We all expected P.W. Minor, one of Genesee County's oldest businesses, to close July 31.
That didn't happen.
Now it looks like the nearly 150-year-old shoemaker will be around for awhile longer yet.
Pete Zeliff and Andrew Young have purchased the assets of P.W. Minor and Sons and hope to soon to acquire rights to the P.W. Minor name so the company can continue selling shoes under that brand.
The new company will operate as Batavia Shoes, LLC, in the interim.
There will be an official announcement of the deal Thursday, according to an invitation sent to local officials this morning by Genesee County Economic Development Center.
Zeliff is a local businessman known for his love of aviation. He is senior executive vice president and COO of EIF Renewable Energy Holdings, LLC, in Oakfield. He also branched into residential home development this year, building a housing community off Route 5 and Seven Springs Road in Batavia (the first house is nearly finished). Zeliff is a recent appointee to the GCEDC board.
Young is a local real estate broker and investor and was elected last year to the Genesee County Legislature. He is a member of the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp., a nonprofit agency of GCEDC.
The details of the purchase have not been released yet, but Zeliff and Young confirmed the purchase is taking place. They said they couldn't say more at this time.
"We're going to run this company going forward and we're going to grow it and expand it," Zeliff said. "Our goal is to bring manufacturing back to Batavia and expand it."
June 13th (Friday the 13th,
June 13th (Friday the 13th, go figure) I was read the Warn Act = worst day of the 19 years I have worked there.
August 8th The place was crawling with more lawyers and suits and ties than I have ever seen in my life = Best day of my 19 years I have worked there.
I have had the opportunity to meet Peter and Andrew and let me tell you, to say I am excited about the future is an understatement. These 2 guys are NOTHING LESS than an answer to prayer......Period. Divine intervention at its best.
Thank you so much to Peter and Andrew for saving us.
Our goal is to bring
Our goal is to bring manufacturing back to Batavia and expand it ... that is exactly what we need by the truck full. Manufacturing jobs ... higher quality renters, perhaps new homeowners, broader tax base.
God bless them.
every time i read this it
every time i read this it makes me cry ... tears of joy of course !!!
sooooo incredibly happy for the people who still work there who have given their lives to make this company what it was ... and ... what it will be again !!!
so thankful to Pete and Andrew for becoming interested, and now committed, to make this a very successful company again !!!
i just can't explain how happy this makes me !!!
While I still have issues
While I still have issues with some of the way GCEDC does things here in this county. This is definately in the plus column for them. I have only lived here for 6 or 7 years, I too was saddened to hear about this closing. History is important in any city, and coming from Ithaca where I watched Ithaca Gun move from it's historic Gun Hill property to an old High School 15 to 20 miles north of the city. Then watch the factory remediated, torn down and student housing built in it's place. I realized the value of history and how terrible it's loss can be.
Thanks Peter and Andrew for doing this and saving a little bit of Batavia's manufacturing history and soul. It's appreciated even by us newer Batavians...
30 plus years of working for
30 plus years of working for the same company and June 13th it looked like it was all going to come to a screeching halt -the livelihoods of 54 co-workers and my own were in serious doubt. Not anymore! Tomorrow begins what I pray will be the rest and the best of my career at PW Minor. I'm sure it WON'T be another 30 years but it's possible they will be THE most exciting as I watch the revival of this once great company! Thank-you Peter and Andrew and welcome aboard.