CLC

What CLC does

CLC, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit vocational training and job placement organization founded in 2000 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It provides 2-12 week, instructor-led programs in skilled trades (HVAC, welding, aerospace/MAAT, CNC machining, forklift and logistics, building trades pre-apprenticeship, maintenance and repair technician) and office skills (QuickBooks/bookkeeping) across two physical campuses at 555 N. Grants Lane in Fort Worth and 6220 Anglin Dr. in Forest Hill. The organization targets underserved populations including veterans and military families, opportunity youth aged 16-24, justice-involved youth and adults, low-income households earning under $37K/year, and unemployed or underemployed adults, while maintaining industry-recognized certifications (AWS D1.1, EPA 608 Universal, MSSC CLA, OSHA Forklift, QuickBooks).

The organization delivers training via physical classrooms and labs, with no proprietary software platform; supporting technology is limited to a Salesforce Experience Cloud-hosted student verification portal and the QuestionPro survey platform used for funding-eligibility intake. The business model is grant-funded: tuition is either free through government and foundation programs (U.S. DOL YouthBuild, Texas Workforce Commission Texas Talent Connection and Self-Sufficiency Fund, Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans' Assistance, City of Fort Worth CCPD, United Way, and 10+ regional foundations including JP Morgan Chase, Sid Richardson, Meadows, Amon Carter, and Bank of America) or priced at $1,500-$6,500 for self-pay — substantially below for-profit vocational school pricing of $28,000-$32,000. Job placement is supported through a network of 100+ employer partners and 5 labor unions.

Operating with approximately 20 staff plus 26 AmeriCorps Texas Members, CLC reports 15,000 lifetime graduates over 25 years and 74 active students at time of snapshot. Leadership comprises Pat Lane (President), Angela Traiforos (Executive Director), and Cory Lane (Career School Director), with Gordon England as a board member and founder of the internal Scholarship Fund. The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no equity investment structure typical of for-profit entities; revenue is generated through grants, donations, modest tuition fees, and branded merchandise sales channeled into the Scholarship Fund.

Name

CLC

Legal name

CLC, Inc.

Website

https://clcinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CLC, Inc. is a Fort Worth-based 501(c)3 nonprofit providing 2-12 week vocational training and job placement in skilled trades (HVAC, welding, aerospace, CNC, forklift, building trades) and office skills, primarily serving veterans, opportunity youth, justice-involved individuals, and low-income adults across two DFW campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Major revenue stream from foundation and corporate donors including JP Morgan Chase, Sid Richardson Foundation, The Morris Foundation, N. Texas Community Foundation, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, United Way, Amon Carter Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, Bank of America, General Motors, and QuestionPro. Funds cover training and employment services for veterans, low-income civilians, COVID-impacted residents, and facility renovations.
2. Government Grants (Texas Workforce Commission / DOL): Government grants fund tuition-free training for qualifying students including Texas Talent Connection (TWC, $1.34M to North Texas in 2022), Self-Sufficiency Fund (TWC, served 170+ participants since 2019), YouthBuild ($1,250,000 from U.S. DOL-ETA), Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans' Assistance, City of Fort Worth CCPD (YARP), and United Way of Tarrant County (Rebuild Tarrant County).
3. Tuition Fees (for non-qualifying students): One-time tuition fees for students who do not qualify for grants: Welding $3,500, HVAC $6,000, Forklift/Logistics $1,500, Aerospace $3,000, CNC Machining $3,750, Bookkeeping/QuickBooks $2,000, MRT $6,500. Significantly below for-profit vocational school pricing of $28,000-$32,000.
4. Scholarship Fund Contributions & Merchandise Sales: Internal Scholarship Fund seeded by board member Gordon England and sustained by community donors, staff, former students, and 100% of merchandise proceeds. Average scholarship award in 2022 was $1,427.72.
5. Merchandise Sales: CLC branded merchandise sold online via their storefront; all proceeds go directly to the Scholarship Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CLC, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that delivers short-duration (2–12 week), tuition-free or low-cost vocational training programs in skilled trades including HVAC, Welding, Aerospace (MAAT), CNC Machining, Forklift/Logistics, QuickBooks/Bookkeeping, Maintenance & Repair Technician (MRT), and Building Trades Pre-Apprenticeship. Each program bundles industry-recognized certifications and hands-on lab instruction with job placement services via a 100+ employer partner network and 5 labor unions, serving veterans, low-income individuals, opportunity youth, and justice-involved populations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HVAC Technician Training Program
• Welding Training Program
• Aerospace (MAAT) Training Program
• CNC Machining Training Program
• Logistics & Forklift (MSSC CLA + OSHA Forklift) Training Program
• QuickBooks / Bookkeeping (Office Professional) Training Program
• Maintenance & Repair Technician (MRT) Training Program
• Building Trades Pre-Apprenticeship (Electrical) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• $18.89/hour average placement wage for HVAC graduates in 2021-2022 (exceeding Texas college graduate average of $16.75/hour)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles9 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered operational tool provider, major funder / strategic, core operational partner, operational partner, operational partner network and founder of scholarship fund.

• QuestionProoperational tool providerTechnology or IntegrationProvides free unlimited surveys and responses through the QuestionPro platform, enabling CLC to run unlimited data collection activities.
• Stanley Black & Deckermajor funder / strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamed one of 91 Makers Grant Recipients in 2022 Global Impact Challenge (part of $25M/5-year commitment). Supports CLC's Low-Income Families Employment Initiative (LIFEI) which provides up to 50% of program costs for unemployed/under-employed participants.
• Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD)core operational partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Second Chance Act Youth Offender Reentry Project (YORP) serving 75 selected youth offenders with pre-release and post-release services.
• Pecan Valley Centersoperational partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with CLC's AmeriCorps-Texas program; four AmeriCorps Members (veterans) provide mentoring and life skills coaching to veteran peers at Pecan Valley Centers facilities in Parker and Johnson Counties.
• New Mt. Rose Missionary Baptist Churchoperational partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts monthly mentor-meet-mentee events for AmeriCorps Members and youth served through the Youth Offender Reentry Project.
• Local Schools & Colleges / Technical Institutions / Faith-Based Organizations / Neighborhood Associations / Employers (YARP Partners)operational partner networkOthersNetwork of community partners supporting the Youth At-Risk Program (YARP) through education, training, mentorship, and resource connections for justice-involved youth in Fort Worth.
• Gordon England (Board Member)founder of scholarship fundOthersCLC Board Member who initiated the Scholarship Fund in 2021 with his own personal contribution to help students not qualifying for other assistance programs.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Tech: For-profit vocational school offering HVAC, welding, CNC machining, and automotive programs nationwide. Direct competition for skilled-trades training with comparable curriculum credentials (EPA 608, AWS), but operates as a tuition-based for-profit charging $28K-$32K—illustrating CLC's price gap.
• Goodwill Industries International: Largest U.S. nonprofit workforce development operator, running sector-based training, job placement, and reentry programs for low-income, justice-involved, and barriered populations across hundreds of local Goodwill affiliates. Comparable mission, target population, and funding model (mix of government grants, donated goods revenue, and foundation support).
• Tulsa Welding School (TWS): For-profit welding and HVAC vocational school operating in Tulsa and Jacksonville. Direct curriculum overlap with CLC's Welding and HVAC programs (AWS D1.1, EPA 608), but serves as a tuition-funded for-profit comparator that highlights CLC's lower-cost model.
• National Urban League Workforce Development Programs: National civil rights organization operating workforce development, reentry, and youth employment programs across U.S. affiliates with federal, state, and corporate funding. Comparable target population (opportunity youth, justice-involved) and government grant funding model.

Direct peers

• Year Up: 501(c)3 workforce development nonprofit providing tuition-free technical and professional skills training combined with corporate internships and job placement for young adults from low-income communities. Operates multiple U.S. sites, drawing on employer-partner funding and government grants—directly comparable to CLC's tuition-free, employer-anchored placement model.
• Per Scholas: National 501(c)3 providing tuition-free technical workforce training (IT, cybersecurity, software engineering, and select skilled trades) for underserved adults, with strong employer-partner job placement pipelines. Same tuition-free non-profit model with similar employer/corporate funder network.
• SER National (SER Jobs for Progress): National Hispanic-focused workforce development non-profit providing vocational training and job placement, including skilled trades, with WIOA/DOL funding. Comparable mission, federal grant reliance, and skilled-trades training programs.
• JVS (Jewish Vocational Service): Workforce development non-profit offering tuition-funded vocational training, career coaching, and placement services for low-income and barriered populations. Same target population, similar short-format skilled trades/professional training programs, and grant-based operating model.

Others

• Texas Association of Workforce Development (Workforce Board Network): Texas Workforce Commission and its regional workforce board network—not a direct training competitor, but the primary state grant administrator (TTC, SSF, WIOA) that funds CLC and other workforce nonprofits in Texas. Critical ecosystem partner and grant source.

Regional players

• Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County: Local Workforce Development Board administering WIOA-funded training and employment services in CLC's core service area. Acts both as a programmatic partner/funding intermediary and a competing provider of tuition-funded vocational training to the same target population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clcfw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CLCFW

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CLC