Madison County Small Business of the Year: H. Grey Supply Co.

​Nestled in the heart of downtown Cazenovia, H. Grey Supply co-owners Travis Barr and Alex Altomonte identify their core mission as a business that serves to create a safe and inclusive environment for all. Their efforts have built a strong retail brand that serves the community with gifts, clothes, delicious coffee, cheeses, skincare, make-up and more. Barr and Altomonte have expanded beyond simply retail to become a community hub named H. Grey Social, providing a space for local business teams, a study spot for teens after school, and a space for small local events. The community hub boasts a barista bar powered by Utica Coffee Roasting Co. The overall experience is a boutique department store with multiple categories to shop from in one space.

H. Grey Supply Co. takes pride in their commitment to offering unique and independently-made products from all over the United States. The inventory is carefully curated, featuring small batch makers and independent brands not commonly found in other area retail locations. They source items like Jeni's Splendid (farm to table) Ice Creams from Ohio, Roberta's Pizza’s based in Brooklyn, Murray's Cheeses from NYC, Marine Layer Clothing from San Francisco, and many non-alcoholic alternatives and drink mixers. The product selection is a testament to their commitment to supporting creators and encouraging young entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams.

H. Grey is an LGBT-owned business that has earned a reputation for being a lighthouse in Central New York. They have worked hard to create a safe place for all to gather, especially the LGBTQ community/youth, and was one of the first to fly a Pride flag in the center of town, asking the whole community to choose inclusivity. They haven been told by countless people that the decision to choose Cazenovia as a place to call home was influenced heavily by all of the Pride flags in the town. They were also instrumental in launching Cazenovia's first Pride Fest in 2021. H.Grey is committed to community building and to showing up for other small businesses and events.

H. Grey Supply Co reached out to the SBDC in 2019 to begin working on starting their business.  Barr and Altomonte received support with their business plan and cash flow projections, as well as connecting them with funding sources to open the business.  They were also able to leverage research resources from the SBDC to assist them with making sound decisions prior to completing their plans and opening the storefront.  They were recently awarded a microenterprise grant with the assistance of their SBDC advisor, Paul Brooks.