A new effort is underway to support East End businesses that are members of the Long Island Association, the region’s largest business group.
The LIA is launching a program to connect those businesses – large or small – with the organization’s resources. The LIA’s East End Business Support Program includes opportunities to foster business relationships, promote the companies through the LIA’s digital communications and events, and connect with key government and non-government partners and resources.
The LIA announced the new program Thursday at Atlantis Banquets & Events in Riverhead at a luncheon called “The Future of Business on the East End.”
“The LIA’s goal is for all of the businesses on Long Island to be able to access our network of support – from Floral Park to Montauk, and everywhere in between. That’s why we are bringing the LIA to the East End to continue to grow its diverse economy,” Matt Cohen, president and CEO of the Long Island Association, said in a statement.
The LIA also announced the creation of an East End Committee for its members to be co-chaired by LIA Board members Kristen Reynolds, president and CEO of Discover Long Island, and Kevin O’Connor, CEO of Dime Community Bank. The committee will hold its meetings on the East End, rather than at the LIA’s offices in Melville, and will examine issues related to the growth of the East End economy.
Businesses operating in the five East End towns (East Hampton, Riverhead, Southampton, Southold, and Shelter Island) with 10 or fewer employees can receive a complimentary six-month LIA membership if they sign up prior to Aug 31. Businesses can also access information about the East End Business Support Program by visiting the new LIA webpage www.longislandassociation.org/east-end/, which also lists partner organizations that support the East End’s economic development.
“As an LIA Board member and a representative for Long Island’s tourism industry, I applaud this new LIA initiative that spotlights local businesses and the important impacts of the tourism economy on the East End,” Discover Long Island President and CEO Kristen Reynolds, said in a statement. “I am honored to co-chair the LIA East End Business Committee, and I look forward to amplifying the needs of this critical economic driver.”
“I am extremely excited to be co-chairing the LIA’s East End initiative with Kristen Reynolds, which will be making professional resources more accessible to East End businesses,” Kevin O’Connor, CEO of Dime Community Bank, said in a statement. “As the CEO of on organization that has a 100-plus year history of supporting neighborhood businesses, Dime Bank will be actively promoting LIA’s new program and membership options to our local customer base,”
Stakeholders gave the LIA’s new program high marks.
“Agriculture is a critical driver of Long Island’s economy, and we at the department work hard to create and support programs that boost these local food and beverage businesses and help connect them with new opportunities,” Richard Ball, New York State agriculture commissioner, said in a statement. “The work of the East End Business Support Program aligns closely with our mission of promoting local producers, and we commend the Long Island Association for helping to ensure that Long Island’s agricultural community can continue to thrive.”
“The Town of Riverhead is literally the gateway to the East End and in recent years has become a top destination, not only to visit but to conduct business,” Connie Lassandro, president of the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement. “These businesses are the very backbone of our downtown and the surrounding towns. Riverhead is a community rich in diversity with an abundance of wineries, breweries, waterways and restaurants. These assets along with great leadership provide tremendous opportunity for businesses, entrepreneurship and residents to prosper,”
“As Long Island and in particular the East End continues to evolve it is great to see the LIA evolve and bring the valuable and needed resources to our East End businesses,” Juan Micieli-Martinez, president of the board of directors of the Long Island Farm Bureau, said in a statement.
“Our family of restaurants is excited to be a part of the expansion of the LIA. We are looking forward to helping connect the hospitality industry on the East End with LIA members and resources for a more fruitful tomorrow,” Tora Matsuoka, a partner of Seasoned Hospitality, said in a statement.
Thursday’s event also a featured on a presentation from Newsday on growth opportunities form industries in aquaculture, fisheries, marine construction, maritime transportation, offshore wind, marine research, and tourism and recreation.”Our extensive research provides a new way for Long Island to grow its economic base, especially on the East End, by using the waters that surround our island,” Rita Ciolli, the director of Newsday’s nextLI project, said in a statement.
The event included a discussion on agriculture, food and beverage, tourism and small business.
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