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Town of North Hempstead Attracts Business Incubator to Village of Great Neck Plaza


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 22, 2014
MEDIA CONTACTS: Carole Trottere, Ryan Mulholland, Sam Marksheid, and Rebecca Cheng | (516) 869-7794

Town of North Hempstead Attracts Business Incubator to Village of Great Neck Plaza

Great Neck Plaza, NY – The Town of North Hempstead’s Business, Tourism & Development Corporation (BTDC) has been instrumental in bringing a high-tech business incubator company to the Village of Great Neck Plaza, after working for several months with all interested parties to locate a property for the company’s executives. LaunchPad offers co-working spaces for small, start-up businesses and also has locations in Mineola and Huntington.

“We are just thrilled to see LaunchPad open a second site within the Town of North Hempstead,” said North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth. “I am confident that this high-tech company will flourish in the Village of Great Neck Plaza, producing some amazing and innovative ideas, products and businesses.”

As a result of Vision Long Island’s 2013 SmartGrowth Conference, North Hempstead’s BTDC Deputy Director Roy Smitheimer connected with LaunchPad CEO Andrew Hazen, Managing Director Richard Foster and Long Island Software & Technology Network President Peter Goldsmith. After a site visit to the company’s Mineola location to learn more about what LaunchPad offers to young entrepreneurs and experienced businesses, BTDC’s Executive Director Kim Kaiman said that the BTDC took an aggressive approach as a “business broker” to locate another property for them within the town.

“Over the last several months, we arranged meetings with property owners, including developers, Class A office building managers, and leasing agents with LaunchPad executives to find the right fit for their next business model here within North Hempstead,” said Kaiman. “When I reached out to Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celendar, she activated her Village team to help identify potential property owners who might be interested in this unique opportunity.”

Mayor Celender said: “With our walkable downtown and targeted location a block from the LIRR Great Neck train station, the Village of Great Neck Plaza is ideal for maximizing collaboration among the companies and for Long Island entrepreneurs to congregate. We’re thrilled that LaunchPad Great Neck will be the newest location of this venture and for the economic development it will bring to the Village and town. I would like to thank the Town of North Hempstead—Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Kim Kaiman, and Roy Smitheimer—for all their hard work and for partnering with us to make this project a reality. I’d also like to extend our thanks to Effy Namdar, property owner of 3 Grace Avenue, for recognizing the value of having small, start-up businesses here and working with LaunchPad to make a viable, financial arrangement that enabled it to happen.”

The Grace Avenue location in Great Neck Plaza will accommodate about 20 to 30 startups. LaunchPad tenants don’t sign leases, but lease individual desks or offices on a month-to-month basis. Rents start from $149 per month for a desk, and private offices start at $700 a month

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