There are dozens of businesses in Western New York that have been around for 100 years or more. Buffalo Spree introduces us to some of them in the January issue. In this week's Press Pass with WBFO's Mark Scott, Spree editor Elizabeth Licata says she was amazed by the sheer numbers as she was putting the issue together.
For some of these businesses -- the Amos Zittel and Sons farm as an example -- a new generation keeps coming along that is interested in continuing the family tradition.
And then there's Tapecon, which started out as the Davis Bulletin Company making signs for theater lobbies. The company has now evolved into making products for the biotech industry.
One sector of the economy that is very difficult is the restaurant industry. New ones open only to close a year or two later. But the Spree list of heritage businesses includes some restaurants that have been around since the 19th century, including Buffalo's historic Ulrich's Tavern.
Also from the January issue, Mark asks Elizabeth about an exhibit she wrote about that continues at the Burchfield Penney Art Center through mid-February. It features the paintings of Harvey Breverman. Unlike other artists, who document history with actual photographs, he chronicles some mid-20th Century historic events through paintings.