The business of doing business in Millbrook

MILLBROOK — There is a strong sense of community among the many professionals working in the Millbrook area — just look at the Millbrook - town of Washington Business Association (MBA) as living proof. In fact, the organization gathered at the Millbrook Cafe on Franklin Avenue last Monday, Jan. 25, for its quarterly dinner meeting for its entire membership; it welcomed new members and continued its ongoing discussion on how to plan for a brighter business environment in both the village and the town.

“It’s a chance to give  back to the community and join together with other like-minded businesses to promote and enhance the village and the town,â€� said Darlene Valley, owner and massage therapist at Azar Wellness Spa on Washington Avenue. “And you also get to do a lot of networking with a great group of people. It’s a lot of fun.â€�

Fun, but focused, said Paula Redmond, president of the business association.

“We’re in the center of Dutchess County and we have both the arts, with galleries and a concert series, and we are  also  a sporting niche,â€� she said, describing the allure of Millbrook. “There’s the Millbrook Hunt, beagling, shooting and I think people come here to ride, to shoot, to fish, to go antiquing and I think it’s hard to find a small community anymore with that kind of country life. All the city people want to get away from the city and they like the country life.â€�

And that’s what many of the area’s businesses cater to. There are Realtors, antique shops, architects, nurseries and hardware stores, gourmet shops and high-end boutiques, stores for equestrians and pet owners, cafés and restaurants, a book store, salons and spas. The business association represents a good number of those enterprises and offers support services, like a Web site, to help with publicity and growth.

“The business association is a group of people doing many things,� said member and Millbrook Cafe owner and chef Christopher Kowalczyk. “It’s a very helpful organization. If anything is happening in the village it helps out financially, or with volunteers, to work in the community. That’s important now especially as business is very, very hard for everybody, and we’re all waiting for better times.�

Some ways he said the group helps is by spreading information and handing out brochures and a booklet that gets published on an annual basis.

“I believe being a member of the business association has helped my business,� Kowalczyk added, noting he’s had his restaurant for 17 years — the longest record for a restaurant in Millbrook. “It was hard in the beginning, but the village supported me and now I’m the oldest place in the village.�

David Fountain, treasurer of the MBA, agreed that the organization plays an important role in Millbrook’s and Washington’s commerce; he said networking ranks number one.

“I think the main function is it gives us the ability to network with fellow business people,� he said. “It also provides the flower barrels on Franklin Avenue as well as the Christmas decorations during the holidays.� The group also supports the farmers market in the summer.

Those traditions are clearly important to residents who revel in the holiday cheer and the village’s charm. They also help merchants draw those residents in as potential customers.

“Anytime you can touch base with people on a regular basis it’s a good thing,â€� Fountain said, adding that working in one’s hometown is also beneficial. “I don’t know that it can compare to other ways people live. It’s a great feeling — it’s an old-fashioned feeling —  and yet I think we have some very dynamic business people here, too.â€�

One such person is Ruthie Bontecou, who owns Punch, a home goods and gift store in both Millbrook and Millerton.

“The interesting and exciting part is that we can pull from the whole region of the Hudson Valley and there are the arts and agriculture and I find it a very interesting place to do business,� she said. “And I enjoy it.�

There are roughly 120 members in the Millbrook-town of Washington Business Association. According to Redmond, membership is growing. To learn more about the MBA, call Redmond at 845-677-0505 or call Mary Liboritore at 845-677-3434.