SHERBURNE – While not exactly new to the downtown area, one Sherburne business is settling into a new home, giving it more exposure and creating opportunities to make a bigger splash throughout the region.
In October, Empire Wireless LLC made the not so distant move from its previous space in the Masonic Temple building on West State Street to its new home on the corner of Main Street and State Street – just feet away from its original location. Having purchased the 19th century corner building with loans from the Village of Sherburne and NBT Bank, Empire Wireless is now more equipped to keep pace with growing demand, according to Office Manager Terri Smith.
“We’re very excited to expand our business again,” Smith said.
Empire Wireless will host an open house celebration at its new location on Dec. 6. The event will include a showcase of items and services provided, as well as a number of door prizes.
Although Empire’s new building maintains four apartments on the second and third floors, the entire first floor has been converted from apartments to retail space. The new location is also home to This PC Needs Help computer sales and repair shop.
Having businesses in place of residences in a prime commercial space is good news for downtown commerce, Smith pointed out.
“People are excited to see business in this spot,” she said. “A lot of them are happy to see there’s activity on the corner again.”
Empire Wireless has a long history in Sherburne. Family owned and operated for more than 30 years, Empire today is a Dish Network authorized retailer that sells, installs, and maintains Dish Network services across Chenango, Madison, Otsego, Oneida, Cortland and Broome counties.
Empire Wireless has also grown its business in recent years to offer Dish service installation at businesses and apartment complexes, television sales, DirecTV service and installation, and three different internet deals via Dish Network, DirecTV, and Frontier Communications. The business is even experimenting with a two-way radio system marketed to farmers who have had bad experiences with lost or broken cell phones.
Having more floor space in its new location will only allow it to continue to broaden all those services, according to Smith.
“Our TV sales especially are going to benefit from the move,” she said. “That’s something that has really caught on in the last few years. We’re basically able to offer televisions at the same price as big box stores, and if you sign up for Dish services, we usually install them for free.”
She added, “Every time price is adjusted for us, we adjust it for our customers ... We pride ourselves in customer service, so we do anything we can to keep them happy.”
Empire Wireless’ footprint in the local satellite dish market dates back to the days when dishes measured 10 feet in diameter and typically cost upward of $1,500 to install. Today, Empire’s owners, father-son duo Raub Smith Jr. and Raub Smith Sr., work in a much more evolved and convenient market, though Raub Smith Sr. remains one of a few original authorized retailers in the area. The business continues to thrive thanks largely to repeat referrals from customers to family, friends, co-workers and neighbors.
For more information on Empire Wireless, call 607-674-9529, or visit www.empirewirelessllc.net.