Nominate a Local Biz for 914INC.’s First-Ever Excellence in Small Business Awards

Know of an outstanding small business in Westchester, or own/work at one yourself? Nominate your community-fixture retailer, quality local service provider, or hands-down favorite firm to receive one of 914INC.’s first-ever Excellence in Small Business Awards by May 31!

 

REVOLVING DOOR

PEOPLE

The Food Bank for Westchester has appointed White Plains resident Ellen Lynch executive director. Formerly, Lynch was president and CEO of the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency. In her new role, she will guide the organization’s funding and operations to build capacity at the new Elmsford facility. Lynch’s not-for-profit board affiliations and memberships include the Westchester Coalition for Business Development, The Business Council of Westchester, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, and the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce. She holds a BA from Skidmore College and a masters in organizational leadership and strategic management from Manhattanville College.

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James M. Maloney of Tarrytown has joined Statewide Abstract Co. title insurance experts in White Plains. Maloney was assistant vice president of Chicago Title Insurance Company for 22 years. He began his career as a title professional in 1975 for The Title Guarantee Company where he was vice president of sales until 1978. He continued as a title professional through the present, with skills in sales for Pioneer National Title, TitleGuarantee New York, and Ticor Title, New York. He holds a BA in Economics from Manhattan College in the Bronx and completed additional studies in real estate at the New School in New York City.

The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester welcomes Benjamin J. Palancia to its board of directors. Palancia specializes in insurance for contractors, restaurants, and commercial buildings at Albert Palancia Insurance Agency, where he has worked since 2001 and which he has owned since 2007. He is an expert in commercial general liability and workers’ compensation insurance and holds licenses in eight states as a property and casualty insurance agent and broker and is also licensed as a life and health broker.

The Westchester Philharmonic has appointed two new members of its board of directors. Jennifer Solomon of Dobbs Ferry currently serves as chief financial officer of Greyston Foundation/Greyston Bakery. Peter Brady of South Salem is principal at Risk Advisory Services at McGladrey LLP. Solomon and Brady join a board of 13 members who oversee the operations of Westchester County’s only fully professional classical symphony orchestra.

Dorf & Nelson LLP in Rye welcomes new attorney Jessica J. Yoo, Esq., who comes to the firm from the Law Offices of Howard B. Weber in Manhattan, where she conducted research on substantive and procedural issues such as recognition of foreign judgments in the US and drafted pleadings, discovery motions and summary judgment motions, order to show cause motions, and memorandum of law. Yoo received her JD from Brooklyn Law School after achieving a BA in politics and East Asian studies from NYU.
 

KUDOS

White Plains Hospital has once again received the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care in ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted guidelines. To receive the award, White Plains Hospital achieved scores of 85 percent or higher in adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals, and achieved 75 percent or higher in compliance with six of the 10 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke quality measures.
 

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NEW BUSINESSES, RELOCATIONS, OPERATIONS

The CPA firm of Kristin Krauskopf has launched a new division devoted to serving New York tri-state area not-for-profit arts organizations. The company will help these clients prepare and analyze financial data and satisfy the labyrinthine requirements necessary to qualify for a share of the limited funds available through government grants and private endowments.

At a recent “food rescue” forum held at the Food Bank for Westchester in Elmsford, County Executive Rob Astorino outlined the County’s goal of reducing food waste and hunger by recovering leftover food from local schools, colleges, hospitals, hotels and restaurants, and then redistributing the untouched, fresh or packaged food to local houses of worship, food pantries, and soup kitchens to feed the hungry. Syd Mandelbaum, CEO and founder of the Long Island-based nonprofit Rock and Wrap it Up! also spoke. Mandelbaum’s organization has saved over one billion meals from being tossed away as garbage. School officials interested in having Rock and Wrap it Up! work with them to facilitate the recovery of  leftover food should visit rockandwrapitup.org or call (877) 691-3663.

Open Door Family Medical Centers in Sleepy Hollow may be abandoning its controversial plans to move from Beekman Avenue in Sleepy Hollow to a larger structure at 300 North Broadway in the same village. The prospective space is adjacent to the Webber Park neighborhood, where many residents have opposed the move, citing anticipated parking and pedestrian safety challenges. The proposed relocation to a five-point intersection on Route 9 drew opposition at past hearings before the Sleepy Hollow Planning Board and the Village Zoning Board of Appeals, ultimately resulting in the withdrawal of applications with both organizations. 

Little Caesar’s, the Detroit-based pizza vendor, is set to open a second Westchester location in White Plains, the address of which has yet to be determined. The chain’s first regional take-out store opened in Yonkers in 2012.

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BIZ BUZZ: OUR BUSINESS BLOG

STATE OF THE COUNTY: NO NEW TAX LEVY

PLUS: Dems name county exec challenger; Regeneron seeks tax breaks for expansion; MasterCard’s profits soar; and TZ Bridge project triggers construction job boom.

In his fourth State of the County address, County Executive Rob Astorino vowed to continue protecting essential services, promoting economic growth, and resisting the federal government’s efforts to dismantle local zoning. He also pledged a zero property tax levy increase next year. In the nearly hour-long speech delivered April 23 at the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains, Astorino reflected on the accomplishments and challenges he has faced since taking office in 2010, while discussing his priorities ahead.

That same week, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson was chosen during the Westchester County Democratic Convention to challenge Astorino for the office of county executive, defeating Legislators Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers) and Bill Ryan (D-White Plains). Bramson said that, if elected, he will apply lessons learned as leader of a city that represents a microcosm of Westchester. Drawing a clear contrast to Astorino’s first term, Bramson has noted that planning for the County’s future will be a major theme in his campaign, focusing on such areas as promoting economic growth; lessening the tax burden by facilitating shared services; and budgeting and investing in infrastructure. Bramson also matched the current administration’s focus on taxes, saying he will work more on reducing homeowners’ tax burden.

MasterCard Worldwide, headquartered in Purchase, announced its Q1 financial results, revealing a net income of $766 million, up 12 percent over Q1 of last year. Its gross dollar volume for the quarter approached $947 billion. The company reported earnings per share of $6.23, up 16 percent, versus the year-ago period. Net revenue for the first quarter of 2013 was $1.9 billion, an 8 percent increase versus the same period in 2012. Worldwide purchase volume during the quarter was up 10 percent on a local currency basis versus the first quarter of 2012, to $690 billion. As of March 31, there were 1.9 billion MasterCard and Maestro-branded cards worldwide.

Tarrytown-based Regeneron is asking taxpayers for $6.5 million in sales-tax breaks for its expansion. Regeneron made its request in an application filed March 29 with the Mount Pleasant Industrial Development Agency as part of an estimated $210.5 million expansion at 777 Old Saw Mill River Road that is expected to create 400 new jobs. The expansion will include two new buildings with 300,000 square feet of laboratory and office space, plus a four-story, 700-car parking garage. The sales-tax request comes on top of $8.5 million in state Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo on April 4. The Mount Pleasant IDA has not yet taken action on the request. Regeneron already occupies three buildings at the Landmark at Eastview in the Town of Greenburgh. The company has more than 1,300 local employees.

Local pharmaceutical sector growth may be surpassed by construction sector growth, as Tappan Zee Constructors, a consortium comprising Fluor Enterprises Inc., American Bridge Co., Granite Construction Northeast Inc., and Traylor Bros. Inc., hosted two job fairs in Tarrytown and Suffern, New York, on April 23 and 24 attended by more than 600 would-be hires, with the goal of involving as many businesses as possible in the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge. Construction is expected to begin this year, and state officials predict the creation of tens of thousands of jobs as a result. Prospective employees met with members of Tappan Zee Constructors and received updates on the project; while The Business Council of Westchester was a sponsor of the Tarrytown event and intends to collaborate with Tappan Zee Constructors at future job fairs. Individual applicants for bridge work can submit resumés, and companies can apply for subcontracting and supplier opportunities, at tappanzeeconstructors.com.

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HOT PROPERTIES:
914INC.‘S COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE

Property: 300-308 Columbus Ave, Tuckahoe
Brokered by: Pam Goldschmidt, Goldschmidt and Associates (914) 723-1616 ext. 12
Description: New-development retail space for lease. This 38,900 square-foot, mixed-use development includes a 3,600 square-foot retail component, as well as 47 residential apartments. Ideal for a range of non-food-service businesses.
Availability: Units range from 600 to 1,200 square feet; asking rent is $50 per square foot.
Selling Points: Heavily-windowed property offers high visibility and convenient location across from Crestwood Metro-North station.
Downside: Not available until September 2013

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914 DATEBOOK
UPCOMING BUSINESS EVENTS

FRIDAY, 5/17/13
ArtsBash
Arts Exchange, 31 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains, 6 – 9 pm. ArtsBash is an annual celebration of art and food that showcases masterpieces from more than 25 artists and 40-plus local restaurants and businesses. Sample tastings from local restaurants while previewing ArtsWestchester’s new exhibition, Placemaking: Re-envisioning White Plains, and be entertained by musicians, cocktails, and fellow art lovers. Additionally, resident artists open their studio doors throughout the historic landmark building for Bash-goers to view their works in progress. Learn more at artswestchester.org.
 

MONDAY, 5/20/13
American Cancer Society Golf Tournament
Sleepy Hollow Country Club, 777 Albany Post Rd, Sleepy Hollow. The American Cancer Society hosts their Annual Westchester Invitational Golf Tournament, including brunch, a round of golf, a live and silent auction, and an evening dinner reception. Sponsorships and underwriting opportunities for the outing are available. Individual reservations for the event begin at $1,250. Contact Special Events Manager Jacqueline Zirman at (914) 397-8857.
 

WEDNESDAY, 6/5/13
Building Blocks for Energy-Efficient Homes
Westchester County Center, 198 Central Ave, White Plains, 5:30 – 7:30 pm. County Executive Rob Astorino and the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund sponsor this informational session that covers, among other topics, what you can do beyond attic insulation to make your house energy-efficient; solar paneling process and cost; and how to “green” your home.
 

FRIDAY, 6/7/13
Climate Change and Sea Level Rise: What Can We Expect?
Pace University Student Center, 861 Bedford Rd, Pleasantville 8:30 – 11 am. Find out what climate change is, what its effects are on our oceans and rivers, and the impacts of extreme weather in our local communities. Speakers include Carolyn Cunningham, from Federated Conservationists of Westchester County; Andy Revkin, Senior Fellow for Environmental Understanding at Pace; Adam Whelchel, PhD, director of science at The Nature Conservancy/Connecticut Chapter; and Mark Lowery, climate policy analyst at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Learn more at pace.edu.
 

FRIDAY, 6/14/13
One Fund Boston Benefit
The Digital Arts Experience, 170 Hamilton Ave, White Plains, 7:30 pm. Asidesmusic.com presents an evening of indie, pop, and alt-rock featuring White Plains band Emily Angell & The MK47s and New York City bands Owel, Ionia, and Bearbones. Proceeds go to the One Fund Boston, in support of families impacted by April’s Boston Marathon bombing. Tickets are $15 via 914for617.eventbrite.com; email asidesmusic@gmail.com for more info.

Do you have tips, scoop, or gossip concerning business in Westchester? If so, our INComing blogger, Lisa Cesarano, is all ears. Please e-mail her with a short pitch to 914incoming@gmail.com.

Upcoming events should be submitted no later than Sunday, May 19, to be considered for the May 28 edition. Please submit business-related events only; no fundraisers or consumer events.

Our Women in Business Awards event is November 21!

Our Best of Business event is October 30!

Our CEOs & Business Leaders Golf Outing is August 5!

Our Best of Westchester Party is July 24!

Our Westchester Home Design Awards event is June 26!

Our Wine & Food Festival returns June 4-9!

Our Wunderkinds event takes place on May 23!

Our Best of Business Ballot is open through May 15!

Our Healthcare Heroes Awards event takes place on May 9!

Our Westchester Home Builders Awards take place on April 4!

Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Forum is March 14!

Unveiled: A Boutique Bridal Brunch is February 25!

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