Gov. Wolf, others help Turn5 open new Paoli area headquarters

Gov. Tom Wolf joined county commissioners, state and federal legislators and township officials at the opening of the new headquarters for Turn5, an aftermarket online parts seller for Jeeps, Mustangs and pickup trucks that is expanding and adding jobs on in the Paoli-Malvern area.

Wolf arrived at the event in his Jeep Wrangler Golden Eagle, which Turn5’s founding brothers, Steve and Andrew Voudouris, promptly offered to customize.

In fact, they showed the crowd of about 500 what it would look like in a big-screen animation that included high tires, undercarriage lighting, a number of interior upgrades and an outline of a wolf with the words “The Wolf” on the driver’s side door — complete with a large American flag hanging from the back and the governor looking on wearing a bandanna.

While supportive of Turn5’s $7.9 million investment into the new building, the governor said the proposed Jeep upgrades weren’t for him.

“I already have trouble getting in an out, I don’t know what I’d do with those tires,” he said with a laugh.

Pennsylvania, though, has shown support for the e-commerce company with a number of incentives in return for its pledge to create at least 183 new jobs. It has already created over 100 of them and continues to hire.

Turn5 received a $200,000 Pennsylvania First Program grant, $45,000 in WednetPA funding for employee training, and $366,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits to be distributed when the jobs are created.

Wolf called the state’s contribution “a little nudge” in comparison to Turn 5’s investment.

“These are the kinds of young, innovative companies we want to keep in the state,” Wolf said.

The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, a group of economic development professionals who report directly to the governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the Chester County Economic Development Council.

“Andrew and I are incredibly thankful to Gov. Wolf and the great state of Pennsylvania for their support and incentives to help us build our new home,” said Turn5 CEO Steve Voudouris. “In this space, we will be able provide our team with a collaborative work environment to even better serve the auto enthusiast market and bring more jobs to Chester County.”

The 90,000-square-foot building includes state-of-the-art video production space where employees show car enthusiasts do-it-themselves projects; a Turn5 Timeline Wall and Core Values mural; two coffee bars made from up-cycled shipping containers; a bowling alley, digital golf simulator, pinball machine and outdoor Baggo court and horseshoe pits.

The new building on Cedar Hollow Road was formerly a distribution center for Taylor Gifts Inc., a mail order catalogue business. The company said it will maintain space at 1 Lee Boulevard about four miles away, where it has contact and distribution centers. Turn5 also has a distribution center in Linefield, Montgomery County, and a West Coast distribution center in Las Vegas.

The Voudouris brothers, who started the company in 2003 in their parents’ basement, credited Turn5’s 450 employees with the growth.

“The Turn5 team cares about every project we work on,” Steve Voudouris said. “We care about making ourselves better each and every day. We care about the people that we work with, the company as a whole and the community that we live and work in. We don’t have the most years of experience. Most of us did not go to prestigious colleges. But we care greatly about what we do. We’re persistent and incredibly determined, and that’s what’s special about Turn5.”

Guy Ciarrocchi, president and CEO of the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry, said the brothers provide the kind of leadership a young company needs to succeed.

“There’s an energy in the room and a sense of team, and it comes from Andrew and Steve,” Ciarrocchi said. “They provide a great balance between fun and business.”

Chester County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Michelle Kichline said the renovated building, with its amenities for workers, is an example of workplaces of the future.

“What is so exciting about Turn5 coming to Chester County is it’s an example of entrepreneurship, innovation. These are young men who started a business in their parents’ basement and of all places in the region they could have chosen, they chose Chester County to take it to the next level.”

It is probable Turn5 was able to help the governor with one problem he was having with his Wrangler.

“I have an aftermarket radio in my Jeep, and I don’t know how to set the clock,” he said with a shrug.

Written by Brian McCullough; Originally published in the Daily Local News