Two new businesses open in Yonkers
Steven Sansone, right, executive director of the Yonkers Downtown Waterfront Business Improvement District, recently welcomed owners of the first two new businesses to open in the city in 2011. They are, from left, Ori Tam, owner of North Broadway Audio at 10 N. Broadway, and Toni Garrison, owner of Grape N Grey, a salon boutique at 20 N. Broadway. City and state elected officials joined in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Richard Albert Realtors joins Sotheby”™s
Richard Albert Realtors in Croton-on-Hudson has joined the luxury real estate network of Sotheby”™s International Realty Affiliates L.L.C. The agency will operate under a new company name that includes a recently acquired Chappaqua real estate firm.
Formerly a member of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates Inc., the Croton-on-Hudson agency is owned by Richard Albert and Michael Norton. The company will operate as North Country Sotheby”™s International Realty, serving the northern Westchester and Hudson River markets. It has 14 sales associates at its 2 Croton Point Ave. office.
Albert and Norton acquired Julia B. Fee Sotheby”™s International Realty in Chappaqua, which has 16 sales associates at its 39 King St. office. That office also will operate as North Country Sotheby”™s International Realty.
Four other Julia B. Fee real estate offices in Westchester County were not part of the recent merger. Sotheby”™s officials said they will continue to operate under their current ownership and maintain their relationship with the Sotheby”™s International Realty brand.
The Sotheby”™s International Realty network has more than 11,000 sales associates in approximately 500 offices in 42 countries and territories worldwide. North Country Sotheby”™s listings will be marketed on the sothebysrealty.com global website. The firm”™s brokers and clients also will be associated with the Sotheby”™s auction house.
Federal funds available for manufacturers
The New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (Nystar) will receive $1,367,000 in federal funding to help the state”™s manufacturing industry rebuild and grow through the use of new technologies.
The funding will be allocated through the National Institute of Standards & Technology”™s manufacturing extension partnership program under the U.S. Department of Commerce. The public-private program provides resources to help small and medium-sized businesses retool, expand or establish manufacturing operations.
The federal award was announced by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY. “This is a great investment for New York”™s manufacturing industry,” she said. “New York”™s manufacturers powered us through the 20th century, but have been among those hardest hit by these difficult economic times. We cannot rebuild our economy without helping our manufacturers upgrade and compete in the new economy.”
Edward Reinfurt, executive director of Nystar, said the state agency”™s technology acceleration project was one of 22 projects nationwide to receive the funding. Facilities developing new technologies and prototypes in New York will be matched with manufacturers to help them develop new and more innovative products and thereby create and retain jobs.
New York since 2001 has lost more than 160,000 manufacturing jobs, nearly one-quarter of its manufacturing base, according to Gillibrand. Fifty-two of the state”™s 62 counties have had significant manufacturing job loss in the last decade and the rest have shown short-term, unsustainable gains.
Between 2000 and 2003, Nystar oversaw a network of 10 independent nonprofit organizations that directed federally funded manufacturing extension programs that helped New York manufacturers create or save 4,154 jobs and reap $587 million in new revenue, cost savings and capital investments.
