Back in the 1990s, Putnam County”™s seven chambers of commerce had a notion that consolidation would benefit the county. The concept didn”™t pan out.
Six of the chambers ”“ Brewster, Cold Spring, Carmel-Kent, Patterson, Putnam Valley Business Association and Putnam County Independent Business Alliance ”“ feared they”™d be swallowed up by the county”™s largest chamber ”“ the Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce, which has since grown to nearly 470 members ”“ and did not join.
Peter Bardunias, who runs a direct-mail business out of his Putnam home, was just becoming involved with the business community when the consolidation effort went down the drain. Bardunias joined the chamber, sat on Mahopac-Carmel”™s board of directors for nine years and in 2008 was chosen as its paid executive director. He says it is no secret he would like to become the head of a unified chamber, but it”™s not for fame or glory, says the small business owner.
“I”™m really passionate about the idea of a Putnam County Chamber of Commerce for many reasons,” said Bardunias, who has traveled extensively through the Hudson Valley since becoming Mahopac-Carmel”™s executive director on a listen-and-learn tour. “As seven separate chambers, mostly made up of volunteers, it”™s hard for us to get anything accomplished collectively or to get the word out about what”™s going on in other parts of the county.
“We are growing, but we”™re a small county. As one voice instead of several, we”™d not only be heard but we”™d be listened to. As a single chamber, we”™d be eligible for grant money to get things accomplished for the entire county that we do not qualify for now as small volunteer chambers. There is strength in numbers. I also believe one chamber membership would be attractive to business owners, both large and small, who would benefit by being able to list their business all over the county, rather than just with one chamber in their local area. We”™d be more attractive to business sponsors, especially with the economic times we are in.”
Bardunias also wants to see Putnam promote itself as a tourism destination, something that has been difficult to do given the number of chambers involved. “Mary Kay Vrba of Dutchess County Tourism said four million people visited there this year ”“ but how many of those people stopped here?” asked Bardunias. “We need to work with our visitors”™ bureau to make it stronger and to get the word out that there is plenty to do and see here right in Putnam. It would have been wonderful for us to capture some of that tourism business. There are so many beautiful spots here: something for everyone, from antiquing in Cold Spring to boating on Lake Carmel. We can”™t afford to miss out on this.”
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The seven chamber directors have had several discussions and followed it up with an “Icebreaker Extravaganza” at The Garrison in Garrison on Dec. 8. “The weather was a mess, and just as we were about to open the doors, we got hit with a terrific hail storm,” said Bardunias. “Despite the weather, we had a wonderful turnout. We had some great corporate sponsors: Central Hudson and the New York State Business Development Corp. and we were very fortunate to have Mahopac National Bank step up and be platinum sponsor for the event.
“We chose The Garrison because we felt it was the most centrally located for all the chambers to get to for our first combined event,” said Bardunias. “A few of the chambers got together and rented a bus so members could get there, so I think there”™s a real sincerity for us to get to know each other and to learn from each other. Each chamber president awarded one of its members with an award for business excellence, and Tilly Foster Farm received a joint award from all seven chambers. Those are the kinds of things we can make happen by working together.”
For the first time that evening, Bardunias said he could envision the seven chambers melding into one. “I know it would be a terrific asset to our business community. Some of the smaller chambers are worried about losing their special identity, and Jennifer Maher, the Mahopac-Carmel chamber president, and I are keenly aware of their concerns. The goal would to keep each part of the county”™s individuality intact and alive but connect as one chamber to bring much-needed tourism and business here.
“The Route 22 corridor is a perfect place for corporate parks. We have the Garrison-Cold Spring area, which is a great tourism destination. Our shoreline is on one of the most famous rivers in the world. We can promote each part of the county individually, but promoting Putnam as a package is more attractive to corporate sponsors and helps each of those separate chambers get the word out to the entire county about their events. We”™ve just had our first icebreaker and I know we have a lot of discussions and a long way to go, but I do hope, for the sake of the county, that it happens. We could do terrific things as one group.”
