Sweet Deal: Local Chocolate Factory Finds a Way to Grow Affordably
Seedcopa Managing Director, Sherwood Robbins pays a visit to Eclat Chocolate’s Master Chocolatier, Christopher Curtin.
When Master Chocolatier Christopher Curtin was featured on one of CNN’s most popular shows, he suddenly had a very sweet problem on his hands.
“We pretty much doubled in size, and suddenly we needed larger space for machinery, packaging and ingredients,” says Curtin, whose Eclat Chocolate factory store is located on South High Street in West Chester.
That’s when another local business referred him to Seedcopa, an affiliate program of the Chester County Economic Development Council that specializes in financing for growing businesses.
With their support, he was able to get a $559,000 loan at a lower interest rate to purchase a 4,500-square-foot building behind Henderson High School.
The facility is operational right now and will be fully outfitted by this spring.