Rob Lunski, president of GET, spoke of the organization's success in helping new businesses.
A crowded room of financial experts and small business owners applauded the success of the 5-year-old Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows (GET) on Thursday at the group’s annual luncheon at the Powelton Club in Balmville.
GET’s president, Rob Lunski, welcomed the attendees and talked about how the organization has given advice to nearly 500 people since its inception in 2005. One hundred and forty three of these advisory projects resulted in the creation of a business that has operated at least two years, he said. “We promote business development from the ground up,” Lunski told the people in the room.
Many of the businesses that GET helped launched were represented to the luncheon – in fact most of the representatives were the owners of these small businesses. Nancy Coles had an exhibit in the lobby showing the types of party planning resources she offers at Simple Gifts & Goodies.
Nancy Coles got help from GET to develop her business, Simple Gifts & Goodies.
Coles said she started her business seven years ago and GET helped her set up her financials and to get a grant through the Newburgh Community Action Committee to create a website.
She also introduced Cedric Carter, a vice president of the New York Business Development Corporation, who helped her get the loan to buy a building at 19 Liberty Street
State senator Bill Larkin spoke for a few minutes about how he first got involved with the Rob Lunski’s project to encourage new entrepreneurs, seeing the benefit, he said, of creating jobs in the Hudson Valley. GET started in Poughkeepsie and opened an office in Newburgh two years ago. It now is planning a third office in Haverstraw.
Three of the owners of successful businesses were honored at the end of the luncheon: Jim Smith, founder of Advanced Testing, was named Hudson Valley Entrepreneur of the Year; Ivette Ramirez, owner of Classy Nails, in Newburgh, and Tim Gines, founder of Life Graphic Design, were both named GET Entrepreneur of the Year.
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