Carmel Supervisor Kenneth Schmitt cuts the ribbon

MAHOPAC—Hundreds were on hand in Mahopac Wednesday for Putnam’s Fourth Annual Business and Home Expo.

The event, co-sponsored by the Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Putnam County Economic Development Corporation and the Putnam Industrial Development Agency, allowed local businesses to showcase their services while at the same time learning business strategies from each other and attending a series of workshops geared towards the small businessman and woman.

Topics discussed included Building a Successful Business, Getting Organized at Home, Need a Website for my Business or Hobby: Now What?; Change Your Space—Change Your Life.

The highlight of the day came when Marc Goloven, former senior regional economist for J.P. Morgan Chase and current consultant to the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency delivered the keynote address. Goloven, one of America’s leading economists has made numerous appearances in Putnam County during the past decade.

Goloven’s message: “While the national economy is facing turbulent times, the impact on Putnam County and the lower Hudson Valley will be muted because the area is changing its industry demographic. From a manufacturing dominated economy the region is becoming more and more service oriented. Many of these small businesses are relatively recession proof—technology, education, entertainment, tourism and health care. The acronym TEETH describes the changing state of the demographics throughout the Hudson River Valley.”

Goloven talked about the high cost of energy: “We cannot inflict much higher energy prices on the consumer and expect that the economy will continue to fire on all cylinders. There are those pundits who are forecasting gasoline prices will reach $5 a gallon by the end of the summer. This would have a crippling impact on family budgets. Steps have to be taken to reign in the speculation that is occurring not only in the energy markets but the agricultural commodity markets as well.”