Anyone who subscribes to George Bernard Shaw’s sentiment that “youth is wasted on the young” has obviously never been to Westchester. Far from being the lackadaisical, Xbox-playing, mooching-off-mom-and-dad Millennials, our county’s terrific twentysomethings are already making their mark on our business community. But don’t take my word for it—check out our cover story (“Our Wunderkinds,” page 67), where you’ll discover sharp, highly motivated, dynamic, driven individuals—all under age 30—who have been rescuing beloved beverage brands from extinction, opening the hottest new lunch spots and watering holes, wheeling and dealing in residential and commercial real estate, planning major corporate events…essentially, working their professional magic (one of them quite literally) throughout the county.
And for the rest of us who wish we were still under 30, now’s our chance to relive our youth—by rounding up our colleagues and joining one of the many fun company sports leagues gearing up now around Westchester. But, as this issue’s “Downtime” story demonstrates (page 106), there’s a lot more to choose from than just the obligatory softball league. From darts to kickball, there’s something for every office team, no matter what your speed. And after the game, you can nurse your sore back—and a strong cocktail—with your co-workers at some of the hippest happy hour hotspots (page 84).
Although small businesses comprise the backbone of Westchester’s economy, our county is also host to some of the largest multinationals in the world. Some are household names, but odds are you’ve never heard of some of the others. Read our rundown on our biggest companies (page 96), and see how many you recognize (bet you never heard of the one that derived its name from Ball jars, even though your home is probably full of its products). While for-profit enterprises large and small dominate Westchester’s business scene, nonprofits comprise a surprisingly large segment of our economy—both in terms of people employed and money spent. As our analysis of the county’s nonprofit sector shows (page 92), their impact and influence on Westchester should not be underestimated —just like our Wunderkinds.
Robert Schork
Executive Editor