Westport”™s business people are hard at work making connections, many of them former commuters all in favor of making their costal-suburban community and their professional lives one location.
“When people ask me why do business in Westport, I say look where we are,” said Richard Gordon, chairman of the board at the Westport/Weston Chamber of Commerce. “It”™s a more relaxed mentality here. We are now the home of Bridgewater, the largest hedge fund in the world. You have a lot of people here who have designed their business so they don”™t have to go into New York anymore.”
According to Gordon, Westport”™s success as a business hub has been a byproduct of being able to make a remote connection a primary location with the use of ever advancing technologies.
“I see a real dichotomy in Westport,” Gordon said. “The people here want to do business, and they want to do it here, they love it here. You have many business people who grew up here and a great many of them live here, make their business here and love the fact that they can come home for lunch.”
Gordon said as a former New York City commuter he knows the strain that having an hour-plus long commute can place on the work he gets done as well as his family life.
“I”™ve realized I can spend four plus hours traveling and you have to think if it”™s worth it,” he said.
“People who are most passionate about the business community here are either the people who live here or grew up here,” he said. “I find that the people who really live here are passionate about this town.”
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Gordon said his current business is an example of the great opportunities than can come from meeting and talking to his Westport neighbors. Gordon said the down economy has spurred many business owners to take part in the chamber meetings and events.
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“What we”™ve found almost immediately here in Westport is that the down economy has made business owners see they need to get out and see people,” he said. “You can sit at your desk and watch your phone all day long, but you”™ve got to say to yourself, ”˜Can I go out to do business after hours and how many people will I meet?”™ It”™s all here.”
The Westport/Weston Chamber of Commerce has recently added staff with Lisa Thygerson, coming on as executive director and Karlie Urbaniak as sales and marketing director.
“We”™re very focused on helping each other,” Thygerson said. “In these times we want to make sure our area businesses have the tools they need to grow their business.”
Urbaniak said the focus of Westport businesses using town-based business services is one that is unique.
“There”™s a very noticeable air of wanting to make the town as a whole stand out,” Urbaniak said. “It”™s very progressive when it comes to beautifying and or taking a stance in a green initiative, to make Westport as a whole more attractive.”
In March, Westport was the first area in the state to ban the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags. The chamber, she said, will be updating its identity in the coming year.
