Talking Business With Queens Chamber Of Commerce's Jack Friedman

For Queens Chamber of Commerce executive director Jack Friedman, it's been an interesting three-and-a-half years at the helm of one of the borough's foremost business advocacy organizations.

In fact, interesting might be putting it mildly. For enterprises large, small and in-between, the last few years have presented many obstacles, even for businessmen and women who thought themselves immune from even the steepest of economic downturns. 

As Friedman prepared to be honored at a breakfast Tuesday at Flushing Town Hall by the /Central Queens Y, the onetime chief-of-staff to former Councilman David Weprin talked about some of the current challenges facing Queens businesses — as well as his perspective on the future.

"Things are getting better out there for our members," Friedman said. "Queens entered the recession later than the rest of the nation, and I believe that we will emerge from it sooner."

But Friedman acknowledged that big obstacles still stood in the way of a full-fledged economic recovery in the borough. He cited increasing vacancies along major retail corridors (including Northern and Bell boulevards in northeast Queens) and, perhaps most importantly, a continued lack of access to capital by many businesses.

However, Friedman reported progress even in the hard-hit commercial lending sector, pointing to programs like CreditReadyNYC, which gives businesses turned down by traditional lenders a second chance at getting a loan. 

"It's given businesses hope — even those that a year ago couldn’t even talk to a banker," he said. 

Since he took over at QCC, Friedman said the organization had focused its resources on three areas: advocacy, education and networking.

"We’ve honed on these things more than anything else, and this how we help our members grow their businesses," Friedman said. 

As for the future, Friedman struck a bullish tone, noting that long-stalled borough economic drivers such as the Aqueduct "racino" and the redevelopment of Flushing's downtown were finally getting underway.

"I don't believe it's going to take a decade to get back to where we were before the recession," he said. "In a year or two, we will be having a much more favorable conversation."

For info about sponsorships or to purchase tickets to Tuesday's Community Business Partnership Council breakfast, contact Jennifer Colletti-Membreño at jcm@sfy.org or 718-225-6750, ext. 238.