Volume 1, Issue 5
Table of Contents

Cover Story:
The World is Flat
When it comes to Global business, the view looks good

RBD Round-Up:
RBD is On the Air!
WRCR teams up with RBD Co-publisher for weekly show
RBD Business Survey
Take part in RBD's 1st On-line Business Survey

DEPARTMENTS:

Economics Round-Up
• The Local Economy
Construction industry confidence rebounds, managers predict greater optimism
• The Smart Investor
Investing From Within: The key to becoming a smart investor
• Economic Viewpoint
It All Adds Up: The Fed takes delight in the economic numbers

Business Round-Up
• The Work-Life Minute™
Small business owners need innovation to battle burnout
• Marketing By Design
There Ought'a Be a Law: Marketing is nothing more than long-distance selling

Ask The Experts
• Business Start-ups
Negotiating a lease - from the tenant's view
• Expensing & Depreciation
Tax incentives for small business

Retail Round-Up
• Who's Hiring?
Summer employment program offers benefits to all
• New In Town

Invest in Your Community
• Provident Bank Charitable Foundation
Works to support help from People to People
• Red Cross Celebrates March
Partners with local business people for the good of all

Odds & Ends
• From The Publishers
• Letters to the Editor
• Rockland Newsmakers

Dedicated Section:
Rockland Business Association:

The President’s Desk
The State of the RBA

RBA/United Way Golf Outing
The Rockland Open: Monday, May 21st

RBA Happenings
• Committee and Council Info
• Calendar of Events
• New Members

Gathering for a good cause: More than 1,250 guests, representing New York’s business, labor and construction communities rallied to raise funds at the Waldorf Astoria for nonprofit Saint Dominic’s Home. Labor union representatives, contractors, commercial realtors, construction companies and related businesses collectively helped set a record of $1.2 million raised at the 26th Annual Friends of Saint Dominic’s Business & Labor Awards Dinner. The funds help the Blauvelt-based, 129-year-old Saint Dominic’s Home provide more than 40 programs and services for 2,000 special needs individuals and their families in the Lower Hudson Valley and New York City. Two industry leaders Gregg Popkin, senior managing director of CB Richard Ellis, and Ted Moudis, AIA, senior principal and founding partner of Ted Moudis Associates, were recipients of the dinner’s highest honors for their compassion, integrity and contributions to Saint Dominic’s Home.
The programs of Saint Dominic’s Home, www.stdominicshome.org, include foster boarding homes, adoption, special needs education, pre-k education, community-based services and residences for adults with mental illness or developmental disabilities.

Freedman to leave REDC: After 13 years at the helm of the non-profit Rockland Economic Development Corp., executive director Holly Freedman announced her plans to step down from the post to accept a position at the National Executive Service Corps (NESC) as its Vice President and Regional Director for Westchester and Rockland counties. REDC has formed a search committee to begin process of replacing Freedman, who’s resignation becomes effective April 1. REDC Chairman William Helmer will lead the search committee, which includes other REDC board members. The president and CEO will be responsible for leading and implementing the initiatives of the 20-year-old non-profit agency, the mission of which is to attract and retain new businesses and stimulate job creation in the county, among other goals, REDC said.

Another new branch for USB: Union State Bank celebrated the grand opening of its newest banking office in Washingtonville, NY with a ribbon cutting ceremony in January. The branch opened its doors for business to the public on January 8, 2007. "It is our pleasure to formally announce the opening of our newest branch location in Washingtonville. There is a wealth of opportunity in this market, and we look forward to building lasting relationships with local businesses and the community,” said Raymond J. Crotty, president and chief operating officer of Union State Bank.

Representatives from local government, including Charles J. Bohan, Supervisor, Town of Blooming Grove and Thomas DeVinko, Mayor, Village of Washingtonville, were present to join in the festivities. Located in the Brotherhood Plaza Shopping Center in Washingtonville, the new banking office is the Bank’s second branch location in Orange County. The first branch was opened in Goshen in 2003.

New tech group formed: During 2006 some of the Hudson Valley’s most influential business leaders have been creating a powerful organization of business innovation. Spearheaded and founded by Vincent Cozzolino, Vice President, IBM; Dr. Andres Fortino Associate Provost at Polytechnic University; and Tom Phillips, Executive Director of the Hudson Valley Technology Development Center, the Institute for Business Innovation (IBI) has been formed.

The intention of IBI’s directors is to research, develop and deploy innovative processes, practices and cultures to help local businesses transform and sustain global economic growth and competitiveness. Our mission is to accomplish this by collaborating with multiple economic sectors.

“We strongly believe,” states IBI Co-Founder, Dr. Andres Fortino, “that this collaboration will facilitate identification of best practices, processes and technology from each of these affiliated sectors. Each sector will then assess its applicability to other sectors and implement the idea. The intention is to rapidly deploy this innovation within and across sectors. It will be known as ‘lifting’ a practice, then ‘shifting’ the practice appropriately, and ‘dropping’ or implementing the proven idea.”

For more information, contact Vincent Cozzolino at 845-656-1334 or Lea Bishop at 845-226-8685.

Spring into action: Daffodil Days have returned as the Rockland County Chapter of the American Cancer Society announced its annual fundraiser is officially underway. The daffodil is the first flower of spring and the American Cancer Society’s flower of hope. To support local cancer awareness and prevention efforts, you can purchase a bundle of cut or potted daffodils for $10 or a Boyd’s teddy bear and a bunch of flowers for a $25 dollar donation. To order your daffodils or for more information on local outreach programs, contact the Rockland County Chapter of the American Cancer Society at 845-368-1252. Each year, the greater American Cancer Society raises $100 million dollars for research, $40 million of which is donated by New York and New Jersey residents.

HVTDC launches new brand campaign: Touting its respected abilities to help businesses succeed by striving for innovation through the application of common sense solutions, the Hudson Valley Technology Development Center (HVTDC) has launched a distinctive and dynamic new branding campaign.

Explains HVTDC Executive Director, Thomas G. Phillips, Sr.,“Our ambition is to continually create excitement about what we can do for a company. We want people to know that HVTDC sees how businesses operate a little differently than from what most businesspeople see. With that in mind, we are launching what we believe to be a very dynamic new brand image for all our marketing, sales and collateral materials.”

Employing the award-winning talents of Co-oper8 Marketing Group in Goshen, New York, HVTDC is introducing materials that reflect HVTDC’s new directions while maintaining its core of extensive knowledge and expertise. Atoms race through rings of the globe creating an image of fast-paced, constantly moving energy that continually transforms the core energies that HVTDC offers to other businesses.

Based in Fishkill, New York, HVTDC (www.hvtdc.org) is a non-profit business and technology resource center that works directly with small and mid-sized manufacturers, technology-based companies, inventors, entrepreneurs and other businesses.

Teacher prep program achieves accreditation: Dominican College’s Division of Education has been awarded accreditation for its Teacher Preparation Program by the Teacher’s Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). The accreditation process required division faculty to make the case that Dominican’s Teacher Preparation Program succeeds in preparing competent, caring, and qualified professional educators. “We are thrilled to have achieved accreditation from TEAC,” said Dr. Roger F. Tesi, Director, Division of Teacher Education at Dominican College. “Accreditation assures our students that they are receiving a top quality education that’s recognized by the NYS Department of Education.”

Getting to know you: On February 20, the Orange Networking Alliance hosted one of its signature “power networking” lunches in Middletown, New York, drawing a diverse crowd of business people. Says event coordinator Paul Rafanello, “The purpose of this networking event, is to provide business and not-for-profit professionals from local counties unique ways to up-sell their businesses without the commitment of joining an organization.”

All businesses and not-for-profit organizations are welcome at the events. For more information or to make a reservation, contact the Orange Networking Alliance at (845) 651-3316 or paul@prcpa.biz.

Walk for a good cause: Today in the U.S., 1,280 babies will be born prematurely, many so small that their lives hang in the balance. By supporting the March of Dimes, you can help fund research to find the causes of premature birth. The March of Dimes’ annual WalkAmerica to fight prematurity will be held on Sunday April 29, 2007 at Blue Hill Plaza, Pearl River, NY 10965. For more information please log on to www.walkamerica.org or call (914) 407-5005. Or visit the March of Dimes NY Chapter website at: www.marchofdimes.com/ny

Make a Wish Foundation Honors RBD Co-publisher at Annual Gala: RBDigest Co-publisher Ken Mahoney and his wife, Trish, will be honored for their ongoing work with The Garden of Dreams Foundation at the non-profit’s annual gala. This year, the fun-filled evening includes a cocktail hour with silent auction, dinner, a live auction, a raffle and live music. It will be held at Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, New York on April 27th at 6:30 PM.

Anyone interested in purchasing a ticket, a table or becoming a sponsor, should contact Cathie Hirsh or visit their web site for Sponsorship & Ticket Purchase Forms. Can’t make it that evening? Ads are available in their Dinner Journal and donations for auction items are being gladly accepted. Please visit the Make A Wish web site at at www.hudson.wish.org. for more information.

If you would like to include news about your company or client in an upcoming issue of Rockland Newsmakers, please forward your articles and releases, including any photos, to: newsmakers@rbdigest.com.