Newburgh. County Executive Neuhaus tours four minority and women-owned businesses

Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus joined Chairman of the Legislature Steve Brescia, other legislators and leadership from the Orange County Industrial Development Agency for a tour of four minority and women-owned businesses on Broadway in the City of Newburgh.

“Even as we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, Orange County is a community that is definitely open for business,” Neuhaus said. “I enjoyed meeting these talented, entrepreneurial women, who I know take great pride in the products that they create. Minority and women-owned businesses are an integral part of the fabric of our community.”

The tour included legislators Jim Kulisek, Paul Ruszkiewicz, Kathy Stegenga and Mike Paduch, community activist James Rollins and Orange County Chief Executive Officer Laurie Villasuso and Managing Director Vincent Cozzolino.

The group stopped at Inner Beauty Effects, which makes handbags, and is owned by Kate Perna; Ziel, a women’s athletic clothing apparel and N-95 mask manufacturer owned by Marlene Vogelaar; the Mackie Rondon boutique shoe store; and Shelli Scott’s clothing store, all part of the fashion manufacturing portion of the IDA’s Orange County Accelerator.

The businesses are part of the IDA’s Accelerator program, which provides manufacturing space and technical and business support to assist in the development of companies.

“Helping entrepreneurial businesses with our Accelerator program and bringing new industries and jobs to the County is a fundamental mission of the IDA,” Villasuso said. “Orange County leads New York in promoting an entrepreneurial culture in our economic development and we look forward to that continuing.”