Ellwood City Entrepreneur Opens One-Stop Business Hub

As he watched the doors open at his new facility at 632 Lawrence Avenue, Eric Venezie saw his entrepreneurial dream come true.

“I hope our new facility brings some enthusiasm to the Ellwood City community and shows that there is growth opportunity in our town,” Eric said. “Most all our staff is local, with local roots and families that depend on those peers and other businesses to support one another and help Ellwood City continue any resurgence, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Eric, a long-time Ellwood City business owner has brought his line-up of local businesses full circle and under one roof at the Thought Process Enterprises (TPE) headquarters.

TPE is a local marketing firm focusing on the needs of small and medium sized businesses. The new facility will serve as a hub for everything business. TPE employees are specialists who focus on numerous services including printing, signage, and other business marketing offerings.

“Our creativity, both as individuals, as divisions, and as an entire team are our specialty,” Venezie said. “We have a really great, dedicated staff that takes pride in their work, servicing the needs of their customer, and enjoys when a job well done helps the buyer.”

TPE President, Eric Venezie

The facility will house a few popular local businesses including The Color Center, Signs by Sam, EDGEclick Advertising, EllwoodCity.org, and Dot & Bow Paperie. The 6,800 square foot facility is the first new state of the art building to rise up in Ellwood City in the last decade.

Eric sees it as a business hub, a one-stop shop for all things business, with niche offerings that also serve the community too.

Born and raised in Ellwood City, Venezie graduated from Lincoln High School in 2001. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2005 from Slippery Rock University in Communications with a focus on Multimedia and Emerging Technology.

 Venezie said he was always drawn to the graphic arts and architecture.

“I remember playing around with computer aided design, even at a young age, with limited computer programs available I would play around with new sports logos, drawings, maps, or house floor plan,” Eric said. “I wanted to be an architect when I was entering high school.”

After earning his college degree, he was able to land some immediate freelance work and was fortunate enough to be able to offer his services to his father’s Ellwood City-based company: The Eric Ryan Corporation.

Eric’s entrepreneurial spirit took off from there. He began to grow his own business presence in Elwood City through opportunities and business acquisitions. In 2019, the company was responsible for over $900 thousand dollars in gross sales.

If there is one challenge to being a young entrepreneur, Eric says it would be the dedication it takes.

“Personally, being tapped into work 24/7 and always thinking of new projects, opportunities, or new marketing avenues to explore makes it hard to take personal time off, or even a day off,” Eric said.

But he admitted the sacrifices are worth the payoff.

He looks forward to greeting all his dedicated customers as well as new clients and the community at his new headquarters which opened to the public on Monday.

“Stop in and say hello,” Eric said.

When he is not at work, Eric enjoys staying active by running, weight training, and playing recreation and team sports.  Eric will be celebrating his four-year wedding anniversary with his wife Vanessa in June and the couple has one daughter, Perla, who just turned one on Mother’s Day.

About TPE’s Divisions:

The Color Center is a full-service commercial print shop offering personal and professional print projects ranging from quick print to business stationary to promotional products. www.colorcenter.com

Signs by Sam is a custom sign shop that features exterior, interior, and vehicle signage. www.signsbysam.com

EDGEClick Advertising is the only network of its kind in Pennsylvania providing exclusive display advertising space on the official websites of over 30 public school districts. www.edgeclick.net

Dot & Bow Paperie offers custom stationary and invitation design. The boutique is managed by a staff with vast experience in the wedding industry. www.dotandbowpaperie.com.

EllwoodCity.org is a news website featuring local news and human interest stories. www.ellwoodcity.org.