Outdoor 1-8 - Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce

12
Williamsport Sun-Gazette, October 2011
NEW MEMBER
Magna-Solutions LLC: Warming up for winter
By ALYSSA MURPHY
amurphy@sungazette.com
After a wet spring and summer, one local
gas industry outfitter will be planning for a
cold winter.
Magna-Solutions LLC, 32 Sawmill Road,
Cogan Station, started selling its winter line
of fire-resistant gear to supply the gas and oil
companies.
“We’re geared up to sell our winter line
with insulated and lined items,” Jay Franzen,
one of the four owners of the shop, said.
Along with the clothes, the store also sells
winter accessories, including boots, helmets
and rain gear.
“Essentially anything a company might
need, we’re available to provide,” Christian
Richardson, another owner, said. “We cater to
support companies that are in the gas industry.”
Franzen said that many of the workers in
the industries are from the southern side of
the country and are not prepared for the cold
winters.
Finding the gear needed to stay warm that
also follow regulations used to be more difficult,
Richardson said.
“Before we opened, only a handful of stores
carried this stuff,” Richardson said. “They
were very limited in what they offered. A lot
of larger sized guys had a harder time to get
jackets, things that were (fire resistant) compliant.
That’s one thing we specialize in. All
we sell is (fire resistant). We carry all sizes up
to 5X, sometimes 6X. We can fully supply
these guys.”
Franzen said that last year, stores quickly
ran out of supplies.
“A lot of the other stores that had limited
supplies sold out,” he said. “There were back
orders until spring. By the time they could get
the stuff to be warm over winter months, it
was too late.”
Richardson said he encourages anyone with
larger orders to place them now to get the
outfits in a matter of weeks, not months.
Another service Magna-Solutions LLC
offers is customization of the gear.
Richardson said some companies that come
to the store want a certain color, embroidery
ALYSSA MURPHY/Sun-Gazette
Owners, from left to right, Jay Franzen, Andrea Franzen, Michele
Richardson and Christian Richardson work together in a family business
to clothe area gas industry workers.
or logo.
“They all want something slightly different
or slightly unique,” Richardson said.
Since opening in March, the store had to
extend hours on Friday and add seamstresses.
Richardson said some of the workers who
come in may be a little bigger or shorter than
the uniform comes, so a seamstress allows
custom hemming that can be done in a day or
two.
New Volunteer Opportunity: Business Mentors
N. Central PA Ch. 234 invites men and women who are
active or retired business owners, executives, or
professionals to consider joining our group as
volunteers to counsel start-up and in-business clients.
570-322-3720 http://ncentralpa.score.org
The store is open 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday
through Thursday, 9
a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday
and noon to 7 p.m.
Saturday. The owners
also make special
appointments when
needed.
“We encourage people
to call us when
they need to get their
stuff,” Franzen said.
“We’re able to make
special appointments.
‘I need to be at the site
at 7 a.m. I drive by at
6 a.m. Can you help
me out?’ We will
accommodate. We
encourage people to let
us know when they
need help.”
One man flew from
Texas and the airline
lost all of his luggage,
Richardson said. He
had to be on site that
morning.
“He didn’t have a stitch of clothing,”
Richardson said. “We opened up for him and
we had him outfitted with several outfits
until he got his clothes. It’s just what we do.”
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