Cody Heintzelman discovered his natural green thumb while working part-time at multiple greenhouses in the greater Williamsport Area. He discovered a true love for growing and cultivating plants through the experience and saw the true positive impact a local greenhouse could provide to a community. Equipped with the knowledge of what it takes to start a greenhouse, and a goal to provide top-quality, affordable produce in the greater Williamsport area, Cody set out to launch Fairfield Greenhouses. 

Cody embarked on his entrepreneurial journey alongside partner James Walker, whose IT background has been instrumental in creating and managing the social media, website and POS side of the business. 

However, finding the right loans and negotiating the property purchase price proved to be a challenging process for the founders. With the help of the Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC), who provided a complete financial analysis, the couple was able to close on a property in Montoursville, PA in February 2023. The business partners also found support in Citizens & Northern Bank and the Lycoming Economic Development Foundation. 

“The Penn State SBDC team of Tom Keiffer and Chelsea Blair provided expert financial and business operational knowledge to the start of our business,” Cody said. “Without their expertise, our business start would not have been possible.” 

Cody and James began growing their produce in the greenhouse this spring and will be able to officially open for business in May of 2023. 

In just a few months, Fairfield Greenhouses created seven new jobs. The business anticipates sales upwards of $200,000 in the first year. Cody and James are thrilled to live their dream of running a business together, and the positive reception from the community has been encouraging. They hope to continue to build positive relationships with their customers and make a difference in the greater Williamsport community.