Golf outing honors two, raises money for Lynbrook Community Chest

Under sunny skies Monday, village residents, elected officials and business owners hit the links for a cause at the Mayor’s Golf Outing at the Hempstead Golf & Country Club, where a local businessman and developer were honored.

Money raised at the event went toward the Lynbrook Community Chest, which provides financial help to village residents who have fallen on hard times. The outing also honored Anthony Bartone, the managing partner for Terwilliger & Bartone Properties, the company developing the Cornerstone at Yorkshire project in the village, and John Fraser-Mifsud, the North Division vice president for Daikin Global, which opened its Comfort Design Center on Sunrise Highway in 2019.

“I couldn’t be more humbled or thrilled,” Bartone said of being recognized by Mayor Alan Beach, the board of trustees and attendees. “I just couldn’t be more pleased to be a part of a partnership with the village. I said when they gave me the award tonight that it comes down to leadership, and this administration epitomizes that. This is the type of place we want to do business, a place where they’re business-friendly and looking to encourage business, so I’m excited and hopeful this leads to future opportunities.”

The four-story, 80-unit, $24 million apartment building will replace the Capri Lynbrook Motor Inn, which was razed in June 2020 after several battles between village officials and the motel’s owners over alleged crime and prostitution at the site. Future tenants began leasing apartments last month, and Bartone has eyed November as the opening date for the new building. The developer said the building “looks beautiful,” calling it a good fit for the Yorkshire section of the village, and the company has fielded many calls from interested renters.

“There’s really a great energy around it,” he said, “and we’re very excited.”

Daikin’s Lynbrook showroom opened in November 2019. It features residential products from the largest heating, ventilation and air conditioning manufacturer worldwide. Daikin, which has been in business for nearly a century, is headquartered in Osaka, Japan, and employs more than 70,000 people. In 2012, the company purchased Goodman Global Group, a leading manufacturer of residential HVAC in the U.S., and Daikin North America LLC was created. The company built an office, laboratory and showroom in Texas, and then branched out to Lynbrook.

Daikin uses “air intelligence” and sophisticated technology to heat and cool rooms. Its products are sold in more than 140 countries, including throughout North America. Since the early 1930s, the company has provided heating and cooling solutions and offered innovations in HVAC systems, according to company officials.

Fraser-Mifsud did not return requests for comment about the honor, but at a grand opening celebration in 2019, he said he looked forward to becoming a part of the Lynbrook community.

“This is so exciting, and the buzz we’re feeling in the room right now as an organization, new to Long Island and new to this county, is absolutely exceptional,” he said at the time. “We really do deeply appreciate everybody for joining us on this very special evening, so thank you very much.”

The Mayor’s Golf Outing festivities began with registration and brunch at 9:30 a.m., followed by a noon shotgun start. After the golfing was over, attendees packed the country club in the evening for the event’s annual dinner and cocktail party, where Bartone and Mifsud were honored. The amount of money raised for the Community Chest was not finalized at press time, and Brian Curran, the chairman and former state assemblyman, did not return a request for comment at press time.

Beach said both businessmen are “great representatives for their” companies, and noted that Daikin also has a school that partners with Nassau BOCES to prepare young people on how to be environmentally friendly in their practices. The company aims be 80 percent carbon-free by 2050, the mayor said.

“Terwilliger and Bartone brought their professionalism and integrity to our village,” Beach said. “They are a business that worked with Lynbrook every step of the way to develop a project that would blend into the area seamlessly. Daikin has invested in Lynbrook. They developed a state-of-the-art facility on Sunrise Highway to showcase their products.”