RELEASE: Dedication Ceremony Celebrates New Era for Landmark Amsterdam Property

(AMSTERDAM, NY) — Calling it the rebirth of a beloved area landmark, business leaders, and local officials celebrated the storied past and bright future at the original Alpin Haus building in Amsterdam at a dedication ceremony. Six new tenants who now call the rejuvenated property home welcomed the public to the revitalized space as part of the grand opening ceremony.  

Built when the company opened its doors as ski shop in 1964, the iconic structure underwent extensive renovations by the new owner, DAN VANN Construction & Development, who used today’s ceremony to unveil a plaque in honor of Alpin Haus’ founders Bud Heck and John Daly.

“I’m excited to see so many people gathered for to pay tribute to Bud and John and to help us kick off this new era for the property. It means a lot for our team and our tenants, and our predecessors, Alpin Haus. We were able to rejuvenate a tax foreclosed property and turn it into a site with 40 full-time positions that work and live in Montgomery. I want to thank all the local officials for their help in getting us through the transformation process. We look forward to an exciting future in Montgomery County,” said Dan Roth, founder of DAN VANN Construction & Development LLC, who purchased and renovated the historic building.

The new chapter for the iconic site is welcome news for local officials who point to the redeveloped site as another example County’s burgeoning economy and success of economic development efforts.

“Investments like these by local entrepreneurs are exciting, especially when it brings new life to a facility that is such a part of the landscape,” said Montgomery County Executive Matt Ossenfort. “Today’s grand opening is yet another sign to investors across the region that Montgomery County is working. We take pride in the fact that employers of all sizes can scale their businesses and realize success here because our communities are welcoming and supportive.”

“Dan and his team have made this building a magnet for activity again. His efforts to revitalize this landmark structure is a sign of our area’s continued economic growth. It’s exciting to see these new businesses coming to life and we stand ready to assist them as they look to attract new employees and grow in our community,” said Montgomery County Business Development Center CEO.

“Amsterdam’s future is bright thanks to entrepreneurs like Dan and others who see the potential in our community. We are excited to welcome each of these new businesses and look forward to their growth and development. Our thanks also go to the County Executive and the team at the Business Development Center for their tremendous partnership in marketing our community as a place that’s welcoming and supportive of new investment,” said Town of Amsterdam Supervisor Thomas DiMezza.

Bluffworks, a NYC-based clothing design company that specializes in performance work and travel attire, is one of the news tenants. The location is one of the company’s first physical offices, having previously based its employees exclusively through digital platforms throughout the USA. Bluffworks is utilizing the Amsterdam location as the center of their Customer Service center and space for testing of new materials for product development.  The company currently employs four customer service agents at the site and anticipates growing their on-site staff.

“I am from this area, and Stefan (the founder of Bluffworks) told me that my time working and with my family is invaluable, so I shouldn’t waste time commuting. I’ve been working from home for the past 7 years, but our Customer Service team needed more space. This new location enables our local Bluffworks team to grow while maintaining our work-life balance,” said Monica Turley, Distribution & Customer Service Manager at Bluffworks.

CSA Tax & Consulting, a newly founded partnership between tax professionals Marcy Canale and Matt Stolz comes to the site with years of local knowledge and relationships. The team selected the location because of its ease for clients who visit the areas other retail and professional sites.

“Matt and I are excited for the opportunity to work with local clients and share our tax expertise. We are taking over a local firm that has provided tax services for the past 40 years and we are looking forward to CSA being a part of this community for many years to come,” said Marcy Canale, President of CSA Tax & Consulting.

GoodbuyZ Liquidation Outlets, which offers consumers goods at low-cost prices, was attracted to the site because of its unique historical context, appealing design plan and easy access to a new, larger customer base. The company employs around a dozen employees and operates another retail location in Johnstown.

“GoodbuyZ owners and staff are excited to be in Amsterdam and bring our shopping concept and discounted products to a new area. We hope to build success by offering quality products at a lower price and consistently changing inventory and rotating stock throughout our locations and warehouses weekly. Our friendly staff will make shopping at our locations a delightful and welcoming experience. We are here to help shoppers enjoy the experience of saving money. Our staff will be there to help shoppers and answer questions at any time. Hope to see you soon,” said Michael VanHorne of GoodbuyZ.

Open Canvas Beauty Bar is a full-service beauty salon specializing hair styling and extensions, makeup and nail painting. The location, which will likely feature approximately eight employees when at full capacity, was a dream come true for owner Nikki Arndt who had long imagined expanding her home business into a modernized space within the historic Alpin Haus building. Along with manicure and hair stylist services, Arndt hopes to incorporate a masseuse or eyelash studio.

“I am excited and honored to be a part of such a beautiful and unique landmark in Amsterdam where I have been a lifetime resident. Half of my dream with this space is to provide a space where hopeful entrepreneurs can become just that and earn their highest income potential while growing and expanding their knowledge within the industry to best provide such services to our community, all the while feeling like a family and not a group of colleagues. The other half of my dream is to provide a judgement free, clean, safe, and welcoming salon that feels just like home to our guests while they are being serviced, and where the coffee is always on,” said Nikki Arndt, the owner of Open Canvas Beauty Bar.

Upstate Utilities, a broker of natural gas and electric utilities, has also moved its operations and its two employees into the new space.

Dan Russo, owner of Upstate Utilities, said, “The last time I had been in the property was when Alpin Haus was located here, so we were blown away by the work put in by Dan and his team to revitalize the space. This is great the for the community and the city. We hope to be here for many years to come.”

Landscape Depot, a full-service horticulture and landscape design and installation firm, brings its 36 years of experience to the new location. The location was ideal for company founder Peter Hand, who praised the team and DAN VANN for their efforts to refurbish and modernized the location. Along with Peter, the new office location will employ four other team members.

To learn more about the range of commercial and residential properties available through Dan Vann Properties, visit www.danvannproperties.com/.

To learn more about the range of exciting nationally-renowned businesses and career opportunities in Montgomery County, or to learn how the Montgomery County Business Development Center can assist employers and prospective employees, visit www.MontgomeryCountyWorks.org.

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