(Photo by David Gordon)
Grist Mill Real Estate celebrated its 40th anniversary on Wednesday, Oct. 15 with an open house at its recently remodeled Main St. office. Artwork by Nancy Campbell and Angela Gaffney-Smith adorned the freshly painted walls, with pressed-tin ceilings above and fresh carpeting below.
“It has been a privilege and an honor to serve the community,” said owner Elda Zulick. “Our neighbors have been great. We work well with other businesses.”
“Businesses come and go, but some have been here a long time,” said Village of Saugerties Mayor William Murphy.
Zulick, who oversaw the renovations directly, praised the contractors. Henry Mangione did the major work on installing the new walls, while Steve Yates and Doug Freese contributed to the renovations. The window display was the work of Ben Armento, an agent in the business.
“Saugerties has had a fantastic resurgence of development,” she said. “It is a destination.”
Among the attractions of Saugerties are “good old-fashioned values,” Zulick said. “Even second-home people; it doesn’t take long to be involved. As they come up the Thruway, you can see them relax, and when they head back they start to tense.”
Grist Mill’s 14 agents handle sales in Ulster and Greene counties.
In a biographical sketch on the agency’s web page, Zulick recalls that she started out helping a friend organize files for her new insurance business, became interested and acquired a license. That was 40 years ago, and today she is “blessed with a loyal, top notch staff, and having the luxury of remaining an independent office has reinforced my devotion to this profession.”
Her career has had its ups and downs, she writes, “however if you rise to the occasion it will make you stronger and wiser.”
In photo above: Gathered in front of Grist Mill Real Estate are Ulster County Chamber of Commerce president Ward Todd, real estate agent Bonnie Keegan, agent Vonnie Bragg, Saugerties Chamber of Commerce president Mark Smith, Saugerties Mayor William Murphy, agent Jennifer Mangione, Elda Zulick, Ben Armento, Town Councilman Jimmy Bruno, Tiffany Sperl of the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce, agent Julie Dunn, Chamber board member Bob Siracusano and Ulster County Chamber of Commerce membership director Carol Richer.
