REVOLVING DOOR
PEOPLE
Jean Newton (pictured, left), executive director of The Music Conservatory of Westchester (MCW), a nonprofit community music school in White Plains, will serve as an affiliate representative on the board of ArtsWestchester through June 30, 2013.
NEW BUSINESSES, RELOCATIONS, OPERATIONS
Progressive Computing, Inc., has moved from Midland Avenue into larger quarters on Grassy Sprain Road in Yonkers. Progressive’s managing partner and account manager, Robert Cioffi, was profiled in the new Q4 issue of 914INC. as one of the names you’ll need to know in 2013: westchestermagazine.com/914-INC/Q4-2012/Rising-Westchester-Professionals-to-Watch-in-2013-Robert-Cioffi/
The Westchester in White Plains has added High Marques Auto Salon, located on garage level 1 (by the Bloomingdale Road entrance), to provide both à la carte and packaged hand-washing and detailing car services.
San-Mar Laboratories, an Elmsford-based cosmetics company, is relocating to Pennsylvania. Currently employing approximately 200 people, San-Mar, which develops and manufactures personal-care and beauty products, notified the New York State Labor Department that it will close its plant at 4 Warehouse Lane at year’s end.
The Westchester County Association (WCA) has posted an election guide on its website with a summary of each incumbent candidate’s voting record on business-related issues, along with the WCA’s positions on each issue. Visit westchester.org/article.php?a=309.
Following up on his pledge to “reinvent Playland for the twenty-first century,” Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino announced a “civic-commercial partnership” that aims to broaden the appeal, strengthen the financial foundation, and preserve the family character of the iconic park in Rye. With Playland’s boardwalk and Dragon Coaster as a backdrop, Astorino signed a letter of intent with Sustainable Playland Inc., a not-for-profit organization based in Rye, to finalize an agreement to manage the 100-acre waterfront property overlooking the Long Island Sound.
Through its One-Stop Employment Center, Westchester County is sponsoring a virtual job fair through the first week of November, which aims to connect businesses with qualified workers with disabilities. Businesses interested in participating can register online at westchesterputnamonestop.com.
Eileen Fisher, founder, principal owner, and president of Eileen Fisher, Inc., has been named chair of a new “all-star” advisory council of the Women’s Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) to provide expertise and experience to the organization and spread the word about WEDC’s entrepreneurial training programs and services.
The other council members are Deborah Brenner, founder and CEO of Women of the Vine; Renee Brown, president and CEO of C.W. Brown, Inc.; Jean Chatzky, author, speaker, and financial editor for NBC’s Today show; Dee DelBello, CEO/publisher of Westfair Business Publications; Mary Jane Denzer, owner of Mary Jane Denzer Ltd.; Ellen Exum, director of global wellness at PepsiCo; Diana Gould, owner of Diana Gould Ltd.; Abigail Kirsch, founder of Abigail Kirsch Catering Relationships; Lily Lopez, vice president of Citi Community Development; and Ruth Mahoney, Hudson Valley district president of Key Bank N.A.
KUDOS
Heineken USA’s President and CEO Dolf van den Brink (pictured, left) has been named one of Fortune’s “40 Under 40,” ranking eighth among leaders like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and the founders of Google. This marks the first time anyone from the beer industry has been nominated, and van den Brink is one of only two consumer product group executives highlighted on the tech-dominated list. 914INC. profiled van den Brink in its premiere issue: westchestermagazine.com/914-INC/Premiere-2010/The-Corner-Office/
Christina Griffin Architect PC, based in Hastings-on-Hudson, has won a 2012 American Institute of Architects Design Award for the Angel residence in White Plains. The winning home, a model of sustainable living, will be the first LEED for Homes certified project in White Plains—and the third in Westchester.
The Mental Health Association of Westchester (MHA) honored the following individuals at its annual benefit, Autumn on the Hudson, held October 24 at X2O in Yonkers: Georganne Chapin, President/CEO of Hudson Health Plan, received the MHA Corporate Philanthropy Award for leading the way in delivering integrated mental-health care as part of comprehensive health care coverage to more than 115,000 low-income people in the Hudson Valley. John B. Allen, special assistant to the commissioner, New York State Office of Mental Health, received the MHA Phoenix Award for his visionary leadership and creation of new and innovative services for people recovering from mental health conditions. Mary Beth Morrissey, board member and president, Collaborative for Palliative Care, received the MHA On the Move Award in recognition of her contributions in the field of mental health policy, research on mental illness, and her six years of service on MHA’s board. Kathie Collins, an MHA volunteer, received the MHA Spirit Award for her passionate and effective advocacy on behalf of children in the foster care system.
BIZ BUZZ: OUR BUSINESS BLOG
As part of a successful effort to keep PepsiCo in Westchester, County Executive Rob Astorino announced that the county’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA) has approved a series of incentives that will help the company renovate its Purchase headquarters and preserve 1,100 local jobs. The project also is expected to spur the creation of 1,250 construction jobs. The IDA granted PepsiCo an exemption from the 7.35 percent sales tax on qualified purchases for the duration of the construction process. The renovation will involve the complete redevelopment of 420,000 square feet of office space, which is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2013.
Calling it a historic milestone for Westchester County, The Business Council of Westchester lauded the announcement as “one of the most significant business developments to occur in Westchester County in decades.”
One month before the release of his proposed 2013 budget, County Executive Astorino reaffirmed his pledge not to raise county property taxes or raid the county’s reserve fund next year, and appealed to the county’s employee unions to help him minimize layoffs by agreeing to contribute to the cost of their healthcare.
HOT PROPERTIES – 914INC.’s COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE
Property: Thornwood Conference Center, Thornwood
Brokered by: William V. Cuddy Jr., (203) 325-5380, william.cuddy@cbre.com; and Budd Wiesenberg, CBRE Group, (203) 325-5375, budd.wiesenberg@cbre.com
Availability: 410,000-square-foot class-A corporate conference facility on 264 acres available along Columbus Avenue.
Selling points: Nestled in a campus setting, the Thornwood Conference Center’s prime location in central Westchester presents a unique opportunity—the property can be purchased as a single site comprising the entire 264 acres, or divided with one site comprising 97 acres of developed property and the other site comprising 167 acres of undeveloped land. .
Downside: Site is not further sub-dividable.
914 DATEBOOK – UPCOMING BUSINESS EVENTS
TUESDAY, 11/13/12
“Give Thanks” Networking Party
Rye Grill and Bar, 1 Station Plz, Rye, 6 – 8 pm. Professional Women of Westchester will host a “Give Thanks” networking party to benefit Hope’s Door, a nonprofit that assists survivors of domestic violence. Attendees are asked to donate baby products; office supplies; gift cards to Rite Aid, CVS, or Target; new toys and dolls; gifts for moms, such as skin and hair products, fragrances, or pajamas. $15, PWW members; $20, non-members. Must pre-pay to attend. Register online: professionalwomenofwestchester.com
WEDNESDAY, 11/14/12
WEDC – “The Power of Failure”
Graziella’s Italian Bistro, 99 Church St, White Plains, 5:30 – 8:30 pm.. Tweezerman Founder Dal LaMagna started dozens of businesses, most of which were epic failures. Never defeated by his mistakes, he founded Tweezerman in the late ’70s and sold the international beauty products company for $30 million in 2004. LaMagna will share his entrepreneurial advice about “The Power of Failure,” as the keynote speaker at the Women’s Enterprise Development Center’s (WEDC) 14th Annual Women’s Business Networking Event. At the event, LaMagna will sell and sign copies of his book, Raising Eyebrows: A Failed Entrepreneur Finally Gets it Right. Tickets are $65, and include parking, a light buffet, and wine. Proceeds from this event will be used to support vital programs and services to help emerging women-owned businesses achieve success. For further information or to purchase tickets, visit wedcbiz.org or call (914) 948-6098, x13.
THURSDAY, 11/15/12

Real Facts About Money for Women
Serendipity Labs, 80 Theodore Fremd Ave, Rye, 7 pm. WestchesterMommy.com invites you to join a discussion on “Real Facts About Money for Women,” featuring Fely Cieza and Orna Nahor from Strategies for Wealth in Rye Brook. Learn 10 money facts about women, explore what they mean to you, and network with other women. Admission is free, but space is limited. Register at rsvp@serendipitylabs.com.
WEDNESDAY, 11/21/12
Search and Social Media: How to Market Your Business Online
120 Bloomingdale Rd, White Plains, 1 – 3 pm. Presented by SCORE Westchester, this two-hour workshop offers the opportunity to learn about the different search-engine and social-media tactics needed to market your business online. Workshop leader Jennifer Shaheen, owner of the digital marketing agency The Technology Therapy Group, explains the importance of keyword research and how it relates to search-engine marketing; the different types of social [MEDIA?]tools to consider for marketing your business; how to research and understand creating a social strategy, and other relevant concepts. Call (914) 948 3907 or visit scorewestchester.com for details.
WEDNESDAY, 11/28/12
What to Consider Before Going Into Business
120 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, 1 – 3 pm. Presented by SCORE Westchester, the workshop covers personal considerations, including necessary skills and experience, as well as the required investment in time and the risks that must be assumed—both financial and personal. Additionally, the seminar also will cover business considerations, including the products and/or services you plan to sell, marketing and competitive challenges, money needed for a successful start-up and where it comes form, various legal-structure options to consider, and an introduction to preparing essential elements of a business plan with emphasis on marketing and finance. Call (914) 948 3907 or visit scorewestchester.com for details.
THURSDAY, 11/29/12
914INC.’s Second Annual Women in Business Luncheon
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Tarrytown, 11:30 am – 2 pm. Join the editors of 914INC. as they honor the most influential women in Westchester, as featured in the cover story of the magazine’s Q4 issue. Single tickets are $85, and tables of 10 are $800. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit westchestermagazine.com/womeninbusiness
Do you have tips, scoop, or gossip concerning business in Westchester? If so, our INComing blogger, Lisa Cesarano, is all ears. Please email her with a short pitch to 914incoming@gmail.com.
Upcoming events should be submitted no later than Sunday, November 4, to be considered for the November 13 edition. Please submit business-related events only; no fundraisers or consumer events.
