Sold on Buffalo

Joni Stovroff (left) and Jacque Taylor, principals of two of the fastest growing WNY companies.

By Brendan J. Cunningham

A lot of people may say they are sold on Buffalo, but there is one company that is putting its money where its mouth is. Anyone that has lived here for a few years will probably have heard of the name Stovroff.  Joni Stovroff, together with her partner Jacque Taylor are owners of two of the fastest growing Western New York companies the last three years in a row, one of them a Real Estate company, the other a travel agency.  Both of them bear the moniker of Stovroff & Taylor.  In January of 2012 they rolled out their newest program, appropriately called “SOLD on Buffalo.”

Paradoxically, neither Joni nor Jacque is from Buffalo yet both chose to make their homes here.  “We love it here: the theater, the awesome and affordable restaurants, the 20 minute average commuting time, the Bills, 

the Sabres,  the Bisons, the Bandits, and the fact that we have probably the best and most affordable housing stock in the nation.  It’s just a great town.  From the Delaware District, to Depew, from Allentown to East Aurora, from Snyder to Swormsville, Buffalo and its surrounding area is just the coolest place to live anywhere. We are SOLD on Buffalo.”

      Having said that, one of the biggest challenges HR managers, employers, and relocation departments face is not so much getting people to take the job; it is convincing them that taking the job in Buffalo is not some cruel form of punishment or a bad joke.  Many of you have heard former Bills say they blanched when they heard that they actually might have to live in Buffalo only to hear them change their tunes after they lived here for a while.  The list of happy émigrés is extensive and so many professionals     eagerly decided to stay here and plant roots, long after their careers ended because they liked the Buffalo lifestyle so much.  That’s where this new program comes in.

Members of the Stovroff Taylor "Sold on Buffalo" relocation team: Left to Right Brendan Cunningham, Joni Stovroff, Mia Banazak, Joe Genevese, Carol Esposito and Jacque Taylor.      The “SOLD on Buffalo” program is designed to do two things.  First, it greatly allays employers’ concerns that their would-be employees will get the proper introduction to our town so they get sold on the area, before they decide not to take a position.  The bad publicity about the area and weather need to be put to  rest.  And no, it really doesn’t snow here in July and August.  To that end, Stovroff & Taylor Realtors have assembled a special team of agents who are sold on Buffalo themselves.  Agents work with incoming out of towners and in effect, become Buffalo best good will ambassadors. The second part of the program is to give an extra something back to the community.  For each home sold through the program, a portion of the firm’s professional fee will either be directed to the “Buffalo in Bloom” project—an organization dedicated to beautifying the city through gardens or to a charity of the employers choosing.  It’s a good thing no matter how you cut it and numerous business owners have jumped on this value added service in an effort to build their organizations and attract the best talent to their teams.

     As one would expect, this won’t be the first time Joni Stovroff (Business First Woman of the Year in 2010) will be caught making WNY an even better place to live. Quite to the contrary, she was also recognized for her beautification project in 2009 by the Chamber of Commerce in Orchard Park for her work in revitalizing and improving what is now known as the Stovroff Center on North Buffalo Rd.  As a result of her commitment and continuing investment to the place she calls home, it has become one of the busiest plazas in the entire town and attracted several new and exciting businesses.  What can I tell you, “I’m sold on Buffalo and all of its other communities.”!