Posted by Paul Adler on Mon, Feb 20, 2012 @ 02:02 PM
FRIDAY MARCH 16 - Awards Breakfast and State of the Company Meeting
Pearl River Hilton, 9:00 AM
We can't wait to honor the amazing achievements of our award winning agents from 2011!!!
Posted by Paul Adler on Mon, Feb 13, 2012 @ 03:06 PM
The Chamber's 55th Anniversary Celebration:
THANKS to all who made this event a fabulous success!
Chamber President Scott Baird accepts an honorary proclamation from NY State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee.
Local officials, business owners, non-profit organizers and leading citizens turned out in numbers on February 2 at the Nyack Seaport to mark the Chamber's 55 years of service to the community.
"We want to thank everyone who made this celebration possible --- and for the outpouring of support for Nyack," said Scott Baird, Chamber President.
Sponsored by the Journal News Media Group and M&T Bank, the event included proclamations from Nyack Village, Rockland County and the New York State Assembly. Harriet Cornell, Chairwoman of the Rockland County Legislature, officially declared February 2 "Chamber of Commerce of the Nyacks Day."
An evening of honors --- and fun!
John Costa, local businessman, attorney and civic leader, accepted the Chamber's "Citizen of the Year" award, and Victoria Hertz from the Edward Hopper Art Center accepted the award for "Event of the Year."
The evening's entertainment featured Broadway hits performed by local artists Rita Harvey, John Patrick Schutz and Brian Walters, along with a slideshow of historic photos of Nyack compiled by the Nyack Historical Society and the Local History Room of the Nyack Library.
"It was a great turnout --- and a fantastic tribute to the commitment we all have to keeping Nyack strong and vibrant," said Baird. "Our goal is simple: to bring people to Nyack."
With special thanks to...
Additional support for the event was provided by the Nyack Seaport and Best Western Nyack. The Village of Nyack, Harrington Press, Tappan Zee Florist, graphic artist Hilary Sweeney and photographer Terence Lynch at www.StudioElevenOnline.com
View the photos.
Click here to view and/or download the gala photos: Chamber Gala Photos
Upcoming events:
The Chamber's next event is a Merchant's Meeting set for March 13 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at Hudson House on Main Street in Nyack. Details on our full schedule of After Hours meetings to come!
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NOTE: If you haven't yet joined The Nyack Chamber, you might take the opportunity now by clicking here: Chamber Membership 2012.
Please also like The Chamber on Facebook by clicking here:
Scott Baird, President/Chair
Chamber Offices: 845-353-2221
email: pam@nyackchamber.org
Posted by Paul Adler on Mon, Feb 13, 2012 @ 11:17 AM
Please congratulate Rand Commercial Services' super agent Ann Silver is the recipient of the 2012 Harriet D. Goldberg Fair Housing Award for her commitment to Westchester Residential Opportunites needs and mission both during our office search & following. WRO, RCS & BHG|RR are lucky to have Ann Silver on the WRO Board.
Congratulations Ann!!!
Posted by Paul Adler on Mon, Feb 13, 2012 @ 11:14 AM
Four finalists for the Tappan Zee Bridge rebuilding contract are collaborations of engineering and development companies that range from local entities to multinational corporations.
The finalists were announced Feb. 7 by the state Thruway Authority and Department of Transportation (DOT). Contractors submitted statements of qualifications that were reviewed by technical evaluation teams representing the Thruway Authority, DOT, Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Federal Highway Administration.
The four finalists are:
- Hudson River Bridge Contractors, a group including Dragados USA Inc., Flatiron Constructors Inc., Samsung C&T, E&C Americas Inc., and Yonkers Contracting Co. Inc.
- Kiewit-Skanska-Weeks Joint Venture, including Kiewit Infrastructure Co., Skanska USA Civil Northeast Inc., and Weeks Marine Inc.
- Tappan Zee Bridge Partners, including Bechtel Infrastructure Corp. and Tutor Perini Corp. in New Rochelle.
- Tappan Zee Constructors, a group including Fluor Enterprises Inc., American Bridge Co., Granite Construction Northeast Inc., and Traylor Bros. Inc.
Several companies among the finalists have worked previously on the Tappan Zee Bridge, including Tutor Perini, which is currently in the finishing stages of a deck resurfacing project.
The four groups were selected on the basis of several criteria, including prior experience with projects of this scale, past performance records, a familiarity with design-build construction projects, financial capability and environmental compliance records.
The next step will be for each of the finalists to submit a design-build proposal to the state after it issues a formal request for proposals, expected in late February or early March.
Representatives of the four finalists could not be reached prior to press time.
The state Legislature last year authorized the use of a design-build procedure, which enables prospective developers to submit design plans rather than having the state mandate specific design and construction methods for public works projects. The legislation allows projects like the Tappan Zee Bridge to be expedited, reducing the risk of delays due to design changes.
Ross J. Pepe, president of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley Inc., called the announcement of four finalists “a major step forward to advance the replacement of the aging Tappan Zee Bridge” and touted the design-build procedure for streamlining the bridge planning process.
The state and federal agencies coordinating the process have not disclosed more details regarding how the estimated $5.2-billion bridge project will be financed.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his executive budget proposal outlined an economic development plan that includes billions of dollars in infrastructure funding from state authorities and private funding sources.
Posted by Paul Adler on Tue, Feb 07, 2012 @ 10:22 AM
ALBANY – New York State and federal transportation agencies are committed to an aggressive approval timeline that could end in the start of construction of a new multi-billion dollar Tappan Zee Bridge by the late summer or early fall of this year.
On January 24, the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Thruway Authority jointly released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Tappan Zee Bridge project. The DEIS concluded that there would be no adverse impacts with the construction of a new span that would not preclude a mass transit component in the future.
While a host of business and political leaders commented favorably on the expedited plan by the Obama and Cuomo administrations to build a new span, a number of local politicians, including Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino and Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef have repeatedly called for mass transit to be included in the initial construction of the new bridge. Proponents of the expedited plan argue that including mass transit now would add years of delay and billions of dollars to the cost of the project.
Major highlights of the DEIS report included: the construction duration is anticipated to range from 3 to 5½ years, and the construction cost is anticipated to run from $3.5 to $5 billion. Using the Design Build project delivery method, a construction duration of 4½- to 5½ years was assumed, and the construction cost was estimated at $4.64 billion (in 2012 dollars). The total number of construction job generated by the project is estimated at 14,094. Over the estimated five-year construction build-out, the project would directly generate an average of 2,819 fulltime workers per year.
“New York has spent a decade talking, studying, and meeting about how to replace this vital bridge,” said NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald. “But under Governor Cuomo’s leadership we have been able to make significant progress in building a new Tappan Zee Bridge. The governor’s expedited timeline has accelerated this project, which will create jobs and generate much needed economic development opportunities in the Hudson Valley. At the same time, the study does not rule out mass transit options. Now that we understand the environmental effects of reconstructing the bridge, it is time to start laying out real construction plans.”
Thomas Madison, executive director of the Thruway Authority, added, “The completed DEIS represents the remarkable team effort that is quickly becoming a hallmark of the new Tappan Zee Bridge Project. Leadership from Governor Cuomo and support from President Obama have enabled the Thruway Authority, NYSDOT, and the Federal Highway Administration to work in a focused, collaborative way to meet this critical deadline and maintain project momentum.”
The agencies announced that comments on the DEIS will be accepted until March 15, and public hearings will be held in Westchester and Rockland counties in late February. New York met the January 19 deadline to submit the DEIS to the federal government, state officials said. The replacement bridge will have eight traffic lanes as opposed to the current seven, and feature two breakdown lanes that could also be used to accommodate transit or other transportation purposes, state officials said. Additionally, unlike the current structure, it will include pedestrian and bicycle lanes.
A host of politicians from the region expressed their support of the DEIS and expedited plan in statements included in the state-issued press release, including: Rep. Nan Hayworth, Rep. Nita Lowey, Rep. Eliot Engel, State Senators Suzi Oppenheimer and Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, Assemblymen Robert J. Castelli, George Latimer and Kenneth Zebrowski, Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins, Rockland County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, and Christopher St. Lawrence, supervisor of the Town of Ramapo.
Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester, said, “Today’s Environmental Impact Study takes us one step further towards completing Governor Cuomo’s bold plan to aid in the reconstruction of the Tappan Zee Bridge which needs to provide a cohesive transportation network for the region and north-east mobility. Today’s announcement provides a concrete timetable for when improvements will begin, and how the new bridge will differ from its antiquated predecessor. This project also provides thousands of job opportunities for the region and state.”
Al Samuels, president and CEO of the Rockland Business Association, said, “For too long the Tappan Zee Bridge has been rapidly decaying and government has done nothing. The Governor’s Environmental Impact Study demonstrates significant progress in rebuilding one of New York’s most essential bridges. The governor’s expedited plan to replace the obsolete Tappan Zee Bridge, generates much needed job creation and economic development in Rockland and Westchester. It is clear that anyone who opposes the Governor’s plan is directly opposing jobs in the Hudson Valley. I commend Governor Cuomo for his bold plan which will facilitate safer and faster transit to help rebuild our economy.”
NYSDOT and NYSTA are currently reviewing statements of qualifications that were submitted by prospective contractors as of a January 10 deadline. A short list of qualified bidders will be identified by the agencies on January 31. The project team is scheduled to publish the final Environmental Impact Statement, which would include the selection of the bridge design, in June 2012. It will announce the selection of the Design/Build contractor by July 2012 and reach a Record of Decision, execute the Design/Build contract and issue a Notice to Proceed to the winning contractor by August 2012.
In October 2011, President Obama announced that the Tappan Zee Bridge project, which had been mired in more than 10 years of study with no end in sight, was one of 14 mega-projects across the nation to be fast-tracked in an expedited approval process. At that time, the Federal Highway Administration, which is now spearheading the project, rescinded the prior environmental studies that were underway, which included a number of designs for a new span as well as bus rapid transit and commuter rail to be possibly incorporated into the project. Cost estimates ranged from $8 billion to $16 billion for a full build-out that included commuter rail in a 35-mile study area that began in Suffern and ended in Port Chester. Instead, the new fast-tracked study now involves a little more than three miles from Nyack to Tarrytown and is focused solely on building a new bridge that “does not preclude transit in the future.”
To view this article go to: http://www.realestateindepth.com/full.php?sid=121
Posted by Paul Adler on Tue, Feb 07, 2012 @ 10:09 AM
YONKERS -– Numerous business groups across the Hudson Valley region and the state offered praise and support for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $132.5-billion state budget, which includes significant increases in infrastructure spending to stimulate the economy, while at the same time closing a $2-billion deficit without raising taxes or fees.
However, officials with the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (pending name change approval by the National Association of Realtors from the existing Westchester Putnam Association of Realtors) are hopeful that the governor will withdraw or the State Legislature will reject or modify a proposal that would extend real estate broker and salesperson license terms from two to four years. In addition, fees would be increased from $150 to $300 for real estate brokers and from $50 to $100 for real estate salespersons. The act would go into effect on April 1, 2013.
Other key provisions of the proposal include: doubling the continuing education requirements to 45 hours in the four-year renewal period, including six hours of fair housing and/or discrimination course training.
Renewals scheduled prior to the April 1, 2013 effective date would have two years to complete the standard 22.5 hours of continuing education training. Any renewals on or after April 15, 2015, will increase to the 45-hour requirement, according to the New York State Association of Realtors.
Richard Haggerty, chief executive officer of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, said the governor’s proposal would have a large impact on the HGAR School of Real Estate and other Realtor Board real estate schools across the state. In a communiqué to officials with the New York State Association of Realtors, Haggerty said that this licensing policy change, if enacted, would also adversely impact consumers.
“We have spent several years raising the education bar for the real estate profession, much to our credit. We successfully shortened the education cycle to two years, so that real estate licensees stayed more current on the laws and regulations that affect their profession. We raised the number of licensing hours for the sales course from 45 to 75 hours,” he said. “We included three hours of fair housing training in every 22.5-hour continuing education cycle. I can’t help but feel that with this change we are surrendering some of these hard fought gains, which will ultimately have a negative impact on the consumer.”
Other real estate-related proposals in the governor’s proposed 2012-2013 budget included the elimination of the STAR tax benefit for those taxpayers who have outstanding state tax debts. The plan also featured two proposals to assist homeowners and tenants—the creation of a Foreclosure Relief Unit to provide counseling and mediation services to homeowners and a Tenant Protection Unit to provide stricter enforcement of New York State’s rent laws.
In his budget message delivered on Jan, 17 in Albany and the next day at a presentation in Yonkers, Gov. Cuomo revealed his $132.5-billion budget, which includes the $15-billion New York Works infrastructure fund, will feature $917 million in accelerated federal transportation aid and $247 million in additional state funding from the highway bridge dedicated trust fund. The struggling construction industry in New York State can expect a major shot in the arm with approximately $1.16 billion in added state transportation capital spending in 2012-2013 if the governor’s budget is adopted as is.
To close the deficit, the governor has proposed a 4.5% reduction in planned state operations funding for a savings of $1.3 billion and a $756-million reduction in projected aid to localities.
Governor Cuomo said, “This budget demonstrates fiscal discipline and proposes real reforms that puts students ahead of the education bureaucracy and leverages major investment to spur private sector growth. By coming together in the same bipartisan manner we did last year, we will continue our work to build a New New York.”
Focus on Infrastructure
The New York Works infrastructure fund program will accelerate capital investment, building upon core transportation funding, to provide a total New York State Department of Transportation capital program of nearly $4.5 billion in 2012-13, including highways, bridges, rail, aviation, non-MTA transit, and DOT facilities financing. The MTA’s capital program will receive $770 million in new state support over a multi-year period to help fund the MTA’s $22.2-billion 2010-14 capital program. The governor’s proposed budget includes $250 million from the General Fund to offset the impact of the MTA payroll tax reform signed into law by Gov. Cuomo a month ago.
Gov, Cuomo explained that the New York Works Fund will be seeded with $1.3 billion in state funding ($723 million in new capital and $600 million from accelerated existing capital): $1.7 billion from the federal government, which involves a combination of new and accelerated federal aid); authority financing that would include $5 billion for the construction of a new Tappan Zee Bridge, $3.23 billion in existing capital accelerated from NYSERDA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and $770 million to complete the MTA capital plan; and $3 billion from the private sector.
The governor intends to tap the New York Works Fund to finance the improvement of more than 100 bridges, the repair of 2,000 miles of roads, the upgrade 90 municipal water systems, the improvement of 48 state parks and historic sites and the repair of 114 flood control projects statewide.
Other key economic development initiatives that were part of the governor’s proposed budget include: the redevelopment of the existing Aqueduct Racetrack and Racino by building a new 3.2-million square-foot convention center along with 1,000 hotel rooms and added gaming space. In exchange for some state approvals, gaming giant Genting Group will finance the $4-billion venture with no state funding necessary.
With the development of the convention center in Queens, the governor is proposing to revitalize the existing Javits Center in Manhattan by redeveloping the 18-acre property similar to the Battery Park City complex on the West Side.
He also proposed that a constitutional amendment be introduced to legalize casino gaming in New York State and a second round of Regional Economic Development Awards.
Business Groups Express Support
Reaction from the transportation and business sectors on the governor’s budget has been positive.
Ross J. Pepe, president of The Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. of Tarrytown, said the additional funding for highway and public works projects are coming at the right time, when the economy is ailing and crews are out of work.
“Gov. Cuomo’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2012-13 beginning April 1 is clearly aimed at solving many of the problems we as New Yorkers now face,” Pepe said. “There are high unemployment levels in many sectors of the economy and a very demonstrable need to bring our transportation infrastructure up to par with neighboring states. Transit and transportation safety and reliability are essentials if we hope to grow our economy in New York.”
After attending the budget presentation in Yonkers, The Business Council of Westchester released a statement of support for the governor’s proposals. The $25 billion in infrastructure and economic development projects that leverage public/private partnerships will jumpstart our economy and generate revenue for the state. These proposals prove, once again, that the Governor understands the importance of the business community in New York. He has set out an ambitious plan for 2012 and we look forward to helping him achieve these goals.”
William Mooney, president of the Westchester County Association, stated, “We are pleased that The Executive Budget introduced by Governor Cuomo today continues along the fiscally responsible path initiated last year. We are hopeful that the policies put in place will launch major job creating projects here in Westchester and across the state. We agree with Governor Cuomo that it takes a strong private sector to ensure a secure future for New York State.”
Posted by Paul Adler on Tue, Feb 07, 2012 @ 09:24 AM
LARCHMONT -- Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty announced on Jan. 19 the opening of its Larchmont office, expanding the firm’s market share in Westchester County and bringing the total number of BHG Rand Realty offices in the Hudson Valley to 26. Earlier in the month the firm reported the opening of a new location in Somers.
Located at 150 Larchmont Ave., BHG Rand Realty’s Larchmont office is in the heart of the village. Alice Horowitz manages the branch, and oversees the day-to-day operations and the office’s sales associates, company officials stated.
“This new office location strengthens our presence in Westchester County and will increase our market share,” said Horowitz. “We’re thrilled to expand to such a beautiful part of Westchester and to become part of this vibrant community, and I look forward to growing our office and attracting more agents.”
Managing Partner Matthew Rand led the ceremony, along with Senior Vice President Arlyne Ashkinos, Village of Larchmont Mayor Joshua Mandell, Branch Manager Alice Horowitz, Deputy Mayor Jaine Elkind Eney, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Diana Hellman, Regional Vice President Joe Monaco and other of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty agents and staff members.
The new BHG Rand location in Somers, which had already listed 21 properties since opening, is led by office manager Richard Mishkin, a licensed associate broker in both New York and Connecticut with considerable experience in sales and management with many of the nation’s top industry leaders.
“Managing the new BHG Rand Somers office is an extremely exciting, energizing and challenging opportunity,” said Mishkin. “Somers is, in many ways, the gateway to Northern Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess. It is also one of the ‘best kept secrets’ for quality of life and home ownership in the area. The agents who have joined the Somers office are well-educated and trained real estate professions, and are genuinely some of the most dedicated agents I know.”
The Somers team, comprised of seven licensed associate brokers (Faye DeSanto, Fred Margolies, Gail Malloy, Michael Malloy, Janyce Selkin, Cindy Servider and Susan Mirwis), specializes in buyer and seller representation, corporate relocation, rentals and new construction, company officials stated.
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty, founded in 1984, has 27 offices serving Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties in New York and Passaic and Bergen counties in New Jersey. Rand has more than 800 sales associates, as well as a commercial real estate company (Rand Commercial Services), New York mortgage company (Rand Mortgage), title company (Hudson Abstract Services) and New York insurance agency (The Hudson Group Insurance Agency).
See article at http://www.realestateindepth.com/full.php?sid=115
Posted by Paul Adler on Tue, Jan 31, 2012 @ 03:36 PM
Marketing Messaging: 6 Strategies to Turbo-Charge Your Website
Posted By susanne On January 8, 2012 @ 1:05 pm In Best Practices,Business Development,Coaching,Marketing,Real Estate Technology,Real Estate Training
With the arrival of a new year, now’s a great time to look closely at your website and evaluate what worked well in terms of bringing you the results you wanted as well as what didn’t work throughout the last 12 months. Here are six strategies that you should incorporate into your website to hit the ground running in 2012.
1. Make sure you have a strong MLS search tool on the front page of your site. Having an interactive search tool where the visitor can choose a specific town, price range and even property type can be a powerful way to compel them to want to click-through and access listings. Having an IDX-integrated search on the home page eliminates the need for buyers or sellers to click-through three or four levels just to view homes.
2. Double check that you are the point of contact on every listing when the visitor searches the MLS. If you are driving people to the MLS search, don’t forget that the name of the game is lead generation. Make sure they can ask for more information easily, schedule a showing or even share the listing with a friend in a matter of seconds, all while positioning yourself as the point of contact and keeping an eye on the activity.
3. Have specialized buttons right on the front page so that visitors to your site can get information for what they are specifically interested in. For example, take a look at http://hollimccray.com and you’ll see buttons dedicated to one-level living and for properties close to the downtown area of Knoxville.
4. Have a built-in blog within your site. Notice that I didn’t say HAVE a blog as your website like http://markspain.com/atlanta_real_estate_blog. Instead, take the time to create a blog that can be integrated within your site. This way your website has components for lead capture through search engines and your blog is working to add content and build relevance for the search engines. Make sure your visitors have the ability to retweet your information as well as share it on Facebook and other social media channels.
5. Have social media-share features on every single page in your website. People want to see information and then they want to “like” it or share it on their Facebook wall or on their Twitter account.
6. Have built-in email campaigns so that you can easily send specific emails to targeted groups. For example, let’s say you come across a great foreclosure deal and you want to let your foreclosure buyer pipeline know about it. Have the tools so that you can email the entire group within moments to let them know about the new listing.
Tricia Andreassen is the CEO/founder of Pro Step Marketing.
Posted by Paul Adler on Fri, Jan 27, 2012 @ 02:27 PM
Complimenti Jon Paul Molfetta - Rand Commercial Services is pleased to announce that JP Molfetta along with NYS Senator David Carlucci will be honored at the Town of Ramapo's Italian Twinning Committe's 16th Annual Dinner Dance "Carnevale" on Saturday (2/25/12) @ the Colonial Inn from 5:30pm until 11pm. For more info - please contact Gerry Magnarelli - 845 -770 1198 Tix are $90 PP
Posted by Paul Adler on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 @ 11:18 AM
Entrepreneur Jane Stout briefly tried to obtain financing from a bank to start her grocery business in Port Chester, an unusual retail venture for Westchester County. Instead of that conventional lending route, she found what she needed through a nonprofit agency that works with small-business owners in the region, many of whom have been turned down for loans by banks.
Stout operates That Discount Place, a 3,500-square-foot grocery in former warehouse space at 155 Irving Ave. that sells foods in damaged packaging or past their stamped expiration dates. The goods typically are priced at 30 percent to 60 percent below those at conventional grocery stores.
“It’s basically the first market in this part of the country,” she said. Discount groceries are popular in the South and Midwest. In her youth, Stout worked at her family’s three discount groceries in Indiana.
Formerly the chief operating officer at a Manhattan marketing and production company, Stout saw her position eliminated following a company merger. “I had a forced opportunity to do something that I had been really wanting to do for a long time” as a discount-grocery pioneer, she said.
Stout was referred by a New York State Small Business Development Center adviser to Community Capital Resources in Hawthorne, the U.S. Small Business Administration microlender for Westchester and five other Hudson Valley counties and the largest nonprofit lender in the region. “I just basically needed to get my hands on $50,000 and they were able to accommodate me.” She opened her business in late October.
Community Capital could not have made a loan in that amount until about 18 months ago, when the SBA raised its program loan cap from $25,000 to $50,000 as part of the federal economic-recovery stimulus package.
“This is a very expensive part of the country to be opening a business in,” said Tamara Underwood, director of small business lending and support at Community Capital, which also has offices at the Orange County Business Accelerator in New Windsor and at the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce in Poughkeepsie. Previous SBA loan limits were too low for Westchester, she said.
Even with the loan-cap increase, “We see businesses that need more than $50,000,” she said.
Since the recession and the credit crisis that began in 2008, “We saw a big increase in demand for our loans,” Underwood said. Some businesses in 2009 had their lines of credit closed out by banks and severe cash flow problems. “The banks had kind of packed up and shut down” their lending, she said. Community Capital began to see more mature companies and businesses with higher revenues as clients.
The agency’s average small-business term loan has more than doubled since the recession, from $11,000 to $12,000 prior to 2008 to $24,000 to $26,000 in 2011. Community Capital, though, still has only one client with annual revenue of more than $1 million, Underwood said.
One year ago, the agency launched a lending partnership with the city of Yonkers and the state’s Empire State Development Corp. Tapping Empire State Development’s small business revolving loan fund, Community Capital matches dollar-for-dollar the amount of a commercial loan made by Yonkers from its Community Development Block Grant fund. The partnership provides small loans of $25,000 or less and larger loans that range from $25,000 to $250,000. Only businesses that have been operating for two years or more are eligible for the larger loans.
Five Yonkers businesses received loans of $25,000 or less in the partnership’s inaugural year. Three companies have received larger loans and another business is about to close on a $100,00 loan, Underwood said.
From his Yonkers home, Marvin Vasquez operates Multi Marketing USA, an Internet and social-media marketing and website development business he launched in 2010. When he decided to take his startup “to the next level” last year, Vasquez knew from his brother, a Webster Bank employee, that banks would not approve the loan he sought for working capital and to invest in hardware and software equipment.
“I think financial institutions haven’t grasped how lucrative this (web) business can be,” he said. “That was one of the challenges that we had to overcome.”
Referred to Community Capital Resources by his brother, Vasquez obtained the financing he needed. His business location in Yonkers, where the lending partnership operates, “gave me an extra push,” he said. He has hired a graphic designer to join him and his wife in the business.
“It was a very interesting process,” said Vasquez. “It’s not as easy as people think to get funded.”