From the closing of Mrs. Greens to a list of Westchester’s 50 most important business pros, here are the 914INC. stories that drew the most interest in 2016.
How Two Women Made Over Westchester’s Beauty Scene
Meg-a-Lashes founder Megan Ryan and friend and PLUSHBLOW founder Kristy Lynn Rotonde are taking Westchester by storm
Megan Ryan was in her 20s and living in Manhattan when the eyelash craze swept the beauty industry. Latisse, the first FDA-approved treatment for strengthening and lengthening lashes, hit the market in 2009. Many similar formulas emerged soon after. But, for Ryan, eyelash extensions were her solution to the problem. However, the one-hour application service could cost between $150 and $200.
Local Entrepreneur To Team Up With Kevin O’Leary On Beyond The Tank
Zachys’ Andrew McMurray plans to revolutionize America’s wine industry through Zipz, with Shark Tank business mogul Kevin O’Leary by his side.
Changing an industry that claims to be several thousand years old may be no simple task, but with the growth of Zipz, a portable, single-serve wine product, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary and Zachys’ Andrew McMurray have made major strides in revamping America’s wine game.
Reader’s Digest Building Starts New Chapter
Wilder Balter Partners is set to convert the well-known Chappaqua edifice into an apartment complex
Elmsford’s Wilder Balter Partners have signed on to convert the original four-story cupola building central to the the former Reader’s Digest headquarters in Chappaqua, which dates back to 1939, into an apartment complex with both affordable and market-rate housing. (The larger 690,000-square-foot campus, which has undergone numerous additions and renovations in the decades since, currently leases 500,000 square feet of its sprawl to various office tenants.) The eventually completed residential cluster will be known as The Apartments at Chappaqua Crossing.
The Westchester Grocery Industry Is Dramatically Changing
There’s a supermarket shakeup happening in the county, where do you stand?
Competition is an understatement for what is happening in Westchester County’s grocery scene—a microcosm of trends sweeping the country. “It’s extremely competitive in every area, not just Westchester,” says Jim Keenoy, director of marketing and external communications at Stop & Shop New York Metro.
Clear Skies Ahead For Private Aviation
Comfort, convenience, safety, and time savings await private-aviation customers
“This is a tremendous time to be in aviation,” according to Cory Rossi, who, with his wife, Shari, owns Eagle Air, a charter operator based at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains. He joins a chorus of executives in the local private-aviation industry who say business is booming due to several factors.
Mrs. Green’s in the Red?
After a trio of closings and stocking issues in the county, Mrs. Green’s insists there will be no changes in Westchester
From an outside perspective it seems that Mrs. Green’s has hit a rough patch. The Irvington-based chain recently closed two stores in Illinois as well as one in East Windsor, New Jersey. A fourth store in New Canaan, Connecticut is also closed, but a spokesperson for the company notes that the shutdown is temporary.
The 9 Best Places To Work In Westchester
Fortune recently released its 2016 Best Places to Work list, and it includes Tarrytown-based Regeneron as well as several recognizable area retailers and hotel chains.
On this dreary Monday morning after losing an hour’s sleep over the weekend, it may be hard to feel excited about going to work anywhere. But it’s a little easier today for the Westchester employees lucky enough to be heading to one of the companies on Fortune Magazine’s just-released 100 Best Companies to Work For list.
Drybar Blows Into Westchester
Trendy national chain heats up White Plains’ competitive beauty market
Just a few years ago, entrepreneur Alli Webb was driving around Los Angeles in her 2001 Nissan Xterra traveling to friends’ houses to blow dry their hair as part of her small side business, Straight at Home. The demand for Webb’s expertise quickly became more than one woman could handle. That’s when she decided to open her own company specializing in blowouts, called Drybar. Now, just six years later, Drybar has become a national sensation.
Savor Westchester: Not Your Mother’s Food Court
The Westchester announces plans for new dining options that go way beyond the average mall food court, as part of an extensive renovation scheduled for completion later this year.
The next time you are shopping for Christmas presents at The Westchester in White Plains, the food court will look dramatically different. Gone will be the typical mall dining options of pizza/Chinese/sandwich/yogurt shops; in its place will be Savor Westchester, which parent company Simon is billing as “a fresh and contemporary dining and event destination which will feature seven different, enticing dining options.”