ERC Wiping marks decade in Lynn

LYNN ? After 10 years of business in Lynn, ERC Wiping Products, Inc. has made its mark ? a mark that not even its products can wipe away.The company is a leading manufacturer and distributor of absorbent cleaning cloths, terry towels, microfibers, durable paper wipers and spill control products. It also stocks pre-saturated wipes, cheesecloth, specialty rags and lint-free wipers.”If you wipe with it, we sell it,” said ERC President Larry Groipen.ERC started out as a local supplier in 1921, recycling textiles, clothing and linens into wiping rags. It was established by Groipen’s grandfather in Chelsea. A fire in 1972 forced the company to relocate to South Boston until 1988. The business then moved to Canton, and to Lynn in 1998.”The main appeal of Lynn was that it’s close to home,” said Groipen, a Swampscott resident. “There’s also plenty of labor and the building was reasonably priced.”Groipen took over the former Bennett Shoe building at 19 Bennett St.”Since we’ve been here in Lynn, we’ve doubled in sales, doubled in employees and doubled in customers,” said Groipen.Today, the company stocks nearly 200 different products and ships to customers throughout the U.S. Its customer base spans a variety of industries including manufacturing, technology, car care, janitorial, hospitality, marine, municipalities, athletic and fitness, and salon and spa. Terry towels for schools, car wash facilities, spas and health centers, as well as bleach-resistant towels for salons, are in high demand.”That’s the biggest growing part of the business,” said Groipen. “Pre-saturated antibacterial wipes are also really taking off.”The company employs 32 workers, most of whom are Lynn residents. A quarter of those employees have been with ERC for 10 or more years.”Our goal is to have very little turnover,” said Groipen.A prime example of this longevity is 14-year employee Ronnie Pittman.Prior to the relocation, Pittman, a Lynn resident, commuted from Lynn to Canton. He credits the relationship among the employees as one of ERC’s major strengths.”We’re one big happy family,” said Pittman. “I love them all.”A more recent hire is Kevin Avery, who started out as a summer youth worker in 2006. He is now an assistant manager in the shipping and receiving department. Born and raised in Lynn, Avery is a graduate of Lynn Vocational Technical High School.”I knew I wanted to work in a warehouse that summer,” said Avery. “I liked it enough that I ended up staying.”ERC has participated in the Summer Youth Employment program for the past three years. It is coordinated by the Lynn Office of Economic and Community Development and the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation of Lynn (EDIC).”EDIC has always been very helpful, very supportive,” said Groipen. “Thanks to them, we’ve been able to take on good employees through their summer program. It’s a great opportunity to try someone out.”On a personal level, Groipen understands the importance of gaining an early introduction to the workplace. He entered the family business in 1976, while he was still in college. He then went on to manage the company with a partner until 1991, and is now on his own. He credits its continued success to the dedication of his workforce.”The business could only be built up through the efforts of the employees,” said Groipen. “I couldn’t do it without them. It’s really up to them to make the business grow.”