www.HartfordBusiness.com • November 20, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 3
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BUSINESS JOURNAL
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Newsmakers
Halt the shovels
"We've stopped construction
and we're reassessing whether or
not we can go forward."
Horizon Group Properties
CEO Gary Skoien's reaction
to his company's sudden
announcement that it was
suspending development of its $105 million shopping
mall plaza at Rentschler Field in East Hartford after
project financing fell through.
Budget already
bleeds red ink
"The governor's caution
regarding our ability to get
through ( fiscal year 2018) in
balance under the bipartisan
budget passed by the General
Assembly was well-warranted."
Office of Policy and Management Secretary Ben
Barnes' reaction to a new analysis that projects the
recently enacted two-year, $41.3 billion state budget
is already in deficit by $175 million this fiscal year.
Andrew Sufian
General Manager, The Shoppes at Buckland Hills, Manchester
By John Stearns
jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com
The countdown has begun toward launch of the holiday
shopping season — technically from this week's "Black
Friday" through year's end — and Andrew Sufian, who
runs one of the biggest malls in
the region, said the industry's
busiest time of the year is a blast.
Sufian, general manager at
The Shoppes at Buckland Hills
in Manchester since 2014, calls
it a fun, exciting time at the
shopping center.
The center, which opened in
1990, has over 100 retailers and
a variety far beyond traditional
apparel, Sufian said. It also has six full-service restaurants,
12 fast-casual dining options and entertainment like Dave
& Busters and a comedy club, Funny Bone.
Buckland Hills, with over 1 million square feet in
gross leasable space and anchor tenants that include
Macy's, J.C. Penney and Dick's Sporting Goods, enters
its holiday season orbit from 6 p.m. to midnight on
Thanksgiving and is back at it from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on
Black Friday, with extended hours through the season.
While full days off are hard to come by for Sufian
this time of year, he gets some rest and relaxation,
thanks to his strong staff, he said.
Before Buckland Hills, Sufian was an operations man-
ager at Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont, where he
spent nearly 10 years in various management roles, while
also earning a law degree from Albany Law School and a
bachelor's in business and law from Skidmore College.
What's the biggest challenge you face in your job?
I don't necessarily consider this a challenge, but it
is top of mind: We are always evaluating the changing
needs of guests and working to bring new uses and
brands we know our community has come to expect.
What's the biggest challenge facing The Shoppes at
Buckland Hills?
Remaining competitive in a market that is highly
saturated with retail.
What's the biggest opportunity you face in your job?
To continue to develop the center into one of the
region's best destinations for retail, dining and enter-
tainment.
What's the biggest opportunity facing the mall?
To continue to develop our mixed-use offerings to
complement those that have found great success here,
such as Dave & Busters, H&M and Maggie McFly's.
What's the competitive landscape like in the Greater
Hartford shopping center industry?
Retail is very competitive in this market, but we
have a great edge and success through our dining and
entertainment. We are constantly in conversations with
tenants to expand offerings for customers.
Tell us something about you many people don't know.
When I was younger, I was a competitive skier and
able to do flips — not so brave anymore.
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