ABC News 10 features Sustainable PR, a green public relations firm in Glens Falls, New York:
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The city of Glens Falls has been putting plenty of work and resources into drawing new faces and businesses to the region. This week, one such business cut the ribbon on their office; a year after starting up.
Sustainable PR held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday at the company’s new home, occupying the second floor of a two-story former house at 46 Elm St. Before that, company founder Tony DeFazio ran it all from his apartment on Glen Street.
“We have an extended group of contributors who work remotely, so we were able to operate out of the gate,” DeFazio said on Tuesday. “But my vision was always to have a presence in the town, as part of my commitment to be here long-term.”
Sustainable PR bills itself as a public relations agency based around sustainability and renewable resources. Currently, the firm works with six clients. The most recent of those is Evanesce, a Vancouver-based biodegradable packaging company. That’s a far distance from Glens Falls, but the Adirondacks were a goal destination from early on for DeFazio.
“He said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about moving up to the North Country, and I’m divided between Glens Falls and Lake Placid,’” recounted Mike Bittel, Chairman of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce. He recounted his first meeting with DeFazio outside the new office on Tuesday. “Does that sound familiar, Tony?”
It did, DeFazio confirmed. Glens Falls Mayor Dan Hall was in attendance and said Sustainable PR was another example of how his city is growing.
“It fits perfect in Glens Falls. It’s been said over the years, Glens Falls is on the rise, and this is another thing that adds to that,” he said.
The company has already gotten started operating out of the upstairs floor of the building, but two rooms are still undergoing some remodeling. Once they’re done, the plan is to hire two more employees. DeFazio said he doesn’t know who last occupied the building, but he would like to.
Despite the long reach between Sustainable PR and its clients – some of which are closer to Albany – DeFazio says Glens Falls is ideal. It’s an hour north of Albany and the airport there, but far enough from that hustle and bustle that the people at DeFazio’s firm can see the kind of environment that sustainability is all about, every day.
“It’s just a great place to do business. I think that the Adirondacks as a whole can be a beacon for the environmental movement,” he said. “I think what Glens Falls has that’s unique is its ecosystem.”
In the spring, Sustainable PR set up blackboards in City Park to celebrate Earth Day, where the community was invited to come and write ecological messages. That event is going to become annual.
This feature was originally published by ABC News 10 on November 19, 2021.
