Town of Shawangunk businesses are invited to attend a Gardiner Association of Businesses (GAB) mixer June 8 to discuss the formation of a joint association to promote businesses in both towns.

The mixer will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Oyster & Clam Bar at the Bruynswick Inn in Wallkill. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served, and there will be a cash bar. Registration is available at www.gabny.com/event-registration.

Town of Shawangunk Councilman Brian Amthor said the collaboration with the Gardiner group will help grow town businesses and maximize their potential.

“We are really excited to get this initiative off the ground and moving forward to help our town’s business community,” Amthor said.

Amthor, who is the Executive Vice President of Amthor International in Gardiner, is a GAB member. He said Town of Shawangunk businesses will benefit from joining the local business association and possibly merging to expand the group.

“We have been trying to develop a chamber of commerce for our town,” he said. “There are business opportunities in our town, but they’re not abundant for businesses because of the way the town is laid out. We don’t have the landscape for it. So, with our business being in Gardiner I asked the Gardiner Association of Businesses if they’d be willing to expand their footprint to include the Town of Shawangunk so we can bring both towns together.”

Amthor said the two towns already have a partnership with the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner.
Amthor is hoping the mixer will draw a strong turnout of Town of Shawangunk businesses.

“I think it will bring more exposure to our businesses in the town,” Amthor said. “We hope to come up with ways as an association to encourage more businesses to open in the town where we have space for them. We’ll start from the grassroots and work our way up.”

Lucia LaSpada, GAB president and co-founder of LACE Photo Media in Gardiner, said the association offers a variety of services to promote and assist local businesses.

GAB’s website has a directory of local businesses, a listing of events and articles about businesses. Local writer Matthew Silverman writes a blog for the business association.

The GAB membership currently totals around 50 businesses, LaSpada said. She said at its height, the organization had 100 members.

Though other towns have reached out to discuss partnering with GAB, LaSpada said the association decided that the Town of Shawangunk would be a better choice for several reasons.

“I really think this makes more sense to connect the two because the mission of Gardiner, Shawangunk and Wallkill is very similar,” she said. “The vibe is very similar. You have the same scenery, a lot of the same mindset.”

The group has a monthly mixer at different locations in Gardiner. She said there are several Shawangunk businesses that are GAB members.

“We get a lot of people who show up at the mixers and a lot of interest,” LaSpada said. “There’s always a lot happening at those events. There’s a ton of engagement and connections that are made.”

LaSpada said if enough Town of Shawangunk businesses join GAB the name of the group could be changed to include both towns.

“If we have a group effort with both towns, I think it would be great to rebrand and really invite both towns to stay on board,” she said.