Montgomery Year in Review: Best of Local Business

From business openings and closings to plans for the future, here are the business headlines that made a splash in Montgomery in 2012:

• Montgomery Businessman a Downtown Staple Neil Schlupp has run the Montgomery Chiropractic Clinic for more than 25 years and helped develop parts of the village's downtown.

• Economy's Woes Not Slowing Development in Montgomery Groundbreaking set on new Merlin's store; new Mexican restaurant coming to town.

• Montgomery Business Offers Free Services to Other Businesses Wepummel.com started taking businesses on site in August and over 40 have signed up.

• Montgomery-Based Business Receives White House Honor Glen Nothnagel, owner of Montgomery-based sellbackyourBook.com, was recognized in Washington, D.C. Friday.

• Michelini Gives State of the Village Address to Chamber Members Village President Marilyn Michelini ran down the successes of the past year at last Thursday's Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce membership dinner.

• Orchard Road Shopping Center Coming Back to Life The new Smoke Plus tobacco shop opened its doors last week in the Blackberry Creek shopping center, signaling a rebirth - the center will soon be 100 percent occupied for the first time in years.

•  The 65-year-old family-owned Montgomery company is in trouble, due to a sagging economy and unpaid invoices to bankrupt developers. The Leifheit brothers are working to find a buyer, but say the company's asphalt plant will not run this year.

• Planet Fitness Open for Business The new gym in Settler's Landing opened on Monday night, becoming the first new business in that shopping center off Douglas Road in years.

• Dogs Paddle for Health at See Spot Swim in Montgomery The new venture, bringing together businesswomen from Montgomery and Oswego, offers a clean, safe place for dogs to swim, in the company of professional canine physical therapists.

• Comedy On the Fox Debuts at Gray's Mill On Tuesday night, the troupe formerly known as Comedy Under the Tap made their opening splash at Gray's Mill, in front of about 50 people.