CLINTON, Miss. – April 22 is Earth Day, and Davern and Andrea Jones, owners of Cartridge World-Clinton, are urging consumers to “Recycle it @ Cartridge World,” their going green campaign.
The Joneses said citizens may bring their recyclable cartridges and cell phones to 117 Highway 80 East in Clinton. Clover Technologies Group, the largest collector and recycler of cartridges and cell phones, will recycle the items. The items will then be broken down and reused in other products, such as flooring, playground equipment, or other uses, according to released Cartridge World information.
“It is very important to create eco-friendly choices for consumers and businesses alike in the Jackson Metro community,” said Andrea Jones. “We are dedicated to educating our local customers on how recycling can help make a difference in the planet’s limited natural resources,” she added.
The Joneses also want consumers to understand that the “Recycle it @ Cartridge World” campaign does not negate getting their cartridges refilled. Refilling ink cartridges at discounted prices and retailing remanufactured laser printer cartridges are the major services of their business. The recycling campaign is for collecting empty cartridges and/or cell phones consumers no longer want.
They opened their Cartridge World franchise in March 2008. “I got tired of the corporate world,” Andrea Jones said. She had worked in the telecommunication industry for 12 years. Additionally, she is the caregiver for a cousin who suffered a stroke. “Graciously, my husband allowed me to quit work to take care of her,” she said. Later, her cousin’s health demanded the attention of a long-term care facility.
After that, Andrea Jones was not content being a homemaker. She had a business yearning. “My husband did not want me to go back into the corporate world,” she said. “Therefore, he began extensive, in-depth research into what kind of business would be best for us.”
Davern Jones, a Port Gibson, Miss. native, told The Mississippi Link, “I discovered that Cartridge World is the world’s fastest growing ink and toner refilling retailer and franchisor in the $80 billion printer cartridge industry. Cartridge World is also environmental friendly. It was this data and the fact that the business was a consumer-saving type that influenced his decision to open a Cartridge World store.
Opening a business in the state of the current economy does not really bother Davern Jones. “This economy is best for businesses like ours,” he said. “We can provide our customers up to 50 percent savings. Our ink refills last the same amount of time as the OEM (Original Equipment Manufac-tured). Plus, we pick up and deliver.”
Comparatively, a Lexmark 20 Color (OME) retails for $37.99, but the Cartridge World refill of that product is $15 – a $22.99 saving.
In reference to the economy’s impact on their business, Andrea Jones admits that she is cautiously concerned. The Brookhaven native said that is why she tries not to let a day go by without doing some marketing. Her self-described “go-get-it” marketing attitude has led them to a number of contractual clients in Clinton and in Jackson.
The Joneses said they are so pleased with their Clinton location. “One thing about the businesses here, they support each other,” said Davern Jones. He said their strategy was to situate themselves in a high traffic area. He was watching television one night and heard about the pending relocation of the Clinton Kroger. They checked out the area and found an available building near the Kroger site. They moved in and started operating before Kroger did. “What better way than to get your groceries, gas and ink cartridges all in the same shopping area,” he said.
Davern Jones is a summer 2007 MBA graduate of Mississippi State University with a minor in marketing. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from Jackson State University in 1993. In addition to helping his wife when he can, he is currently Lead Sr. Industrial Hygienist for MSU Center for Safety and Health in Brandon, Miss.
Andrea Jones is a 1994 graduate of Alcorn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a minor in Applied Mathematics. She served as Translations Tech II with Verizon Business from May 1994 until December 2006. At Verizon, she earned numerous professional accomplishments, including a 100 percent rate of meeting project deadlines each year.
Andrea Jones points out that they consistently follow the business model set forth by the Cartridge World franchise. Additionally, they believe in constantly enhancing their knowledge of entrepreneurship by attending various business seminars, etc. They are members of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Jackson Partnership Chamber of Commerce as well as other business organizations.
Andrea Jones was recently named by the Clinton Chamber of Commerce as Ambassador of the Month for March. A wife, mother, businesswoman, she structures her life around her favorite biblical scripture, Matthew 21:22 – paraphrased, “You can get anything – anything you ask for in prayer – if you believe,”
As a new business owner, she said she has found – through prayer – a business mentor in Socrates Garrett, founder and owner of Garrett Enterprises, Inc. of Jackson. “His company was the first large, major client to give us an opportunity,” she said. “It was actually my husband who first met Mr. Garrett. My husband attended a seminar where he was speaking, and one statement Mr. Garrett made stuck with my husband so that he came back home talking about it for days. That statement was, ‘When it comes to business, I don’t see race. The only color that matters in business is green.’ When I heard that I said, ‘Wow, I got to meet this man.’”
Not only did she meet him, he has been helpful by introducing her to other client possibilities. “I’m going to stick with Mr. Garrett like glue,” she said with a chuckle.
“My father drilled in our heads, ‘your name goes a long way,’ and the Jones name is attached to this business. That’s why we do our best to make sure our clients and customers are pleased with our products and services.”
The Joneses are proud parents of two girls Morgan, 9 and Victoria, 12; and a son, Ray Coleman, 24, who is a media professional at WAPT-TV, Jackson. Coleman is the biological son of Davern’s late sister. The Joneses adopted him when he was 12.
They also have three “dedicated” employees: Robert Roberson, Chance Hornke and Laney Amons; all of whom are like family. Their children and employees share in their goal of business success and their push for helping to save the earth.
For more information about Cartridge World located at 117 Highway 80 East in Clinton, please contact Davern or Andrea Jones at (601) 924-4600. For more information about Cartridge World, log on to www.cartridgeworldusa.com
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