In The Cradle of Industry and Liberty

PHILLY CASE
From the basement of a south Philadelphia
row house to revenues exceeding $3
million, Philly Case is nothing less than a
Cinderella story.
At the age of thirteen, Philly Case founder
Vince “Vinny” Barbati lost his father and
dropped out of school to support his family.
The following years were spent as a longshoreman
and working in a north Philadelphia trunk
shop alongside his uncle, Anthony Altieri.
Following the relocation of the trunk
shop, and with the closest competitor in
New York City, Barbati believed securing the
local market was worth the gamble. With no
existing customers and no machinery, he
and his wife, Mary Ann, combined a loan
against the equity of their home and Vince’s
pension fund to open Philly Case in 1989 in
a basement in south Philadelphia. More than
twenty-five years later revenues exceed $3
million annually and the company occupies
more than 30,000 square feet of space.
Philly Case is one of the only case makers
in the country to offer a complete range of
custom ATA, roto-molded, and lightweight
poly cases. The customer base is as diverse
as their needs. The Philadelphia Orchestra
depends on them to create lightweight, manageable
cases to transport their fine and fragile
instruments. Their hometown Philadelphia
Eagles’ players and coaching staff, along with
numerous other NFL teams, count on them
for the safe transportation of everything from
shoes and helmets to medical supplies and
coaches’ belongings. Nationally known in the
trade show industry, Unisys Corporation
relies on them to ensure their refrigeratorsized
computers arrive safely at locations
throughout the United States and abroad.
According to
Barbati, “We make
‘em all. In fact, if
you go to the shore
this summer, take a
look at the vintage
shoulder-slung
boxes the ice cream
peddlers use. We
make those, too!”
Over the years
Barbati has moved
from the shop floor
to the executive
office. In searching
for resources to aide
in the transition,
he joined Vistage International, a peer-to-peer
membership organization for owners and
executives of small- to mid-size businesses.
The relationship has helped him successfully
lead the company into the twenty-first century.
In addition to more than eighty-five years
of family experience, Philly Case’s craftsmen
bring hundreds of years of cumulative experience
and are the best in the business. Their
craftsmanship and fabrication is recognized as
second to none and their customer service is
unmatched. Through it all, it is important to
the Barbatis that the company remain a family
business—the “Philly Case Family” that is.
@
Above: Vinny and Maryann Barbati.
PARTNERS IN BUILDING PHILADELPHIA
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