BUSINESS BEAT

Nassau Chamber honors Bellmore businessman

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Steve Eplan, an owner of two Bellmore businesses who is often lauded for his community volunteerism, was named last week as Bellmore’s Small Businessperson of the Year.

The Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, Inc. recognized Eplan and other local merchants at its 30th annual breakfast ceremony at the Crest Hollow Country Club on Oct. 17. Julie Marchesella, the organization’s president and a Merrick Chamber of Commerce member, said that honorees have demonstrated a high level of commitment to supporting their local communities, business districts and chambers of commerce.

Eplan has owned Perri Funding Corporation since 1993 and helped found The Rock Underground in 2010. The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores recognized him as the group’s Board Member of the Year in January.


Perri Funding is a registered mortgage broker that specializes in reverse mortgages. Although Eplan has an established business and background in finance, he is also passionate about music. That is why he teamed up with Billy Handy Jr. and Paul Casanova to open The Rock Underground, on Bedford Avenue in the heart of the Bellmore Village, four years ago.

The Rock Underground is a full-service, all-ages music school, with 150 to 200 students enrolled in various programs at a given time. Eplan and the co-founders recently expanded the business beyond Bellmore’s borders, opening schools in Massapequa and Commack.

Eplan has been a longtime member of Bellmore’s chamber, crediting the group with helping to promote his businesses. He has also volunteered with other community groups like the Bellmore-Merrick Community Wellness Council, co-sponsoring a Battle of the Bands to raise money for a substance-free, post-prom party for Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District students.

Eplan lives in Merrick with his wife, Pamela, and three children, Perri, Sammy and Jesse. All of his children attended Kennedy High School.