News about and for Studios and Gift Shops of the Region
Congratulations to:
Curtis Furniture (changing name to Curtis Woodworking), www.curtisfurniture.com, for celebrating 25 years of business in Jefferson County in September 2006 and having the article "Furniture Manufacturing is all in the Family" published in the August 2006 issue of Absolutely Business. "Curtis Furniture Company has been manufacturing and selling handcrafted wooden items including bedroom sets, coffee tables and cabinetry, to individuals and local businesses for more than two decades." www.absolutelybusiness.com, distributed to businesses in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties, p.6.
Congratulations to:
Ostrander's Inn and Gift Shop, http://www.ostranders.com/, Canton, NY with sheepskin and woolen clothing, slippers and rugs, for being chosen as one of the Top Outstanding Inns in the Northeast in the second annual Best of www.BedandBreakfast.com Awards. More than 18,000 votes were tallied. www.absolutelybusiness.com, August 2006, p.30.
Congratulations to:
Watertown's Little Trees, the Car-Freshner Corporation, www.little-trees.com. Now employing 420 in three different US locations, this private company is run by members of the same family which started it in 1952. Their main product line is the little green tree car air freshener with Royal Pine, the original scent, still a popular seller.
Their product development is of interest to producers working with scents. "Car-Freshner works hard to stay on top of trends, not just in fragrances, but also in culture and fashion. What's 'hot' today, such as this season's fashion colors can translate into a new air freshner. The company also encourages feedback from its sales and field representatives to understand what is working, and what new ideas might appeal to consumers. .. "The reason people buy Trees is because of the quality of the fragrances," (Jody) LaLone (President) stated. Little Tree scents are also long lasting, creating a product that performs consistently... Fragrance is important, but it is part of a larger equation in product development. Appearance is the other key, and the company is always on the lookout for good combinations of scent, color and design. One popular seller in the US is a stars and stripes Tree called Vanilla Pride. There are Trees with fruity and floral fragrances. There are others with manly fragrances, such as Leather, and manly colors, such as the new Black Ice. There are trees with dragon and cobra designs, which appeal to younger customers..."
They have branched out into other air fresheners for the office and home. Retail packaging and displays also have evolved over the years. http://www.absolutelybusiness.com/, August 2005, p.20.
Congratulations to:
The team of fiber artists and suppliers and one diner ownerwho, in 2004, formed the Women in Northern New York Business Cooperative (WIN NY Business Co-op) to share resources and offer each other support. They have designed a map highlighting all their locations and copies were offered at each of their locations. They also pool financial resources together to advertise as a group. These two activities triggered a third which was a very busy one day shop tour in December 2004. The wide range of experience of members in the group is shared with each other. They shared a booth at the World Carp Championship in June 2005 in Waddington where they gained exposure to customers from all over the glode. They are working on a logo. The WIN NY members are Liberty Fibers, Madrid; Quiltin' Bee, Norwood; The Fabric Corner; Mom's Schoolhouse Diner of West Potsdam; Rocky Meadows Alpacas, Madrid; and Angel Knoll Alpacas, Waddington. www.absolutelybusiness.com, July 2005, p. 16.
Congratulations to:
Donna Foley, Rolling Thunder Mountain Weaving and member of Saranac Lake's Adirondack Artists Guild, www.adirondackartistsguild.com, for a great photo in the local paper of herself weaving during the August 3rd Thursday Gallery Walk. She was one of the 25 artists and artisans who each created a piece of work during the gallery walk which was then auctioned off as a fund raiser for Pendragon Theatre. I believe some $3,000 was raised for the theatre. It was great fun to walk through town and find these artists working industriously to get their piece done in 2.5 hours. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, September 15, p.3.
Congratulations to:
The Sacandaga Valley Arts Network for becoming a 501c3 and expanding their programs to Johnstown and Wells as well as their continued programing in Northville. They are providing more and more services throughout the county of Hamilton. Conversation with Constance Dodge, artist and network member, August 16, 2005.
Congratulations to:
The volunteers of the Arto Monaco Historical Society for receiving $10,000 in funding to study the possibility of restoring the Land of Makebelieve Castle, Wilmington, setting up www.artomonaco.org with articles about his extraordinary artistic creations and more. Received via email, Sept. 9.
Congratulations to:
The Plattsburgh Small Business Development Center's Richard Gottschall for welcoming 10 Russian entrepreneurs to the region as part of the Open World exchange program. These 10 entrepreneurs toured the region's economic development locations, were hosted by local families, and with Nadia Korths, crafts marketing coordinator/ANCA, toured Moon Tree Designs and Lake Placid Lodge in Lake Placid on their last day on September 30. These two successful businesses introduced the Russian entrepreneurs to the concepts of an all American product gallery and of a lodging/gift shop/restaurant rustically themed to reflect the region's heritage. One of the Russian visitors presented his jewelry line to the Lake Placid Lodge gift shop manager who is considering ordering some.
Richard Gottschall, formerly counselor for the SBDC has since moved to the private sector where he is working for Cedar Log Post, Plattsburgh as operations manager.
More to come ...
Congratulations to:
Curtis Furniture (changing name to Curtis Woodworking), www.curtisfurniture.com, for celebrating 25 years of business in Jefferson County in September 2006 and having the article "Furniture Manufacturing is all in the Family" published in the August 2006 issue of Absolutely Business. "Curtis Furniture Company has been manufacturing and selling handcrafted wooden items including bedroom sets, coffee tables and cabinetry, to individuals and local businesses for more than two decades." www.absolutelybusiness.com, distributed to businesses in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties, p.6.
Congratulations to:
Ostrander's Inn and Gift Shop, http://www.ostranders.com/, Canton, NY with sheepskin and woolen clothing, slippers and rugs, for being chosen as one of the Top Outstanding Inns in the Northeast in the second annual Best of www.BedandBreakfast.com Awards. More than 18,000 votes were tallied. www.absolutelybusiness.com, August 2006, p.30.
Congratulations to:
Watertown's Little Trees, the Car-Freshner Corporation, www.little-trees.com. Now employing 420 in three different US locations, this private company is run by members of the same family which started it in 1952. Their main product line is the little green tree car air freshener with Royal Pine, the original scent, still a popular seller.
Their product development is of interest to producers working with scents. "Car-Freshner works hard to stay on top of trends, not just in fragrances, but also in culture and fashion. What's 'hot' today, such as this season's fashion colors can translate into a new air freshner. The company also encourages feedback from its sales and field representatives to understand what is working, and what new ideas might appeal to consumers. .. "The reason people buy Trees is because of the quality of the fragrances," (Jody) LaLone (President) stated. Little Tree scents are also long lasting, creating a product that performs consistently... Fragrance is important, but it is part of a larger equation in product development. Appearance is the other key, and the company is always on the lookout for good combinations of scent, color and design. One popular seller in the US is a stars and stripes Tree called Vanilla Pride. There are Trees with fruity and floral fragrances. There are others with manly fragrances, such as Leather, and manly colors, such as the new Black Ice. There are trees with dragon and cobra designs, which appeal to younger customers..."
They have branched out into other air fresheners for the office and home. Retail packaging and displays also have evolved over the years. http://www.absolutelybusiness.com/, August 2005, p.20.
Congratulations to:
The team of fiber artists and suppliers and one diner ownerwho, in 2004, formed the Women in Northern New York Business Cooperative (WIN NY Business Co-op) to share resources and offer each other support. They have designed a map highlighting all their locations and copies were offered at each of their locations. They also pool financial resources together to advertise as a group. These two activities triggered a third which was a very busy one day shop tour in December 2004. The wide range of experience of members in the group is shared with each other. They shared a booth at the World Carp Championship in June 2005 in Waddington where they gained exposure to customers from all over the glode. They are working on a logo. The WIN NY members are Liberty Fibers, Madrid; Quiltin' Bee, Norwood; The Fabric Corner; Mom's Schoolhouse Diner of West Potsdam; Rocky Meadows Alpacas, Madrid; and Angel Knoll Alpacas, Waddington. www.absolutelybusiness.com, July 2005, p. 16.
Congratulations to:
Donna Foley, Rolling Thunder Mountain Weaving and member of Saranac Lake's Adirondack Artists Guild, www.adirondackartistsguild.com, for a great photo in the local paper of herself weaving during the August 3rd Thursday Gallery Walk. She was one of the 25 artists and artisans who each created a piece of work during the gallery walk which was then auctioned off as a fund raiser for Pendragon Theatre. I believe some $3,000 was raised for the theatre. It was great fun to walk through town and find these artists working industriously to get their piece done in 2.5 hours. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, September 15, p.3.
Congratulations to:
The Sacandaga Valley Arts Network for becoming a 501c3 and expanding their programs to Johnstown and Wells as well as their continued programing in Northville. They are providing more and more services throughout the county of Hamilton. Conversation with Constance Dodge, artist and network member, August 16, 2005.
Congratulations to:
The volunteers of the Arto Monaco Historical Society for receiving $10,000 in funding to study the possibility of restoring the Land of Makebelieve Castle, Wilmington, setting up www.artomonaco.org with articles about his extraordinary artistic creations and more. Received via email, Sept. 9.
Congratulations to:
The Plattsburgh Small Business Development Center's Richard Gottschall for welcoming 10 Russian entrepreneurs to the region as part of the Open World exchange program. These 10 entrepreneurs toured the region's economic development locations, were hosted by local families, and with Nadia Korths, crafts marketing coordinator/ANCA, toured Moon Tree Designs and Lake Placid Lodge in Lake Placid on their last day on September 30. These two successful businesses introduced the Russian entrepreneurs to the concepts of an all American product gallery and of a lodging/gift shop/restaurant rustically themed to reflect the region's heritage. One of the Russian visitors presented his jewelry line to the Lake Placid Lodge gift shop manager who is considering ordering some.
Richard Gottschall, formerly counselor for the SBDC has since moved to the private sector where he is working for Cedar Log Post, Plattsburgh as operations manager.
More to come ...
posted by Nadia at
12:27 PM
