an amazing, thriving community and that is what coworking is all about.
Making An Impact
In 2014, The Candy Factory surveyed its members to gauge the local impact that coworking was having on the small business community.
“I knew our members ate, shopped locally and paid for parking passes, but from this new survey, we learned that our members are eating out and coming to Lancaster City for shopping and entertainment on a greater scale than originally imagined,” said Kirby. “It’s exciting to see what goes on day-to-day within our space, but it’s also very refreshing to see the impact it’s making on our local downtown economy.”
Survey Summary
“A good percentage of our members live outside of the city and have decided to work in the city. They pay for parking passes, eat out at least three or more times a week for lunch and they feel comfortable spending more time in the city due to the fact that they work here. We’re happy to provide a service for small businesses while also making an impact on our local community,” continued Kirby.
“The survey only represents 50% of our members. However, we are currently working on getting 100% so we can have more accurate data. The following is still very exciting when it comes to local impact on the downtown business economy.”
- 91% of members say The Candy Factory has helped grow their business in someway.
- 62.9% of members say they travel by car and pay for garages or street parking.
- 37.1% of members walk, ride bikes or travel by train.
- 61% of members say they source subcontractors in-house.
- 38.9% of members eat out locally at least three times per week.
- 30.6% of members eat out locally at least one time per week.
- 80% of members say they are more inclined to come downtown for events because they work here.
The Candy Factory will host a Five Year Birthday Bash on Friday, August 7, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at Warehouse D, 342 N. Queen St., Rear, Lancaster, PA 17603. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be provided. Join The Candy Factory for an evening of celebration, give-aways and prizes. Please visit The Candy Factory online at www.coworkinginlancaster.com or call (717) 945-6380.
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