Etsy on its way to city
By Lindsay Suchow
Hudson-Catskill NewspapersThe word is out: Etsy.com is expanding its operation to Hudson.Rob Kalin, the founder and chief executive officer of Etsy — a popular and rapidly growing online marketplace dedicated to handmade home goods, clothing, accessories and other items — announced in a letter sent to various local business owners, furnished to the Register-Star by Mayor Rick Scalera, that as the company continues to grow, “it makes a lot of sense to me to open up an office in Hudson.”
“My family is from New York (from Tarrytown up to Syracuse), and I’ve spent many a night in a lean-to amongst the Castkills [sic],” Kalin wrote. “I love the town, and we found an incredible building ... and as everyone here knows — better than I do, I’m sure — there are so many great people.”
Etsy will be taking up residence in the Cannonball Factory at 359-361 Columbia St. In his letter to the business community, Kalin thanked Chris Gilbert — one of the proprietors of the building, along with Sarah Gilbert — as well as antique home decor and furniture dealer Keystone on the Hudson for their help in getting Etsy settled into its new abode.
Etsy, which currently employs 175 people in its Brooklyn headquarters, will continue to be anchored in New York City. Kalin wrote that he hopes to grow the Hudson office to 50 employees or more, and noted that Etsy employees are salaried with medical, dental and vision benefits paid for in full by the company, which includes family plans. He said full job descriptions would be posted soon, but the plan is to start with customer support positions.“I started Etsy to create opportunities in the world — for myself, for small business owners, for people who make things, people who find things, and more,” wrote Kalin. “I love that we are be able [sic] to bring jobs to Hudson.”
Etsy, which Kalin founded in June 2005 in his Brooklyn apartment, prides itself on its mission to “enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers,” according to the company’s website. The company’s buyers and sellers of exclusively handmade goods span 150 countries. There are hundreds of thousands of sellers currently marketing their products on Etsy, the website states.
Local officials and economic development advocates are thrilled at Etsy’s expansion into the city, and most agree that it speaks volumes of the area’s potential for business growth.
“It’s great news, obviously,” said Scalera. “I realize it’s going to take some time and a lot of effort to bring it up to the projected amount of jobs (Kalin is) suggesting ... but it’s something we can all get excited about.”
Scalera noted that the city, as well as the Hudson Development Corporation (HDC), would be there to offer “any assistance (Kalin) may need along the way.”
“It sounds to me like the perfect recipe for what Hudson needs,” said Scalera.
Common Council President Don Moore expressed similar sentiments about Etsy’s choice of Hudson for its new location.
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful,” said Moore. “It’s proof that Hudson is a viable city for new businesses. It is tremendous, the number of jobs that they’re going to locate here — 50 is a great deal.”
Moore said the creative, artistic nature of Etsy’s products is a perfect fit for the community.
“It seems like the right kind of business to locate here,” said Moore. “It is technology oriented, it is creativity oriented — it’s clearly a smart business with a very remarkable track record already, and I can’t imagine doing anything but asking how we may help and offering them welcome.”
Moore said Etsy’s presence on Columbia Street will be a welcome push to stimulate more business growth outside of Warren Street.
“Extending viable businesses onto the streets that parallel Warren Street is exactly what we need to do,” said Moore. “All of that becomes much more likely and arguable with this sort of solid, long-term business locating right there in the 300 block of Columbia.”
Lori Selden, acting chairperson of the Hudson Business Coalition as well as an HDC board member and proprietor of Mexican Radio on Warren Street, called Etsy’s arrival in Hudson “utterly fantastic.”
“I think it’s a great barometer for the kinds of businesses we want in Hudson that are creative,” said Selden. “Hudson has a history of manufacturing, and this is a new slant on manufacturing. It’s more of a ‘buy local’ situation — totally anti-big box store, which is something we embrace wholeheartedly in the Coalition.”
Selden said as far as she knew, she doesn’t think Kalin has contacted the HDC for any type of assistance as of yet.
She expressed her hope that Etsy’s utilization of the Cannonball Factory will possibly spur some more ideas for repurposing similar types of spaces for business development in the city.
“It’s a great use of a former quasi-industrial space, so we’re hoping that the city will start taking a look at other businesses like this for larger manufacturing buildings now sitting empty, and look to bring in some younger, fresher blood,” said Selden. “Because the HDC’s assets are things like the L&B Building, the Kaz buildings and things like that, it’s a good time to really take a look at how we can start to use these buildings in a creative, positive way to create jobs and tax base.”
Kalin declined an interview with the Register-Star until the company is more settled into its new home, which he said could be as soon as early March. Chris and Sarah Gilbert of the Cannonball Factory did not return phone messages seeking comment by press time.
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