Business Trends_August 2015.pdf

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AUGUST 2015

IN OUR OPINIONGood for LaGuardia for re-building.

PAGE 6

RETIREMENTWhich plan is right for your business?

PAGE 6

TAX TALKMonitor your accounts receivable.

PAGE 5

www.sibiztrends.com

STEVE WHITE/Business Trends

Dawn Calabrese, owner of Remedi Spa on Arthur Kill Road, celebrated her 10th anniversary with staff and theStaten Island Chamber of Commerce during a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Remedi Spa celebrates 10th anniversary

Business MeetingsCheck out our monthly listing andattend a meeting on Staten Island.

PAGE 9

Tekie Geek receives

CompTIA ‘Trustmark’Tekie Geek, a Staten Island

based managed service provider,who provides managed servicesfor servers, workstations and net-workings as well as business con-tinuity solutions, announced ithas received the CompTIA Man-aged Services Trustmark, a re-spected industry credential thatsignifies its adherence to bestpractices for technology servicedelivery and customer interac-

tion.“Earning this credential iden-

tifies Tekie Geek as a businessthat meets or exceeds the bestbusiness practices the IT indus-try has to offer,” said Nancy Ham-mervik, senior vice president, in-dustry relations, CompTIA. “Thisincludes managed services agree-ments, standard operating proce-dures, systems and tools for deliv-ering services and general busi-ness operations.”

The Trustmark was developedby CompTIA, the non-profit asso-ciation for the information tech-nology industry, in collaborationwith industry experts and lead-ers, to identify businesses thathave made a commitment to thehighest levels of integrity andsustained quality service.

“This certification was neces-sary to show our existing clientsand future clients that whenworking with Tekie Geek, theycan be assured they are working

with a managed service providerwho exceeds the business prac-tices outlined by CompTIA,” saidMike Bloomfield, president, TekieGeek. “With our managed serviceofferings, we allow our clients to

please see BRIEFS, page 2

MONTHLY

UPDATE

By TIM RONALDSON Business Trends

Once thought of as a luxury reserved forthe upper elite, taking a cruise vacation hasbecome more affordable in recent years. Andas it has become more affordable, its popular-

ity has grown.In New York City, the industry has become

a significant driver of the economy andtourism dollars. The city – with terminals inManhattan and Brooklyn – has become thenation’s fourth busiest cruise port in shortorder after investing $250 million to create

and upgrade its ports.In 2013, there were 212 ship calls and

620,265 cruise passengers, and the industrygenerated $229.5 million in total economicimpact for the city. In the four years following

please see CRUISE page 14

Take a cruise out of New York City’s ports


2/16

focus on what they do best whilethey let us handle their complete

IT infrastructure, helping them toearn greater revenue and be ableto sleep easy at night knowingtheir environment is in trustedhands.”

To earn the CompTIA Man-aged Services Trustmark, TekieGeek was evaluated on several as-pects of its business operations,including organizational struc-ture, technology tools and sys-tems it utilizes, standard operat-ing procedures and IT servicespecific activities. The companyalso committed to abiding by acode of conduct and provided cus-tomer references.

Visit CompTIA Managed Serv-ices Trustmark to learn more.

Snappy Solutions toparticipate in trainingThe New York City Depart-

ment of Small Business Servicesannounced that Staten Island-based Snappy Solutions, a distrib-utor of green and traditional jani-torial, construction and industri-al supplies, will be among the par-ticipants for the fifth year of Strategic Steps for Growth, amanagement training programfor minority and women businessowners. The program provides apath for accelerating growththrough entrepreneurial educa-tion, connections to contract op-portunities and access to newmarkets.

Since its inception, StrategicSteps for Growth has graduated68 business owners who have col-lectively secured more than $130

million in new government con-tracts, more than $6.4 million innew financing and created morethan 400 new jobs. Program par-ticipants work with business ex-perts and fellow entrepreneurs todefine a clear pathway for theircompany’s growth and learn thestrategic skills needed to run agrowing business. Participantsuse their own businesses as casestudies. The program also pro-vides participants with a networkthat offers support for every as-

pect of business operation aftergraduation.

To be eligible for the StrategicSteps for Growth program, busi-nesses must be certified with thecity as a Minority- or Women-

owned Business Enterprise, head-quartered or have a main officewithin the five boroughs of NewYork City, have at least two full-time employees, annual gross rev-enues between $150,000 and $10million, and have been in opera-tion for at least three years.

Governor’s officepartners with CERT

The Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery announced itsentry into a new partnership withPort Richmond CommunityEmergency Response Teams and

Rescue, Inc., in an effort to estab-lish a more reliable and resilientcommunications network acrossStaten Island.

The $65,000 undertaking will befunded by GOSR and, when com-plete, will ensure comprehensiveradio coverage around the bor-ough, featuring a ring of radio re-ceptors and base stations. PortRichmond CERT will analyze asuite of new and existing loca-tions and select those that bestallow for maximum coveragewith reduced costs. Results willbe compiled into an application tothe Federal CommunicationsCommission to secure two radiofrequencies.

Atlas Foundation givenspecial service awardBorough President James

Oddo presented the Dr. TheodoreA. Atlas Foundation with the 2014Maniscalco Community Service

Award at a special ceremony atBorough Hall. The award was es-tablished in 1986 in honor of theninth borough president and cele-brates the civic-mindedness andtireless energy of individuals ororganizations that work to helpcommunity members in need andto make Staten Island a betterplace. Teddy Atlas accepted theaward on behalf of the organiza-tion he named for his father,which helps thousands of indi-viduals and families in difficult

times – paying for medical insur-ance, purchasing medical equip-ment, making a home handi-capped-accessible, buying a head-

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St. George - A newly renovated 4-story 80,000 sq. ft."Class A" mid-rise office building with an average floorplate of 20,000 sq.ft. Landlord will build to suit. Suitesfrom 500 sq. ft. - 20,000 sq. ft. Full floor plates availablefor immediate occupancy. On-site parking & security. CallRob for details.

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BRIEFSContinued from page 1

Monthly Update

please see BRIEFS, page 3


3/16

Janet Warren Dugo hasstepped down from the daily re-sponsibilities of publisher of Staten Island Business Trends,and the board of Business Trendshas named Joe Eisele as the newpublisher.

Dugo is pursuing new opportu-nities with her personal company,Warren Dugo Media, Inc. She con-tinues to be part of the ownershipgroup of the newspaper, and has

been named publisher emeritus.Dugo, along with five businesspartners, founded Staten IslandBusiness Trends in 2006 to pro-vide hyper-local “news you canuse” to the business community.

“It's been a privilege to serve as

publisher since the paper’s incep-tion,” Dugo said.

"I couldn’t be prouder of what Iand my partners have built. Iknow it will be in good handswith Joe Eisele, who will contin-ue our mission of serving theStaten Island business communi-ty.”

Eisele brings a wealth of expe-rience in the newspaper industryto the position, including years in

advertising sales and manage-ment at similar business publica-tions such as Philadelphia Busi-ness Journal.

He is adding the responsibilityof running Business Trends tohis duties as publisher of The

Sun Newspapers in New Jersey.Eisele can be reached at (718) 775-3154 or [email protected].

AUGUST 2015 — BUSINESS TRENDS 3

Bill Bergman, Vice President, Leasing (718) 263-3800 x 307

[email protected]

118-35 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY 11375

www.muss.com

Staten Island Business

Trends names new publisher

stone, helping in any way that isappropriate in a given situation.The foundation has given awaymore than $3 million to help theless fortunate and has done so insuch a way as to preserve the dig-nity of the people receiving help,without red tape and with a dis-

crete check to validate a particu-lar need.

Signature Bank electsFrank to board

Signature Bank announced theelection of former U.S. Congress-man Barney Frank to its board of directors. Frank fills the seat leftvacant by the recent passing of Alfred B. DelBello, who hadserved on Signature Bank’s board

since January 2003. Frank servedas a U.S. Congressman represent-ing the 4th District of Massachu-setts from 1981-2013 and also waschairman of the House FinancialServices Committee from 2007-2011.

As chair of the House Finan-cial Services Committee, he wasinstrumental in crafting theshort-term $550 billion rescueplan in response to the nation’s fi-nancial crisis. Later, Frank co-sponsored the Dodd-Frank Wall

Street Reform and Consumer Pro-tection Act, an extensive set of fi-nancial regulations. From 2003until his retirement, Frank wasthe leading Democrat on theHouse Financial Services Com-mittee. Prior to serving in Con-gress, Frank spent eight years asa state representative in Massa-chusetts and earlier, served aschief of staff to Rep. MichaelHarrington and chief assistant toMayor Kevin White of Boston.

BRIEFSContinued from page 2

Monthly Update

Visit us online at www.sibiztrends.com


4/16

4 BUSINESS TRENDS — AUGUST 2015

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New York State Women of Richmond County honored Linda Vinciguerra, owner of Linda Lingerie bou-tique, with a certificate of appreciation for her support of their organization. Pictured, from left, areFrida Hooyberg, Frances Ferrari, Marilyn Lengo, Marisa Vinciguerra, Linda Vinciguerra, Christine Cannel-la, Theresa Fazzolari, Giuseppe and Alisa Lentini, and Sayeh Hashemi.

Women of Richmond County host Vinciguerra

Staten Island Scout Shop re-opensThe Greater New York Coun-

cils of the Boy Scouts of Americaand the Staten Island Scout Coun-cil Board have announced thatthey re-opened the Staten IslandScout Shop in May after a brief hiatus. The shop previously run

by national Boy Scouts of Ameri-ca is closing, but the local organi-zation aims to maintain service tolocal Scout families. The shopwill remain in its original loca-tion, at Pouch Camp, 1465 ManorRoad. The new shop will carry an

expanded inventory with a widerange of Boy Scout items andgear, including a full line of uni-forms, educational materials, ad-vancement badges, pins, beltloops, Scout books and a full lineof camping equipment.


5/16


By JOHN J. VENTO

Monitoring your accounts re-ceivable may seem like one morechore in an already busy workday.But this simple activity is impor-tant. Here’s an illustration. Sayyou’re operating with a grossprofit margin of 20 percent andyour uncollectible receivables are$10,000. Your business must gen-erate an additional $50,000 in newsales to make up for the $10,000 of uncollectible receivables.

How can you determinewhether you need to tighten cred-it and/or intensify your collec-

tion efforts? Different formulasapplied to your receivables collec-tions can help you make the de-termination. For example, the“accounts receivable collectionperiod” ratio gives you the aver-age length of time customers taketo pay.

To calculate the collection peri-od ratio, divide your average out-standing receivables by annual

credit sales. Then multiply the re-sulting decimal by 365 (the num-ber of days in a year). This givesyou the average number of dayscustomers take to pay their ac-counts.

Once you’ve done the calcula-tion, put your new knowledge touse.

Compare the collection periodratio from year to year. If you findcustomers are taking longer topay, you may want to strengthenyour policies for extending creditand pursue collections more vig-orously.

Even when sales are growing,the average number of days cus-tomers take to pay should not in-crease.

Here are more suggestions toimprove collections on receiv-ables.

1.) Check the credit status of new customers.

2.) Invoice promptly. Your cus-tomers may not pay for products

or services until you send a bill.3.) Consider offering discounts

for early payment of invoices.4.) Prepare an accounts receiv-

able aging schedule every monthand monitor past-due accounts.

5.) Invoice for partially filledorders and bill for ongoing servic-es as performed.

6.) Put customers who habitu-ally pay late on cash-on-deliveryterms.

7.) Hire a collection agency topursue delinquent accounts.

A well-defined and regularlyfollowed system can help keep

your receivables collections ontrack and maintain your busi-ness’ all-important cash flow.

John J. Vento is a certified publicaccountant in private practice andpresident of Comprehensive WealthManagement, Ltd. He may bereached at (718) 980-9000 or viaemail at [email protected].

Monitor your accounts receivable


6/16

in our opinion

LaGuardia getting a faceliftIt’s about time New York gets the first-class airport it deserves


When Vice President Joe

Biden described LaGuardia

Airport as similar to one in

a third-world country, he was most

likely being facetious. Even still, when

a person in a position of that impor-

tance makes such a comparison, it’s

worth listening to.

New York City is a first-class city,

and nothing in it –especially nothing

as prominent as an international air-

port – should be described as “third

world.” That’s why we’re so pleased to

hear that, with the help of Delta Air

Lines Inc., LaGuardia is getting a

major facelift.

In actuality, the multi-billion project

is a complete teardown and rebuild.

Gov. Cuomo last month said there was

no way to fix the airport, and that a

teardown was necessary.

The upgrades would consolidate the

four terminals into one, connect it to

the city subway system, create more

space for airplane taxiways and also

add a hotel, according to Cuomo.

There is no timetable for the com-

plete rebuild of LaGuardia, but

Cuomo did say the $4 billion project to

rebuild the Central Terminal will be

open to the public in 2019 and finished

two years after that.

The Port Authority of New York &

New Jersey is contributing $2.2 billion

to the project over the next 10 years,

and Delta is pumping significant

money into upgrading its terminals as

well.

LaGuardia, built in 1964, was voted

the country’s dirtiest and most poorly

designed airports by readers of Travel

& Leisure magazine in 2012. That’s an

unfortunate ranking that just cannot

stand in New York City.

While LaGuardia’s 26.9 million pas-

sengers in 2014 were almost half of

JFK’s 53.2 million, it was still a record

high for the airport.

Airports often make the first im-

pression on visitors when they arrive

in a new city. A city such as New York

can’t stand to have a blemish such as

LaGuardia in its current state wel-

comeing visitors here.

66 Willow Avenue

Staten Island, NY 10305

718-775-3154

JOE EISELEPublisher

TIM RONALDSON

Executive Editor

STEVE COPPOLA

Director

RICHARD GRADO

Director

ROBERT CUTRONA

Director

LAWRENCE RAMPULLA Director

JANET WARREN DUGO

Publisher Emeritus

DAN McDONOUGH, JR.

Chairman

Business Trends is mailed each month to t he

business and community leaders of Staten

Island. To be added to the mailing list, e-

mail joe@sib iztrends .com. To submit anews release, email [email protected].

For advertising info, call 718-775-3154 or email [email protected].

By ANTHONY DIMAGGIOIf you own a small business,

there are many retirement plan

alternatives available to help youand your eligible employees withretirement planning. For mostclosely-held business owners, aSimplified Employee Pension In-dividual Retirement Accountwas once the most cost-effectivechoice. Then the Savings Incen-tive Match Plan for Employees be-came a viable alternative. Todayyou may find that 401(k) plan bestsuits your needs. To make an in-formed decision on which plan isright for your business, review

the differences carefully beforeyou choose.

• Simplified Employee PensionIndividual Retirement Account:This plan is flexible, easy to set upand has low administrative costs.

When choosing this plan, keep inmind that it does not allow em-ployees to save through payroll

deductions, and contributions areimmediately 100 percent vested.The maximum an employer

can contribute each year is 25 per-cent of an employee’s eligiblecompensation, up to a maximumof $265,000 for 2015. However, thecontribution for any individualcannot exceed $53,000 in 2015. Em-ployer contributions are typicallydiscretionary and may vary fromyear to year.

With this plan, the same formu-la must be used to calculate the

contribution amount for all eligi-ble employees, including anyowners. Eligible employees in-clude those who are age 21 andolder and those employed (bothpart time and full time) for three

of the last five years.• Savings Incentive Match Plan

for Employees: To select this plan,

you must have 100 or fewer eligi-ble employees who earned $5,000or more in compensation in thepreceding year and have no otheremployer-sponsored retirementplans to which contributionswere made or accrued during thatcalendar year.

There are no annual IRS fill-ings or complex paperwork, andemployer contributions are taxdeductible for your business. Theplan encourages employees tosave for retirement through pay-

roll deductions; contributions areimmediately 100 percent vested.

The maximum salary deferrallimit to a SIMPLE IRA plan can-not exceed $12,500 for 2015. If anemployee is age 50 or older before

Dec. 31, then an additional catch-up contribution of $3,000 is per-mitted.

Each year the employer mustdecide to do either a matchingcontribution (the lesser of theemployee’s salary deferral or 3percent of the employee’s com-pensation) or non-matching con-tribution of 2 percent of an em-ployee’s compensation (limited to$265,000 for 2015).

All participants in the planmust be notified of the employ-er’s decision.

• 401(k) plans: When choosingthis plan type, keep in mind that

the employee and employer havethe ability to make contributions.The maximum salary deferrallimit for a 401(k) plan is $18,000for 2015. If an employee is age 50or older before Dec. 31, then an

additional catch-up contributionof $6,000 is permitted. The maxi-mum amount you, as the employ-

er, can contribute is 25 percent of the eligible employee’s total com-pensation (capped at $265,000 for2015). Individual allocations foreach employee cannot exceed thelesser of 100 percent of compen-sation or $53,000 in 2015. The allo-cation of employer profit-sharingcontributions can be skewed tofavor older employees, if usingage-weighted and new compara-bility features. Generally, IRSForms 5500 and 5500-EZ (alongwith applicable schedules) must

be filed each year.

This article was written by WellsFargo Advisors and provided cour-tesy of Anthony DiMaggio in NewYork City at (212) 978-1122.

Which retirement plan is right for your business?


7/16


8/16



S.I. University held its Golf, Tennis, Bocce Tournament with a dinnerat the R.C.C. Pictured seated, from left, are Angela Natenzon, andYvonne and Maya Chang. Standing are Donna Proske, honoree BorisNatenzon, Dr. Edwin Chang and Anthony Ferieri.

SIUH Bocce Tournament



9/16

MONDAYBus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

Kiwanis Club of Richmond Co.:LaFontana Restaurant, 2879 AmboyRd. 7 p.m. Call 718-420-1966.

College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.Business Counseling: CSI, 2800Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nocharge. For info, call the SBDC at718-982-2560.

TUESDAYGreater New Dorp Networking

Group: 8 a.m. Perkins, 1409 HylanBlvd. For information, call SteveLombardo at 718-702-8623.

SI Business Friends: 7:30 - 8:45a.m. Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 SouthAve. For information, call Dr. RichardBove at 718-938-5978 or visitwww.sibfnetwork.com.

Bus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

Direct120.com, Ultimate Think

Tank: Lorenzo’s, 1100 South Ave. Forinfo, visit www.direct120.com.

Kiwanis Club of South Shore:LaFontana, 2879 Amboy Rd. 7:30p.m. For info, call 718-370-2770.

SCORE Business Counseling: S.I.Bank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9a.m. to noon. No appointment nec-essary. No charge. For info, call 718-727-1221.

Business Guild I of the S.I. Cham-ber of Commerce: Hilton GardenInn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 a.m. Mem-bers and invited guests only. Call

Michael Anicito at 646-606-2111.Business Network Int’l. (BNI) Net-work Alliance Chapter: Z-OneLounge, 1821 Richmond Ave. 7 to8:30 a.m. For info, call Timothy

Houston at 718-981-8600.

Rotary Club Staten Island: LiGre-ci’s Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 12:30 to1:30 p.m. Members and guests wel-come. For info, call 718-370-3140.

College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.

Business Counseling: Chamber ofCommerce, 130 Bay St. 9 a.m. Nocharge. Call 718-982-2560.


Business Counseling: CSI, 2800Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nocharge. Call the SBDC at 982-2560.

WEDNESDAYBus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –


WEEKLY MEETINGS

please see MEETINGS, page 12


10/16


Special to Business Trends

Tackling Youth Substance Abuse presented the Check Yourself Be-fore You Wreck Yourself session in partnership with Wagner Collegeto examine the role overconsumption of alcohol can play in a varietyof health areas. Pictured, from left, are Jaclyn Tacoronte of JMTCommunications, William Matarazzo of Sen. Andrew J. Lanza's of-fice, Adrienne Abbate of the Staten Island Partnership for Communi-ty Wellness and Dr. Ginny Mantello of the Staten Island BoroughPresident's office.

Don’t ‘wreck’ yourself


11/16


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APB Security & Home Automation2047 Victory Boulevard Staten Island NY 10314

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Special to Business Trends

Alice Austen House celebrated its 30-year anniversary as a public museum. The museum opened in1985 after undertaking a major restoration to stabilize Alice Austen’s historic home and return it to itsVictorian Gothic character. Today, it continues to offer education programs and photography exhibitions,and serves as a resource for Alice Austen’s life and work. Assembly Member Nicole Malliotakis present-ed the museum with a citation to mark the occasion.

Alice Austen House celebrates 30 years



12/16

MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

Richmond County Referral Source:Comfort Inn. 7:00 to 8:15 a.m. Forinfo, email [email protected]

Staten Island Business Council:Andrew’s Diner, 4160 Hylan Blvd. 7a.m. Members and invited guestsonly. For info, call 347-855-4488 orsend an e-mail to [email protected].

Bucks Business Network: Hamp-ton Inn, 1120 South Ave. 7:45 a.m.For info, call 718-351-2557 or visitwww.sibucks.com.

Kiwanis Club of Brighton: Jody’sClub Forest, 372 Forest Ave. 7:30p.m. For info, call 718-348-0505.

Kiwanis Club of North Central:LiGreci’s Staten, 697 Forest Ave.7:30 p.m. Call Len Bosso at 718-442-

7804.

Gateway Rotary Club: LaStrada,139 New Dorp Ln. 7:15 p.m. For info,call 718-447-1509.

SCORE Business Counseling:Chamber of Commerce, 130 Bay St.9 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment neces-sary. No charge. Call 718-727-1221.

E.L.I.T.E. (Executive, Leadership,Interactive, Team, Effort) Net-working Group: 1110 South Ave. 8a.m. New members welcome. Forinfo, call 347-273-1375.

College of S.I., Small Bus. Dev. Ctr.Business Counseling: CSI, 2800Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Forinfo, call 718-982-2560.

THURSDAYBus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

Richmond Business Connections:Z One, 1821 Richmond Ave. 8 a.m.For information, call Ronald P.Cutrone at (347) 258-8131.

Kiwanis Club of Staten Island:

LiGreci’s Staten, 697 Forest Ave.7:30 p.m. For info, call 718-967-4345or kiwanisclubofstatenisland.com.

Rotary Club of South Shore: Man-

sion Grand, 141 Mansion Ave. 12:15p.m. For info, call 718-987-2061 orvisit southshorerotary.org.

Rotary Club Mid-Island: New Dako-ta Diner, 921 Richmond Ave. 7:30 to9:00 a.m. Call 718-981-0700.

SCORE Business Counseling: SIBank & Trust, 1550 Richmond Rd. 9a.m. to noon. No appointment nec-essary. No charge. Call 718-727-1221.

Rotary Club of North Shore: LiGre-ci’s Staten, 697 Forest Ave. 7 p.m.For info, call Christine DeHart at718-448-4725.

Business Network Int’l. (BNI) HighAchievers Chapter: PK’s Restau-rant,1281 Arthur Kill Rd. 7 to 8:30a.m. For info, call Timothy Houstonat 718-981-8600.

Business Guild II of the S.I. Cham-ber of Commerce: Hilton GardenInn, 1100 South Ave. 7:45 to 8:45a.m. Members and invited guestsonly. For info, call Lou Rizzo at 718-490-0057.

Business Guild III of the SI Cham-ber of Commerce: Hilton Garden

Inn, 1100 South Ave. 8 a.m. Newmembers welcome. Call Nick Testaat 646-823-4494.


Business Counseling: CSI, 2800Victory Blvd. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Forinfo, call 718-982-2560.

Community Emergency ResponseTeam (CERT): 7 p.m. For info. andlocations, call John Tidona at 448-7160 or [email protected].

FRIDAYBus. Outreach Ctr of SI/WBCLDCSmall Bus. Counseling –MWBE/BOC Capital: WBCLDC, 705

Forest Ave., 2nd Fl. By appointmentonly. For info, call 718-816-4775.

SATURDAYSCORE Business Counseling: St.George Library, 5 Central Ave. 10a.m. to noon. Appointment neces-sary. No charge. Call 718-442-8560.

SCORE Business Counseling: Rich-mondtown Library, 200 Clarke Ave.10 to 11:30 a.m. Appointment neces-sary. For info, call 718-668-0413.


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MEETINGSContinued from page 9

Weekly Meetings on Staten Island

Staten Island Arts announces excellence awardsStaten Island Arts announced

its 2015 Excellence in the Artsawards. This year’s recipientsare AJ Pantaleo, The NationalWomen’s Dance Troupe of Sri

Lanka, Tango Illuminado, NaniFerrerira-Mathews, Yeti, TheSanti Debriano Group, The Stat-en Island Philharmonic andThomas Fucaloro. The Excel-

lence in the Arts awards are in-tended to celebrate the bodies of work of Staten Island artists aswell as celebrate their artistic de-velopment.


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Building Owners, Shop Keepers,Tenants, Schools

WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS!

Commercial Lock Inc.

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STATEN ISLAND, NY 10305

718-447-7338

Commercial Lock Inc.Try us, you will like us

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• Licensed Locksmiths • Storefront Door Repairs

• School Hardware / Lockdown Solutions• Doors Replaced / Fire Doors, Apt. Doors, Roofs

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• High Security Locks & Keys

MEMBER2014

2009 – the first year the city beganstudying cruise industry data – passengers increased by 32 per-cent, ship calls increased by 40percent and spending increasedby 30 percent.

The industry’s boom has led toa sharp increase in visibility forcruising, and companies such asExpedia are flocking to the area.The company recently an-nounced it will be opening morethan 30 city locations for itsCruiseShipCenters brand, withone of the first to open in StatenIsland.

“Given the density of the mar-ket and the increasing number of cruisers departing from the city’stwo terminals, it makes sense forus to focus on New York as agrowth region for new franchiselocations,” said Matthew Eich-

horst, president of ExpediaCruiseShipCenters.

“Our promise is to navigatespectacular vacation experiencesfor cruisers – wherever they live – and we see enormous potential toreach those customers by bring-ing our franchise model to NewYork.”

Harold Verde, a 32-year veteranof the commercial HVAC indus-try, purchased the first Staten Is-land CruiseShipCenter, whichwill celebrate its grand openingsometime in October or Novem-ber. While Verde hasn’t worked in

the travel industry before, he is a

passionate cruise traveler andknows what is important to peo-ple who want to take a cruise.

“I kind of needed a change inlife, you could say,” he said aboutbuying the franchise, which hewill operate with his daughter,Nicole.

Located in the Green RidgeShopping Center on RichmondAvenue, the CruiseShipCenterwill offer full travel services butspecialize in cruises, since Verdesaid it’s the most complicated va-cation package.

“There are so many optionsand so much to choose from that aperson can spend days trying tosee all the different options,” hesaid.

Verde was introduced to thecruise industry as a passengerwith his wife. The pair, who metin California when they wereboth living there, began vacation-ing by traveling up and down theWest Coast by car. When they

moved to Staten Island, Verde’shometown, they began to traveloutside the country, mostly oncruises.

“When it comes down to it, dol-lar for dollar, when you’re travel-ing with a family of four or five,the airfare alone could pay for thecost of your cruise,” he said. “Getout of the car, get on the boat andeverything you want is rightthere.”

Verde said New York City’sports are expanding by the day, of-fering the “typical” Mid-Atlanticcruises to Canada, Maine, New

England, the Bahamas and the

rest of the Caribbean, as well asmore exotic trans-Atlantic tripsto Europe or through the PanamaCanal to the Pacific Ocean.

With the expanded ports andadditional cruise lines, the priceof taking a cruise has dropped – from as little as $499 for two peo-ple for a trip to the Caribbean, hesaid.

Verde is planning to hire 20 to25 people who will work on a ro-tating basis at his store. He saidhis workers will all have the samepassion for travel that he and hisfamily have, and that will revealitself in the service they provideto customers.

While he has no experience inthe travel field, Verde has run abusiness before, and will look toExpedia’s corporate support forguidance in the industry.

Verde is excited about not justhis new business venture, butalso the growth the cruise indus-try is experiencing in his home

city.Some cruise lines are planning

for trips as far away as 2019,adding new destinations and newlines by the day. The next big des-tination, he predicted, will beCuba, once it is fully opened toAmerican travel.

“Right now, it’s so reallynew…the demographic is reallyout of control,” Verde said. “(Theindustry) is looking for the nextgeneration – the older kids thatare having kids whose parentstook them on vacations whenthey were kids.”

CRUISEContinued from page 1

Take a cruise out of one of New York City’s improved ports

Energy Star Partner of the Year AwardsThe Energy Department and

the Environmental ProtectionAgency honored 128 organiza-tions with 2015 Energy Star Part-ner of the Year Awards for theircommitment to protecting the en-

vironment while encouraging thewidespread use of energy effi-

cient technologies. The New YorkState Energy Research and Devel-opment Authority was recog-nized as one of seven Home Per-formance with Energy Star pro-gram winners for its outstanding

contributions to developing andenhancing certified energy sav-

ing programs. NYSERDA is apublic benefit corporation and ad-ministers programs that are de-signed to help New York meet itsenergy goals: reducing energyconsumption, promoting the use

of renewable energy sources andprotecting the environment.



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