Huntington Station BID brings on new president with fresh ideas
There’s a new president of the Huntington Station Business Improvement District.
Frank Cosentino has taken over after the BID’s first president Keith Barrett decided to step down and “let some new blood in.”
Cosentino has owned County Line Hardware in Huntington Station for the past 30 years, and has been a member of the BID for three.
“It was a surprise,” Cosentino said of his nomination in a phone interview. Although Cosentino resides in St. James, he said Huntington Station has become his home town. “Everyone becomes like a family,” he said “ You just want to work to make the area better.”
Of his plans for the future of the BID, Cosentino said he wants to start spending more money on the people and businesses that are giving money to the BID.
“I want to start promoting the businesses in the area more,” he said.
Cosentino said he wants to focus on different businesses every month along a theme, like a month of home improvement and another month of car-related businesses.
“I want to highlight what is already available in Huntington Station,” he said.
He also said the BID is currently working toward revamping its Facebook page, so that the BID can send out notices about events to member and help create programs that teach business owners how to utilize Facebook better.
“We want to develop a seminar to help teach people how to set up a Facebook page for their business, and how to gather likes and create events,” he said.
Cosentino said Huntington Station can sometimes be the “forgotten child,” but to him is just as important, and he wants to continue to work to make the area a more desirable place for people to visit and live.
Graduating with a degree in chemistry from Alfred University in 1977, Cosentino worked at a chemical company until 1985, when the opportunity arose to purchase what is now County Line Hardware.
He worked at a hardware store during college, so he thought his background in the profession made the buy the right choice. “I had always wanted to own my own business,” he said.
Barrett did not run for re-election and said the board had known for the past year that they would need to find a new president.
“He’s a great guy, a successful business owner, and I think he will bring some new ideas,” Barrett said in a phone interview. “He cares about Huntington Station.”
Barrett will stay on as a board member, and he said he hopes that Cosentino will help make the BID more business oriented in future projects.
“I have known the people in the BID for a long time,” Cosentino said. “The fact that they’ve put their trust in me … makes me feel really good.”