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County business leaders gather to mingle, discuss economy
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| A ritzy airplane waits for 125 Columbia County businesspeople to explore its amenities Thursday evening at the annual CEO Roundtable, held at the Richmor Aviation hangar at the Columbia County Airport in Ghent. (Francesca Olsen/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers) |
By Francesca Olsen
From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday night, the Richmor Aviation hangar at the Columbia County Airport became a “who’s-who” of the region, with local wine, local food, and of course, local business moguls.
The annual Columbia Economic Development Corporation CEO Roundtable brought together around 125 representatives from successful businesses in the county, as well as new faces in economic development, like William Jacoby, a county resident and president of Aerocity Wind Power, who recently struck a deal with CEDC to locate its manufacturing plant in Columbia County.
“I think it’s great that this exists,” Jacoby said. “I hadn’t tapped into the Columbia County business network before. I know the county’s looking to be successful ... it’s helpful to be able to do that as part of the community.”
Gary Sheffer, executive director of communications and public affairs at General Electric, delivered the evening’s speech. Sheffer grew up in Hudson and was recently named the 13th most powerful communicator in the world by PRWeek. He got his start as a reporter at the Register-Star, and delivered a speech on how the county, and the economy, are in a great position to gain strength and power.
“The things in my life I’m proud of ... are because of Hudson. I know you can relate,” he said. “This has always been a place where people who worked hard had a chance to earn something.”
Sheffer admitted that tough times call for tough questions, like “how to embrace the future, and accept change without selling out your past and your values.” For a county with deep roots in agriculture in a changing economy, it’s a tough question indeed. He drew comparisons with General Electric: “Like you, we have had to figure out how to strike the perfect balance to be modern and traditional at the same time.”
“Unfortunately, these are not the times when great business stories are told,” he said. “The things we sell are just a detail. What we really sell is trust ... and trust in business is way down. It’s been trending down for decades.”
Sheffer said businesses succeed when they provide reliable products and educated employees, not just deals. “Small towns keep you honest,” he told the crowd. “They keep you focused on trust and reputation. In a town this size, you’ve got a serious incentive to make things right.”
The current economy, Sheffer said, is not part of a cycle — it’s an “economic reset.” He listed the assets Columbia County has that will see it through: infrastructure, oncoming broadband access, agribusiness that is expanding, natural beauty that draws people in, and of course, entrepreneurial spirit.
Sheffer said that five years from now, “those who succeed will have taken smart risks in this recession,” and advised business owners to never forget about the aspect of trust in business. He took a few questions, including comments on the concept of businesses that are “too big to fail” and questions about how GE’s dredging of the Hudson River was going. He replied that dredging was over for the year, and a peer-review study, as well as evaluation by the Environmental Protection Agency, would take place before dredging began again.
Todd Erling, executive director of the Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation, said he was happy to see new and old county businesspeople meeting and greeting.
“It’s a great opportunity, not only to showcase what’s happened in the past year, but it’s also a great networking opportunity,” he said. “I believe there will be new connections. Even though the county’s so small, we’ve had a lot of new faces added to the small business front. It also allows us to showcase the airport ... it’s one of the best kept secrets of our county.”
The event was hosted by Richmor Aviation and sponsored by A. Colarusso and Sons, the Bank of Greene County, Crawford and Associates, Fingar Insurance, GE, Morris and Associates, Bartolotta Associates, Guterman, Shallot and Alford, Mario’s Home Center, and National Grid.
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
The annual Columbia Economic Development Corporation CEO Roundtable brought together around 125 representatives from successful businesses in the county, as well as new faces in economic development, like William Jacoby, a county resident and president of Aerocity Wind Power, who recently struck a deal with CEDC to locate its manufacturing plant in Columbia County.
“I think it’s great that this exists,” Jacoby said. “I hadn’t tapped into the Columbia County business network before. I know the county’s looking to be successful ... it’s helpful to be able to do that as part of the community.”
Gary Sheffer, executive director of communications and public affairs at General Electric, delivered the evening’s speech. Sheffer grew up in Hudson and was recently named the 13th most powerful communicator in the world by PRWeek. He got his start as a reporter at the Register-Star, and delivered a speech on how the county, and the economy, are in a great position to gain strength and power.
“The things in my life I’m proud of ... are because of Hudson. I know you can relate,” he said. “This has always been a place where people who worked hard had a chance to earn something.”
Sheffer admitted that tough times call for tough questions, like “how to embrace the future, and accept change without selling out your past and your values.” For a county with deep roots in agriculture in a changing economy, it’s a tough question indeed. He drew comparisons with General Electric: “Like you, we have had to figure out how to strike the perfect balance to be modern and traditional at the same time.”
“Unfortunately, these are not the times when great business stories are told,” he said. “The things we sell are just a detail. What we really sell is trust ... and trust in business is way down. It’s been trending down for decades.”
Sheffer said businesses succeed when they provide reliable products and educated employees, not just deals. “Small towns keep you honest,” he told the crowd. “They keep you focused on trust and reputation. In a town this size, you’ve got a serious incentive to make things right.”
The current economy, Sheffer said, is not part of a cycle — it’s an “economic reset.” He listed the assets Columbia County has that will see it through: infrastructure, oncoming broadband access, agribusiness that is expanding, natural beauty that draws people in, and of course, entrepreneurial spirit.
Sheffer said that five years from now, “those who succeed will have taken smart risks in this recession,” and advised business owners to never forget about the aspect of trust in business. He took a few questions, including comments on the concept of businesses that are “too big to fail” and questions about how GE’s dredging of the Hudson River was going. He replied that dredging was over for the year, and a peer-review study, as well as evaluation by the Environmental Protection Agency, would take place before dredging began again.
Todd Erling, executive director of the Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation, said he was happy to see new and old county businesspeople meeting and greeting.
“It’s a great opportunity, not only to showcase what’s happened in the past year, but it’s also a great networking opportunity,” he said. “I believe there will be new connections. Even though the county’s so small, we’ve had a lot of new faces added to the small business front. It also allows us to showcase the airport ... it’s one of the best kept secrets of our county.”
The event was hosted by Richmor Aviation and sponsored by A. Colarusso and Sons, the Bank of Greene County, Crawford and Associates, Fingar Insurance, GE, Morris and Associates, Bartolotta Associates, Guterman, Shallot and Alford, Mario’s Home Center, and National Grid.
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
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