Solid Cactus Brings Hi-Tech Jobs and Over One-Million Dollars in Payroll to Wilkes-Barre, PA

WILKES-BARRE, Pa., Jan. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Sanfilippo and Joe Palko may be best known for starting the first dot-com company in Northeast Pennsylvania with the launch of TheFerretStore.com in 1994, one year before giant Amazon.com. But tucked away in the first floor of the Jewelcor Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA is the duo's fast-growing website design and development company, Solid Cactus.

Now entering its fifth year, Solid Cactus has grown from a group of four, to a team of 33 full-time employees, with the most growth happening in 2005 when 15 full-time positions were created. Most of the positions at Solid Cactus are filled by people living outside the city of Wilkes-Barre. Four have moved here from Russia and India while the majority make the daily commute back and forth from areas as far as one-hour away. But all work-in, play-in and call Wilkes-Barre their "home away from home."

In 2005, Solid Cactus has brought over $1.2 million in payroll to the Wilkes-Barre area and company projections put that number at $2.5 million for 2006 when the company plans further expansion and job creation.

"Not many people in this area know that Solid Cactus exists and contributes so much to the local economy," commented Sanfilippo. "We're a fast growing technology company with our roots firmly planted in Northeast Pennsylvania. Joe and I grew up here, live here, and plan on staying here."

Since its founding, Solid Cactus has not received any state, local or federal aid or financing, nor has it received any money from outside investor groups. The company's growth has been financed by Sanfilippo and Palko and remains a privately held corporation.

About Solid Cactus, Inc.

Headquarted in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Solid Cactus, Inc. serves a growing base of medium to large size business customers with a full array of web design and e-commerce solutions using the Yahoo! Merchant Solutions platform. Visit http://www.solidcactus.com/ for more information.

  For more information,
  Scott Sanfilippo, Director of Corporate Communications
  V: 1-888-361-9814 ext. 200
  F: 570-270-3476
  E: scotts@solidcactus.com