Business Notes: Jan. 31, 2016
Norwich — The Bike Hub, which sold and repaired bicycles and related gear from its shop on Route 5 adjacent to Fogg’s Hardware and Building Supply, closed its doors on Jan. 23.
Owner Bill McFadden posted the news on the store’s Facebook page, announcing “we will still be around honoring a few commitments but it is the end of The BikeHub in its current form.”
“Over the years, The Bike Hub — my staff, my vendors, my community event partners, and most of you, my customers — we all worked together to help make the Upper Valley better. Through our love of riding bikes we promoted health, safety, teamwork, knowledge, family and fun. And it has certainly been a fun ride,” McFadden wrote. He did not respond to messages seeking further comment.
The 2,900-square-foot store, which opened in 2009 during the recession, catered to the Upper Valley cycling community and was known for its support and advocacy of the cycling scene. The Bike Hub was also the peddle-off point for Wednesday afternoon group rides organized by McFadden during the warm weather months.
With The Bike Hub’s closing, the independent stores where bicycles and cycling supplies and merchandise can be purchased in the Upper Valley now include Omar & Bob’s Sportshop in Lebanon, Morris Bros. Mountain Bikes in White River Junction, Claremont Cycle Depot in, Woodstock Sports, Paradise Sports in Windsor and Lane Road Cycle Shop in Charlestown.
Company News
Woodstock-area real estate broker Snyder Donegan Real Estate Group has opened a Hanover branch, at 23 S. Main St., and brought aboard Zoe Hathorn-Washburn to run the office. Hathorn-Washburn previously worked in sales and marketing for several pharmaceutical companies. Snyder Donegan, which opened its office in 2010 and is operated by John Snyder and David Donegan, specializes in high-end homes and estates. The agency doubled sales to $30 million in 2015 and represents more than $50 million in properties in the Upper Valley, according to the firm’s website.
RSG, the White River Junction-based transportation and environmental planning and analysis firm, has added an office in Portland, Ore. The new space will enable RSG to serve its growing national client base and strengthen its relationships with agencies and organizations in the Pacific Northwest, the company said in a news release. “The establishment of our Portland office is an exciting step forward in our strategy to develop and provide advanced methods across the country within the transportation, environment, and market research sectors,” the company’s CEO, Stephen Lawe, said in the release. In addition to its White River Junction headquarters and the new Portland office, employee-owned RSG has locations in Burlington, Vt., Arlington, Va., Evansville, Ind., Chicago, St. Augustine, Fla., Salt Lake City and San Diego.
Laurie Barrett, of Andover, Mass., has joined the West Lebanon office of Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty as the company’s new director of training and coaching. Barrett has 25 years of experience in the real estate industry. She has previously worked as a real estate broker, a paralegal, loan officer, title insurance representative, continuing education instructor and recruiter. Barrett plans to relocate to New Hampshire.
Upcoming Event
The Upper Valley chapter of SCORE is offering a workshop on Managing Your Food and Beverage Business, on Thursday, from 6-9 p.m., at 20 West Park St., Lebanon, Suite 316, in the Citizens Bank Building. The workshop will cover the basic elements of starting and managing a food and beverage business. Sally Wilson will be the presenter. Wilson is a SCORE counselor who has more than 30 years of experience in the food and beverage business. She has owned and operated a 30-room country inn with a fine dining restaurant and a brew pub and started and manages the Hanover Farmers Market. Cost for the workshop is $40, two for $60. Veterans free. For more information or to reserve a spot, visit http://www.uppervalley.score.org, email score@valley.net or call 603-448-3491.
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