Business Profile: Balloons & Party on Westbrook, Cortlandt
Photo credit: Neal Rentz
Putnam Valley resident Alan Ortner opened Balloons & Party on Westbrook in Cortlandt about four months ago, but he is not new to the party business.
For many years he had worked in his family’s Party Stop store in town next to Kohl’s. The family store, owned by his parents Joe and Elaine, who are retired, closed last summer. At one time the family owned five Party Stop stores, Ortner noted.
“The economy has just taken its toll over the last few years,” he said.
Despite the tough economy, Ortner wanted to continue in the party business. “It’s a great business. Everybody’s in a good mood,” he said. “They’re all coming in for a communion or a confirmation or a birthday or a graduation. Most people complain that customers are always nasty. Our customers are always happy.”
Spring and early summer are among the busiest seasons for the party supply business, Ortner said, noting those time periods are time for first communions, confirmations and high school and college graduations.
For the upcoming Independence Day holiday, Balloons & Party offers a wide variety of patriotic themed products. Fall and winter are also busy periods in his business, with Halloween, Chanukah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Ortner said.
“We have paper goods and balloons for any occasion,” he said. “Our main thrust is basically custom balloon decorating, balloons, bows, ribbons, grand opening celebrations where we do the ribbons and the bows and the large scissors for them to cut.”
The store also offers party favors, catering supplies, and piñatas.
Balloons provide “a very easy way to decorate a room,” Ortner said. “Add balloon centerpieces to the room and the room looks full, the room looks alive.”
Ortner blows up the balloons himself using helium or hand pumps. Ortner also creates bows in his store that are made to order.
Ortner said he was grateful for the efforts of Peekskill resident Chris Reagan, who is a current employee who also worked for him at Party Stop. He said Westbrook Drive had several advantages at the site for this business.
“It’s a nice local location. It’s busy with a lot of people picking up from the deli and the Carvel next door. It worked out perfect,” he said.
Ortner said he wants to continue to “give back to the community” by helping out organizations “quietly.”
“I hoping that we’re profitable enough that I can continue to do that,” Ortner said.
Balloons & Party on Westbrook is located at 2 Westbrook Dr., Cortlandt Manor. For more information call 914-528-0500 or send an e-mail to partystop@optonline.net.
