Breakfast rarely has such entertainment value, but a recent coffee-and-eggs confab broke the mold to great effect with a series of business success stories.
The successes were abetted by Dutchess County Economic Development Corp. More than 200 attendees were at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel May 28 to celebrate DCEDC”™s annual breakfast. Guests included County Executive William Steinhaus, state Assemblymen Greg Ball and Marcus A. Molinaro and county legislators and town officials.Â
Betsy Seaman Brown, director of marketing for the engineering firm Morris Associates and a member of the DCEDC Board and chairwoman of the special events committee posed as an intrepid newspaper columnist, in a lighthearted patter that nonetheless brought a spotlight to some little-known economic treasures in the area, including Solid State Cooling in Pleasant Valley.
The company moved east from Silicon Valley in 1994 as one of the first tenants at the incubator sponsored by DCEDC and six years later moved to its current location, a 12,500-square-foot facility with 25 employees and is looking to hire up to 20 more.
Lloyd Wright, chief technical officer of Solid State said the company designs and manufactures compact liquid recirculating chillers and temperature control systems based on reliable thermoelectric technology. He said the company was attracted to Dutchess County for affordable manufacturing space, a good supplier base and an educated work force.Â
Joe Lepore, president and founder of L.C.S., a full-service, commercial cleaning company on Cottage Street in Poughkeepsie transformed an abandoned 15,000-square-foot warehouse into headquarters for his operation, with ground floor garages for the trucks and supplies and offices on the upper stories. When L.C.S. moved to Poughkeepsie, the company had four employees, now it has 80 employees.
Being located in the in the Poughkeepsie/Dutchess Empire Zone was a major attraction, said Lepore, but he said the area was appealing as part of a broader outlook. “We chose it because it”™s a residential area. Our plan was to attract employees directly from the surrounding neighborhood. When employees live near where they work, it eliminates transportation problems and they”™re more reliable and happier workers.”
Quality of life and tourism were also a focus as Steinhaus spoke of completing additions to the Dutchess County Rail Trail (see Good Things, this issue) and touted events around the quadricentennial celebration of Henry Hudson”™s first trip up the Hudson River in 1609.
Some 380 events are to take place in the county marking the anniversary, Steinhaus said, including a replica of Hudson”™s Half Moon that recently served as backdrop for Marist College”™s graduation ceremony. He noted other historic vessels were slated to visit the area all summer long, bringing international attention to the Hudson Valley, a boom that could be parlayed into additional tourism dollars in coming years.
Visitors will need a place to stay that captures much of the attractiveness of the Hudson Valley and there is a new hotel that fits the bill. “The entire hotel is a big homage to the Hudson River Valley,” said Jim Friend, a co-owner of the new 90,000-square-foot, 129-room Hampton”™s Inn and Suites on Route 9-W south of the city.
The facility was built with help from DCEDC, said Friend, who said the inn celebrates the heritage of the Hudson Valley with art and photographs commemorating the region.
“Our guests are delighted to see artwork throughout the hotel that celebrates the history and beauty of the Hudson River Valley.” said Friend. “Many attractions are easily accessible from the hotel. These range from the Walkway Over the Hudson and the great estates to museums like Dia: Beacon. Dutchess County is simply one of America”™s great places, and the Hudson River Valley has some of the most wonderful attractions you could hope to find anywhere. They”™re sophisticated and unique, and they”™re getting better all the time.”
