NNY Business June 2012

Realtors turn to technology to market homes page 29

June 2012

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n Biz Tech n NNY Snapshot n Business Scene n Real Estate

n 20 Questions with MetalCraft’s Robert C. Clark Page 32

Manufactured in NNY From boats to paperboard, production on the rise $2.95

/nnybusiness @NNYBusinessMag

Northern New York’s Premier Business Monthly Vol. 2 Issue 7 | www.nnybizmag.com

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NNY Business | June 2012

June 2012 | NNY Business

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CONTRIBUTORS

BusIness

www.nnybizmag.com

Publishers

John B. Johnson Jr. Harold B. Johnson II Michelle Capone is regional development director for the Development Authority of the North Country. She writes about the impact the North Country Alliance has had for 24 years. (p. 36)

Lynn Pietroski is president and CEO of the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce. She shares details of the region’s newest higher education partnership. (p. 38)

Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp. He writes about connecting with the real face of agriculture at farmers markets. (p. 39)

Brooke James is an advisor for the New York State Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton.

She offers tips on how to make competitors partners in business. (p. 41)

General Manager John B. Johnson

Executive Editor Bert Gault

Managing Editor Robert D. Gorman

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Associate Magazine Editor Kyle R. Hayes

Advertising Directors Rande Richardson is executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

He writes about positive forces that come from collective ownership. (p. 37)

Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran. She writes about automation in the North Country Library System. (p. 40)

Lance M. Evans is executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He explains the role of the attorney in real estate transactions. (p. 28)

Lenka Waldroff is past curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Museum.

She writes about Harry Tyler and his famous Tyler Coverlets. (p. 52)

Karen K. Romeo Tammy S. Beaudin

Circulation Director Mary Sawyer

Photography

Norm Johnston, Justin Sorensen, Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Amanda Morrison

Ad Graphics, Design

Rick Gaskin, Brian Mitchell, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules

Norah Machia is a veteran Watertown Daily Times reporter.

In this month’s cover story, she writes about a bright spot in the region’s manufacturing sector. (p. 14)

Kyle Hayes is associate editor for NNY Business. He examines the use of new media in real estate and a Canton man who hopes to manufacture his invention locally. (p. 22, 29)

Joleene DesRosiers is a freelance writer who lives in Pulaski. She goes inside Hoosier Magnetics in Ogdensburg and takes a look at North Country Storage Barns. (p. 24, 26)

Ted Booker is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. He paid a visit to Family Pizza, Watertown’s newest pizzeria that’s put a big focus on quality customer service. (p. 32)

MARKETPLACE Advanced Business Systems .. 25 A.G. Netto Realty …................ 30 AmeriCU Credit Union …........ 20 Ameriprise Financial …........... 17 Beardsley Design …................ 19 Cantwell & Associates ............ 23 Cari-Mor .................................. 19 Carthage Federal S&L ....…....... 6 Cavallario’s Cucina …............ 55 Center for Sight …................... 56 Cheney Tire ............................. 43 Clarence Henry Coach …...... 31 Climax Manufacturing ........... 18 Convenient Storage ….............13 Cornell Cooperative Extension ................................... 7 Development Authority of the North Country .........….. 38 Essenlohr Motors …................. 45 First Class Auto Glass .............. 27

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Foy Agency Inc. ….................. 23 Gerald A. Nortz …................... 48 Great Brook Solar …................ 13 GWNC Chamber Speaker ....... 3 H&R Block …............................ 17 High Tower Advisors …............ 12 Howard Orthotics …................ 36 Innovative PT ........................... 37 JCC Continuing Education .... 54 JCJDC ….................................. 53 Johnson Lumber ..................... 29 KeyBank …................................. 2 Lofink Ford Mercury …............ 47 LTI Transportation …................. 51 Macars ..................................... 12 NNY Business …....................... 43 NNY Community Foundation …........................... 34 North Country PTAC …............ 39 North Country Storage Barns .. 31

NNY Business | June 2012

Painfull Acres Furniture …......... 8 River Hospital ........................... 34 SeaComm Federal Credit Union .......................….. 41 ShredCon …............................. 40 Slack Chemical Co. ……....... 39 State Farm Insurance ….......... 30 Strategic Financial ….............. 25 SUNY Potsdam ........................ 35 TERS Total Environmental ........ 54 TF Wright & Sons ....................... 23 The Three C’s Limousine …..... 49 Thousand Island Realty …...... 30 Truesdell’s Furniture …............... 9 Waterbury Fine Jewelers .......... 8 Watertown Daily Times …....... 50 Watertown LDC ….................... 28 Watertown Savings Bank ….... 16 Westelcom …............................ 53 WWTI-50 …............................... 55

NNY Business (ISSN 2159-6115), is published monthly by Northern New York Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, a Johnson Newspaper Corp. company. © 2010-2012. All material submitted to NNY Business becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

Subscription Rates 12 issues are $15 a year for Watertown Daily Times and affiliate newspaper subscribers and $25 a year for non-subscribers.

Call 315-782-1000 for delivery.

Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email kromeo@wdt.net, or call 315-661-2422 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail tbeaudin@ogd.com, or call 315-661-2512 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y. Please recycle this magazine.

>>>Inside JUNE 2012

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14

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COVER |

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26

14 BEATING BIG ODDS Several Northern New York manufacturing firms find success is in the making.

21 A DIVERSE FIELD From paperboard to boats, NNY’s manufacturing sector is as diverse as it is specialized. |

ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY |

22 EXTENDING A LIFT A Canton man hopes to see his invention manufactured in St. Lawrence County.

24 STICKING TO IT ALL Hoosier Magnetics has seen its share of ups and downs to remain a constant St. Lawrence County player.

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27

JEFFERSON COUNTY |

26 A BARN-RAISING BOOM As demand continues to surge for portable storage barns, there’s no slowing down for North Country Storage Barns. |

SMALL BUSINESS |

27 A FAMILY AFFAIR The owners of Family Pizza are hedging their success on top-flight customer service. |

REAL ESTATE |

28 WHY HIRE A LAWYER? Buying or selling property just might require the skills of a competent attorney.

29 NEW TOOLS OF TRADE Realtors are more plugged in than ever before to sell.

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REAL ESTATE |

36 ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY Real estate transactions totaled $1.5m over a two-day sales period in early May. 37 JEFFERSON COUNTY Real estate transactions totaled $2.97m over a 5-day sales period last month. |

BUSINESS HISTORY |

52 CUSTOM COVERLETTS With amazing detail, Tyler Coverlets thrived for nearly 25 years in South Jeff. |

ONLINE |

A VIRTUAL DATA CENTER Find daily updates to data like DBAs and property sales at www.nnybizmag.com.

June 2012 | NNY Business

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NNY Business | June 2012

| ON THE COVER |

| INTERVIEW |

32 SMOOTH SAILING AHEAD With a major contract to build high-speed boats for the U.S. Coast Guard in hand, we talk with MetalCraft Marine about its future and its challenges. | COLUMNS |

36 ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING 37 NONPROFITS TODAY 38 COMMERCE CORNER

39 AGRI-BUSINESS 40 BUSINESS TECH BYTES 41 SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS

| DEPARTMENTS |

8 9 10 13 28

EDITOR’S NOTE PEOPLE ON THE MOVE ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT BUSINESS BRIEFCASE REAL ESTATE ROUNDUP

42 44 50 52

CALENDAR BUSINESS SCENE DINING GUIDE BUSINESS HISTORY

Photographer Amanda Morrison captured boat builders welding the hull of a patrol boat at MetalCraft Marine’s Kingston, Ont., plant. The Canadian-based manufacturer also builds boats in Cape Vincent. It recently was awarded a $10 million contract to build high-speed patrol boats for the U.S. Coast Guard.

June 2012 | NNY Business

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EDITOR’S NOTE

W

e often don’t think of Northern New York as a manufacturing hub. After all, save for agriculture and Fort Drum, the north country is more of a rural outpost than the bustling industrial center it was decades ago.

Or so many folks like to think. As we examined this important sector of our economy we discovered a depth to the region that surprised and left us proud.

Indeed, today’s manufacturing firms face many challenges that might leave some to question how they can afford to stay in operation.

Such commitment is worthy of praise.

But it comes Ken Eysaman down to jobs.

From athletic tape to gun-cleaning kits and bowling pins to those ubiquitous Little Trees, must still is produced right here in the north country by skilled laborers and craftsmen who, without manufacturing, would call home somewhere else.

In this month’s cover story, which begins on page 14,veteran journalist Norah Machia visits three unique firms who share the common thread of wood product manufacturing. And beginning on page 21, you’ll find a 30,000-foot view of what really is “Made in NNY” across Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. I hope you find this issue as informative and revealing as we did while learning about another way of life in our own backyard. n n n 20 QUESTIONS — For this month’s interview, we turned to a company whose impact on the north country is, in many ways, just being fully realized. Kingston-based MetalCraft Marine, which last year announced a major expansion that also meant moving its U.S. production facility from Clayton to Cape Vincent, is another bright spot in our region’s manufacturing sector.

Earlier this month the U.S. government awarded MetalCraft a $10 million contract to build high-speed patrol boats for the U.S. Coast Guard, and the boat builder is presently awaiting word on a $55 million deal to build an additional 101 boats for the federal government. Associate magazine editor Kyle R. Hayes and photographer Amanda Morrison traveled across the border to meet with Robert C. Clark, MetalCraft’s contracts manager. As you’ll read in our interview that begins on page 32, Mr. Clark is a very candid man when it comes to matters of his company. And for good reason: doing business on both sides of the line is inherently and uniquely challenging. Despite the many issues Mr. Clark and his company must

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NNY Business | June 2012

navigate, its leadership is wholly committed to building boats in the north country, a fact that should give us all reason to cheer.

n n n BUSINESS SCENE — This month’s Scene section, which begins on page 44, features 63 faces from nearly four-dozen business and organizations across the north country.

On May 16, we joined a packed ballroom at Watertown’s Hilton Garden Inn for the annual Armed Forces Day Luncheon presented by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce and Noon Rotary Club of Watertown. The event was an important reminder of the many sacrifices our men and women in uniform make across the globe in service to our great nation. It also was a fitting opportunity to recognize those military spouses present who, while serving on the home front, sacrifice each day as they count down to the safe return of their soldiers.

The next day, we joined the South Jeff Chamber of Commerce for its Annual Dinner at La Bella Fonte to celebrate two worthy businesses in Adams as Great Lakes Cheese and Café Mira were named Large and Small Business of the Year, respectively. Not only does Great Lakes Cheese produce some of the best extra sharp cheese I’ve ever tasted, its impact is felt for miles across Northern New York as dairy farms provide the plant with milk for cheese-making. And with 115 employees, the plant is a major employer in South Jefferson County.

On May 23, Johnson Newspapers Corp. chief information officer and Business Tech Bytes columnist Jill Van Hoesen joined Clarkson University for the Third Annual North Country Technology Symposium.

This year’s symposium was presented in partnership with St. Lawrence County, CITEC Business Solutions, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Cornell University Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County and Clarkson University.

A week later, spring was in the air as we strolled down Washington Street in downtown Watertown to kick off the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Farm and Craft Market. The weekly market is open from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 3. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy garden-fresh goodness in the heart of downtown.

Finally, in an event that held great personal meaning, we joined the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce for its annual Jefferson Leadership Institute graduation at the Black River Valley Club. As a member of the JLI Class of 2012, I highly encourage others to consider the experience.

Yours in business,

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Recognized for awards

Several financial representatives from the Greater New York Group-Watertown of Northwestern Mutual have been recognized: Bradley Kelly, Norwich, will receive a Pacesetter 40 award from Northwestern for selling 40 life insurance policies during the first six months in business at the company. Mr. Kelly recently joined Northwestern Mutual and reached the sales milestone on March 1.

Cameron Smith, Honeoye Falls, who also recently joined Northwestern Mutual, will receive the Pacesetter 40 award for selling more than 40 life insurance policies by April 1. Mr. Smith recently joined Northwestern Mutual of Watertown.

Pamela Griffin, Philadelphia, also will be awarded the Pacesetter 40 award for selling more than 40 life insurance policies

by March 1. Ms. Griffin recently joined Norhwestern Mutual of Watertown.

Financial representatives receiving the Pacesetter 40 awards will earn their designations during the annual meeting of financial representatives of Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee, Wisc., on July 23.

Hired as intern

SUNY Oswego senior Charles A. Nunez, Phoenix, was hired as a financial representative intern for the Watertown Northwestern Mutual group. He is a risk management and insurance major at SUNY Oswego.

Honored at sales event

Jill Rosette, a sales agent with Coldwell Banker Rimada, Watertown, was recently honored at the Coldwell Banker Generation Blue Experience, the brand’s international conference in New Orleans.

Ms. Rosette was recognized for her work

with video. She routinely does video tours of her listings.

One of Ms. Rosette’s listings was viewed by Ryan Wallace, a member of the Army, while he was stationed in Rosette Afghanistan. Mr. Wallace, who had not seen many videos while looking for homes in Watertown, sent Ms. Rosette a complimentary email and the two worked together to find Mr. Wallace a home upon his arrival in Watertown in December.

Three earn tractortrailer licenses

Micah Cuatt, 46, Wellesley Island, is a recent graduate of the National Tractor Trailer School, Liverpool. He has begun a new career as tractor trailer driver for Swift Transportation. Prior to his graduation Mr. Cuatt was a Class B truck driver.

Mr. Cuatt earned his certificate by completing 320 hours of training in NTTS’s commercial driver’s course.

David Martin, 51, Adams, also is a recent graduate of NTTS. He has started a new career as a tractor trailer driver for Werner Enterprises. Prior to his graduation, Mr. Martin was a bus driver.

Mr. Martin earned his certificate after completing 602 hours of training in NTTS’s advanced commercial drivers course.

Tavarus Cabness, 29, Theresa, is also a recent graduate of NTTS. he has started a new career as a tractor trailer driver for DOT Foods. Prior to his graduation, Mr. Cabness was a member of the Army.

Mr. Cabness received his certificate

Got business milestones? n Share your business milestones with NNY

Business. Email news releases and photos (.jpg/300 dpi) to editor Ken Eysaman at keysaman@wdt.net. The deadline for submissions is the 10th of the month for the following month’s issue. Photos that don’t appear in print may be posted on our Facebook page.

by completing 320 hours of training in NTTS’s commercial driver’s course.

Included in the courses completed by Mr. Cuatt, Mr. Cabness and Mr. Martin are Department of Transportation rules and regulations, hours of service, trip planning and behind-the-wheel instruction on a variety of equipment operated on secondary roads, city streets and interstates.

Promotions at Northern Federal Credit Union

Alexa Bennett has been promoted to marketing supervisor at Northern Federal Credit Union’s corporate location in Watertown.

She brings with her eight years of marketing experience. She began her career at Northern in 2011 as a marketing professional and Bennett previously was marketing director for Salmon Run Mall.

Mrs. Bennett lives in Watertown with her husband and graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a degree in speech communications.

Mairym Clark has been promoted to financial service representative III at the

Please see People, page 12

June 2012 | NNY Business

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NNY

Economic indicators Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers April ’12 $1.55 March ’12 $1.60 April ’11 $1.87

17.1%

ECON SNAPSHOT

Vehicles crossing the Thousand Islands, OgdensburgPrescott and Seaway International (Massena) bridges

Source: NYS Department of Agriculture

406,364in April 2012 386,451 in March 2012 413,476 in April 2011

Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas

Source: T.I. Bridge Authority, Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority, Seaway International Bridge Corp.

April ’12 $4.08 March ’12 $3.97 April ’11 $3.94

U.S.-Canadian dollar exchange rate (Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar)

3.6%

Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil

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(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)

April ’12 $4.03 March ’12 $4.08 April ’11 $3.98

1.3%

1.7%

$0.98 on April 27, 2012 $0.99 on March 23, 2012 $0.95 on April 22, 2011

3.0%

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of N.Y.

Average NNY price for gallon of residential propane

Nonagriculture jobs in the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence counties area, not including military positions

April ’12 $3.48 March ’12 $3.49 April ’11 $3.29

90,000 in April 2012 88,800 in March 2012 90,000 in April 2011

5.8%

Source: NYS Energy Research and Development Authority

Source: NYS Department of Labor

Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors single-family home sales

St. Lawrence Board of Realtors single-family home sales

86, median price $132,000 in April 2012 66, median price $135,500 in March 2012 85, median price $102,000 in April 2011

33, median price $75,000 in April 2012 37, median price $75,000 in March 2012 42, median price $71,040 in April 2011

1.2% Sales

21.4%

29.4%

Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Inc.

5.6%

Sales

Price

Price

Source: St. Lawrence Board of Realtors Inc.

NNY unemployment rates

Jefferson County Apr. 12

10.1%

Mar. 12

11.5%

Apr. 11

10.0%

St. Lawrence County Apr. 12

Mar. 12

11.0%

Apr. 11

10.2%

10.1%

Lewis County 10.1%

Apr. 12

11.0%

Mar. 12 Apr. 11

9.9%

Source: New York State Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted) Note: Due to updates in some “Econ. Snapshot” categories, numbers may differ from previously published prior month and year figures.

NNY Business | June 2012

NNY

Economic indicators New automobiles (cars and trucks) registered in Jefferson County Cars 454 in April 2012 431 in March 2012 363 in April 2011

25.1%

Trucks 90 in April 2012 84 in March 2012 77 in April 2011

3.9%

Source: Jefferson County Clerk’s Office

Passengers at Watertown International Airport

Open welfare cases in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

2,933 in-bound and out-bound in April 2012 2,861 in-bound and out-bound in March 2012 528 in-bound and out-bound in April 2011

1,906 in April 2012 1,935 in March 2012 1,923 in April 2011

0.8%

455.5% Source: Jefferson County Board of Legislators

DBA (doing business under an assumed name) certificates filed at the Jefferson County Clerk’s office May 2-May 25.

For a complete list of all DBAs filed in May and in past months, visit us on the Web at WWW.NNYBIZMAG.COM.

May 25: Two Dog Services, 31265 State Route 26, Philadelphia, Mark E. Waybright, 31265 Route 26, Philadelphia.

BUCO Builders, 4838 N. Jefferson St., Pulaski, Jon P. Buote, 4838 N. Jefferson St., Pulaski.

Wilkins Portraits, 348 S. Hamilton St., Watertown, Ashley Wilkins and Donald R. Wilkins Jr., 348 S. Hamilton St., Watertown.

May 14: Melissa S. Jordal LMT, 156 Clinton St., Watertown, Melissa S. Jordal, 28150 State Route 12, Watertown.

May 24: Private Chauffeur, 35993 Jackson II Road, Carthage, Bruce L. Hives, 35993 Jackson II Road, Carthage.

MDC Showpigs and Market Hogs, 39449 County Road 24, Antwerp, Gerard N. Marshall, 39449 County Road 24, Antwerp.

A&R Auto Detailing, 559 LeRay St., Watertown, Robert M. Moyer, 705 Lansing St., Watertown, Alicia A. Hoffert, 9222 Hawkinsville Road, Boonville.

Big Bobs Construction, 308 Shipyard Drive, Sackets Harbor, Robert John, 308 Shipyard Drive, Sackets Harbor.

Summer Star Quilts and Crafts, 28021 Call Road, Evans Mills, Kristin J. Tefft, 28021 Call Road, Evans Mills.

Secret Window Photography, 43 Champion St., West Carthage, Amanda Gump, 43 Champion St., West Carthage.

JVO Cafe and Bakery, 104 Bartlett Road, Sackets Harbor, Jill A. Vanocker, 225 General Grant Circle, Sackets Harbor.

May 11: J.S. Trash Removal, 124 Bridge St., Theresa, Jordin Schumacher, 124 Bridge St., Theresa.

May 23: Elmridge Farm, 35029 Elmridge Road, Philadelphia, Eli Wagler and Christ R. Shetler, 35029 Elmridge Road, Philadelphia.

A&J Painting and Drywall, 124 Bridge St., Theresa, Anthony Thompson, 35336 Snell Road, Theresa, Jordin Schumach, 124 Bridge St., Theresa.

May 22: BMW Environmental of NNY, 1613 State St., Watertown, Brian Lee Williams, 79378 County Route 162, P.O. Box 6597, Watertown.

May 10: Wellesley Island Rental, 46956 Oak Ridge Drive, Wellesley Island, Martha Ann Wees,46956 Oak Ridge Drive, P.O. Box 724, Wellesley Island.

S&J Auto Detailing, 804 State ST., Watertown, Stanley M. Layo Jr., 123 N. Pleasant St., Watertown.

May 9: Clean Up Crew, 731 Huntington St., Watertown, Michael J. MCardell, 44 Maywood Terrace, Watertown.

Still Life Digital Photography, 152 Francis St., WAtertown, Krystin M. LaBarge, 152 Francis St., Watertown.

May 8: NCCS Farms, 16793 County Route 189, Adams, Claude G. Mayne, 23379 Wyman Road, Rodman, and Simon K. Clement, 31591 County Route 4, Cape Vincent.

May 21: Stoughtenger Farms, 23440 Overton Road, Lorraine, Betty Joe Stoughtenger, 7393 County Route 85, Lorraine.

Lee Nails, 21182 Salmon Run Mall, Watertown, Diana D. Nguyen, 201 Breen Ave., Watertown.

Bova Photography, 1 Public Square, Suite 33, Watertown, Christopher Bova, 647 Cooper St., Watertown.

MAS Aero Aircraft Services, 22626 Airport Road, Dexter, Samuel Steven Massaro, 18497 Star School Road, Dexter.

May 18: American Trader, 17099 Route 11, Watertown, Shawn Thrana, 9297 State Highway 56, Massena.

Hands of KI Holistic Center, 21307 County Route 202, Watertown, Sandra L. Smith, 13770 County Route 62, Adams.

North Country Spray Foam, 24428 Plank Road, Rodman, Shane D. Cashel, 24428 Plank Road, Rodman, Ricky J. Bisig, 60 Wardwell St., Adams.

May 16: Shaggy’s Tinting, 25440 State Route 342, Evans Mills, John F. Maciag, 25440 State Route 342, Evans Mills.

Beauty Bar, 102 Washington St., Watertown, Moriah R. Littlefield, 609 Lillian St., Watertown.

May 15: North Country Auto Sales, Rices Road, Route 232, Watertown, Michael C. Williams, 16402 Martin Road W., Watertown, Gurney McCabe, Rices Road, Route 232, Watertown.

Black River Cattle Company, 18055 County Route 75, Sackets Harbor, Brian C. Robbins, 18055 County Route 75, Sackets Harbor.

May 7: Scrappin Jerry, 17120 County Route 53, Dexter, Jerry Segouin, 17120 County Route 53, Dexter.

Coffee Tent, 16345 County Route 155, Watertown, Mary Stone and Jared Stone, 16345 County Route 155, Watertown.

Everyday Discoveries Preschool, 200 Maple St., Black River, Dawnna Benoit, 200 Maple St., Black River.

May 4: Jeremy L. Peebles Contractor, 14288 County Route 75, Adams, Jeremy Peebles, 14288 County Route 75, Adams.

Harts Dump Trailer Services, 26159 State Route 37, Watertown, Michael D. Hart, 26159 State Route 37, Watertown.

McFaddenswords.com, 4430 Po Valley Road, Fort Drum, Jacob McFadden, 4430 Po Valley Road, P.O. Box 1082, Fort Drum.

May 3: Dry Hill Excavation, 17800 County Route 155, Watertown, Alan Ricalton, 17800 County Route 155, Watertown.

Kish Simone Products, 6479A Smallwood Court, Fort Drum, Lakisha S. Williams, 6479A Smallwood Court, Fort Drum.

Kents Creek Kitche, 3291 Bates Road, Cape Vincent, Michelle Bouchard, 3291 Bates Road, Cape Vincent.

Hess’s Four Season Maintenance, 15595 Clark Road, Sackets Harbor, Yukon M. Hess, 15595 Clark Road, Sackets Harbor.

May 2: Wagler Farms, 31823 County Route 20, Philadelphia, Jonas Wagler, Benjamin J. Wagler and Daniel J. Wagler, 31823 County Route 20, Philadelphia.

Island Desires, 29 James St., Alexandria Bay, Tammy Beerman Mathous, 45901 State Route 37, Redwood.

Bashful Bunny Garden Products, 32152 Hell St., Cape Vincent, Karen Carson, 32152 Hell St., P.O. Box 872, Cape Vincent.

TRANSACTIONS

DBAs

Source: Social Service Depts. of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

June 2012 | NNY Business

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PEOPLE, from page 9 credit union’s Gouverneur location, 145 E. Main St. Ms. Clark began her career at Northern in August as a virtual solutions professional and previously worked as a relationship banker at Bank of America and at AmeriCU Credit Union.

Shannon Clark Battista has been hired as a home lending processor at the credit union’s corporate location in Watertown. She has more than seven years of home lending and real estate experience. Prior to working with Northern Federal Credit Union, Ms. Battista was a real estate title insurBattista ance examiner in Thompson Falls, Mont., and a real estate loan processor in Polson, Mont. She lives in Dexter with her husband of four years.

Bernier, Carr employee earns state license

Bryan T. Cowell, R.A., an employee of Bernier, Carr and Associates, Watertown, has become a state licensed architect. He graduated from Alfred State College with a bachelor’s degree in architectural technology and joined Bernier, Carr in 2005.

Mr. Cowell has been involved in several projects for the firm, including design of additions and renovations in Ogdensburg City School District and construction of an addition at Lewis County General Hospital.

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NNY Business | June 2012

BUSINESS BRIEFCASE Roofer honored

Carlisle Syntec Roofing Solutions recognized RSI Roofing Inc., Gouverneur, as a silver level roofer in the company’s applicator hall of fame. To achieve this designation, RSI completed 750 “Perfect 10” roofing installations. RSI also received Carlisle’s Excellence in Single-Ply Award.

Kinney Drugs Foundation donates $100,000

The Kinney Drugs Foundation has pledged $100,000 to Canton-Potsdam Hospital’s “Constructing Healthier Communities” campaign. The gift will help the hospital offset the costs of the recently completed Center for Cancer Care and the construction of the E.J. Noble Building, Canton.

franchise partner Roger C. Wagner, who is leasing the space with two partners from M2R Management Group, Syracuse.

The family restaurant will feature a wide range of Southwestern cuisine, including burritos, tacos and quesadillas. The restaurant will be located by Coldstone Creamery, which opened this month.

Restaurant expanding

The Bedrock Café has expanded to include a second dining room, public conference facility, Bedrock Spirits liquor

Got business news?

n Share your business news with NNY Business. Email news releases and photos (.jpg/300 dpi) to nnybusiness@wdt.net. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month for the following month’s issue. Photos that don’t appear in print may be posted on our Facebook page.

store and 20-foot bar. Wendy J. Goldie has owned the business at 3748 Route 37 since 2007. It is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. “until everyone is served” Tuesday through Sunday, opening at 8 a.m. Sundays.

Tourism app launched

The Thousand Islands Tourism Council has launched an app for iPhone and iPod that lets users access information about recreational activities, attractions, events, lodging, marinas, events and golf courses from their mobile device.

The app uses location-based technology to find the nearest attractions, lodging options and provide directions throughout the Thousand Islands region, Henderson Harbor, Sackets Harbor, Watertown and into Ontario, Canada. The app is free and available by searching “1,000 Islands” in the Apple App Store or iTunes. Visit www.visit1000islands.com to learn more.

Moe’s coming to Stateway Plaza

Moe’s Southwest Grill will open in Stateway Plaza, 1222 Arsenal St., Watertown, this summer.

A 3,000-square-foot restaurant at the end of the plaza will be renovated, according to

June 2012 | NNY Business

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COVER STORY

FINDING SUCCESS against

the grain Handful of manufacturing firms beating big odds

B

STORY BY NORAH MACHIA

BETWEEN 1960 AND 2009, THREE OF EVERY FOUR MANUFACTURING JOBS DISAPPEARED IN THE STATE, ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY THE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK STATE. BUT WHILE TOTAL MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT NATIONWIDE DECLINED BY ABOUT 32 PERCENT IN THE DECADE ENDING IN 2009, THE YEAR THE STUDY WAS COMPLETED, NEW YORK STATE STILL REMAINED A NATIONAL LEADER, RANKING SIXTH IN OVERALL MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT, U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS DATA REVEALS. THERE WERE 18,888 MANUFACTURING FIRMS OPERATING STATEWIDE IN 2009, THE STATE LABOR DEPARTMENT REPORTED. THE AVERAGE PLANT EMPLOYED 25 PEOPLE. ONE OF THOSE SECTORS WAS WOOD PRODUCT MANUFACTURING, WHICH HAD EMPLOYED 11,078 PEOPLE STATEWIDE IN 2000, DECLINING TO 7,071 IN 2009, A DECREASE OF MORE THAN 30 PERCENT AT THE TIME WHEN THE NATION’S ECONOMIC RECESSION WAS IN FULL SWING, THE STUDY SHOWED. But several family-owned wood product manufacturing companies in the north country have been able to survive and in some cases, even thrive during the economic recession.

They have beaten the odds with varied business strategies. Some have capitalized on lower machinery prices, a result of the shutdown of similar business operations outside the area.

This has allowed for expansion of product lines, while at the same time, not sacrificing the quality of their work.

Others have been able to hire experienced workers laid-off from the companies that have closed their doors. Yet at the same time, many north country busi-

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NNY Business | June 2012

nesses have strived to keep their own highly-skilled employees, regardless of the demand for their product.

Perhaps most important, they were able to depend on their well-established reputations to get them through the tough times.

YesterYear’s Vintage Doors, Hammond

“The economy has been scary for a number of years and we are very careful in trying to determine what event will be detrimental to expansion or daily operational activities,” said Howard W. Demick, president and general manager of YesterYear’s Vintage Doors.

The vintage door company was started in 1990 by Mr. Demick, who initially operated

it with only one other employee. Today, the company ships custom made vintage doors to customers nationwide and employs five shop workers and four office staff.

His wife Rosemary, a graduate of SUNY Geneseo with an English degree, and his two children, Ryan and Erica, who both graduated from Clarkson University with business degrees, are all involved in the business operation.

“My wife maintains the bookkeeping records and my son, Ryan, and daughter, Erica, are responsible for sales, advertising and the everyday management,” Mr. Demick said. “We all wear many hats and work long hours.”

When the recession hit, “we wondered if

Jason Butterfield puts decorative molding on a mahogany door at Vintage Doors, Hammond.

MELANIE KIMBLER-LAGO | NNY BUSINESS

we would be able to continue business as usual,” he said.

“This weighed heavy on everyone’s mind and again, we came to work every day continuing our daily routine like we always have, hoping for the best,” he said.

One important goal of the vintage door company was not to lay off employees, he said. Although it’s not a large company, the workers are highly skilled at their craft.

“One of our concerns was being able to keep our workforce intact,” Mr. Demick said. “In the beginning days of the company, we paid people even if there was little work, so we wouldn’t lose them after they learned the skills associated with the business.”

The company does not mass produce its doors, but rather, “every door is cut from kiln dried rough lumber, milled and assembled one by one,” according to the customer’s specifications, he said.

The company has been fortunate during the recession, because “it seems that when travel costs rise for the consumer, they stay home and spend their money on their home,” Mr. Demick said.

As a result, “our company has been very fortunate to survive any downturn because of this and has experienced very little change from year to year,” he said.

“Somehow we escaped the reality that others did not, and we are very thankful for this,” he said.

The company has advertised both locally and nationally for nearly two decades, building a solid reputation in the vintage door market.

Last year, “we had a banner year surpassing all others, which was surprisingly beyond the norm” and could be attributed to the fact that more people chose to invest in their homes, and that YesterYear’s Vintage Doors already had a strong market and reputation for their product, Mr. Demick said.

Their vintage doors are made from a variety of wood species, such as poplar, red oak, ash, maple, pine, Douglas fir, Spanish cedar, mahogany and cherry.

“Our wood materials are mostly purJune 2012 | NNY Business

| 15

COVER STORY chased through larger wood drying companies located outside New York that have delivery routes throughout the Northeast and East Coast, all the way to Miami, Florida,” he said.

Mr. Demick, who was born and raised on a dairy farm in Hammond, had initially started a building supply business, but decided to focus on doors because “people always came in looking for doors, especially screen doors which we could not find from our distributors easily,” he said.

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NNY Business | June 2012

“The ones that were available were cheap and not very well made,” he said.

Photos of custom built doors that were on a laminated placemat on a countertop at a building supply store in Cromwell, Ont., caught his eye.

There were photos of “some of the most beautiful handmade screen doors that I had ever seen,” he said.

On his drive that day back to St. Lawrence County, he stopped at a home in Canada which had one of the front entry vintage

doors. The homeowner let him check it out.

“I got home and started to work on creating something of my own making which I could be proud of,” Mr. Demick said. “That was the beginning.”

“After 20 years, I don’t think that you can call our door business an overnight success, but the years did seem to fly by,” he said. “My personal goal was to keep the family together in one area and not scattered all over the country. We have been blessed.”

COVER STORY Johnson Lumber Company, Carthage

“If you manufacture high quality products, and provide excellent service, customers stay with solid local companies,” said George R. LaBarr, sales manager for Johnson Lumber Company.

The company is owned by Robert P. and Ronald J. Johnson, two brothers who built their first sawmill in 1977 on the Johnny Cake Road, just outside of Carthage. At the time, Robert was 17 and Ronald was 15.

The owners of the Johnson Lumber Co., which now operates on Route 26 in the Lewis County town of Denmark, decided to seek out opportunities to expand during the economic downturn.

They have always been “hands on in the manufacturing process,” said Mr. LaBarr.

The company bought several pieces of equipment through online auctions between 2009 and 2011, taking advantage of low machinery prices.

The Johnson Lumber Company sells its products, such as clear coat tongue and groove knotty pine and stained pine siding, to more than 200 retail lumber yards throughout New York State, and also to wholesalers, who ship outside the state, said Mr. LaBarr. They have 20 employees.

Its Eastern White Pine and Red Pine logs are purchased “within a 200-mile radius of the mill,” he added.

The operation primarily uses the Eastern White Pine logs, although some products are manufactured from the Red Pine logs.

While the company had been building its reputation for years producing numerous grades and profiles of lumber, the additional machinery allowed it to start offering pre-finished pine products, including the clear coat tongue & groove and stained sidings.

“The new pre-finished pine products are taking off, just as we hoped they would,” said Mr. LaBarr. “They are totally ready to be installed when they leave our mill.”

While all the same wood products have been offered in the past, the addition of the new machinery has allowed Johnson Lumber Company to now offer those products pre-finished, which saves customers both time and money, Mr. LaBarr said.

The new equipment included an end matcher, a machine that makes a tongue and grove on the end of each board to make them easier to install, he said.

The boards are sanded, vacuumed and have a clear coat applied and dried with the company’s new ultraviolet clear coat machine. Nine mercury lights on the

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Fred Joels operates an optimized edger, cutting full logs into boards, at Johnson Lumber in Carthage.

machines dry the wood that results in a smooth finish.

The company’s new stain machine can apply water-based stain to the wood prod-

uct, which is dried by infrared heat.

In 1984, the brothers started a sister company, Johnson Log Homes, which sells packages that include all logs and accesso-

TAX & FINANCE DIRECTORY

June 2012 | NNY Business

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COVER STORY its operations, rather than cut back during the recession, has proved to be the right choice, he said.

The feedback has been “all positive, with repeat business,” he added.

FABCO, Watertown

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

FABCO employees move lumber at the Watertown facility in an outdoor storage area.

ries needed to build a home.

While they don’t offer the labor, they can refer customers to local lumber yards and/ or contractors for the log cabin construction, Mr. LaBarr said.

Last year, the company purchased a Newman SS-30 shavings mill that has allowed it to increase the amount of animal bedding it produces from the byproducts of its finished products.

The dry shavings are purchased by

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wholesalers that sell them to farmers and other customers for animal bedding (primarily horse and dairy farmers).

“We also sell shavings direct to the public, mostly local farmers,” Mr. LaBarr said.

Green scraps of wood are still run through a grinder to produce fiber. Fiber is sold to wholesalers, who in turn sell it to companies that manufacture other wood products, such as mulch.

The decision by the company to expand

After a year of lunch break discussions between father and son, the FABCO roof and floor truss manufacturing business was started in 1978.

The Watertown operation is located in a 60,000 square-foot building off Route 3. It was started by Frederick C. Tontarski and his son, Terry L. Tontarski. The two Jefferson County men had been building homes for a couple years and ordering trusses from companies outside of Northern New York.

“We asked ourselves why we couldn’t be manufacturing trusses in Jefferson County, and then shipping from this point out,” said Terry Tontarski.

They started with a small operation in a different location off Route 3, and later moved their manufacturing plant to a building off Van Duzee Street. In 1986, they set up their current location in an area off Route 3, which is now called “FABCO Park.”

COVER STORY Fred Tontarski’s wife, Gerry, and his younger son, Daniel C., eventually joined the FABCO operation. Terry Tontarski’s wife Shelly, and Daniel Tontarski’s wife Jackie, also work in the family business.

They have an average of 50 employees.

“Things were simpler when we first started,” said Daniel Tontarski. “The complexity of roof systems has changed a lot.”

In the early days of the business, measurements were done by programmable calculators, and the initial roof trusses were for “relatively simple roofs, such as those on ranch houses,” said Terry Tontarski.

Now the company uses computer software to generate the precise measurements needed to manufacture the trusses and laser projection systems to make sure the wood is accurately cut. They also manufacture other engineered wood products, such as i-joists, which are used in floor systems.

FABCO utilizes spruce from Canadian forests and Southern Yellow Pine from the Southern states.

“We handle more complicated roof systems, and we had to acquire more sophisticated equipment to produce our products,” said Terry Tontarski.

A simple roof system in the early days of the business might have six or seven different truss shapes, “and nowadays you could have 100 different truss shapes in one roof,” said Terry Tontarski.

“We need to get it done faster without giving up the quality of our product,” he said.

When the company was first started, “we didn’t ship our trusses further than about 50 miles away,” Daniel Tontarski said.

They purchased used equipment and sold their product to retail lumber dealers for resale to area contractors. Their customer base was built by “word-of mouth.”

While their primary customer base is Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties, the company has expanded into the Syracuse area in recent years.

Part of that territorial expansion can be attributed to the recession.

“We were blessed with a decade of strong business before the recession hit,” said Terry Tontarski. “Our father always taught us not to be heavily leveraged and to be prepared.”

When the recession hit and some truss companies outside the area were forced to close their doors, the brothers took advantage of the sudden availability of lower priced machinery. They were also able to hire some additional experienced and

June 2012 | NNY Business

| 19

COVER STORY skilled workers who had lost their jobs.

However, the recession also brought increased competition to the area, said Terry Tontarski.

When the housing markets crashed in other parts of the county, the result was an overabundance of vacant homes, so the home building industry in those areas came to a sudden halt, he said. The truss companies in those areas have been forced to look elsewhere for markets to sell their product.

One of those markets has been Northern New York, primarily due to the on-going

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NNY Business | June 2012

construction projects related to Fort Drum, Terry Tontarski said.

“There were areas in the country that were devastated, because there had been a housing boom and the number of houses built was beyond what those markets could sustain,” he said.

As a result, several truss companies from outside the state have been “pushing their product” in the north country, he said.

“We are competing with people shipping trusses from areas such as Ohio and Virginia,” Terry Tontarski said. “That has been tough on business.”

While Fort Drum has brought business we would not have otherwise had, at the same time, it’s also brought an increased level of competition,” he said.

The brothers remain cautiously optimistic about the future.

“Things seem to be turning around,” said Daniel Tontarski.

“We want to think it’s improving,” his brother added. “Ever so slightly.” n NORAH MACHIA is a freelance writer who lives in Watertown. She is a 20-year veteran journalist and former Watertown Daily Times reporter.

Contact her at nemachia@yahoo.com.

D

espite its many challenges and an overall decline, manufacturing in Northern New York is as diverse as it is specialized. From athletic tape to gun-cleaning kits and bowling pins to the ubiquitous Little Tree air fresheners, much still is produced right here in the north country by skilled laborers and craftsmen who, without a manufacturing sector, would call somewhere else home. The following is a list of leading manufacturers in Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties that produce goods for all sorts of applications.

COVER STORY America. The Watertown plant is the first for the company in the United States, which has other plants in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Argentina. Chris Holmes, CEO of Carr’s Milling, the controlling company of Carrs Billington, said that long-term, the company would like to include plants in California and the Midwest. The plant aims to employ about 10 people.

TIMELESS FRAMES

JEFFERSON COUNTY

Lisa A. Weber, CEO of Timeless Frames, bought the company in 1999 when it had seven employees. In July 2010, Timeless Expressions was added to the Timeless Decor building, allowing users to store photos online and create custom gifts using photos. All three businesses are housed in the Jefferson County Corporate Park off Watertown’s Coffeen Street and employ about 200 employees.

In 2011, Timeless Frames was named one of the top 50 fastest growing women-owned or -led companies in North America. The company produces custom frames that are sold through national retailers.

KNOWLTON TECHNOLOGIES

CAR-FRESHNER CORP.

Watertown’s Knowlton Technologies has been in operation for more than 200 years. Founded in 1808, the company has been in continuous operation, evolving from pulp fiber media for vacuum cleaner bags to glass media for engine filter cartridges and non-asbestos friction papers.

Knowlton now produces a broad range of composite webs utilizing wet-laid manufacturing machinery resulting in products from high performance racing filters, high energy friction materials, high temperature composites and precision polishing materials. The company was recording record sales in late 2011 and employed 121 employees as of November at their facility located at 213 Factory St.

NEW YORK AIR BRAKE

The New York Air Brake, 748 Starbuck Ave., Watertown, is one of Jefferson County’s biggest employers and has been serving the rail industry since 1890. New York Air Brake is a division of Knorr-Bremse Group, which is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and has four subsidiaries: Knorr Brake Ltd., Kingston, Ontario; Train Dynamic Systems, Irving, Texas; Anchor Brake Shoe, West Chicago, Ill., and Premtec Inc., China Grove, N.C. Air Brake produces state-of-the-art locomotive braking systems and freight car components and employs approximately 350 people.

METALCRAFT MARINE

MetalCraft Marine, a Kingston, Ont.-based firm, was founded in 1987 and has had a presence in Clayton since 2000. In 2007, American MetalCraft merged with MetalCraft Marine, its parent company, which produced high-speed aluminum fire, patrol, rescue and work boats that have been sold across the globe in places like Dubai, Florida, Boston and Nigeria. Currently, MetalCraft is headquartered in Kingston with a manufacturing and testing facility in Cape Vincent’s Anchor Marina. MetalCraft employees less than 100 people in Kingston and about two dozen people in its Cape Vincent facility.

FLORELLE TISSUE CORP.

Founded by Canadian Harry Minas, Florelle Tissue is headquartered in the 94,000-square-foot former Brownville Specialty Paper Products mill. Production began at the mill in early May with product being shipped to Canada, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The plant opened with 15 workers, but the company anticipates having a total of 70 to 75 employees by the end of this year. The plant will manufacture kitchen towels and napkins, as well as facial and bathroom tissue.

AFGRITECH

Afgritech LLC, a feed mill housed in the former Blue Seal Feeds facility on Watertown’s Willow Street, produces protein meal that is easier for cows to digest. A joint venture between Carrs Billington Agriculture, Stanwix, England, and Afgri Operations Ltd., Centurion, South Africa, Afgritech spent $5 million upgrading the facilities into one of the most technologically advanced feed mill plants in North

Car-Freshner, made famous by its hanging tree-shaped air fresheners, was founded in 1952 by Julius “Jules” Samann in his Watertown garage. The company produces air fresheners in more than 60 fragrances and has approximately 300 local employees and, with plants in DeWitt, Iowa, and Belin, N.H., more than 500 employees overall. The company’s headquarters are in Watertown’s Jefferson County Corporate Park, off Coffeen Street and is led by President Jody LaLone, a resident of Mannsville.

ferent countries and has recorded $250 million in annual sales. There is also a production facility in Syracuse.

STATURE ELECTRIC

Stature Electric Inc., located in the Jefferson County Corporate Park, Watertown, is owned by parent company Allied Motion Technologies Inc., which is based in Englewood, Colo. Allied Motion Technologies acquired Stature Electric in May 2004. The Watertown manufacturing facility had approximately 80 employees in 2011, many of which were hired back after a 2008 layoff of 124 employees. Stature Electric produces gear motors and transaxles, many of which are used in the construction industry.

PACKAGING CORP. OF AMERICA

Packaging Corp. of America operates a sheet plant on Watertown’s Old Rome State Road. The plant is a supplier of corrugated shipping containers. Working closely with the PCA plant in Syracuse, the Watertown plant provides packaging solutions to customers in New York and Ontario Canada. Both plants produce products such as multi-color direct flexo print, litho labeling and die cutting. Corporate headquarters for Packaging Corp. of America are located in Lake Forest, Ill.

CURRENT APPLICATIONS

Current Applications, 275 Bellew Ave. S., designs and manufactures prototype motors, including brushless motors, electric, universal, permanent magnet and gear motors. The company employs about 25 workers and is led by President George Anderson.

FABCO

NORTH AMERICAN TAPES

North American Tapes manufactures hockey line and equipment tape supplied to hockey arenas worldwide, produced in a facility on Watertown’s Fisher Road Jefferson County Industrial Park. Led by owner and President Darrin R. Prance, North American Tapes is dubbed the No. 2 hockey tape manufacturer in the world and includes the Comp-o-stik products line for wrapping hockey sticks and PerforMed for sports-related injuries. Founded in 2003, the company now employs approximately 25 people.

Fabco designs, manufactures and sells custom roof and floor trusses as well as a full line of engineered wood products from manufacturers like Georgia Pacific and Nordic Engineered Wood through retail lumber yards. The company was founded in 1978 by Fred Tontarski and his wife, Geraldine, it is today run by their sons Dan and Terry. Fabco operates out of a 60,000 square-foot building on Fabco Road in Watertown.

STEBBINS ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING

Johnson Lumber and Log Homes, 10972 State Route 26, Carthage, is a family-owned Eastern White Pine Sawmill that was founded in 1977 by brothers Ron and Robert Johnson. The business started as a sawmill and eventually expanded into the log home business and mulch and shavings production. The company employs 18 people.

Founded in 1884 and incorporated in 1903, Stebbins was initially a business built on the design and construction of pulp and paper mills. Today it is a specialty masonry contract that builds corrosion-resistant, reinforced concrete tanks and ceramic linings to hold many types of corrosive liquids. With offices in Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Peru, Port Allen, La., Seattle Wash., the company is headquartered at 363 Eastern Blvd., Watertown. Stebbins employs approximately 1,000 people worldwide.

JAIN IRRIGATION INC.

Jain Irrigation Inc., operates the Chapin Watermatics plant, 740 Water St., Watertown. Chapin had $7 million in sales of its high-quality plastic tubing used in irrigation in 10 to 12 counties when Jain Irrigation bought the company in 2006. In 2011, sales tripled and Jain Irrigation does business in more than 43 countries. It was reported in 2010 that Jain had made $500,000 per year in equipment and efficiency improvements since 2006 and international sales went from $1 million to $12 million. Jain Irrigation is based in Fresno, Calif., a subsidiary of Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., Jalgaon, India. Jain Irrigation employs approximately 100 people in its Watertown facility.

ROTH INDUSTRIES

Roth Industries, a German company located in Watertown’s City Center Industrial Park, Bellew Avenue, produces in-floor radiant heating systems and other plastic systems, including plastic storage tanks. Roth Industries employs approximately 20 people at the Watertown plant and 1,100 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Germany with offices in Europe, the Far East, South America and Canada; in all, Roth Industries has locations in 40 dif-

JOHNSON LUMBER

ASSOCIATED HARVEST

Associated Harvest is run by Glenn and Coleen Walldroff and is located in LaFargeville. The company manufactures wood pellets made from wood fiber that comes from six to eight different furniture milling operations within a 200mile radius of the facility. Pellets are shipped throughout New York State and are mainly used for home heating purposes. Mr. and Mrs. Walldroff also operate Walldroff Farm Equipment in Watertown and Canton.

RIDGELINE INDUSTRIES

RidgeLine Industries has been outdoor products for individuals and the military since 1972. Located at 745 Graves St., Clayton, the company also operates RidgeLineTents. com and CampRidgeline.com. RidgeLine was one of the largest suppliers of camping tents to JC Penney prior to expanding into government products. Since 1986, RidgeLine has produced high-quality tents, tent liners, vestibules, boot walls and advanced solar shades to the military. The company is owned by Richard Ryan and normally employs less than 10 people.

ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY TULMAR MANUFACTURING INC.

Tulmar Manufacturing Inc. was established in 2004 in

Please see Manufacturers, page 35 June 2012 | NNY Business

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S T. L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y

Barry C. Whiteford, owner of Cari-Mor, shows off one of his Cari-Mor Truck Bed Extension / Cargo Carriers in Canton last month.

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

Innovating for the future

Canton man plans to manufacture truck bed extensions in NNY

By KYLE R. HAYES

B

Associate Editor

arry Whiteford and Craig S. Basford want the Cari-Mor Truck Bed Extension and Cargo Carrier to be the next big invention. Not only the next big product in the automotive aftermarket but the next manufacturer to bring business into St. Lawrence County.

Mr. Whiteford is the inventor of CariMor and a Canton native. His product is an automotive accessory that attaches a platform to a vehicle’s receiver hitch that can be raised or lowered to give extra room to carry things like ATVs or motorcycles on trucks with beds that fall just short. The product may also be attached to an SUV or RV as an exterior cargo carrier.

Mr. Basford is Cari-Mor’s marketing director. Having met Mr. Whiteford through Mr. Basford’s local advertising firm, NNY Marketplace, Canton, he committed to a two-year contract as marketing director, developing a marketing and advertising strategy as well as advertising content and website design.

“Our product has the ability to change depth, height and pitch, all with one

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NNY Business | June 2012

universal lower support unit to create a level plane along a truck’s tailgate,” Mr. Basford said, describing the company’s patented extension technology.

The idea for Cari-Mor came from a conversation between Mr. Whiteford, a career welder, and a friend who had asked him to build a trailer so he could travel with his two ATVs. Mr. Whiteford realized the inconvenience associated with towing a trailer behind a truck when only a few feet of extra space was needed to accommodate the two ATVs. Mr. Whiteford decided to create that extra few feet of space.

He designed his first prototype in 1997.

Fifteen years later, the Cari-Mor product is gaining serious traction.

“We are currently looking at contract manufacturers in Auburn and Georgia while also working with local entities here in St. Lawrence County to find space to do our own manufacturing when we get to that point,” Mr. Basford said.

The contract manufacturers would get the ball rolling with production of truck bed extenders so Cari-Mor can begin to enter the retail market. Once space is found and machinery is brought into St. Lawrence County, Mr. Basford said that

Northern New York would be the center for most operations. Initial manufacturing jobs would be less than 10, Mr. Basford said.

“We are looking at space in Massena,” Mr. Basford said. “We would be bringing robotic manufacturing into St. Lawrence County, which this area has never seen before. It’s a new level of manufacturing that would benefit our business and bring something totally new to this area.”

Mr. Basford commends the work of the St. Lawrence Industrial Development Agency, Canton Small Business Development Center and NBT Bank in Canton, with which Cari-Mor received funding for the project, for promoting the business, providing counsel and aiding in finding manufacturing space and additional cash.

Also standing to benefit from the success of Cari-Mor is Fockler Industries, a Norfolk machine shop owned and operated by Dale and Peggy Fockler.

Mr. and Mrs. Fockler have known Mr. Whiteford for many years, as Mr. Whiteford was once a welding student of Mr. Fockler’s at Canton College.

“Barry was a student of mine and we kept in touch on and off for many years

and Fockler Industries has helped him with several prototypes for Cari-Mor,” Mr. Fockler said.

The Focklers worked with Tom Plastino at the St. Lawrence IDA to find space to expand their own operations and introduced Mr. Plastino and Mr. Whiteford. Now Fockler Industries is moving some operations into the Massena Industrial Park, where there is space for Cari-Mor in another building, according to Mrs. Fockler.

“Having robotic machines for manufacturing and fabrication is about reducing the wear and tear on your employees,” Mrs. Fockler said. “When you’re doing high volume production, you will really wear down your workers if you don’t have robots to help them.”

Mr. Fockler said that being able to utilize the robotic machines for his business would also be an asset. According to Mrs. Fockler, robots for welding and manufacturing can cost a minimum of $150,000, depending on the intricacy of the work they handle.

“We are open to the idea of providing our machines to other projects locally and opening our facilities once Cari-Mor comes on line in our own facilities,” Mr. Basford said. “We have seen some robots in action and what they can do is really impressive. With fabrication, things can just be done so accurately and efficiently.”

Mr. Basford didn’t have a timeline yet for when operations in St. Lawrence County would be active but he said the company is wholly dedicated to creating local business and jobs.

“Barry is a Canton native, so he is committed to the area and we are also dedicated to building our product in the United States,” Mr. Basford said.

Once manufacturing begins and Cari-Mor hits the retail market, manufacturer’s suggested retail price will be approximately $1,399, but in-store price will vary based on the retailer.

“We are also aiming to become an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] product, so companies like Toyota and Ford would sell it right alongside their products,” Mr. Basford said.

Mr. Basford cites the multitude of support behind the project as the reasoning behind Cari-Mor’s initial successes and the company’s optimistic future.

“Everyone from the IDA, to SBDC to CITEC has been so supportive and Barry has a network of people he has met along this journey that are so willing to help and see Cari-Mor’s future be successful.” n KYLE R. HAYES is associate magazine editor for NNY Business. Contact him at khayes@wdt.net or 661-2381.

June 2012 | NNY Business

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S T. L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y

‘A dollar and a dream’

Hoosier Magnetics proves profit comes with perseverance

By JOLEENE DESROSIERS

W NNY Business

hen the New York State Lottery came up with the phrase, “A dollar and a dream,” B. Thomas Shirk, CEO and president of Hoosier Magnetics, Ogdensburg, had no idea the phrase would relate directly to him.

It all began in Washington, Ind., in 1970. A manufacturing plant that specialized in the manufacture of ferrite powder, a raw material used to make magnets, was struggling to stay in business. When the recession hit in the early ’70s, several businesses were forced to shut down, including the Indiana plant. Despite the economic downturn, Mr. Shirk, then-plant manager, saw an opportunity to bank on the economic upswing, and approached the owners of the plant with a plan.

“I wanted to keep things moving,” Mr. Shirk said. “After some discussion, the former owners allowed me to continue the operation. I had a good relationship with them, but very little capital to actually buy the business. So they created a plan for me to pay a dollar a month for a period of time. “ One dollar — that was it. Well, for the manufacturing portion of the business, anyway. Mr. Shirk still needed to buy raw materials and pay the utility bill.

“We had to go out and borrow money to do that. But the actual capital to acquire the plant was only a dollar a month. I took a risk and it was a brave move, but it just seemed like a good opportunity.”

By 1975, the plant was up and running again under the name Hoosier Magnetics. For the first six months, the business sold nothing. And then, in April 1976,

“

24 |

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

B. Thomas Shirk, president / CEO of Hoosier Magnetics, Inc., takes Rep. William L. Owens on a tour of the Ogdensburg facility last year.

the phone rang.

“We got a call from a customer who needed ferrite powder to make magnets.

He asked us if we wanted to sell him something,” Mr. Shirk recalled. “You can imagine what the answer was.”

that has workers playing with chemicals at 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit.

“During this heating process, the chemicals go through a reaction and turn into strontium ferrite,” Mr. Shirk said. “What goes into the calciner is not magnetic; what comes out of it is. It’s basically a little miracle of chemistry.”

This little miracle grew to be B. Thomas Shirk, president & CEO a big, profitable Hoosier Magnetics, Ogdensburg miracle, and by the ’80s, Hoosier Shortly thereafter, a second call kicked Magnetics expanded to four plants: The production into high gear. Before long, one in Washington, Ind., another in Tothe plant was running around the clock. ledo, Ohio, a third in Ogdensburg, and Mr. Shirks’ dollar had paid off. More and the last on the other side of the world in more customers were coming out of the Italy. woodwork, seeking the crucial raw mate- “Magnets are a big business. And rial known as ferrite powder required in you can’t have magnets without fermagnet manufacturing. Ferrite is mostly rite powder. Our customers are in the an iron oxide-based material: 85 percent business of making permanent magnets, iron oxide, 15 percent carbonate. The two and permanent magnets are everywhere powders are then mixed together and around us,” Mr. Shirk said, “There’s a introduced to a high-temperature process permanent magnet on your refrigerator

Ferrite is just a very basic ingredient in life.

There’s nothing glamorous about it. It’s not pretty; it’s just a brown powder. Really, we’re kind of boring.

—

NNY Business | June 2012

On the Web HOOSIER MAGNETICS WHERE:110 Denny St., Ogdensburg ONLINE: www.hoosiermagneticsinc.com

that holds your kids artwork up. There’s another one inside your refrigerator that keeps the door securely closed. There’s a magnet that drives your windshield wiper motor and another that drives your airconditioning motor. There’s even a magnet inside your stereo speakers. They are ubiquitous. But if you somehow pulled all of the magnets up and out of the world, it would literally stop running.”

Despite the need for magnets, it wasn’t enough to keep all four plants running.

When the Chinese started getting into the ferrite business in the ’90s, Mr. Shirk said there was a huge consolidation in the industry as the majority of manufacturing moved overseas. Hoosier Magnetics had to consolidate as well, just to keep up.

“We went into survival mode. We literally moved all of our businesses into one factory: Ogdensburg. We chose this facility because it’s able to produce as much as all of our facilities put together. It has the most efficient system with the biggest production capability.”

With 30 employees, Mr. Shirk said he is grateful for the work they do. With distribution centers in Europe and the Far East, the president and CEO said it’s his employees who keep the business running.

“I give all the credit to our staff at the New York plant. They really work hard.

It’s a hot and dirty business in the summer and cold and dirty in the winter, but they really take ownership in their jobs and I truly appreciate that. Without them, I’m not sure we would have survived.”

Today, despite some struggles the business has endured, Mr. Shirk is proud of what he started some 30 years ago, and he is humble when he talks about the science involved in making a material that holds the world together.

“Ferrite is just a very basic ingredient in life. There’s nothing glamorous about it. It’s not pretty; it’s just a brown powder.

Really, we’re kind of boring.” n JOLEENE DES ROSIERS is a freelance writer, transformational speaker and author who lives in Pulaski with her husband and daughter. Her first book, “Memoirs of Normalcy” was published this year. Contact her at myddes@hotmail.com.

June 2012 | NNY Business

| 25

JEFFERSON COUNTY

A barn-raising boom continues

No slowing down for North Country Storage Barns any time soon

By JOLEENE DESROSIERS

I

NNY Business

t’s a business that started quietly in Lancaster, Pa., in the early ’90s.

Portable storage sheds were a new concept, and when the Martin family recognized the value they had in Northern New York, they put their dairy cows away and pulled out their hammers.

“My older brothers in Lancaster got the idea and built the first shed in an open field. It just grew from there,” said John Martin, CEO of North Country Storage Barns in Philadelphia. “In 1994 the portable shed industry was very, very laid back. There wasn’t nearly as much business as there is now. It started from nothing, really. We’d sell one shed and pay our employees for the week.”

The concept was so new it didn’t take off right away. It took a grassroots campaign to really open the idea up to folks in the north country. The family didn’t have a lot to put into advertising, either. They depended on word of mouth to get the ball rolling.

The idea of the portable shed is twofold: For starters, it is indeed portable.

It can be moved from one location to another without extensive deconstruction.

Second, that one little shed can enhance the value of a property.

“The unit is always portable, so in some cases, property taxes aren’t a factor,” Mr. Martin said. “The resale value also stays steady, even if lumber prices continue to rise. In other words, if someone bought a portable shed five years ago, they could get a decent price for it today if they kept it in good shape.“ Mr. Martin and four of his brothers sell the sheds with a one-year warranty. Service is available anytime. This enables owners to keep it up to par so that resale value is fair.

Things have grown quite a bit since the first shed was built. Today, the familyowned business pumps out as many as 1,100 sheds a year. And that’s not all.

From modular cabins and play structures to gazebos and outdoor furniture, the Martin family keeps busy building on site in Philadelphia. Other items like the outdoor furniture and gazebos are built at a manufacturing site in Lancaster. And

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NNY Business | June 2012

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

John Martin, CEO of North Country Storage Barns, stands in a display area with storage barns in the background at his Route 11 location, Philadelphia.

Locations NORTH COUNTRY STORAGE BARNS n 32660 Route 11, Philadelphia, 642-0209 n 7038 Route 12, Lowville, 705-5981 n 5780 Route 11, Pulaski, 387-2092 ONLINE: www.ncsbarns.com

while some of their business takes them outside of New York, Mr. Martin says the majority of it stays in Northern New York.

“Most of our customer base is within a 40-50 mile radius of our three locations, which are in Philadelphia, Lowville and on the border of Pulaski and Sandy Creek.

This is fantastic because we are able to deliver the product to the customer on a trailer and set it up for them.

“Recently, however, we’ve crossed borders into Canada. Within the last year, we’ve started exporting to distributors there. The storage-shed industry in Canada is taking off very well and is growing fast.”

While this is good news for North Country Storage Barns, it brings with it a question of what the next step is for the shed makers. Do they stay with their present customer base, which enables them to offer exceptional customer service? Or do they grow and potentially jeopardize the very thing they say keeps them intact?

“It wasn’t really our intent to grow

large,” Mr. Martin said. “We always wanted the small, family-type deal to keep it personal. So the growth was kind of forced, based on demand. At this point, we’re turning some of our large jobs down because of how far we’re booked out. We know you can’t grow too fast, either, or we could have problems. So we’re doing the best we can. Were blessed by the growth, but at the same time we don’t want to sacrifice customer service.”

Mr. Martin said it’s the customers who make the business, and because he recognized the importance of this, he and his brothers don’t want to sacrifice what has made them successful.

“We wouldn’t be in business without our customers. They really are the lifeblood of the business. A five-dollar sale is just as important as a $50,000 dollar sale. Customers are the highest priority. I can’t ever say thank you enough to our customers.”

Over the next few months Mr. Martin and brothers Jason, Luke, Titus and Reuben will discuss their next phase of growth for the booming business. Regardless of their decision, one thing is clear: North Country Storage Barns isn’t going anywhere soon. n JOLEENE DES ROSIERS is a freelance writer, transformational speaker and author who lives in Pulaski with her husband and daughter. Her first book, “Memoirs of Normalcy” was published this year. Contact her at myddes@hotmail.com.

SMALL BUSINESS

Perfecting an old family favorite

Secret is in service, quality fare, Family Pizza owners say

By TED BOOKER

I

NNY Business

t’s not your average pizza in town.

Rick D. Pitre sampled every pizza in Watertown to perfect the homestyle pizza recipe at Family Pizza, which he opened as a co-owner with Richard Lagano in the Cheney Tire Plaza, 839 State St., Watertown, in April.

The end result, he said, is a pizza with a distinctively sweet sauce and crust that comes with an extra crunch.

“The crust has a good crunch, but the dough is still pliable,” Mr. Pitre said.

“And we use sliced tomatoes for our sauce, while other places in the area mix it together cold.”

In addition to its pizzas, the shop will offer an array of deli sandwiches made with half loaves of ciabatta and focaccia breads. They include chicken pesto, turkey-avocado-bacon, corn-beef grilled cheese and turkey-apple-brie and bacon.

Diners can cap off their meals with fried Oreos and ice cream, which is deep-fried with a Corn Flake crust.

The eatery also features subs and giant sandwiches as part of its deli offerings.

The restaurant also is a family affair, said Mr. Pitre, who developed a friendship with Mr. Lagano while watching their children participate in athletics at General Brown Central School, Dexter, over the years. Mr. Pitre’s 19-year-old twin daughters, Taylor R. and Eleni R., and his 17-year-old son, David C., work at the restaurant, along with Mr. Lagano’s son, Richard, 17.

“I’ve known Richard for about 10 years, and his son has been on my son’s sports teams through junior varsity and varsity,” Mr. Pitre said. “So we see this as something that our two families can enjoy together. It’s an endeavor all of us can put our hearts and souls into.”

Mr. Lagano added that getting the two

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Family Pizza co-owners Rick D. Pitre and Richard Lagano at their shop in the Cheney Tire Plaza, 839 State St., Watertown.

Family Pizza WHERE: 839 State St., Watertown, Cheney Tire Plaza.

DELIVERY / TAKE OUT: 786-2006.

(Delivery in Watertown only.)

HOURS: 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday

families involved in the daily operations was the main inspiration for launching the business.

“This was to get our families involved in seeing what it takes to run a business,

produce a product and give great customer service,” he said. “Rick and I both have a son who works here and we want to give [our children] a taste of what it’s like to work for a living.”

The shop offers hands-on customer service that can’t be done at franchise restaurants.

“We had a lady come in last month who said she loves pizza but is allergic to garlic, so we made her a garlic-free sauce and she loved it,” Mr. Lagano said. “It’s one of the things we like doing for our customers.” n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at 661-2371 or tbooker@wdt.net.

June 2012 | NNY Business

| 27

R E A L E S TAT E R O U N D U P

The attorney’s role in real estate

V

ery few real estate transactions in New York are closed without help from one or more attorneys. So why are attorneys important to the transaction and who should have an attorney represent them? The short answers are important as all parties to the transaction should have a lawyer. Of course, these answers bring up more questions.

For an explanation, I turned to Patrick Evans and Roger Linden, attorneys for the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors, respectively. Both are retained by the associations to advise and represent them in legal matters.

I will start with the attorney’s role. The attorney can be retained to represent the seller, the buyer, or the lender – bank, mortgage company, etc. An attorney should be consulted to review the contract when a seller lists a property. After the seller and buyer have agreed to a purchase offer, it’s a good idea to have an attorney review clause also. In addition to these, when representing a seller, Mr. Linden prepares all documentation, redates and reviews the abstract, ascertains if there are outstanding mortgages or liens and arranges for them to be discharged at time of closing, prepares the closing statement which details money owed by the buyer to seller at closing, draws up a bill of sale for any personal property in the transaction (household goods, appliances, tools, etc.), and prepares commission checks. He also determines how to present the transaction to federal tax authorities as it may be taxable if it’s over a certain amount or the property was not used

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NNY Business | June 2012

as a primary residence for a specified period of time.

“A good seller attorney gets a head start and cures problems before they get to the buyer attorney,” Mr. Evans said.

Lance Evans So what does a buyer attorney do? In addition to reviewing the purchase offer on behalf of the buyer, Mr. Evans said he wants to ensure the bank, the seller, and agents each deal fairly and legally.

He helps protect the buyer’s interests by checking zoning and common restrictions, reviewing paperwork a seller’s attorney sends and comparing it to what the buyer has, reviewing seller concessions, and advising the buyer in all aspects of the sale. Mr. Linden points out that the buyer attorney also checks to see if the title is marketable and there are no outstanding claims on it, helps the buyer obtain title insurance if it is required or desired, records the transfer with the clerk’s office, and oversees the distribution of proceeds of sale, including paying off the seller’s obligations.

I asked both why the buyer needs an attorney since the lender has one anyway and the lender is loaning the buyer the money. They pointed out that while the lender’s attorney can represent both the buyer and the lender, if there is a conflict of interest, the lender is the attorney’s client and an attorney owes primary loyalty

to his or her client. The lender’s attorney looks for a “good” title (no liens or questions as to ownership). He or she is not usually concerned with issues of zoning and has no role in a dispute between the buyer and seller.

Both Mr. Evans and Mr. Linden pointed out that a good attorney can help and smooth the process of the transfer of property. Of course there is a fee involved to hire an attorney, but the money spent is more than equal to the money and time saved in the long run. n

n

n

From May 14 to 18, Jennifer Stevenson, St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors president, and I had the opportunity to attend the National Association of Realtors’ Mid-Year Meetings in Washington, D.C. The highlight of the week was the “Realtor Rally to Protect the American Dream” on May 17 at the Washington Monument.

We joined an estimated 13,500 Realtors from all over the country. We also met with Congressman Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, and U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to express concerns about and support for various items of pending legislation. We also attended committee meetings and information sessions that dealt with many aspects of the real estate industry. n LANCE M. EVANS is the executive officer of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He has lived in the north country since 1985. Contact him at levans@nnymls.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

R E A L E S TAT E

Multimedia a growing sales trend

By KYLE R. HAYES

W Associate Editor

ith quick response codes, YouTube channels, Facebook accounts and interactive online tours, real estate sales is becoming one of the most wired industries.

Being connected is all about staying competitive, according to Deirdre Hylen, a licensed Realtor with EXIT MORE Real Estate in Watertown.

“Oh it’s all absolutely necessary, all of it,” Mrs. Hylen said. “Especially in our area, having visuals and videos and online tours is crucial.”

Mrs. Hylen is a military spouse and mother who relocated to Fort Drum approximately five years ago. She draws on her experience as a military wife to help others looking to relocate to the north country. She said she understands the challenges of finding a home in a part of the country that military members and their families may be unfamiliar with.

With the shortage of rental housing, oftentimes the lure to buy a home is much more attractive.

“Whatever you can do to give the buyer an accurate representation of the property, I will do,” she said. Mrs. Hylen notes that with military families, they will often have only a few days in the area to look at properties before they have to choose a home and begin relocating. Sometimes they’re not even afforded that luxury.

“I just had a deal fall through and now I’m going through available properties and trying to find something that fits the family’s needs and they’ll end up buying sight unseen,” Mrs. Hylen said. “Obvious-

ly, we don’t really love selling property without people seeing it, but with video tours and YouTube videos, they can see all aspects of the property, not just the shiny good parts that some agents show.”

EXIT More utilizes EXIT eListings, a system that allows for online tours, property marketing and promotes properties not only through the traditional Multiple Listing Service but makes them available in search engines like Google and Yahoo Real Estate. Mrs. Hylen, like many other salespeople, has a Facebook page where she posts about the community and properties she’s listing.

“I like to use Facebook to promote the community that we’re in,” Mrs. Hylen said. “I’m in Lewis County so I like to post things that make people realize that Lewis County, like Jefferson and parts of St. Lawrence, is really part of the Fort Drum community, too.”

Jill W. Rosette, an associate broker with Coldwell Banker, was recently honored at Coldwell Banker’s international conference, the Generation Blue Experience, in New Orleans for her work in video.

“I’ve been doing video for a little over six months and it’s something we now offer to every customer when they’re listing their property,” Ms. Rosette said.

Ms. Rosette was recognized for her work with Coldwell Banker after she closed a deal on a home with Ryan Wallace, a member of the Army, who purchased a house through Ms. Rosette after seeing her work with video.

“Mr. Wallace was stationed in Afghanistan and had sent me an email just complimenting my video and, I guess, how useful it was,” Ms. Rosette said. “It wasn’t

a home he was interested in, but when he got notice he’d be moving to Fort Drum we kept in contact so that he could start looking at homes here.”

Coldwell Banker uses an online system called Rapid Response. When a buyer is looking at a Coldwell property and has a question, they request additional information and a Coldwell sales associate is notified for the quickest response.

On many real estate for sale signs, quick response, or QR, codes are placed prominently at the top. Those codes can be scanned using a mobile phone’s camera and open a link to a website or video tour of the property.

“Social media, and access to it like those QR codes, is really popular with the younger agents and buyers,” Ms. Rosette said.

Mrs. Hylen said that things like the QR codes are largely about novelty, but aren’t always functional.

“QR codes, they’re neat, but they haven’t really taken off,” Mrs. Hylen said. “Some agents and buyers don’t really know how to use them or what they’re for.”

Both Mrs. Hylen and Ms. Rosette stress the importance of keeping up with the technology and social media that buyers and sellers have become accustomed and that it is good for business.

“If you’re not doing video tours and interactive things, I think it’s a disservice to the customer,” Mrs. Hylen said. “When I see other agents not doing the online tours, they’re losing a market and audience. Everything is on the Internet.” n KYLE R. HAYES is associate magazine editor for NNY Business. Contact him at khayes@wdt.net or 661-2381.

June 2012 | NNY Business

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R E A L E S TAT E / J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y The following property sales were recorded in the Jefferson County clerk’s office:

May 22

n Town of Rutland: 2.78 acres, County Route 49, Stephen P. McGowan, Watertown, sold to Chelsea A. Hudson and Mark W. Snyder, both of Black River $70,000. n Village of Deferiet: Wilna Avenue, Regina M. Litzendorf, Woodbridge, Va., sold to Bridget L. Fetterly, Carthage $75,000. n Village of Carthage: 0.483 acre, South Washington Street, Courtney A. O’Connor and Wendy N. O’Connor, Carthage, sold to Jonathan K. Shaffner and Andrea C. Shaffner, Leavenworth, Kan. $172,000. n City of Watertown: Two parcels, Lynde and Lansing streets, Christopher L. Stallings and Tricia A. Stallings, Lawton, Okla., sold to Timothy J. Laturno Sr. and Ann H. Laturno, North Charleston, S.C. $159,000.

May 21

n Town of Alexandria: 0.3 acre, state Route 12, Irene G. Kolton, Alexandria Bay, sold to Charles J. Lutz and Barbara C. Lutz, Fayetteville $485,000. n City of Watertown: 0.181 acre, 432 Dimmick St., Brian S. Marlbrough, Watertown, sold to James P. Hart III and Seti Razavi, Watertown $145,000.

Cutler Road and VanBrocklin Road, Erik D. Gronowski and Cassanddra J. Gronowski, Glenfield, sold to Terry L. Baker Jr., Carthage $110,000. n Village of Evans Mills: Noble Street, village of Evans Mills, Evans Mills, sold to LC Rentals LLC, Antwerp $30,000.

n Hamlet of Adams Center: 0.288 acre, 18251 NYS Route 177, Holly N. Schwartz and Michael J. Schwartz, Adams Center, sold to Jeffrey F. Michaud and Rose C. Michaud, Watertown $176,000.

n Village of Evans Mills: 0.442 acre, 8411 S. Main St., Walter G. Koepp, APO AE, and Melissa A. Koepp, Evans Mills, sold to Melissa A. Koepp, Evans Mills $160,000.

n Town of Hounsfield: Two parcels,each 5.53 acres, state Route 12F, R&J Enterprises of Northern NY LLC, Watertown, sold to Tracy Ngoc Thao Nguyen, Watertown $52,000.

n Village of Carthage: 0.147 acre, North Washington Street, Steven S. Clima, Enterprise, Ala., sold to Erika F. Uhlinger, Copenhagen $97,000.

n Town of Cape Vincent: 2952 Martin Drive, Karen Anne Baker, aka Karen Ann Baker, executor, will of Frank L. Galen, late of Monroe County, sold to Joseph Avola and Barbara Ann Avola, Three Mile Bay $27,000.

n Town of Alexandria: 2.51 acres, Hunter Road, Eric E. Sayre and Kathleen A. Sayre, LaFargeville, sold to Alan Rambone, Fort Sill, Okla. $95,000. n City of Watertown: Sherman Street, Bayview Loan Servicing LLC, Coral Gables, Fla., sold to RCAN LLC, Watertown $78,000.

May 18

n Hamlet of Henderson: Merchant Street, Linda Stoddard-Leonard, Henderson Harbor, administrator, estate of John Stoddard, sold to Linda StoddardLeonard, Henderson Harbor $75,000.

n Town of Brownville: South Shore Highway, Mervin Roggie and Gayla Roggie, Lowville, sold to Nicole L. Peer, Watertown $75,000.

n Town of Henderson: 8.51 acres, Snowshoe Road, Linda Stoddard-Leonard, Henderson Harbor, administrator, estate of John Stoddard, sold to Linda Stoddard-Leonard, Henderson Harbor $200,000.

n Village of Ellisburg: 1.047 acres, South Main Street, Merrill E. Bertram and Margaret E. Bertram, Ellisburg, sold to Megan Miller, Belleville $75,000.

n Town of Theresa: 2 acres, 33180 County Route 46, Walker’s Manufactured Housing Inc., Watertown, sold to Amy J. Robinson, Theresa $30,000.

n Town of Champion: 2.01 acres, intersection of

n Town of Rutland: 15.203 acres, Archer Road,

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NNY Business | June 2012

Anne E. George, Watertown, sold to Paul M. Morrissey, Watertown $240,000.

n Town of Orleans: 1.60 acres, state Route 12, Shelby S. Brown, Depauville, sold to Amy L. Black, Clayton $140,000. n Town of Clayton: 0.70 acre, Heritage Drive, Gertrude Ingerson Trust, Gerald F. Ingerson and Mary Ingerson-Mulchy, co-trustees, Alexandria Bay, sold to Peter Beattie and Molly Beattie, Clayton $25,000. n Town of Lyme: 5.615 acres, Depot Street, Victoria Countryman, Three Mile Bay, sold to Eric V. C. Kriigel and Angela H. Kriigel, no address given $182,000

$2,973,000 County real estate sales recorded over a five-day period, May 18 - May 22, 2012

n Visit us online at WWW.NNYBIZMAG.COM to view a complete listing of property sales updated daily.

R E A L E S TAT E / S T. L AW R E N C E C O U N T Y The following property sales were recorded in the St. Lawrence County clerk’s office:

May 3

n Village of Massena: 0.14 of an acre more or less, in Lot 12 of Block 8, bounded by Cornell Avenue, Maureen A. Patterson, Massena, sold to Weichert Relocations Resources Inc., Morris Plains, N.J. $74,500. n Village of Massena: 0.14 of an acre more or less, in Lot 12 of Block 8, bounded by Cornell Avenue, Weichert Relocations Resources Inc., Morris Plains, N.J., sold to Danielle Greene, Norwood $74,500. n Town of Morristown: Unknown acres, being a condominium unit, bounded by Riverview Drive, Christopher F. Brandy, Morristown, sold to Raymond P. and Sharon L. Gravel, Rochester, N.H. $155,000. n Village of Potsdam: Unknown acres, in Lot 5, bounded by Haggerty Road (foreclosure), Matthew P. Duprey (referee in action), Edward F. Tischler and et al, no addresses given, sold to North Country Savings Bank, Canton $156,600.

n Town of Oswegatchie: 2 parcels, 1) 3 18/100 acres more or less, and 2) 1.90 acres more or less, both bounded by Patterson Street, Evelyn M. Trimm, Ogdensburg, sold to Zircon Development LLC, Watertown $70,000. n Village of Norwood: Town of Potsdam, 2 parcels, 1) 1.59 acres more or less, and 2) unknown acres, both bounded by Route 56 and Whitney Street, James P. and Lori L. Doran, Norwood, sold to Gallium Development LLC, Watertown $79,900. n Town of Hermon: 0.38 of an acre more or less, in Township 4, bounded by Roscoe Todd’s Lot, Donald A. and Karen A. Blount, Canton, sold to Scott A. Johnson, New Albany, Ohio $155,000. n Town of Gouverneur: 31/100 of an acre more or less, bounded by Barney Street, Ricky L. and Linda Lou Strate, Gouverneur, sold to Erik J. Larson, Gouverneur $40,000. n City of Ogdensburg: 2 parcels, unknown acres, known as part of Lots 4 and 5, bounded by Ford and Washington streets, Kent W. and Sarah M. Holden, Groveton, N.H., sold to Randy Rafter, Ogdensburg $25,000.

n Village of Gouverneur: 60/100 of an acre more or less, bounded by Austin Street, Mark R. Leonard (executor), Sandra S. Leonard, no address given, sold to Karl O. Bender and Holly L. Sayer-Hall, Ogdensburg $77,500.

n Town of Lawrence: 0.309 of an acre more or less, in Mile Square 6, bounded by Route 11 (foreclosure), Marcia L. LeMay (referee in action), Holly C. Varriable and et al, no addresses given, sold to Community Bank N.A., Watertown $28,500.

n Town of Macomb: 4 parcels, 1) 55 21/100 acres more or less, 2) 55 65/100 acres more or less, 3) 105 55/100 acres more or less, and 4) 53 27/100 acres more or less, known as Willet Bowne Farm in the Ogden and Hoffman tracts, the Charles Schisler and Ruth Schisler Trust, Bluffton, S.C., sold to Michael E. Waybright, Dexter $90,000.

May 2

n Village of Madrid: 62/100 of an acre more or less, bounded by Main Street, Gerald D. and Jeanne M. Smith, Heuvelton, sold to Cody S. and Shayla A. Witherell, Parishville $81,500. n Town of Norfolk:3 parcels, 1) 3.293 acres more

Lewis County sales n Recent property sales for Lewis County were unavailable at press time. To view updated sales from Lewis County, visit us on the Web at WWW.NNYBIZMAG.COM. or less, 2) 1.517 acres more or less, and 3) 1.434 acres more or less, all in Mile Square 75, bounded

by Fayette Road, Timothy J. and Marabeth A. Peets, Massena $216,000. n City of Ogdensburg: 2 parcels, unknown acres, in Lots 19 and 20, bounded by Knox and Judson streets, Kimberly A. Tyler (admininstrator), Ronald M. Driscoll, Ogdensburg, sold to Su-Ann Nelson, Canton $33,000. n Town of DeKalb Junction: 2 parcels, 1) 0.25 of an acre more or less, and 2) 0.18 of an acre more or less, both bounded by Canton Street, Robert L. Gray, Heuvelton, sold to C.W. Augustine Inc., DeKalb Junction $40,000. n Village of Massena: Unknown acres, being a part of Lot 6 in Block 9, Massena Savings and Loan, Massena, sold to Windy K. Jones, Massena $49,900 n Town of Waddington: 2 parcels, 1) 120 acres more or less, and 2) 3.369 acres more or less, both in Mile Square Lot 15, bounded by OgdensburgWaddington Road, Marc R. Toffolon, Lisbon, sold to William J. Monroe, Lisbon $55,000.

$1,501,900 County real estate sales recorded over a two-day period, May 2-3, 2012

June 2012 | NNY Business

| 31

20 QUESTIONS

A

T

crossborder

wenty five years ago, MetalCraft Marine began producing aluminum boats with five employees in Kingston, Ontario. Today, the company has more than 100 employees and production facilities on both sides of the American-Canadian border. We sat down with Robert C. Clark, the company’s contracts manager, who talks about how important a talented work force and quality product is to a company’s success; that philosophy seems to be paying off, since MetalCraft most recently received a multimillion dollar contract with the U.S. Coast Guard to produce state-of-the-art aluminum boats bound for American waters.

1

NNYB: Last year, 2011, was a record-breaking year for MetalCraft, with a 15 percent growth in sales over 2010. You had predicted in February that sales for 2012 would jump 20 percent. Will the trend continue?

CLARK: For sure. This year will be another recordbreaking year and so will 2013. Our bookings are very solid looking forward into 2013. We’re always waiting on word for a few more contracts in the works.

2

NNYB: With the $10 million federal contract for high-speed patrol boats for the U.S. Coast Guard, is there potential for job growth between MetalCraft’s Kingston and Cape Vincent facilities?

CLARK: Certainly. This is not just us saying this, companies are saying this across the U.S. and Canada this: No one wants to be a welder. No one wants to be a car mechanic, no one wants to be a boat mechanic. And then there’s no funding for training. I pointed out to Congressman Owens that the economic development officers of Jefferson County promised us an aluminum welder training program at the BOCES facility in Watertown. That hasn’t happened; it doesn’t exist.

3

NNYB: Is the shortage of skilled labor, independent of having to train employees, an issue when you have the ability to increase hiring?

CLARK: All kinds of companies need welders and electricians. All these kids grow up and unfortunately we don’t try to introduce them to trades until high school. We need to introduce them from the early days. Kids growing up think that if you want to make

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NNY Business | June 2012

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

COMMITMENT n Kingston-based MetalCraft Marine is poised to grow, serve U.S. Coast Guard

money you have to be a computer programmer or game designer. They have no concept that the trades get paid well. Our starting wage is $14 an hour for someone with no training, just a laborer. Our highest paid welder made $80,000 last year. If you couple talent and welding or any of those trades, you have a powerhouse of a guy.

4

NNYB: In 2007, American MetalCraft merged with MetalCraft Marine, the parent company, and it was said that the Clayton, now Cape Vincent, outpost had the potential to outgrow its Canadian predecessor. Is that still a possibility?

CLARK: That’s our objective. We can’t grow space here in Kingston. In building space on this property in Kingston we could add maybe 7,000 square feet; but that hurts our marina business. We are trying to broker a deal with the city of Kingston to do boat storage where our docks are. If we could free up space here in the yard, that deal with the city would add space here. Right now in Cape Vincent there is a 10,000 square-foot space that we can take. We have first right of refusal on that building that we didn’t initially take. We are now saying that we should have taken that 10,000 square-foot space first. In the future I’m sure we will encompass both buildings.

5

NNYB: In September, MetalCraft signed a five year lease to use some of Cape Vincent’s Anchor Marina’s buildings, but the search for a new home wasn’t always easy finding the space and location. Has there been any talk of building your own home along the St. Lawrence waterfront when that lease is up?

CLARK: The cost to build is prohibitive now. An existing building is presumably paid for or largely paid for so the cost is much lower. These guys go and build a new building and oh, it’s beautiful, oh, it’s fantastic, but does it make your boats any better? It doesn’t make your product better at all. Will it give you better workflow? Yes. Are the gains in workflow enough to pay that mortgage? If not, it doesn’t make sense.

6

NNYB: What is the breakdown of work handled between Kingston and Cape Vincent? What tasks are generally handled in what facility?

CLARK: Right now the level of training in Cape Vin-

cent is up to our level [in Kingston] on metal work; it’s probably a third of our level on mechanical and about the same in electrical. So if a boat has a simple mechanical installation it’s no problem to do it in Cape Vincent. Right now we’re doing our most difficult outfit of a boat in that facility, which is a boat for Key West. We keep training and training. We’re to the point, size-wise, where we used to send people to the American Boat and Yachting Council, where they move trainers to different locales, and now we have them come to us. We’ll have 20 people in a training session at a time and invite other builders to join in.

7

NNYB: You once called your company to the ‘Google of the boat world,’ as the benchmark for other companies. How much of MetalCraft time and money is spent in research and development?

CLARK: We spend a lot. We spend a considerable amount on research and development. The strange thing is that the research and development laws between Canada and the U.S. are balanced under NAFTA. Canada can’t offer more in research and development grants or tax credits than the U.S. or vice versa. We don’t qualify for any grants in the U.S. Zero. Congressman Owens did a complete investigation of that. I’m impressed by American politicians, I can tell you that. What they do is they run into stone walls all the time. There are so many walls and rules and it should be more open.

8

NNYB: What kinds of things are you primarily doing research on?

CLARK: We just did a welding research study looking for new welding techniques. Welding machines have taken a quantum leap in the last five years. We wanted to make sure we were getting the best use out of the machines. We only have the latest technology. When we investigated, we found things we didn’t know. We saw a $100,000 grant available but it had to be done through a school. We interviewed Queens University and St. Lawrence College.

St. Lawrence College had a steel welding program, not aluminum, but their main welder was experienced in aluminum welding. We don’t have all the results yet, since we’re doing destructive testing. But we took our competitors welds and replicated them and

20 QUESTIONS analyzed them for strength based on new procedures we developed for these other machines. We are always trying to stay ahead of everyone else on things like electrical and corrosion prevention. We’re way ahead of our competitors. We want to be ahead in welding as well.

9

NNYB: Was it a conscious decision to begin building boats used in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense?

CLARK: We are by far the leader in that. We’ve been doing it since 2004. It was a conscious decision. What happened was a contract with the city of Seattle came up for one of the first vessels like that and we said we had to get that contract. We said we have to be the leaders there. There are more aluminum boat builders in Seattle than anywhere else in the country. We initially thought there was no way we could win it. We found in our investigation that the city would only buy locally, it was a decision made by the city council. [The fire department] came to us and wanted us to apply. We said we couldn’t. We wanted to and said we would like to.

They said, ‘If we can get the resolution changed with city council would you bid on it?’ They went to city council and told them that the resolution to only buy local, using federal money, couldn’t be done, it was illegal. We bid the job; we won. It was a successful boat and they’re coming back to buy another shortly.

We’ve built 13 or 14 of those boats now.

10

NNYB: One thing that continues to pop up in stories about MetalCraft are green initiatives, with hybrid diesel engines, electric engines, like the Environmental Protection Agency boat you built for Annapolis, Md. Is that an area of growth for your company, and your industry?

CLARK: [MetalCraft] is definitely going that way.

We can see where the market is. We believe in our electric initiative, but not just electric, everything in alternative fuels. We now have an Industrial Research Assistance Program grant for $180,000 to build the next level electric boat, a 40-foot-long boat with 30 kilowatt electric motors. In the future we will have the ability to run on waste vegetable oil, which has zero emissions and is carbon neutral. We’re going to do a study on JP-5 for the U.S. military. By 2020, the U.S. military wants to be using JP-5 jet fuel. It’s less refined, but it burns hotter. In jet engines, that’s a good thing.

The JP-5 is hard on the engines. In order to do that, we have asked the U.S. Coast Guard to work on that with us. They have a whole division of the Coast Guard doing research on JP-5. They can share findings with companies that are doing similar studies with the fuel.

11

NNYB: In the press, you receive a lot of attention for your electric boats and use of alternative fuels.

Will that be a major source of revenue in the future?

CLARK: Those electric boats we got massive press on, but they were the first government electric boats.

There’s a trade-off there. The one side is: Can the electric premium be paid for with fuel savings? You need about 15 years, maybe about 17 years, to pay for it. The bad news is in that period of time it might be worn out, you might need to start over. I think the real trade off there is the customer knows he’s doing the right thing in terms of what they’re trying to do with being more conservative on waste and carbon emissions. We see ourselves as being the leader in every type of alternative fuel.

12

NNYB: Where do you source your materials for building boats?

CLARK: Most materials are from the U.S. and Europe because of the manufacturing base. The Euro-

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

Robert C. Clark stands on a boat manufactured by MetalCraft Marine behind its Kingston, Ont., facility. pean stuff freaks out most Americans because you can’t buy a marine transmission here, they’re all made in Germany. So the casings are made here, and assembly is done in the United States but the actual gears are manufactured in Germany. It says a lot about Germany that their technology is at that level. We won’t buy anything from China.

13

NNYB: As many product manufacturers turn to China to cut their costs, why wouldn’t you purchase materials from the Chinese?

CLARK: There’s such a backlash against anything purchased that is Chinese now. It will not last in salt water. They have virtually no quality control. No wonder their stuff is cheap. Even when we first joined with Brunswick about two years ago, a year before that we started making all of our stainless steel suppliers guarantee in writing that none of what comes to us had been made in China and had been certified by the manufacturer. They have to certify that that is 100 percent 316 stainless, it’s anti-magnetic and will not corrode in salt water. Any other form of stainless will corrode. Grade 304 stainless is what most people use in marine, in a pleasure boat, but it will rust within six months in salt water. The Navy when they come and inspect a boat they will bring a magnet and check every fastener they can get to to make sure it’s 316 stainless.

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NNYB: It’s no secret that the global metals market is as vulnerable as the stock market. How does the global metals market and price of aluminum affect your business?

CLARK: In the last four years, the price of aluminum has gone up about 80 percent and back down about 65 percent. The terrible thing is that aluminum companies are complete dogs and try to corner the market and drive the price up. They try to strangle the market.

15

NNYB: In 2010, MetalCraft partnered with Brunswick Commercial and Government Products and developed the stealth patrol boat in the Sentry series. What is MetalCraft’s relationship with Brunswick now?

The Robert C. Clark file JOB: Contracts manager and partner, MetalCraft Marine.

FAMILY: None.

HOMETOWN: Kingston, Ontario.

EDUCATION: “Not much really, I studied theology and philosophy and psychology.”

PROFESSIONAL: MetalCraft Marine, 21 years.

LAST BOOK READ: “Staying Afloat” by Tim Colton CLARK: Sentry is something we produce and they market. The other very big thing that we’re doing is with big projects we partner in production. It makes sense because we wouldn’t be able to compete.

What we do is split it. Because money is set aside for small businesses, we must do 51 percent of the work. We do that and they do 49 percent. They have a factory that has 130 people working there.

They have maybe 10-15 workers that do hull and fiberglass work. The rest are outfitters. Our company is 60 percent-40 percent; we are mostly metal workers and 40 percent outfitters. It’s perfect. They’ve been great partners.

16

NNYB: Going forward, what challenges do you think you’ll face in terms conducting business as a Canadian firm operating on both sides of the border?

CLARK: People don’t realize that all of our guys in New York come here for training. We are using Canadian tax dollars for training. We don’t get any in New York. We still have to train those guys. We house them, we pay all of their expenses then we do the training and the Canadian government pays for some of it. Everyone thinks there are these extensive training programs available. Try and get them. There are too many caveats on those that they’re impossible.

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20 QUESTIONS

17

NNYB: MetalCraft turns 25 this year and you’ve been with them from for more than 20 years, when you look back, what is one thing you remember?

CLARK: We actually just bought back our first government boat we ever built. The Canadian government was selling off a Parks Canada boat that we built in 1989. We’ll have it here for our celebration.

We’ll have the first government boat we built and the newest government boat we’ve built. We were so poor when we built that boat. At the time we had five employees. When we did sea trials we couldn’t afford glass for the windshield. The inspector got off the boat he said, ‘I’m going to sign off so you can get paid so you can buy the glass, but you better not deliver it without the glass.’

18

NNYB: In the 25 years since MetalCraft’s founding, how has boat design and building evolved?

CLARK: My partner, Tom [Wroe, MetalCraft’s president] is a true genius. He’s at the head of design and has quite a few designers under him. It’s not enough to design a good, pretty hull. It has to be strong so it doesn’t break, it has to be able to give or take what the customer throws at it so it can be safe. One of the early concepts Tom worked with is this strange design at the bottom of our Kingston hull. There’s a whole bunch of things that could happen in a high speed turn. One thing is roll out, the boat doesn’t want to turn it wants to straight up, so it’s fighting the steering maneuver. The other big thing that happens is hooking, where you’re in the turn and the bow hooks in the water and grabs and the stern wants to throw out. Our hulls and boats make it safer to operate at those speeds. If you want to take a boat to above average control at high speed, we look at what can be done and how to do it safely.

19

NNYB: Your website cited that 90 percent of your sales are made through word-of-mouth referrals. Positive word-of-mouth advertising is something every business strives to achieve. What advice would you give to businesses that look to achieve the success that MetalCraft has?

CLARK: It’s all good products. It’s quality of the products. For every boat we sell, I say we’re going to sell four more. So far that has proven to be true. If you think, now we are building hull number 564. Part of that was the four more, four more. We have that many boats out there so there are even more four mores to come. There is nothing more powerful than a customer talking to another customer saying how great the experience was with MetalCraft Marine. In 2009, our warranty costs were 0.83 percent. The industry average was two percent. In 2010, ours dropped to 0.63 percent. In 2011, it dropped to 0.45 percent. The concept there was to build it right the first time. Know that every system is tried and true and will not fail.

20

NNYB: Your company proudly admits that they weathered the recession well, how did you manage that?

CLARK: We aren’t perfect, but going into the recession we came to the conclusion that the service in the marine world was haphazard and moderate at best.

Support from suppliers is pretty week. We realized in 2007 when we knew our competitors were cutting back that they’d cut back on service too. We said, ‘let’s take service to the max and take the Navy-level of service that they require, and give that to every single customer in the world.’ Maybe we couldn’t end up providing just that, but we would work toward that point. It could never hurt business.

— Interview by Kyle R. Hayes. Edited for length and clarity.

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COVER STORY MANUFACTURERS, from page 21 Wixom, Mich., but was then relocated to Ogdensburg. The basis for Tulmar in the United States is to manufacture seat belts and safety straps for military vehicles. Tulmar Manufacturing is an SBA qualified woman-owned small business fulfilling subcontracts with defense contractors in the United States. The headquarters for Tulmar is in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada. The Ogdensburg facility employs about 20 people.

HOOSIER MAGNETICS

Hoosier Magnetics in Ogdensburg manufactures hard ferrite powders that are used in a variety of permanent magnet applications. Founding in 1975 in Washington, Ind., Hoosier is a privately-held company. Hoosier is the largest ferrite producer in North America with customers in 20 countries and on five continents. Corporate offices are located at 110 Denny St., Ogdensburg. The Ogdensburg facility employs approximately 30 people.

ALCOA

Alcoa’s Massena operation is the longest continually-operating aluminum facility in the world, serving customers in the automotive, transportation, aerospace and industrial distribution markets. Alcoa in Massena produces integrated aluminum smelting and fabricating and has a smelting/casthouse facility. The Massena plant currently employs approximately 1,100 people. Alcoa is the largest private employer north of Syracuse, contributing $340 million annually to the local economy in payroll, local purchases and tax payments.

NUMED

NuMED Inc., Hopkinton, and NuMED Canada Inc. are manufacturers of angioplasty and valvuloplasty catheters.

The company was founded in Hopkinton in 1984 by Allen J. Tower. The Hopkinton location consists of a manufacturing facility, extrusion facility and a fully equipped research and development department that is responsible for design feasibility, FDA testing and introducing new catheter designs.

NuMED employs approximately 65 people.

CORNING

The Corning plant in Canton is a manufacturer of the company’s special materials, including glass that has been used in NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and a mirror used in the Kepler satellite telescope. The Canton plant is managed by Peter J. Aagaard, who was hired in November, and has about 200 hourly and salaried employees. Corning headquarters are located in Corning, Steuben County; the Canton plant is located at 334 County Route 16.

WOODRUFF BLOCK CO.

The Woodruff Block Co. produces concrete masonry units, or concrete blocks, for commercial and residential uses. The company is located at 495 W. Parishville Road, Potsdam, and has been making and selling blocks and masonry-related items for more than 30 years. Woodruff Block Co. is led by Bruce E. Woodruff, president, and employs approximately 20 people depending on the time of year.

NEWTON FALLS FINE PAPER CO.

Newton Falls Fine Paper Co., 875 County Route 60, Newton Falls, is one of the oldest and most historic paper mills still in operation in the United States. The original sawmill, founded by James Newton, began operation in 1894. The mill was closed in 2000 but reopened in 2007 under the ownership of Scotia Investments. Newton Falls Fine Paper produces fine paper, digital printing papers and certified printing papers. Currently, the mill employs more than 100 people, according to the company’s website.

DEFELSKO

DeFelsko is an Ogdensburg-based manufacturer of coating thickness gages and inspection instruments. The company was founded in 1966 and has pioneered many technologies including the first combination ferrous/nonferrous gage to automatically recognize the substrate and take a measurement and the first handheld ultrasonic coating thickness gage for non-metal substrates includ-

ing plastic, wood and concrete. At present, DeFelsko has manufacturers more than 70 models of coating thickness gages and inspection instruments. The company employs approximately 50 people.

ALLEN-VANGUARD

Allen-Vanguard, Ogdensburg, is one of the leading manufacturers of protective bomb suits, electronic and protective armor clothing for law enforcement and military clientele.

The Ottawa-based firm’s main U.S. manufacturing plant is in the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority industrial park.

In 2010, the company was awarded a $24.5 million contract with the Department of Defense to produce the protective suits. Allen-Vanguard employs more than 40 people.

YESTERYEAR’S VINTAGE DOORS

YesterYear’s Vintage Doors, 66 S. Main St., Hammond, is a family owned and operated firm that was founded in 1990 and produces more than 130 solid wood screen and storm doors. The company is owned by Howard and Rosemary Demick. Doors produced by YesterYear’s have been recognized by several national print publications and ships doors throughout the country.

LEWIS COUNTY BEAVERITE CORP.

Beaverite Corp. is an employee-owned manufacturer of die-cut products, binders, covers and indexes located in Croghan. The company has been employee-owned since 1998 when majority shareholder Ann M. Tait agreed to sell her stock in the company to the workers. In 1998, Beaverite had 172 employees.

AMF

AMF in Lowville is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of wooden bowling pins. The plant, located on 9.4 acres at 7412 Utica Blvd., makes wooden bowling pins and lanes for bowling alleys. In 2005, AMF merged with Qubica Worldwide, creating QubicaAMF Worldwide, with headquarters in Richmond, Va. The AMF Company is credited with creating the first automatic scoring system for bowling and provided lanes, pines and other equipment for more than 10,000 bowling centers in more than 90 countries.

FIBERMARK

FiberMark is a commercial paper products manufacturer based in Lowville that produces items like vacuum bags, paper for wallpaper, decorative coverings and CD covers.

In 2003, FiberMark underwent a $7.5 million expansion, increasing the workforce from 129 to nearly 200. In 2011, the company partnered with CYP Specialty paper, a private company based in Shanghai and Taiwan, which expanded the company’s reach into Asia. As of September, the company employed approximately 150 people.

CLIMAX PAPERBOARD & PACKAGING

Climax Paperboard and Packaging is made up of the Climax Manufacturing Co., Lowville, Climax Paperboard Inc., West Carthage, and Climax Packaging, Inc., St. Joseph, Mo. The company is more than 100 years old and was purchased by St. Joseph Packaging in 2009, forming the three legal entities in 2010. It was reported last year that Climax employed approximately 240 people at its three facilities, 250 of them in the north country. The Lowville and West Carthage plants produce general materials that are converted to packaging at the Lowville facility, which also produces matte board for picture frames and paperboard pieces used in seals for drug and food items. It was reported in 2011 that Climax owned about 80 percent of the North American share of the cap closure business.

OTIS TECHNOLOGY

Otis Technology Inc. manufactures gun-cleaning equipment at its Laura Street plant in Lyons Falls. The company also operates a research and development facility in Phoenix. The company is led by CEO Doreen A. Garrett, who founded it in 1985. The company employs about 140. One of its major customers is the United States military.

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E C O N O M I C A L LY S P E A K I N G

NCA: providing loans for 24 years

A

s this month’s issue focuses on manufacturing in the north country, it is fitting to take a moment and reflect on one of our region’s most successful small business loan funds growing businesses and jobs for 24 years.

The North Country Alliance began in 1988 as a nonprofit community development organization comprised of industrial and government agencies from across Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. Today, the NCA includes membership from across all sectors including manufacturing, health care, education, financial and media, and mirrors the footprint for the North Country Regional Economic Development Council. The NCA serves as a voice for businesses across the region and provides the financial resources to grow firms and create jobs.

In 1989, the NCA received its first funding of $555,000 from the New York State Urban Development Corporation’s Regional Revolving Loan Trust Fund program to make loans for working capital to small businesses. At the time, the NCA was one of only four regional organizations funded statewide by this program. One of its first loans was to a small home-based business in Lewis County that made gun-cleaning kits at the owner’s kitchen table. The loan was to retain two jobs and create four new jobs. Today, that business is Otis Technology, an industry leader in gun-cleaning kits, and employs about 140 people.

Since 1989, the NCA has consistently grown its loan fund. In 1992, it received an additional $200,000 from the New York State Urban Development Corporation.

The NCA has applied for and received

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five awards through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Intermediary Relending Program totaling $4 million and one award through the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program totaling Michelle Capone $95,000. In 2011, it was one of a handful of recipients statewide to be awarded $1.75 million through the Empire State Development Small Business Revolving Loan Fund program. This makes the total capitalization of the NCA’s regional revolving loan fund $6.6 million to date.

Businesses find the NCA’s funds to be attractive because they typically fill a gap in project funding. This means that NCA funds the difference between bank financing and a borrower’s cash or equity; but in no instance can the NCA lend more than $225,000 or 40 percent of total project costs, whichever is less. The NCA typically lends for the useful life of the asset. For example, if NCA funds are being used to acquire equipment, then the NCA term may be seven to 10 years. And, the NCA’s rate is typically fixed, currently at 5 percent. Its funds also are considered subordinate lending, which means they are usually behind a bank in terms of collateral. A loan review committee reviews applications for funding and recommends approval to the NCA board of directors, typically monthly.

The success of the NCA lies in its partnerships with public and private lenders. It typically partners with other public lenders

including economic development agencies and local development corporations. In these instances, the risk of being a subordinate lender is mitigated and a project gap can be filled. The NCA also relies on its private partner lenders including banks like Watertown Savings Bank, Key Bank, Community Bank, and NYBDC that have provided resources to capitalize the revolving loan fund on numerous occasions.

Since making its first loan in March 1989, the NCA has committed to 140 loans of which it has lent $11.3 million from its various funds leveraging $119.6 million in total investment to create 1,771 and retain 1,983 jobs. This equates to an investment by the NCA of $3,010 for each every job created or retained during the past 24 years. Forty percent of the loans in the portfolio have been made to manufacturing enterprises, 37 percent to service, and 23 percent to retail. Even more striking, the NCA has written off less than 10 percent of its portfolio in bad debt which is remarkable for a high-risk subordinate loan fund.

There is no question that the cooperative effort among economic development agencies has proven a significant economic benefit to the north country. The NCA has accomplished and will continue to accomplish its goals to curb unemployment, maintain and enhance job opportunities, and to positively impact the economic welfare and prosperity of the region.

Visit www.northcountryalliance.org, or call (315) 661-3200 to learn more about the North Country Alliance. n MICHELLE L. CAPONE is regional development director for the Development Authority of the North Country. Contact her at mcapone@ danc.org.

N O N P R O F I T S T O D AY

Collective ownership a positive force

M

arvel’s “The Avengers” has launched the summer movie season with a superhero bang. Yes, it is fantasy, however, embedded in the plot is a real message that anyone can cheer for. Behind the visual effects, are forces for good working together to overcome challenges they could never handle alone. Although their individual approaches and tools are different, the team’s ultimate objective is a shared one.

It isn’t until the “a-ha” teamwork moment occurs that the movie really gets good.

Partnerships and collaboration are words used frequently by those who support the nonprofit organizations in our community. Many funders require evidence of teamwork as a prerequisite for consideration. As a group, funders, including the Northern New York Community Foundation, have room to grow in the way they strategically partner with one another.

Many of the funders occasionally have informal conversations about things they been asked to consider, a “comparing of notes.” This is a beginning. Some initial conversations regarding the concept of a consortium of funders have been well received.

The North Country is blessed with many fantastic funding organizations doing amazing work. In addition to the Northern New York Community Foundation and the United Way of Northern New York many wonderful things happen because of the generosity of the Pratt-Northam, Sweetgrass, Stewart’s and

Kinney Drugs Foundations, Ronald McDonald House Charities, as well as a host of other funders, civic organizations, clubs and individual, family and business Rande Richardson grantmakers.

The Community Foundation continually looks for ways to leverage funds. Sometimes it is in the form of a challenge grant. Other times it is in helping provide the local share requirement of another grant. Often, if not for that leveraging, the project would either not be completed, would be accomplished at some lesser level, or the funding would go to some other part of the state or country. As you read this, $200,000 is being leveraged for Lewis County through a funding partnership with the Dyson Foundation. It is the classic win-win. Yet, more can be done.

There may be important efforts that don’t fall under the scope of a particular funder that might be considered by another. Knowing what another funder finds worthy, yet outside the scope of their mission, is valuable information. Knowing about potential common funding opportunities is just as valuable.

If one funder believes strongly in a project but only has the capacity to fund at $5,000, a conversation could be had to

see if there is willingness to turn $5,000 into $10,000. Multiple organizations can have ownership in the outcomes and send a resounding message of solidarity to the community that funders are not competitors, but, rather, co-investors.

Given the increase in requests, coupled by the diminished ability and interest of government to address the breadth of community needs, no single organization is in a position to be everything to everyone. Further, funders have different functions, missions and funding priorities. Yet all of them want vibrant, healthy, caring communities where the quality of life is enhanced for all who spend their lives there.

Someday I believe we will have a consortium of funders in some organized form. I believe it would speak volumes of each organization’s commitment to the community and the virtues it expects others to uphold. With finite resources, we all benefit by finding more meaningful ways to collectively change and shape lives.

Collective ownership is powerful. It can further validate the important work we all do and ensure that we have the necessary community support to continue accomplishing it. There is a higher standard when spending other people’s money. While we can’t save the world, we can raise the bar, and we don’t need a superhero to do it. n RANDE S. RICHARDSON is executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident and former funeral director. Contact him at rande@nnycf.org. His column appears every other month in NNY Business.

June 2012 | NNY Business

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COMMERCE CORNER

St. John Fisher begins a partnership

L

eadership is often defined as the ability to guide, direct or influence people. To me leadership is so much more. We should never underestimate the importance of leadership. Everything rises and falls on leadership. Leadership is a journey and it takes time and commitment to become an effective leader.

It’s a journey filled with exciting turns and twists, days of victories and days of defeat, seasons of mourning and seasons of celebration.

The four fundamental factors of production are land, labor, capital and entrepreneurship. The final factor belies the vital importance of leadership in business settings. Leadership acts as the catalyst that makes all other elements work together; without leadership, all other business resources lie dormant.

Savvy business leaders are in tune with the needs and issues of their subordinates, and keep up to date on new developments in leadership theory and methodology to maximize their effectiveness.

As the educational opportunities increase in the north country, the chamber had the opportunity to add a new member to our organization, St. John Fisher College from Rochester and I had the pleasure of meeting the associate professor of the Education Doctorate Program, Michael W. Wischnowski, to discuss their programs. St. John Fisher is expanding to the north country and is offering an education doctorate degree in executive leadership.

St. John Fisher College is the newest academic institution to join the Jefferson

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NNY Business | June 2012

Higher Education Center at Jefferson Community College.

The first cohort of this doctorate program started in Rochester began in 2007 and in May the seventh cohort will begin their Lynn Pietroski studies.

This doctorate program is also offered at St. John Fisher’s extension site in New Rochelle and looking to add Watertown as another location.

When meeting with Dr. Wischnowski and discussing the opportunity of offering this program in Watertown, he stated that research had been done and demonstrated that there were sufficient numbers of people with master’s degrees in the area to have a possible interest in a doctoral program offered in Watertown. Multiple industries in the Watertown area (for example, education, health care, non-profit, military, business and higher education) also may find value in a program that takes a multidisciplinary approach to leadership studies. Also, Jefferson Community College’s Higher Education Center provides great facilities and services for visiting colleges to the area and has been very hospitable and welcoming.

PIETROSKI: Who would be the ideal candidate for this program?

WISCHNOWSKI: The ideal candidate should have a master’s degree from an accredited college, at least three years of

leadership experience and some record of success and confidence as a leader.

PIETROSKI: What would you consider the top three “take aways” for a student who successfully completes this program?

WISCHNOWSKI: What students tell us is that one, it enhances the way you think, write and lead, two, the dissertation becomes evidence to employers that you have expertise in a particular topic related to their chosen field, and three, job and consulting opportunities increase.

PIETROSKI: What would you say makes the importance of a doctorate program in leadership versus another area of study?

WISCHNOWSKI: Leadership is a broad topic that can be applied in multiple situations. As people look to promotions and career changes, a degree in leadership can offer some vital and applicable skills while still being able to concentrate in a certain field of study.

Mr. Wischnowski concluded with, “Leadership is about being able to build relationships with people to achieve shared goals in an organized and purposeful manner while using the resources available to you, and recognizing the strengths and tolerances of those with whom you work. There is an art and a science to it, and we teach you both.”

Visit www.sjfc.edu/graduate to learn more about this program. n LYNN PIETROSKI is president and CEO of the Greater Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce. Contact her at ceo@watertownny. com. Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

AGRI-BUSINESS

Farmers markets: the real face of ag

O

ne percent of our population makes their living from agriculture. Most are at least two generations removed from farming, if not more. Ask many of our urban children where their food comes from and they answer, “From the grocery store.”

These are disturbing trends for agriculture. Fewer people are directly connected to agriculture, experience of farm life, or have any idea where the food we eat comes from.

With this loss of connection comes a loss of understanding and support for the very industry that brings one of the three critical needs for human survival: food. Farmers experience this loss of connection every day.

The misunderstandings of agriculture lead to wrong ideas. Ideas as bad as the United States Environmental Protection Agency trying to regulate the amount of dust a farm can produce. The loss of connection increases the importance of reaching out to the public to improve their awareness and appreciation for where their food comes from.

It’s not as difficult for rural communities like ours here in Northern New York, to establish and maintain a connection between the farm and the public. Our residents have many opportunities to drive through the countryside and see farming happening. They also have the privilege

to visit a great agricultural attraction like Old McDonald’s Farm in Sackets Harbor. But for urban areas, and for some of our people who don’t get out into the Jay Matteson countryside, there are great opportunities to make a connection back to farming and where your food comes

agricultural industry’s success rests to some degree, on the shoulders of farmers market vendors. The presentation of farm products, the friendliness toward customers, stories told across the table, the quality and cost of food; each contributes to building good will and support for farming.

In many cases, this is the only time a consumer meets a farmer. All those people milking cows, raising beef cattle, and harvesting wheat are an abstract face “out there” somewhere. But a person visiting a farmers market is met with a smile, knowledge about the product, and personal touch that an advertisement encouraging us to drink more milk cannot bring. While the farmers market vendor might be a part-time farmer, the importance of their personal contact with the public carries full-time value to the agricultural industry.

To view a list of Farmers Markets in Jefferson County, visit: http://www.comefarmwithus.com/FarmersMarket.htm and watch for the annual “Local Food Guide” published by your local cooperative extension office.

Farmers markets are one of the major ‘faces of agriculture’ where the public can meet and talk with the people who grow their food. In many cases, it is the only time a consumer meets a farmer. To view a list of farmers markets in Jefferson County, visit http://www.comefarmwithus.com/FarmersMarket.htm. from. In many instances, farmers markets allow the public to meet the very people who picked the tomatoes, sweet corn and other fruit and vegetables from the farm that morning.

Farmers markets are one of the major “faces of agriculture.” At a farmers market, the public can meet and talk with the people who grow their food. For most farmers at the market, it’s about finally being rewarded for their hard work, someone paying for the food they grow.

In some ways, though, the entire

n JAY M. MATTESON is agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Corp. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident who lives in Lorraine. Contact him at coordinator@comefarmwithus.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

June 2012 | NNY Business

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BUSINESS TECH BYTES

Digitized libraries a virtual treasure

R

ecently I found myself at a Rotary meeting at Theresa Free Library. I was greeted by a sign that read “We are now fully automated.” Being an IT geek, I was intrigued to find out what being “automated” would do to my familiar Theresa Free Library experience.

Still located in the same stunning brick building, the Theresa Free Library has been a village institution since 1900 when Edson Getman called for the formation of a public library. George Putman, a New York City merchant and former Theresa resident made the first gift of books which began the library in a small space in the Theresa Town Hall.

With a $7,500 donation from Andrew Carnegie, the Theresa Free Library we know today was completed and dedicated on Aug. 17, 1910. Over the years the Theresa Free Library has grown and prospered with the tireless dedication of the “Land of Lakes” citizens. This namesake comes from the dozen beautiful fresh water lakes within the town’s boundaries, but this rural locale in northern Jefferson County also limits Internet access to its year-round and seasonal residents.

Long before being “fully automated,” the library provided computer access and for the past few years has been the town’s “wireless hotspot.”

According to Christine Rajner, Theresa’s librarian since 1992, locals and summer folks alike are constantly using the library’s WiFi provided free of charge.

Mrs. Rajner explains “most camps will never have Internet access available but increasingly want access to the World

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NNY Business | June 2012

Wide Web they are accustomed to.”

Wireless access was just the first step in the digitization of the library.

Over the past two years, Mrs. Rajner and two part-time assisJill Van Hoesen tants entered the complete shelf listing into the North Country Library System’s master database and barcoded each piece of the library’s inventory. With this complete, the connection between the library and the 65 other libraries through Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties has become a reality.

Gone are the beautiful oak card catalog cabinets and the Dewey Decimal System.

They have been replaced with the ability to view not only the entire online library catalog but the entire online catalog of any automated North Country Library System library through the ICEPAC database and search engine. Your library card is now unique to you, complete with a barcode and, when used with your PIN code, provides full access to the North Country Library System website. This site offers links to reference and research materials from almanacs and encyclopedias to law and government. You will find access to online databases such as Newsbank Archives, Northern New York Historical Newspapers, Booklist Online and Grolier Online Passport, virtually a one-stop loca-

tion for all kinds of reference material. You can even chat 24/7 with a librarian through Ask Us 24/7, a service of the New York 3Rs Library Councils and their member libraries and library systems.

The rolodex that Mrs. Rajner maintained since she began as Theresa’s librarian has been replaced with a computer and a barcode scanner that provides receipts similar to what you get at most checkout counters. Mrs. Rajner does continue to use a familiar item from the days before automation. Unique to the Theresa library, Mrs. Rajner has left checkout cards in the back of all items encouraging patrons to put their “number” on the card for quick reference as to when you last borrowed that item.

So no matter where you live or work in Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Lewis or Oswego counties, visit your local library, thumb through the books on the shelves, browse the collections of magazines, DVDs and even audio books. If that is not cutting edge enough, visit the North Country Library System’s website at www.NorthCountryLibraries.org and check out the eMedia Library. You can do that from one of the computers each library provides for patrons or download the new free BookMyne app available for both Android and Apple devices.

Anyway you choose to, support your local library, a treasured Northern New York tradition. n JILL VAN HOESEN is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran. Contact her at jvanhoesen@wdt.net.

Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS

Make competitors your biz partners

I

n strategy development and business planning a business owner should always identify competitors, their strengths and weaknesses and unique selling points. This information helps a business determine how they are going to stand out and succeed. Just because other businesses exist who are selling the same or similar product/service does not mean that more business is not required in that area. It does mean that strategy and high performance are required.

Identifying competitors helps a business to determine its own products and services as well as mission, vision and goals.

Identifying competitors also can be a valuable process for unique marketing opportunities. There are a few ways that you can benefit from creating partnerships with your competitors.

PLENTY TO GO AROUND — There are some products and services that are available, but cannot meet the high demand in the local economy. If your business is unable or uninterested in meeting the demand of every single customer, refer your clients to other businesses. Sometimes it is simply a matter of not being open when a customer needs you – help them find solutions.

Make sure customers mention your referral and only refer to businesses that you trust to provide a similar quality product/service; your referral represents your business too. By solving customer problems, even if that involves another company, you are providing a service that is certain to make an impression. You may lose a customer by doing this, but you will create goodwill that will hopefully amount to more referrals and customers in the future.

DIFFERENT BUSINESS, SAME CUSTOMERS — Several businesses share the same

target markets, yet offer different products/ services. These businesses should be your key partners.

If you are a plumber, you will want to make sure that every contracBrooke James tor, painter, electrician, architect and hardware store in your region has your business card. If you own a flower shop, you want to make sure that every hotel, venue, DJ, limo driver, and photographer knows about you – especially during wedding season.

This type of partnership can also be seen as sub-contracting in certain industries, and can be initiated by either business.

Word of mouth referrals from business to business provide high value to a discerning customer.

CREATE A PACKAGE — Create an Attraction: Whether your target customers are locals or visitors, they can be sold by an itinerary and a spotlighted activity. People are looking for ways to spend their leisure days with family, friends or alone and do not necessarily have the time to organize an outing. Partner with other businesses to create a packaged product that will attract a customer to experience something.

This may be within a town or a region.

Combine lodging with food, activities and a way to get around (bike, car, plane, boat, foot). You can also package for themes based on holidays, regional assets or specific lifestyles. Similar businesses can

create a festival around food, music, agriculture or other areas of interest, collaboratively marketing everyone within the activity boundaries to create a celebration.

JOINT MARKETING — Whether online or in print, advertising budgets can be immense and challenging for small businesses. Use the previous three recommendations to identify businesses that you can partner with, either through a collaborative association, co-operative or a packaged special. This provides a onestop-shop for customers and options for products/services in one location. Combined resources may enable you to reach broader markets, create more professional marketing materials and gain media attention. Again, referrals within these partnerships will continue to help small business compete against larger companies with larger pools of resources.

Sharing customers does not only help a customer solve a problem, but it relays a message to a customer about the type of business community that exists. If a customer has a positive experience they will return. If they feel they are being taken care of, they will continue to buy. If they are thinking of opening a business, they will remember that your community is friendly and works together, which ultimately builds opportunity for your local economy. So get out and meet your fellow business owners, share business cards and marketing materials, have coffee monthly and make collaboration a priority. n BROOKE JAMES is a business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton. She is a small business owner and event planner. Contact her at jamesb@canton.edu.

June 2012 | NNY Business

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CHAMBER / WEB DIRECTORY

NNY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

n CLAYTON 517 Riverside Drive, Clayton, NY 13624; 686-3771, www.1000islands-clayton.com

n ALEXANDRIA BAY 7 Market St., Alexandria Bay, NY 13607; 482-9531, www.visitalexbay.org

n GREATER WATERTOWNNORTH COUNTRY 1241 Coffeen St., Watertown, NY 13601; 788-4400, www.watertownny.com

n BOONVILLE 122 Main St., P.O. Box 163, Boonville, NY 13309; 942-6823, www.boonvillechamber.com

n GOUVERNEUR 214 E. Main St., Gouverneur, NY 13642; 287-0331, www.gouverneurchamber.net

n CANTON 60 Main St., P.O. Box 369, Canton, NY 13617; 386-8255, www.cantonnychamber.org n CAPE VINCENT 175 N. James St., P.O. Box 482, Cape Vincent, NY 13618; 654-2481, www.capevincent.org n CARTHAGE AREA 120 S. Mechanic St., Carthage, NY 13619; 493-3590, www.carthageny.com n CENTERSTATE CEO 572 S. Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13202; 470-1800, www.centerstateceo.com n CHAUMONT-THREE MILE BAY P.O. Box 24, Three Mile Bay, NY 13693; 649-3404, www.chaumontchamber.com

BIZ WEB DIRECTORY CITEC MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS www.citec.org

CLARKSON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP www.helpmysmallbusinesstoday.com www.facebook.com/CUEntrepCtr www.twitter.com/CUEntrepCtr

DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE NORTH COUNTRY www.danc.org

LEWIS COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

n HENDERSON HARBOR P.O. Box 468, Henderson Harbor, NY 13651; 938-5568, www.hendersonharborny.com n LEWIS COUNTY 7576 S. State St., Lowville, NY 13367; 376-2213, www.lewiscountychamber.org n MASSENA 50 Main St., Massena, NY 13662; 7693525, www.massenachamber.com n MALONE 497 East Main St., Malone, NY 12953; 1(518) 483-3760, www.visitmalone.com n OGDENSBURG 1 Bridge Plaza, Ogdensburg, NY 13669; 393-3620, www.ogdensburgny.com

Old Forge, NY 13420; 369-6983 www.oldforgeny.com

n POTSDAM 1 Market St., Potsdam, NY 13676; 274-9000, www.potsdamchamber.com n PULASKI 3044 Route 13, P.O. Box 34, Pulaski, NY 13142; 298-2213, www.pulaskinychamber.com n SACKETS HARBOR 304 W. Main St., P.O. Box 17, Sackets Harbor, NY 13685; 646-1700, www. sacketsharborchamberofcommerce.com n SOUTH JEFFERSON 14 E. Church St., Adams, NY 13605; 232-4215, www.southjeffchamber.org n ST. LAWRENCE 101 Main St., First Floor, Canton, NY 13617; 386-4000, www.northcountryguide.com n TRI-TOWN 907 Route 11 C, P.O. Box 297, Brasher Falls, NY 13613; 389-4800, www.tritownchamberofcommerce.com

n OLD FORGE 3140 Route 28, P.O. Box 68

n WADDINGTON 38 Main St., P.O. Box 291, Waddington, NY 13694; 388-4079, www.waddingtonny.com

JEFFERSON COUNTY JOB DEVELOPMENT CORP.

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER VALLEY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY

PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

www.jcjdc.net

www.northcountryptac.com

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT SUNY JEFFERSON

www.slrvra.com

www.sba.gov www.facebook.com/SBAAtlantic www.twitter.com/SBAAtlantic

www.watertown.nyssbdc.org www.facebook.com/WatertownSBDC www.twitter.com/nys_sbdc

WATERTOWN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORP.

ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY IDA / LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORP.

WATERTOWN SCORE

www.slcida.com

www.watertownldc.com

www.scorewatertownny.org

www.lcida.org

315-661-2399 / 1-800-724-1012

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NNY Business | June 2012

SATURDAY, JULY 14

n Adams Cheddar Cheese Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown Adams, firemens field and E. Church Street. Sponsored by the South Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Great Lakes Cheese and Adams Revitalization Committee. Entertainment, farmers and craft market, childrens activites, vendors and family activities. Free. Information: www.south jeffchamber.org.

CAPE VINCENT SATURDAY, JULY 14, AND SUNDAY, JULY 15

n 44th Annual French Festival, beginning with French pastry and bread sale at 8 a.m.

Saturday with opening ceremonies at 11 a.m., parade, 2 p.m., Broadway Street and surrounding area. Sponsored by Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce. Full schedule: www.capevincent.org/frenchfestival.asp.

CLAYTON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

n Clayton Citizen of the Year Dinner, cocktail hour, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m, dinner starts at 6:30 p.m., Cerow Recreation Park Arena. Honoring Linda Brown and Brenda Patch as the recipients of the 2012 Clayton Citizens of the Year Award.

Cost: $30; children, $15. Register: Beth Rusho, Clayton Chamber of Commerce, info@1000islands-clayton.com or 6863771 ext. 4.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22

n Opening Reception for Along the River’s Edge Art Show, 5 to 7 p.m., Thousand Islands Arts Center and Handweaving Museum, 314 John St. Contact: 686-4123 or www.tiartscenter.org.

THURSDAY, JUNE 28

n Murder Mystery Dinner, Clayton Opera House, 405 Riverside Drive. Sponsored by River Hospital Foundation. Mystery of the 50th class reunion of River Rat High School set in the 1950s. Last year’s event raised more than $9,000. Time and ticket information: www.riverhospitalfoundation.org.

SATURDAY, JUNE 30

n River Reunion, Silent Auction and “Wild Goose” Launch, 5:30 p.m., Antique Boat Museum, 750 Mary St. Sponsored by the Antique Boat Museum’s Board of Trustees.

Reception begins at 5:30 p.m, launch of “Wild Goose” at 6:30 p.m., gourmet picnic supper at 7 p.m. Please wear boat shoes.

Tickets: $100 per person for first two attendees; $75 per person after first two; $10 per child ages 10 and younger. RegisteR: ABM, 686-4104 or www.abm.org.

SATURDAY, JUNE 30

n Keith Brabant Music Scholarship Fes-

tival, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Coyote Moon Vineyards, 17371 County Route 3. Musical performances, silent auction, vendors, crafters, family activities, local food vendors and horse-drawn hayrides. Admission: $5. Information: www.keithbrabantmusicscholarshipfestival.org.

HENDERSON HARBOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 18

n Lisa Vroman in Concert, 5 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. concert, “On the Green” at 12469 Country Route 123, Henderson Harbor. Sponsored by the Henderson Harbor Performing Arts Association. Limited seating, advance tickets only. Tickets: Platinum level: $100 per ticket, includes first level seating, pre-concert cocktail and hors d’oeuvres party with “meet and greet” time with Ms. Vroman. Gold level: $50 per ticket, includes second level seating, preconcert hors d’oeuvres and wine party.

Contact: Sue VanBenschoten, 938-5319, or Eunice Wescott, 938-7333. Tickets are tax deductible.

in New York State. Information: www. madeinnny.com.

SYRACUSE THURSDAY, JUNE 21

n Media Planning Strategy, 8 to 9:30 a.m., CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity, 572 S. Salina St. Learn how to best market your products and services with a media buying seminar to help you learn which media options will work best for your business. Seminars include talks with industry experts from television, digital, radio, newspapers and billboard sales. Cost: Members, $10; non-members, $20. Register: www.centerstateceo.com or 470-1997.

THURSDAY, JUNE 28

n Keep Your Not for Profit Surviving and Thriving Workshop, 8 to 9:30 a.m., CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity, 572 S. Salina St. Cost: $10; non-members, $20. Register: www.centerstateceo.com or 470-1997.

OGDENSBURG

WATERTOWN

SATURDAY, JULY 21, TO SUNDAY JULY 29

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

POTSDAM

TUESDAY, JUNE 26

n Ogdensburg International Seaway Festival, throughout Ogdensburg. Children’s fishing derby, fireworks display, largest parade in St. Lawrence County and Seaway Festival Duck Race with $1,000 first prize. Information: www.ogdensburgseawayfestival.org or Chris and Sally Cole, 393-3518.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

n Inaugural St. Lawrence County Military Appreciation Day and Career Fair, registration, 8 a.m., event begins at 9 a.m., Clarkson University’s Cheel Campus Center. Various workshops for veterans to prepare for next steps of post-military success.

Free admission; food and beverages will be available. Pre-register: www.northcountryveterans.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 14

n Potsdam Summer Festival, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown Potsdam. Sponsored by Potsdam Chamber of Commerce. Featuring live music, craft show, “Madstop Market,” local vendors and food. Information: Potsdam Chamber, www.potsdamchamber.com or 274-9000.

SACKETS HARBOR

n “Social Media and Your Business,” breakfast, 8:30 a.m., presentation, 8:45 presentation, question and answer, 9:30 a.m., Black River Valley Club, 131 Washington St. Sponsored by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Presentation by M.A. Polce Consulting Inc. Free for chamber members, $6 for non-members. Register: www.watertownny.com.

WELLESLEY ISLAND SUNDAY, JULY 22

n River Hospital’s Annual Festive Evening, 5 p.m., Joey’s Thousand Islands Club, 21952 Club Road. A river casual event with live and silent auction with items donated by local businesses. For information or to purchase tickets, contact the River Hospital Foundation, 482-4976 or www. riverhospitalfoundation.org.

 GOT A BUSINESS EVENT or calendar

SATURDAY, JULY 7

n “Made in NNY” Festival, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Madison Barracks. Benefits Meals on Wheels of Greater Watertown. Featuring products, foods and wines made

n Business After Hours Block Party on Arcade Street, 5 to 7 p.m., Arcade Street, behind the Paddock Arcade. Sponsored

by Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce and Johnny D’s.

In the case of inclimate weather, Business After Hours will be held in the Paddock Arcade. Cost: $8; members, $10; nonmembers, $12.

item? Email nnybusiness@wdt.net. Deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month’s issue. Visit us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/NNY Business for events calendar updates.

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS EVENTS CALENDAR

ADAMS

June 2012 | NNY Business

| 43

BUSINESS SCENE Armed Forces Day Luncheon at Hilton Garden Inn

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Tedd R. Stiles, Carthage Area Hospital behavorial health, Susan K. Kennedy, Carthage Area Hospital nurse, and Amanda J. Gustke, Carthage Area Hospital outreach specialist. Above, from left, Thomas H. Carman, Samaritan Medical Center CEO, Denise K. Young, director, Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. The Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce and Noon Rotary Club of Watertown presented the annual Armed Forces Day Luncheon on May 16 at Hilton Garden Inn.

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NNY Business | June 2012

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Tonya M. Duerr, Carthage Area Hospital nurse, Leslie L. Terry, Carthage Area Hospital, and Taylour L. Scanlin, Carthage Area Hospital Fort Drum Liaison. Above, from left, Col. (P) Richard D. Clarke, Fort Drum deputy commanding general of operations, and Carolyn D. Fitzpatrick, chairwoman, Jefferson County Board of Legislators.

BUSINESS SCENE Armed Forces Day Luncheon

South Jeff Chamber Annual Dinner

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Command Sgt. Maj. David J. Martel, 1st Brigade Combat Team, Fort Drum, and wife Nancy P. Above, from left, Cyndi S. Barker, Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, and Natalie M. Burnham, Carthage Area Hospital Foundation.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Richard Calvin McNeely III and wife, Rhonda M., co-owners, Hi-Lite Markings and South Jeff Chamber of Commerce 2011 Large Business of the Year, present John H. Jennings, Adams plant manager, Great Lakes Cheese Co. Inc., with the chamber’s 2012 Large Business of the Year award on May 17 at La Bella Fonte restaurant, Adams. Above, far left, Fred Norfolk and wife, Marlene A., far right, owners, Honeyville Manor and South Jeff Chamber of Commerce 2011 Small Business of the Year, present Lori A. Wells, second from left, and Lisa A. Reed, second from right, owners, Cafe Mira, Adams, with the chamber’s 2012 Small Business of the Year award.

n VISIT NNY BUSINESS ON FACEBOOK at www. facebook.com/ nnybusiness to view more than 400 additional Business Scene photos from events across the north country since fall 2010.

June 2012 | NNY Business

| 45

BUSINESS SCENE South Jeff Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner at La Bella Fonte

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Karen Zubrzycki, Great Lakes Cheese Co. Inc., Joe Burnham, Great Lakes Cheese Co. Inc., wife, Laura, New York Airbrake, and Sue Creighton, Great Lakes Cheese Co. Inc. Above, from left, Jason Elliott, elementary education teacher, South Jefferson Central School District, and Jaye Worden, library manager, Adams Center Free Library.

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NNY Business | June 2012

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Kayla Schultz, Dan Estal, and Kimberly Wright, Northern Federal Credit Union. Above, from left, Kathy S. Naklick and husband, Jim, owners, Manor House and Creative Imaging, Pierrepont Manor.

BUSINESS SCENE GWNC Chamber of Commerce Farm and Craft Market season opening

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Katie Stout, market coordinator, and Lydia Alechina, Grindstone Farms, Pulaski. Above, from left, Claire Waterson and Lori Randazzo, outside events coordinator, Coyote Moon Vineyard, Clayton.

The Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce kicked off its weekly Farm and Craft Market May 30 on Washington Street from the State Office Building Plaza to the Morgan Stanley Building in Watertown. The market is open from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 3, rain or shine.

Top, from left, Tisha McKry and Alexis Zakala, Scotty’s Tater Twisters, Watertown. Above, from left, Christine Hoffman, owner, Spicy Wench Pepper Jellies, Jams and Spices, Keitha and Louis Delles.

June 2012 | NNY Business

| 47

BUSINESS SCENE North Country Technology Symposium at Clarkson University

JILL VAN HOESEN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Chelsea Whalen, Potsdam, a Clarkson University sophomore psychology major and Matthew Flynn, Canton, a Clarkson University junior political science major. Above, from left, Bill Haenel, Clear Data Solutions and North Country Public Radio, and Marty Haenel, Clear Data Solutions.

The Third Annual North Country Technology Symposium was held May 23 at Clarkson University in Potsdam.

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NNY Business | June 2012

JILL VAN HOESEN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Michael Perry Jr., corrections officer, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, and Michael Becker, paperless automation consultant, Ricoh. Above, from left, Peter Edwards, Colton-Pierrepont Central School, and Joseph Kardash, superintendent, Colton-Pierrepont Central School District. This year’s symposium was presented in partnership with St. Lawrence County, CITEC Business Solutions, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Cornell University Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County and Clarkson University.

BUSINESS SCENE GWNC Chamber Jefferson Leadership Institute graduation at Black River Valley Club

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Top, from left, Jessica Hart, environmental analyst, N.Y. Department of Environmental Conservation, Jennifer Storey, executive coordinator, Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County, Peter Chereshnoski, environmental coordinator, Development Authority of the North Country, Jennifer Loonan, advertising account executive, Time Warner Cable Media Sales, and Dorothy Wolff, facilities supervisor, Northern Federal Credit Union. Above, from left, Alison H. Cerow, Cerow Agency Inc., Cynthia FitzPatrick, Disabled Persons Action Organization, and Tara M. Carr, Jefferson Rehabilitation Center.

Top, from left, Erin O’Connell, Family Counseling Service, Brian Jones, Aubertine and Currier, and Diane H. Leonard, D.H. Leonard Consulting. Above, from left, Judy Munoz, EEO specialist, Equal Employment Opportunity, Fort Drum, Mark Waterhouse, case manager, Transitional Living Services, Erin Simser, marketing manager, Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes. The Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Jefferson Leadership Institute Class of 2012 graduated on June 7 at the Black River Valley Club.

June 2012 | NNY Business

| 49

DINING GUIDE Cam’s Pizzeria 25 Public Square, Watertown (315) 779-8900

G&F Italian Pizza and Restaurant 2972 E. Main St., Parish (315) 625-7177

King Star Food Oriental 22265 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 786-0246

Cavallario’s Cucina 133 N. Massey St., Watertown (315) 788-9744

Gold Star Deli 343 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-6155

Korean Grill 525 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 681-4226

Cherry Tree Inn 8541 State Route 3, Henderson (315) 938-7281

Goodfellos 202 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3463

Lake Ontario Playhouse 103 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2305

China City 1125 Arsenal St. Suite 2, Watertown (315) 788-8289

Gram’s Diner 13 Main St., Adams (315) 232-4881

Manor Country Diner Route 11, Pierrepont Manor (315) 465-4400

Church Street Diner 107 Church St., Carthage (315) 493-0997

Great Wall Chinese 300 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-7668

La Bella Fonte 10700 U.S. Route 11, Adams (315) 232-4842

Coleman’s Corner 849 Lawrence St., Watertown (315) 782-6888

Harby’s Hots Outer Washington Street, Watertown (315) 788-2250

Limerick Hotel 16331 State Route 12E, Limerick (315) 639-6804

Crossroads Diner 22474 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 782-9591

Herrings Inn 35802 State Route 3, Carthage (315) 493-9829

Lloyd’s of Lowville 7405 S. State St., Lowville (315) 376-7037

Art’s Jug 820 Huntington St., Watertown (315) 782-9764

Crystal Restaurant 87 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-9938

Highland Meadows Country Club 24201 State Route 342, Watertown (315) 785-0108

Lucia’s Italian Restaurant 11613 U.S. Route 11, Adams (315) 232-2223

Bella’s Bistro 602 Riverside Drive, Clayton (315) 686-2341

Daily Buffet (Chinese) 1283 Arsenal St. Stop 8, Watertown (315) 786-8598

Hops Spot 214.5 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-BEER (2337)

Maggie’s on the River 500 Newell St., Watertown (315) 405-4239

Bernardo’s Pizzeria 702 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-9500

Dano’s Pizzeria and Restaurant 24411 State Route 971V, Felts Mills (315) 773-3266

Home Deli Pizza & Subs 305 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 782-6340

Mariano’s Pizza 981 Waterman Drive, Watertown (315) 788-8088

Black River Valley Club 131 Washington St., Watertown (315) 788-2300

Erin’s Isle Restaurant 928 State Route 11C, Brasher Falls (315) 389-4100

Hot Diggity Dogs Salmon Run Mall, Watertown (315) 788-4844

Midway Ice Cream 891 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 405-4996

Blue Heron 12050 Route 12E, Chaumont (315) 649-2240

Fairground Inn 852 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-7335

Ives Hill Restaurant 435 Flower Ave. W., Watertown (315) 775-4837

Mo’s Place 345 Factory St., Watertown (315) 782-5503

Boathouse 214 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2092

Fireside at Partridge Berry Inn 26561 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 782-8401

Jean’s Beans 259 Eastern Blvd., Watertown (315) 788-7460

Morgia’s Pasta 22560 Fisher Road, Watertown (315) 788-3509

Brookside Diner 1873 State St., Watertown (315) 782-9824

Five Guys 1290 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 221-4258

Joey’s at the Thousand Island Club 21952 Club Road, Alexandria Bay (315) 482-9999

Mr. Sub Sandwich Shop Public Square & Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-1760

Brownville Diner 114 W. Main St., Brownville (315) 786-8554

Fung Hing Chinese 225 State St., Watertown (315) 785-9689

Johnny D’s 1 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-6108

NuPier 13212 State Route 3, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3312

Café Mira 14 Main St., Adams (315) 232-4470

Gary’s Restaurant 5424 Shady Ave., Lowville (315) 376-6612

Karen & Jasper’s Bar & Bistro 1322 Washington St. Plaza, Watertown (315) 788-4110

Original Italian Pizza 222 N. Massey St., Watertown (315) 786-0000

n A directory of independent coffee houses, bars and restaurants.

Full-service restaurants 1025 Ruyi Japanese Steak House 1025 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 405-4501 1844 House “An American Bistro” 6885 U.S. Route 11, Potsdam (315) 268-1844 2000 Chinese Restaurant 22070 U.S. Route 11, Watertown (315) 788-2000 A & J’s Diner 455 Court St., Watertown (315) 777-4811 Andy’s Caribbean Cuisine 302 Court St., Watertown (315) 777-8658 Apollo Restaurant 1283 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 788-3569

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NNY Business | June 2012

DINING GUIDE Papa Tino’s Pizzeria 716 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-7272

Read the reviews

Pete’s Restaurant 111 Breen Ave., Watertown (315) 782-6640

 Log on to www.watertowndaily times.com to read restaurant reviews

by Watertown Daily Times restaurant critic Walter Siebel.

Pickle Barrel Cafe 32523 Route 12, Depauville (315) 686-3640

Get on the list

Pizza Shack 12699 State Route 3, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2267 Rainbow Shores Restaurant 186 Rainbow Shores Road, Pulaski (315) 298-5110 Rajit 262 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-5513 Ramada Inn 21000 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 788-0700 Rhonda’s Place Family Diner 566 State St., Watertown

 Call NNY Business advertising specialist Clarissa Collins at (315) 661-2305 or email ccollins@wdt.net to have your restaurant or bar listed in our monthly dining guide today.

Sboro’s Restaurant 836 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 788-1728 Shorty’s Place 1280 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-7878 Shuler’s Steak & Seafood 802 Mill St., Watertown (315) 782-1429

Riccardo’s Market & Deli 710 Holcomb St., Watertown (315) 782-7810

Soluri’s Pizza 526 Factory St., Watertown (315) 782-2888

Riverhouse 4818 Salina St., Pulaski (315)509-4281

Stonefence Resort 7191 State Route 37, Ogdensburg (315) 393-1545

Roberts Family Pizzeria 839 State St., Watertown (315) 786-2006

Stone Jug Pizzeria 104 Bartlett Road, Sackets Harbor (315) 646-1008

Roma Restaurant 19 Bridge St., Carthage (315) 493-0616

Suk Hui Hi’s Korean 1301 State St., Watertown (315) 785-9740

Romalato’s Gourmet Deli 450 Gaffney Drive, Watertown (315) 681-6653

Super Wok Chinese Restaurant 20991 State Route 3, Watertown (315) 788-5389

Ryan’s Lookout 9290 State Route 3, Henderson (315) 938-5151

Teriyaki Experience 21852 Towne Center Drive, Watertown (315) 785-9254

Sackets Harbor Brew Pub 212 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2739

Thailand Thai Restaurant 1857 State St., Watertown (315) 788-6688

Sandy’s Luncheonette 5 Public Square, Watertown (315) 782-2935

The Place 1612 Ford St., Ogdensburg 315-393-3080

Savory Downtown 300 Washington St., Watertown (315) 782-8000

Tico’s Mex Mex Grill 65 Public Square, Watertown (315) 836-4778

Tilted Kilt 1050 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-5458

Clueless 545 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 782-9006

Tin Pan Galley 110 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-3812

Crazy Legs Saloon 536 Arsenal St., Watertown (315) 777-8333

United China Restaurant 144 Eastern Blvd., Watertown (315) 782-4432

Edge of the River Pub 519 W. Main St., Watertown (315) 788-0695

Violi’s Restaurant 209 Center St., Massena (315) 764-0329

Fat Boys 743 Huntington St., Watertown (315) 779-0087

Village Inn 8208 Main St., Harrisville (315) 543-9382 VV’s Mexican Kitchen Noble Street, Evans Mills (315) 629-4652 Walsh’s Pub & Grill 101 E. Main St., Brownville (315) 782-6065 Watertown Golf Club Grill and Bar 1 Thompson Park, Watertown (315) 782-5606 Willowbrook Golf Club 25075 State Route 37, Watertown (315) 782-8192 Wing Wagon 71 Public Square, Watertown (315) 836-3205

Coffee Houses Brew Ha Ha 468 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 788-1175 Chrissy Beanz Bakery 105 W. Main St., Sackets Harbor (315) 646-2330 Coffee Shop Carbone Plaza, Watertown (315) 782-0450 Danny’s Coffee 21181 Salmon Run Mall, Watertown (315) 782-7057

Fort Pearl Inc. 557 Pearl St., Watertown (315) 786-3333 Hitchin’ Post Tavern 404 Court St., Watertown (315) 782-9656 Hometown Pizzeria 4 W. Church St., Adams (315) 232-3000 Joe’s Tavern 548 Coffeen St., Watertown (315) 782-9709 Kicker’s Lounge 498 Factory St., Watertown (315) 785-9392 Mick’s Place 204 Factory St., Watertown (315) 786-1992 Paddock Club 5 Paddock Arcade, Watertown (315) 786-6633 Pappy’s Bowlmor Lanes 227 E. Orvis St., Massena (315) 769-9877 Pewter Mug 1120 Gill St., Watertown (315) 782-0200 Seth’s Pub 558 State St., Watertown (315) 681-6645

Bars / Nightlife

Shootie’s Bar 504 Pearl St., Watertown (315) 782-9724

Artie’s Tavern 329 High St., Watertown (315) 782-9616

Time Warp Tavern 302 State St., Watertown (315) 782-9784

June 2012 | NNY Business

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BUSINESS HISTORY

A cottage industry

n With painstaking detail, Tyler Coverlets thrived for nearly 25 years

By LENKA WALLDROFF

J

Jefferson County Historical Society

efferson County is known for many things but perhaps one of the most famous is the Tyler Coverlet. Harry Tyler, the maker of these coverlets, built a successful

business from their manufacture.

Mr. Tyler was primarily known for his bridal coverlets. Each piece was inscribed with the name of the bride, her county of origin, and the year in which the coverlet was woven; these coverlets were an essential piece of every bride’s “setting out.” Though famous for wedding coverlets, Mr. Tyler’s repertoire also included baptismal and birth coverlets, as well as woven carpets.

Mr. Tyler was born in Connecticut in 1801 to English parents. His father was a marine merchant who was lost at sea when he was young, so his mother raised him. He spent his early years in Milford, N.Y. After he married, Mr. Tyler moved his family around New York’s central tier for a number of years before finally settling in Butterville — a small hamlet in Jefferson County located between Henderson and Adams.

Once in Butterville, Mr. Tyler set out to fulfill his dream of weaving carpets and coverlets. He was a man of high principles, very painstaking in all of his work and accurate to the last degree. Being of a mechanically inclined and scientific minded, he not only invented his own looms, but he made every part of them himself.

In addition, he also drew his own designs for the coverlets, which were numerous.

In 1834, the weaver’s shuttle started flying in Butterville. All of the work on the coverlets was done by hand — either by Tyler himself or three of his children who apprenticed under him. No coverlet was ever worked on by anyone outside of the family in order to keep secret the manufacturing process. Even the dyeing of yarn was done by a member of the Tyler family — by hand and at home.

The coverlets came in two predominate

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NNY Business | June 2012

An original hand bill published by Harry Tyler advertises his custommade coverlets.

JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

colors: red or blue. The blue dye was sourced from indigo; the red came from cochineal — the crushed bodies of small red insects that live on cacti in Central America and Mexico. The dye was bought locally from Elisha Camp of Sackets Harbor. The coverlets were reversible with the dominant color on the front set against a white background on the back. They were made of two pieces sewn together — the top and bottom of each coverlet were mirror images of one another.

Another distinguishing feature among the coverlets is the symbol on the bottom right corner. Early coverlets were adorned with a lion, a nod to Tyler’s English heritage and, eventually, the

American eagle was introduced. It is said that British brides preferred the lion while British brides with American sympathies requested the lion with stars, and American brides chose the eagle.

Coverlet orders were completed on a custom basis. The customer provided the yarn spun to Harry Tyler’s strict specifications. Customers would then choose the design, border edging, whether a lion or an eagle would appear in the lower right corner, and their preference of red or blue dye. Tyler charged $2.75 per coverlet in 1840.

The business closed after 24 years in operation when Harry Tyler died suddenly of a stroke in 1858. His eldest

JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Cynthia Tyler, ca. 1860. Ms. Tyler completed the last of her father’s coverlets after his death in 1858.

daughter, Cynthia, completed the last few coverlets that were in progress on the looms and then shut the doors.

The Jefferson County Historical Society is fortunate to have within its collection approximately 40 of these coverlets. n LENKA P. WALLDROFF is curator of collections for the Jefferson County Historical Museum. She is a former museum specialist and conservator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

NEXT MONTH

I

n our July issue, we examine Northern New York’s architecture and construction industry as the region bucks a national building trend.

Also coming next month: n HISTORIC RESTORATION: Just what kind of firm does it take to tackle restoration of a historic building? We talk with a few north country professionals who have done it. n BEST IN THE NATION: SeaComm Federal Credit Union has been named a top credit union in the country, as well as one of the best companies to work for in New York. n 20 QUESTIONS: An in-depth interview with a north country business leader. n PLUS: NNY Snapshot, Economically Speaking, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits Today, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Real Estate, Agri-Business, Business History, Business Scene and more. n VISIT US ONLINE at our new website, WWW.NNYBIZMAG.COM, Follow us on Twitter for daily updates at @NNYBusiness Mag, like us on Facebook at www.facebook. com/nnybusiness, and view eEditions at www.issuu.com/NNYBusiness.

June 2012 | NNY Business

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BusIness

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