Home Field Advantage: Buy Local Expo 2025 showcases Ulster County’s optimistic and energized business culture, daunted only by state government

by Zac Shaw for Ulster Strong

The Diamond Mills Hotel and Conference Center pulsed with energy on Sept. 10, 2025, as the Ulster Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Buy Local Expo drew a steady stream of business owners and professionals eager to swap ideas, forge connections, strengthen Ulster County’s economy and, of course, score some free pancakes from Phoenicia Diner.

“With the diner, at any time there could be a line out the door … but it makes for a fun environment,” said Angelina Candelaria while flipping some of the establishment’s famous flapjacks. She’s executive assistant to Phoenicia Diner owner Mike Ciofi, who recently expanded into the new Blue Duck Brewing Company location in Kingston with his Phoenicia Diner Canteen concept. The brewery has been consistently packed since opening in mid-September, with the food getting rave reviews.

Ulster County isn’t just welcoming more visitors than at any time in recent memory — it’s also attracting new residents and new business owners who are contributing to the local economy.

“Post-COVID, it was crazy,” said Dave Canning, Arnoff Moving regional sales representative. “It’s tapering off just a little bit, but we’re still going pretty strong on everything, especially our commercial business.”

He emphasized that the commercial moving business is resilient to changes in the economy. “Whether they’re expanding or downsizing, there’s always a way we can help with different services,” he said.

Like many of the companies at the expo, Arnoff Moving has deep roots in the community.

“We’ve been a family-owned business for a hundred-plus years now,” said Marketing Manager Stephanie Nash. “So it’s really our family, the family and all the employees as an extension — that are helping our local community family as well.”

Rose Forte-Piccoli, an insurance agent with Ulster Savings, echoed that longtime local spirit.

“I've lived here my whole life,” she said. “It's a beautiful area. I think we have a lot to offer. It's funny, I feel like a lot of the people I’ve talked to in this room have been here a long time.”

She said the financial, real estate and insurance industries also can’t help but take notice of the rapid growth of business in Ulster County.

“We've had a lot of people move into this area from out of town, buying new homes,” she said. “It’s still going strong.”

Like Canning, she also saw commercial opportunities growing in the local insurance industry. “We see a lot of businesses coming in, which is great.”

The business landscape is not without its challenges, as several businesses at the expo pointed to forces largely outside their control as the obstacles they’re having to navigate.

In the insurance industry, Forte-Piccoli said that “hard market rates are on the rise,” referring to a market-wide increase in insurance premiums triggered by a variety of factors.

She added that “underwriting guidelines are stricter” as well, making it harder for customers to qualify for policies that offer more favorable terms and/or pricing.

Tiffany Wadsworth, personal lines supervisor for Naccarato Insurance, added that while her business is “very, very busy … New York state is crazy with insurance. The state mandates are tougher than they've ever been,” referring to stricter regulatory requirements that compel insurers to provide broader coverage and maintain higher reserves, which drive up company costs and, in turn, lead to higher premiums.

Nikki Paulsen, accounting and operations manager for Next Level Design & Construction, cited the same stumbling block in her industry: state government.

“New York is a challenge,” she said. “If only New York made it easier for businesses to operate. That's the hardest challenge — the licensing — what licenses are needed and just getting through the ropes. We have a strong local business community, but we’re under the state laws, so …”

As for rising material costs, Paulsen expressed resiliency. When construction project budgets are challenged by increased prices, “we try to find more cost-effective options for our customers,” she said.

Paulsen reflected on other trends in the industry: “Not a lot of people are building their houses from the ground up anymore, but we do a lot of sheet rocking, spackling, taping, siding and roofing. A lot of the time people are buying the new fabricated homes that are already rebuilt, that just get shipped to the location. Or they're buying foreclosed homes and just need us to come in and do it from the studs in.”

Despite the difficulties cited in navigating New York state’s red tape, businesses at the expo were unanimous in their praise of Ulster County as an incredible community of interconnected locals welcoming a surge of new interest and activity in our area with open arms. And pancakes.