By Fred Stabbert III
LIBERTY — September 23, 2005 – In an effort to grow existing businesses within Sullivan County, the Partnership is expanding its own ranks.
Don Perry, vice president of Business Development and Expansion for the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development, was introduced Tuesday afternoon to a standing-room-only crowd at the group’s monthly meeting. He talked about his experiences in Los Angeles following the 1992 riots and how he helped downtown merchants revitalize.
“Many people were looking at the elephants [large businesses] to see how we could bring them in,” Perry said. “I stayed focused on the existing businesses, the ones that were there before the riots and are there now, after the riots.
“I was able to help them, and in turn they grew and did the right thing, adding jobs and growing their business,” he said.
Perry hopes to have the same success in Sullivan County, where he will be looking to help existing businesses expand while other members of the association concentrate on bringing new business in.
The program will be co-funded by the Partnership and the county to analyze strategic growth opportunities for existing businesses in Sullivan County.
“We are refining the focus of the organization to augment our core activities with business expansion as part of our overall economic development strategy,” said Jonathan Drapkin, Chairman of the Board of the Partnership.
Perry is an experienced financial and management consultant with a wide-ranging background in commercial finance.  He has been active in turnaround and crisis management for over seven years and is a Certified Insolvency & Restructuring Advisor.
“After a thorough interview process, we feel we have brought on someone whose extensive experience and track record will catapult us to a higher level in the area of business expansion,” said Marc Baez, President and CEO of the Partnership.
The Partnership will be offering a “premium” level of business consulting services as part of the Business Expansion program.
Perry was Executive Vice President of Finance at Wyndhurst Associates, LLC, a Baltimore-based financial restructuring firm, where he was involved in complex financial and operational restructurings for firms in a wide range of industries.
Perry co-founded Pine Cobble Financial Corp. (PCF), a commercial finance company focused on fast-growing entrepreneurial businesses serving large corporate and government accounts. He served as consultant and advisor to emerging growth companies focusing on turnaround management, mergers and acquisitions, business process re-engineering, corporate finance and organizational development. 
He has worked extensively with manufacturing and distribution firms and in such diverse industries as apparel, construction, textiles, aerospace, environmental remediation, real estate development, business services, retail and restaurant services.
“For the Partnership to create jobs, investment and tax revenue by expanding businesses that are here and viable today makes economic sense given that most economic growth occurs from local expansion,” said Perry.
The Partnership has begun compiling a database of businesses that are optimal for expansion consideration and will be meeting with them to introduce the program. For more information on the Business Expansion program, contact Don Perry at 794-1110 or at donperry@scpartnership. com.