Tommy Ciccarone, Parkway Cleaners Legacy
Parkway Cleaners has moved firmly into its 4th Generation with the Ciccarone family. John Ciccarone Sr. started the family in the dry cleaning business many years ago. His two sons, John and Francis, formed Parkway in Wilmington in the late 1950’s. John went on to bring his Parkway to West Chester. John’s son, Tommy Ciccarone Sr., worked in the business all his life, and upon completing high school, took over the business for his father so he could continue on to become a prominently respected real estate developer. The business has continued to grow, and upon graduation from Virginia Tech in 2003, I teamed up with my dad to move the business into its 4th Generation of quality services to all customers.
The goal for me with Parkway was to help the business re-develop itself into a new age business focused on quality and service. To do this we focused inside—our employees and our culture. I wanted Parkway to be place employees enjoyed. This was done by focusing on catering to what made them tick. All people want to be heard, know their opinion counts, and feel that they are appreciated. We started to do this by engaging our employees in an annual "Management Meeting" with a nice dinner, awards, and fun. Almost 10 years later, the meeting is a true “Black & Yellow” event!
Our turnover is minimal and our customers are happy seeing the same faces who know how they like their items cleaned. As a result, the business continues to grow. Parkway has multiple locations throughout the area and now has a growing “Pick Up & Delivery” service to homes and offices…EVERYWHERE! Parkway is driven by meeting our employee’s needs so they in turn will meet all of our devoted customers’ needs while serving the community that serves Parkway. It is a Parkway tradition to give back to all that give to Parkway. That is why we also strive to donate our services, materials and funds to events that make a difference.
As you can see, we are Rhinos through and through! We care about our people, our customers and giving back--it's the heart of Rhino Living. I challenge you to look at what you are doing to make a difference. All good deeds add up into making a difference somewhere. Look inside and see what you can be doing to make a difference each day!
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