NEW BUSINESS WITH PHILANTHROPIC EDGE LAUNCHES IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY
(Armonk, NY - Monday, 02/22/10) Today, a unique,local business with a philanthropic edge opens it’s doors... or website rather! Conceived and managed by Westchester County residents Glen Sider and Elizabeth Goldman-Sider, WestchesterPride.com is an online marketplace for products that allow customers to show their pride in their Westchester town. With offerings to include clothing, water bottles, hats and the like, a portion of every sale is given back to the community by way of a donation to that town’s Chamber of Commerce and/or Parent Teacher Association.
The inaugural product is an oval decal bearing the three letter abbreviation of any one of the 20 Westchester towns chosen for this first run. These 4” x 3.5” traditional black and white oval decals are weatherproof and use an adhesive that will not damage vehicle finishes. Much like the decals purchased at famous vacation destinations (LBI, OBX) these decals put your town on the map and show your pride in your community. When asked why he chose this product to launch the business, Sider explained that, “decals offer a low cost, high visibility way to show your pride in your community. Magnets are too easily lost or stolen and decals can be applied in a wider range of places.... cars, skis, snowboards, roof rack cases, laptops, camp trucks or anywhere else people choose.”
When asked what the inspiration was behind this business, Sider explained that, “there have been a handful of times in the recent past where world events have caused communities to come together, however we quickly get pulled back into our everyday lives and forget the benefits of that feeling. Why not make every day an opportunity to show your pride and foster a sense of community? My wife and I have had challenges in our lives and in every case, our community came together to help us. We would like to be able bring that feeling to others. At the end of the day, it’s about getting people to come together and feel better as group ... in this case a town. We live in a very special county, with very special people....why not celebrate that?”
As for the business side, Sider points out that, “our products will always be reasonably priced and the charitable donations will always be a hallmark of the business.” Town decals cost $5 and include shipping via US Mail. Volume orders (for organizations, fundraisers, party loot bags, etc.) as well as retail inquiries are all welcome.
Consider two kits: one with everything you will need to stay where you are and a second that is a lightweight smaller addition you can take with you. NC4's web site provides suggestions for items that could be included in your kits. In addition, North Castle's local Cable TV provides information on a Public Safety segment.
When Disaster Strikes, Being Prepared Counts
North Castle Citizen Corps Council (NC4)
NC4 is a group of North Castle citizens just like you who receive training by the American Red Cross to establish and operate an emergency shelter in North Castle should the need arise. They also provide community awareness programs so town residents can be prepared to protect their families in case of a large scale emergency.
WesTech Solutions LLC founders, L to R, Danny Mitchell, Moises Valencia, Joe Huguenot, Tommy Boland & Doug Holdgrafer.
Byram Grads Form Tech Company
By Amanda Boyle
Many couples cite the strong school system as a number one reason for moving to Armonk. A good high school education leads to a good college education leads to a good job. Or at least that’s the plan. A kid needs to have some natural smarts as a base, and that’s certainly the case with Doug Holdgrafer, Tommy Boland, Danny Mitchell and Joe Huguenot, four graduates in the Byram Hills class of 2005.
These four, along with a fifth bright young man, Moises Valencia from New Rochelle, make up WesTech Solutions, LLC. Boland and Holdgrafer started off together in the Holdgrafer basement, running a server back when they were only thirteen years old. They’ve come a long way—with AP computer science at Byram and internships (Holdgrafer interned at MicroPoint, formerly of Mt. Kisco and now in Millwood) and jobs (Valencia was working at a Hedge Fund in Rye earlier this year when it folded) under their belt.
They are available and able to service anywhere from private residentials—they’re called for typical “break-fix” scenario: something breaks, they come over, find the problem, and fix it—to large companies. They offer a monitoring system, which can monitor hundreds of computers 24/7, and catch any problems before a user would have any idea there was one.
Some businesses are wary at their young age, but they have proved themselves worthy. They currently have 100 residential clients and 40 business clients. As Boland pointed out, “It makes sense, our generation is the technology generation.” This is the next generation of workers, and these five are certainly off to a great start, working hard at something they enjoy.
Click to learn more about WesTech Solutions and you can follow them on Twitter, or to contact them directly, by calling Doug at 914-595-6335.
