Goose Creek Story

shedding a little light on goose creek

May 2007

Right out of high school, Casey County native Chuck Meece began exploring the idea of running his own business. In the late nineties, candles gained popularity as gifts and decorative home accessories. Chuck capitalized on this growing trend and in 1998 launched a candle business in his home.

What started as a small sole proprietorship has now developed into a nationwide retail and wholesale business. Chuck began the expansion with the help of his wife, Tamara. In December 2005, the couple incorporated their business as Goose Creek Inc. Today, the Meeces’ company ships to almost every state in the continental United States.

As the business has grown, the product line has grown along with it and is now quite diversified.

“First we started making candles, and from there we went to clocks,” said Chuck. “Now we offer over 3,000 different products.”

MACED first became involved in Goose Creek with a small microloan. The partnership was successful so a second, larger loan was made to purchase the supplies needed to fulfill a major national contract. The business continued to grow and was running out of space so another large loan was made to finance the expansion of the building. Two technical assistance loans were also made to implement an inventory management system, set up a computer network and launch a website.

Goose Creek employs a staff of 40 in a county with limited employment opportunities. The Meeces provide consumers all over the nation with products from the Appalachian region, but perhaps the most valuable thing they offer is jobs for Appalachian Kentuckians. In addition, many of the products that are bought and sold by Goose Creek come from local venders across the region.

Although the majority of the company’s sales go to many small gift shops all across the country, Goose Creek got its first taste of big business in 2005 as it began to acquire contracts with large, nationwide retailers such as Marshalls and Tractor Supply Company. These contracts helped them expand their business, hire new workers and prepare for future growth.

To learn more or to order online, go to www.goosecreekco.com.

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