History
Pre OBDC
Constructed in 1895, our building at 301 N Union St was originally the location of Riley & Wands, a local grocery wholesaler. From 1960 – …
January 1, 2013
July 20, 2013
Birth of Family Partners Group
In 2013 we originally started out as a not-for-profit known as, “Family Partners Group Inc.” The mission was to benefit youth, families, small businesses, and …
Purchase of the OBI Building
In 2015, 301 N Union Street was purchased by 2 entrepreneurs to establish a business incubation space. The non-profit business formerly known as, ” Family …
August 31, 2015
August 1, 2016
Early Programming
Activity in the building was focused on providing office co-working, incubation space, and programming to support potential new business starters. However, it quickly became apparent …
Renovation Timeline
Part of the new business model was to renovate the building, which hadn’t been updated in decades. A key element of this was adding an …
August 1, 2017
August 1, 2019
Strategic Plan Developed
The influence of a very active OBDC Board of Directors lead to a much higher level of collaboration between St. Bonaventure University, Jamestown Community College’s …
Creation of the Hub
As the collaboration between the SBU Innovation Center, JCC and OBDC continued to strengthen, the concept of a co-working space for students and area entrepreneurs …
August 1, 2021
August 17, 2021
Move to the 4th floor
Continued growth and demand for the newly renovated office spaces on the first 3 floors of the OBDC building drove yet another renovation project to …
Initial Laine Business Accelerator
After the passing of one of the co-founders of Cutco Corporation, Mr. Erick Laine, in 2020, a memorial fund was established in his name (the …
September 17, 2021
June 27, 2022
Laine Place
As a tribute to the legacy of Erick Laine, the OBDC Board of Directors unanimously approved the re-naming of the building at 301 N Union …
2022 and Beyond
The second annual Laine Business Accelerator cohort has been selected and is underway, with 10 businesses participating this year thanks to a grant from the …
August 17, 2022
Special thanks to the Olean Historical Society for providing many of the older building photos.
Please check them out on the Olean Historical Society Facebook Page !