ProfNet of Waterbury Celebrating 20 Years of Success in 2015

In January 2015, ProfNet of Waterbury, Inc., the Professional Networking Group of Waterbury, is celebrating 20 years of notable success as the region’s only independent business leads-generating organization. Celebrating the organization’s success were founding members Bill Harris of American Copy in Waterbury; Mark Guastaferri of American General Investors, LLC in Prospect; Peter Hughes of Hughes Insurance in Prospect; Timothy Moynahan, Esq. of the Moynahan Law Firm, LLC in Waterbury and Southbury; and Sandy Marino of Sandy’s T.V. & Appliances in Wolcott.

The Waterbury chapter of ProfNet was formed in 1994 by several previous members of the former Waterbury chapter of a national business networking organization called LeTip. ProfNet was originally spearheaded by Bob Skrip of Skrip’s Audo Body in Prospect and Mark Guastaferri of American General Investors, LLC who contacted former LeTip members to learn of their interests in forming another networking chapter. The fledgling group discovered ProfNet International and worked to create a chapter of that organization in Waterbury. Guastaferri, Hughes, Marino and Moynahan are all founding members of that original chapter.

Photo Credit: kamisoka (iStockphoto)

“A few years after we created a chapter of Profnet International,” recalled Guastaferri, “we no longer saw a need to pay royalties to that international organization. So we struck out on our own as Profnet of Waterbury. LeTip International no longer has any chapters in Connecticut, and Profnet International no longer exists. Our independent group continues to thrive with over 45 members in 2014 alone!”

“The purpose of ProfNet,” explained John Leach, owner of Flooring America stores in Waterbury, Prospect and Southbury, and current president of ProfNet of Waterbury, Inc., “is to meet on a weekly basis to exchange qualified business referrals with fellow members. Our members possess a sense of loyalty within our group to our fellow members, and we are strongly committed to actively maintaining ethics and standards of the highest order through our rules and bylaw. Each of members has exclusive membership in their field of expertise meaning no other businessperson in each of those specific fields is eligible for membership.”

“ProfNet is viewed by many businesspeople in the Waterbury region as something of an elite organization because our dedicated business members work together to provide the highest quality of products and services,” stated a founding ProfNet member Attorney Timothy Moynahan, “Directed by By Laws and Rules of Professional Conduct created by our founding members, the organization continues to attract qualified business professionals from throughout the region who desire to be dedicated to
providing the highest standards of competence and service.”

‘ProfNet is about building business through third party endorsements,” stated Sandy Marino. “This highly effective method has allowed my business to thrive for the past 20 years. Diversity in products and services builds business; diversity in advertising by way of social media, print advertising, and networking groups, such as ProfNet, are the way Generation X shops today.”

ProfNet of Waterbury, Inc. meets every Thursday between 7:00 and 8:30 a.m. in the offices of the Waterbury Regional Chamber located on the 4^th floor of 83 Bank Street in Waterbury. To learn more, visit www.ProfnetWaterbury.com, or contact membership officer, Rick Synnott at Synnott Travel LLC at 203-575-1010 or email to rick@synnotttravel.com.