Chautauqua County’s biggest private employer knew a slowdown was coming.

This year, the envisioned demand decline forecast by Cummins officials became reality – and it was a story that interested many Post-Journal readers.

Mark Smith, Cummins chief financial officer, and Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins president and CEO, told investor analysts during a conference call after the company’s second quarter came to a close that North American heavy and medium-duty truck volume was expected to decline 25% to 30% from second quarter levels. Truck orders wre already at multi-year lows, Smith said, and companies that make parts for Cummins have begun limited work weeks that are expected to last the next three months. The Jamestown Engine Plant is affected by the decreased demand for heavy-duty truck engines.

“The duration of this reduced demand in North America truck markets will largely depend on the trajectory of the broader economy, the evolution of trade and tariff policies and the pace at which regulatory clarity emerges,” Smith said.

Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins president and CEO, told analysts there are several reasons for softening demand for trucks. Economic demand isn’t growing for customers, interest rates are high and the truck buying market was already in a period where demand was expected to be low. Demand could rebound when more stringent environmental regulations take effect in 2027, but the situation is uncertain at this point.

What does 2026 look like? It’s too soon to tell.

Smith said during a recent conference call with investor analysts that the fourth quarter isn’t expected to be any better. Engine shipments to on-highway markets are expected to decrease 15% in the fourth quarter compared to third-quarter levels.

“At the risk of sounding cautiously optimistic, I hope that demand in North American on-highway markets is close to bottoming in the fourth quarter in what has been a protracted and difficult slowdown,” Smith said.

FAMILY BUSINESS

In the 1970s, Don Hogan of Hogan’s Hut and his wife Elsie worked to see tourism and development along Chautauqua Lake.

Now many years later, his grandson is continuing that vision.

Brian Pender and his wife Erin own Northlake Development. The company just purchased the former House on the Hill and Watermark Restaurant, both on South Erie Street in Mayville. The House on the Hill was last open in 2019 while the Watermark was last open in 2022. There were a number of parcels that came with the sale, including a parking lot across the street.

“We just saw this opportunity. There was no reason for these buildings to be vacant,” Pender said.

Dr. Erin Pender is a full-time dentist and opened Chautauqua Lake Dental in 2023.

“She took that abandoned old Freemason Lodge and turned it into a world class dental facility,” her husband said.

The practice has grown and they’ve been able to add an additional dentist and second hygienist.

While remodeling the former lodge, Pender said they realized they enjoy construction projects like this and are ready to do more.

Brian and Erin had been living in the Chicago and Cleveland areas before coming to the area. Brian worked in the banking industry and Erin was a public school teacher.

They bought Brian’s grandfather’s residence as a vacation property and would come to Chautauqua County every chance they could. At the same time, Erin decided to go back to school and become a dentist.

As time went along, they saw the need for more dentists in Chautauqua County as well as developed a heart for the community.

“We were living in Cleveland, coming up here on the weekends. We found ourselves driving back to work at 5 a.m. Monday morning and was like, ‘Let’s just simplify and go here full time,” Pender said.

In 2018 they moved their family here. Erin was working for The Chautauqua Center in Jamestown before opening her own practice.

Pender said they’re looking to get new operators for the former House on the Hill and the Watermark and will work with them whatever they need. “With our energy and the fact that we’re going to be here for the long run, we’ll be able to find the right people to run these,” he said.

For the House on the Hill property, Pender said they have a signed letter of intent with an operator.

Pender declined to identify the person at this time, but said the goal is for it to be open in May.

For the former Watermark Restaurant, Pender said they’re still looking for the right operator.

“It’s a much bigger space so you’ve really got to find the right person. That’s really what we want to do – take people that have a desire and support them along the way. We don’t want to be an absentee landlord,” he said.

Pender said the Watermark “needs a little TLC” but for the most part it’s ready to go. He believes once the right person is identified the facility will be able to open fairly quickly.

Along with purchasing the former restaurants on Route 394, Pender said they purchased a house near the Webb’s mini-golf course. They have another property that is under contract.

“We want to do a large-scale housing project – something that will help increase population density, and bring more people living here,” he said.

Pender said he feels like he is continuing the vision started by his grandfather, Don Hogan. “My grandfather started the CCVB (Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau), he started the ice castle, so there’s a lot of things. After he sold Hogan’s Hut in the ’70s he gravitated toward the tourism industry. I think by taking on some of this, there’s a lot of pride that we have in this area,” he said.

While both have long passed away, Pender said some of his grandparents’ associates are still around. “He was a bus driver, so some of his friends are still alive. Some of the students he drove bus with are my wife’s patients now. Some of my mom’s teachers and classmates – she graduated from Chautauqua High School – are patients and friends of us now,” he said.

But as someone who grew up and worked outside of Chautauqua County, Pender said he believes he has a lot to offer. “There’s a lot of people that are bullish on the prospects of this area doing well. There’s a lot of optimism from people on the outside,” he said.

LOCAL MENU ALIVE AND WELL IN WARREN

Vullo’s restaurant opened in 1988, along Route 430 in Ellery near Bemus Point. It was a popular Italian restaurant that closed after nearly 20 years in business.

Vullo’s may not be coming back, but its founder, Charlie Vullo, brought a taste of it to Pellegrino’s in Warren earlier this year with a buffet full of classic Vullo’s recipes, including eggplant parmesan, rosemary chicken, baked ziti, antipasta and top round steak.

“I am really excited to bring in Charlie Vullo to cook at Pellegrinos”, said owner Tom Pellegrino. “I wanted to bring in a great cook to get people down here to enjoy the property, and I got one of the best.”

Vullo isn’t ready to go back to the full time job of running a restaurant, but he is excited to keep cooking.

He cooks part time at Conti’s Overtime in Kennedy, as well as at other caterers.

RETAIL COLLAPSE BOOSTS OLLIE’S

The collapse of some retail outlets was helping fuel Ollie’s continued expansion. As mall-based retailers and some big box retailers – including Big Lots, which closed its Jamestown location in 2024- go bankrupt, Ollie’s is reaping the financial benefits.

The company, which has locations in Jamestown, Dunkirk and Warren, announced a 17.5% net sales increase in the second quarter of the 2025 financial year to $679.6 million, driven by new store unit growth and an increase in comparable store sales. Comparable store sales increased 5%, driven by an increase in transactions. Rob Heim, Ollie’s executive vice president and CFO, said the company’s top five performing categories were lawn and garden, hardware, food, housewares and domestics.

Pre-opening expenses increased $4.4 million to $9 million, driven by new store growth and $2.3 million of dark rent expenses associated with the former Big Lots locations that were acquired through the bankruptcy auction process.

“With so many retailers closing stores or going bankrupt in the past year, there is an opportunity to gain market share through expanding our footprint, acquiring new customers and turning these customers into loyal Ollie’s Army members,” said Eric van der Valk, Ollie’s president and CEO in a conference call with investor analysts. “This is our flywheel, our formula for growth, and we are all over it. Everyone loves a bargain, and it’s our mandate to bring great deals to consumers from coast to coast. We have a tremendous opportunity ahead to continue opening new stores and gain market share. This is not growth at any cost, however. We are committed to profitable growth, and we are able to do this through a flexible store model that can be adapted to generate strong returns across different geographies,demographics and store spaces.”

HOTEL LENHART SALE APPROVED

The effort to reopen a historic Chautauqua Lake landmark took a major step forward this year.

Ownership of the Hotel Lenhart in Bemus Point officially been transferred over to William and Jill Curry, doing business as Bemus Point Holdings, LLC. With the transfer of ownership complete, the effort to redevelop and reopen the iconic building can now get underway.

The effort to purchase and redevelop the Hotel Lenhart has been underway for more than two-and-half years, with Chautauqua Lake Hospitality first announcing its intention to purchase the property in early 2023 from long-time owners John, Deborah, and Barbara Johnston. That announcement came several months after a sale contract had been finalized in August 2022. In February 2023, the redevelopment project received support through a low-interest loan from the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA). A month later, the CCIDA Board approved additional incentives to support the project. Then, in the summer of 2023, the project received additional support through New York State, with a $1.9 million grant from Empire State Development Consolidated Funding Application program.

The transaction was completed Friday afternoon, May 2, and Bemus Point Holdings is now the owner of the building. Chautauqua Lake Hospitality, LLC will manage the property.

“We are extremely happy to see this process finally over and the sale of the property officially closed,” William Curry said. “This means we can now move our plans forward and reopen this historic building, welcoming visitors from both near and far.”

Hospitality began 143 years ago on this choice location as a small boarding house. The Hotel Lenhart itself has been a major fixture on Chautauqua Lake since the summer of 1882, when the hotel opened, bearing the founder’s name.

After a fire in 1891 that destroyed the original building, the current hotel was built in its place, and it served as a popular summer-time destination for visitors and area residents each year, until 2020 when the pandemic temporarily halted operations for much of that summer. It reopened again in 2021 and 2022, when it was placed on the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry. As the Currys worked on finalizing the sale of the building and grounds, it remained closed in 2023 and 2024.

In the past, the Lenhart only operated from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Now that the sale is complete, the Currys can begin their effort to fully renovate the hotel and make it a year-round destination. This major project will include installation of an elevator and other ADA compliant improvements, and the complete renovation of the guest rooms and common areas.

The final product will result in a total of 40 guest rooms with all of the modern conveniences, while retaining the historic character of the hotel. An expanded dining area will accommodate guests and visitors, while other amenities will include an event space, spa, and pool. The total cost of the project, which includes the purchase price, is an estimated $9.9 million.