When Associate Editor Stefan Yablonski proposed we do a story on Greene Point Marina — a business in Sandy Pond that has been owned by the same family for 119 years — I didn’t think twice.
One hundred and nineteen years under the control of the same family? Wow! That’s tremendous — especially considering that most businesses fail within years.
A quick search on the internet shows that only 30% of all family-owned businesses make the transition into the second generation and only 3% of all family businesses are operated by the fourth generation and beyond. The average lifespan of a family-owned business in the United States is 24 years, according to a 2023 survey by Family Enterprise USA.
Greene Point Marina & Mobile Home Park got its start in 1905 and is now operated by two sisters, Cheryl Yerdon and Linda Goodnough. They are the fourth generation to control the business, the great-granddaughters of Captain Lindsey Greene and Faith Christine Greene, the marina’s founders.
“We’ve been here our whole lives. Our great-grandfather built three two-story cottages back in 1905; they were all pine, knotty pine, tongue and groove. People used to write on the walls ‘I was here in 19-whatever.’ I think they built them on railroad ties or whatever they had,” Cheryl Yerdon told writer Yablonski.
It’s a fascinating story and the sisters were open to share their story. They are lucky that their mom, 88-year-old Linda Goodnough, is still involved in the business, ready to provide advice.
The story about the marina anchors this issue of Oswego County Business. It’s one of several stories highlighting the tourism industry, which is the third largest sector in New York state. According to the Empire State Development, it’s a $79 billion industry and supports 7% of all jobs in the state (see related story in this issue).
Other stories include an overview of the Battle Island State Park — it has such a rich history —, the competition between bed and breakfast and Airbnb and an interview with former Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, who made a stop in Oswego on her way to Canada. In 2011 Fallin became the first governor in that state and previously served as lieutenant governor for 12 years. I love that story and the way it came about. Contributing writer Tom Caracciolli in June was strolling through the Oswego’s Eastside Marina when he spotted a yatch named “Lady Gov — Oklahoma City, OK.” It turned out the governor and her husband were on their first solo trip from Florida all the way to Halifax in Nova Scotia. Caraccioli was able to secure an interview with the governor and filed a great story about the encounter. “The governor talked about business, tourism and industry in the area and was very high on Oswego,” he told me.
Another focus of this issue is healthcare. We have developed a number of pertinent stories related to the sector.
One of the most interesting stories — one that has not been covered by the Syracuse media — is about the competition to treat cancer patients in Central New York. Traditionally, those diagnosed with cancer have been treated by SUNY Upstate or Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York. Now patients have one more option to check — St. Joseph’s Health, which formed an association with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Care of Buffalo. The story, written by contributing writer Aaron Gifford, discusses whether the region has enough population that could justify a third major provider.
Wagner Dotto is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
