Co-owners Kasman and Gyory hold grand opening of Thornwood Self Storage

Nearly 100 guests gathered at Thornwood Self Storage Center to commemorate its grand opening. Local business people, dignitaries and project partners were on hand to celebrate the new 48,000 s/f facility, which boasts such eco-friendly features as rooftop solar panels and an energy-saving, motion-sensored lighting system. Special guests who joined co-owners Dan Kasman and Michael Gyory included: Robert Meehan, Mount Pleasant supervisor; Dennis Power, the county executive's Climate Change Advisory Council; Katie Ginsberg, founder and executive director, The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation; reps from NYS Energy Research and Development Authority; Mercury Solar Systems, which will install the facility's system; and other project partners. Event highlights included an array of local/organic food and wines, tours of the facility and a green ribbon cutting to symbolize the eco-minded vision of Kasman and Gyory. "This celebration marks not only the launch of Thornwood Self Storage Center, but a long-term initiative to educate our community about eco-friendly practices and support local, like-minded organizations," said Kasman. He and Gyory have several outreach based initiatives and partnerships with environmental organizations in development. "We feel it is important to raise awareness of good environmental practices." Gyory's father built the facility in the 1960s, which originally served as a warehouse. Most recently, the building operated as a health club. During the building's conversion to a self-storage facility, 95% of its structure was reused, and construction debris was recycled and reclaimed in an effort to reduce the impact on landfills. Converting the building to a storage facility has reduced traffic congestion and auto emissions by more than 80%. The environmentally-friendly building provides high-tech climate control and security systems to ensure a safe haven for personal valuable and business storage needs. The three-story facility, which has 360 climate-controlled units that measure from 25 s/f to more than 400 s/f, offers recyclable and/or biodegradable packing materials and uses only environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Local vegetation has been planted around the facility to eliminate the need for an underground irrigation system. Thornwood Self Storage Center also features on-site power backup and an aerodynamically-designed, dual alternative fuel truck. On-site staff provide hands-on, customer friendly service, which is another hallmark initiative of the owners. Thornwood Self Storage is located at 950 Broadway. For additional information, visit www.storagegoesgreen.com or www.thornwoodselfstoragecenter.com.