$4.50
February / March 2015
February/March 2015
OswegoCountyBusiness.com
INSIDE: Number of Millionaires in the Region Rising Success Story: The Kallet Theater
The Crouse Institute for Robotic Surgery
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Having gallbladder surgery has just become easier, faster and less painful than ever before. Crouse surgeons are the first – and only – in the area to use the most advanced technology for gallbladder removal. Minimally invasive single-site surgery using the da Vinci robotic system requires just one tiny incision. The result? Just one tiny scar, hidden in the navel. If you’re looking for virtually scarless surgery, choose single-site by the most trusted hands – at Crouse. Brian Anderson, MD Kenneth Cooper, DO Jeffrey DeSimone, MD Partners: CNY Surgical Physicians
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Proud to be the official hospital of SU Athletics.
O
swego County has a broad selection of business parks in place that are perfect for your business.
Infrastructure is in place and there’s room to grow! Operation Oswego County will work with you to make sure your location is the best fit for your success—whether it’s on a Great Lake, an airport, or in wide open spaces. Financing’s available too: SBA 504 loans, County IDA tax-exempt and taxable bond financing, and Empire State Development financing.
In NY: Industrial Parks Perfect For Your Business
Among the businesses we host:
Our Industrial Parks Include:
• • • • • • • •
• • • • • •
Sunoco Otis Technology Linde North America Northland Filter International Southern Graphic Systems Canfield Machine & Tool Oswego State University DeWald Roofing
Oswego County Industrial Park Lake Ontario Industrial Park Airport Industrial Park Rich Corporate Park Columbia Mills Business Park Riverview Business Park
Call or visit us online to find your dream location:
L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD
(315) 343-1545 | www.OswegoCounty.org
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For employment inquiries and corn sales, or DDGs and ethanol purchasing, visit www.sunocoethanol.com +ZQYTS 2FSZKFHYZWNSL 5QFSY ĂŻ 4\JSX 7TFI +ZQYTS 3> FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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OswegoCount
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Issue 136
PROFILE MICHAEL FEGAN
February/March 2015
$4.50
s er of Millionaire INS IDE: Numb ing in the Region Ris
s s e r g o r P • Will the economy be stronger in 2015? We asked that question to about 40 people. See what they say • CenterState CEO bets on growth in 2015 • Can Oswego County accommodate two more major hotels? • Top projects you need to know about • Economic development in a minute • Analysis of key sectors of the local economy, including agribusiness, real estate, tourism, energy, manufacturing and healthcare • Oswego: Major housing renovation restores pride in Oswego neighborhoods • Fulton: City brings Lake Neatahwanta back to life 4
New boss at Davis-Standard in Fulton, a 38-year-old native of Ireland, wants to find ways to do things simpler, better, faster and more productively at the plant, one of the largest in the area...............................18
SPECIAL FEATURES More Millionaries Number of people earning more than $1 million a year on the rise in Oswego County and in the region......... 10 How I Got Started John Vashaw Sr. on how he got fed up with his boss and decided to open his own shop 40 years ago................... .12 Good-bye BOCES, Hello CiTi Find out what’s behind the name change at former Oswego County BOCES ................................ .46 Speakers’ Bureau Exelon Generation creates speakers’ bureau in efforts to inform community.......................................... .50 Hatching Progress County may sell incubator in favor of a larger faciltiy — the former Price Chopper building in Oswego....... .50
SUCCESS STORY A father-and-son team brings The Kallet Theater in Pulaski back to life in full force. The venue was popular beginning 1935 but it closed in 1984.
DEPARTMENTS DEPARTMENTS On the Job, Newsmakers . ........................... 8,
22 Where in the World is Sandra Scott A report from Haiti ..... 16 Business Updates . ..................................... 32 First Person Assemblyman Will Barclay talks business ....... 31 My Turn Watch your language. ........................... 44 Smart Investing What to expect in 2015.................... 49 Economic Trends CNY REDC Round 4..................... 67 Last Page Karen Ferguson, Oswego Health Foundation, ...... 90 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Celebrating over 50 Years in CNY Novelis is the world’s premier producer of rolled aluminum and the global leader in aluminum recycling. Producing more than a billion pounds of high-quality aluminum sheet each year, Novelis Oswego Works is Novelis’ first U.S. operation and stands today as the company’s largest, wholly-owned fabrication facility in North America. Drawing on our expertise, commitment to innovation and world-leading technology, we generate premium aluminum products used in automobiles, architecture, beverage cans and consumer electronics.
FEBRUARY / MARCH Oswego Celebrating Over 50_2014.indd 2015 1
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
5 AM 4/30/14 9:43
Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home...........................38 ALPS Professional Services..........25 Amdursky, Pelky, Fennell, Wallen.......................................58 Amerigas........................................25 Arise...............................................83 Associated Dental Arts...................82 Banach Insurance...........................46 Beacon Hotel / All Season Inn.......28 Berkshire Hathaway ......................35 Blue Moon Grill.............................21 Bosco & Geers...............................79 Brewerton Pharmacy......................83 Brookfield Renewable Power........14 Burdick & Pearson CPA...................7 Burdick Ford....................................8 Burke’s Home Center.....................25 Burritt Motors................................28 C & S Companies..........................62 Canale’s Italian Cuisine.................21 Caster’s Sawmill Inc......................29 Century 21 - Galloway...................26 Century 21 Leah Signature............15 Community Bank...........................38 Compass Credit Union...................65 Computer Accounting ...................47 Crouse Hospital................................2 Davis-Standard LLC......................31 Dr. Tesoriero Chiropractic..............83 Eagle Beverage................................7 Eastern Shore Associates Insurance..................................65 Eis House.......................................21 Entergy.............................................9 Exelon Generation.........................33
Advertisers
Fastrac..............................................6 Finger Lakes Construction / Garage Doors............................27 Fitzgibbons Agency.......................58 Fort Ontario....................................19 Foster Funeral Home......................48 Friends of Oswego County Hospice.....................................83 Fulton Community Development Agency.....................................68 Fulton Oswego Motor Express......45 Fulton Savings Bank......................64 Fulton Tool Co...............................45 Furdi’s Home Center......................26 Glider Oil.........................................6 Good Guys Barbers........................39 Great Lakes Oral Surgery..............84 Great Lakes Trolley.......................19 Haun Welding Supply, Inc.............33 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY.....................................84 Hillside Commons.........................31 Industrial Precision Products.........13 J P Jewlers......................................23 Johnston Gas..................................24 Kallet Theater.................................39 Lake Ontario Antiques ..................19 Lakeside Artisans...........................19 Laser Transit....................................7 Lawn King.....................................23 Local 43 (NECA EBEW)...............41 Local 73, Plumbers & Steamfitters.60
MACNY.........................................66 Maidas Floral Shop........................19 Medical Registry of CNY..............82 MetLife Ins. Co..............................29 Mimi’s Drive Inn...........................21 Mr. Sub...........................................21 Nelson Law Firm...........................45 Novelis.............................................5 NRG...............................................30 Onondaga Flooring , Inc................33 Ontario Metal Fabrication..............29 Ontario Orchards............................79 Operation Oswego County...............2 Oswego Community Development Office........................................48 Oswego County FCUn...................60 Oswego County Mutual Insurance.38 Oswego County Opportunities.......13 Oswego County Radiology Oncology..................................47 Oswego County Stop DWI............78 Oswego Health ..............................92 Oswego Ladies Home....................83 Oswego Quality Carpet..................24 Parker Excavating Tree Svc...........24 Parker’s Service — NAPA Auto & Truck........................................25 Pathfinder Bank..............................68 Patterson Warehousing...................45 Paura’s Liquor Store......................46 Pawn Boss........................................8 Peter Realty – Simeon DeWitt.......82
Phoenix Press.................................78 Port of Oswego Authority..............63 Priceless Realty..............................23 Pro-Build........................................27 Riccelli Northern............................30 River House Restaurant.................21 RJ Caruso Accounting....................24 SAM North America......................41 Schneider Packaging........................7 Scriba Electric................................26 Servpro of Oswego County............26 Springside at Seneca Hill...............81 St. Joseph’s Imaging Associates....91 St. Luke Apartments.......................82 St. Luke Health Services................39 St. Onge Auto Body.......................23 Stephanie Davis, Esq.....................35 Sunoco..............................................3 SUNY Oswego, Business and Community ..............................51 Syracuse Orthopedic Specialist (SOS)........................................84 Tailwater Lodge.............................48 Technology Development Organization (TDO).................41 Timebuyer......................................14 Trust Pediatrics..............................82 United Way of Oswego County.....29 Valley Locksmith...........................25 Vashaw’s Collision.........................46 Vernon Downs................................15 Whelan & Curry Construction.......39 White’s Lumber & Building Supply.......................................27 Wiltsie Construction......................45 Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park...........78
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
COVERING CENTRAL NEW YORK OswegoCountyBusiness.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto
Associate Editor Lou Sorendo
Columnists
L. Michael Treadwell Bruce Frassinelli Sandra Scott, Adam C. Gagas Assemblyman Will Barclay
www.lasertransit.com
Writers & Contributing Writers Kenneth Little, Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Aaron Gifford
Advertising
Peggy Kain Shelley Manley, Beth Clark
Office Manager Alice Davis
Layout and Design Chris Crocker
Cover Art
Performance driven. Promises delivered.
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Jillian Meisenzahl Oswego County Business is published by Local News, Inc., which also publishes CNY Summer Guide, Business Guide, CNY Winter Guide, College Life, In Good Health– The Healthcare Newspaper (four editions: Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Rochester and BuffaloNiagara), CNY Healthcare Guide and 55PLUS, a Magazine for Active Adults (two editions)
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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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RIPPING THROUGH THE COMPETITION
ON THE JOB
Top Money Paid
“
How has the cold weather affected your business?
It takes longer for my guys to get on the road. We go over defensive driving because they work on telephone poles. We work on ways to get up and down poles without leaving trucks and equipment in the road and further congesting traffic.”
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Robert J. Coleman Jr., local operations manager, Windstream, Fulton
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It runs up the heating bill. We sell portable sawmills to New York and New England. The by-product from sawmills can be used to heat homes. But bad weather reduces the use of our product.”
newyorkpawnboss.com
TRUCK SALES
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Dave Scott, branch manager, Wood- Mizer, Hannibal
The cold weather affects heating costs, so extracurricular activities suffer sometimes. We just try to make things upbeat and a happy environment for our clients to escape to!” Tim Webster, owner, Kuk Sool Won Korean martial arts and Excel Health and Wellness, both in Auburn
Specializing in F-Series Always a Great Selection
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“
We do live in a part of the country where this isn’t unanticipated. We make accommodations for our employees and clients. We’ve had quite a bit of activity. We insure snowmobilers and that business increases at this time of year. We have had, unfortunately, some claims as well.”
CNY & Oswego County’s Leader
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John FitzGibbons, owner, FitzGibbons Agency, Oswego
Business is for the better, for me. We have calls for heating upgrades and service calls.” Neil Richardson, owner, Quality Heating & Cooling, Fulton OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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For me, business is better because we cater to cross-country skiers.”
“ “
Linda Tarbox, innkeeper, 1880 House, Pulaski
It hasn’t got to me. We’re doing fine.” Nanette Puglia, co-owner Puglia’s Farms, Fulton
The weather hasn’t affected my business. People come to drop off things for engraving and either I drop them off when they’re done or they pick them up.”
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Tom VanSchaack, owner, TVS Laser Engraving, Oswego
Of course the weather affects business. It’s slower when the weather gets bad.”
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Martin Michel, manager Onondaga Flooring, Fulton
I get more people in for hot yoga when it’s cold outside, but it does make fewer coming during the day when school is closed and parents have to be home with the kids.”
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Sandy Eby, owner Kingsford House Salon-Spa-Yoga, Oswego
It’s always good for business to have cold, but not the snow. It keeps people at home.” Mike Atutis, owner Torbitt’s Service Center, Inc., Oswego
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
FitzPatrick Fits New York FitzPatrick’s History Ever since construction began on the FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in 1970, the Scriba, New York facility has benefitted Upstate New Yorkers. FitzPatrick provides enough safe, clean and reliable electricity to power more than 800,000 homes. Together, FitzPatrick and Entergy’s Indian Point Energy Center in downstate New York, along with three other nuclear power plants in NY, generate about one-third of all the electricity consumed in New York State each year. These plants power New York’s homes and businesses with safe, reliable and virtually emission-free electricity year after year. FitzPatrick employs over 600 dedicated men and women, making us one of Oswego County’s largest employers.
Safe and Secure Top Priority The safety and security of our workers and surrounding community is top priority at FitzPatrick. Ever since Entergy acquired the plant in 2000, it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade equipment and further enhance plant safety and security.
A Partner for Oswego County Annually, FitzPatrick contributes to initiatives and activities that help fund education and literacy, arts and culture, and health and social services. And FitzPatrick’s employees are very often at the heart of many of these community organizations and activities. FitzPatrick is focused on instilling employee pride, building public trust, fostering education and being a partner for Oswego County. Learn more about this vital Upstate New York economic powerhouse at www.fitzpatrickpower.com. Visit the plant on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FitzpatrickNuclear.
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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SPECIAL REPORT By Aaron Gifford
Number of Millionaires Rising More people are earning more than $1million in Oswego, Central and Upstate New York
T
he number of wealthy Oswego County residents appears to be growing. Still, experts caution, this should not be viewed as an indication that the local economy is thriving or that the wealth gap is narrowing or widening. According to recently released figures from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, 11 Oswego County residents reported incomes of above $1 million in 2012 (the latest figures available), compared to 10 the previous year. In addition, 408 residents reported incomes between $200,000 and $500,000. All told, 462 people in Oswego County had incomes that exceeded $200,000 — an increase of 83 residents from the previous year. In 2010 there were 370 Oswego County residents with incomes above $200,000, up from 304 the prior year. In 2008, which is when the Great Recession began, there were 322 residents in that category. Frederick Floss, a senior fellow at the Fiscal Policy Institute and an economics professor at Buffalo State University, said there’s obviously a direct correlation between the increasing number of high-income residents here and the stronger stock market in recent years. Inflation has been low and the growth rates
10
are tied to wages. “Once it rebounded,” he said, “those who were relatively well-to-do became wealthy. It’s not unusual to see someone’s income increase from $700,000 or $800,000 to over $1 million in a year’s time.” Floss stressed that, in rural Upstate New York counties, there are a number of isolated events that can change the number of “millionaires” any given year. An attorney could score a major settlement, a college professor could secure patents on intellectual property, or a farmer might sell off property or land a major contract for new products, which is certainly not unheard of with Upstate New York’s booming yogurt industry. Statewide, the number of New York residents whose income exceeded $200,000 increased by 52,000 in a fouryear period (2008-2012). In 2012, there were 373,283 New Yorkers in that category, according to the state Department of Taxation and Finance. Growth in all Central New York — Other Central N e w
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
York counties also showed an increase of wealthy people. In Onondaga County, the number of residents with incomes over $1 million rose from 287 in 2011 to 349 a year later, while the number of residents at the $200,000 or above mark grew to 5,739 from 5,289. Madison County tallied 31 residents with incomes above $1 million in 2012 and the number of people there who made more than $200,000 increased to 579 from 541 the previous year. In Cayuga County, there were 36 taxpayers who hit the $1 million mark three years ago while the number of residents at $200,000 or more increased from 365 in 2011 to 418 the following year. Upstate metropolitan areas outside of Central New reported even larger gains in terms of the wealthy getting wealthier, with Erie County (Buffalo area) tallying almost 40 percent more millionaires for that time period and Monroe County (Rochester area) at a 33 percent increase, according to the state Department of Taxation and Finance. Frederick Floss, the economics professor at Buffalo State University, said in those areas income went up for the wealthy as well as the middle class and upper middle class in part because of the
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
SPECIAL REPORT large number of new employers who took over former vacant spaces in large factories like Xerox and Kodak. “There’s a lot of black box contractors performing spin off work,” he said. “But in Central New York with Carrier and New Venture Gear, there are vacant buildings with no spin-off work. Rochester and Buffalo are coming back in those areas, and also growing in health care jobs. They’re back to at least pre-recession employment levels.” Floss said he believes that, in Central New York, there has been too much of an emphasis on trying to bring back manufacturing jobs. “With that approach you are not seeing job growth and income growth there,” he added. “The key will be diversity. Don’t just go after manufacturing. Look at information, printing, business services, health care, geriatrics — services to keep retirees here.” According to the Floss New York State Department of Labor, the Syracuse metropolitan area, which includes Onondaga, Oswego and Madison counties, lost more than 700 jobs in manufacturing and 1,500 jobs in the areas of education and health between November 2013 and November 2014. The area gained about 1,000 jobs in the areas of leisure and hospitality in the same year, though those jobs are generally low-paying. Oswego County’s unemployment rate in December 2014 was just over 7.8 percent, down less than 1 percent from the previous year. Municipal, state or federal government jobs made up about 29 percent of the employment for the first quarter of 2014, followed by transportation, utility work and special trades at 22 percent. Leisure and hospitality accounted for 11 percent of the jobs; manufacturing was 9 percent of the county’s work force, followed by professional/business jobs at 5 percent. Average weekly earnings in Oswego County for the first quarter of 2014 ranged from $234 in the hospitality industry to $1,191 in manufacturing, according to the state Department of Labor. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in Oswego County was $48,051 in 2013, FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Number of residents who earned more than $1 million by county Cayuga------------------------------------ 36 Jefferson---------------------------------- 39 Madison----------------------------------- 31 Oswego----------------------------------- 11 Onondaga------------------------------ 349 Erie (Buffalo)--------------------------- 762 Monroe (Rochester)------------------ 578 Manhattan-------------------------- 18,952
Number of residents who earned between $500,000 and $1 million by county Cayuga------------------------------------47 Jefferson----------------------------------79 Madison-----------------------------------78 Oswego-----------------------------------43 Onondaga------------------------------ 759 Erie (Buffalo)------------------------ 1,444 Monroe (Rochester)--------------- 1,232 Manhattan--------------------------20,511
Number of residents who earned between $200,000 and $500,00 Cayuga---------------------------------- 335 Jefferson-------------------------------- 403 Madison--------------------------------- 470 Oswego--------------------------------- 408 Onondaga--------------------------- 4,631 Erie (Buffalo)------------------------ 7,857 Monroe (Rochester)--------------- 7,614 Manhattan--------------------------67,030 Source: Data is the latest year available — 2012. Based on database prepared by the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle with information from NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
compared to the New York State median household income of $58,003 and the U.S. median household income of $53,046. That year, 11.9 percent of Oswego County residents made between $15,000 and $25,000, while 19 percent made between $50,000 and $75,000, and 11 percent made between $100,000 and $150,000. The median value of owner-occupied homes in Oswego County was $93,000 in 2013, up slightly from $92,500 two years prior. Downstate income growth among the wealthy is an entirely different story. Manhattan led the state in 2012 with about 18,952 residents whose income exceeded $1 million, followed by Westchester County at 7,313. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average income of the wealthiest 1 percent of residents in New York State in 2011 was about $1.75 million, while the average income for the remainder of the state’s residents was $43,202. The institute’s 2014 report on the increasing wealth gap noted that for changes in income between 2009 and 2011, the wealthiest 1 percent of the state’s residents enjoyed a 10.7 percent increase in income, while the other 99 percent saw its income decrease by 1 percent during that same time period. The report also noted that after incomes at all levels declined as a result of the Great Recession, lopsided growth “reemerged” following the 2009 recovery, with the top 1 percent capturing 95 percent of total income growth in this country. New York and Connecticut led the nation in disparity, where the top 1 percent earned an average of about 40 times more than the other 99 percent. Ranjit Dighe, chairman of Oswego State University’s economics department, said the income gap locally is not as striking as it is across the state or nationally, in part due to the county’s relatively small size (about 122,000 residents) and its consistent demographics. “A big reason is the comparatively small number of wealthy people,” he said. “Much of the increase in inequality over the past few decades is not an increase in the number of poor people, but very high gains in income and wealth among the super-rich, especially the top 1/10th of 1 percent. There just aren’t that many of them in Oswego. We do have higher poverty than the nation as a whole, though that is not really a new thing.” 11
How I Got
Started John A. Vashaw John A. Vashaw is the president of Vashaw’s Collision Service in Oswego, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. By Lou Sorendo
Q.: What did you do prior to engaging in a career in the auto collision repair industry? A.: When I was a kid in Cheboygan, Mich., I had an uncle who was always working on bicycles, then went into cars. He never worked in a garage, but was handy and did his own work. I was always with him and that’s how I got into it. I started working for Slim Flett at Flett’s Body Shop in Oswego when I was 14 years old. Slim was a great guy and like a father to me. We worked together all the time. I could work on and paint cars every day, but didn’t have the business aspect of it down. The boss’ son, Alex Flett Jr., took over after Slim passed and got me into running the place, doing estimating and dealing with the public, insurance adjusters and all that stuff. In 1974, I was fired from my job at Flett’s after 17 years when I would not accept a 10-cent per hour raise for managing the shop. That was the best thing Alex ever did for me because it made me mad and I said, “I know what I want to do but it’s not going to be here.” I had a good friend, Art Shapiro, who talked me into buying the old Harwood Nursing Home at 268 W. Second St. The facility was 23-by-60 square feet and had 53 rooms. I renovated it into an apartment house, and the little garage next to the nursing home was where I started. It took me probably six months or so to get the garage to where I could use it, and I opened officially on July 1, 1974. Q.: How did you acquire sufficient funds and equipment to get started? A.: One of the biggest challenges was not having any money. I had a house on East 10th Street that I got a $10,000 improvement loan on, and Oswego County Savings Bank and its president William Green helped me out quite a lot. When I first bought my house in 1966, he saw what I did with it and I never had a problem borrowing money again. I had to remortgage my house to get a down payment and do repairs on the garage. I started with very minimal tools and equipment. It was very scary, as now I had two mortgages, was married and had three children. I have, however, a great wife in Patricia who has worked by my side and did some nursing work to help support us. When things got hard, we just worked harder. I estimate my gross annual income for my first year was about $28,000. Q.: What was the typical workday
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
or work week like when you first started the business? How does that compare to what you do now? A.: My typical workday when I first started was from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. I then broke for one hour at dinnertime, and came back usually for three or four more hours. The workweek was usually six days. My wife was by my side taking care of the office and I worked. I did it for at least 20 years. In 1993, I had my first quadruple bypass, and that kind of slowed me down. People ask me, “are you retired?” I reply that I am semi-retired. I work 40 hours a week now and used to work 80. Q.: What gives you the greatest sense of satisfaction as far as your job and career go? A.: My business has grown every year since starting in 1974. I feel very blessed and satisfied to know I started something that has survived so well. A.: What do you believe are the keys to running an auto collision repair business on a successful level? What have been the keys to the business’s longevity? A.: I believe the whole answer to having a good business is to treat others the way you want to be treated. I never wanted to go into business. There are too many headaches. However, I had too much ambition not to do it. The politics of dealing with insurance companies and trying to get paid for what you do is the most challenging part. We get along with all the insurance adjusters. It’s the nit-picking insurance companies who get them to save the almighty dollar. Q.: How gratifying is it to have your son John work alongside you and embark on the same career path? A.: My oldest son, John, graduated from college as a math teacher but decided to stay with the business. He has taken over management, and now I just oversee it but I still do repairs in the shop and work on three or four cars a week. However, I don’t take on large repairs. We have nine other workers for that.
315-343-4421 • www.indprecision.com
350 Mitchell St. • Oswego
Industrial Precision Products
We stand ready to serve customers in machining, fabricating and custom machine needs. We welcome the opportunity to offer our services to you.
Hope. In Action. Oswego County Opportunities...
Inspires partnerships and provides services that empower people, support communities and change lives.
Help & housing for the homeless Health education
Nutrition services
Drop-in centers for youth activities Head Start and Universal Pre-K
Reproductive health for men and women Recovery from addiction
Transportation
Q.: Any new developments at Vashaw’s Collision Service? A.: Six months ago, we bought Oswego Plastics on Ohio Street, and have made a mechanic’s shop out of it. John Furlong, the owner of Port City Car Care, is leasing the building. He does 90 percent of our mechanical work and alignments.
Job-readiness training
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Cancer screenings
One-on-one Literacy instruction Crisis hotlines
Homes & services for developmentally disabled adults Street outreach
Home-delivered meals for seniors
315-598-4717 1-800-359-1171 www.oco.org Look for us on Facebook and Twitter 13
Publisher’s note
R
eaders of this issue of Oswego County Business will find one name repeated over and over in several stories and articles we’re publishing: Novelis. The company, Oswego County’s largest manufacturer, has been the undisputable No. 1 driver of the regional economy. Since 2011 when it announced its expansion plans, Novelis has invested $400 million (that’s almost a half-billion dollars) into its 1.6-millionsquare-foot plant creating 200 new jobs. For those who don’t follow the issue, the plant has become a supplier of aluminum for the Ford Company, which uses it to build the best-selling truck, the F-150. The notion behind it is that trucks and other vehicles with aluminum bodies weigh less and therefore are more fuel-efficient. The ripple effects are substantial. Small businesses, schools, restaurants and local companies that offer products and services all gain from Novelis’ growth.
By Wagner Dotto The real estate sector in Oswego County, for example, has seen an increase of 5.6 percent in the number of properties sold in 2014 compared to the previous year. Flo Farley of Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate and immediate past president of the Oswego County Board of Realtors, attributes that fact to the influx of new people coming to work for Oswego Health, SUNY Oswego and, specially, for Novelis. The great news is that Novelis is not the only game in town. Companies such as K&N’s Foods, USA, Felix Schoeller North America and Champlain Valley Specialty of NY continue to grow, helping create new jobs and more wealth in the community. In this issue — like in past Progress issues published by this magazine — we try to give readers an overall view of what’s happening in the region. We focus on the main economic sectors (energy, tourism, manufacturing, agribusiness, etc.), highlight the main development in the region and
discuss some of the hottest projects. In this issue, we also asked about 40 local business owners about their expectations of 2015. It’s fascinating the answers they shared with us. Now that the economy is on solid footing we can only hope that Central New York will grow along at more rapid pace. We certainly have all the key ingredients for further growth — water, skilled workforce, good partnership between government and private sector, a port, good schools and tons of people collaborating for the common good.
WAGNER DOTTO is the publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
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PROUD TO BE PART OF THE OSWEGO COMMUNITY MAKE SAFETY A PRIORITY! Be cautious when recreating near hydropower facilities as water conditions can change quickly and without notice. Pay attention to your surroundings and respect all signage and warning signals.
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15
Where in the World is Sandra Scott? By Sandra Scott
Haiti
Country holds many surprises to visitors
O
ne of the questions I am frequently asked: “Is it safe?” Regardless of the destination they are referring to, my answer is always the same, “There are places in every location where you don’t belong — even in Syracuse.” John, my husband, and I travel
smart by not flashing around our money and not carousing late at night. In poor countries some people see Americans and think, “They have so much and I have so little.” Haiti occupies the western portion of the island of Hispaniola, which it
shares with the Dominican Republic so when we went to the Dominican Republic we added a week in Haiti to our itinerary. Haiti held many surprises that often happens when visiting a destination that is not overexposed. In the late 1700s Haiti was the glory of the French colonies and one of the richest colonies in the world. The economy relied on slave trade and labor, which led to a successful slave revolt. In 1804 Haiti became the first black independent nation. Over the years, poor leadership led to more troubles and the devastating 2010 earthquake that caused 230,000 fatalities exacerbated the problem. Haitians are hoping tourism will become one of the cornerstones of their economy so many of their resources are being devoted to improving tourist-related sites and making Haiti tourist-friendly. I was impressed by the people who were very welcoming and proud to be
Most of the tourists, who are mainly Canadian, head to the beautiful Arcadin Coast lined with beaches. The place also features boutique resorts like Wahoo Beach Bay and Kaliko Beach. 16
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Haitian along with the variety of things to see. In the north near Cap-Haitian, John and I visited the Citadel, which is the most incredible fort I have ever seen — and I have been to a lot of forts. It is the largest fortress in the Americas and it was intentionally built on a mountain, making it extremely difficult to get to instead of along the coast as usual. The Citadel is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is the nearby ruins of Sans Souci Palace, one of the most unexpected sites I saw in Haiti. The Versailles-like palace was the royal residence of King Henry I. Yes, there was once a king of Haiti. Construction began in 1810 and it only took two years to build the massive complex complete with gardens, fountains and pools. An earthquake in 1842 destroyed a major part of the palace and it was never rebuilt. Most of the tourists, who are mainly Canadian, head to the beautiful Arcadin Coast lined with beaches. There are small boutique resorts like Wahoo Beach Bay, midsize ones like Kaliko Beach and the former Club Med is now Indigo Beach. They all offer a variety of fun-in-the-sun activities as well as cultural tours. In the south of Haiti the coastal city of Jacmel is the handicraft capital of Haiti where it is possible to buy directly from the artist. Most of the bright one-of-a-kind crafts are made from recycled materials. Moro offers unique items personally designed and nearby is Charlotte, a small shop bursting with bright faces painted on calabashes, many of which are framed with a straw hat. Other bursts of color in Jacmel are from the many glass murals that brighten the streets. The most colorful event is Jacmel’s family-friendly carnival. Jacmel, too, has some great beaches. Except for an overnight while transiting, most tourists skip the capital of Port-au-Prince, the hardest hit by the earthquake, but they are in the process of rebuilding. The historic Iron Market has been restored and is now open. I would love to return to Haiti in five years to see the changes. Sandra Scott, a retired history teacher and the co-author of two local history books, has been traveling worldwide with her husband, John, since the 1980s. The Scotts live in the village of Mexico. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Citadel is the most incredible fort I have ever seen — and I have been to a lot of forts. It is the largest fortress in the Americas and considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
People in Haiti are very welcoming and proud to be Haitian. This is a folkloric show we attended in Jacmel during a week-long visit last year.
Sans Souci Palace, one of the most unexpected sites I saw in Haiti, was a Versailleslike palace and the royal residence of King Henry I. An earthquake in 1842 destroyed a major part of the palace and it was never rebuilt. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
17
Profile By Lou Sorendo
MICHAEL FEGAN New boss at Davis-Standard — a Gaelic football player — wants to find ways to do things simpler, better, faster and more productively at the Fulton plant
N
is very similar from a work ative Irishman Michael Fegan uated, I have always worked standpoint.” knows how to carry the ball for an American company.” “There aren’t the opwhen it comes to operating a Fegan worked for portunities in Ireland that manufacturing plant. Seagate Technology, there are here, but inherFegan, the new general manager at where he earned his Six ently there is a good work Davis-Standard, LLC in Fulton, plays Sigma black belt, and ethic there,” he said. Gaelic football, an Irish team sport which Crane Energy Belfast, Fegan, 38, was only is gaining popularity on the amateur both significant U.S. 31 when he took on his level in the United States. companies in Ireland. first plant manager’s job. When Fegan is not overseeing “In general, there is He candidly said he operations at Davis-Standard, he is con- an awful lot of American isn’t surprised to be in a verting points and goals for the Syracuse investment across the top position at a relatively Gaelic Football Club. country,” he said. “About young age. Davis-Standard, headquartered in 50 percent of the private “I’m pretty agPawcatuck, Conn., is the global leader in sector workforce in gressive and the design and manufacture of high-per- Ireland in some deterformance plastics and rubber processing way or anothmined. equipment, extrusion technology and er works for I’ve had converting systems. an AmeridifferThe original equipment manufac- can compaent jobs turer in Fulton specializes in making ny.” s i n c e equipment that produces flexible film, “ Yo u I was 12 typically used in many household pack- see a lot of years old,” he aging products such as stretch wrap and the Amersaid. “I believe if many types of food packaging. ican corpoyou keep your head That stretch wrap is also used for rate culture aldown and work hard, you industrial applications, such as packing ready embedded in a pallets. lot of companies in Ireland,” he added. can do well.” Fegan is one of six children in a Davis-Standard officials, in fact, Fegan said he did not notice a “masestimate that more than 50 percent of sive cultural change” when making his family that also features 55 cousins. He is originally from Kilkeel, Norththe U.S. packaging market relies on their move to the U.S. equipment. “It’s when you move to mainland ern Ireland, located 40 miles south of Davis Standard has annual gross Europe where there is a definite differ- Belfast along the country’s coastline. He presently resides in Clay. He revenues of approximately $350 mil- ence in culture,” he said. “Ireland itself did reside in the lion, with Fulton city of Syracuse for contributing about Lifelines about 18 months, $105 million of that. but he and his wife What culture Birth date: Sept. 8, 1976 Ana decided they shock? — Fegan has Birthplace: Kilkeel, Northern Ireland wanted to enjoy the been in the U.S. for Current residence: Clay four years. Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, Queens University Belfast; master’s degree outdoors more, particularly in the sum“I think there in computing and information systems, University of Ulster, Magee College mer, and desired are a lot of parallels Affiliations: Manufacturers Association of Central New York Personal: Wife, Ana amenities such as between the U.S. Hobbies: Gaelic football, golf a garden and patio. and Ireland,” he Ana hails from said. “Since I grad-
18
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Profile
Houston, Texas. Fegan also enjoys playing golf, and said Oswego County features an abundance of high-quality courses at reasonable costs. “However, the winter months impede my handicap reduction but it does allow me to learn how to snowboard,” he added. Rising star — Fegan earned a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from Queens University Belfast and a master’s degree in computing and information systems from the University of Ulster, Magee College. He started work on his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown, but then moved to the U.S. He is currently finishing that degree through the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Fegan has had operational excellence training through Lean and Six Sigma. “I have been very fortunate in that, up to my early 30s, I have always worked in some sort of operations or operational excellence environment,” he said. “By having done that and lived it, I always look for ways to do things simpler, more cost effectively, better, faster and more productively,” he said. “I’ve always done that in a team environment,” he said. “It’s never been just me as an individual.” “As a manager, I am very inclusive of the team. These gentlemen have been here a lot longer than I have been and have a lot more experience. I try to basically leverage as much of that as possible,” he said. Fegan previously served as director of operations NY at Davis-Standard LLC. His new title means he is taking on sales responsibilities besides running day-to-day operations. Davis-Standard deals with wholesale companies that act as middlemen and sell to end customers, typically in various food industries. Stable market projected — In terms of projections over the next several years, Fegan said Davis-Standard should realize moderate growth levels with no huge spikes in demand. He said there are capacity concerns across North America, which is leading to some capital investment in new equipment lines. He projects growth in the 2.5-to-3 20
“I’m pretty aggressive and determined. I’ve had different jobs since I was 12 years old. I believe if you keep your head down and work hard, you can do well.” percent range for the company over the next several years. From out of the U.S., Davis-Standard exports about 55 percent of its products. They are mostly directed to China and Southeast Asia. “We do a lot of work in Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and China itself,” Fegan said. “We’ve got a significant sales force over there.” Besides the U.S., the company has a global presence with locations in Germany, China and Great Britain. Fegan said the complexity of packaging is developing as the industry moves forward. “The actual chemistry behind the products is getting much more complex,” he said. “This leads to customers wanting us to provide process support to produce their products. We are not just the equipment providers anymore.” Fegan said one of the biggest technological advances recently involves the development of the dsX s-tretch line for cast film. Today, film is taken offline and then stretched again for the domestic market, going from a gauge of 12 microns to about 6 to 8. “This is obviously an added cost and expense to any manufacturer making a product,” Fegan said. Davis-Standard has developed a way to pre-stretch the wrap before it rolls off line, allowing customers to run thinner films at higher speeds. It recently sold its first 2-meter inline-stretching machine to a customer in Malaysia. In terms of competitive edge, Fegan said Davis-Standard has a wide portfolio compared to its competitors. It offers many different types of products compared to some that focus on one or two niche markets. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
“They can’t offer the same level of complexity that we can,” he said. Another key advantage is Davis-Standard features a veteran engineering crew with some staff having over 25 years experience at the Fulton plant. “We have a depth of experience you don’t see with some of our competitors,” Fegan said. Within the North American market, Davis-Standard also offers service and support after the sale that is “second to none,” Fegan said. “We have a lot of people on the ground that have a wealth of experience. This allows customers to reach out to someone when they have an issue they are trying to work on,” Fegan said. “You are not going to get that from other competitors.” The equipment that Davis-Standard produces is “very complex,” Fegan said. The typical piece of equipment costs between $3 million to $7 million. The planning stage can involve thousands of engineering hours. Onex Corp., a Canadian private equity firm, owns Davis-Standard. Passion for Gaelic football — Gaelic football is quite similar to Australian-rules football. Fegan plays on a team out of Syracuse, which competes against squads from Buffalo, Rochester and Albany. The annual Syracuse Sevens Tournament draws in teams from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal as well. Teams from all over the U.S. clash in the national finals, which in 2014 was held in Boston. “It’s good fun,” said Fegan, noting one-third of the Syracuse team is Irish. When Fegan first came to the area to interview, he saw a poster that sought players for the Syracuse team put out by the team’s sponsor, Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub in Syracuse. The team gets together to practice in indoor facilities during the winter months and at Bishop Ludden High School in Syracuse in the summer. What does Fegan enjoy most about participating in this hard-hitting contact sport where very little padding is used? “It’s a great stress reliever,” he said. “It’s really physical and good exercise and it is also a good social thing,” noting many in his social circle are his teammates. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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21
NEWSMAKERS NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESS & BUSINESS PEOPLE
Pam Caraccioli now a trustee at FSB Pamela D. Caraccioli of Oswego has been elected a member of the board of trustees of Fulton Savings Bank. “We are pleased to welcome Pam Caraccioli to the bank board,” said the bank’s chairman of the board, Brian A. Caswell. “She is an individual who is not only well known and active in community service but is a leader in business and industrial development in the region.” Caraccioli Caraccioli serves as deputy to the president at SUNY Oswego, overseeing and coordinating all economic development activities on behalf of the college. Prior career experience includes work as an independent consultant and facilitator with government, business and industry, as deputy director of Operation Oswego County, Inc. and as an adjunct professor at SUNY Oswego. She currently serves as a trustee and past board chairwoman of Oswego Health; is a board member of Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc., and for several years served as a member of the board of the Port of Oswego Authority. “Throughout her career, Pam Caraccioli has had extensive experience in business, especially here in Oswego County. Couple this with her involvement with many local community organizations, we are fortunate to have someone of her caliber join our board of trustees,” said Fulton Savings President & CEO Michael J. Pollock. The new trustee has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and received her master’s degree in public administra22
tion at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School
Hammond Returns to Century 21 in Fulton Licensed real estate salesperson Karen Hammond has returned to Century 21 Leah’s Signature in Fulton. She has years of experience in the real estate sales profession and will specialize in residential, commercial, luxury and waterfront property sales in Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga and Jefferson counties. “We are so pleased to announce the return of Karen Hammond to our Century 21 Leah’s Signature team,” said broker/owner Leah Haggerty of
Century 21 Leah’s Signature. “Karen has been one of the most productive and successful members of our real estate sales team.” Said Hammond: “My goal is to continually exceed my client’s expectations and provide them with exceptional service. I’m very excited about returning to Century 21 Leah’s Signature and I look forward to sharing all of the great resources that Century 21 Leah’s Signature has to provide with my clients.” Hammond was born and resides in Oswego. She is a graduate of Oswego High School and SUNY Morrisville. She was a small business owner in the city of Fulton for over 15 years. She is an active member of the Oswego Lions Club serving as treasurer and the Oswego County Board of Realtors where she has served as president of the
Hammond
Oswego County FCU Named One of 2014 Best Companies to Work For Oswego County FCU is recently announced that it has been named one of the Best Companies to Work For in New York State for 2014. “We are extremely excited to be recognized for creating a workplace where fun and professional service delivery can co-exist,” said William Carhart, CEO Oswego County FCU will be honored at a public awards dinner to be held the Albany Marriott on Tuesday, April 21. During the event, the credit union will learn its rank among 31 companies in the category for small- and medium-sized employers with 15 to 249 U.S. employees. In addition, a special publication profiling all 65 winning organizations and their unique employment perks will be produced for distribution to event attendees, higher education institutions, as well as thousands of human resources professionals and organizaOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
tions across New York state. Created in 2007, these celebrated annual awards are a distinctive program that evaluates and ranks the best places of employment based on employee satisfaction and engagement, as well as workplace practices and policies. To be considered for participation, companies had to enter into a two-part survey process and fulfill several requirements, including having to have at least one location in New York state. The Oswego County FCU was charted is 1975 and will celebrating its 40th anniversary of serving the residents and business owners of Oswego County. The credit union presently serves more than 9,000 members throughout the county via three offices located at 90 E. Bridge St., Oswego; 300 W. First St., Oswego; and 5828 Scenic Ave. (Route 3) Mexico. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
board and a member of the board of directors. Leah’s Signature was founded in 1996 and become affiliated with Century 21 a year later. The company has two offices, one in Fulton and the second in Baldwinsville/Clay.
Attorney Rachael Flach Joins Nelson Law Firm Attorney Rachael Flach has recently joined the Nelson Law Firm and will be responsible for representing clients in the areas of municipal law, real estate, business and corporate law, estate, trusts, and vehicle and traffic matters. “We are excited to have Rachael on our team, “said attorney Allison J. Nelson, the practice’s owner. “She will be a tremendous resource for Flach our clients and her enthusiasm toward serving them is infectious.” Flach earned her Juris Doctor degree from New England Law Boston, after she received her Bachelor of Science degree in English and political science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Nelson Law Firm prides itself in its strong ties to the community by serving in a variety of leadership roles within community organizations and through its volunteer efforts. In addition, Nelson Law Firm is a certified woman-owned business enterprise with more than 75 combined years of experience, practicing in the areas of municipal law, real estate, business and corporate law, estate, trusts, and vehicle and traffic matters.
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Two Join Fulton-based ESA Insurance Two professionals have recently joined Eastern Shore Associates. They are: • Lorrie Wallis was hired as a personal lines account manager and will be based in the agency’s Camden office. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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Wallis, who resides in Camden with her husband, Norman, has served with the Camden Volunteer Fire Dept. (CVFD) for more than 17 years and was Camden’s first female firefighter, as well as a 30-year member of the Wallis CVFD Auxiliary. She is a certified first responder (EMF), and serves the CVFD as secretary, scene support, and fire police. Her husband is also a volunteer fireman and he operates ambulance services in Camden and Pulaski. In addition, Becker Wallis manages the nonprofit, North Star Super Nova All-Star Cheerleading gym in Rome. Prior to joining ESA, she served as an agent for a Camden insurance agency for 25 years. • Michele Crisafulli-Becker was hired as a personal lines account manager and will work out of ESA’s Fulton office. Recently married, Crisafulli-Becker resides in Fulton with her husband, Daniel. She has eight years of experience in the insurance industry and she was previously employed managing personal lines accounts at agencies in Oswego, Syracuse and Fulton.
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Eastern Shore Associates Insurance (ESA) based in Fulton announced the following promotions: • Sharlotte Russell, who works at the Fulton office, was promoted from commercial lines processor to commercial lines customer service representative (CSR). She resides in Mexico and has been with ESA just over one year. • Lora Wehrmann, also at the Fulton office, was promoted from commercial lines customer service OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Russell
Wehrmann
Hutchins
representative to commercial lines account executive. She resides in Scriba and has 10 years with ESA. • Carrie Hutchins, who works at ESA’s North Syracuse office, was promoted from marketing customer service representative to senior marketing specialist. She resides in Liverpool and has five years with ESA. In addition, Hutchins was ESA’s 2012 Above and Beyond award winner. The Above and Beyond program is designed to recognize the individual who goes above and beyond their normal job duties to exceed the needs of fellow employees, our customers and our agency. “Each of these employees has worked hard to earn these promotions and each is a credit to our team, “ said Martha Murray, ESA president.
Attorney Gilbert Earns Statewide Recognition Attorney Gregory R. Gilbert of Oswego-based APFW Law has been once again named to the New York Super Lawyers Annual List in the field of workers’ compensation. Only 5 percent of attorneys are selected after being evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Gilbert was previously named to the list in 2011. APFW Law is a general practice and litigation firm with a presence in Oswego County and Central New York dating well back into the previFEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
ous century. Gilbert’s practice emphasizes workers’ compensation, social security disability, and personal injury. He is a member of the Oswego County Bar Association and a sustaining member of the National Organization Gilbert of Social Security Representatives (NOSSCR). Gilbert is a past president of the Oswego County Bar Association and past vice president of the Oswego Youth Soccer Association. He has also served as long time counsel for the Oswego County Republican Committee. He resides in Oswego with his wife, Kimberly, and their children.
Heater McCoy Joins Chirello Advertising Heather McCoy has joined Steve Chirello Advertising as an administrative assistant and graphic designer. “We are delighted to welcome Heather to our team at Chirello Advertising and are very excited about the ways she will contribute to both our client relations and in-house creative services,” said Steve Chirello, the agency’s owner. Previously, McCoy worked as an advertising consultant for both print and digital McCoy media in Oswego County. In addition, she was an Internet sales and marketing manager for two Syracuse-based auto dealers and an office manager for a computer software and service company. She has developed a portfolio of graphic design materials intrinsic to weddings and special events. Located in Fulton, Chirello Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations offers full service advertising, public relations, and marketing expertise to a variety of industrial, professional, institutional and retail clients throughout Central New York. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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New Attorney Joins APFW Law Attorney Amy Chadwick recently joined Amdursky, Pelky, Fennell and Wallen, P.C. as an associate. Chadwick graduated from Le Moyne College in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a minor in criminal justice. She then graduated summa cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law in 2014. She is a member of the American Bar AssociChadwick ation, New York State Bar Association, and National Organization of Social Security Representatives. Chadwick was admitted to practice law on Jan. 14 and is now accepting new clients. She is a resident of Auburn, where she lives with her husband, Officer Michael Chadwick of the Auburn Police Department. APFW Law is a general practice and litigation firm with a presence in Oswego County and Central New York dating well back into the previous century.
OOC: ‘Top Five’ for Metal Fabrication The November/December 2014 issue of Expansion Solutions Magazine announced the selection of Operation Oswego County, Oswego County’s designated economic development organization, as one of the 2014 “Top Five” Metal Fabrication Award Win26
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
ners. “The Top Five Awards of Excellence recognize economic development organizations that have shown exceptional progress in the area of development. The locations were chosen because of the support system offered to businesses, as well as recent activity and potential growth that can be created in each area,” according to the publication. “Strategic locations, pro-business climates, investments made in improving infrastructure and the availability of buildings and sites were among the top deciding factors in choosing these locations.” Recent growth in the metal fabrication sector in Oswego County has come from investments made by such companies as Novelis Corporation, The Fulton Companies, Fulton Tool, Pathfinder Industries, Universal Metal Works, and United Wire Technologies.
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Ellucian Taps SUNY Oswego Registrar SUNY Oswego’s registrar, Jerret LeMay, has been appointed to a twoyear term on a customer advisory board at Ellucian serving the Degree Works community. Degree Works is degree-planning software that gives students a visually informative tool to stay on course for graduation. Oswego students and their faculty advisers began using Degree Works two years ago. Wayne E. Holt, senior Lemay product specialist for Degree Works at Ellucian, said LeMay’s selection was based on criteria that included recommendations from peers, reviews with Ellucian staff with whom he has interacted, and his essay answers to questions that included his vision of how Degree Works should support student retention and student success at colleges and universities. SUNY Oswego Provost Lorrie Clemo commended LeMay: “Jerret is regarded as a leader and expert FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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among the 64 SUNY campuses in Degree Works, and with this appointment he is now being recognized on a national level for his notable contributions to the Degree Works community.”
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Goodness joins Canale Oswego County FCU to Insurance in Oswego offer mobile service Long-time Oswego resident Linda Oswego County Federal Credit Union (OCFCU) announced its partnership with Larky. The credit union will now offer a mobile service to help their members get the most out of every benefit from their memberships, employers and now local merchants. “We are very excited to have partnered with so many local merchants to and to be able to bring these valuable discounts to our members and support our local businesses at the same time” said Oswego County Federal Credit Union and CEO Bill Carhart. “We are always looking for ways to help our members save money. When Larky presented this program where both local businesses and nationally recognized companies could offer
Goodness has joined the staff at Canale Insurance in Oswego. Goodness attends to payroll, bookkeeping, tax and customer service duties. Her primary background is in banking. She earned a four-year accounting degree before specializing in small business lending in the banking industry. She spent two years studying at Mohawk Valley Community College before completing her Bachelor of Science degree at Utica College. After spending time at home raising her children, she reentered the workforce and got back into banking. She also served three years as the assistant community development director for the city of Oswego, and was
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also the business manager for the Oswego YMCA for three years. She is married to Donald Goodness, an accomplished trumpet player who directed the Oswego city swing band for many years. She is a board Goodness member of the Heritage Foundation of Oswego County. While working for the city, she was engaged in many downtown historic preservation projects. Goodness, originally from Clark Mills, said her gratification comes from helping to celebrate successful renovation projects in the city and seeing its historical value preserved. The couple has two children: Elizabeth, a student at Nazareth College in Rochester; and Patrick, a student at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua. Linda and her husband also co-direct the choir at Fulton United Methodist Church, which is where they originally met.
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Inside Scoop
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Sprinkles of goodness may descend upon the Port City
ttention ice cream lovers and sweet tooth fanatics: Are you ready for the hottest news scoop of 2015? Alice Davis of Oswego was one of the first people this year to file for a “doing business as” (dba) certificate in the county for her anticipated ice cream parlor, Alice’s Scoops, projected to open this summer on state Route 104 East, where the former Arby’s restaurant was located. “I wanted to file for the dba right at the beginning of the year to secure my spot and name,” Davis said. “Once I realized there wasn’t anything on the east side of Oswego that offered the whole ice cream experience, I figured this was an opportunity waiting for me.” Davis, 37, has the background in business and the hospitality field. She graduated with a degree in business administration from Cayuga Community College and now serves as the office manager for Local News, Inc., publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine. “With my business degree, I understand how to manage the books, marketing aspects and the importance of customer service,” Davis said. She also graduated from the Oswego County Micro-Enterprise Business Training Program last year. The program is provided for anyone who is looking for guidance in starting his or her own small business. Through this program, Davis was able to apply for a low-interest loan in order to help finance the start of her new business in Oswego County. “Through the program, I was able to speak with a banker, marketing staff and business lawyers,” Davis said. “It’s been extremely beneficial to me because after you finish the class, they are available for a free one-on-one consult.” Alice’s Scoops will provide a retro family friendly atmosphere for locals and tourists alike who are looking for an inexpensive treat. Davis plans on offering all of the traditional favorites along with her own twist on ice cream with the
BUSINESS UPDATE
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popular soft-serve flavor burst machine that allows customers to combine their favorite childhood flavors. Davis will also offer “Scooby Scoops,” a cool and refreshing summer treat for pets. Alice’s husband, Kane, and son Kane Davis II encouraged her to embark on this ambitious journey and will be working alongside her along with one or two other employees this summer. Due to the positive feedback she has already received, Davis projects an expected gross revenue of about $30,000 her first year in business. “Besides the fact that there is no other ice cream shops on the east side of the city, it is also located on the main drag surrounded by low-cost shopping venues like Walmart and Big Lots,” Davis added. “If everything goes as planned and weather permitting, I have high hopes to be open by Mothers Day.” Davis also plans on making a Facebook page in order to receive customer feedback on their favorite ice cream flavors and get input on any new flavors that they would like to see Alice’s Scoops serve. “I’m excited to bring a wholesome ice cream shop to the east side of Oswego where family and friends can enjoy a bite to eat in the summer months,” Davis said.
By Hannah McNamara
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15 Business Buzzwords You’ll Need to Know in 2015
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ith every new year comes a new batch of business buzzwords to keep up with. Past years have seen terms like “phablets” and “wantrepreneur,” but what words will professionals need to know this year? Business News Daily asked business owners and experts what buzzwords would be popular in 2015. Whether you add them to your vocabulary or to your blacklist is up to you, just make sure you know what these terms mean.
Remarketing: “This is a form of display advertising [that delivers an image or text ad for your company to a user] after [that user] drops off your website without converting. This has one of the best returns on investment for businesses and should be a term that everyone is familiar with for [2015].” — Jason Parks, owner, The Media Captain Chief Culture Officer: “[This
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is] a role that is becoming more necessary as hiring becomes more competitive. These people are responsible for making a company a place where everyone wants to work.” — Ryan Farley, co-founder, LawnStarter
Momtrepreneur: “A woman who has children and [a] family [and runs] a business at the same time.” — Lindsay White, founder, Lot 801 • Conversation Marketing: “Marketing with the goal of having a direct one to one conversation with your customers through social media and other channels.” — David Waring, editor, Fit Small Business Goal Digger: “A goal digger is defined as an employee who pursues and successfully achieves company goals creatively, opportunistically, tirelessly, and, most important, legally.” — Roy Cohen, career counselor and executive
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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H2H: “Instead of business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B), brands will start throwing around H2H, which stands for human to human.” — Brandon Seymour, owner, Beymour Consulting Smarketing: “Smarketing is the process of integrating sales and marketing process of a business to unify the company goals and provide consistent messaging for your brand.” — Todd Mumford, CEO, Riverbed Marketing It Factor: “In business this essentially means the one special factor that makes any company new, or different, or interesting. In the past, this term has been known as the ‘secret ingredient,’ ‘the special sauce,’ and ‘the X factor.’ In other words, the ‘It Factor’ is basically an updated epithet or those previously aforementioned terms.” — Ian Aronovich, CEO, GovernmentAuctions.org Freemium: “Freemium is a pricing model that typically applies to software or Web services with the option of a free limited version or a premium
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
account with added features and functionality at an additional cost. The goal is to provide just enough functionality in the free version to hook customers, but limit them in a way that encourages an upgrade to premium.” — David Scarola, vice president, The Alternative Board
Newsjacking: “It refers to when a company leverages a current story in the news to put forth its own marketing or sales message.” — David Bakke, writer and contributor, Money Crashers Intuitive: “As a noun — a process, service [or] an offering that just makes sense. It’s understood; it always should have been that way.” — Tom Burnside, CEO, LendingPoint mCommerce: “[mCommerce is] commerce carried out over a mobile device. Shoppers are browsing and buying more and more on mobile [devices]. Business owners should focus on making their online store fronts mobile friendly to create a truly omni-channel experience.” — Alex McEachern, loyalty marketing specialist, Sweet Tooth Growth Hacking: “Growth hacking is about finding innovative, inexpensive and often technical ‘hacks’ to significantly boost a company’s growth. Growth hacking can include building innovative features into a product that lead users to share it virally, doing something unique and buzz-worthy that gets a lot of free press, doing large numbers of guest blog posts to blanket an industry with your brand’s content, or tapping into communities or social networks in ways that boost attention in massive — not incremental — ways.” — Tom Treanor, director of marketing, Wrike
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Dashboard: “A dashboard should be a series of charts and graphs that incorporate a business’s relevant data displayed in an easy-to-understand charts and graphs. When viewed together, it’s easy for entrepreneurs to quickly gauge the financial health of their business.” — Sabrina Parsons, CEO, Palo Alto Software Mydeation: “It is using a group to help an individual solve a challenge specific to them (in an ideation or brainstorming session), most often to generate ideas for their own new product or new business venture.” — Bryan Mattimore, co-founder, Growth Engine Story originally published in the Business News Daily. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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The Good Guys Adding Fifth Barber Less than a year since it opened, Oswego barbershop adding more barbers to meet demand
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he look and feel is “old school” retro sheik with big 1950s barber chairs that grab you and say “Relax” the minute you sit down. The old, red rustic bricks that were unveiled after dry wall that covered them for many years was removed add to the nostalgic vibe. Take a number, grab a free cold bottle of beer or water, watch one of the three televisions, or read your favorite magazine while you listen to music ranging from Neil Young to new age swing/jazz performer Nick Waterhouse. This is The Good Guys, a full service men’s barbershop offering men’s and boy’s haircuts in all styles, beard trims, and hot towel straight razor shaves. The Good Guys also offers a versatile selection of men’s grooming products. This is a multicultural establishment catering to young and old and everyone in between. Barbers can create a gentleman’s cut, just as well as a 1940s Princeton, pompadour or classic style. Fathers and sons, senior citizens and SUNY Oswego students comprise the bulk of its clientele. The operators/co-owners of The Good Guys are Keith Raymond and Harrison Noel. Both have been barbering for many years and have reached the title of master barbers. ‘We love our niche with ‘old school’ cuts, fades, high and tight, flattops, partings, slick-backs and pompadours in all shapes,” Noel said. “It’s throwback ‘50s cuts. I think that was a good era and some people are realizing that. These are haircuts that never went away. Now they are regaining popularity.” The business recently underwent a $25,000 upgrade and now features new checkered black-and-white tile floors, new barber chairs and custom-made stations, new mirrors and leather benches in the waiting area. “It’s a very cool place where guys can gather together and talk guy stuff. It is a family-friendly, affordable and professional place,” Noel said. Grooming the staff —Since opening
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less than a year ago, The Good Guys have watched their business grow to the point where they are training a fifth barber. Noel said he likes to train barbers himself. Barbers are licensed in New York state. Those looking to break into the field can either serve a two-year apprenticeship under a master barber or go to an accredited school. “Everybody cuts a little differently. Obviously, I think my technique is the best and I really like to have them serve an apprenticeship,” he said. Noel said a good personality is an invaluable asset for a barber. “When we look to hire, personality is critical to what we are looking for in a new guy,” he said. “We do not want people to wait too long, so adding a barber is how you solve that problem,” Raymond said. “If we keep growing, we will have to take a hard look at a bigger space.” “Oswego has been very good to us and our future is here. Being young new business owners, we understand the difficulties getting a new small business off the ground. As a result, we try very hard to buy our operating needs from other
local small businesse,” Raymond noted. The Good Guys intend on participating in this year’s St. Baldrick’s Foundation fund raiser in March. “If you want a first-class head shaving in support of a very important cause, then we are the barbers for you,” Raymond said. “Donating what ‘we do best’ is very important to our purpose being in our hometown. We want to support our communities special occasions if we can.” With business going in the right direction, The Good Guys have ambitious plans for the future. “Our vision is to someday have a larger shop and offer pool, darts, foosball, pinball and other assorted activities that guys like to do,” Noel said. I like to call it a short-term sanctuary for men. We also hope to brand our own men’s grooming line.” Along with Raymond and Noel, the barber staff consists of Liam Shaughnessy, Dave Williams and George Sweeting.
By Lou Sorendo
The Good Guys, a full service men’s barbershop in downtown Oswego, owned by Keith Raymond and Harrison Noel. Both have been barbering for many years and have reached the title of master barbers. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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Hidden Gem Lake Ontario Antiques and Creative Designs opens in the Port City
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n a city overflowing with rich history, three local antique enthusiasts with a unique opportunity to partner together recently opened the largest multi-vendor antique shop in the region — Lake Ontario Antiques and Creative Designs. North Gate Crossing, 157 E. First St., Oswego, houses the new business and is something of an antique itself. It was built in 1867 and served as the Second Armory in New York State. It is now home to multiple businesses including the Oswego Tea Company and Oswego Tourism Bureau. Beyond its vintage brick façade is a 3,800-square-foot space for both local and out-of-town vendors to share their distinct memorabilia collected throughout the years. Last year, partners David Granoff, Rosalie Frataccia and Lisa Shaw recognized the opportunity to create a multi-vendor antique shop in the heart of Oswego. They wanted to provide residents and regional visitors the chance to shop for a mixture of antiques from various vendors. “All three of us are passionate about antique collecting and selling,” Granoff said. “We all have different interests, skill sets and experiences in a variety of fields which will be helpful to us in this new business.” Sophisticated collectors and general browsers alike will not be disappointed with the variety of antiques that are being sold at LOA. The store offers antiques, art, repurposed treasures, collectibles, rare coins, antique watches and clocks along with a background history of each treasure. “We also offer a creative boutique atmosphere,” said Shaw, owner of North Gate Crossing and LOA’s vendor coordinator. “We offer consignment clothing, handmade decorations, silk flower arrangements and personalized repurposed items.” ‘Mini-mall’ concept — This antique “mini-mall” will provide over 30
vendors with a space to showcase their collectables. “Our job is to do the marketing for the memorabilia, find a seller for it and display it,” said Frataccia, the store manager. She has years of prior experience in the antique business as the owner of a former antique store, Trash 2 Treasures, located in Fulton. Granoff, marketing manager for
LOA, has been collecting antiques and art pieces for the past 45 years through his former family-run antique business in southeastern Pennsylvania called Casselberry Barn Antiques. “Our goal is to offer service and diversity of merchandise to the discriminating shopper,” Granoff said. “We also want to provide a speakers’ bureau for those who are interested in learning more about antiques, repurposing, refinishing and so on in the future.” LOA has also set up a free mini-vending area and community awareness board in the visitors lounge to help Oswego’s merchants outside of the antique store market their wares. “The display case is a better way to introduce visitors and customers to what shopping is like in Oswego, instead of
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From left, Rosalie Frataccia, David Granoff and Lisa Shaw at their newly opened antique shop, Lake Ontario Antiques and Creative Designs, in Oswego. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
just displaying business cards and brochures,” Granoff said. “It’s our way of saying thanks to the business community we live and work in, and to help foster Oswego’s unique and local shopping opportunities.” As antique season approaches, LOA has a projected goal of $100,000 as its generated revenue for 2015. The business has future goals that include outside umbrella tables and an
inside lounge that hosts a large-screen TV, website kiosks and local literature to Oswego visitors beginning in the spring and summer. To learn more, visit www.LakeOntarioAntiques.com or its Facebook page at facebook.com/lakeontarioantiques.
By Hannah McNamara
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Lake Ontario Antiques carries a wide variety of antique items. “Our goal is to offer service and diversity of merchandise to the discriminating shopper,” one of the owners said. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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Safe (and Warm) Storage Oswego businessman creates unique climate-controlled storage center
T
he task of safely storing valuables in an area known for its incredible weather just received a Gen-X approach. Gen-X Storage, 17 Albany St., Oswego, is the first drive-through climate-controlled storage center in the region. “I’m a Gen-Xer,” said business owner Anthony Ciappa, 38. “I wanted to move toward making sure everything is cutting-edge.” Gen X, or Generation X, is the generation born after the post–World War II baby boom. Birth dates range from the early 1960s to the early 1980s. Like Ciappa, several Gen-Xers in the Oswego area have taken steps to reinvent older buildings and secure them on the tax rolls. At the new storage center, patrons swipe a card to gain access and drive their vehicles through the heated facility, certainly considered a plus in light of the Port City’s brutal winter weather. “It’s a brand new, unique and hassle-free style of storage,” he said. Ciappa said the ability to drive through his facility gives the business a competitive edge. He said other storage unit businesses are located outside, and even with heated storage, the drive-through component does not exist and patrons must fight zero-degree temperatures and inclement weather. Competitive pricing and high-tech security are also advantages at Gen-X Storage, he noted. The business has six 10-by-18 units in a separate building outdoors, and in the climate-controlled facility, several 10-by-15s, 10-by-8s and 5-by-5s. He also has a separate 800-squarefoot room for people seeking significant storage space. “We can really accommodate anybody’s needs,” Ciappa said. “We wanted something unique, and came upon the idea of a temperature-controlled drive-through storage that was completely different than what people have,” he said. “It also caters to an older clientele that often is challenged
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Ciappa, noting some valuables could be family heirlooms. “Just taking care of people’s needs and providing them with space they don’t have. That is success for us,” he noted. Ciappa said he is going to gauge the success of Gen-X Storage in Oswego prior to making plans to expand his business. “If this idea takes off, I’d like to open up other locations,” he said. Ciappa is a master electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and works at Entergy’s James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba. He has been with Entergy for the past four years and the IBEW since 2000. The Oswego native does youth sports coaching, including hockey. The Baldwinsville resident is married to Erin, and the couple has three children. The business can be found online at genxstorage.com or reached at 706-2523.
by bad weather.” The facility accommodates any item that may be damaged by freezing. For instance, officials at Exelon are using the storage facility to store a diesel-fueled fire truck. From concept to reality —The project cost $90,000. Ciappa said amenities at his business include a clean environment “where it doesn’t look like units are falling down or old or animals are going to get in them.” Customer service is vital, he added. “If anyone needs a hand moving something in, we offer that as well by appointment,” he said. Ciappa benchmarked with other like local businesses prior to opening and discovered that many are at capacity. He said marketing efforts will target folks in the immediate area, and he did a direct mailing to all residents who live within two miles of the facility. He also wants to draw summer storage business and is developing ways to reach the SUNY Oswego audience. Gen-X Storage is the former location of Verizon and located across from Nelson Funeral Home. “We maximized our height as well as floor footage,” Ciappa said. Different structural unit builders provided specs of possible layouts for Ciappa to choose. “Our units are within inches of the I-beams, so we are using as much space as we can while people can have a clear Owner Anthony travel path through,” he said. Ciappa, 38. “I “Success for me will wanted to move be solving people’s probtoward making sure lems with top-notch sereverything is cutting vice and providing them edge.” with a sense of security that their belongings are in a good place,” said OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
By Lou Sorendo
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Canale Insurance, Computer Accounting Services Merge David Canale, Bill Symons bring wealth of knowledge, experience to table
C
don’t believe that opportunity knocks only once.” Bill Symons started his business in 1971. A native Oswegonian and former teacher, coach and administrator, he has been serving customers for nearly 45 years. He began with seven clients during his first year and built a business that features about 1,000. Symons said he is happy Canale Insurance is going to sustain the business. “They are local people and known in the community,” he said. Symons said he intends to keep working at least part time and during the tax season, “as long as my brain keeps functioning well. “I am going to be here so I want something to do.” Symons and his wife Connie have six kids and 15 grandchildren.
“Honestly, I believe there is no anale Insurance, with locations substitute for hard work if you want at 35 E. Fourth St., Oswego, 157 to succeed in life. I normally work N. Second St., Fulton, and in seven days a week,” he said. Stamford in Delaware County, recentCanale said he is receptive to ly merged with Computer Accountfuture growth. ing Services, 157 E. First St., Suite 4, “You have to analyze every poOswego. David and his brother Tracy Cana- tential opportunity that presents itself because in today’s business environle are partners with Canale Insurance By Lou Sorendo ment, the only thing that remains a while Bill Symons owned Computer constant is change,” he said. “And I Accounting Services. “I could not let an opportunity to combine with one of Oswego’s premier accounting and tax offices pass me by,” Canale said. “Combining the two organizations will help keep jobs local while allowing us to expand upon our footprint within the community.” The new business employs 14 workers and Canale said staff and office locations remain the same. Canale said the acquisition “will allow us to expand upon the services we currently offer to the clientele of each individual business. We in turn will benefit from the diversification of services we are able to provide. “We constantly look to expand upon the business platforms and services offered and this will not change as a result of the merger.” Founded in February of 2003 by the Canale brothers, Canale Insurance Agency is backed with years of industry experience. David has over 25 years in the insurance and accounting fields, while Tracy has 15 years of insurance experience to combine with 15 years of business and manageThe staff at Canale Insurance and Computer Accounting Services includes, from left, ment background. Canale said the key to his abil- Kathleen Barnhard, Linda Goodness, David Canale, Katie Jackson and Jeanne Rotunno. Seated is Bill Symons. ity to expand is hard work.
BUSINESS UPDATE
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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The graduation of four small businesses made 2014 a benchmark year for incubator success at the Oswego County Business Expansion Center (BEC). Located in the city of Oswego, the BEC managed by Operation Oswego County, provides incubation space and technical assistance to non-retail, industrial, technology and service businesses. The purpose of the BEC is to provide commercial space with low rent and flexible terms to eligible start up and evolving businesses. Additionally, tenants are able to access financing programs and technical assistance provided by Operation Oswego County and partners like the SUNY Oswego Small Business Development Center making it a very attractive business solution. My Digital Discount, one of the recent graduates, has purchased a commercial building in the city of Oswego to meet the needs of its growing business. My Digital Discount is an e-commerce company specializing in computer and electronic file storage devices such as solid state drives, flash drives, and flash memory cards. Its stay at the BEC allowed the owners to focus on growing and evolving their business in a start-up friendly and innovative environment. Other recent graduates include Mettasoft, a software development company; B’n’ B Broker Buyer, an online broker exchange; and AFLAC New York. After graduation, space at the facility does not stay vacant for long and already several new businesses are evaluating the opportunity to become incubator tenants. Available spaces range from 400 square feet to 800 square feet and are fully wired for information and communication technology. For more information on how your start-up or evolving business can take advantage of the opportunities at the Business Expansion Center, please contact Operation Oswego County at ooc@oswegocounty.org or by phone at 315-343-1545.
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
39
Some Improvements Made for Business, More Needed By Assemblyman Will Barclay
I “Last year, we were able to enact a number of businessfriendly measures that I had been advocating for since I was first elected to the Assembly.”
WILL BARCLAY was first elected as a member of the New York State Assembly on Nov. 5, 2002. In January 2012, he was named deputy minority leader, the leadership post he currently holds. He holds the position of ranking minority member on the Assembly Insurance Committee and currently serves on the following standing Assembly committees: Energy, Judiciary, Rules, Ways and Means. Assemblyman Barclay lives with his, Margaret, and two sons, Harry and George in Pulaski. 40
were the entities taxed, they passed the cost n Oswego County, we are fortunate to down to ratepayers. We already have high have a diverse mix of industry includenergy costs in New York and this tax just ing manufacturing, energy, agriculture, adds to that high cost. When the temporary construction, higher education and health18-a assessment is fully phased out in 2017, care. While having this diverse mix is good, ratepayers will save approximately $200 obviously our region would be strengthened million a year. This is money that business if we had more private sector jobs. owners can instead spend on expanding their Economists have pointed out that the businesses and hiring more employees. high cost of doing business in New York Last year, we repealed the burdensome state is one of the biggest impediments to annual notification mandate required under private sector job growth. Over the years, the Wage Theft Prevention Act. This law laws and regulations, very often well meanrequired every private ing, have been enacted at employer in New York the state level that serve First Person to provide workers a as a drag on our business document verifying their community. salaries and other basic information, which Unfortunately, these laws and reguemployees were then to sign and return. Unlations are rarely reviewed to see if their fortunately, this is the same information that intended goals are being accomplished or if was already found on employees pay stubs there are more efficient ways to accomplish and therefore this law just placed a duplithe same goals. Repealing these laws and regulations is a challenge because often inter- cative administrative burden on employers. est groups obtain a vested interest in keeping With the partial repeal, employers will now only have to provide this information to new them on the books and they will fight tooth hires. and nail to ensure their survival. Finally, we also amended New York’s The good news is that last year, we were estate tax law to increase the amount of an able to enact a number of business friendly estate’s assets that are exempt from state taxmeasures that I had been advocating for es. Previously, only $1 million of an estate’s since I was first elected to the Assembly. assets were exempt from state taxes. This While we still have a long way to go, it is a was in sharp contrast to other states who start and I am going to continue to work to have either a much higher exemption or no convince my colleagues, especially from the estate tax at all. Even at the federal level the downstate region, that we must do more to exemption is much higher at $5.25 million. assist the Upstate New York economy. Because of this tax, many New York residents Oswego County has seen a resurgence were fleeing to other states. It was particularin manufacturing due to expansions made ly burdensome to small business owners and by Novelis, Huhtamaki, Fulton Companies, farmers who wanted to pass their businesses Felix Schoeller and others. To help manudown to the next generation. While we didn’t facturers, last year we enacted a tax credit fully phase out New York’s estate tax, the for qualified manufacturers that is equal exemption threshold will steadily increase to 20 percent of their real property tax bill. from $1 million to $5.25 million by 2017. In addition, we eliminated the entire net Beginning in 2019, the state’s exemption will income-base under the corporate franchise be equivalent to the federal exemption, which tax. These two provisions will provide manis indexed annually. ufacturers nearly $300 million in tax relief in Some of these are small steps I realize. 2015. However, they are steps in the right direction. We also sped up the phase out of the Much more needs to be done—such as broad harmful temporary 18-a energy assessment based tax reform. We need to continue to that hurt commercial and individual ratework to overcome New York’s moniker of bepayers. This was a hidden tax placed on ing the state most unfriendly to business. utilities in 2009-10 when the state was facing a severe budget crisis. Although the utilities OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
41 10/28/09 11:31 AM
SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
Goodbye BOCES, Hello CiTi B
Behind the name change: Mission remains the same, but strategies have been revamped, new alliances have formed
randing matters. And rebranding does as well. The former Oswego County Board of Cooperative Educational Services in Mexico is undergoing a major transformation. Buoyed by new management, the freshly minted Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation — or CiTi — now has a new name and revamped strategies. The BOCES in New York state was established in 1948 to provide cost-effective ¡shared educational programs and services to school districts. More than six decades later, the mission remains the same, but the focus has shifted to preparing students to play a role in the global economy while working with the nine component county school districts to enhance student achievement and improve graduation rates. “The mission is the same and will always be the same, and that is to still be a board of cooperative education services that provides service to our community. That’s why we exist,” said Christopher J. Todd, who is in his third year as district superintendent of schools for CiTi. Todd oversees programs and services that involve approximately 21,000 students in the county. To d d
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said it is difficult to pinpoint one variable as to why the rebranding took place. He said ongoing renovations at CiTi and new leadership prompted the board to change its name and begin a rebranding process. The public relations department pulled together a team comprised of school board members, administrators and several local business people to narrow down the scope of its mission. The new name actually came from an outside group of stakeholders and a number of BOCES staff. Todd concurred with the name change, saying it makes sense in terms of what the organization wants to become and what is sustainable for the future. “It was important for us to not become the BOCES that everyone perceived as far as programming,” whether that meant exceptional education, career and technical education or adult educa-
Superintendent Christopher Todd recently formed an alliance with Cayuga Community College as part of the organization’s new strategy. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
tion, Todd said. “People had perceptions about what that meant and what the programs were.” Todd said the buildings on campus were decrepit and aged, and credits the operations and management teams for doing a “phenomenal” job in maintaining the facility for the last 30 years. While the buildings are being redone, Todd said there also needed to be a perceptional change on campus. Todd said while BOCES did serve a purpose and its ed-tech programming was something people took pride in, there were other areas that needed revamping. “It was time because we were changing programs and inviting more communication and outside input into our programming,” he noted. Todd said the rebranding effort is geared to change perceptions and give CiTi a new vision while expressing what its core values are and what it wants the organization to be. “The services and programs that we provide are truly cooperative, as in the name Board of Cooperative Educational Services,” Todd said. “We are responsive to the requests from the community.” “Our programming changes are not necessarily related to rebranding, but are always an ongoing process as a reflection of what is being asked of us by the community,” Todd said. Getting the word out — CiTi is making efforts to get the word out regarding its latest developments. It has tweaked its website to make it more user friendly, and its ability to reach out on social media is being enhanced, Todd noted. Its long-awaited $35 million renovation project has been in the works for seven years. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
SPECIAL REPORT
“We will be finished up with substantial completion of student-renovated space hopefully by the end of February,” he said. “My hat is off to the construction workforce that has put time into working on this project. They have been top-notch.” The worksite has featured up to 100 construction workers and up to 140 workers during the summer months, when the project was under full construction with all trades working. Todd said the construction phase is a significant economic boost to the area. “You see a lot of people coming in and out of the work site every day, and they are not driving halfway across the state to come to work at 6 a.m., so it’s a local workforce,” he said. “All contractors may not be Oswego County contractors, but they have utilized a significant number of Oswego County employees.” The project is being paid for by the nine school districts, which receive building aid on construction costs. “A lot of them made payments in full for their portion of the project and then will be aided on their local share portion,” Todd said. “The state has paid for a lion’s share of the project.” Excitement over process — Todd said he is most excited about people’s reaction to the rebranding process. “I’ve watched people’s reactions from the outside, and they are congratulating us on the name change and are excited to have new young people on campus.” “I still think at the core we are the same BOCES that has had really good instructors that have given students the opportunity to do hands-on projects on the career and tech education side,” he said. Some of the more desirable opportunities at CiTi include its welding program. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
“It’s the one tactical program we had this year where we couldn’t take any more students,” Todd said. “That’s an applicable trade where the workforce in the greater Central New York region is telling us, ‘We can always employ high-quality and good welders’,” he noted. Meanwhile, interest in the graphics design and computer-animated design has skyrocketed, Todd said. The coursework of heavy equipment and repair “is a perfect example of both interest by the community and availability of jobs, because there is a number of opportunities for students in that field,” Todd said. However, one school district would find it extremely cost-prohibitive to purchase the necessary equipment for students to train and work on. “With all nine districts partnering with each other, however, it makes purchasing those large items or very expensive items more reasonable,” he said. Collaborative approach — Todd said the adult education program is an essential part of CiTi, and it provides services to Oswego County for adult education, adult literary and general education development (GED) programming. CiTi recently embarked on a partnership with Cayuga Community College concurrent with Todd and new Interim President Gregory DeCinque taking command at their respective institutions. “One of the things we discovered OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
shortly into my tenure here and arrival of interim president Dr. Gregory DeCinque at Cayuga Community College is that for adult programming, there were times that it made absolutely no sense for us to be in direct competition for enrollment,” he said. “We are drawing from a limited pool of candidates and resources as far as what the county can provide in terms of financial help to those who are either displaced workers or underemployed.” Todd said the partnership will result in the publishing of a single catalogue for area residents to peruse. “We offer things that may be more technical and hands-on and we offer some uncertified programs that the college may not,” he said. “We’ve taken our approach to adult education very seriously and have also opened up training to people in the workforce.” CiTi has opened up classes based on the needs of the community, including nursing and robotics training, he added. One of CiTi’s major goals is to increase graduation rates in area schools. “We need to take on a role of support to increase graduation rates,” he said. “We need to target multiple age groups and multiple interests first.” Todd underlined the importance of increasing literacy rates in early childhood in the beginning years of school. “It’s probably been overstated and I can’t state it enough, but students need to be reading on grade level by the time they leave second grade,” he said. “If they are not, then we need to put resources forward to help with literacy instruction. That is the key.” Todd said CiTi wants to take advantage of the flexibility in the system provided by the new Regents Pathways program. “Pathways allows for students to combine what they are good at with where their interests are in order to reach commencement,” he said. “What better way to get students motivated than to find something they enjoy and allow them to continue down that path rather than looking at the rigid nature of components for graduation and not having that much flexibility?” he asked. “Pathways and literacy are ways for us to increase graduation rates not only just for our county, but through the entire state,” he added. 43
Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net
Watch Your Language … when you’re talking to a reporter or posting on social media
‘Buffalo Bills wide receiver Andre Reed butted heads with conventional and social media in 2014, and, depending on your point of view, he either scored a touchdown or was dropped for a big loss.’
BRUCE FRASSINELLI is the former publisher of The Palladium-Times and an adjunct online instructor at SUNY Oswego. You can contact him at bfrassinelli@ ptd.net. 44
A
long with his induction into the Na- blunt, intemperate language. tional Football Hall of Fame, Buffalo The first occurred on the weekend of his Bills wide receiver Andre Reed butted induction into the Hall of Fame when he teed off heads with conventional and social media in on singer Jon Bon Jovi, whose possible purchase 2014, and, depending on your point of view, of the Bills, incurred the wrath of not only Reed he either scored a touchdown or was dropped but many in Upstate New York. In an interview for a big loss. with New York Magazine’s Reeves Wiedeman, After seven years Reed said, “Man, f--- Bon My Turn of frustration, the 6’2”, Jovi.” If Bon Jovi buys the 190-pound Reed received team, Reed said, “you might his just dessert for a stellar football career. as well just take this city, throw it in the river, The seven-time pro bowler, who hung up his and let it go down Niagara Falls.” cleats in 2000, got a rousing welcome from Later in the interview, Reed happened to Buffalo Bills fans and from a large contingent catch a tweet on the TV in the interview room of friends and family from his hometown, about Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Allentown, Pa. Johnny Manziel commenting on the return of But along with the applause came crit- basketball’s LeBron James to the Cleveland icism just months apart because of Reed’s Cavaliers. When the televised program showed the Twitter post from Manziel referring to the NBA megastar as “my guy,” Reed went ballistic. “Who the f--- is Johnny Manziel?” Reed asked. “LeBron ain’t your guy. You’re not Johnny Football; you’re Johnny Rookie Bullshit.” Reed said if the Bills had drafted Manziel, the organization would have gotten an earful from Bills’ fans. “They’d boo that motherf----- outta here; the fans would put him in his place,” Reed said. After the article was published, Reed acknowledged that he had made the statements but said he had asked Wiedeman not to print them. “We were just talking, and I didn’t think he was going to put something like that in the magazine,” said Reed, who claimed he was “blindsided” by the publication of his remarks. Lauren Starke, director of public relations for New York Magazine, disputed Reed’s claims. “The entire conversation with Andre Reed was clearly on the record,” said Starke, “Furthermore, writer Reeves Wiedeman did not in any way attempt to disguise the angle of the story,” she added. As a matter of policy, journalists must agree to an off-the-record request; it’s not Buffalo Bills wide receiver Andre Reed got in trouble just a one-sided declaration. Wiedeman insisted that Wiedeman never agreed to for remarks he recently made. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
any such request from Reed, Starke said. Then, a few months later, Reed’s language on one of the planet’s most popular social media, Facebook, resulted in the Allentown, Pa., school board tabling for a few days a motion to name the football field at Allentown High School’s J. Birney Crum stadium in Reed’s honor. Reed is a graduate of Dieruff High School, one of the two schools in the Allentown School District. School director Elizabeth Martinez said she couldn’t support the proposal because of Reed’s “strong, very strong” language on Facebook in responding to another Dieruff High School alumnus who objected to naming the field in Reed’s honor. At a special meeting six days later, the school board approved naming the field for Reed by a 6-1 vote, but the damage had been done, and Reed who lives in San Diego, said he would not attend the naming ceremony because of the original snub and resulting controversy. Two months earlier, Reed traveled to Kutztown (Pa.) University, his college alma mater, when the field there was named for him. After the initial hesitation by the Allentown School Board, Reed issued a strongly worded statement, which added fuel to the controversy and brought him more criticism for even responding. “You can’t be a professional football player without a mountain of talent, a strong personality, a very hard edge and a big ego,” Reed said. “I am a football player and a damn good one. I am not a politician, and I am not running for office. I never sat at the dinner table and said, `Please pass the tea and crumpets’ or `I beg to differ with your point of view, sir,’ and I am not going to do that now. Any expectation that I would behave differently comes from you, not me. In some ways, it is ironic that you chose to pause the naming of the field for me because I chose to defend my good name. I am from Allentown, my family lives in Allentown, and I am proud of them and my roots. Allentown folks are fighters, working-class people, real people. Yeah, I drop the F-bomb, but who doesn’t?” School board President Robert Smith agreed, saying that Reed was a role model for Allentown students. “If everyone who ever said the F-word disappeared right now, this room would be empty, the city may be empty, the whole country may be empty, if not the planet,” Smith said. “Andre Reed is a football player. We are not voting for his sainthood.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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NBT Hires Ireland as Market Manager
Sunoco Ethanol Plant Gets a Boost Former New York State Lieut. Governor and current Rochester Business Alliance President and CEO Robert Duffy toured the Sunoco Ethanol Plant in Fulton, in December. The visit came on the heels of a $200,000 grant from the state’s Regional Economic Development Council, over which Duffy presided, to support construction
of a new weigh-station at the plant. Pictured are from left, Jennifer Jordan, health, environment and safety manager; Tim Hardy, general manager; Duffy; Nate Laun, manager of biofuels technology; Alex Bogawitch, maintenance manager; Kathy Whaley, human resources specialist; and Guy Clemons, production manager.
NBT Bank Regional President Richard Shirtz in February announced that Ross M. Ireland has been hired as vice president and market manager. In this position, Ireland is responsible for managing sales and performance of the bank’s eight branches in the Syracuse area. He is based in NBT Bank’s Syracuse Financial Center located in the AXA building at 120 Ireland Madison Street. “We are excited to have Ross leading our retail banking efforts in the Syracuse area,” Shirtz said. “His experience in management, business development and sales strategy will allow NBT Bank to continue to grow while maintaining our commitment to excellent customer service.” Ireland has nine years of experience in the financial services industry.
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Prior to joining NBT Bank, he worked for Citizens Bank in Syracuse. Most recently, he was regional sales manager overseeing 11 Citizens Bank offices in the Syracuse area. Previous positions with that company include serving as business development officer, business banking officer and branch manager. A resident of Marcellus, Ireland earned his bachelor’s degree from the SUNY Fredonia and is currently pursuing an MBA in marketing from Syracuse University School of Management.
Kiplinger’s Names SUNY Oswego a 2015 Best Value College SUNY Oswego has been named to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s list of 100 best values in public colleges. The ranking cites four-year schools that combine outstanding academics with affordable cost. “Choosing the right college is a daunting task for many students and can be stressful for the whole family. Affordability and value are near the top of most students’ lists of what’s important to them,” said Dan Griffin, admissions director at SUNY Oswego. “Naturally we feel our tuition, quality of programs, amazing facilities and experiential learning opportunities make us a great choice. That such a reputable source as Kiplinger’s agrees by naming us a ‘Best Value’ is a gratifying vote of confidence.” Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to metrics that include the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker prices, financial aid and average debt at graduation. “Balancing top-quality education with affordable cost is a challenge for families in today’s economy, which is why Kiplinger’s rankings are such a valuable resource,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. “The schools on the 2015 list offer students the best of both worlds.” The rankings appears in the February issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, on newsstands since Jan. 6 and online at online at kiplinger.com/ links/college. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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Adam C. Gagas The Investment Markets: What to Expect in 2015
T ‘The near 50 percent decline in oil prices easily translates into a multi-billion dollar tax cut for consumers. With that savings flowing directly to discretionary income, a pickup in consumer spending may help improve investments by corporations.’ ADAM C. GAGAS is the founder Breakwall Asset Management, a New York State Registered Investment Advisor firm in Oswego. He has more than 15 years experience in fundamental investment research. As an analyst on multi-billion-dollar mutual funds, Gagas developed expertise analyzing the finances and strategies of companies in nearly every major market sector and industry. Visit www.breakwallam.com for more information. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
the benign interest rate environment. Indeed, he past year was an interesting one our view is that interest rate increases by in the markets, and there were plenty the Fed are perhaps a little bit less imminent of lessons to glean. It’s useful from a than are generally anticipated. Headwinds forensic standpoint but it’s only half of what around the world economy are contributing a good investor should be considering as he to the surge in the value of the U.S. Dollar or she hangs a new calendar on the wall. It’s relative to world currencies, and an increase at least as productive to set out expectations in domestic rates would only push that valfor 2015 — both to provide context and to uation gap wider. The Fed will be a bit more anticipate possible outcomes in an investaccommodating in protecting dollar competment portfolio. itiveness by taking a slow path toward rate Given the economic data and trends, increases. here is what we’re exGiven our outlook pecting. My Turn on domestic interest The modest recovery rates, the dollar, and international economin the economy should continue, and we expect improved momentum in GDP growth ic growth, we expect it to remain difficult to make any money in bonds in 2015. The to spillover into 2015. The path may not be deflationary environment in Japan and smooth given headwinds like the persistent Europe combined with political instability in strength in the dollar, but the trajectory emerging markets means that the U.S. will nonetheless should still be positive. likely continue to attract capital. In that case, At the same time, the rapid and steep the dollar should remain strong and Treadecline in oil prices will begin to have a sury yields remain under pressure from the positive effect. The near 50 percent decline continued onslaught of international buyers. in oil prices easily translates into a multi-bilThere will be more volatility in 2015 lion dollar tax cut for consumers and as much as 3/4ths of a percentage point in GDP around the multiple data points tracking earnings and economic performance. And improvement. With that savings flowing while our thesis on the trajectory may redirectly to discretionary income, a pickup main intact, how investors respond will have in consumer spending may help improve a huge impact on their performance. That is, investments by corporations in inventories, the market shouldn’t determine trading accapital equipment, technology, and employtivity. There are many ways to make money ment. in the market but the sure-fire way to lose In equity markets, better spending money is to sell on fear and buy back in on should ignite much higher earnings growth hope. Investors should set asset allocations at businesses. Profit margins of the S&P 500 at comfortable risk levels, and then try to companies have never been quite so good, ignore short-term volatility in the market. but most of the improvement in the past In any event, our carefully constructed seven years has come from cost cutting and expense restraint. We continue to believe that portfolios aren’t bets on this or that scenario there’s quite a bit of latent positive operating coming to pass. Instead, we prefer to have a set of thoughtful expectations so that our leverage in income statements around the market; that is, each dollar in improved reve- thinking and actions don’t drift around during the year. We’ll analyze and assess nue may well result in accelerating earnings new data points to confirm or contradict our growth. thesis, but having an opinion and a standOverall, the moderate-but-continued point should lead to a portfolio solid enough economic recovery will yet again present a to weather a variety of outcomes. conducive environment for the equity markets. A key component of this expectation is OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
49
SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
Knowledge is Power Exelon Generation creates speakers’ bureau in efforts to inform community
E
xelon Generation is making a powerful effort to enlighten the community about nuclear energy. The company operates Units I and II nuclear power facilities at Nine Mile Point in Scriba. Exelon has created a speakers’ bureau designed to create greater awareness and understanding of nuclear energy and its importance to the nation’s carbon-free energy portfolio, according to Jill Lyon, senior communications specialist at Exelon. The company operates 14 nuclear facilities and each one has a speakers’ bureau program. “Prior to joining the Exelon fleet, Nine Mile Point employees visited com-
munity groups and classrooms, though not as frequently,” Lyon said. “We are enhancing our community outreach efforts to educate neighbors on our commitment to safe, reliable operations and community support.” Units I and II were previously owned and operated by Constellation Energy. “Our employees were very active in the community in 2014,” Lyon said. Staff visited 15 organizations and reached over 1,000 people. Employees met with members of the DeWitt Rotary Club, and participated in the Oswego Youth Summit and Syracuse Science Academy Career Fair, along with other venues.
Science teachers from local school districts congregate in one of the control room simulators at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station as part of a tour in October 2014. 50
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
“Interest in the program is very encouraging. Our neighbors are very interested in the station and our company,” Lyon said. With the help of the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Exelon has advertised the program to other local businesses, which generated an initial wave of interest. “Additionally, when we host tours at the station, we discuss that we have speakers available to visit and we’ve found that word of mouth is very powerful in our tight-knit community,” Lyon said. “Many of our employees are involved in various community groups and they are either involved as a speaker or know one of our speakers, and will help coordinate a speaker to their own group.” Lyon said staff is prepared to speak to all variety of groups with members of any age. “Outreach is extended to and encouraged in local schools, as we recognize the value of keeping our local talent close to home,” she noted. Engaging students — In 2014, Exelon speakers interacted with Oswego, Mexico, Central Square and Belleville-Henderson high schools, as well as the Phoenix Middle School, the Red Creek Central School District and Granby Elementary School, along with several area colleges and universities, through either tours or a visit. “The people making the presentations are our own talented and highly skilled employees,” Lyon said. They have volunteered to be available when a speaker is requested by a group and they come from many different station departments, including engineering, operations, training, maintenance, emergency preparedness and work management. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Lyon said the benefit to community members is they can learn about Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station and get a perspective that had not always been readily available from Exelon employees. “Members of the community can learn how we work, what we do to ensure their safety and our own, and what opportunities may exist for them here, at one of the largest employers in Oswego County,” Lyon said. Exelon is ranked second in Oswego County among private employers. The company itself benefits from the program by having the opportunity to interact directly with its neighbors and discover what they are most interested in regarding nuclear energy, Lyon said. “The program allows us to share important facts about the safe, reliable operation of our nuclear energy facility,” Lyon said. “Additionally, if a career opportunity piques a neighbor’s interest, we could potentially benefit from recruiting local talent to our team.” Lyon said knowing what happens at a nuclear energy facility and the factors that can impact the industry as a whole are critically important to residents of Oswego County. “It’s important that our neighbors understand our daily efforts to ensure clean, safe, reliable operation of our facility,” she said. “Additionally, nuclear energy facilities have a major economic footprint in their communities.” Exelon’s Nine Mile Point nuclear power plants produce more than 1,750 megawatts of electricity that is enough to serve more than 1 million homes. Exelon employs approximately 1,000 people in high-paying jobs, Lyon noted. “As a result of this employment, as many as 700 spin-off jobs in food service, hotel, retail and other service industries have been created,” she said. Nine Mile Point also purchases millions of dollars in materials and services from local businesses. On average, a nuclear power plant produces $470 million annually in sales of goods and services in the local community, all while providing producing energy 24/7 with no greenhouse gases, Lyon said. Information is also being made available at Exelon Generation’s annual community information night. This event was held at Nine Mile Point for the first time on July 29, 2014, and featured employees from various plant departments. The next event will be featured in the summer. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
SUNY Oswego helps solve problems. We provide advisement and training for business start-up and expansion. We assist in accessing grants and provide for workforce development opportunities. We provide technical assistance and training for noprofit organizations. We build relationships that lead to a better economy and inject vitality into the Central New York community. SUNY Oswego offers unlimited horizons. Learn more. oswego.edu/obcr Office of Business and Community Relations 103 Rich Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126 315.312.3492
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo
High-level Techies New leadership team at CNYTDO
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f success is a function of an effective management team, then the Central New York Technology Development Organization is heading in the right direction. TDO’s mission is to accomplish economic development through the support of high-tech entrepreneurs and manufacturing businesses in Oswego, Cayuga, Cortland, Madison and Onondaga counties. It recently underwent leadership changes upon the retirement of longtime president and CEO Robert Trachtenberg. Scott Curtis is the new chief executive officer of CNYTDO and also will be serving as president of TDO’s TWI (Training Within Industry) Institute. Meanwhile, Cindy Oehmigen has been promoted to president of TDO’s NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership and NYSTAR Regional Technology Development Centers. NIST is the National Institute
of Standards and Technology while NYSTAR is Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation. Past president and CEO Robert Trachtenberg retired on Jan. 15 after serving in that post since 1994. Oehmigen has been with TDO since 2005, most recently as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center director. Previously, she held management positions with Cooper Crouse-Hinds, Carrier Corporation and Loretto. Curtis joined TDO in 2012 as executive director of the TWI Institute, focused on expanding its global presence and revenues. Previously, he was the plant manager of Albany International. He also held operations management positions with Mobil/Pactiv and Huhtamaki Consumer Packaging. Legacy complete — When asked about his legacy, Trachtenberg said, “Well, it’s both complicated and simple.
Simply speaking my legacy is the TDO team, of which I am supremely proud.” On a more complex level, the CNYTDO has become a critical component of the Central New York economic development community, he said. “We have become a trusted partner to every local economic development group and academic institution, a trusted adviser to the local manufacturing community and a valuable resource to high-tech entrepreneurs and start-ups,” he noted. Trachtenberg said the organization has established a reputation as an ethical and competent organization whose members are “willing to dig deep and get their hands dirty.” The CNYTDO team is respected for its knowledge, experience, gender balance and work ethic, he said. “Over the last 20-plus years, our team has helped create thousands of jobs and had a positive impact on our clients
IN: Curtis
IN: Oehmigen
OUT: Trachtenberg
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
SPECIAL REPORT of over $1 billion,” Trachtenberg said. “We are a nonprofit corporation that has become self sustainable through our feefor-service model that has us delivering best-in-class training around the world as well as in Central New York.” Trachtenberg said CNYTDO has been able to generate income from its out-of-state work to support programs in Central New York. “At the same time, while receiving both state and federal grants to subsidize the cost of local programs, we are providing over a 2-to-1 match for our public grants and over a 200-to-1 return on the state’s investment,” he said. Trachtenberg said the leadership he is leaving behind is both well qualified and strongly motivated to continue and expand TDO’s mission. “Scott has both the education and experience needed to drive the organization forward. He has effectively been running our TWI Institute for over a year,” Trachtenberg said. Meanwhile, the outgoing leader said Oehmigen also has exceptional qualifications. “She has developed an impressive network of collaborators, had received MEP [Manufacturing Extension Partnership] Center director education from the National Institute of Science and Technology, and has had effective center director responsibility for over a year,” he said. Ready to roll — Curtis said he was fortunate to have worked for experienced executives at the institute and the CNYTDO. “Their insight and guidance coupled with my experience leading and running organizations has positioned me well for this new job,” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to help some outstanding organizations in my time as executive director. Along the way, we have learned and developed solutions which can be applied in our local business environment.” Curtis said in the six years since the downturn in the economy, most businesses have seen improvement and growth, but many have not added staffing back to the levels held before the downturn. “What this has created is an environment where most employees are carrying more responsibility and a larger workload,” he said. “The time to effectively problem solve and improve FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
has diminished and leaves many chasing their tails. “The challenge is to help organizations and individuals see the benefit of taking a structured approach to improvement that is based on building the right culture where everyone is engaged in improvement efforts.” Curtis said his managerial philosophy “is really about building the team. “In this case, the team is a group of seasoned experts in the lean and continuous improvement field. My job is to help the team create a vision of where we want to go and guide them to achieve as we grow.” Curtis said demand for technological support from regional manufacturers and technology businesses is growing. “Most, if not all, businesses have the answers to their problems within the existing workforce. The help they need is developing an approach where they can engage the workforce to work on solutions and innovative ideas to keep the business growing,” Curtis said. “We are well positioned to help regional businesses with a wide range of services to unlock the potential within and innovate for the future.” Curtis earned a bachelor’s degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. True collaborator — Oehmigen said her relationships with community leaders are critical to the success of CNYTDO’s mission. “As center director and senior project manager, I gained a tremendous amount of insight into the goals and missions of the various economic development and business support organizations,” she said. “That understanding and resulting collaborations will be the foundation to carry TDO’s MEP mission forward.” Oehmigen said with the variety of technical expertise and skills that CNYTDO has, the organization “has a terrific opportunity to assist companies with growth and continuous improvement. “The challenge has been getting the word out to the companies that would benefit from our help. We will continue to look for ways to engage with partners and clients to help us do that.” “I am a collaborator. Working with and through partners that have similar goals and missions is much more efficient than trying to do it all as a single entity,” OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Lean Six Sigma, One of the Resources Offered by CNYTDO The resources the Central New York Technology Development Organization offer that help stabilize the region’s economy and help CNY manufacturers and technology businesses grow include: • Lean Six Sigma • Strategic planning • Workforce training • Export assistance • Solving technical challenges • ISO/quality systems • Food safety certifications • Start-up assistance • Small Business Innovation Research coaching • Sales training CNYTDO works in partnership with owners and management teams to develop custom solutions to meet each business’ needs. Most of its services are delivered with TDO staff, but it also connects businesses with external resources for certain programs. “Our tagline of ‘Innovate, Compete and Grow’ alludes to the types of programs and services we offer to businesses,” said Cindy Oehmigen, president of TDO’s NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership and NYSTAR Regional Technology Development Centers. The Lean Six Sigma Black Belt program was a new initiative launched in 2014. she said. “We educate clients about all that is available to them throughout the community. That same approach is also how I approach a leadership role. It is about leveraging the skills of the entire team.” Oehmigen said CNYTDO has several new programs in development. One is a re-shoring effort that will potentially include supply chain assistance, she said. Oehmigen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and management engineering from the University of Iowa and a Master in Business Administration from Syracuse University. 53
“Do You Expect the Economy to Be Stronger in 2015?”
Writer Deborah Jeanne Sergeant interviewed more than 40 business and professional people in Central York asking one question, ‘Do you expect the economy to be stronger this year?’ “My outlook for 2015 is already looking up for me; however, it’s looking up because I’m currently engaged in business with public works projects and no private sector whatsoever. It’s all publically funded. Other than that, I think that the publically funded jobs are keeping our area afloat. If our county legislature can get off their rear ends to make some infrastructure and get Novelis off the ground and make it more conducive for local companies to do business, it will get better.” Peter Holmes, owner Peter Holmes Contracting, Fulton
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“Our local economy is improving with an influx of new business. We will be adding 30 to 50 people between our locations in the next year.” Greg Callen, director of admissions and marketing, Morningstar Residential Care Center, Oswego 54
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“National Grid is seeing encouraging signs of growth in Oswego County and across our Upstate New York service area. The manufacturing economy is much more vibrant than many people realize, and the agri-business and food processing industries are particularly strong in our region. A significant number of new businesses have continued to express interest in locating here, and our economic development team is working with local, regional and state officials to help make that happen.” Melanie Littlejohn, regional executive, National Grid, North Syracuse, Syracuse, Fulton
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“No. I believe as long as we give everything to people who don’t want to work and put the responsibility on business leaders, all you will do is bankrupt small businesses or all businesses OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
in general, reduce the workforce, and drive more people to think they are entitled to these benefits: Obama phones, free health insurance, food stamp, free housing and heat. Why work? [The] government is the problem, not the people.” Ted Vermette, managing partner Design Concepts and Enterprises, LLC, Central Square “Over the past three years, Destiny USA has witnessed a marked increase in visitation and interest in the facility, both with new businesses coming in and with new guests coming from across the Northeast, Canada and international markets to experience what we offer. We anticipate our 2015 programs to only strengthen tourism and travel to Central New York. It will be an exciting year for tourism development in the region, and the opportunity to continue to see increases in visitation and length of stay FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Progress for guests to the area, as well as increased job opportunities.” David Aitken, executive team, Destiny USA, Syracuse
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“I wish I could say it’s very positive, but I don’t think it is. I think things will stay the same. I don’t see any great improvement. People are focusing on the essentials. We depend on discretionary income.” Michael Cali, owner, Cali’s Carriage House Florist, Oswego
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“Over the past year, we’ve seen a slow, but steady improvement in the economy. I believe this trend will continue in 2015. More companies are hiring, financing has loosened up a bit, and business people seem to have a more positive outlook overall. Already in January 2015, the SBDC at SUNY Oswego has had an increase in the number of participants enrolled in our micro-enterprise courses. Our small business owner clients continue to come to us with realistic plans and are very optimistic about the future. It’s been a long road, but I think we’re all going to start feeling a positive turnaround in the economic climate in our region.” Honore Stockley, business adviser, Small Business Development Center, SUNY Oswego
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“The economy is improving. [Student] enrollment tends to have an inverse relationship to the economy. When the economy doing well and there are opportunities for jobs, enrollment tends to go down. When the economy is doing poorly, enrollment goes up. We saw historic high enrollment at the peak of the recession. Since Central New York tends to lag behind other parts of the state, our enrollment is predicted to be flat for 2015-2016. The only interesting thing I see has to do with oil prices. While it’s great for consumers, it’s having a negative effect of the stock market and may have a negative effect on the cost of goods.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Jeffrey Rosenthall, vice president of student affairs, Cayuga Community
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“Personally, I expect the CNY economy to be stronger. All it takes to get excited about economic development in Central New York is a conversation with Syracuse CenterStateCEO president Rob Simpson. “There is so much energy and excitement building in and around my business community, downtown Syracuse, you can’t help but be optimistic that these projects will bring jobs, businesses and more residents to the neighborhood I do business in. Everything I read coming from CenterState leads me to believe that our CNY economy is getting stronger and 2015 should be no different.” Randy Sabourin, president, Metro Fitness Club, Syracuse
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“I do expect the economy to be stronger in 2015 than it was in 2014. The reason I believe this is because of the lower gas prices, and the fact the US dollar has gained ground over the euro for the first time in nine years. Also with the prospect of the government raising the federal interest rate this year. These things combined should give the US consumer confidence in spending and buying power.” Jim Congdon, internet sales manager, Burritt Motors, Oswego
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“I do think the economy will improve. I think that we’ve crossed that threshold where there was a crisis of confidence, which held a lot of people back. We’re already seeing a better economy. We’re having our best year in six years. We definitely say 2014 was a substantial increase over 2013 and 2015 looks very promising.” Kim Enders, office manager, Enders Racing Engines, Inc., Phoenix, and Red Schoolhouse Maple, Fulton
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“We just returned from a gift tradeshow in Philadelphia and there seemed OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
to be a good level of optimism. The challenges are always there, but right now, I believe we’ll see an improved economy and a better year. I certainly hope that’s the case and I think that’s what people are expecting.” Linda Tyrrell, owner, Harbor Towne Gifts & Souvenirs, Oswego
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“I think things will continue to get better. The outlook for the economy is improving. People are becoming more conscious about the way they impact the world and are becoming more responsible with their own resources.” Amber Gilbo, owner, Integrative Healing Spa, Oswego
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“I believe the community has witnessed change and opportunity and enthusiasm with some activities that have taken place, not only on the business side but in residential and community. That’s encouraging on many fronts. It builds confidence and people [start] partnering together to facilitate change. Where one initiative succeeds, other people gain confidence they will change. The outlook for 2015 provides us with an opportunity to collaborate and join together and strengthen our business communities, building on the success we’ve already witnessed. We all see possibilities, but it’s a matter of joining together to realize the potential that’s there.” Greg Mills, executive director, Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce
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“People are looking for preventive measures in terms of their overall wellness. They’re reaching out for chiropractic care and exercise regimes. People are taking their health into their own hands.” Jane Newhouse, co-owner, Massage Envy, Liverpool
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“We’re bullish. There’s a healthy confluence of cash on the sideline, low interest rates, inexpensive fuel, great 55
water and an intelligent workforce.” Sam Chiodo, senior vice-president of risk, Riccelli Enterprises, Inc., Syracuse
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“With pre-season indicators continuing to head in the right direction, I am very optimistic, regionally, for 2015. Collectively, economic indicators such as low gas prices, increased fuel availability, improved employment, bull stock market, credit availability and recent surge in tow vehicle sales has created a renewed consumer confidence. Low fuel prices alone will lead to more discretionary spending on RVs and other leisure-time products.” Bill Clark, co-owner The Great Outdoors, Fulton and East Syracuse
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“I am hoping [for] a better economy because of our Republican Congress is able to work together. It should be stronger, but government policy may change that.” Morris Sorbello, treasurer, Sorbello & Sons Inc., Fulton
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“We think the local economy will be moderately stronger in 2015. There were several local projects in the pipeline in 2014. Few came to fruition but are still in process, which is a positive. Lower fuel prices should help the sectors, which are energy-dependent and create more disposable income, which could turn into additional revenue for the hospitality, retail and entertainment sectors. Unemployment is fairly low for this area, which is a positive as well. A few things that could put a damper on progress include the uncertainty of large commercial property valuations and lower median residential property values causing tax rates to increase. Barry Trimble, owner, The Eis House, Mexico
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“I do think the overall economy of the state has improved and is moving forward. That being said, I think that Oswego County is still on the slow track to recovery. There are lots of positive things that are happening as far as businesses expanding and relocating here; it is just going to take time to turn our economy around. Getting people back to work in private sector jobs is a good first step.” 56
Theresa Himes, CEO/CFO, Bosco & Geers Food Market, Ltd., Oswego
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“Yes, I believe the economy will be stronger this year. As a nation, we’ve been more diligent about our own spending power by watching the government consistently overspend. We’ve been forced to cut back short-term spending and the focus is on long-term savings. Now as employment stabilizes, coupled with low interest rates, individuals are feeling better about spending some of their savings and investing as well. Local businesses and even the government need to encourage the community to spend money locally to help boost the economy in and around our hometowns. I look forward to the large economic impact this will have locally.” Patrick Furlong Jr., president Furdi’s Homes, Fulton
Will we have a better economy in 2015?
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“I believe the economy is improving, especially for healthcare and community health care. The feds and state agreed to pour $8 billion of funding into NYS to help the health economy transition for the people who are inclined to rely on urgent or emergency care. That kind of incentive has helped health care providers. Our angle is that we have a significant program that enables people to choose their own home aid to stay independent and out of nursing homes. That type of program will benefit from that shift in the healthcare spending methodology.” Tom McKeown, executive director ARISE, which covers Onondaga, Oswego, Madison, Cayuga and Seneca counties.
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
“The economy is just exploding. People have more spendable money. Job opportunities are increasing and unemployment is going down. People are traveling. Bills are getting paid with their extra money. The economy is taking off and we’re feeling the difference already. People are getting paid more. Our minimum wage is going up because profits are stronger, without being mandated by the government. “ Dennis Ouellette, owner Ontario Orchards, Oswego
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“I think based on my client base, the economy is about the same. People reevaluate their resources.” Barbara Collette, licensed massage therapist, owner The Inner Sanctuary, Baldwinsville
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“Consumer spending is very dependent on the weather in both winter and summer. The cold winter and the snow that comes with it is providing economic stimulus for ski resorts, hotels/motels, restaurants/bars and gas stations with the influx of snowmobilers, skiers, snowboarders and ice fisherman. Likewise, a summer as pleasant as the past year should provide similar stimulus as a result of associated water and outdoor activities. When small businesses and individuals thrive, the rest of the business community, including The Bonadio Group, enjoys the positive economic impact. Just like our clients, we live, work and play in Oswego County and the North Country. We have a vested interest in the region’s continued growth and success. Jamie Keiser, CPA, partner, The Bonadio Group, Syracuse, Rochester, Utica
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“Things seem to have picked up already. I’m hoping people are confident enough in the economy to start making incidental purchases such as what I have to offer.” Debbie McKinstry, owner, Maida’s Floral Shop, Inc., Oswego
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“We’re very optimistic. We typically use the level of business at Christmastime to gauge how the economy is doing. This past Christmas was very busy, so FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Progress we’re optimistic that level of business will continue throughout 2015.” Kevin Hill, co-owner JP Jewelers, Oswego
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“I always look for the positive in that it’s always bound to be better. I just hope it will be better than last year.” Anton Elhage, president Elco Septic Services, Fulton
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“It’s very strong. Real estate has been strong for the past year. There’s pent up demand and people are now ready to both buy and sell.” Esther Zorn, associate broker, Exit Eagan Real Estate, Syracuse
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“Based on an upswing in business toward the end of 2014 and the beginning of this year, I expect the economy to be stronger. More often than not, one of the first budget items to be cut is advertising and marketing. When client confidence is strong, so is their support for these services.” Steve Chirello, owner Steve Chirello Advertising, Fulton
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“2015 is looking promising to us. We’re quite busy given the time of year. Real estate is typically slow in the winter months. We’re enjoying the benefits of that and the economy on the whole seems to be in better shape than it has been in the past few years. But we still have a long ways to go.” Aaron Thorpe, director of business development, Vanguard Research & Title Services, Oswego
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“I think it is getting better. The unemployment numbers are getting better significantly and my business has seen an increase in sales. Glenn Zansitis, owner Zink Shirts, Oswego FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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“For my business, it’s good. We’re doing fine.” Jeanne McManus, owner, Ontario Cleaners, Fulton
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“I’ve seen trade literature on how the economy is improving, but I don’t see it in my business. At the end of 2005 and beginning of 2006, the cost of fuel went up and everyone started cutting back. Getting your clothing dry cleaned is something people try to do without when they are struggling elsewhere in their budget.” Loren E. Teachout, owner, Walker’s Cleaners LLC & Tuxedo Rentals, Pulaski
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“I’m not one to make predictions, but January has been busy, despite the weather. We have more buyers than we normally get in the cold of January and they’re making offers. If January is any indication, then 2015 should be good. Property values are pretty stable. We haven’t seen any leaps in appreciation so we’re overdue for that. Rates having dropped, and prices have held. So I’m hoping there will be a nice balance of listings and sales. We’re not hearing the fears we’ve heard the last couple years regarding job stability. There are always rumors circulating about job security, but we’re not hearing that from buyers. If they can get preapproved, then we’re on the way.” Faye L Beckwith, owner, Freedom Real Estate, Hannibal
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“I expect our economy to be stronger this year. Falling gas prices may lead to reduced costs to transport goods, which hopefully will be reflected in retail prices. This same fall in gas prices could work well for tourism by making it more economical to travel.” John R. Halleron, advanced certified business advisor, Small Business Development Center, State University at Oswego OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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“I’m pretty optimistic, primarily due to our new lines of business. These are: electronic recycling, which we’re starting this year and document scanning, another one we’re staring, and public warehousing is another we’re starting this year. In general, I think the economy will be better because fuel prices are going down and as they go down, companies will grow a little and have to hire a little more.” Mike Szpak, CEO Oswego Industries, Fulton
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“It’s not. Especially for small businesses, because they’ve upped the minimum wage. The businesses have got to raise the prices to compensate or lay someone off.” Susan Lagoe, office manager, Valti Graphics, Oswego
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“I don’t think anything is getting better with Obama in office. I’m thankful that gas is going down in price, but people still have to cut expenses and it hurts businesses. Donna Lupien, owner, Lupien’s Gifts & Engraving Oswego
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“Locally, I believe it has gotten better with the proper marketing. The more local people get on board with their marketing plans and become synergistic with other marketing plans, the better. It does work. The economy itself is poorer than it used to be for way too many reasons to discuss here. I don’t think it’s doing as well as it should be, but the Oswego economy has never been the same as the rest of the state’s. We fare better a lot of the time than most other economies because we have to be dependent upon local businesses. We’re in a unique position of having a full downtown in Oswego, which we may not have seen since the 80s.” Victoria Usherwood Gailinas, founder of I (Heart) Oswego and CIT Copy and Print, Oswego 57
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58
CenterState CEO Bets on Growth Forecast based on reports from more than 230 members
“W
e are confident that the Central New York economy in 2015 will be stronger than it has been over the last few years. There are a few reasons for this optimism. “First, 230 CenterState CEO members and business leaders participated in surveys and focus groups helping us create the 2015 CenterState Economic Forecast Report. These are the individuals with boots on the ground knowledge and insight help us put macro-economic trends in to a context that is both real and understandable. “For 2015, 71 percent of our forecasters are projecting overall sales and revenue growth: the highest level of business confidence we have seen from our members since before the recession. A year ago at this time, 68 percent of our survey respondents forecasted revenue growth in 2014, and 63 percent of our survey participants reported that they did, in fact, grow last year. That number was up 5 percent from 2013, and continues a slow and steady progression over the last five years in the number of businesses reporting improving economic conditions. “Last year, 49 percent expected corporate profits to increase, and this year’s projection is 54 percent. In 2014, only 39 percent expected to be hiring in 2014 with 53 percent expecting no change in hiring. “But for 2015, that projection is much improved, with a clear majority — 51 percent--projecting job growth this year while the number of those projecting job losses has shrunk to 7 percent, the lowest that measure has OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
been in years. “This is what our forecasters predicted for their own businesses through their own eyes. But we also asked them to look beyond their immediate sphere of influence and give us their perception of the regional economy as a whole. “It was comforting to hear an equal dose of optimism here, a sense that our region is growing steadily. And while many feel, rightfully so, that growth isn’t happening quickly enough, they are seeing signs of progress nonetheless. They cited opportunities presented by our region’s thriving entrepreneurial culture; investments that are creating a newly resurgent downtown; emerging trends and new offerings that are breathing life in to traditional industries such as agriculture and tourism; as well as hope that recent investments in new industries like unmanned aerial systems will provide a much needed boost to our economy. “These anecdotes and insights are supported, in part, by some of the most obvious economic indicators available for our region. Our unemployment rate declined to a six-year low of 6.2 percent in November, down from 7.1 percent one year ago. “Certainly, our region still faces significant challenges but there is a growing sense that we are on the right path and that our region is seeing steady progress.” Submitted by Elle Hanna, director of communications and media relations, CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity, Syracuse FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Can Oswego Support More Hotels? Two large hotels — Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn — are planned to be built in Oswego, but can the market support the additional rooms? By Ken Little
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f you build it, they will come. When it comes to new hotels in Oswego, that reference to the movie “Field of Dreams” aptly sums up the philosophy of Greg Mills, executive director of the Greater Oswego/Fulton Chamber of Commerce. At least one major hotel chain has plans to begin construction on a new hotel in town this spring, with discussion of others still on the table. Mills is confident there will be a demand for the new rooms as Oswego continues efforts to become a destination city for travelers. “If you are at a capacity, does that then give the opportunity for more visitors? You look at the “Field of Dreams “scenario — if you build it, we will have it and it gives [people] a reason to come here,” Mills said. One project under discussion for some time is the Holiday Inn Express and Suites-Oswego hotel, on state Route 104 behind Ruby Tuesday on the east side. Groundbreaking for construction is expected to begin this spring, “with an anticipated opening in spring of 2016,” said Abby Jensen, spokeswoman for FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
InterContinental Hotels Group, parent company of Holiday Inn. The hotel will have 81 rooms. “The number of employees will depend on various factors, including both the size of the hotel and the market,” Jensen said. The Holiday Inn Express brand is designed to attract “value-oriented business and leisure travelers,” Jansen said. Amenities to be offered at the hotel include a free hot breakfast bar, free high-speed Internet access and free local phone calls in the U.S. and Canada. The future of the proposed Hampton Inn hotel at the corner of state Route 481 and East Utica Street is less clear. The site is on a vacant lot that formerly housed the Breneman Co. Officials from Hampton Hotels, Hilton Worldwide’s global brand of more than 2,000 Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites and Hampton hotels, did not respond to requests for a project update. The hotel was proposed by George (Buddy) Broadwell, which owns Broadwell Hospitality Group in Oswego. He didn’t return several telephone calls seeking comments for this story. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
87 Lodging Businesses in Oswego County — As of January, there were 87 lodging businesses in Oswego County. The total includes hotels, motels, fishing lodges, bed-and-breakfast establishments, and cottages. “Out of the 87 businesses, 26 are hotels or motels,” said Janet Clerkin, county tourism and public information coordinator. There are 405 lodging rooms available in Oswego, 73 in Fulton, and 378 in Pulaski, Clerkin said. There are also 123 rooms available in the Altmar area. The figures include hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, lodges and cabins. Based on county room tax figures, more visitors are coming to Oswego County. Total room tax collected between December 2013 and November 2014 was $369,938, a 16.8 percent increase over the same period in 2013, Clerkin said. The figures also include room tax revenue from cottages, bed-and-breakfasts and lodges, “which play a significant role in the local tourism industry, not just hotels and motels,” Clerkin said. Two percent of the occupancy tax collected by the county is retained by the Oswego County Treasurer’s office to cover administrative costs. The remainder is allocated for tourism promotion by the county, Clerkin said. The fall months of September, October and November, coinciding with the salmon and steelhead runs, are typically peak visitor months, Clerkin said. Opportunities Presented — New hotel rooms will complement traditional tourism draws like sportsfishing and other outdoor activities, and new ones like the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center, Mills said. “The conference center has a capacity of 500 folks. If you look at it being utilized on a regular basis, you would definitely have a need for other [rooms],” Mills said. “If you have the capacity, then you have the opportunity.” Families visiting students at SUNY-Oswego provide another opportunity for the city, Mills said. “I look at the college. We look at families who bring their children here and they look at the community and what we have and they have the potential to return,” he said. Building more hotels and other attractions that will draw visitors “expand the opportunities with tourism,” Mills said. The state Department of Economic 59
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Development estimates that travelers spent $13.87 million on lodging in Oswego County in 2013, Clerkin said. Figures for 2014 were not available in January. More hotel rooms and tourism business translates into more local jobs. The Department of Economic Development estimates there were 1,830 people directly employed in the tourism industry in 2013, and 2,628 jobs were attributed to the tourism industry. The figures include “indirect and induced impact of the tourism industry,” Clerkin said citing examples of suppliers of goods and services to directly involved companies, and tourism business employees spending their wages at local stores. “The hotel/motel business is vital to the tourism effort and the local economy. We need to be able to provide a sufficient number of quality rooms to accommodate our visitors, whether they’re here for fishing, heritage tourism, outdoor recreation, conferences, sports events, weddings and family reunion or business travel,” Clerkin said. Clerkin said there are more lodging opportunities for visitors in Oswego County than there were five or 10 years ago. “There are definitely more rooms available,” she said. “The openings of the Tailwater Lodge in Altmar and the Best Western Captain’s Quarters in Oswego, within the past four or five years, brought an additional 135 hotel rooms to our inventory.” There are also new fishing lodges and bed and breakfasts that have opened in the last three years, Clerkin said. The county tourism office is launching a regional visitor study with Young Strategies, Inc., a Charlotte, N.C. consulting firm that specializes in tourism destinations. “The research project will give us valuable information about where our visitors are coming from, where they’re staying, and how we compare to other Central New York counties,” Clerkin said. Some regional draws may also benefit Oswego County hotels. A case in point is Destiny USA in Syracuse. Destiny USA, the expanded and rebranded Carousel Center, opened in 2011. The 2.4 million square-foot regional shopping center attracts more than 20 million annual visits. About 29 million visits were anticipated in 2014, according to owner and operator Pyramid Companies. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
s s e r g o r P Top Projects to Watch Strong Year in Oswego County By Lou Sorendo
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. Michael Treadwell, the executive director of Operation Oswego County, the county’s designated economic development agency, said 2014 was a strong year for manufacturing and manufacturing development in Oswego County, and that momentum is expected to trickle over into 2015. He summarizes the main project taking place in teh area.
K&N’s Foods USA Chicken processor already employs 80 at former Bird’s Eye plant K&N’s Foods USA, a chicken processing facility in Fulton, started its commercial operations in August last year. The Fulton plant is the first facility in the United States for a company whose roots are in Pakistan. It is located at the former 280,000-square-foot Bird’s Eye plant. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
It manufactures a variety of frozen, valued-added, Halal chicken products. When K&N’s Foods USA came into Fulton, it projected 183 jobs created over a three-to-four year span. In less than one year, the chicken processor has 80 employees on staff. “They are pretty much on track at this point in time,” said Treadwell, noting this is a company that must develop a fresh market in the U.S. “They didn’t come in with a market in their hand. They have to develop their market for their products and they are working hard to do that,” he said. Treadwell said the company “felt comfortable the incentive programs offered to set up their operation in the U.S. were competitive. “They also felt they would be able to attract the workforce they needed because of the past history of Bird’s Eye being there and food processing being big in the area.” From a logistics standpoint, Treadwell said the location is ideal for K&N’s Foods USA because its primary markets are in areas such as Toronto, New York City and Philadelphia. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Felix Schoeller North America German-based company is ninth largest among private employers in Oswego County Felix Schoeller North America has added more than 170 jobs while investing more than $10 million into its facility in Richland over the last several years. The German-based company acquired new machinery and equipment, purchased inventory and made renovations to expand its world-class paper converting operation. Its 359 employees rank it ninth among top-private employers in Oswego County. Felix Schoeller N.A. produced photographic, digital imaging and specialty papers in Pulaski from 1964 until 2005. At that point, it restructured to focus on converting and distributing imaging and specialty paper products. Treadwell said one of the reasons the company initially came to Oswego County was because of its need for high-quality water, which it accesses through the Tug Hill glacial-drift aquifer. 61
Universal Metal Works Locally-owned business nearly doubling its size Universal Metal Works, a metal fabrication facility in Fulton, is in the midst of adding 20,000 square feet to its 33,000-square-foot facility. The company will use half of the addition to upgrade its spray painting, assembly and manufacturing process. The other half will be leased to Davis-Standard, which will be relocating its blown film operations from Bridgewater, N.J., to Fulton. The project is expected to be completed by July and will create up to 10 jobs for Davis-Standard.
SAM North America Celebrating one year at its Schroeppel location SAM North America LLC purchased
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the former startup facility at the Oswego County Industrial Park in Schroeppel and 2.5 acres to establish its North American headquarters in 2014. The company recently completed its first successful year after opening its new Extrusion Technology Center. “We have run customer directed development trials or demonstrations every month since the grand opening in April bringing visitors to the newest and most advanced coextrusion coating and laminating facility available for contract development,” said Andrew Christie, the company’s top official. “More than 14 trials have been completed with participants from 18 countries and 15 states in attendance,” he added. SAM NA is a leading supplier of solution coating machines, extrusion coating machines and flexo and gravure printing machines for the converting and flexible packaging market. It is headquartered in South Korea. It established an Extrusion Technology Center at the site in 2014, which is a new facility for research and development associated with the plastics extrusion industry. “They could have gone anywhere, but they elected to purchase our building [at the Oswego County Industrial Park
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
in Schroeppel] because they felt it was a good fit for their short- and long-term needs,” Treadwell said.
Teti Bakery Food processor still retrofitting Volney plant Teti Bakery, a food processor based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, now occupies the former Jefferson Smurfit building in the town of Volney. The business supplies restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, entertainment facilities and pizza toppers with pizza crust, focaccia breads and flat breads. Treadwell said it was the availability of a building on Harris Street in Volney that prompted the bakery to locate in Oswego County after experiencing difficulties establishing a site in Onondaga County. Teti Bakery fell behind its production schedule, but is expected to reach its anticipated 60-employee level at a future point in time. “They had a bigger challenge than thought retrofitting that building,” said Treadwell in regards to its 99 Harris St. location.
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Champlain Valley Specialty of NY Champlain Valley Specialty of NY, an apple processing company, has steadily grown and now features about 200 jobs at its facility in the town of Oswego, according to Treadwell. CVS acquired the former Empire Fresh Cuts and Oswego Growers & Shippers buildings. It produces “Grab Apples” from locally grown apples that are sliced, packaged and shipped to local schools, retail markets, restaurants and their distributors. “We have been promoting and marketing Oswego County as a good location for food processing. It’s been clearly evident given the growth of companies like Champlain Valley Specialty, K&N’s Foods USA and Teti Bakery coming into town that there is a lot of potential,” Treadwell said. “We anticipate there will be some other successes in the food processing sector given the quantity and quality of our water and workforce we have here.”
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Novelis is No. 1 Project in Oswego County By Lou Sorendo Novelis recently celebrated its newly built $48 million aluminum recycling facility at its plant. The 81,000-square-foot facility melts down scrap automotive aluminum and converts it into new product. Up to 40 trailers, or 1 million pounds of automotive scrap, can be handled by the facility each day, according to plant officials. A Ford plant in Dearborn, Mich. that makes body panels for the 2015 F-150 pickup is the source of scrap being initially processed at Oswego Works. The Scriba facility is the supplier of aluminum for the F-150. Novelis has invested $400 million into its 1.6-million-square-foot plant over the last five years. It is ramping up production to meet demand for aluminum from the automotive industry.
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It has been the largest and most significant project in Oswego County since 2012, according to L. Michael Treadwell is the executive director of Operation Oswego County, the county’s designated economic development agency. Novelis has constructed and launched CASH (continuous annealing solution heat treatment) lines 1 and 2, which represented an investment of over $200 million and created 100 jobs. The second phase involved its recycling scrap facility and related infrastructure that recently opened. Construction of a third CASH line, called “Project Falcon,” features another $155 million of investment. Treadwellsaid the three projects were expected to create 200 jobs. He said Novelis has exceeded that by doubling that projected number.
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Economic Development L
in a Minute
. Michael Treadwell, the executive director of Operation Oswego County, the county’s designated economic development agency, recently sat down with Associate Editor Lou Sorendo to discuss the most significant economic development initiatives in Oswego County. Here’s Sorendo’s report.
Oswego County Industrial Park in Schroeppel
Oswego County has retained C&S Engineers in Syracuse to look at specific sites targeted for a new incubator facility at the Oswego County Industrial Park
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in Schroeppel. C&S Engineers is doing engineering and design work while devising a site plan featuring a 10,000 to 15,000 square-foot facility at the site. It has already completed several preliminary scenarios in terms of how the project will be laid out. The county did attempt to get direct financing from the state through a Consolidated Funding Application in 2013, but it did not materialize. Treadwell said the county has not backed off the project. “We can hopefully take the work C&S Engineers has done to the Town of Schroeppel Planning Board and get the site plan approved for that,” he said.
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“That would be a step behind us. Then we will try to find a way to secure financing to construct it,” he said. “It hasn’t died and we are still active moving forward with it.”
Former Price Chopper
• OOC is conducting a feasibility study to determine if the former Price Chopper building on Oswego’s east side is suitable to serve as a state-of-the-art small business incubator. The Port of Oswego Authority currently owns the 42,000-square-foot building. Treadwell said the study not only features an engineering perspective, but a market-based analysis as well. “Part of the feasibility study will be done for purposes of helping us demonstrate that the functioning of the facility will be sufficient enough to generate enough revenue to pay a mortgage,” he said. The study will determine what the potential client base will be and gauge whether demand for the incubator site will sustain the carrying cost associated with the building and related debt service. “In addition to that, we will also
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
have to do an analysis of the structural integrity of the building and how it can be renovated into an incubator based upon that market study,” Treadwell said. The study will be the driving force in terms of determining how developers will retrofit the building to maximize its use. He said most desirable would be light manufacturing and research and development types of operations, as well as other service-related industries. Not included in the equation is any type of retail operation, he noted.
Central New York Raceway Park in Hastings
According to projections, the proposed Central New York Raceway Park in Hastings anticipates creating 340 construction jobs and 150 permanent jobs, while creating another 240 indirect jobs. Spin-off activity is associated with CNYRP, such as a significant amount of hospitality development along the I-81 corridor in the eastern section of the county, Treadwell noted. Developers want to transform the
site between Interstate 81 and Route 11 into a multi-use facility featuring an oval harness racing course with synthetic dirt, a 2.2-mile paved road course for motor racing and seating for 4,900 spectators. Treadwell said 2014 saw developments on the project that included successful completion of environmental assessments and studies associated with the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. “That was a big hurdle and probably took 18 months to get through,” Treadwell said. “It is a big site and a lot of things have to be done from archaeological studies to wetland analysis.” The next step is to establish ingress and egress to and from the raceway from I-81 and Route 11 while determining the impact relative to traffic flow and conditions, Treadwell said. The OOC leader said a critical component of the project is developing overall financing. Treadwell said there is a significant equity investment in the project and a large sum of money by investors has been committed to the initiative. There has been $2.5 million committed to the state’s Consolidated Funding Application process for the project, Treadwell reported. “We are trying to structure a
way to perhaps use taxable IDA bonds to help finance the balance of the project,” he added. Work has begun on the site as it being cleared for development. “The total financing package needs to be put together before you are going to see any serious construction activity,” Treadwell said. “I think we are getting close to developing a strategy for that.” He did say there is a possibility that some construction can occur this summer.
Port of Oswego Authority
The Port of Oswego Authority continues to be a major infrastructure asset for Oswego County and Central New York as a whole, according to Treadwell. The port is coming off a banner year, according to executive director Zelko Kirincich and board president Terrence Hammill. From port expansion projects, to energy conservation, bumper grain and aluminum shipments, a proposed United States Department of Agriculture designation as a grain inspection site, to the new intermodal facility, the port has
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Progress had its most productive year, port officials report. Treadwell tipped his cap to the aggressive attitude of the port and its executive director, Zelko Kirincich. “It has certainly been benefiting the growth of Novelis and the agriculture industry,” he said. “We think the completion of the eastside connector project, the improvement of rail service to the port and the acquisition of the former Hammermill site for further development of the port complex is certainly an asset to the economic development not just in Oswego County but for the Central New York region as a whole,” Treadwell added. The eastside terminal connector project and the creation of the Oswego Intermodal Center is 70 percent complete.
Designer Hardwood Flooring
The Central New York Regional Economic Development Council recently awarded Designer Hardwood Flooring CNY, Inc. in Oswego $125,000 for its expansion project. Designer Hardwood Flooring CNY, Inc. is a spin-off of Hardwood Transformations, Inc. Located in the Port City Logistics Park, Designer Hardwood Flooring CNY, Inc. will produce a new patent pending, environmentally “green” engineered wood-flooring product. Treadwell said he feels the company has a great deal of Manufacturing supports New York. For 100 years, we have supported manufacturers.
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potential for growth. In its CFA, the company said 25 jobs will be created to operate one production line. “If they are successful, there could be multiple lines,” Treadwell noted. “That building is big enough to accommodate that type of production.” See related story.
START-UP NY
OOC is working closely with both SUNY Oswego and Cayuga Community College as both institutions develop and implement plans associated with START-UP NY. The business incentive program is offered by New York state. It helps entrepreneurs expand or relocate their qualified business to designated tax-free zones. Besides the possibility of a manufacturing operation, Treadwell said there is some significant activity associated with the program. He predicts up to seven new businesses could result from the program. “Every one would be a success and a win right now,” he said. “Right now, let’s get the first one behind us and worry about the second one after that.”
Tailwater Barn / Tailwater Lodge
A project that received a $200,000 grant from the CNY REDC is the Tailwater Barn banquet facility, which will be part of the new Tailwater Lodge recently created in the town of Altmar. Planned for construction in the spring, the Tailwater Barn will be a 10,000-square-foot banquet facility designed to attract weddings, conferences and retreats on its site along the Salmon River.
Downtown Oswego
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Downtown merchants in the city of Oswego have been taking advantage of state community renewal programs such as the New York Main Street initiative. It is a grant program designed to revitalize historic downtowns. Treadwell said anything a community can do to enhance its appearance and quality of life is beneficial from an economic development standpoint. “To me, when things are fixed up, it’s a demonstration of pride in the community,” he said. He said any particular assets such as restaurants, the theater, museums and beaches help to promote and market the community. Treadwell said when trying to attract investment from outside the area, “You need every potential advantage you can get, such as an attractive downtown with some things to do on the weekends. “Anytime you don’t have something, it may not be the difference in some cases, but it could be.”
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By Lou Sorendo OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
L. Michael Treadwell ooc@oswegocounty.org
CNY REDC Round 4 Results for Oswego County Working cooperatively has been key to receiving substantial funds from the state ‘Eleven projects will receive $1,320,440 in state funds that will be invested throughout Oswego County and will have significant impact on several sectors of the economy.’
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op advanced manufacturing training for n Dec.11, Gov. Cuomo held the mechanical and electrical technicians. fourth Regional Economic. DevelThis training is designed to align with job opment Council (REDC) awards requirements of area employers and to proprogram in Albany. Central New York vide employers with a pool of well-trained was one of five regions named a top performer winner. Each of the top performing candidates. The village of Central Square was regions was awarded over $80 million. awarded $30,000 from the Department Out of the four rounds, the Central of Environmental Conservation for a New York region has been a top performer winner three times. One reason Central waste water treatment plant engineering report. New York is and has been good about Oswego County will receive $190,440 receiving a substantial allocation as a top from Empire State Development Corp. performer is that the region as a whole for the Lake Ontario Cross Regional has worked together very cooperatively in Promotion/Sport Fishing project to interms of developing strategies that can be crease tourism around the lake. effectively implemented. Hardwood Transformations received The Central New York region is $125,000 from Empire State Develcomprised of the Syracuse metropolitan opment Corp. for a new engineered area and the counties of Cayuga, Corthardwood flooring company, Designer land, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego. Hardwood Flooring CNY Oswego County Inc. The new company will received funding Economic Trends manufacture a new patfor 11 projects, as ent-pending, environmenoutlined below. tally “green” engineered wood flooring The County of Oswego Industrial product. The company will lease 18,000 Development Agency (COIDA) square feet in a building in the city of received $30,000 in funding through Oswego that is owned by the COIDA. The Empire State Development Corp. for project will initially create about 17 jobs. a feasibility study. The study will be Sunoco, Inc. will be making improveperformed on the vacant Price Chopper ments at the Owens Road entrance to building in the city of Oswego to detertheir ethanol production facility with mine whether it’s feasible to renovate the the $200,000 they were awarded from Embuilding for use as a business incubator. pire State Development Corp. Sunoco will Operation Oswego County currently manages one 20,000-square-feet incubator, also be upgrading utilities, repaving the entrance and installing new truck scales. the Business Expansion Center, in the city The Central New York Enterprises of Oswego. Two years ago, OOC sold its Development Corporation, a long 10,000-square-feet Start-Up Facility in the time ally of OOC, was awarded Oswego County Industrial Park to SAM $100,000 to create a redevelopment plan for North America. The Price Chopper buildSelkirk Point. The EDSC grant will cover ing, at 42,000 square feet could more than the engineering, legal and environmental double the amount of incubator space available to start-up businesses in Oswego studies necessary for the proper restoration of the historic property and lighthouse in County. the Town of Richland. Cayuga Community College received $100,000 in funding through the Department of Labor to develContinued
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L. MICHAEL TREADWELL, CEcD, is executive director of Operation Oswego County based in Oswego.
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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CNY Arts Center will conduct a feasibility study for a New York Main Street project at the Case Lee House in the city of Fulton. The $20,000 grant they received for the study was funded through NYS Homes & Community Renewal and will determine if the building can be preserved. The city of Oswego was awarded $225,000 through NYSERDA for its Route 104 Complete Streets Plan. The project will evaluate the Route 104 corridor within the city of Oswego to determine what modifications are needed to improve safety and offer more transportation choices while maintaining efficient, reliable passage through the city. The Central New York Enterprise Development Corporation (CNY EDC) received a $500,000 grant for quasi-equity loans for small businesses in the Central New York region, including Oswego County. The loans are intended for existing small businesses wishing to expand and have proven sales and marketing experience but who may not be able to secure bank financing. Targeted applicants for the region are Internet-based businesses, software
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development firms and manufacturing companies, with an emphasis on companies with significant export revenue. Most of the loans will fall into the $50,000 to $70,000 range and offer low0-interest rates for borrowers. The funds come from the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) and are distributed through CNY EDC, which is jointly managed by the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB). 11 — Altmar Genesee LLC was awarded $200,000 through Empire State Development for its Tailwater barn banquet facility project. The 10,000-sq.-ft. banquet facility will increase the lodge’s capacity for large parties. This is the Tailwater Lodge that converted a closed elementary school in the Town of Albion into a 42-room hotel and restaurant complex located on the Salmon River. These 11 projects represent $1,320,440 in state funds that will be invested throughout Oswego County and will have significant impact on several sectors of Oswego County’s economy, such as manufacturing, recreational tourism, educational training, small business development, municipal infrastructure and the arts.
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s s e r g o r P 11 Sectors Oswego County Business magazine looks at key sectors of the regional economy to gauge how they fared last year and what’s in store for 2015. Reporting and writing by Lou Sorendo
Agribusiness Growing number of active farms in Oswego County thanks to the Amish, veterans The agriculture sector in Oswego County continued to blossom in 2014 as this critical component to the area’s economy flourished. “2014 was definitely an up year for the farming sector in Oswego County,” said Nancy Weber, president of the Oswego County Farm Bureau. Despite peculiar weather patterns, the cropping was overall successful and fruit and vegetable growers had great harvests with the exception of cranberries, she said. “There was no harvest for that crop, but it was market conditions that drove FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
it, I believe,” she said. “We are seeing the advent of some new crops being commercially grown in the county, primarily hops for the craft beer breweries,” she said. There is a growing number of active farms in the county, primarily Amish, she said. Also, some returning veterans in the county have started farming, taking advantage of the new state programs introduced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “In the dairy sector, the price received for fluid milk by the county’s 40 dairy farms was much closer to the cost to produce it, so many farms have been able to pay down and retire Schell OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
debt accrued over the past several years, replace worn equipment and make improvements to their farm operations,” she noted. Weber said 2015’s forecast on the agribusiness scene is “equally bright.” Some farms will be taking advantage of green energy programs and installing either wind or solar alternative power sources, she said. Fluid milk prices have fallen, but hopefully will recover as the year progresses, Weber said. “Eating locally produced foods has now become a lifestyle, rather than a fad,” she said. “You have only to visit a grocery store produce department or Weber 69
a farmers’ market to see that the demand for ‘local’ is strong,” she noted. “Our farms are at the ready to provide that local food,” she said. “The bountiful crops we produce are available at farm stands and the many farmers’ markets within the county.” Weber said the bureau is also looking for additional ways to capture the locally produced market through the creation of a “food hub.” “As with all things agricultural, Mother Nature holds the fortune of our farms in her hands,” she said. “So far, we’ve had a nice snow cover to protect our farmland. Maple sugar season is right around the corner, so warm days and cold nights would be nice in February and March. “I’d like to order an early spring to get the crops planted and no late frost so the fruit buds grow. And while we’re at it, rain when we start to get dry, but plenty of warm sunny days this summer to grow crops and harvest the hay. “And finally, a long fall to enjoy apple picking!” Record-setting year — Jonathan J. “JJ” Schell, agriculture team coordinator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County in Mexico, said for the most part, agriculture in Oswego County saw record yields and prices in 2014. Onion growers saw great yields and a strong price, while a number of other commodities in the county also enjoyed robust harvests. Cash crops like soybeans and corn were down considerably from years past due to above average yields, Schell noted. Market prices for livestock, particularly beef cattle, were also high allowing farmers to obtain additional income from selling cattle, he added. Schell said the most exciting recent development in the agriculture sector was the release of 2012 agriculture census data. This agriculture data for Oswego County showed an increase in economic impact to the county of almost $8 million. It also revealed an increase of over 20 farms from the last census compiled in 2007. Schell expressed optimism that 2015 will be another promising year. “I see the Oswego County agricultural sector continuing to grow through the addition of Amish farms, hop production and beginning farmer enterprises,” he said. Due to the normal ebbs and flows of a global agriculture economy, prices 70
for some commodities are expected to remain high while others will start to retreat, Schell said. “Weather always plays a factor, so time will tell how successful or unsuccessful the agriculture economy will be in 2015,” he added.
don’t care what you want to build. We just want to build it for you.” Projects less visible to the public are the continued expansion projects at Novelis Oswego Works, SUNY Oswego and the Port of Oswego Authority. On the heels of a $208 million, 190,000-square foot expansion project, Novelis is in the process of investing an additional $120 million at its Oswego Works plant. It has installed a third aluminum automotive sheet finishing line and is expanding recycling operations for automotive scrap. Novelis expects global demand for automotive aluminum sheet to increase by more than 30 percent per year through the end of the decade. Carroll said the expansion of the Port of Oswego Authority is vital to the growth of Oswego County as well. The port’s eastside terminal connector project and the creation of the Oswego Intermodal Center is considered critical to the future growth and development of the port, according to Zelko N. Kirincich, executive director and CEO of the port. The port is expanding truck and rail access between its port areas in the city and a new 12-acre storage area through its east terminal connector project. “The port is the first deep-water port on the Great Lakes. This in itself creates a lot of opportunity for growth,” Carroll said. “Last summer, dredging silt from the river bottom was performed at the mouth of the Oswego River to allow larger vessels to access the port.” The construction forecast for 2015 “is just like our Oswego winters, slow and steady,” Carroll said. He said two things need to happen in order for the area to not only succeed this year, but for years to come. “First and foremost is the use of local labor and for me, organized union labor,” he said. “Regardless of the size of the project, members of the building trades possess the level of skill sets and safety record to accommodate any and all construction needs,” he added. Secondly, Carroll said success requires help from all elected officials from local councilors to representatives in Albany. “Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been pushing programs targeting job growth for Upstate, but unfortunately many of these projects run along Interstate 90,” Carroll said. “So for the communities in Oswego County and others like us who
Construction
Busy year for construction workers but sector could use a push from local politicians Patrick Carroll, business manager for Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 73, Oswego, and representative for the Central and Northern New York Building and Construction Trades Council, said 2014 was an up year for construction projects around Oswego County. “Throughout the year, you could drive around the city of Oswego and watch the progress of projects from start to finish,” he said. Carroll said one of the most visible projects is the Wayne Drug revitalization of its storefront on West Bridge Street in Oswego. Wayne Drug is one of several Carroll downtown Oswego businesses that have taken advantage of the New York Main Street program, which has provided the city with approximately $300,000 to renovate the facades of small businesses. It is administered through the city of Oswego Community Development Office. The Eagle Beverage expansion on West Fifth Street Road in Oswego is another significant construction project, Carroll noted. It is consolidating its facilities into one new building adjacent from its present facility. The $5 million project features a 62,000-square-foot building. Another highly visible project is the new dialysis center on West Third Street in the city of Oswego. “I don’t think any one area creates more of a buzz than when a project is started around the Walmart-Lowe’s area,” he said. “Are we getting a Red Lobster or an Outback? No, sorry. We got a PetSmart instead. “But for the construction worker, we OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Progress do not border the Thruway, we need our political officials to help.” Carroll said everyone who lives in these communities should contact their elected representatives through letters or phone calls expressing the need for job growth in Upstate New York. “Without their help, these programs will go to larger and more powerful communities,” he said.
Energy Group is launching a regional Solarize Central New York campaign to increase use of solar power The region’s energy sector is in a state of flux, as is that of the state and nation in general, according to Chris Carrick, energy program manager for the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board in Syracuse. “The decline in natural gas prices continues to be a major factor driving investments and consumer decisions as evidenced by retirement of coal-fired electric plants,” Carrick said. Through November 2014, natural gas accounted for about 50 percent of all new electric generating capacity added in the United States in 2014 while wind accounted for 23 percent and solar photovoltaic accounted for 20 percent, according to the “Energy Infrastructure Update” report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. Carrick said while there have been no new natural gas plants added in the five-county Central New York region, “distributed” or behind-the-meter solar PV did grow dramatically, nearly doubling from 2.8 megawatts installed in 2013 to almost 5.6 megawatts in 2014. In Oswego County, solar PV grew from 448 kilowatts in 2013 to 842 kilowatts in 2014. Carrick said the fate of the region’s nuclear plants should be monitored given the uncertainty in the nuclear industry from a national and statewide FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
perspective. Uncertainty has arisen with Entergy Nuclear closing Vermont Yankee; the fate of the Exelon-Pepco merger being “up in the air,” and the Ginna plant near Rochester facing financial difficulties, Carrick said. Some of the more exciting developments within the energy sector involve the CNY RPDB and its management of the Solarize Syracuse campaign in 2014. The campaign, which covered the city of Syracuse and towns of Onondaga, DeWitt and Manlius, combined public education workshops with bulk purchasing and volume discounts to make it easier for homeowners and small businesses to install solar PV. The campaign resulted in 77 customers choosing to install 530 kilowatts of solar PV, which will double the solar capacity in the target area, Carrick said. The CNY RPDB is launching a regional Solarize Central New York campaign in 2015 that will include five counties, including Oswego. Statewide, one of the most exciting potential developments is what is called “shared solar,” Carrick noted. “If enacted, it would allow customers who may not be able to install solar PV on their roof or property to participate in solar PV systems that are installed within their communities,” Carrick said. The New York State Public Service Commission is studying the issue and Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports it, he added. Carrick said natural gas prices are projected to remain low in 2015, which will affect the decisions that customers make regarding energy efficiency and renewable energy. “One issue that needs to be resolved to support the solar PV market is the recent decision by the Public Service Commission to move from a monetary to a volumetric basis for ‘remote net metered’ projects,” Carrick said. This policy change will significantly limit the ability of solar developers to serve customers such as municipalities that have multiple electricity meters, only some of which are assessed “demand charges” by their utility provider, he said. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Health Collaboration has been key to local industry Continued collaboration is the phrase Ann C. Gilpin, Oswego Health president and CEO, used to characterize the 2014 healthcare sector in Oswego County. “I believe 2014 was a positive year, with continued collaboration between Oswego Health and its many healthcare partners, resulting in the development of programs that improve the health status of area residents,” she said. During the past year, Oswego Health, Oswego County Opportunities and Northern Gilpin Oswego County Health Services Inc. continued their collaboration to develop initiatives that improve primary care services in the county. “After just one year, this collaboration has resulted in an increase in total primary care visits at a reduced cost Cooper-Currier for each visit, based on 2014 annualized data,” Gilpin said. Also in 2014, Oswego Health and the Oswego County Health Department collaborated as they taught healthy living evidence-based classes for those wanting to learn how to better manage their chronic condition. The Oswego Health system, along with NOCHSI, OCO and other health and human service organizations, are participating in the state’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment program. DSRIP’s purpose is to fundamentally restructure the health care delivery system by reinvesting in the 71
Medicaid program, with the primary goal of reducing avoidable hospital use by 25 percent over five years. Up to $6.42 billion is allocated to this program, with payouts based upon achieving predefined results in system transformation, clinical management and population health, Gilpin said. “Oswego County’s healthcare partners are continuing to collaborate, which is important to the success of viable healthcare in the county,” she said. “However, healthcare partners can’t do it all themselves. Area residents need to accept a healthier lifestyle by quitting their tobacco habits, eating nutritious Holst meals and embracing a regular exercise program.” Gilpin said The Affordable Care Act brings many changes to healthcare, including placing a greater emphasis on preventive care and maintaining good health, rather than treating illnesses. This initiative, Dey called population health, promotes preventive, patient-centered, coordinated care, with an improved collaboration among medical, public health, community and social service organizations, she said. It explores factors such as environment, social structures, behavioral and psychological issues, smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol and resources distribution, Gilpin added. The Oswego Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Oswego Health formed in 2014, will look to garner support from individuals and collaborate with local businesses, foundations and other organizations to seek funding to support the population health initiatives of Oswego Health. “For Oswego Health, specifically, to remain healthy as an organization, residents need to realize they can receive exceptional healthcare services locally, eliminating the need to travel elsewhere,” Gilpin said. “To offer the high-quality healthcare services the com72
munity deserves to have locally, Oswego Health has welcomed new physicians in a range of specialties to the community in recent years.” Along with welcoming these new physicians, Oswego Health is consistently installing state-of-the-art medical equipment. Challenges lie ahead — “I think we were able to hold our own in 2014,” said Dan Dey, chief executive officer of NOCHSI. “We’ve had some successful recruiting which increases access.” However, the county’s healthcare sector will not be without its challenges in 2015. At front and center is the newly implemented DSRIP program, which primarily creates incentives with the goal being to reduce hospital admissions by 25 percent. Dey said in order to achieve that goal, regional healthcare providers including hospitals, physicians and community agencies “are going to have to work together to manage patient care to avoid unnecessary hospitalization and emergency room visits.” The goal in 2015, Dey said, is to continue to focus on collaborating to implement stronger care management for patients as well as to adjust to any change in reimbursement from both the state and federal levels. “I think successful recruitment and retention will be pivotal and continued dialogue and collaboration among community players” will be vital for a successful 2015, he noted. In terms of recruiting healthcare professionals to Oswego County, Dey said it is imperative to demonstrate some of the favorable lifestyle factors to living in the Oswego area. Dey said both Oswego Health and NOCHSI have set up a vigorous training program while making efforts to reach out and attract students, residents, and nurse practitioner and physician assistant students in order to get them acquainted, trained and ultimately employed here in the county someday. Change is the constant — 2014 was a year of challenge and change for the healthcare sector in Oswego County, according to Ellen Holst, senior director of health and nutrition services at Oswego County Opportunities. “Healthcare entities saw a great deal of planning and change in the structure and delivery of health care both at the federal and state level,” Holst said. The ACA began to more be fully im-
plemented with emphasis on healthcare reform, including the establishment of online healthcare exchanges intended to assist residents with enrollment in the healthcare marketplace, she said. Holst said expanded electronic medical records and corresponding technology will lead to enhanced, secure access by patients to their records and their providers through Internet-based patient portals. These portals “allow for ease in accessing patient information such as lab and radiology studies by primary care and specialty providers,” Holst said. “This will decrease both the need for and expense of repeating diagnostic tests and procedures.” Holst said to expect change to continue, and that education will need to play a major role in success for 2015. “In this rapidly changing delivery and payment system era, each of us needs to fully understand our roles and responsibilities when engaging in the utilization of healthcare,” Holst said. “Success will be seen through prevention and disease management, and strategic coalition building will continue.”
Education
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
SUNY Oswego had the highest number of first-year student applicants in over 40 years 2014 was an up year for the Oswego County’s education sector as the economy continues to recover, according to Deborah F. Stanley, president of SUNY Oswego. SUNY Oswego had the highest number of first-year student applicants in over 40 years. Stanley said SUNY Oswego’s student-teacher candidates, particularly in certain high-need areas such as special education, English as a Second Language, foreign language, technology education, mathematics and the sciences, are often being hired soon after they graduate. “The demand for teachers appears to be on a slow and steady increase, and this trend is projected to continue through the next decade,” she said. Policy makers continue to emphasize education at all levels as the key to economic progress for individuals, communities and nations and offer proposals — such as free community FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
college and college loan forgiveness — to promote educational attainment, Stanley said. SUNY Oswego in 2014 received a $2.9 million federal “First in the World” grant to partner with community colleges to improve college completion rates in Stanley Upstate New York. It was one of 24 awards under the U.S. Department of Education’s First in the World Program. “Indirectly, the vitality of education institutions impacts other sectors of the economy, such as construction,” Stanley said. In 2014, Tyler Hall, home of SUNY Oswego’s fine and performing arts programs, and Waterbury Hall, a residence hall, closed for a combined total of $31 million in renovations in the college’s ongoing campus renewal. After a two-year, $17.5 million modernization, Park Hall reopened in 2014 as a new home for the school of education. ‘With Passion and Purpose’ — SUNY Oswego launched the public phase of a $40 million campaign titled “With Passion and Purpose,” which included alumnus Al Roker returning to campus for live national broadcasts and the 10th annual O’Donnell Media Summit with Roker and other media experts, including Charlie Rose, who received an honorary degree. Contributing to “With Passion and Purpose” was a $7.5 million estate gift establishing the Lorraine and Nunzio Marano Endowment and naming the Marano Campus Center. The endowment will primarily fund scholarships, especially for students who are the first in their families to attend college, Stanley said. START-UP NY was another exciting development, she noted. In 2014, Empire State Development approved Oswego’s START-UP NY campus plan, and the college began reviewing applications from businesses interested in partnering with the college in this economic development initiative. “We anticipate establishing our first START-UP NY partnerships with new FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Progress
or expanding businesses very soon,” Stanley said. The college president noted that higher education institutions increasingly are partnering with business and industry to develop the workforce in a more targeted way and to join with them in research and development. “This is a trend that has been building for years, and includes Oswego’s professional science master’s degrees and our MBA and engineering programs, which we launched and continue to evolve in response to and in collaboration with the business sector,” she said. An example of this is SUNY Oswego delivering MBA courses on site at SRC Inc. in 2014. In synch with business — SUNY Oswego is developing new programs such as a bachelor’s degree in advanced manufacturing management. Stanley said the college’s Advanced Wireless Systems Research Center is getting under way in 2015 with both teaching and research missions. “SUNY Oswego’s partnership with the Port of Oswego Authority holds the potential for expanding agricultural exports from this region,” she added. “The education sector will thrive as our communities thrive,” she said. “Growing business and industry, jobs and a productive workforce in our Upstate communities will in turn make for vibrant K-12 schools which send well-prepared and motivated students on to post-secondary education. “At SUNY Oswego, we have strong partnerships with schools throughout Oswego County and around the state. An example is Team Sheldon, a consortium of leaders from our school of education, superintendents from the Oswego City District, Oswego county schools, and CiTi (formerly Oswego County BOCES), which remains vital and strong.” Another example is the Oswego Writing Institute, which was highly successful this past summer, bringing together pre-K-16 educators from across New York state, Stanley said. The institute was aligned to common core learning standards as a professional development opportunity for K-16 educators. “We have received many requests
from school administrators who would like our teacher candidates to be immersed in their school settings for longer periods of time,” Stanley said. “This has proven mutually beneficial given the increased needs in public school classrooms, and we are collaborating to find innovative ways to increase clinically rich practicum experiences for our student-teacher candidates.”
Nonprofits
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Sector has a “fairly positive year” An influx of new revenue streams is making life a bit more comfortable for Oswego County’s nonprofit sector. Jeffrey Grimshaw is the director of the Office of Business and Community Relations at SUNY Oswego. Grimshaw characterized the nonprofit sector in Oswego County in 2014 as having enjoyed a “fairly positive year.” “We continue to grow in our supports, one being the creation of the Oswego County Community Foundation,” he said. The fund is administered through the Central New York Community Foundation. “It has the ability to provide those supports that were not there before,” he said. Meanwhile, the Richard S. Shineman Foundation, established in 2012, has made significant grants to local organizations. Its most significant contributions in 2014 were to the Oswego Renaissance Association ($150,000) and the Oswego County Community Foundation ($100,000). “These are very positive trends in what’s happening in the nonprofit world in Oswego County,” Grimshaw Grimshaw said. Also having a significant impact on the county’s nonprofit sector is the recently legislated Nonprofit Revitaliza73
tion Act, which was passed by the state legislature in 2013 and implemented in 2014. The act is designed to reform the statutory requirements for the governance of nonprofit organizations and modernizes and clarifies some rules applicable to nonprofits. “It added some more restrictions and requirements on nonprofits, particularly smaller ones,” Grimshaw said. “A lot of them were not aware of them or became aware of them quite late in the game.” “It was an up and down sort of year when it came to the status of nonprofits,” he said. A trend in the nonprofit world is toward sustainability, not just in Oswego County, but across the country, Grimshaw said. He said that is the message that needs to be understood by nonprofits, which are no different from any other business. “Asking for grant funding to maintain an organization is not an option anymore,” he said. “Realistically, it’s about finding ways to create an organization that is self-sustaining.” Grimshaw said the bulk of the work nonprofits do is viTrexler tally important to the groups they service, whether they are the disabled, seniors or youth. “If you rely on funding in the form of a grant that you have to continually ask for, it could be a disservice to those groups if the funding goes away,” he said. “They really have to have a longterm sustainability plan to continue those services long past the initial startup phase, which is what grant funding should only be used for,” he added. The nonprofit sector is becoming increasingly competitive as demand for services increases. The United Way of Greater Oswego County has experienced a decrease in giving over the past year or so. “People are looking for a good investment, not that the United Way isn’t one,” Grimshaw said. “It’s one that has been around a long time and you do get some ‘donor fatigue’ in some situations as well.” When the area has new donor organizations starting up, they become competition for some of those funding 74
streams, he said. “Grant and fund development is a business activity that features competition,” he said. Donors have the option to give to either large, national organizations such as the American Red Cross or United Way, or to organizations such as the Oswego County Community Foundation. “There is constant competition amongst those organizations to get people interested in what their purpose is and what their goals are,” he added. Grimshaw said younger people are more actively engaged in nonprofits as opposed to just being asked to fund an operation. People want to know what is in the community and how can they impact it, he said. “They are not any less prone to be volunteers than in the past. It’s just that there are a lot of different opportunities out there,” he added. Grimshaw said the real challenge for nonprofits is getting the younger generations and millenials involved in what they are doing. “It’s a marketing issue more than anything else,” he said. “Successful nonprofits have created clear pathways.” Grimshaw said it is vital that people are given a clear choice to actively engage with nonprofits. “It’s not just about writing a check,” he said. He said some of the more successful nonprofit organizations, such as the Oswego Renaissance Association and ARISE, appeal to folks because of the opportunity to activity participate in a hands-on fashion. Grimshaw said a prime example of that interconnectivity is ARISE and its Oswego County ramp program. “It’s about people dong real work and affecting real lives in our community directly,” Grimshaw said. United front — Melanie Trexler, executive director of the United Way of Greater Oswego County, said 2014 was a “very challenging” year. “The demand for services continues to rise,” she said. Trexler said the area’s workforce is diminishing through attrition while its population is decreasing. “Yet even though our revenue was not what we wished it would be, United Way was still able to provide funding to a number of local agency programs thanks to our donors,” she said. “By ensuring that we receive the most return on the donor dollars we invest, United Way
focuses on supporting programs that provide measurable results and serve those most in need in our county.” Trexler said United Way is in the process of implementing a valuable resource for Oswego County, the 2-1-1 phone system. In essence, the 2-1-1 system works as a 9-1-1 system for human services, which range from services for youth and seniors to critical services such as medical assistance, food or shelter. “The 2-1-1 system will assist in connecting those in need with services they require,” she said. In terms of projections, Trexler said United Way is focused on generating results that positively impact Oswego County. “To accomplish that, we are looking to expand our donor base and engage young people by educating them on the importance of a healthy community and how that impacts the quality of life for everyone,” she said. United Way’s mission of ending hunger, helping youth succeed and improving the overall health and well being of the community benefits everyone, Trexler said. “By helping others, we help our community and ourselves. We do have significant challenges, but by demonstrating the positive impact that United Way has and the powerful results that United Way funded programs produce, we can overcome our challenges and continue our mission of making Oswego County a better place to live,” she added. Trexler is departing her post in April to explore other career options. She served United Way for 12 years, eight as its executive director.
Public Relations/ Marketing
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Local, established agencies forecast growth in 2015 John DeRousie, owner of Custom Marketing Solutions in Oswego, characterized the public relations/marketing sector in Oswego County in 2014 as having a positive year. “The number of business and employees in the public relations and FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Progress marketing sector has increased, and while there is more competition, there is enough need for these services to sustain us,” he said. “As for my business, I was fortunate enough to be able to add clients in 2014.” DeRousie said in a tight economy, DeRousie competition for consumers’ disposable income and donor dollars can be intense. “Business owners need to convince consumers that they will benefit more by purchasing the products or services that they offer,” he said. “Likewise, nonprofit agencies and orChirello ganizations must educate community members about the programs and services they offer and how donating to its mission is the best way to support the community.” For businesses, it’s all about increasing their share of the market and growing their bottom line, DeRousie said. For Stepien nonprofits, it’s about raising awareness and educating people on how its programs and services enhance the community, he added. “Effective use of public relations and a marketing plan will assist them in doing just that,” he noted. DeRousie said the choices of media and amount of ways now available to disseminate information have grown exponentially and there will be even progress in 2015. DeRousie said he is optimistic and believes 2015 will be a good year. “The creation of new businesses FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
and desire of current businesses to grow rather than maintain the status quo will play a major role in the level of success this sector sees in 2015,” he said. Additionally, opportunities for funding, grants and significant donations may provide the impetus for nonprofits and other organizations to step up their public relations and marketing efforts as they seek to raise awareness and successfully compete for those additional funds, DeRousie added. Social media will continue to have an impact and will be scrutinized even closer to determine which platforms perform best for specific types of businesses, he said. “Once that is determined, you will find more business and organizations using social media as a viable supplement to their marketing and public relations efforts,” DeRousie said. Social media craze — Steve Chirello, owner of Steve Chirello Advertising in Fulton, said his agency experienced a stable year in 2014, with some growth. “Among the most exciting developments was the availability of more digital ways to target and reach our audiences,” he said. “There have been refinements in everything from keyword targeting, to mobile device advertising, to Facebook advertising.” Chirello said the younger demographic, those who are 18 to 25 years old, are showing a shift in social media preferences from Facebook to Twitter and Instagram. “These avenues gain more importance as the average consumer spends more time on mobile devices and wants instant answers,” he said. “In fact, about 80 percent of television viewers are also on a mobile device or laptop.” Chirello added there have also been new opportunities for sending messages online in streaming services like Hulu Plus. In terms of projections for 2015, Chirello said he has seen a strong surge in interest and projects early in the first quarter. “If it stays at this level, it will be a growth year. The strongest outside influences, however, remain the health of the local economy and the confidence of clients to invest in marketing and public
relations to grow their businesses,” he said. “I have seen client confidence on the rise.” Best year ever — Shane R. Stepien, president of Step One Creative in Oswego, said his business had a “very solid year, with double-digit revenue growth in 2014, and our company’s strongest year ever with regard to capitalized billings. “We continue to see growth in marketing expenditures and initiatives with our existing client base, and have also benefited from new clients in this region, as well as western and southern New York.” Stepien said new branding programs, ad campaigns, expanded public relations partnerships, corporate events and a variety of other projects highlighted 2014. “We have a lot of fun doing what we do at Step One Creative, and are fortunate to have a broad client base with regard to industry type, so every day is truly a new day, filled with exciting developments,” he noted. Stepien said his team is poised to think positive and be enthusiastic as 2015 unfolds. “Step One Creative’s projections and goals for 2015 are to eclipse last year’s record year,” he said. “We believe the diversity of our client base, expanded markets, project pipeline and overall business model will provide for a successful 2015.”
Manufacturing
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Steady as she goes: Sector shows incremental growth The manufacturing sector in the Central New York region showed stability in 2014 with incremental growth, according to Randy Wolken, president of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York. MACNY serves approximately 330 companies with 55,000 employees in a 26-county region in Upstate New York. “One of the strategic advantages we have in the region are strong small and medium-sized firms which took 75
advantage of a stable environment to grow incrementally and add production capacity and jobs,” he said. “Most people are telling me they had a good and stable year, but not necessarily with huge ups or downs.” Wolken is also president of the reWolken cently formed Manufacturers Alliance of New York, which is a coalition of manufacturing groups representing over 1,500 companies in 47 counties in New York state. While the global market has weakened, the market in the United States has strengthened in terms of its economic environment, Wolken said. Driving significant growth are advancements in new technology from wireless to biopharmaceuticals, he noted. Key to success in 2015 on the manufacturing front will be continued economic growth in the U.S. along with positive legislation in Washington. “There is a real opportunity for tax reform, especially on the corporate level,” Wolken said. “This could drive significant growth and stability.” He said the federal budget appears to be manageable, and it looks as if efforts are being made to narrow the budget deficit. Wolken also forecasts infrastructure investment on a nationwide level, which also spurs economic growth. He said on the state level, Albany has a balanced budget and is projecting a surplus this year. “We’re looking at significant investment and you’ll see infrastructure investment that the governor has proposed with accommodation by the legislature,” he noted. Cuomo committed an historic $1 billion investment in the Buffalo-area economy to create thousands of jobs and spur billions in new investment and economic activity over several years. Cuomo would like to do what he has done in Buffalo and invest in other regions as well. He recently announced plans for a new $1.5 billion Upstate economic revitalization competition. The competition is modeled after the governor’s “Buffalo Billion” initiative. Seven Upstate regional economic development councils — Central New York, Mid-Hudson, Capital, Mohawk 76
Valley, North Country, Southern Tier and Finger Lakes — are eligible to compete. Three of the regions will be selected winners and receive $500 million apiece. Cuomo will include the competition in this year’s budget proposal that was presented to the legislature. If approved, the deadline for applications will be July 1. Winners will be announced in September. Money for the competition would come from New York’s $5.6 billion windfall from recent bank settlements. Wolken said the Central New York region has a solid chance at getting at least one of the funding initiatives. While the proposed measure will require a significant investment at the state level, Wolken said organizations are also expected to step up such as SUNY Polytechnic Institute in the Utica/Rome region. The public research university is generating millions of dollars of investment and is becoming as large in scope as the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany. Other initiatives that may be earmarked for funding through the governor’s new plan include Federal Aviation Administration-backed commercial drone testing being done at Griffiss International Airport in Rome. “A lot of technology companies throughout the region could also make significant investments, especially if the state is going to step up,” he said. Drawing cards — Foreign investment in the Central New York region continues to trend upwards as companies such as K&N’s Foods USA (Pakistan) and Teti Bakery (Canada) establish U.S. sites for the first time. Wolken said fueling this trend is a highly capable workforce “that has a history of making things and doing it well.” “We have strong school systems, which contribute both to the desirability of our region as well as its future,” he noted. “Those are things we sometimes take for granted vis-à-vis other parts of the country and world.” Technological advancements have resulted in substantial progress with several manufacturers throughout the region. Novelis, a world-class aluminum fabricator and recycler, is making significant platform investments in its operations at Oswego Works in Scriba as the automotive industry leans toward lighter vehicles. Inficon, a leading provider of inOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
strumentation, sensor technologies and advanced process control software for a variety of industries, has invested $20 million to build an addition to its existing facility in East Syracuse. “A lot of the investment comes because technology keeps evolving and the technologies that are available now to be put into product commercialization continue to expand,” he said. “Those companies that are being innovative are able to make reinvestments and be part of the growth in the technology sector.” Wolken said the U.S. is still the No. 1 destination for direct foreign investment. He said the CNY region is ideal for the food production and high-tech sectors because of the availability of market, protection of intellectual property and the stability that comes with the U.S. economy. Wolken said to expect growth in the agribusiness sector, which is strengthened in the region by availability of raw materials, stability of the marketplace and use of technology. “The U.S. has a tendency to be a highly-productive economy where we use a lot of capital, technology and highly-skilled labor vis-à-vis other parts of the world,” he noted. A German-based company, Marquardt Switches in Cazenovia, which makes high-end electronic systems for cars, is an example of a high-tech foreign company that is benefitting from a stable growth market and labor force. “If the U.S. can continue to compete, then expect those trends to continue,” Wolken said. The MACNY helps various manufacturers interact with each other while learning best practices. Manufacturers also grow from a training and investment standpoint thanks to MACNY. “We are an organization that helps them both connect to each other to see the innovations within each other’s facilities and to learn from each other and build networks,” he said. “We connect them to each other in a meaningful way,” he said. “Many of them are not competitors. They just exist in an ecosystem where if everyone is doing better, they will do better.” Even after personnel are educated and hired, staff still needs to continue to grow in terms of the use of equipment and employing lean manufacturing practices, Wolken said. MACNY creates the learning and networking environment that serves as an effective resource for manufacturers, Wolken said. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Progress Real Estate Home sales up, median sales price slightly down The Oswego County real estate market is on stable ground, according to Flo Farley of Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate and immediate past president of the Oswego County Board of Realtors. The total number of home sales was up from 2013 by 5.6 percent and the homeowner received 93.8 percent of their list price when selling a property, Farley said. However, the median sales price was down slightly to $93,000, she noted. “Of course, there are pockets within the county that are doing much better,” she said. “Over the long term, our county has always been a very stable market. Farley We do not see those large bubbles and downturns in our real property values.” Farley, a committee member with the New York State Association of Realtors, noted that in early February of this year, the average sale price for a home in zip code 13126 was $101,387 and increasing. She said there were several exciting developments in the area over the past year. The Novelis expansion and the contract that it has to produce the Ford F150 truck has allowed for a better employment outlook for 2015, she said. In addition, SUNY Oswego continues to be listed on a number of best schools lists, including Kiplinger’s best value education list for 2015. “They also provide expertise to businesses looking to participate in the Start-Up NY program that provides tax savings,” Farley said. “Oswego Health continues to grow and bring great, young families to our FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
communities,” she said. “The governor and legislature continue to work with the Port of Oswego Authority to improve and expand its services. These are just a few examples of companies committed to hiring in our area.” Farley is also a member of the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors. Lawrence Yun, economist for the National Association of Realtors, sees continued improvement as 2015 unfolds. Farley said interest rates are again going to be “incredibly low.” During the first week of February, she received rates from mortgage companies as low as 2.875 percent for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage and 3.25 percent for a 30-year Federal Housing Administration fixed rate. “Potential buyers couldn’t invest at a better time,” Farley said. “For all of us to continue to enjoy a successful 2015, our state, regional and local government leaders need to continue to work together to bring good, solid jobs to the area and consolGalloway idate services which might help with the taxes that New Yorkers pay. “We all need to spend our money with local business owners, not just on ‘Small Business Saturday’, but year round,” Farley said. “Let’s hope the governor’s proposed plan to reward graduates who attend school in New York and work in New York after graduation goes through.” Under the governor’s proposal, the state would cover two years of loan payments for graduates of New York state colleges who make less than $50,000 a year, continue to live in the state and are enrolled in the federal “Pay as You Earn” program. She said young families who are ready to buy a home often have such heavy student loan debt that they need to defer that home purchase. “Perhaps the two-year assistance OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
plan will help. Any time we can invest in education and keep our best and brightest in the county, we all benefit,” Farley noted. Farley also urged local residents to take the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council survey on the expansion of broadband access. “The constant demand for more bandwidth needs to be addressed in order for our digital, Web and mobile business interests to grow and thrive,” she said. Connie Ryan of Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego is the 2015 president of the Oswego County Board of Realtors. Steady course — William Galloway, broker and owner of Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego, said the local real estate sector featured a stable market in 2014. He said his office increased its market share, but the market itself was stable in residential and commercial real estate. “The reason the area has remained stable over the past year was because of the increase in employees relocating to the area and the interest rates and cost of purchasing a home have remained the same from the year before,” he said. Galloway said he has noticed a renewed interest in the local market from investors and developers. “There is a movement from investors to create more adequate housing and the new construction market seems to be trying to start back up at this time,” he added. Projecting into 2015, Galloway said the real estate sector in Oswego County remains stable. A positive development that occurred in January was that a lobby of local realtors was able to persuade the Oswego County Legislature not to enact a county mortgage tax increase. “What could be more effective is if county legislators and city councilors make actual cuts in budgets that would reduce taxes and fees, instead of increasing fees and taxes to try to maintain programs or departments that are unaffordable,” Galloway said. “This would make our area more attractive for buyers than neighboring counties,” he said. 77
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David Holder, president of the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau, summed up the tourism sector in Central New York during 2014 in one word: Tricky. Holder said a “brutally cold” first quarter combined with a “softening” Canadian dollar in the fourth quarter leveled near-record growth levels of summer and fall travel to the region. “In the end, the year was fairly flat,” he said. “Tourism construction projects continued to see a significant amount of attention in 2014 and the resulting growth in inventory Holder and attractions will need strategic promotional investment to create sustainable increases in tourism business for everyone,” Holder said. Projecting into 2015, Holder said regional planning and branding will dominate the destination headlines. “The culminaClerkin tion of a long-awaited regional branding project will reshape how the area as a whole is communicated,” he noted. The counties of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council are also joining forces to create a research-based regional strategic plan that will guide tourism efforts over the next three to four years, Holder added. “Hotel room supply will be increasing over the coming year and new attrac-
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
tions will help to show why diverse activity options are our primary unique asset,” he said. Holder said if the recent drop in gas prices sticks around for a while, 2015 could be a banner year. “The regional collaboration is at an all-time high and new products will make the area more competitive,” he said. “Branding will create a new mystique for the region that will drive regional pride and destination appeal.” In Oswego County — If room tax is any indication of how healthy a county’s tourism sector is, then Oswego County is showing robust growth. Total room tax collected between December 2013 and November 2014 was $369,938.60, a 16.8 percent increase over the same period in 2013. Janet Clerkin, tourism and public information coordinator for Oswego County, said 2014 was a “good year for many of our partners.” Visitation at Fort Ontario was up more than 12 percent. “The lower gas prices and Path Through History’s promotion of Oswego’s historic sites are two of the factors that contributed to the increase,” Clerkin noted. She noted the travel industry is predicted to be “very robust” for 2015 and 2016. The county’s tourism and public information office is launching a regional visitor study with Young Strategies, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in tourism destinations. The tourism offices of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison, Cortland and Oswego) are working together to conduct a regional visitor study with the goal of developing a regional tourism plan. “The research project will give us valuable information about where our visitors are coming from, why they are coming to Oswego County, where they’re staying, how much money they spend and how we compare to other CNY counties,” Clerkin said. Clerkin recently took the consultants on a familiarization tour of Oswego County, and the county hosted a meeting with local tourism partners in Oswego to explain the project. “As part of the project, we’re asking businesses and attractions who are willing to provide a link from their social media to post a visitor survey, or distribute the survey, to their 2014 visitors,” she added. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Progress
OPEN 12 MONTHS The chamber head said there are many people focused on improving the quality of life in their communities. “I believe we need to work in a collaborative, supportive manner to ensure these great ideas have the opportunity to succeed and grow our communities,” he said. “I have had the benefit of participating in a number of groups in 2014 and this year that are working toward enhancing our area and I am excited to be a part of it and believe there will be great results. “The key is to communicate, work together and stay on course and 2015 will be a great year.” Trending upward — John Halleron, senior small business adviser at the Small Business Development Center at SUNY Oswego, said 2014 was a “very stable growth year” in terms of new or existing businesses that have opened or expanded. “The interesting fact about those businesses is that they range from retail to technology and everything in between,” he said. Halleron noted he has seen an increased interest in lending from local banks and credit unions that makes it more enticing to get into business. “We are very fortunate in Oswego County to have lending institutions that support the needs of local business,” he said. Halleron said the wide range of businesses that started or expanded is an exciting development. “This serves to encourage those wishing to start a business or even better, to expand an existing business knowing that everyone is in the game,” he said. Halleron said based upon projects he has been in on or has seen coming down the pike, 2015 looks to be a “great year.” “We have what is needed to make this happen. The lenders, development agencies and the SBDC continue to work in concert to make things happen,” he said. “SUNY Oswego stands ready to provide its resources to those who need assistance. “If we needed anything, it would be more individuals who are willing to take a risk and put their ideas into practice.
Small Business Chamber leader: ‘Positive vibe in our communities’ Small business is the backbone of the economy and that is truly the case in small communities in Oswego County, according to Greg Mills, executive director of the Greater Oswego Chamber of Commerce. “I believe 2014 was a good year for our downtowns,” Mills said. “We see a lot of activity and there are few vacancies. “We have seen some small businesses relocate or close in 2014, but I feel there is a very positive vibe in our communities and feel the coming year will be a continuation of the momentum of 2014.” Mills said the Oswego Renaissance Association has made a positive impact on neighborhoods and helps to build pride and confidence as well Mills as encourage people to invest in their homes. Mills said he recently attended a meeting of Fulton FYI, a small group of Fulton residents identifying opportunities to improve their community and build enthusiasm in the many resources available. Halleron “Both of these groups provide a platform to support their communities, build pride in their homes with the desired result of building value for the people who live there and attract people to want to live there,” Mills said. “As a result, small business gains customers and our communities build pride and we flourish.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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Oswego: Taking Stock of Housing Mayor: Major housing renovation restores pride in Oswego neighborhoods By Lou Sorendo
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swego City Mayor Thomas Gillen is taking serious stock of the situation. Upgrading the city’s housing stock and neighborhoods has been on the mayor’s radar throughout his tenure as Oswego’s leader. The city has formed a partnership with the Oswego Renaissance Association (ORA) toward that end. Buoyed by funding by the Richard S. Shineman Foundation and a significant volunteer effort, the city and ORA have been successful in encouraging people
to reinvest in their homes. “The message here is: If we’re not willing to invest in our own city, why would anyone else want to invest in our city?” Gillen said. The ORA, in partnership with Pathfinder Bank, Novelis and other partners, has begun a multi-year program for revitalizing the city. Grants are available to homeowners in designated areas targeted for revitalization. “The focus isn’t to tell people to fix up their homes. It is to help them
Taking it To the Streets City of Oswego buoyed by state Route 104 beautification project By Lou Sorendo
C
ity of Oswego Mayor Thomas Gillen wants residents to be street savvy. Savvy in the sense of realizing how beautification efforts can have a dramatic impact on economic development. The city of Oswego has been awarded a grant of $225,000 to fund the Complete Streets Plan to facilitate greater access to the downtown area along the state Route 104 corridor. The grant will be used in part to encourage the use of alternative means of transportation, particularly walking paths and bike lanes. As part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2014 Regional Economic Development Council awards, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has awarded support for sustainability projects in Central New York under Cuomo’s “Cleaner, Greener Communities,” a major statewide initia-
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tive to invest in smart growth planning and sustainability. The plan is designed to enhance community and regional access to the city center and encourage the use of active transportation such as walking and biking Route 104 — or Bridge Street — is regarded as Main Street in Oswego. “Main Street is a reflection of who you are as a community,” Gillen said. The mayor said design work is needed and it is “imperative that we do it professionally.” Amy Birdsall, the city’s new zoning and planning director, is spearheading the initiative. She is an architect who formerly worked for firms in Vail and Aspen, Colo. The project will be put out to bid to design firms in February. A plan will then be developed that can be utilized as a backbone for obtaining additional OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
believe in their homes again,” Gillen said. “That is the spirit behind it.” “There are matching funds, but it is more than that. It’s more than just giving someone financial aid to fix up their homes,” he said. Residents must be willing to partner together in order to access grant funding, Gillen said. Collectively through the process, residents are adding value to their neighborhood and getting to know each other again, the mayor said. “We are connecting as a community again as friends and neighbors, from the inside out, instead of just being a place to live,” he said. The city has also been expending time and resources in upgrading parks while bolstering police foot patrols to add security. The city has adopted a Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee to improve living conditions. Here is a glance at some of the more significant developments on the city of Oswego’s economic development scene.
grant monies to complete the project. “By summertime, we’ll at least have the document so we can start soliciting bids to do this,” the mayor said. The plan is tied intricately to many other aspects of development. “Our county is regarded as one of the least healthy counties in New York state,” Gillen said. “We want to promote a walking downtown as well as bike paths. We want a healthy city as well as a beautiful city.” In connecting the eastside to the west, Gillen will strive to create unified aesthetics along the city’s main corridor in efforts to attract people. While the city is well armed with parks, historic buildings and walkways along the linear parks, the use of aesthetics will be explored in order to create a positive vibe in the city, the mayor added. The work is expected to save energy, reduce carbon emissions and reduce storm water runoff. Key elements include paving materials, trees and landscaping. “One of the things we are taking a good look at are traffic patterns,” he said. “Walking across Bridge Street can be intimidating. We did modify it with new signals, and now it’s all about aesthetics and how to complement a gracious lifestyle.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Progress Let the Good Times Roll Fulton brings Lake Neatahwanta back to life By Lou Sorendo
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or Fultonians, the good old days may just be returning. Lake Neatahwanta, once the center of recreational activity in the city until the late 1980s, is continuing to be dredged in efforts to make it viable for residents and visitors again. Recreation Park, a city-owned facility on the banks of Lake Neatahwanta, once hosted an amphitheatre, amusement park, indoor skating/ dancing rink as well as the county fair grounds. In its earlier years, the American Woolen Mills contributed greatly to the development and upkeep of Recreation Park during the mid-20th Century. Fulton Mayor Ronald Woodward said Lake Neahtawanta during its heyday was regarded as “the Coney Island of Upstate New York.” “We just need to bring it back to where it’s usable and get rid of that black eye,” he said. For more than 25 years, the beaches surrounding Lake Neatahwanta have been closed to the public due to poor water quality resulting from excess sediment clogging the openings of natural springs. The lake project started late in 2014 mainly because of a delayed permitting process with the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Nonetheless, two 300-square-foot grids that were mapped out for the project were dredged of 20,000 cubic yards of sediment. “It restored the original depth of the lake in those areas,” Woodward said. “We still have a lot of people that are fishing the lake,” he said. “The lake is not contaminated from chemicals. It’s just got nutrients in it.” Woodward’s confidence was boosted after $20,000 worth of sampling from the material extracted from the water FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
showed no chemical contamination. The mayor said to expect water to be suitable for swimming in 2016. “It is very near and dear to the Fulton public,” Woodward said. “Once we started dredging, we had swarms of people all through the dredging season watching the operation.” “There is a lot of community support through this whole thing,” said Joe Fiumara, director of community development for the city of Fulton. The dredging contract was set for the first 10,000 cubic yards of sediment to
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be dredged, with a cost of an additional $12.89 per cubic yard if there was enough time in the season and money available to have the dredge company remove even more sludge. Fiumara said a donation campaign called “One Yard at a Time for $12.89” was held, and local residents could donate as little as $12.89 to have their own cubic yard of sediment dredged out. “It didn’t entitle them to that cubic yard, but it gave them a sense of ownership of the project,” he noted. “The more people you bring into the city, the more businesses are going to benefit,” Woodward said. “We’ve seen this with a lot of events and we look at the numbers.” The city of Fulton does not collect sales tax. Rather, the county does and shares proceeds with towns, villages and the city of Fulton as part of a sales tax distribution agreement. If totals exceed a certain amount, the city receives more funds.
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Health Insurance: Region is in Better Shape Study by Excellus shows a higher number of people with health insurance coverage compared to other counties in the country
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pstate New York’s health insurance coverage rate for residents younger than age 65 continued to eclipse the national rate by more than 7 percentage points in the final year of U.S. census data collected just before federal and state exchanges were opened for business by federal health care reform, according to a report issued in February by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. The report, based on the latest set of 2013 data, will serve as a baseline in determining future gains in providing access to health coverage following the implementation of federal health care reform with the opening of exchanges in 2014. “Our region is in much better shape than most of the country,” said Christopher Booth, chief executive officer of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “We’re already where the nation wants to be by the year 2024.” Booth was referring to a Congressional Budget Office report which predicted that health insurance coverage rates for the U.S. population younger than 65 would reach 89 percent by the year 2024. In 2013, Upstate New York’s comparable insured rate was 90.8 percent. The report points out that the upstate New York region studied has a population larger than 28 other states, but its uninsured rate is lower than all states in the nation, excluding Massachusetts and the less populous states of Vermont and Hawaii. The Excellus BlueCross BlueShield report also looked at the three-year averages for health insurance coverage (2011-2013) for all age groups. Upstate New York’s uninsured rate of 8.1 percent was significantly below the state uninsured rate (11 percent) and the national rate (14.8 percent). “What that means,” said Booth, “is that 324,000 more Upstate New Yorkers have health insurance than would have coverage if we were at the national FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Several years ago, the education and healthcare sectors in Oswego County — commonly referred to as “eds and meds” — were the leaders in fueling the local economy. “It’s certainly a continuing trend, but what’s not happening right now is the construction aspect with facilities because they’ve been built,” said L. Michael Treadwell, the executive director of Operation Oswego County. Over the years, Oswego Health has built complexes from the Manor at Seneca Hill to health care centers in Central Square and Fulton. “The construction phase aspect for health care is certainly at this point in time not as dominant as it was a few years ago,” he said. Nonetheless, Oswego Health still stands as the No. 1 private sector employer in Oswego County with 1,177 workers. “All sectors have growth spurts, and at this point in time, the health care industry’s growth spurt has flattened out,” he said. “But it’s still growing in the sense that it is still looking at ways to enhance and improve health care services that are available in Oswego County in terms of new equipment, technology and things of that nature.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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rate.”In addition, the report contains information on the percent of the population that has health insurance through an employer. Upstate New York’s employer-based health insurance coverage rate of 61.3 percent compared favorably to the state rate of 57 percent and national rate of 54.5 percent, according to the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield analysis. “We have 330,000 more Upstate New Yorkers covered due to job-based benefits than we’d have if we were at the national rate for employer-based coverage,” said Booth. Upstate New York, for purposes of analysis, was defined as an area bounded by Buffalo to the west, Utica to the east, Binghamton to the south and the Adirondacks to the north. To view the report, “The Facts About Health Insurance Coverage in Upstate New York,” and an entire library of fact sheets on health, wellness and health care cost and access issues, go to ExcellusBCBS.com/factsheets.
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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
Success Story
The Kallet Theater in Pulaski
Lights, Camera, Action! Back to Life, Theater Becomes Big Draw
A
ll the world’s a stage, including the newly renovated Kallet Theater and Conference Center in Pulaski. The Kallet closed in 1984 after being a popular entertainment venue since 1935. The space situated along the Salmon River was then used intermittently as a FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
yoga studio and auto parts store before V-Squared Management LLC stepped in and purchased it in 2011 for $65,000. At that point, the historic structure was in dilapidated condition. After an investment of more than $2 million, the theater is back in action once again. The state provided grants and loans totaling about $780,000. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
By Lou Sorendo
V-Squared Management LLC features the father-won team of Vincent and Vinny Lobdell. Vincent, a Pulaski resident, is CEO and chairman of Healthway. His son Vinny is the global president of Healthway Home Products and PURE Global headquartered in Pulaski. “We really believe in and love the Pulaski community,” said Vinny, who grew up in the village. Chris Baker, a writer for the Syracuse Post-Standard, said the Lobdells “took the theater from a Pulaski eyesore to a Salmon River knockout.” Lobdell said the theatrer building was in great disrepair and an eyesore to the point where community members were contemplating tearing it down. “We wanted to bring culture and community back to the village,” he said. “It is an amazing little village with one of the best natural resources in the Salmon River.” “Our original ambition was to bring it back to life and create a space where people can come and enjoy culture and community,” he said. “If you go and look at some of these beautiful small communities around the United States and view small theatres that have been redone, they are such a vibrant point in the community,” he added. “This was a tremendous amount of work,” Lobdell said. “If you were to ask us if we would do a theatre again amongst all the things we do in our daily lives, we’d probably say no. “This is more a gift to the community.” Lobdell said the theater has received a high level of community support from all across Central New York. “We have become a main focal point 85
for culture and entertainment,” he said. “The Syracuse Post-Standard rated us one of the most intimate places to see music in Central New York in our first year.” Lobdell said restoring the historical integrity of the Kallet Theater and its retro look has provided a connection to the village’s past. “When we first turned on the lights at the Kallet and opened the doors, people were literally across the street crying,” he said. “They were coming to us saying they were here 50 years ago and what an amazing thing this is for the community.” He said many from the area have been sending letters thanking the Lobdells for bringing back a historical focal point in the community. “We set this up to serve the com-
munity,” he said. The theater employs four full-time workers and about 30 part-time employees. Unique approach — The multi-purpose facility does not feature theater seating but rather a banquet-type table layout. “We want a venue where people can come and have a wedding, enjoy a rock concert or country show, or take in a play. We can accommodate any type of event,” he said. The theater has a standing-room capacity of about 700. “Our goal for this facility is to be a very intimate, classy establishment. When you are here, you don’t feel like you are here. We transport you,” he said. The Kallet Theater is featuring everything from national performing
acts like the Marshall Tucker Band, Bret Michaels and The Little River Band to weekend movies to community festivals. Doug Gray, lead vocalist for the Marshall Tucker Bank, said, “I’ve been playing music for 35 years, and there is no place I’d rather play than Pulaski and The Kallet Theater.” Lobdell noted that when Bret Michaels and the Marshall Tucker Band played, they also interacted with the audience. “You’re not coming to a concert. You are coming to a party with the band,” he said. “We already have 15 weddings booked for next year. We didn’t think we would be a venue for weddings, but people have taken to it,” he said. It is also hosting proms this year. The facility’s full-service kitchen
Vinny Lobdell (photo) and his father Vincent, own the Kallet Theater.- “We really believe in and love the Pulaski community,” said Vinny, who grew up in the village. 86
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
The Kallet Theater closed in 1984 after being a popular entertainment venue in Pulaski since 1935. Photos on the opposite page show renovations to the theater. Above, the theater was at full capacity during a show last year. and outside deck overlooking the Salmon River make it an ideal place to host an event while guests can enjoy the beauty of the surrounding area, he added. Future plans at the theater include developing the landscape on the waterfront to seat up to 150 people for private events. The theater recently hosted a viewing of the Disney animated movie “Frozen” complete with costumed characters depicted in the movie and face-painting activities. “We try to cater events specifically to the local market, whether it be national acts or reruns of ‘Star Wars’ movies,” Lobdell said. “We try to give it a special touch.” Many of the performers who appeared last year at The Kallet, including The Outlaws and Marc Cohn, will be returning. Lobdell noted the facility will FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
also host more theatrical events as well, such as last year’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” live radio play produced by Artswego at SUNY Oswego. Lobdell said people from as far as Canada and Buffalo have come to take in shows. The Lobdells also tie in a fundraiser for a worthy cause along with hosting big events. Lobdell said a high level of support from the business community in helping to sponsor shows has been a humbling experience. “We have people who literally just want to be part of the success of the Kallet,” he noted. The father-son team head up the strategy end of the operation, while Steve York is the general manager of the theater. Stimulating the economy — Lobdell said The Kallet Theater is having a OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
dramatic economic development impact on the county and region. People are opting to catch shows at The Kallet instead of driving to venues in places such as Syracuse. “We’re getting 50 to 60 people viewing a movie in one night, and those are reruns of old movies,” he said. He said establishments such as the River House Restaurant in Pulaski and Tailwater Lodge in Altmar are benefiting from the extra traffic generated by the theater. Lobdell projected the Tailwater will see up to 600 hotel bookings thanks to the theater. “We’re just getting started,” he said. Adding weddings means an influx of hundreds of people into the village. “That’s 15 to 20 more weekends out of the year where people will be eating here, filling their gas tanks, and enjoying the local culture and fishing opportunities,” he said. While the theater is viewed as a philanthropic effort on the part of the Lobdells, it is also a profit-making enterprise. Lobdell said the key to success at the theater is establishing recurring acts and a consistent, diverse schedule. “It’s all word of mouth. If people come and have a great time, they will continue to come back,” he said. Lobdell said the theater and convention center feature a unique waterfront venue, a multi-functional facility, a “retro” look and feel, and more resources than most competitors. “If you believe it, we can achieve it,” he said. The Lobdells have led a renaissance in the Pulaski community. Renovating properties in Pulaski is not a new experience for V-Squared Management LLC. In 2009, the Lobdells turned the former Ontario Iron Works building into corporate headquarters for Healthway Home Products. Healthway employs 60 workers in Pulaski. V-Squared Management LLC now owns 10 commercial properties in Pulaski. The Lobdells are looking into turning their corporate headquarters into a high-end hotel to support The Kallet Theater. They have purchased the former F.X. Caprara dealerships in Pulaski and plan on establishing corporate offices there. As a result, all Healthway manufacturing will return to Pulaski from overseas, meaning an addition of up to 200 employees. 87
Best Business Directory
CLEANOUTS Manwaring Cleanouts-Serving all of Oswego County. Residential/Commercial. Fully insured. A+ rating with BBB. Free estimates. Call Dave 315-593-9892.
CONTRACTOR Natoli General Contractors. Residential & Commercial. Bath & Kitchen.Tilework. Masonry. Windows. Quality Work. 3756 Co. Rte. 45, Oswego. Call 342-8850.
COPY + PRINT Port City Copy Center Your one stop for all of your copy + print needs. 184 Water St. Oswego, NY 216-6163.
COUNTERTOPS & TILES
ACCOUNTING & TAX
Canale Insurance & Accounting Service for all your insurance. Accounting, payroll and tax needs. Locally owned and operated. For insurance, call 343-4456; taxes & accounting, call 343-0409.
Oswego Soapstone & Tile, a Pauldine Company. Quality Tilework. See Gallery photos at OswegoSoapstoneandTile. com, 315-593-9872,190 5th Ave. Oswego.
ANTIQUE BROKERS
Picture Connection 169 W. 1st St. Oswego 343-2908. Quality conservation matting & framing for your photos, prints, original artwork & objects.
CUSTOM PICTURE FRAMING
The Antique Brokers — multi dealer antique shop. Buying & selling antiques & collectables. Gerald A. Petro. 315561-9777. Across from the Great Northern Mall, 4180 Rt. 31, Clay. Buyers of gold, silver & coins. Vendors wanted.
EXCAVATING Manwaring Lawn & Snow. Serving all of Oswego County. Residential / Commercial. Fully insured. A+ rating with BBB. Free estimates. Call Dave 315-593-9892.
APPRAISALS & ESTATES Antiques & Estates Specialists. We buy, sell, appraise, liquidate, auction. Barry L Haynes Co. At 5872 Scenic Ave. Mexico, NY. 315-963-0922. 41 years experience!
AUTO COLLISION Northside Collision Baldwinsville. Upstate’s largest collision/repair center. Lifetime warranty loaners or rentals. We assist with the insurance claims. 75 E. Genesee St., Baldwinsville. More information, call 638-4444.
AUTO SERVICE & TIRES Northstar Tire & Auto Service. Major/minor repairs. Foreign & domestic. Alignments. Tire sales. Call Jim at 315-5988200. 1860 State Route 3W, Fulton.
AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR Port City Car Care. Major/minor automotive repair & service. Excellent automotive repairs with small town family values. We take pride in what we do and strive for quality customer service. Call John at 315-207-0500 or stop by. 20 Ohio St. Oswego.
BATTERIES JD Batteries. Oswego’s battery specialists. Automotive, marine/RV, snowmobile, motorcycle, jet ski, heavy duty, golf cart, cell phones, laptops. 200 W. 4th St., Oswego (across from Stewarts). 315-216-4993 or 315-297-8412
BOTTLED SPRING WATER Bottled spring water and coffee service for home and office. We now have single serve cups for your K-cup brewer. Free delivery. Convenient. Refreshing. Economical. Jay Sea Distributing. 343-3700. Remember: buy local.
BUILDING SUPPLIES Burke’s Home Center. The complete building and supply center. Two locations: 38 E. Second St. in Oswego (3436147); and 65 North Second St. in Fulton (592-2244). Free deliveries. Deaton’s Ace Building & Home Center. Your one stop home improvement shop 3970 Port St. (Rte 13) Pulaski. Store hours: Mon-Sat 7-7, Sunday 8-5. 315-298-2644 www.deatonsace.com.
Gilbert Excavating. Septic Systems. Gravel & top soil. Septic and tank pumping. 691 Co. Rt. 3, Fulton 13069. Call 593-2472.
FURNITURE RESTORATION Stripping, refinishing, regluing, repairs, restorations. Haynes Restorations. 5872 Scenic Ave., Mexico, NY. 315-963-0922. Commercial / Residential. 33 yrs. exp.
GIFT SHOPPE The Vintage Garden. 315-727-8388. Consignment & Gift Shoppe. Antiques, Furniture, Home & Garden Decor. 3715 St. Rte. 13 Pulaski, NY 13142 (Next to the Knights Inn). Feb/Mar hrs F 10-4, Sat 10-3
GUNS & AMMO
CLEAN UPS/CLEANOUTS
Sharpshooters-Full svc Gun Store. Buy/Sell/Trade/Transfer & Storage. LongGuns/HandGuns: 315-298-5202. 1164 Co. Rt. 28, Pulaski, NY 13142.
Filthbusters weekly house cleaning, Spring-cleaning, offices & businesses. We clean attics, garages, storage buildings, rental units, foreclosures & estates. We haul debris & unwanted items. Over 24 years in business, fully insured & competitively priced. Free estimate. Call 298-7222.
JR Comerford & Son-HVAC since 1916. Commercial & Residential Installation, Service & Repair of Heating, Air Conditioning & Air Quality Systems. www.jrcomerfordandson.com, 24 Ohio St. Oswego. 315.343.4030
HEATING & COOLING
Best 10 Jobs in America for 2015
I
f you want a job that pays well and gives you the opportunity to move up the ranks, you should consider becoming a physician’s assistant, software engineer or business development manager. Those positions top this year ’s rankings of the best jobs in America by online career site Glassdoor. The rankings are based on several key factors, including earning potential based on average annual base salary, career
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opportunities and the number of job openings. Career opportunity ratings are based on a 5-point scale, with 1 equaling very dissatisfied, 3 equaling OK and 5 equaling very satisfied. The jobs that made this year’s list ranked highly in all three categories. “We know that there are two factors that job seekers consider most when determining where to work: earning potential and career opportunities,” Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor career trends OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
analyst, told Business News Daily. “Because of this, we wanted to factor both of these into what it means to have a ‘best job.’” In addition, Glassdoor is taking into consideration the number of job openings because it is an indicator of employment opportunity. “The more jobs available, the better their chances to get hired,” Dobroski said. Based on the rankings, the 25 best FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
HOME IMPROVEMENT Wet Paint Company- Paint, Flooring, Blinds & Drapes. Free Estimates. Call 315-343-1924, www.wetpaintcompany.com
INTERIOR REMODELING C.P. FORCE LLC. Custom interior remodeling. Kitchens. Baths. New Rooms. Flooring-Insulation-Roofing-Siding. One company does it all. Fully insured. 24 hr emergency svc. Snow and Ice removal. Mark Davis 315-341-4949 or Rob Deyo 315-569-9376
JEWELERS JP Jewelers is your hometown jeweler offering supreme design at wholesale prices. Whether you’re buying or selling, JP Jewelers is here to be your local jeweler. 136 W. Bridge St. Oswego, NY 13126. (315) 342-GOLD. Find us on Facebook.
JEWELRY BUY/SELL
ADVERTISING BARGAIN HEADING: LISTING:
$149 for 1 Year
Bridge Street Jewelers, 137 East Bridge Street, 315-3420022. We sell quality jewelry at affordable prices. Layaway and credit available. Lowest prices on certified diamonds in the area. Always buying gold, silver & platinum.
KILN-DRIED HARDWOODS Lakeshore Hardwoods. We stock kiln-dried cherry, walnut, maple, butternut, ash, oak, basswood, mahogany, cedar figured woods, and exotics. Also hardwood flooring, moldings, stair parts & woodworking supplies. 266 Manwaring Rd. Pulaski. 298-6407 or visit www. lakeshorehardwoods.com.
LAND SURVEYOR
Just fill out this form, and send it with a check to:
Oswego County Business P.O. Box 276 • Oswego, NY 13126
Rte.13 -298-6575. Watertown- N. Rutland St. -788-6200. Clayton- James St. -686-1892. Gouverneur- Depot St. -287-1892.
MOVING
Robert M. Burleigh. Licensed Land Surveyor. Quality land surveying. Residential, subdivision, commercial, boundary surveying. 593-2231.
C&S Moving. Great customer service. Free estimates-Insured, call Chuck at 315-532-4443.
LANDSCAPING
OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT
D&S Landscaping Office315-598-6025/Cell 315-5914303. Servicing Oswego & surrounding areas. Quality Work, Prompt & Dependable Service, Free Estimates, Fully Insured. Backhoe services, Lawn Mowing, Snow Plowing, Top Soil, Tree Work. Hydro-seeding, & Asphalt Seal Coating.
BJ’s Outdoor Power Equipment/Sales & Service-315-598-5636, 3649 State Route 3, Fulton, NY. www.bjsoutdoorpower.com. We sell Ferris, Echo, Central Boiler, and Snapper products.
LUMBER D & D Logging and Lumber- Producers of high grade hardwood lumber. Sales, Full Service Sawmill, Hardwood Lumber, Wood Chips & Bark, Timber Cutting. Call us at 315593-2474, 1409 County Route 4 Central Square, NY 13036 White’s Lumber. Four locations to serve you! Pulaski- State
jobs in America for 2015 are: 1. Physician assistant • Number of job openings: 45,484 • Average base salary: $111,376 • Career opportunities rating: 3.5 2. Software engineer • Number of job openings: 104,828 • Average base salary: $98,074 • Career opportunities rating: 3.3 3. Business development manager • Number of job openings: 11,616 • Average base salary: $94,907 • Career opportunities rating: 3.5 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
PAWN BROKER Pawn Boss. We buy everything from game systems to gold & silver. Coin collections, guitars, and flat screen TVs, too! Check us out on www.newyorkpawnboss.com.
PET GROOMING & KENNELS K9 Grooming & Pet Motel offers the finest possible loving, gentle care for your dogs & cats. Visit our website at www. k9groomingandpetmotel.com, call 315-343-5158 or stop in
4. Human resources manager • Number of job openings: 8,073 • Average base salary: $96,443 • Career opportunities rating: 3.6 5. Finance manager • Number of job openings: 9,728 • Average base salary: $122,865 • Career opportunities rating: 3.4 6. Marketing manager • Number of job openings: 14,647 • Average base salary: $100,130 • Career opportunities rating: 3.4 7. Database administrator • Number of job openings: 9,790 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
to see us at 2452 Co. Rte. 7 Oswego, NY 13126.
PORTABLE TOILETS Blue Bowl Sanitation Inc. Portable Toilets, Veteran/Family owned since 1952. bluebowlsanitationinc.com, 315-5933258, Fulton, NY 13069.
REMODELING JTS Remodeling-New Construction, Fiber Cement Siding, Pole Barns. All Phases of Construction & Remodeling. Call Judd at 315-591-6959
ROOFING Over The Top Roofing-Mike Majeski Commercial & Residential Roofing. Quality Craftsmanship. 50 year manufacturer’s warranty for residential roof. Call-315-882-5255, 400 Co. Rte. 7 Hannibal, NY 13074
SELF STORAGE Northway Mini Storage. Conveniently located at 279 Crosby Rd. Parish, NY. Best rates around! Call John or Mark at 315-625-7049. Don’t tow it, stow it!
• Average base salary: $97,835 • Career opportunities rating: 3.4 8. Product manager • Number of job openings: 10,294 • Average base salary: $113,363 • Career opportunities rating: 3.3 9. Data scientist • Number of job openings: 3,449 • Average base salary: $104,476 • Career opportunities rating: 3.8 10. Sales manager • Number of job openings: 26,193 • Average base salary: $76,556 • Career opportunities rating: 3.3 89
Last Page
By Lou Sorendo
Karen Ferguson Director of the newly formed Oswego Health Foundation talks about its mission Q.: What is the mission of the Oswego Health Foundation? A.: The foundation’s mission is to raise and manage philanthropic support for Oswego Health as it provides accessible, quality care and improves the health of community residents. Q.: How will the Oswego healthcare community in general benefit from the Oswego Health Foundation? A.: Whenever you can bring additional awareness and philanthropic dollars to a community need, everyone benefits. The foundation’s success in raising much-needed dollars to support healthcare and growth in all of the Oswego Health affiliates will have a ripple effect on all healthcare entities in our community, as well as the overall economy in general. There is a new concept in healthcare, called population health, which involves Oswego Health and other healthcare organizations in the community working together to improve the overall health of the community. To be successful, we will need a strong data-driven clinical and financial infrastructure. The Oswego Health Foundation will work to help ensure that Oswego Health has the strong financial infrastructure required to make this a success. Q.: Has the foundation set any short- or long-term goals? A.: The foundation board is working through a strategic planning process to develop both short- and long-term goals that support both the needs of the foundation and also are in line with the strategic goals of Oswego Health as a whole. The foundation is looking to develop and implement a relationship-based fundraising model that will create sustainable giving opportunities and revenue streams. This will result in philanthropic dollars to support Oswego Health’s mission. We want to be able to provide each of our donors and prospects with a donor-centric, giving experience that will bring them the greatest joy and 90
satisfaction. We need to create ways to engage the millennial [those born between 1977-1994] population in the work of the organization in ways that are meaningful to them in the short term and that will engage them for the long term. Q.: What process is in place to determine who benefits from grant monies? A.: It is the residents of Oswego County who will be the beneficiaries of the foundation. The foundation is incorporated solely to benefit Oswego Health and its affiliates. Within that structure, it will be the entire community that benefits from the money raised by the Oswego Health Foundation. Q.: Why is it so important for various community entities to give to and support components of the Oswego Health system? A.: Oswego Hospital is an anchor institution within the community and the only community hospital in the county. Access to quality healthcare is imperative to further economic growth in the area. The economic impact that Oswego Health has on the community is significant — more than $171.5 million dollars in 2013. Q.: You were successful as a fund-raising agent for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Central New York chapter. What were the keys to making that venture so successful? A.: I was able to develop a team of dedicated staff and volunteers who w e r e committed to the OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
mission of the organization. Motivation and commitment were also keys to making the chapter successful. Cystic fibrosis is a tough disease and I met so many wonderful families who were dealing with the awfulness of the disease. Seeing them so dedicated to finding a cure was inspiring to me as well. Q.: What skill sets do you bring to the table that make you an effective fundraiser? A.: Listening is a very important skill that as a fundraiser I have developed and honed. Truly hearing what the donor is saying can be the difference between a $1,000 annual fund gift and a $20,000 gift to support a project the donor truly cares about. Optimism, patience and persistence are other traits that make me a good fundraiser. Q.: What are some of the more challenging aspects of launching the foundation? A.: There is not a “playbook” to go by when developing an organization such as the Oswego Health Foundation. Educating the community about what the foundation is and why it is being created is an important first step.
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015
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