Business Notebook: Grand, grand openings

Warwick - It’s always good news when a new business opens on Main Street in downtown Warwick. And it’s especially welcome when opening that business is an expansion of another successful business that continues to operate on that same street. Behrooz Ghorbanian and his wife, Sussan Chakamian, owners of Silkenwool, 56 Main St., recently opened another shop in the spacious facility vacated by The Liquor Store of Warwick at 36 Main St. And on Wednesday evening, Nov. 14, the owners hosted a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new shop. “The two stores on Main Street, “ explained Chakamian, “will enable us to expand our product lines for everything inside the home and offer additional items for local shoppers. However, these are luxury items for upscale homes and we did our best to select unique products that would not compete with merchandise offered by other Warwick businesses.” Their first Warwick shop, Silkenwool Fine Rugs & Functional Art, has a well-deserved reputation for its fine collection of authentic Persian rugs. The owners frequently travel to their native Iran to select and import both new and antique rugs in both tribal and city designs. After their initial success in Warwick, they opened a second store in Wycoff, N.J., and, recently, another New Jersey location in Madison. Until now, in addition to museum-quality Persian rugs, Silken Wool had also carried an assortment of contemporary American artifacts and unique gift items. The original store at 56 Main St. will continue to display a large collection of Persian rugs as well as boutique lighting. The new store at 36 Main St., Silkenwool Home, will feature a variety of quality products for the home such as bed and bath items including Italian linen, Egyptian cotton towels and organic bedding and sheeting. There is also an attractive display of high-end counter items and fine cutlery. Silkenwool Home is an authorized dealer for well-known manufacturers such as Viking, Kitchen Aid and Miele Vacuum Cleaners. For more information call 988-1889 or visit www.silkenwool.com New business: Mine! Mine! Mine! Warwick residents Matthew and Cori Blank recently opened their new store, Mine! Mine! Mine!, located in the lobby of Sports, Fitness & Fun, 470 Route 17A, in the Village of Florida. “Our store offers new and unique products for babies, tots, ‘tweens’ and young adults. not found elsewhere in Orange County,” said Cori Blank. “We were very selective with our vendors.” The store’s concept, she explained, was to bring the look of Bergen County or Long Island to the local area, at reasonable prices. “We went to numerous conventions, including the New York Gift Show and the Las Vegas Magic Apparel Show, the largest clothing show in the United States,” added her husband. In preparation for their first business venture, the new entrepreneurs attended seminars and met with fashion conscious individuals, such as the editors of Seventeen Magazine and Teen Vogue. Based upon their experiences, they reported that they were able to incorporate the hottest fashions and gifts into a convenient location for their customers. Matthew Blank is a graduate of the A.B. Freeman School of Business of Tulane University and also Albany Law School of Union University. Cori Blank graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego with a bachelor of fine arts degree. Over the past several years Matthew Blank has successfully run his own law firm and his wife, Cori, her own commercial interior design company. Together, they feel that they make a solid team. Cori Blank runs the creative side of things and her husband handles the details. They believe the combination of their talents will result in a boutique certain to offer something for all. The owners also believe in giving back to the community. Mine! Mine! Mine! is supporting the St. Anthony Community Hospital “Festival of Trees,” Goshen’s Inspire Kids Nursery School and local gymnastic and cheerleading teams. “We’re also willing to help local charities by offering a percentage of our sales on particular days,” said Cori Blank. Mine! Mine! Mine! is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and most evenings from 4 - 8 p.m. On Tuesdays, the evening hours are 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Weekend hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the shop will also be open on Mondays during the height of the Christmas shopping season. For information call 651-4949. Rotary’s ‘Dictionary Project’ Members of the Warwick Rotary recently visited all fourth-grade elementary classes in the eight Warwick Valley schools for their chapter’s annual “Dictionary Project” to deliver dictionaries to all the students and their teachers. Rotary Club Vice President Edward Lynch said the project serves as a way “to introduce fourth graders to community service and emphasize the importance of learning and working hard. The ordinary dictionary,” he added, “is a symbol of learning and an important educational tool, which today is lost on many children, given our digital age.” Home for the Holidays Last Sunday, Nov. 18, was the opening day for downtown Warwick’s annual celebration of “Home for the Holidays.” The annual celebration is designed to present downtown Warwick as a fun and convenient place to do all your holiday shopping. Residents and visitors can look forward to visits from Santa, horse and buggy rides, men’s night out, ladies night out and a few surprises. This Friday evening, Nov. 23, the Warwick Fire Department will hold the traditional Christmas Tree Lighting at Lewis Park along with a surprise visit from Santa. More Home for the Holidays updates to follow.