NNY Business April 2013

B

Y usIness // NO BOLOGNA: CROGHAN MEAT MARKET PASSES THE TORCH, P. 28

APRIL 2013 Volume 3 No. 5

nnybizmag.com

*

PLUScene,

ess S Busin h, Small c Biz Te ss, NNY e Busin shot.

Snap

Freddy Bach Jr. Fred Bach Sr.

***

THE INTERVIEW

Slack Chemical’s Robert R. Sturtz

p. 40

Andy Bach

A FAMILY FUTURE $2.95

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YOUNGER GENERATIONS CARRY IT FORWARD // NORTHERN NEW YORK’S PREMIER BUSINESS MONTHLY //

April 2013 | NNY Business

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NNY Business | April 2013

>> Inside APRIL 2013

18

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32

60

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COVER |

18 ALL IN THE FAMILY For several multi-generational businesses in transition, young blood brings fresh new ideas. |

SMALL BIZ STARTUP

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17 LABOR OF LOVE Shawn Massey turned his 200-plus acre property into something for everyone. |

FAMILY BUSINESSES |

26 TECH AND TEXT The Matott brothers are continuing a family business in a new era of technology.

28 BOLOGNA BUSINESS Croghan Meat Market and its legendary bologna is now in fourth-generation hands.

30 WHAT’S IN A NAME? Locally owned hardware stores use national name recognition to compete. |

AGRI-BUSINESS |

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PROPERTY SALES |

37 LEWIS COUNTY Real estate sales totaled more than $1.4 million over a 19-day period in February.

32 A TASTE OF THE CAPE NNY’s latest winery to hit the Thousand Islands Wine Trail opens a tasting room and grows new grape variety.

38 JEFFERSON COUNTY Real estate sales totaled more than $3 million in an eight-day period in March.

33 A LONG TIME COMING Set to open this month, Michael Aubertine’s Clayton Distillery is right on track.

60 A MEAL FOR YOUR MONEY Jreck Subs has grown to a north country staple but it all started in a school bus.

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FEATURES |

34 CONTINUING GROWTH Guilfoyle’s new conference center a multifaceted addition to the company’s portfolio.

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BUSINESS HISTORY |

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WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE? |

62 COLLEGIATE VILLAGE A 300-bed student apartment project in Potsdam welcomes its first tenants in August.

April 2013 | NNY Business

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NNY Business | April 2013

INTERVIEW | 40 THE LONE WOLF Though Robert Sturtz has spent 27 years as the owner of Slack Chemical, he credits much of the company’s success to hiring the right talent to lead the firm into future endeavors. |

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COLUMNS

DEPARTMENTS

10 11 12 13 17

ON THE COVER

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44 ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING 45 BUSINESS LAW 46 COMMERCE CORNER |

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47 AGRI-BUSINESS 48 BUSINESS TECH BYTES 49 SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS

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EDITOR’S NOTE PEOPLE ON THE MOVE ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT BUSINESS BRIEFCASE SMALL BIZ STARTUP

36 50 52 60 62

REAL ESTATE ROUNDUP CALENDAR BUSINESS SCENE BUSINESS HISTORY WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?

For our annual salute to family businesses we talked with four families who have younger generations on board and poised to take stake in the company.

For our cover photo, Johnson Newspapers Photographer Justin Sorensen met the Bach family, of Bach and Co., at their Clayton headquarters on a mid-March evening. To hear how the Bach family is making the transition, turn to page 18.

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April 2013 | 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 Development Authority of the North Country.

She breaks down the alphabet soup of NNY business. (p. 44)

Larry Covell is an attorney and professor of business at Jefferson Community College.

He writes about safeguarding businesses from embezzlement schemes. (p. 45)

Lynn Pietroski is president and CEO of the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce. She highlights how family culture aids in building businesses. (p. 46)

Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Corp. He writes about the history and function of county soil and water districts. (p. 47)

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

Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran. She offers tech solutions that any small business could take advantage of, some of them for free. (p. 48)

Michelle Collins is an advisor for the state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton. She outlines some of the obstacles family businesses often face. (p. 49)

Lance M. Evans is executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He writes about Fair Housing Month and the local real estate sector. (p. 36)

Norah Machia is a veteran Watertown Daily Times reporter. In our cover story, she talks with family-owned firms that are bringing younger generations into their operations. (p. 18)

Karen K. Romeo | Tammy S. Beaudin

Magazine Advertising Manager Matthew Costantino

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 Kyle Hayes is associate magazine editor for NNY Business. In ‘Small Biz Startup,’ he visits Shawn Massey’s Massey Ranch. He also talks with the Matott boys of The Computer Guys. (pgs. 17, 26)

Gabrielle Hovendon is a freelance writer and former Watertown Daily Times reporter.

She visited Guilfoyle Ambulance for a behind-the-scenes look at its conference center. (p. 26)

Holly C. Boname is a freelance writer and former television reporter. She writes about the many local family-owned hardware stores that benefit from big-name partnerships. (p. 28)

Ted Booker is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. He writes about the region’s newest winery in Cape Vincent and NNY’s first distillery that’s set to open in Clayton this month. (pgs. 32, 33)

MARKETPLACE AAMCO Transmissions ................. 10 All American Real Estate ............... 38 AmeriCU Credit Union .................... 4 Ameriprise Financial...................... 14 Bach & Co. ..................................... 25 Beaver Meadows Apts ........... 27, 37 Big Apple Music ............................ 56 The Blue Heron............................... 58 Bond Schoeneck & King ............. 21 Boyce Auto Sales .......................... 10 Center for Sight .............................. 64 Cheney Tire .................................... 43 Church Street Diner ....................... 58 Clayton Dental Office.................... 11 C&M Auto ....................................... 10 Coleman’s Corner ........................ 58 The Computer Guys ...................... 48 Creg Systems Corp. ........................ 7 Dano’s Pizzeria .............................. 58 D Laux Properties .......................... 37 EXIT More Real Estate ................... 37 Fairgrounds Inn .............................. 58 First Class Auto Glass .................... 35

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Foy Agency Inc. ............................ 14 HighTower Advisors ....................... 42 Howard Orthotics .......................... 44 IHC Schools .................................... 24 Innovative PT Solutions ................. 45 JCC ................................................. 11 JCIDA .............................................. 61 Johnson Newspaper Corp. .......... 63 KIMCO Steel Sales .......................... 2 KUNOCO Oil .................................. 57 Lofink Ford Mercury ...................... 54 LTI .................................................... 46 Marceau Paving ........................... 38 Mort Backus & Sons ...................... 11 Netto Welding Supply ................... 20 NY Family Business Center............ 20 NNY Builders Exchange ................ 62 NNY Business ........................... 35, 63 NNY Community Foundation ....... 29 North Country Technology Symposium .................................... 27 Northstar Auto Sales ..................... 52 Nortz & Virkler Ford ....................... 10

NNY Business | April 2013

O’Briens Restaurant ....................... 58 Papa Tino’s Pizzeria ....................... 58 RBC Wealth Management ............. 7 Schwerzmann & Wise ................... 23 SeaComm Credit Union ............... 16 Shred Con ...................................... 49 Sideline Promotions ...................... 10 Slack Chemical ............................. 47 Succession Partners ......................... 3 SUNY Potsdam ............................... 15 Thousand Islands Realty ............... 37 Three C Limousine ......................... 53 TLC Realty ....................................... 37 Tilted Kilt ......................................... 58 Washington Summit ...................... 43 Watertown Daily Times ........... 29, 39 Watertown Dental Group ................ 9 Watertown LDC ............................... 36 Watertown Savings Bank .......... 6, 31 W.D. Mechanical .......................... 38 Wells Communications ................ 22 Westelcom ..................................... 61 WWTI-ABC50 ................................... 59

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. © 2010-2013. 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.

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Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email mcostantino@wdt.net, or call 315-661-2305 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., a Forest Stewardship Certified facility.

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April 2013 | NNY Business

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NNY Business | April 2013

W

hether the products are health foods, furniture, computers or even specialty meats, when business is in the bloodline, it’s hard for families to see their life’s work fall into the hands of anyone else.

In this month’s issue — our annual salute to family businesses — we met several north country businesses that are in transition from one generation to the next.

In our cover story, which begins on page 18, writer Norah Machia takes readers inside operations at four family firms that have seen younger generations step into Ken Eysaman leadership roles and, in the process, cement the future of the family business.

Norah visits the Stone family at Hyde-Stone Mechanical Contractors where sons Christopher J. and Thom D. serve as vice presidents alongside their father and company president Jay F. and their mother, Dawn M., who joined her husband at the business several years ago in the front office; Clayton’s Bach family, whose Bach & Co., a diversified construction business, has welcomed its youngest generation into the fold; Truesdell’s Furniture, where daughter Wendy A. Truesdell O’Brien manages operations at what is today the store that grew out of the mobile home business her father, Wayne E., started the year she was born and the Mustard Seed Organic and Natural Food Store, where daughter Katie M. Skinner Youngs is learning the ropes from her parents.

We also feature two businesses that are keeping family traditions alive. On page 26, you will read about St. Lawrence County’s Matott family, where three brothers are The Computer Guys, continuing a small business that their father started in 1996. And on page 28, we introduce you to the fourth-generation family behind the counter at Croghan Meat Market, the home of Croghan Bologna since 1888.

No matter how you slice it, family business is

big business across our region, employing not only family members, but thousands of people who also provide for their own families.

20 QUESTIONS — In this month’s featured interview, Robert R. Sturtz joins us for a conversation about the chemical warehousing and distribution company he bought in 1986 — Slack Chemical Co. in Carthage. Some 27 years later, Mr. Sturtz shows few signs of slowing down despite his 79 years.

BUSINESS SCENE — This month’s Scene section, which begins on page 52, features 82 faces from more than four-dozen businesses and organizations across the north country.

On Feb. 21, Johnson Newspaper reporter Christina Scanlon joined the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce for Business After Hours hosted by Croghan Meat Market and Silver Bench Jewelry at the former E.M. Marilley & Co. in Croghan. On Feb. 27, Magazine Advertising Manager Matt Costantino and sales executives Tom Penn and Eric Ingerson joined The Blue Heron in Chaumont for the Fourth Annual Food and Wine benefit for the Chaumont Food Pantry.

On March 1, we joined the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Council for its annual meeting at Savory Downtown, during which the council presented NNY Business magazine with its “Friend of Agriculture” award. (Thank you to council members for recognizing our commitment to help tell the story of agriculture in Northern New York.) On March 6, we enjoyed lunch at the Black River Valley Club, where the Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce presented its 2012 Business of the Year Awards.

Congratulations to Watertown Savings Bank, Westelcom, All American Real Estate NNY, USO Fort Drum and Transitional Living Services of NNY on well-deserved honors.

On March 20, we visited Immaculate Heart Central High School as it hosted the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce March Business After Hours. Finally, on March 21, we joined Dr. Scott LaClair at his Clayton Dental Office for the Clayton Chamber of Commerce March Business With a Twist networking social.

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Hired at Carthage Savings and Loan

Carthage Savings and Loan recently welcomed Michele Miller as the Watertown branch assistant manager.

Ms. Miller began her banking career in 1987 with KeyBank as a sales and service manager. Throughout her career she has worked with Redwood National Miller Bank, HSBC and recently transitioned from HSBC to First Niagara.

The Watertown branch of Carthage Savings and Loan is located below Stream Global Services.

Promoted at Antique Boat Museum

Margaret E. Hummel has been promoted to events manager at the Antique Boat Museum, Clayton.

Ms. Hummel joined the museum in April 2011, where she took on the role of events and marketing coordinator.

In her new position she will take the lead role in many of the museum’s Hummel events and work closely with the development and marketing branches of the organization.

She has been instrumental in assisting with the development, production and execution of events such as Family Day, River Reunion, Concours d’Elegance and the annual boat show and auction.

A native of Jamesville and a seasonal resident of Grenell Island, Ms. Hummel attended Miami University of Ohio and lives in Clayton.

Associate attorney hired

Tristan D. Simoneau has been hired by Conboy, McKay, Bachman & Kendall law firm, Watertown, as an associate attorney.

Mr. Simoneau was born in Landstuhl, Germany, and raised in Brownville. He graduated from General Brown High School with honors in 2005, received a bachelor’s degree from Rochester Institute

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. of Technology in 2009 and received a juris doctorate degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 2012. He joined the Conbow Law Firm immediately upon completing the bar exam in August 2012.

While in law school, he was a member of the Moot Court Simoneau Honor Society and competed in various trial-appellate competitions. He was a member of the Journal of International Law and Commerce, where he focused on corporate liability for human rights violations pursuant to the Alien Tort Statute. He was an intern in Watertown for three summers with solo family law practitioners and spent a summer with the Legal Aid Society in Rochester, where he helped abused women obtain orders of protections. He was in the Criminal Defense Clinic at Syracuse University, where he won his first trial before graduating from law school.

He is a member of the litigation and domestic relations groups at Conboy, McKay, Bachman & Kendall.

Changes at Beardsley Design Associates

Beardsley Design Associates, Malone, announced that Michael R. Reynolds, a senior associate and project manager and senior architect for the firm, has been named a stockholder of the firm.

Mr. Reynolds is a LEED Green associate and joined BDA in 2000. As a Reynolds stockholder, he will assist the board of directors in establishing

Please see People, page 16

April 2013 | NNY Business

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NNY

Economic indicators Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers Feb. 2013 $1.77 Jan. 2013 $1.83 Feb. 2012 $1.66

6.6%

ECON SNAPSHOT

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

Source: NYS Department of Agriculture

316,409 in Feb. 2013 333,476 in Jan. 2013 330,218 in Feb. 2012

Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas

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

Feb. 2013 $3.92 Jan. 2013 $3.69 Feb. 2012 $3.81

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

2.9%

Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil

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(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)

Feb. 2013 $4.08 Jan. 2013 $3.99 Feb. 2012 $4.01

1.7%

4.2%

$1.02 on Feb. 22, 2013 $1.01 on Jan. 25, 2013 $0.99 on Feb. 24, 2012

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*

Feb. 2013 $3.05 Jan. 2013 $3.01 Feb. 2012 $3.49

86,000 in Jan. 2013 90,200 in Dec. 2013 86,500 in Jan. 2012

12.6%

1.0%

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

56, median price $135,000 in Feb. 2013 70, median price $139,900 in Jan. 2013 94, median price $130,000 in Feb. 2012

29, median price $68,900 in Feb. 2013 45, median price $87,500 in Jan. 2013 39, median price $75,000 in Feb. 2012

40.4% Sales

3.8% Price

Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Inc.

25.6%

8.1%

Sales

Price

Source: St. Lawrence Board of Realtors Inc.

NNY unemployment rates* Jefferson County

Jan. ’13

12.3%

Dec. ’12

10.8%

Jan. ’12

11.9%

St. Lawrence County Jan. ’13

Dec. ’12 Jan. ’12

12.1% 10.1%

12.1%

Lewis County

Jan. ’13

11.1%

Dec. ’12 Jan. ’12

12.7%

12.3%

Source: New York State Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted. Latest available data reported.) * Latest available data reported due to annual data updates at the New York State Department of Labor.

Note: Due to updates in some “Econ. Snapshot” categories, numbers may differ from previously published prior month and year figures.

NNY Business | April 2013

NNY

Economic indicators New automobiles (cars and trucks) registered in Jefferson County Cars 302 in Feb. 2013 340 in Jan. 2013 285 in Feb. 2012

6.0%

Trucks 86 in Feb. 2013 112 in Jan. 2013 47 in Feb. 2012

83.0%

Source: Jefferson County Clerk’s Office

Passengers at Watertown International Airport

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

2,507 inbound and outbound in Feb. 2013 2,827 inbound and outbound in Jan. 2013 2,451 inbound and outbound in Feb. 2012

2,058 in Feb. 2013 2,077 in Jan. 2013 1,971 in Feb. 2012

4.4%

2.3% Source: Jefferson County Board of Legislators

DBA (doing business under an assumed name) certificates filed at the Jefferson County Clerk’s office March 1 to March 22, 2013. For a complete list of DBAs filed in past months, visit us at WWW.NNYBIZMAG.COM.

March 22: Luxury Nails Salon, 22116 Route 11, Unit 113, Watertown, Michael Trieu, 207 Wealtha Ave., 619C, Watertown.

Athia Solutions, 164 Park Ave., Watertown, Audrey A. Sargent, 164 Park Ave., Watertown.

Old Creamery Fabrics and Quilting, 12022 State Route 193, Ellisburg, Diane J. Lake, 12069 Torrey Hill Road, Ellisburg.

Angel Wear, 25861 Hinds Road, Watertown, Angelique Griffiths, 25861 Hinds Road, Watertown, Robert W. Briscoe, 25861 Hinds Road, Watertown.

Wellesley Island Woodworks, 19699 Hutchs Haven Drive, Wellesley Island, Rusty A. Rosenberger, 19699 Hutchs Haven Drive, Wellesley Island.

Eva Design Studio, 42 E. Church St., Adams, Keri Jo Chubb, 42 E. Church St., Adams.

Trolley Ice Cream, 8355 County Route 123, Henderson, Carol Shattuck, 12376 Whitney Road, Henderson.

Ken Rogers Motorsports, 31066 Burnup Road, Black River, Kenneth Wayne Rogers, 31066 Burnup Road, Black River.

Sherry’s Crafty Creations, 24510 Staie Road, Carthage, Sherry L. Sears, 24510 Staie Road, Carthage.

Danielle Kama Photography, 150 Pine Drive, Black River, Danielle Kama, 150 Pine Drive, Black River.

March 21: 13 Colonies Construction, 30292 State Route 12, Watertown, Justin Taylor, 30292 State Route 12, Watertown.

Maple Hill Family Gardens, 13757 County Route 68, Rodman, 13682, Michael R. Schnauber, 13757 County Route 68, Rodman.

Hometown Heating and Cooling, 16801 County Route 53, Dexter, Mark J. Leuze, 19529 County Route 189, Adams.

March 19: Health Nutz, 20 Public Square, Watertown, Sandra Delong, 16600 County Route 156, Watertown.

Theresa, Kathy A. Smith, 33940 County Route 46, Theresa.

March 13: J&J Plaza, 26390 Route 11, Evans Mills, Zu H. Pan and Wen J. Chen, 134 Haley St., Watertown.

Simply Software, 33561 State Route 12E, Cape Vincent, Dianne Baker Mosher, 33561 State Route 12E, Cape Vincent.

Watertown Lock, 15157 School St., Depauville, Larry Jensen Sr., 15157 School St., Depauville.

Quaint As A Village, 111 Funny Cide Drive, Sackets Harbor, Heike Brazie, 111 Funny Cide Drive, Sackets Harbor.

March 12: Auto Mobile Detailing, 25409 Route 283, Watertown, Daniel A. Patterson, 24255 Route 283, Watertown, William D. Patterson, 19237 Allen Road, Watertown.

Cynergy International, 44721 Bay View Ave., Alexandria Bay, Cynthia B. and David A. Kendall, 44721 Bay View Ave., Alexandria Bay. March 11: Curled Salon, 165 Mechanic St., Suite 1, Watertown, Chantel J. Taylor, 1137 State St., Watertown.

March 8: Pure Luxury Day Spa & Salon, 18654 Route 11, Suite 4, Watertown, Arttina M. Cousins, 25838 State Route 3, Watertown.

Black River Photography, 165 Howe St., Black River, Richard R. LaJoie, 165 Howe St., Black River.

March 6: Deanna Carolena Photography, 6 Belile Road, Philadelphia, Deanna Carolena Melo, 6 Belile Road, Philadelphia.

Adam Cornell Design, 218 Flower Ave. E., Adam Joseph Cornell, 218 Flower Ave E., Watertown.

March 5: Dial A Driver Services, 535 Pearl St., Watertown, Lawrence M. Young, 535 Pearl St., Watertown.

Charming Beauty, 1025 State St., Apt. A, Watertown, Homer Pennington III, 1025 State St., Apt. A, Watertown.

March 18: Seaway Property Services, 25 Market St., Alexandria Bay, Joshua M. David, P.O. Box 537, Clayton.

March 4: New Addiction Tattoo Company, 7551 State St., Lowville, Tim Standford II, 6323 Glendale Road, Glenfield, and Zachary Tuttle, 5406 Hemlock Drive, Lowville.

A.S.K. Painting, 8694 Cemetery Road, Evans Mill, Adam Kirschman, 8694 Cemetery Road, Evans Mills.

Manuel Gandia Contracting, 641 Academy St., Apt. 2, Watertown, Manuel G. Gandia, 641 Academy St., Apt. 2, Watertown.

March 15: F&F Tree Care, 1032 State St., Watertown, Jason McCollum, 6133 Route 11, Canton, Herbert Frost, 1032 State St., Watertown.

Bizzy Bee Cleaning, 243 Sterling St., Watertown, Robin A. Bailey, 243 Sterling St., Watertown.

Crafts by DLC, 111 Pine Drive, Black River, Dawn L. Caldwell, 111 Pine Drive, Black River.

March 14: Sounds of Music DJ Service, 33940 County Route 46,

Affordable Property Service, 692 Mill St., Watertown, Kenneth L. Vrooman Jr., 692 Mill St., Watertown.

March 1: Viviplum, 152 Winslow St., Watertown, Bianca Diana Draffen, 142 Winslow St., Watertown.

TRANSACTIONS

DBAs

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

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 13

BUSINESS BRIEFCASE Car-Freshner files lawsuit against book publisher

Car-Freshner Corp. has filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against a book publisher it claims is marketing a coffee table book that includes an air freshener similar to the Watertown company’s “Little Trees” design.

Car-Freshner, which has its headquarters in the Jefferson County Corporate Park, filed suit March 18 in U.S. District Court, Syracuse, against Insight Editions LP, San Rafael, Calif., a publisher of illustrated books on photography, music and popular culture.

At issue is a new hardcover release titled “The Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Dean and Sam Winchester,”

by Nicholas Knight. The book is based on the television show “Supernatural,” in which two brothers explore mysterious beings and events.

Car-Freshner claims each book comes with an air freshener with designs that “closely mimic” its Little Trees, which could lead to confusion among consumers of Car-Freshner products. Car-Freshner is asking a judge to order Insight Editions to stop making or selling any air fresheners similar to its Little Trees and to destroy all existing fresheners, as well as advertisements, promotional brochures and any other materials that may contain the disputed trademark. The suit also seeks an unspecified amount in damages.

Fort Drum economic impact $1.4 billion

In an annual economic impact study released on March 18, it was determined that Fort Drum was responsible for $1,441,992,825 in economic impact for the 2012 fiscal year.

The figure accounts for the presence of about 19,000 soldiers and 20,000 connect-

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NNY Business | April 2013

ed family members in the area.

The total was cut from the $1,633,341,987 generated in fiscal year 2011 and $1,505,857,420 in fiscal year 2010. The federal fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

Carl A. McLaughlin, executive director of the Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization, speculated the reduction was connected to fewer construction projects undertaken on the post during the fiscal year after spikes in previous years, according to a report in the Watertown Daily Times.

Northern Federal Credit Union re-brands

Northern Federal Credit Union, which has more than 24,000 members throughout the north country, has undergone a rebranding, including changing its name to Northern Credit Union.

According to a press release, “in keeping with its forward-looking nature, the credit union is introducing an updated brand that reflects its dynamic spirit while continuing to focus on members’ financial needs.”

The rebranding includes a new logo, building signage, marketing materials and a newly designed website with greater functionality and educational content.

The credit union is a federally insured financial institution. For more information, visit www.mynorthern.com.

Carthage sets ‘open for business’ event

The Carthage Chamber of Commerce is planning a one-day event for Saturday, April 6, to showcase the businesses in the town.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6, the chamber is encouraging all businesses to open their doors to patrons.

“It’s an opportunity for businesses to show what they have to offer,” Chamber President Teri L. Ellis said.

Participating businesses will have balloons and banners. A poker run-type contest will be included with the winner awarded a basket with gifts from participating businesses.

Slic expands services

Slic Network Solutions has opened new service areas for high-speed Internet, phone and IPTV in Franklin and St. Lawrence counties.

In Franklin County, the company is scheduling installation in parts of North Bangor and Brandon.

In St. Lawrence County, service is available in portions of Madrid, Norfolk and Waddington.

A list of available addresses in those areas is at www.slic.com/brandon and www.slic.com/pinegrove.

The company is conducting internal testing of its forthcoming IPTV service and plans to do a limited soft launch May 1 and a general roll out June 1.

Titus turns to maple

In mid-March, Titus Mountain, Malone, opened a state-of-the-art maple syrup production “shack” on its premises.

In addition to offering skiing and snowboarding on the mountain, the Monette family, which owns and operates the mountain, expanded facilities to incorporate maple syrup production.

Titus will now produce and sell its “Moon Valley Maple Sugar Shack” maple syrup and offer waffles topped with its sugary substance at the ski center.

Brian Monette, principal for Titus Mountain, said in a press release the addition of the sugar shack was to draw interest from non-skiers and to make use of the more than 5,000 maple trees

BUSINESS BRIEFCASE on the mountain.

Titus Mountain is located at 215 Johnson Road, Malone. For information, visit www.titusmountain.com.

Watertown hotel wins hospitality award

The Comfort Inn & Suites, Watertown, recently received the 2013 Gold Hospitality Award from the world lodging developer Choice Hotels International Inc., franchisor of the Comfort brand.

As a top performing property among the company’s more than 5,000 U.S. franchised hotels, the Watertown property is in the top percentile of properties within the Comfort brand, which is 2,573 strong, earning the Gold Award status.

Wellesley Hotel under new management

The Wellesley Hotel and Restaurant, located in Thousand Island Park on Wellesley Island, will reopen its doors on May 24 under new management.

The restaurant will be managed by Chef Karin Lapusnak, who has managed several restaurants in the greater Watertown area, including the Renaissance Restaurant, Goodfello’s Brick Oven Pizza and the Sackets Harbor Brew Pub.

Innkeepers open Potsdam spa

John and Amornrat Lindsey have opened the Siam Classic Spa at 62 Elm St., Potsdam. The spa is an addition of services offered at the Siam Classic Inn, located at the same address. The Lindseys opened the luxury bed and breakfast in the style of ancient Thailand in March 2012.

The Spa offers a holistic spa experience with natural and handpicked treatments.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday by appointment only.

For more details, visit www.siamclassicinnandspa.com or call 866-223-7293.

The Siam Classic Inn was recently featured on the cover of “Bed & Breakfast and Country Inn,” published by American Historic Inns Inc.

Otis facility certified

Otis Technology, Lyons Falls, became registered as an AS 9100:2009 certified facility on March 14. The certification includes ISO 9001:2008 compliance.

The AS 9100:2009 is a standard spe-

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cifically for aviation, space and defense organizations and incorporates the ISO 9001:2008 quality standards as well. Otis pursued the AS 9100:2009 certification because of its status as a defense contractor and supplier of gun-cleaning equipment to military and government agencies.

This registration certifies that the quality management system at Otis Technology in relation to the design, development, manufacture and supply of gun-cleaning equipment and accessories meets the ISO 9001:2008 and AS 9001:2009 provisions.

Otis was assessed and approved by National Quality Assurance, U.S.A. Otis Technology is known for manufacturing one of the world’s most advanced gun-cleaning systems available.

America’s Best Value Inn now a Quality Inn

America’s Best Value Inn, 1190 Arsenal St., Watertown, is now a Quality Inn. Room prices, which range from $59 to $119 a night, won’t change. But business travelers who are members of the rewards program for the Choice Hotels franchise will enjoy perks by choosing to stay at the Quality Inn. Customers also may enjoy an expanded breakfast with eggs and sausage, consistent with the continental breakfast offered at franchise locations nationwide, owner Richard E. Alexander told the Watertown Daily Times.

Rebranding the hotel is a move Mr. Alexander said he believes will help it compete for travelers with other hotels along Arsenal Street. As a result of the franchise change, which took effect in late February, the hotel has lured new business travelers who never have stayed there before.

“America’s Best Value wasn’t very well known in the Northeast, and we weren’t getting a lot of referrals for customers,” he said. “Quality Inn has a larger loyalty customer base because its rewards program is better. People can use their points to receive discounts and a free night’s stay.”

Mr. Alexander is also owns Restaurante de Riccardo, located next door to the hotel.

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PEOPLE, from page 11 corporate goals, the firm’s strategic plan and assist in firm operations.

BDA also announced the hiring of Shelley Simon as principal. Licensed as an architect in Missouri and New York, Ms. Simon brings more than 30 years of experience in design and construction.

In 1987, Ms. Simon co-founded the first woman-owned design firm in Columbia, Mo., Simon + Walther/Architecture and Interior Design, which provided design services in central Missouri. She formerly served in leadership posts for local and state American Institute of Architects chapters and as the architecture chair of Missouri’s professional licensing board.

BDA has offices in Syracuse, Auburn and Malone.

Marketing professionals added to C2AE in Canton

C2AE, a full-service architectural, engineering and planning firm based in Lansing, Mich., with an office in Canton, has hired two marketing professionals to support the Canton office.

Jennifer Middlin has been hired as a marketing coordinator. She received a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from Northwood University, W. Palm Beach, Fla., and is a founding member of the Center for New Enterprise Opportunity in Lansing. She has more than a decade of experience in high tech marketing, public relations and social media experience.

Trystin Vanderstelt has also been hired as a marketing coordinator. Most recently she managed marketing and business development for several Lansing businesses and worked for RBK Building Materials, Kalamazoo, Mich. She is a graduate of

16 |

NNY Business | April 2013

Hope College, Holland, Mich., where she received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and psychology. She also received a master’s degree in psychology.

Appointed assistant vice president

Adirondack Health has announced the appointment of Elena Vega-Castro as the new assistant vice president of longterm care at Mercy Living Center, Tupper Lake.

Ms. Vega-Castro’s most recent position was assistant administrator at the Country Vega-Castro Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre, Carthage, where she worked for more than seven years.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in health care management from the SUNY Institute of Technology, Utica, and a master’s degree in health management from Trident University International, an online institution.

Earns appointment to national board seats

Melissa M. Wadkinson, chief engineer for the Fulton Companies, Pulaski, has been appointed to three National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors subcommittees, each for a three-year term.

The Fulton Companies are a global manufacturer of steam, hydronic and thermal fluid heat transfer products. Ms. Wadkinson’s appointments include the National Board Inspection Code subcommittee

installation (boilers); NBIC subcommittee installation (pressure vessels and piping); and NBIC subcommittee installation (I).

In addition to these recent appointments, Ms. Wadkinson serves on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, is a member of the BPV committee on heating boilers and is the chair of the ASME subgroup on care of operation of heating boilers.

Ms. Wadkinson received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master’s degree in business administration from Syracuse University. She has been with the Fulton Companies since 1994.

Earns New York state engineering designation

Wayne H. Thompson, a LEED Green associate at Bernier, Carr & Associates, has earned his professional engineering designation in New York state. He holds a professional engineering designation in Quebec, Maryland and Virginia and has more than 35 Thompson years of experience as a general contractor and professional engineer. He has worked as an engineer in the United States for more than a decade.

Mr. Thompson lives in Alexandria Bay with his wife, Cecilia. He is president of the Alexandria Bay Rotary Club and a board member of the Little Theatre or Watertown.

S M A L L B I Z S TA R T U P BUSINESS

Massey Ranch THE INITIAL IDEA

When Shawn E. Massey purchased approximately 220 acres on the Combs Road in the town of Watertown in 2009, he knew it wouldn’t be long before he turned it into something.

Given that he’s had entrepreneurial blood in his veins since birth, Mr. Massey, president of Massey’s Furniture Barn, Arsenal Street, Watertown, has a hard time sitting still.

After his house was built in 2009 on the property, Mr. Massey founded Massey Ranch, a hobby farm, you-pick pumpkin patch and maple syrup making operation, last year.

“It was humble beginnings and it’s all a labor of love,” Mr. Massey said about Massey Ranch. “I have all this land and I knew I wanted to do something with it to keep me busy but that would also be to the benefit of the community. The ranch does that.”

TARGET CLIENTELE

“Families and children, most definitely,” Mr. Massey said about his target customer.

Massey Ranch offers you-pick pumpkins in the late summer and fall months and tractor rides around the property, including a visit to the pond, which are aimed at bringing together families and getting them outdoors. A giant sand pile near the parking lot ensures that kids will go home just a little dirty from their day on the ranch.

“Another major customer is the soldiers and their families from Fort Drum,” Mr. Massey said. “They don’t always get to see the country and go for wagon rides.

They are always overwhelmed by how much fun it is and they don’t have to go that far, or even pay a lot of money.”

THE JOURNEY As if running one of

Watertown’s longest-standing locally owned furniture stores for more than 15 years wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Mr. Massey decided to fill his free time at Massey Ranch by constantly adding to it.

“When I bought the property I had a vision to do something there, but I wasn’t sure what the best thing to do was,” he said.

So he built a hay barn and began a hay baling operation. Last year he baled more than 5,000 bales of horse hay, which he

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

“It was humble beginnings and it’s all a labor of love.”

— Shawn E. Massey, owner, Massey Ranch sold to local farmers. During last year’s maple syrup season he decided to tap 200 trees and see where it led him.

“My dad tapped trees when I was younger,” he said of his experience with maple syrup production. “I was small at the time but I remember there being a sugar shack and a turkey fryer that he’d use to try and make syrup.”

This year, Mr. Massey tapped more than 500 maple trees and built a sugar shanty on the property, opening just in time for Maple Weekend in March. In the future, he hopes to tap more than 700 trees.

“We sell the maple syrup in a little cottage we have on the property,” he said.

During the maple season he also is offering Amish baked goods and other treats for sale, including honey harvested from his own bees on the ranch.

Continuing with the ranch’s evolution, Mr. Massey will turn his property into a year-round destination. He said he does it for the love of being outdoors and seeing families enjoying themselves. “[The ranch] is my hobby, it’s what I enjoy doing,” he said. “I’m not in it for the money really, I charge for pumpkins during the you-pick season, but it’s nothing meant

to make me rich. The Furniture Barn pays my bills and with [the ranch] I try to give back a little.”

IN FIVE YEARS

Though one may think that Mr. Massey is content with his youpick pumpkins, tractor tours, honey and maple syrup production and hay baling operations, he’s not.

“I planted grapes three years ago and should get my first harvest this year,” he said. “They take time to get established and grow. We will see how they mature, whether we turn them into wine or just sell a grape crop.”

This spring, Mr. Massey is planting 10 acres of raspberry plants as well, in hopes of having an offering of locally-grown fruits in coming years.

All of the excitement doesn’t reside only at Mr. Massey’s newest venture; there are some interesting plans in the works for his furniture business as well. “[Massey’s Furniture Barn] is not going anywhere,” he said. “It’s been in business for more than 50 years and we’ve got some big plans coming up in the near future in terms of expansion. But I can’t talk about any of that yet.”

— Kyle R. Hayes

WHERE Watertown | FOUNDED 2012 | WEB www.Facebook.com/masseyranch

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 17

COVER STORY

KEEPING it in the

FAMILY MANY NORTH COUNTRY BUSINESS OWNERS PASSING THE TORCH TO THEIR OFFSPRING

O

BY NORAH MACHIA | NNY BUSINESS

perating a family business can be challenging and rewarding, yet at times, stressful and frustrating.

In many cases, families have to develop some type of “system” that allows them to work together during the day and still be talking to each other at night.

Several north country family businesses have not only made it work, but have been pretty successful at it.

Some of their keys to success include not making their children feel “obligated” to return home to help run the business, but allowing them to make that decision on their own.

It’s also important for family members to have “designated” roles and responsibilities with the organization, they said.

One other important “rule,” which many said they tried to follow, was the “no work conversation at the dinner table.” Easier said than done.

Here are some of those north country success stories: THE MUSTARD SEED ORGANIC AND NATURAL FOOD STORE

When Scott P. Skinner’s daughter, Katie M. (Skinner) Youngs, first asked him if she could work at the family’s Watertown business, he was a little hesitant.

“I had my reservations,” said Mr. Skinner, owner of The Mustard Seed Organic & Natural Foods, 969 Arsenal St. “You don’t want it to hurt the family relationship.”

But he decided to give it a try.

“I told her we would do it for six months, no strings attached,” he said. “If it didn’t work out, we agreed there

would be no hard feelings.”

It wasn’t just the personal family relationship that had to be considered, said Mr. Skinner, whose wife, Kelly M., oversees the health food store’s café operation.

“We had to see if it would be a good fit with the staff as well,” he said.

His staff is well-trained, and even more important, have a passion for their work, being strong believers in the importance of organic and natural foods, Mr. Skinner said. Many have specialty areas of expertise, such as supplements, vegan lifestyles and sports nutrition.

“They use the products themselves and they embrace this lifestyle,” Mr. Skinner said.

But his daughter was the same way, having grown up in a family with parents focused on feeding their children in the healthiest way possible.

Mr. Skinner said it turned out to be the right decision for everyone. His daughter has been involved in the family business for three years.

“She was professional and enthusiastic the minute she entered into the business,” Mr. Skinner said. “She knew her stuff. Since she was young, she had been raised in the concept of a healthy diet and lifestyle.”

Besides, Mr. Skinner joked, one advantage of having his daughter come back to the family business is: “I’m getting the benefits of the college education that I helped pay for.”

His daughter started working in the store in sixth grade helping to bag bulk foods and doing other “odds and ends” she said.

Scott, Kelly and Katie (Skinner) Youngs in an aisle at the Mustard Seed Organic and Natural Food Store, Watertown.

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

April 2013 | NNY Business

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COVER STORY Mrs. Youngs, a Thousand Island Central School graduate who completed SUNY Plattsburgh in 2008 with a marketing degree, went to work initially in the marketing department of a local car dealership.

She learned a lot, but eventually decided it just wasn’t for her, Mrs. Youngs said.

“It was a great way to learn about marketing, but it wasn’t really my passion,” she said. “I grew up with the store, and I decided I wanted to be a part of it.”

Mr. Skinner was wearing the hat of “advertising director,” among other things at the time his daughter asked to join the family business, so he gladly handed that title over to her.

She has worked diligently on the social media aspect of promoting the business, including updates on the company’s Facebook page with information about daily lunch specials and nutritional workshops at the store.

“She has taken the lead” in advertising the business, her father said.

The Mustard Seed is adopting a new logo and expanding its workshops and in-house educational programs, along with promoting its daily lunch specials and bakery items for those looking for an alternative to fast-food.

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Mrs. Youngs and her brother, Ryan Skinner, a college student, grew up being exposed to the healthy eating lifestyle, so it’s become a natural interest of both children, said their mother.

“They are used to the food items we brought home, the magazines we read,” Mrs. Skinner said. “It was just something they grew up with every day.”

There appears to be a growing interest among young mothers looking to “start their kids off eating organic foods, whole foods and living more naturally, getting back to basics,” Mrs. Youngs said.

“You can find more education in the mainstream media about the benefits of eating organic and taking supplements,” she said “The local food movement has also been huge the past couple years.”

While she handles the advertising and marketing, Mrs. Youngs said she is like many of the other employees helping with customer service, ordering, opening and closing the store.

“I’ve been here three years and I’m still one of the newest employees,” she joked.

Mr. Skinner, who had many years of management experience in north country grocery store chains, purchased the organic food store in 1997 when it was located

on Washington Street.

“That was not my lifestyle at the time; I thought I would change it from natural and organic to specialty foods,” he said “But after six months, I decided there was a great need in the community for this type of business. It’s a tremendous resource.”

HYDE-STONE MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS

It took about seven years of negotiating, but what finally “sealed the deal” for Jay F. Stone to purchase the former Charles R. Hyde Inc. mechanical and plumbing business in Watertown was an agreement written out on a cocktail napkin over dinner in New York City.

It was 1985, and Mr. Hyde was finally ready to sell the business that had dated back in his family to the 1890s.

Mr. Stone and his wife, Dawn M. Stone, were north country natives who had relocated to Milford, Conn., after Mr. Stone found employment with a similar type firm in that state.

That Connecticut business was also family-owned, but the owner’s sons were too close in age to Mr. Stone at the time, so the opportunities for him to work his way up to partner were almost non-existent.

Mr. Stone was a 1955 graduate of

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 21

COVER STORY

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

The Stones of Hyde-Stone Mechanical Contractors, Chris, Dawn, Jay and Thom at the company materials warehouse on Murrock Circle, Watertown.

the former Adams Center High School and a 1961 graduate of Canton Agricultural and Technical Institute. After he purchased the business and returned to Watertown, it was renamed Hyde-Stone

22 |

NNY Business | April 2013

Mechanical Contractors Inc. The main office is at 22962 Murrock Circle in Watertown. Hyde-Stone also has offices in Potsdam and Plattsburgh.

The company serves Jefferson, Lewis, St.

Lawrence, Oswego, Franklin, Essex and Clinton counties.

The business, which has a unionized workforce, employs between 45 to 80 people, depending on the season and the work demands. They specialize in all phases of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing.

Hyde-Stone designs and installs new systems and renovates or upgrades existing ones. They also have an extensive service department.

Mr. Stone, company president, purchased the business at the time Fort Drum was rapidly expanding and the Salmon Run Mall was being constructed. But over time, the area also faced the reduction in workforce of long-time businesses such as the New York Air Brake and Deferiet Paper Mill.

However, Hyde-Stone continued to expand its service department.

“I felt this was a critical area of need,” Mr. Stone said. “We started with only one service technician and built it up from there.”

Mrs. Stone was busy at home raising the couple’s four children, but managed to find time to teach swim lessons at the Watertown Family YMCA, and worked as the agency’s aquatics director at one time.

She joined her husband in the business several years ago to help with the office operations.

Their younger sons, Christopher J., 48, and Thom D., 50, eventually joined the family business as well, both starting off driving trucks before working their way up to vice president positions.

The Stones’ two other children are Cabot, 51, who teaches emergency medical training programs, and Darcy, 44, a special education teacher.

Neither brother had planned to join the business right after high school graduation. Both were avid outdoorsmen, and made a living teaching skiing at resorts on the East and West coasts.

Thom also worked as a river guide, while Chris had studied mechanical engineering at Canton Technical College.

“When we started working here, we had to overcome that image of being the boss’s sons,” Thom said.

“There were things we all had to deal with, but it was just growing pains,” Chris said.

Apprehension on the part of employees in any family-operated business is just a natural occurrence, and it takes time for everyone to feel comfortable with the arrangement, said Mr. Stone.

“I always said the only easy way to run a family business is with one family

COVER STORY member,” he joked.

The family recently gave a $100,000 gift to establish the first corporate charitable foundation within the Northern New York Community Foundation. Mr. Stone is a member of the foundation’s board of directors.

The company decided to shift from awarding grants directly to using a more formalized, nonprofit structure that will help fund projects and programs in Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and Clinton counties.

Despite having his family in the business, Mr. Stone had been so used to working long hours, he still finds it difficult to take time off.

He has made a few exceptions. The biggest was several years ago, when he underwent a kidney transplant operation and received a donated kidney from his son Chris.

It didn’t go as expected the first time, however, because Mr. Stone developed some unexpected health issues the day of the transplant operation.

That was a close call, according to both father and son. The surgeons had already started the process to remove one of Chris’s kidneys.

“They cancelled the procedure, but it was only a matter of minutes before they were going to take out my kidney,” said Chris. “If it had been taken out, they would have had to give it to a stranger.”

But the operation was rescheduled a second time, and everything went much better.

“I had to make sure he got my kidney,” Chris joked. “I didn’t want to get fired.”

station work — tearing them down, buildsummers working in the family business ing them up and handling all the underduring college, an experience that helped ground gas tanks issues. him solidify his decision to later join the multi-faceted operation.

They have earned bragging rights when A 2002 Thousand Islands Central it comes to this area of expertise.

School graduate, he studied construction “Name a town in New York State,” management and engineering at SUNY Mr. Bach Sr. said. “There’s a good chance Canton and we’ve built a gas had also station in it.” worked at They finished Aubertine building three & Currier last year — two Architects, Fast Trac stations Engineers and a Sunoco — Frederick J. Bach Sr., co-owner, and Land station, said Mr. Surveyors, Bach Jr. Bach & Co, Bach Environmental Inc., Watertown, They are also and Bach Retail Sales & Services Inc. before joinon-call day and ing the family business. night for a group of Sunoco stations, responding to almost anything that could Bach & Co. was started in the early go wrong. One of the most common re1970s by the late Stanley Bach Sr. (Andy’s sponses is for damaged gas pumps resultfather), with one backhoe and one dump ing from absent-minded motorists driving truck, and a lot of determination. Stanley off with the handle to the hose still in their Bach Sr. died in 2007. His grandfather, the car, Andy said. late Stanley Percy, had worked behind the scenes to help him get started.

Bach Environmental is often called The company got its start with excavawhen there is a need for oil spill remetion work — septic systems, landscaping diation, for example, an oil tank truck and ponds, driveways and foundations. overturning on the highway and dumpBut Bach & Co. soon expanded to gas ing fuel.

“

Name a town in New York State.

There’s a good chance we’ve built a gas station in it.

BACH & CO.

Karl Andrew “Andy” Bach remembers sitting in the seat of an excavator when he could hardly even reach the controls.

Now he is co-owner with his uncle, Frederick J. Bach Sr., of three family businesses under the Bach name in Clayton: Bach & Co., Bach Environmental Inc. and Bach Retail Sales & Services Inc. The two men worked together for years, with Mr. Bach Sr. taking him under his wing and teaching him all aspects of the excavating and construction business.

“It felt like home here,” Andy said, after he went into the family business following his graduation in 1985 from Thousand Islands Central School.

The family business also includes Mr. Bach Sr.’s son, Frederick J. “Freddy” Bach Jr., project manager, and Mr. Bach Sr.’s wife, Patricia “Patty” Bach, who helps in the daily operation of the office.

Mr. Bach Jr. remembers spending his

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 23

COVER STORY

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The Bach family business still remains diversified. The company does demolition work, site preparation, retaining walls, shoreline protection, dredging and general construction.

Recent projects include the upgrade of the Jefferson Community College baseball field and site and infrastructure work for the expansion of Angel Rock Waterfront Cottages in Cape Vincent.

The businesses employ 30 people in the winter, and that number increases to up to 60 employees in the summer months.

The Bach family also operates a gravel pit, which has provided special stone used on highway projects that require “a high friction, low carbon stone,” said Mr. Bach Jr. One interesting note — the gravel pit in Clayton provided the boulders that are set up outside a display at the Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Andy also built and opened River Golf Adventures, a mini-golf course on Route 12 in Clayton, last summer. He operates that business with his wife, Jill, and other family members.

TRUESDELL’S FURNITURE

It’s almost as if Wendy A. Truesdell O’Brien was destined to work in her family’s retail furniture business.

Her father literally started the groundwork for the business the day she was born 38 years ago. But it was not exactly under ideal circumstances.

Wayne E. Truesdell, her father, had reported to work that day at Hawk’s Mobile Homes, where he had been employed for several years. The doors were locked and the power had been shut off. Mr. Truesdell returned home, made some phone calls, and found out the company had filed for bankruptcy.

The next day, he started cutting trees and clearing brush on his own land. Mr. Truesdell went to the bank and got a loan to buy one mobile home. He fixed it up and sold it less than a week later.

Mr. Truesdell was officially in business.

He continued to expand and at one time had 35 mobile homes for sale.

But after 20 years, he started to phase out of selling mobile homes “due to the long, hard hours,” he said.

“I got tired of driving the truck” that was used to deliver the homes, Mr. Truesdell said.

Instead, he decided to continue to sell a full line of parts for manufactured homes — replacement windows, doors, water heaters, etc.

COVER STORY “We get requests for these parts all the time,” said his wife, Patricia A. Truesdell.

“People have a difficult time finding them.

A lot of people will refer to us.”

The family also decided to focus on growing the furniture store, which was originally started for “decoration purposes in the display models,” Mrs. O’Brien said.

They added to the furniture store building in 1999, putting on a 5,500 square-foot addition that increased the showroom space to 12,000 square feet.

They also have an additional 12,000 square feet of warehouse space.

Today, the Truesdell’s Furniture Inc. store, 22822 Route 11, carries complete living room, bedroom and dining room sets, along with mattresses, lamps, recliners, framed artwork, clocks and Tiffanystyle lamps.

“Everything you need for your home, we have it here,” said Mrs. Truesdell.

A 1992 graduate of General Brown Central School, Mrs. O’Brien graduated from SUNY Brockport in 1996 with a major in psychology and minors in criminal justice and sociology.

“I graduated on a Saturday, and I had Sunday off,” she said. “I started working at the store on that Monday because my parents wanted to celebrate my college graduation by going on vacation.”

They left the option open for her to continue to work in the family business when they returned from their trip. She decided to stay, and has been involved with the operation for 17 years.

“Working in a family business has taught me life lessons — budgeting, organizational skills and how to treat people fairly and with respect — both the employees and the public,” Mrs. O’Brien said.

The Truesdells have another daughter, Tina, who is not involved in the family business. She is a school teacher living in Florida.

Their customers are a mix – from young people to retired, civilian and military.

Their furniture is not considered “mobile home” furniture, but rather furniture that people would buy for any home, Mrs. O’Brien said.

Mr. and Mrs. Truesdell and their daughter are involved in all aspects of daily operations of the business.

Mrs. O’Brien said she works with customers and employees to gather input on new ideas for the business, and “I also do research on the Internet to keep it fresh and modern,” she said.

But the same family values that have been in place at Truesdell’s Furniture are

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

Patricia A. and Wayne E. Truesdell with daughter, Wendy A. Truesdell O’Brien, center, in the Truesdell’s Furniture showroom, Watertown.

what have continued to make it successful, the family said.

“We are probably the only furniture store in town where three-fourths of the office staff are the owners,” said Mrs. O’Brien. “When a customer comes into our store, they will get personal service from people who care about them.”

“We have worked our entire life to build this business from nothing but hard work and determination,” she added. “We are committed to quality products and service because it is our name on the door.”

Mrs. O’Brien, a member of the Watertown Noon Rotary, said the family business has also made it a priority to support the community. It has supported the Jefferson County SPCA, WPBS-Public Television, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Heather Freeman Golf Tournament and many others.

After so many years of working together, the parents and their daughter continue to grow the operation. The arrangement has also allowed for flexibility for everyone when it comes to time off.

Mrs. O’Brien, who has two children, Conor, 12, and Bethany, 8, said the family business model allows her to take the time needed to watch her children’s sporting events or other activities. Her parents can take a break as well.

“I have never known anything different. The business has always been the topic of conversation from the time we got up until we went to bed,” said Mrs. O’Brien. “We are very fortunate to get along so well with open communication and cooperation.” 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 norahmachia@gmail.com.

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 25

FA M I LY B U S I N E S S

From left, Chris J., Ben M. and Kyle R. Matott, own The Computer Guys in Canton and Potsdam. The three brothers manage the firm that their father, Wendell L. “Lee” Matott, started in 1996.

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

A brotherly business For Matotts, ‘Computer Guys’ are all in the family

By KYLE R. HAYES

T

Associate Editor

ech and text are the two things that bring together the Matott brothers each day.

Kyle R., Christopher J. and Benjamin M. Matott are just doing what they know best, and following in their father’s footsteps. However, as their business, “The Computer Guys,” a two-store family-owned computer repair and textbook sales operation in Canton and Potsdam, continues to grow, they are looking toward the future for new opportunities.

“Our father started this business doing computer repair out of his basement,” said Kyle R. Matott, president and lead computer repair technician for the company. “We would rent a storefront twice a year, one time to buy books back at the end of the school year and once to sell them again the beginning of the next school year.”

That business model quickly changed.

His father, Wendell L. “Lee” Matott, began the business in 1996 and everything

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NNY Business | March 2013

grew swiftly. The elder Mr. Matott gave Kyle a call and asked him to jump on board when operations got to more than one person could handle.

“We moved the business to 11 Market St., in Potsdam, and that got bigger and we moved six years later to our current location on Clarkson Avenue,” Kyle said. “In May 2010 we opened a Canton location.”

The Canton location, 2564 State Highway 68, was added after Kyle and his two brothers, Christopher J., vice president and sales manager, and Benjamin M., secretary, treasurer and computer repair technician, did some market research.

“We noticed a lot of the customer base was Canton addresses and there were several businesses in the Canton area that we were supporting and they wanted a location there,” Kyle said.

They soon opened in a location across from the entrance to SUNY Canton. It was a good decision, Kyle said, because Verizon Wireless quickly approached them about becoming a cell phone retailer.

“It wasn’t something we went looking for, so it was unique. Verizon wanted us to carry their products,” Kyle said.

As trends emerge among students at SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Canton and Clarkson and St. Lawrence universities, a core customer demographic for both stores, the Matotts are seeing their business change to meet them. For instance, Kyle said that the amount of cell phone repairs and services has skyrocketed, whereas tried and true computer repair is down.

“When you can buy a new laptop for a few hundred dollars, we aren’t going to charge someone that same amount to fix their old one,” he said. “It’s just how we are as a society. Everything is disposable.

It’s wasteful, but it’s true.”

The textbook sales and rental business continues as a constant revenue stream.

Given that the cost of textbooks is often prohibitive for many students, buying used books is still a viable option that The Computer Guys provides, though that practice is slowly going by the wayside.

“We offer book rentals for students, and that seems to be an attractive option for them,” Kyle said. “As a lot of textbooks go digital, it seems like less of an investment for a student to rent a book instead of buy it outright.”

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Both of Kyle’s brothers went down their own personal paths, only to return and jump head first into the family business.

“I had gone away to work in construction, and to follow a girl, who is now my wife,” Christopher said. “I went where she went, she moved back here, so I moved back here. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so one day I stepped up to the front counter at the store and never left.”

What’s it like to work with family? That’s a question the Matott brothers get asked often. Their response: It’s no big deal.

“It works surprisingly well,” Christopher said. “Fortunately we get along outside of work and we have a lot of the same interests. We can leave work and go play some golf or poker and have a few beers. We are able to leave work at work.”

Kyle agrees, saying that he’d heard of other horror stories of family businesses not doing as well, but he has no worries.

“We are able to do things that you might not ever think about doing if you worked closely with someone who’s not family,” Kyle said.

Fortunately, there are other members of the family involved as well. Benjamin’s wife, Brittany, is the Verizon Wireless sales manager at the Canton store. Kyle’s daughter also helps out, too.

As for dad, the founder, he’s not going anywhere soon. Despite spending winters in Florida, Kyle said that his father is very much still involved, placing stock orders from Florida and handling any special orders the business needs.

“He definitely doesn’t want to retire,” Kyle said.

The Computer Guys was recognized earlier this year by the Canton Chamber of Commerce as the Member of the Year for 2012. n KYLE R. HAYES is a associate editor for NNY Business. Contact him at khayes@wdt.net or 661-2381.

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April 2013 | NNY Business

| 27

FA M I LY B U S I N E S S John M. Campany and daughter Blaine E. stand behind the meat counter at Croghan Meat Market.

Ms. Campany is purchasing the market from her parents, becoming the fourth-generation family member to produce Croghan Bologna.

A proud tradition

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Fourth generation takes reins at Croghan Meat Market

By KEN EYSAMAN

O Editor

ne of the north country’s most tightly guarded recipes is now in the hands of a new generation of family at Croghan Meat Market.

Blaine E. Campany, whose greatgrandfather, Elmer “Buddy” Campany, purchased the market and the original recipe for Croghan Bologna in 1919, recently took the reins as general manager at the century-old store in the heart of the village’s downtown.

Ms. Campany, 23, is buying the business from her parents, plant owners John M. and Charmaine V. Campany. The move comes at a historic time for the Lewis County favorite as 2013 also is the market’s 125th year in operation, the past 94 by the Campany family.

“I really never dreamed there would be anything here that she would want to be doing,” Mr. Campany said of his daughter’s leading role in the business.

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NNY Business | April 2013

Ms. Campany almost lost her chance to keep the market in the family as a deal to sell it to a former employee was in the works last year. But when it appeared the sale was going to fall through, she stepped up and told her father that she wanted to continue the family tradition of producing a tasty north country staple.

“My father never pushed [the business] on me.” Ms. Campany said. ”I’m too proud to let it go. I’d rather not see it fail.”

Her pride is palpable.

Just in her first year, she’s worked hard to make valuable connections with other local business owners, secured a seat on the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce board and graduated from the chamber’s Lewis County Leadership Academy.

“I believe in my community,” Ms. Campany said. “I want to be a hot spot to draw people to Croghan. We have a lot here with the Maple Museum, the Railroad Museum and Wishy’s.”

Ms. Campany holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Brockport, where she majored in recreation leisure with an emphasis

in tourism management and minored in business management. Since coming home to permanently manage the market, she’s put her education to good use.

“We offer some unique products and things you can’t find any other places,” Blaine said. “That’s what sets us apart.”

Ms. Campany’s mother couldn’t be more proud of her daughter’s decision to take over the family business.

“She showed some very good qualities growing up,” Mrs. Campany said. “She’s very efficient and responsible; easy going, but firm, too.”

Having grown up around the market, working long days isn’t a challenge for the younger Campany.

In a typical week, the market produces 3,000 one-pound rings of bologna, doubling output just before Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. Fresh bologna is made Mondays and Thursdays with early rings available at noon, along with fresh local cheese curd.

Asked what makes Croghan Bologna so special, Ms. Campany said it’s not one

Croghan Meat Market WHAT: Home of Croghan Bologna since 1888.

WHO: Blaine E. Campany, fourth-generation general manager. Father John M. Campany and mother Charmaine V. are gradually transitioning to retirement.

WHERE: 9824 Main St., Croghan HOURS: 9 a.m.—5:30 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.—noon Saturdays.

CONTACT: 346-6613, croghanmeatmarket@ gmail.com WEB: www.croghanbologna.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pages/ The-Croghan-Meat-Market BLOG: www.croghanmeatmarket.blogspot.com

ingredient over another.

“It’s not the recipe. It’s how you make it that makes the product,” Ms. Campany said. “It’s a taste of home for a lot of people. The best thing going for us is that we are a tradition.”

Despite concerns that state and federal food-processing regulations have become excessively burdensome for small producers, Mr. Campany is pleased to see his family’s legacy continue.

“There’s a lot to deal with nowadays,” Mr. Campany said. “I actually discouraged her from going into the business because I felt like a lot has changed that’s made it more difficult.”

But when it comes to managing relationships with food inspectors, Ms. Campany might just have secret weapon in her arsenal. Her older sister, Adriana J., has an uncanny knack for dealing with regulators.

“When you can rely on family, they become a good resource because family doesn’t cost money,” Mr. Campany said.

So what should the market’s many loyal customers expect as Ms. Campany puts her stamp on operations?

For starters, she’d like to expand distribution into the Western New York and Albany markets and eventually into New York City.

“I’d like to see us grow, but I don’t want to get too big. That’s why we’re still here,” she said.

To accomplish her goal, she plans to revamp the market’s website so it can accept online orders. Customers already can email orders, but Ms. Campany said she wants to take the market’s virtual storefront to the next level of e-commerce.

“The business has to change. The world is changing. You can’t stop in the middle,” Mr. Campany said of his daughter’s vision. n KEN EYSAMAN is editor for NNY Business.

Contact him at keysaman@wdt.net or 661-2399.

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April 2013 | NNY Business

| 29

FA M I LY B U S I N E S S

Michael H. Stratton, left, is owner and partner in Stratton Hardware with his father, Michael S. The elder Mr. Stratton signed a contract with True Value in 1991.

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Behind a big name With national brands, family hardware stores flourish

By HOLLY C. BONAME

T NNY Business

he allure of shopping local is being able to buy from your neighbors.

But many consumers enjoy the safety of name-brand, trusted products. To capitalize on both, many family-run hardware stores operate under the larger banner of nationally recognized companies.

ACE Hardware and True Value are two examples of national corporations that boast thousands of shops across the country that are owned and operated by local entrepreneurs.

ACE has 4,400 such stores in the United States, with several in Northern New York.

Since opening in 1946, the Reinman family has operated Reinman’s Department Store in Clayton. Mary Reinman Heyman, her husband, Bill Heyman, and cousin, Melissa Tinney, are the fourth generation of their family to be involved with daily business operations. They signed an

30 |

NNY Business | April 2013

agreement with ACE in 1984 in order to be able to offer more diverse products to their consumers.

“Operating an ACE hardware store has enabled us to compete with the large, big-box stores,” Mrs. Heyman said. In her family’s case, being tied to a global company such as ACE helps the store stay aggressive with their inventory and service growth. “The purchasing power we have with ACE allows us to ensure we can offer our customers the lowest pricing possible,” she added.

Another family-owned and operated ACE Hardware store that has been in business for many generations is Garlock’s Ace Hardware and Building Supplies. Located in Alexandria Bay since 1906, the company began as a small sawmill and hardware store. Almost 80 years later, the family signed an agreement with ACE Hardware to compete with an ever-growing market.

“At that time we were purchasing from smaller wholesalers,” said David Garlock, co-owner of Garlock’s. “We were paying so much that we couldn’t

compete with the big stores. We decided we needed to find a competitive supplier and ACE fit our needs.”

Mr. Garlock said that the market in the 1980s began growing steadily. Big-name stores were popping up everywhere, taking business away from smaller, local stores. By integrating as an ACE Hardware store, Garlock’s was able to get new products faster and at a more cost-effective price.

“Our customers know that they are getting the best prices available because they know our family and our reputation,” Mr. Garlock said. At this time, the store is able to deliver products and services to customers throughout St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties as well as on Fort Drum. Mr. Garlock said the company’s trusted services were able to grow and develop because of Garlock’s competitive edge.

The family-operated business continues to feel confident in their ACE Hardware brand, with fourth-generation Garlocks managing the store and fifth-generation Garlocks maintaining daily operations.

FA M I LY B U S I N E S S Another nationally known hardware store that Northern New York residents are accustomed to visiting is the True Value Co. True Value is one of the top retailer-owned hardware cooperatives. There are presently 4,500 independent retailers operating under the True Value name in the United States, while serving 54 countries with more than 5,000 stores globally. Stratton Hardware Ltd., in Watertown, is a trusted local hardware store to many consumers.

Michael H. Stratton, owner and partner with his father Michael S. Stratton, has

operated the family store for more than 20 years. Mr. Stratton said his company has always been committed to operating the family business in a manner that best serves the community, and that maintaining the community’s trust is important to their success. Mr. Stratton signed a contract with True Value in 1991.

“We rely on being connected to the community,” he said. “Our customers come back to us because they know that either my father or I will be there.”

By operating under the national compa-

ny, Mr. Stratton added, his business is able to purchase a wider variety of products.

Orders are placed weekly, which Stratton said also allows him to order the volume he requires.

According to Mr. Stratton, it’s the focus on entrepreneurial retailers by True Value that allows them to continue the family business while offering quality products in a local marketplace. n HOLLY C. BONAME is a freelance writer and former television reporter who lives in Cape Vincent. Contact her at holi234@aol.com

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 31

AGRI-BUSINESS

Ready to raise another glass

Region’s eighth winery set to open in Cape this month

By TED BOOKER

W NNY Business

ine enthusiasts will have a chance to “Taste the Cape” this summer.

That’s the phrase David B. and Sandra L. Fralick use to describe the full-bodied wine they produce at Cape Winery at Deerlick Farm, 2066 Deerlick Road, where they will open a tasting room this month. The eighth winery to be launched in the north country, the business is a featured destination on the Thousand Islands-Seaway Wine Trail. Varieties to be debuted this month include Frontenac, La Crescent, Frontenac gris and a cross between traminette and sabrevois. The winery’s Marquette, which needs more time to ferment, will be introduced in August. Also offered will be wines from the Finger Lakes region: merlot, cabernet franc and chardonnay.

Bottles will range from $12 to $19.

Mr. Fralick described the traminettesabrevois, which to his knowledge will be offered only here, as having a distinctive citrus flavor. The traminette grape originated in Germany, while the sabrevois is an American variety.

“It has a citrus taste but is a little sweet, almost like a pink grapefruit,” he said.

The Fralicks have found Deerlick Farm, which they purchased in 1996, to be an ideal spot for a vineyard. It’s about a halfmile from the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, which help to temper the climate when weather is erratic during the winter and summer. Land that slopes to the south helps expose the vines to sunlight, and the limestone soil drains water efficiently.

The couple planted three acres of vines as a hobby in 2006. They were inspired to open the winery three years ago and have spent the past two years retrofitting the buildings. Most of the 1,500 vines were mature last fall, and six tons of grapes were harvested — enough for 900 gallons of wine, or 4,500 bottles.

Mr. Fralick said within the next three years, Cape Winery will produce about 80 percent of the wine it sells. Two more acres of vines will be planted in the spring.

The tasting room is a former auto

32 |

NNY Business | April 2013

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Cape Winery co-owner David B. Fralick works with a batch of wines in what was the milking parlor at Deerlick Farm, Cape Vincent. Below, Mr. Fralick with his wife and co-owner, Sandra.

garage with large carriage-style doors. Inside is an 18-foot wooden bar built by Mr. Fralick, along with hand-crafted wooden bottle racks.

“We wanted everything to look and feel like a barn,” Mrs. Fralick said.

A space previously used as a milking parlor has been converted for wine storage, housing 275- and 325-gallon tanks.

The operation runs somewhat differently than at other wineries. Grapes are crushed with the skins left in the wine; though it requires more production time, it produces a richer taste, Mr. Fralick said.

“It’s a woodsy, viney taste that adds flavor,” he said. “We try to get the best

taste out of our grapes each year.”

The winery will host summer events in an 1800s dairy barn. Along with dining, visitors will be able to tour the vineyards.

“We’ll host farm-to-table dinners with food that complements wine,” Mrs. Fralick said. “We’ll pick food that makes the wine pop — like walnuts with chardonnay.”

Mr. Fralick, 62, said the business will keep the couple active during their twilight years. He also serves as vice president of the NNY Grape Growers Association.

“This is something I can do for the next 15 years and not kill myself,” he joked.

Cape Winery will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday through Memorial Day, and from noon to 5 p.m. seven days a week through the summer.

For more information, call the winery at 654-3218. n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at tbooker@wdt.net or 661-2371.

AGRI-BUSINESS

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Michael L. Aubertine is set to open Clayton Distillery, 40164 Route 12, Clayton, this month.

Keeping spirits bright Entrepreneur hopes north country’s first distillery will take off

By TED BOOKER

A NNY Business

long with the arrival of spring, north country residents will have a second reason to be in high spirits this month.

Clayton Distillery made early April the target for opening its new 2,560-squarefoot facility at 40164 Route 12. Vodka production started in earnest at the farm distillery in mid-February, and several 1,000-pound batches of mashed corn are now fermenting in stills.

Last month, that alcohol was sent through a 250-gallon copper pot still to prepare it for bottling. It’s an exciting prospect for co-owner Michael L. Aubertine, who engineered and led the construction of the micro-distillery, which broke ground in July. After putting in 15hour workdays for the past two months,

he will soon operate a semiautomatic machine to fill 400 bottles of spirits per hour.

“This has been a lot of fun for me to

“

After sitting behind a desk for the past 20 years, it’s nice to get back into farming again.

— Michael L. Aubertine, co-owner, Clayton Distillery

figure out,” said the 44-year-old entrepreneur, who has spent the past 20 years doing similar design work for Aubertine and Currier Architects, Engineers & Land Surveyors in Watertown.

Customers who visit the farm distillery will first notice its rustic exterior designed

by Mr. Aubertine. The building appeals to the eye with its shiplap pine siding, galvanized steel roof and visible rafters. A 110-foot sawtooth fence borders the parking lot to accentuate the rustic aura.

“We wanted to make it look like an old barn,” said Mr. Aubertine, who grew up on his family’s farm in Cape Vincent.

Still owned by his parents, Terry and Linda Aubertine, the farm grows corn, rye, wheat and oats for production at the distillery.

The first attraction customers will notice when entering the distillery is the pot still, visible through glass doors that lead to the production area. At the retail space in front, they’ll be able to purchase shot glasses to sample vodka, gin, limoncello

Please see Distillery, page 39 April 2013 | NNY Business

| 33

F E AT U R E S

NORM JOHNSTON | NNY BUSINESS

Guilfoyle Ambulance General Manger David C. Sherman shows one of the large conference rooms in the Bruce M. Wright Memorial Conference Center at Guilfoyle’s Faichney Drive headquarters, Watertown. Below, an event room is staged for a recent open house. The facility has addressed rising demand in the north country for upscale conference space.

Growing into a new century Ambulance service’s new facility honors late owner Wright

By GABRIELLE HOVENDON

T NNY Business

he north country’s newest conference center has some empty space to thank for its existence — 13,000 square feet of it, to be exact.

In July 2012, Watertown’s Guilfoyle Ambulance Service decided to move operations from its Newell Street facility to the former Covidien building, 1291 Faichney Drive. While the new space was ideal in many ways, Guilfoyle quickly realized that there would be room to spare in the 77,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.

“We looked at several commercial locations throughout the city to try to relocate the Guilfoyle business, and this one had been on the market quite a long time,” said Jeffrey J. Call, director of operations for Guilfoyle. “When we looked at this one, it was the perfect setup for our administrative and business needs, but it had a lot of extra space.”

And so the 13,000-square-foot Bruce M. Wright Convention Center was created.

Originally intended to be an emergency medical services training center with courses in first aid and CPR, the center developed to include two classrooms, two multipurpose rooms, a meeting room,

34 |

NNY Business | April 2013

catering preparation areas and more. It is designed to accommodate hundreds of people for any number of events, from conferences to celebrations.

“We wanted it to be multipurpose — weddings, birthday parties, classes, charitable groups, auctions, fundraisers, dinners,” Mr. Call said. “If someone wants to have a big potluck dinner or fundraiser, we have room for that. If someone wants a dance, we have the tile floor for that. We want it to be used for whatever the needs are, whether it’s a meeting or a class or a gettogether.”

Between Guilfoyle’s operations and the convention center, nearly $1 million was devoted to renovations and furnishings, including extensive plumbing work, handicapped-accessible features, two new garage doors and new furniture. The convention center’s many amenities now include ample parking, an ATM, audio-

PHOTO SPECIAL TO NNY BUSINESS

visual capabilities and dimmable LED lighting as well as fiber-optic wiring and wireless capabilities.

The project was funded in part by nearly $2 million in loans from Watertown Local Development Corp. as well as North Country Alliance, Community Bank and the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency. However, the main goal of the convention center is not to generate huge amounts of revenue but to keep the space from going unused and to provide a service to the community.

“Our purpose is not to make a huge

Please see Conference, page 43

MEDIA

Times launches mobile e-edition apps

By TED BOOKER

G NNY Business

et ready to digest news on the go, readers, because the Watertown Daily Times is available on hand-held mobile devices.

The Watertown Daily Times e-edition applications can be downloaded at online marketplaces for Apple or Android devices.

John B. Johnson, general manager of Northern New York Newspapers Corp., said the launch of the service reflects the commitment of the Watertown Daily Times to give its subscribers multiple media platforms to consume news.

“From a strategic perspective, we needed to be on a flexible platform to deliver news in print, online and through our e-edition reader on iPods, iPhones and Android devices,” he said. “We have been thinking about the future and evolving for a decade. This is another step forward and we need to have a platform for delivering electronic content. Readers are going to want the convenience of digesting news on the fly.”

The launch of the application is the latest in a series of products the Times has introduced in the past three years.

It started its e-edition and new website in 2012 and has added a series of print products, including NNY Business, NNY Living and NNY Golf.

Subscription numbers in 2012 show that more readers are gravitating to the Web for news, Mr. Johnson said. The number of electronic subscribers has

jumped since the Times launched its e-edition in the fall, and he expects that to continue as readers see the advantages of being able to access local news anytime, anywhere.

“People are now visiting the website more, and they’re spending more time per visit,” he said.

Convenience is the name of the game when it comes to the e-edition. Readers can quickly hop from page to page like they are holding the newspaper, and they can

click on interactive links and advertisements to be transferred to websites and surf the Web. They can receive customized alerts by email when news is released about particular topics of interest.

The Times sets itself apart from competitors with its original reporting, Mr. Johnson said, which is made possible by journalists who cover news of the north country.

“It’s something we can protect and grow,” Mr. Johnson said. “We cover school districts, city council meetings and local government to educate the taxpaying public. And there are a lot of good stories in this community that reporters bring to our readers. It’s something we need to leverage to stay competitive in the future.”

To start an e-edition, visit www.water towndailytimes.com or call customer service, 1 (800) 724-1012. n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at tbooker@wdt.net or 661-2371.

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April 2013 | NNY Business

| 35

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

April is 45th fair housing month

T

his year, April marks the 45th anniversary of the 1968 landmark Fair Housing Act. Each year Realtors recognize the significance of this event and reconfirm their commitment to upholding the fair housing law as well as committing to offer equal professional service to all in their search for real property. As the leading advocate for home ownership, Realtor Associations, like the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors, strongly support the Fair Housing Act and believe that anyone who is able and willing to assume the responsibilities of owning a home should have the opportunity to pursue that dream.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability and applies to the sale or rental of housing. Some states, counties and municipalities have additional protected classes of individuals. All New York State real estate brokers and sales licensees are required to take at least three hours of fair housing continuing education every two years.

Realtors strongly support fair housing for all. In fact, it is one of the key tenets in the Realtor Code of Ethics. As I have written previously, this year is the centennial anniversary of the Realtor Code of Ethics.

In honor of April being Fair Housing Month, it is interesting to point out that Article 10 of the code actually is more stringent than Federal Fair Housing in its definition of discrimination. In November 2010, the NAR delegate body overwhelmingly voted to add the phrase “sexual orientation” to the article. This strengthened Realtor commitment to the principles of

Fair Housing.

Article 10 now reads: “Realtors shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, Lance Evans national origin or sexual orientation. Realtors shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or sexual orientation.

“Realtors, in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation.”

As 2012 NAR President Moe Veissi noted, “Realtors live and work in their communities and are committed to implementing strategies to stop discriminatory behavior and promoting important issues such as inclusion, diversity and fairness in the housing market.” n

n

n

On March 6 and 7, 15 local Realtors became HOMES certified. The acronym “HOMES” stands for Housing Our Military with Excellent Service. The 15 hour certification class teaches licensees how to effectively assist military personnel and veterans in making housing choices to best suit their unique needs. It also

contains the Fair Housing component required by New York State for licensees.

This is the second time the class has been offered in Watertown. The first class was taught here in November 2010 after being created by the NYS Association of Realtors in conjunction with the JeffersonLewis Board of Realtors and individuals from Fort Drum.

The 15 licensees, who join 22 area agents who were previously certified, are Margaret Aubertine, Ruth Blauvelt and and Randy Zimmerman of Christensen RealtyUSA, David Barron of Husky Property Management, Martha Ciulla and Lori Nettles of TLC Real Estate, Jessica Dorr of Peebles Realty, Jeff Jones of Hunt Real Estate ERA, Linda Love of Byrns Realty of New York, Linda Morrison of EXIT More Real Estate, Tina Morrison of Front Porch Realty, Brandy O’livares of All American Real Estate NNY, Jennette Peters of PCS Homes, Debbie and Vicki Staie of Staie on the Seaway Real Estate Services. n

n

n

On Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, members of the JeffersonLewis and St. Lawrence County Boards of Realtors will join Realtors from across the country for National Open House Weekend. Watch our websites, www.nny mls.com and www.slcmls.com, for open houses scheduled for that weekend. 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.

CONTACT WLDC TODAY - GROW YOUR BUSINESS TOMORROW! NOW LEASING “CLASS A” OFFICE SPACE - FRANKLIN BUILDING, DOWNTOWN WATERTOWN Financing options and incentives through the WLDC:

■Fixed - interest loans for real estate, machinery and equipment ■Working Capitol financing ■Leasehold improvement financing ■Assists in securing primary financing through commercial banks

For help with expanding or relocating your business to the City of Watertown Contact: Donald W. Rutherford CEO

Watertown Local Development Corporation (WLDC) 82 Public Square Watertown, NY 13601 36 |

NNY Business | April 2013

Phone: 315.786.3494 Fax: 315.786.3495 email: don@watertownldc.com

R E A L E S TAT E / L E W I S C O U N T Y The Lewis County Real Property Tax Service recorded the following Lewis County property sales in February:

n Town of Lowville: 5317 Kamryn Road, Maple Run Homes Inc. sold to William E. Slayden $229,900

FEB. 19: Village of Croghan: 9840 State Route 812, Alba L. Roggie sold to Karl A. Roggie $55,000

FEB. 4: Town of Croghan: 6628 Old Indian River Road, Richard D. Weatherhead sold to Marie M. Waller $60,000

FEB. 14: Town of Greig: 8028 Beach Club Road, LNS Ventures LLC sold to Michael J. Wurz $168,500.

n Town of Greig: 7775 Deer Run Road, Jeffrey S. Shambo sold to Community Bank N.A. $192,000

FEB. 7: Village of Lowville: 7601 Church St., David Farney sold to Brian C. Viney $157,000

FEB. 2: Village of Castorland: 4926 State Route 410, Phyllis D. Cook sold to Richard K. Diller $90,000

FEB. 6: Town of Croghan: 9567 Main St., Lewis County IDA sold to Omnifiltra $105,000

FEB. 1: Town of Lowville: 4487 Gardner Road, Zygmunt Kolenda sold to Amy M. Kolenda

$55,000 n Village of Lowville: 5448 Trinity Ave., Tiffany E. Card sold to Dale B. Farney $205,000 n Town of New Bremen: 8219 Artz Road, Edsel I. Widrick sold to Carlton E. Widrick $58,500 n Town of West Turin: 3070 Fish Creek Road, Fernando A. Costa sold to Jay D. Scheffler $93,250

$1,469,150 County real estate sales recorded over 19-day period, Feb. 1-19, 2013

REAL ESTATE DIRECTORY Serving all of Jefferson County

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Call Our Office (315) 686-5500 www.tihomes4sale.com • www.nywaterfronthomes.com

D La ux

PROPERTIES

Committed to Sell Lewis County Member of the Jefferson-Lewis MLS Service Donna M. Loucks, G.R.I., C.B.R. Broker/Owner

www.dlauxproperties.com Phone: 315-377-3113 or 877-777-3113

Steve Kubinski (Associate Broker) 486-0059 Arnold Loucks (Sales Associate) 377-3113 Timothy Nortz (Sales Associate) 681-0768 Pam Hoskins (Associate Broker) 783-2740

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April 2013 | NNY Business

| 37

Commercial Contracting

R E A L E S TAT E / J E F F E R S O N C O .

The Jefferson County clerk’s office recorded the following property sales in March 2013:

On the Web

MARCH 15: Village of West Carthage: Two parcels, Champion Street; 0.35 acre, Champion Street, Kathryn D. Williams, Wilton, N.H.; Janice W. Simone, Oakton, Va.; Kermit R. Williams, Wilton, N.H.; Lowell A. Williams, Nashua, N.H.; and Malcolm S. Williams, Fishers, Ind., sold to Edward A. McCaskey III, Baker, Fla. $152,000

n Visit us at WWW.NNYBIZMAG.COM for current real estate sales from Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, updated weekly.

Click on ‘Data Center’ to access transactions.

n Town of Lyme: Two parcels, 12.67 acres, 1 acre, Morris Tract Road, Robert J. Bates and Mary Lou Bates, Chaumont, sold to Amanda J. Miller and Lucas A. Hopkins, Chaumont $30,000 n Village of LaFargeville: 0.54 acre, state Route 180, Terry L. Day, LaFargeville, sold to Stephanie A. Miskimon, Dexter, and Darryl J. Walker, Dexter $135,000 n City of Watertown: State and High streets, SNR Associates Inc., Watertown, sold to Whitmore-Rice LLC, Watertown $134,000

• Asphalt Paving • Resurface • Rip-outs • Commercial • Residential

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n City of Watertown: 565 Burdick St., James Paige, Dexter, sold to Eric T. Swartz, Watertown $28,500 n Village of Clayton: 0.26 acre, James Street, Michelle K. Finley, Clayton, sold to Timothy J. Clement Jr. and Meghan A. Clement, Clayton $192,000 n City of Watertown: 0.309 acre, 615, 617, 621 LeRay St., Sandra Chase Ames, Black River, executor, estate of Debra Chase Miles, sold to James A. Watson Jr., Dexter $80,000 MARCH 14: City of Watertown: 0.101 acre, Winslow Street, Steven L. Parker, Lawton, Okla., sold to Ryan J. Slater and Gwen E. Slater, Watertown $144,000 n City of Watertown: 0.430 acre, Green Street, Kay D. Watkins and Stephen P. Watkins, Watertown, sold to Wesley C. Adams and Elise N. Adams, Watertown $270,000 n City of Watertown: 310 Brett St., Richard M. Young, Watertown, sold to Bryan Keith Koonce Jr. and Christina Charlene Koonce, Clayton $142,000

• Air Conditioning • Heating • Electrical • Refrigeration • Plumbing W.D. MECHANICAL, INC. 315•686•4236 CLAYTON, NEW YORK

38 |

NNY Business | April 2013

MARCH 13: Town of Hounsfield: 7.50 acres, Burton Road, Mandy L. Bray, Lacona, sold to Harold W. Lessner IV, Lawton, Okla. $252,000 MARCH 12: Town of LeRay: No acreage or address given, Yvonne M. Demiceli, Watertown; Brian P. Antonelli, Palmyra, executors, will of Betty J. Antonelli, sold to Alvin D. Whitman and Judy

I would like to extend a Warm Thank You to the Greater Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce for the Recognition as

“Entrepreneur of The Year!” ~ James

M. Whitman, LaFargeville $129,500 n Town of LeRay: Two parcels, 0.32 acre, no acreage given, both Duffy Road, Jessica L. Frederick, Watertown, sold to Craig R. Putnam and Rachael E. Putnam, Calcium $148,000 n City of Watertown: Emerson Street, Edward G. Kidder and Sherry A. Kidder, Watertown, sold to Lee Horan, Watertown $58,000 MARCH 11: Town of Watertown: 2.500 acres, County Route 196 (Fisher Circle), New Venture Assets LLC, DeWitt, sold to Haun Watertown LLC, Syracuse $485,000 n City of Watertown: 0.16 acre, Elm Street, Joshua D. Stanley, Watertown, sold to Paula Cadwell, Watertown $159,000 n Town of Alexandria: 0.23 acre, Iroquois Island Shore Road, Gloria J. Morehouse, Alexandria Bay, sold to Valentino A. Insalaco and Sherry L. Insalaco, Liverpool $51,000 n Village of West Carthage: Liberty Street, Ronald E. Lightholder and Sandra K. Lightholder, Carthage, sold to Richard A. Smith, Carthage $50,000 n Village of Carthage: 0.91 acre, 512 John St., Becky L. Snyder, Deltona, Fla., sold to Cody D. Everard and Sonja M. Everard, Carthage $52,000 n Village of Black River: 0.93 acre, Remington Street, Jacques A. Cerow and Cynthia R. Cerow, Black River, sold to Vincent A. Cesario Jr., Black River $70,000 n Town of Lyme: 22237 Luff Shores Lane, Kathleen P. Dennee, Amherst, sold to Kevin Malay and Debra Malay, Chittenango $70,000 MARCH 8: Town of Adams: Two parcels, 0.55 acre, 0.48 acre, Maxon Lane, Ronald J. Sloan and Shirley G. Sloan, Adams, sold to Anthony W. Frederick and Jessica L. Frederick, Watertown $205,000

$3,037,000 County real estate sales recorded over 8-day period, March 8-15, 2013

Office 315-681-6914 • www.aare.biz 102 S. Main Street, Black River, NY 13612

James Conlin, Lic. R.E. Broker/Owner

Veteran owned and operated in the heart of the Village of Black River.

Feel free to call or text me at 315-408-8246

AGRI-BUSINESS DISTILLERY, from page 33 and what Mr. Aubertine calls moonshine, a bourbon that has not been aged. For sale only at the store, six-bottle cases of spirits will start at $28.99. Also offered will be T-shirts, hats and mugs.

Guided tours of the facility will teach customers how spirits are distilled from start to finish. Giving a reporter a tour Thursday, Mr. Aubertine began by talking about a large outdoor grain bin filled with 46 tons of corn used for vodka production. The corn is transported inside the facility with an augur, which funnels it to a roller mill. The mill grinds the corn into powder before it’s channeled into the masher heated by steam, which is set at 190 degrees. After about an hour, the temperature is dropped to 167 degrees before a mixture of yeast is put in to start the fermentation.

“The yeast eats the sugar in the masher and converts it to alcohol and carbon dioxide,” Mr. Aubertine said.

The alcohol is then stored in 500-gallon stainless steel tanks for about four days to ferment, a process that increases its alcohol content to more than 10 percent.

It’s next pumped to the 250-gallon copper pot still that heats the alcohol at 174 degrees. For about seven hours, alcohol is vaporized and condensed inside a 16-foottall vodka column. The finished product is 95 percent pure grain alcohol. Finally, the pure alcohol is blended with water to produce the right concentration needed for various products; the vodka will have a 40 percent alcohol content, while gin will be 44 percent.

Mr. Aubertine’s goal is to sell more than 10,000 bottles of spirits during the first year of production. While producing spirits to sell, he will stow away barrels of bourbon that will need about three years to age. Two 53-gallon barrels will be produced each month, enabling the distillery to make 24 barrels a year.

If the business draws enough sales in its first year, he said, it will construct two additional buildings at the site - both more than 2,000 square feet. One would include additional retail space and offices and the other would provide extra room to store whiskey barrels.

Mr. Aubertine likes the chances of his distillery’s success in Clayton, about a mile-and-a-half from downtown. “We

have a lot of traffic flow here, with good visibility and (room for) expandability.”

When the business opens, it will have two full-time and four part-time employees.

Mr. Aubertine co-owns the business with Michael L. Ingerson and Roger R. Howard, who both also live in Clayton.

The project was made possible partly by a $99,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase equipment.

Though he’s putting in long hours, the

entrepreneur is savoring the freedom of being his own boss.

“Figuring this out has been fun for me,” he said. “After sitting behind a desk for the past 20 years, it’s nice to get back into farming again.”

Clayton Distillery will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Visit www. claytondistillery.com to learn more. n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at tbooker@wdt.net or 661-2371.

Introducing the Watertown Daily T imes App for All Your De vices!

Get Local Ne ws, Local Spor ts and Local V ie ws on All Your De vices!

for more information call 1-800-724-1012

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 39

20 QUESTIONS

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

THE RIGHT CHEMISTRY

I

n 1986 Robert R. Sturtz bought Slack Chemical Co. in Carthage at the age of 52. Some 27 years later, the man widely known for generously giving to his community shows few signs of slowing down. With 80 now in his sights, he continues to oversee daily operations at the chemical warehousing and distribution firm. We sat down with him to see what fuels his drive.

1

NNYB: In its own right, Slack Chemical is a family firm. Who from your family is involved with the business?

STURTZ: My daughter Mary is here as vice president and runs the office as well as her husband, Michael, who is an excellent mechanical repair and design man and works on equipment. Their sons, Michael, a graduate of Clarkson University with a mechanical engineering degree and his brother, Paul, are here and do a number of other things. Paul is qualified to drive our trucks.

Our trucks you can’t just hire a truck driver, they have to have the haz-mat certifications.

My daughter, Sue Ann’s, son works here part-time as well.

2

NNYB: You’ve been president of Slack for more than 25 years. How did this journey begin?

STURTZ: In my 30 years at M.E. Avery I wore all kinds of hats. It was great experience and background. I walked away after 30 years because [the company] was going on to another iteration that didn’t look very well. I don’t believe in committees and it was being run by a committee. I left and at the time my wife and I acquired some income properties in the city of Watertown. My neighbor

40 |

NNY Business | April 2013

n Employing the best team is crucial for Slack Chemical Co. president, CEO

was Fred Wardwell, one of the two equal partners of Slack Chemical. He showed a great deal of interest in me and his partner, Bill White, would come over and ask what I was going to do and maybe I would come buy Slack Chemical and I thought about it.

They’d bought it from the Slack family. The idea was they couldn’t sell it without someone to run it. It took about a year and a half for me to learn the business and purchase it.

3

NNYB: What condition was the business in when you purchased it?

STURTZ: It wasn’t very saleable because it was in Carthage, N.Y. These people were coming from major cities and the business was small and doing about $3 million a year in sales, half of which went to the paper industry. Fred and Bill were close to retirement.

They weren’t desperate but they had a deal fall through that had gone to closing and the company decided not to do it at the time. I came in and made an offer in late December.

We closed the next day.

4

NNYB: Were there immediate changes you made to the business?

STURTZ: They had done some good things here and built additional facilities. They didn’t have tractor trailers and only a few warehouse people and a girl in the office.

The most modern thing they had was they had just bought an electric typewriter. Other than that it was files and drawers.

We now have about 24 tractor trailers and 107 vehicles on premises. [This business] requires a number of tankers because different products require different tanks for transportation. It gives you a multitude of equipment. We’ve built on every other year since we’ve been here.

5

NNYB: You’ve expanded Slack with a facility in Saratoga Springs. What led to that move?

STURTZ: We went to Saratoga in 2002.

The mentality of the whole thing was that we were losing business in this region. We went no further than Pulaski and Newton Falls; occasionally we might send something to Plattsburgh. We went from Massena and Ogdensburg to Boonville. We lost eight paper mills in this area within five years after I bought the business.

6

NNYB: What has your Saratoga Springs location done for you that wasn’t available here in Northern New York?

STURTZ: With small business, we have 100 employees, you either grow or you slide backwards, you can’t stand still. We needed the highways that Saratoga would give us access to. We were doing some business in Vermont and have a reseller over there, so parts of Vermont are most accessible from there; Plattsburgh is more accessible from Saratoga. We required municipal water and sewer and an area

20 QUESTIONS that would accept us. Not everyone wants a chemical company. We also needed the surrounding potential to do business with.

What prompted it a little more was picking up a competitor’s salesman, who came to me, and he was knowledgeable about the area. We knew we needed a building and couldn’t find one, so a pool dealer we partnered with allowed us to use his building. It took me three years to get a building built in Saratoga Springs.

7

NNYB: What kept the majority of your operations here when you opened operations in Saratoga?

STURTZ: I have lived in Watertown since 1961. We had too much of an investment here to walk away. If you were to start this company today, you wouldn’t do it in Carthage. But in 1920 the plant was built here for a chemical producer and taken over in 1944 by the Slack family. It was, and is, a viable place for business.

8

NNYB: How many employees do you have in the company?

STURTZ: We have about 25 employees down in Saratoga and just fewer than 100 altogether now and will be around 110 during the summer time. We also have part-time employees that help out as well.

9

NNYB: Every Slack employee has a number, and you’re No. 8. As president, why not No. 1?

STURTZ: There were seven people here and I was No. 8 when I came here, before I owned it. I’ve known successful national firms where the president parks where ever there was a space. They reserve something for me here, but it’s not good to have that kind of behavior. My success is hiring people in various areas who are better than I am. I never had a chemical background; I came from mechanical and management. I never saw a great interest in taking chemistry. I did brush up when I came here and I am closer to the chemical aspects of what we did 10 years ago than what we do today. Today I make sure the employees I hire have the tools they need to do what the customer needs.

10

NNYB: Why is it important to give back to your community?

STURTZ: Our immediate neighbor didn’t like us at all because when I came along we built and expanded and it took some doing to get that planned out. Bear in mind that [perception] has changed quite a bit. Twenty years ago the chemical industry was lower than the cigarette industry in industry perception. It became important to be seen as a positive factor that someone cared about the community. I had someone mention about that time that it was wrong to spend your energy feeding your own nest and not participating in the community.

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

Robert R. Sturtz, Slack Chemical Company president and CEO, in his Carthage office.

11

NNYB: Even as perceptions have changed, you’ve continued to contribute to major projects and organizations throughout the north country. Why is that?

STURTZ: I don’t feel as though I’m a great contributor. I have spent my life as a lone wolf. I don’t run this with a committee; I meet with a cadre of management people and get a feeling for what they think is right. When the library needed some major giver or seed money, look at the area, who are they going to call on? It almost has to be the local people doing those things.

12

NNYB: What keeps you coming to work every day?

STURTZ: If I were in insurance, I would have retired at 65. I’m a bricks and mortar guy. I really need to be doing something.

Someone always says, ‘I want to retire, I have all these projects.’ You can go through your projects in a short time. I wouldn’t want to play golf several times a week. My wife has encouraged me to sell and worries about something happening here or there.

I think I’ve done a good enough job that it would run quite nicely without me, maybe even better. It’s one thing when you get up in the morning and you feel good and have an interest, it’s another when it becomes a burden and you’re always asking, ‘When is Friday?’ Someone told me that you will know when it’s time.

13

NNYB: What’s the future look like? Is there a succession plan?

STURTZ: We do. The oldest grandson, Michael, is being groomed to work at that. He is good mechanically and of course there is Mary. There is an ongoing plan for the children and grandchildren to move into that position.

The Robert R. Sturtz file AGE: 79 JOB: President/CEO, Slack Chemical Co. Inc. FAMILY: Wife, Jean S.; four daughters,

Sue Ann Remley, Mary Shanahan, Nancy Tomlinson, and Joann Bellinger; a son, Robert II.

HOMETOWN: Watertown (native of Lewis County) EDUCATION: Beaver River Central School, Beaver Falls, 1951; two years at the Watertown School of Commerce.

EXPERIENCE: Prior to purchasing Slack

Chemical in 1986, Mr. Sturtz worked in banking and in the paper mill industry for a short while and then spent 30 years with the M.E. Avery Co., beginning as a salesperson in Massena and then as sales manager in Watertown.

LAST BOOK READ: “The Examined Life:

Philosophical Meditations” by Robert Nozick.

14

NNYB: You have some of the most state-ofthe-art warehousing facilities; tell me a little bit about that.

STURTZ: There was nothing across Washington Street when I came here. We put our truck repair and maintenance over there and storage for vehicles. The first thing we did over there we took our flammable storage materials and encompassed the whole thing street to street because if we had an incident with flammable materials, it could have been devastating. We built it across the street with state of the art materials. It’s designed to hold contents with sloped entrances and built April 2013 | NNY Business

| 41

20 QUESTIONS below grade. We did not put sprinklers in it because they would float solvents out of the door and into the river. It has a high deposition fan to evacuate the atmosphere.

15

NNYB: Slack is primarily a distribution, storage and shipping company, do you do any blending of chemicals?

STURTZ: We do blending, both dry and liquid. We have blenders, some of that we’ve added in the last 10 years. You develop certain customers who require things you haven’t done before. We work with customers’ formulas that are only privy to them, so we have to sign nondisclosure forms.

16

NNYB: What historical figure, anyone in history, would you like to have lunch with?

STURTZ: There are a whole lot of them.

I read Caesar and Napoleon, but I can’t respect some of the things they did. I would choose Abraham Lincoln because of his down-to-earth thinking and sense of humor.

His persistence and endurance. He was an unbelievable man. God put him there for a reason.

17

NNYB: In 27 years leading the company, how have you managed growth?

STURTZ: First of all, we built around cus-

tomer needs. If a customer is buying certain things also needs other products from us, we do that. When I bought the business, one of the partners left in a matter of weeks; he needed to retire. Fred Wardwell said he would stay no more than 18 months. It was small then. He pushed me, and we hired our first salesman, who is still with me, Brad Gydesen. He was working for Roadway Express in Buffalo and he wanted to get back to this area, and Fred was here to train him, which worked well. Shortly after that, my general manager, Derek Davis, finished his college and after a few calls about looking for advice on a job, I called him to come over.

The first three people I hired, two of them are still here. We have eight employees with an average of 27 years of employment here.

18

NNYB: Who is your mentor in business?

STURTZ: I think the person you see here is my father. As far as self-control and being in business of following through and working with people, he was good at it with such a small place. My mother, too. But my father taught me business. I had a younger sister but didn’t have a brother until I was 14. It was the two of us, my father and me, growing up for the most part.

19

NNYB: How would you like to be remembered when the company is no longer in your hands?

STURTZ: I would hope I would be seen as a benefactor to the community. Rarely do businesses go through three generations.

Hopefully it can. Families, I saw a lot of it in the industrial world I worked in, literally breed themselves out of business. Some are interested, some are not. It’s a question of everyone wanting to run the company.

Some want to take the money and run with it. I want to be remembered as a person with good insight and good fortune to acquire the right people.

20

NNYB: What do you see in the north country that might be lacking in terms of leadership and corporate responsibility that could make our region more attractive to young talent?

151 Mullin Street Watertown, NY 13601

STURTZ: I think we need to encourage entrepreneurship. You don’t have to spend your life doing what you start to do. Just because you come out of college and they tell you that you should change jobs every 14 months or two years, I don’t know about that. Many people wouldn’t want to follow me to sit at that desk every day. I work 10 to 12 hours a day; I’ve always done that. It’s not work, it’s part of my way of life. If you want to work for yourself in whatever way, it takes a lot of your time and determination. Happiness is the journey, not always the arrival.

— Interview by Ken Eysaman. Edited for length and clarity.

42 |

NNY Business | April 2013

CONFERENCE, from page 34 profit,” Mr. Call said. “Our purpose is to cover the cost of utilizing the space and to open up the space for training and outreach. This is not a revenue-generating portion of our business.”

The center itself was named after Bruce M. Wright, late husband of Guilfoyle president and CEO Charmaine G. Wright and father of Bruce G. Walter “Toby” and

“

788-6840

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“Since 1954”

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We Service Most Makes & Models Of Garden Equipment. Pick Up & Delivery Service Available 60 Days Same as Cash.

It was just natural to name it after him. It would have been Bruce’s dream to have a facility like this.

— Jeffrey J. Call, director of

operations, Guilfoyle Ambulance.

Travis G. Wright. Mr. Wright, who died unexpectedly in 1993 at age 49, began working part time for Guilfoyle when he was 16 years old and eventually became its owner and president.

“We didn’t want to name it the Guilfoyle Center; we didn’t want it to be the ambulance conference center,” Mr. Call said. “We were trying to separate the names, and it was just natural to name it after him. It would have been Bruce’s dream to have a facility like this.”

On Feb. 23, the Bruce M. Wright Convention Center held its grand opening, although it already has been host to several events. In November 2012, the convention center hosted the North Country Crafters Craft Show, a fundraiser for Watertown Urban Mission, and its classroom space is nearly completely booked through July.

Meanwhile, approximately 25,000 square feet of space remains empty in the Covidien facility. According to Mr. Call, Guilfoyle is still considering several options for the vacant space.

“We want to see it used,” he said. “We want to see it become a regional training center for emergency medical services, sponsoring classes and maybe providing more training for the volunteer entities.”

The Bruce M. Wright Convention Center is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays and can be reached at 755-2250. n GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a former Watertown Daily Times reporter and freelance writer. Contact her at ghovendon@gmail.com.

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 43

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

Not your typical alphabet soup fun

W

hat do you think of when you hear the words “alphabet soup?” The vegetable soup with a floating alphabet? It was always fun to look at the different letters and see what you could spell with them.

And before you knew it, the soup was gone. Today, as an adult and working in government, alphabet soup takes on a whole new meaning.

Alphabet soup is typically what is referred to as the many acronyms used by government organizations to shorten organizational or program names. For the person who doesn’t work in government and just wants to know the name of an organization or program, an acronym is frustrating. It’s not fun like the alphabet soup we eat. For the rest of this column, I thought it would be helpful to sort through the government’s alphabet soup so the acronyms are not painful, but delightful like the soup.

Here are some of the more frequent acronyms used for organizations and programs in our region.

APA — Adirondack Park Agency — A New York State agency created to develop long-range land use plans for both public and private lands within the Adirondack Park. www.apa.ny.gov DANC — Development Authority of the North Country — A New York State public benefit corporation that owns and operates a regional landfill, an open access telecommunications network, water and sewer infrastructure, provides contract operations and maintenance services, and offers business and housing programs for residents of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. www.danc.org ESD — Empire State Development — New York State’s economic development agency that provides programs and services for businesses across the state. www.empire.state.ny.us

FDRHPO — Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization — An agency created to strengthen the north country’s health care system for Fort Drum soldiers, families and the surrounding civilian communities. www.fdrhpo.org FDRLO — Fort Drum Regional Michelle Capone Liaison Organization — A community-based membership organization that serves as the primary point of coordination for the many common issues among the military and civilian communities of the Fort Drum region. www.fdrlo.org GWNC — Greater Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce — A Five-Star Accredited Chamber by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce representing more than 22,000 employees across the Jefferson County region. www.watertownny.com IDA — Industrial Development Agency — A public benefit corporation created under New York State General Municipal Law, Title 2, Section 914, to promote, encourage, attract and develop job opportunities by using incentives. These exist in Jefferson County (www.jcida.com), St. Lawrence County (www.slcida.com) and Lewis County (www.lcida.org).

MWBE — Minority Women-Owned Business Enterprise — Designation given to minority and women-owned business enterprises that become certified through New York’s Division of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development, making them eligible to bid on procurements with state goals. www.esd.ny.gov/MWBE NCREDC — North Country Regional Economic Development Council — One of 10 economic development councils created by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in 2011. It is comprised of representatives from Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Hamilton, Franklin, Essex and Clinton counties to form a regional plan that identifies projects of signifance that com-

pete against other regions for state funding. www. regionalcouncils.ny.gov/content/north-country NYPA — New York Power Authority — America’s largest state power organization with 16 generating facilities and 1,400 circuit miles of transmission lines. It operates the St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Hydropower Project in Massena. www.nypa.gov OPBA — Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority — A New York State Public Benefit Corporation that oversees the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, the Port of Ogdensburg, the Ogdensburg International Airport, the New York & Ogdensburg Railway and two industrial parks. www.ogdensport.com PTAC — Procurement Technical Assistance Center — Administered by the Department of Defense Defense Logistics Agency, PTAC helps local businesses compete successfully in the government marketplace and helps qualified businesses become certified for federal and state programs, like the state’s MWBE program. www.northcountry ptac.com RVRDA — River Valley Re-Development Agency — Formed in 2010 to administer funds established and set aside through the New York Power Authority (NYPA) for economic development activities and programs. It is a partnership of St. Lawrence County, Lisbon, Louisville, Waddington, Massena and the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency Local Development Corporation. www. slrvra.com SBDC — Small Business Development Center — Created by the U.S. Small Business Administration, it provides free and confidential assistance to start-up and expanding businesses in areas of marketing, financial and business planning; there is an office located at Jefferson Community College and one at SUNY Canton. www.nyssbdc.org

Hopefully, your alphabet soup is a bit more enjoyable now.

n MICHELLE L. CAPONE is regional development director for the Development Authority of the North Country. Contact her at mcapone@ danc.org. She is a member of the Greater Watertown Jaycees and Sunrise Rotary

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NNY Business | April 2013

B U S I N E S S L AW

Safeguard your company from theft

I

t seems that embezzlement is a common news item these days.

Every week or so, a news item appears in the Watertown Daily Times concerning a wrongdoer who has embezzled from an employer or organization. The type of embezzlement is as different as the creativity of the wrongdoer. We will focus on wrongdoers who use their organization’s checking account to further their scheme.

The wrongdoers could work for their employer or be volunteers of a nonprofit agency or any other organization.

This column focuses on the type of embezzlement explained in Section 3-405 of New York’s Commercial Code. The statute details two scenarios in which a wrongdoer, using an organization’s checking account, embezzles funds. The statute provides that “a person signing as or on behalf of a ... drawer intends the payee to have no interest in the instrument; or an agent or employee of the ... drawer has supplied him with the name of the payee intending the latter to have no such interest.”

In the first scenario, the wrongdoer is authorized to sign checks on behalf of the organization. The wrongdoer issues a check to a real or made-up person, but that person has no interest in the check.

The wrongdoer simply forges the name of the person, who is on the check as payee, and cashes or deposits the check in an account the wrongdoer controls.

This scenario is often referred to as the fictitious payee rule or the padded pay-

roll rule.

It is important to note that the wrongdoer is authorized by an organization to sign payroll or other accounts payable checks.

The wrongLarry Covell doer makes the check payable to a real or imaginary person or entity, hence the term fictitious payee. If the checks are payroll in nature, the term padded payroll is used. The employee whose name appears on the check never receives it. Instead, the wrongdoer forges the payee’s endorsement and cashes the check. Usually, the wrongdoer is in the position of reconciling the organization’s checking account or has other accounting functions that help facilitate the embezzlement.

In the second scenario, the wrongdoer is not authorized to sign checks but as a result of their position submits documentation or invoices to the organization.

From the submissions, the organization issues a check to a payee who has no interest to it. The wrongdoer intercepts the check, forges the name of the payee and takes control of the proceeds.

In this scenario, the wrongdoer may work as a purchasing agent or a similar position in an organization. As a result of the position, the wrongdoer submits bo-

gus invoices of a person or entity for the goods or services that were never provided. The organization issues a check to named payee. In reality, the wrongdoer incepts the check, forges the name of the payee and takes control of the proceeds.

In each of the two scenarios, the wrongdoer forges the endorsement of the payee on the check. New York Commercial Code, generally, provides that a financial institution is obligated to recredit a checking account when it pays over a forged endorsement. The financial institution is deemed to violate its statutory mandate to pay only the named payee as proscribed by the issuer of the check.

As between the statutory obligation of the financial institution not to pay over a forged endorsement of the payee and the illegal activities of a wrongdoer in an organization, New York Commercial Law places the burden of the financial loss on the organization. New York Law presumes that the organization is in the best position to prevent this type of illegal conduct.

Although all types of embezzlements are nearly impossible to prevent, an organization should review its accounting procedures so there is a division of duties, frequent external audits and bond employees who have anything to do with financial matters.

n LARRY COVELL is a professor of business at Jefferson Community College and an attorney.

Contact him at lcovell@sunyjefferson.edu. His column appears every other month in NNY Business.

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 45

COMMERCE CORNER

Business as usual in family firms

F

amily-owned businesses are an integral part of the economy and require hard work and determination on the part of family members who run them. According to Gaebler.com’s “Resources for Entrepreneurs” stats listed family-owned businesses as making up 50 percent of the United State gross domestic product, 60 percent of national employment and 78 percent of new jobs nationwide. Although impressive statistics, family-owned businesses are often faced with the most difficult barriers that can either enhance their business or deplete it.

There have been numerous studies completed on family-owned businesses that look at their effectiveness in the economy, financial performance, resiliency and the struggles family run businesses face.

A Center for Management and Economic Research at École Polytechnique study showed that when the economy was struggling, family firms were more sustainable than non-family businesses examined. Why would that be the case? Work ethic among family run businesses can often be described as unprecedented. If you think about the role of a family run farm – the hours committed to running the day to day operations of a farm can range from 60 to 80 hours a week. Aside from protecting a reputation of the family business, the nature of the farming industry requires this commitment.

One of the most common barriers faced by family-owned businesses is the suc-

cessful transition to the next generation. As with all types of businesses, ensuring there is a plan in place when faced with the unexpected, is one of the single most important Lynn Pietroski things a leader of a business can execute. Family-owned businesses assume the next generation is ready and willing to acquire the responsibility or fiscal liability that accompanies the business. The most successful businesses, especially family run businesses,

mentation of succession planning in a family-business can prevent dissolution of the business; it can assist with sustainability, and direction of training and development of future stakeholders.

Family businesses should be run like any other business. There should always be discussions between the current generation and the second and even the third generations regarding everyone’s expectations. Often times it is assumed the family business will continue on and the next generation will inherit the business. A dialogue should take place regarding the intention of all family members involved to discuss all parties’ intentions. Again using a family farm as an example—if it is the father’s intention for his son to carry on the family tradition of the business but the son has other aspirations in life aside from running the family farm, the succession plan is ineffective.

Regardless of it being a family-owned business, business is business and there needs to be clear boundaries. Hold family members accountable, be fair not always equal. Keep family and business issues separate. In some situations, there is always the need for outside involvement such as a managing firm or succession planning direction.

Communication and respect go just as far with family-operated businesses as in any business.

Regardless of it being a family-owned business, business is business and there needs to be clear boundaries. Hold family members accountable.

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NNY Business | April 2013

have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all of those involved.

My philosophy at the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce is always to take the time to meet with any member when the opportunity presents itself, because I always learn something. Paul Luck, of the Succession Partners LLC in Clayton, was discussing the services provided by his firm and a conversation ensued regarding succession planning and the importance of it.

However, I never gave thought to the need of this invaluable tool as it pertains to family-owned businesses. The imple-

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.

AGRI-BUSINESS

Managing our natural resources

D

uring the Dust Bowl era of the early 20th century, millions of tons of soil eroded off the land into the sea.

The United States saw the productivity of farms literally washing away. Farms went out of business, and many of the businesses in local communities that depended, directly and indirectly on farms, followed. Erosion wasn’t just a natural resource issue; it was a severe economic issue.

To address what was happening, agencies were created at the federal level and then in local areas to help address this natural and economic disaster. These agencies began assisting farmers in addressing erosion concerns and how to restore the productivity of the land.

Programs were put into place providing technical assistance and cost share funding to help cover the cost of sometimes very expensive practices. In many parts of the United States, local organizations, called conservation districts, were created to help guide farms and local residents on being good stewards of the land. As one looks across our country today, you can see that this effort, combining federal and local resources, was tremendously successful.

Conservation districts are known by many different names from state to state.

Natural resource conservation districts, soil conservation districts, and in New York State, soil and water conservation districts are organized mostly by county governments. In New York State there are 58 soil and water conservation districts

covering every county, including the five boroughs of New York City.

Soil and water conservation districts are authorized by state law, which provides Jay Matteson guidance on the services offered by conservation districts. Counties create conservation districts through authorizing resolutions and appointing either five or seven members to serve on the conservation district Board of Directors. Directors are appointed to represent the County Farm Bureau, grange, the at-large agricultural industry and two county legislators.

Districts may employ staff. Districts in New York State range from as a few as one person to over 20 employees depending upon the programs and services provided. Funding sources are primarily county funds, a small amount of state funds, administrative fees from grants and revenue generated from the sale of products and services.

Jefferson County’s Soil and Water Conservation District was formed on May 7, 1956. The district has a long history of working with the farm community to help address environmental concerns. Initially, most of the work involved assisting United States Department of Agriculture agencies in delivering USDA programs to farms. The conservation district evolved

to having its staff provide assistance to farms addressing water quality issues, helping write nutrient management plans and writing grants for millions of dollars for farms to install costly environmental practices mandated by state and federal laws. Since 2002, the district helped farms obtain more than $1.85 million in state funding and $1.9 million in federal funding to conserve our natural resources.

Many farms would not be able to afford the required environmental practices without the assistance from the soil and water conservation district.

The soil and water conservation district in Jefferson County provides services to the general public, too. Every year they answer thousands of calls from the public about a multitude of environmental issues from wildlife to water quality questions.

Conservation district employees answer questions about building ponds, managing forests and even sell tree seedlings in April to help landowners affordably replenish our forests and provide habitat for wildlife. The county’s recreational trails and forests are managed by soil and water conservation district staff.

Visit the district’s website, www.jeffersoncountyswcd.org to learn about who they are and what they do. To our farms and our community, the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District is a critical agency.

n JAY M. MATTESON is agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency. 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.

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BUSINESS TECH BYTES

Evaluate freeware to lower costs

E

stablished long before indoor plumbing and even the home telephone, the Dugas Studio, my family’s business, was founded in 1892 by my great-grandfather and operated quite differently than most family businesses today.

With Internet access continually expanding, handwritten appointment books and accounting ledgers have given way to technology that enables flexibility and sharpens the competitive edge for family businesses.

These advances and choices allow the family business to compete more effectively with larger counterparts while staying in communities that need support. All businesses, but especially family businesses, should familiarize themselves with open source or freeware products as some have developed into robust, viable alternatives.

Why buy Microsoft Office when you can use OpenOffice? In OpenOffice (www. openoffice.org) you get a suite of office applications complete with a word processor (Word), spreadsheet (Excel) and a presentation manager (PowerPoint). What more does your business really use each day? OpenOffice boasts good compatibility with Microsoft Office and over 100 million installation downloads.

KOffice provides a comparable level of functionality but is not as popular as OpenOffice. KOffice was originally created for Linux but is now available for both Windows and Mac OS X. KOffice comes complete with applications for project management, graphic design, flowcharts and an open source database alternative to Microsoft Access. KOffice is presently being used on the Nokia N900 smartphone for its mobile office suite, attesting that version 2.1.0 is beginning to demonstrate its readiness for everyday use. (news.softpedia.com/news/Available-

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NNY Business | April 2013

Now-KOffice-2-1-0-127916. shtml) What better way to increases profits than to save money on billing and invoicing your client base? One particularly interesting freeware choice is AgileBill.

Jill Van Hoesen Created by Tony Landis in the early 2000s as a commercial product, AgileBill went open source in 2008.

AgileBill is best suited for a subscription business model with plug-ins for payment processing, provisioning and interfacing with third-party applications and services. (www.agileco.com/agilebill-open-sourcebilling-software.htm) Another front runner in this category is Amberdms Billing System, which provides an even greater number of accounting and business management functions, with applications for human resources, timekeeping and service management in addition to the invoicing module. The best ABS features are the easy user interface and integration between timekeeping and invoicing features that can automatically bill your customers for hours worked. (www.amberdms.com) Developed with MySQL and PHP CitrusDB is a billing system that can also track customer information and perform customer relationship management functions on products and services, as well as, invoices, credit card and support information. Standard billing features include any billing cycle, batch credit card exports and printed or emailed invoices. CitrusDB also allows customers to annotate notes on their

accounts in addition to accessing balances and payments. (www.CitrusDB.org) Another customer relationship management program also developed with PHP and MySQL is vTiger CRM. VTiger CRM is basically Sugar CRM with the addition of sales force automation features. vTiger includes standard content and account management functions with additional groupware packages to track daily tasks, meetings and e-mail messages. vTiger CRM is currently only available for Linux and Windows but features plug-ins available for integration with Outlook, Office, Exchange, Firefox, Thunderbird and more. This pretty robust open source choice starts at $12 per user per month. (www.vtiger.com) Most project management applications are built on the pretense of the Gantt chart.

The web-based Gantter.com is another logical freeware choice. With a resemblance to Google Docs and Google Drive integration, Gantter.com it is packed with almost as many features as Microsoft Project, including laudable enterprise features like collaboration, synchronization and networking. Gantter.com is easy to operate and customize. If you are new or just need a project management refresher, I recommend the Gantter.com onsite tutorial. (www.gantter.com) So if you are thinking about using open source or freeware products, get on the Internet, Google the software you are interested in. You can find everything you need to know, both good and bad, about your choices. This will help you make smart and informed business decisions. It’s worth the effort because, best of all, most are free. 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

Overcoming family biz challenges

D

epending on what sources you refer to, 80 percent to 90 percent of all businesses in the United States are family owned. I think that trend holds true locally and may even range toward the higher percentage. The fact that the majority of our business community consists of family-run ventures doesn’t mean that being in the family business is easy. In fact, many entrepreneurial families will be quick to tell you that working with family is rewarding, but can also be challenging.

There are certain strategies that can help ensure the rewards outweigh the challenges. The most important factor is communication. Good communication is important in any business, but when a family relationship is added to the mix, communication becomes even more important. It is not only important how you communicate with family members in the business, but when you communicate and whether the communication is honest and open.

Setting up a culture of good communication starts with an overall plan that includes everyone in the business – not just the family members. Defining specific job duties and goals for everyone in the organization will eliminate confusion over who is responsible for what and will reduce misunderstandings and conflicts. Without this guidance, family members can easily get drawn into the blame game when things go wrong and may fall into old family relationship roles such as bickering siblings or a power-struggling parent and child.

It also is important to think about how communication is carried out between family members in the business setting.

Language and context tend to be more casual between family members, and in

a work setting this can cause problems. A good rule of thumb is to talk to family members in the business just as you would other employees or colleagues. If you wouldn’t dare Michelle Collins say something to an un-related co-worker, then don’t allow yourself to say it to a family member, either.

One strategy used by a successful family-owned business is to identify different venues for business and personal or family-related discussions. For example, work discussions between family members always take place in a conference room, while more personal family discussions are held in a break room or lounge area. In some family businesses, members agree not to discuss family matters in the workplace at all.

Fairness is another factor that can help make the family work setting more manageable. It is important for all family members in the business to view one another based on their professional merit. Showing favoritism for a family member who is not as skilled or experienced as another employee can create dissention among the staff. On the other hand, being too hard on a family member simply because they are related may cause friction as well. In either case, morale and productivity suffer.

In every family and in every business, disagreements are inevitable. When they do happen, family members who are in

business together must keep a professional demeanor and attempt to resolve the conflict without causing too much disruption to the workplace. Above all, family members should avoid loud arguments in front of employees and customers. Not only does it create an unprofessional atmosphere, it makes for an uncomfortable work environment, which may lead to the loss of valuable staff.

If the occasional conflict does occur and gets out of control, it may be possible to appoint someone within the business who is not related to step in when they see that actions and decisions are being made based on emotion or family baggage.

Provide this person with the authority to defuse the situation and help steer the conversation in a more constructive direction, or postpone the discussion to a later date.

Business owners who are related must be prepared for the possibility that a family member may decide to leave the business, whether due to disagreement or for a variety of other reasons. To keep the transition smooth, have an exit strategy in place for all owners and family members.

Agreeing ahead of time what terms will be followed when someone exits the business will help to avoid conflict and keep the situation professional.

Most of the families I speak with who are in business together find the experience to be quite satisfying and say they wouldn’t have things any other way. With a few smart decisions and good communication, any family-business relationship can be rewarding and profitable. n MICHELLE COLLINS is a certified business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton. Contact her at collinsm@canton.edu. Her column appears bi-monthly in NNY Business.

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COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

ADAMS

CLAYTON

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

FRIDAY, APRIL 12 —SUNDAY, APRIL 14

n Arbor Day Celebration, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., South Jefferson High School. Sponsored

by South Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.

Free trees, children’s activities, crafters, Rick West’s birds of prey, Sci-Tech Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension animals, firetrucks and food for sale. Citizen of the Year ceremony at 11 a.m. Admission: $1.

ALEXANDRIA BAY WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

n Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., the Inn at Bonnie Castle. Sponsored by River Hospital and the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Networking, prizes and food. Register by noon Tuesday, April 16. Admission: Registered members, $8; non-registered members, $10; non-members, $12. Register: www. watertownny.com or 782-4400.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

n Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Riveredge Resort. Sponsored by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Networking, prizes and food. Register by noon Tuesday, May 21. Admission: Registered members, $8; non-registered members, $10; non-members, $12. Register: www.watertownny.com or 782-4400.

CANTON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

n Business with a Twist, 5 to 7 p.m., Save the River. Sponsored by Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Northern Marina and Garnsey Classic Island Tours. Register: 686-3771.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

n “For the Trees” Arbor Day Community Event, 10 a.m., Zenda Farm Preserve, 38973 Zenda Road. Tree planting, workshops, treks and exhibits. Educational children’s activities for kids, guided tree trek and free seedling trees for families to plant at home. Free admission. Volunteers: treks@ tilandtrust.org or call 686-5345. Further information: www.tilandtrust.org.

CROGHAN SATURDAY, MAY 18

n Women’s Business Boot Camp Luncheon, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., SUNY Canton Miller Campus Center. Sponsored by the New York State Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton. A focus on marketing, including a panel of successful women business owners sharing their marketing experience and advice, networking opportunities and the mini-marketplace. Cost: $30, includes luncheon, event and display table space. Register: SBDC, 386-7312 or sbdc@canton.edu.

n Maple Festival, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., American Maple Museum. Celebrating the opening of the 36th season at the American Maple Museum. Schedule: Pancake breakfast, 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.; outdoor entertainment, 9 to 10 a.m.; opening ceremonies followed by New York State Maple Pageant and Maple Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, 10:15 a.m.; luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to noon.

All-day craft fair on lawn, museum and gift shop open. Information: 346-1107 or americanmaplemuseum@frontier.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

LOWVILLE

n The Local Living Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm, 2043 Route 68. Sponsored by the Sustainable Living Project. Speakers, skills building workshops, performances and demonstrations of simple living, rural and do-it-yourself resources and skills. Children’s activities, farm animals, food vendors and a satellite of the Potsdam Farmers Market. Admission: $5; children ages 17 and younger, free. Free admission for those arriving by non-gasoline-powered transportation. Information: 347-4223, www.sustainablelivingproject.net or locallivingventure@gmail.com.

CARTHAGE SATURDAY, APRIL 13

n Carthage Area Hospital Foundation’s Fifth Annual Comedy Night, cocktails, 5:30, dinner, 6:30 and show, 7:30 p.m., Carthage Elks Lodge. An evening of live entertainment by three professional stand-up comedians, Moody McCarthy, Matt Wayne and Matt Rohr. Contact: 493-0114 or nburnham@cahny.net.

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n 1000 Islands-Clayton Spring Boat Show, 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Cerow Recreation Park Arena. Sponsored by Clayton Chamber of Commerce. Boater safety course from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, $30 per person. Register by noon Thursday, April 11, for course by calling 686-3771. IWLC informational seminar at 2 p.m. Saturday, a discussion about how the low water levels are affecting the businesses along the river.

Show admission: $4; children, $2; children ages 8 and younger, free. Information: www.1000islands-clayton.com or 686-3771.

NNY Business | April 2013

MONDAY, APRIL 15

n Effective Communication Workshop, 6 to 9 p.m., Lewis County Chamber of Commerce Bateman Boardroom, 7576 S. State St. Part of a series of professional growth and technology workshops presented by Jefferson Express. Cost: $45, pre-registration required. To register: 786-2233 or continuingeducation@sunyjefferson.edu.

THURSDAY, MAY 23

n Living with a Purpose, 6 to 9 p.m., Lewis County Chamber of Commerce Bateman Boardroom, 7576 S. State St. Professional growth and technology workshop presented

by Jefferson Express. Set goals to build the life you want to lead and how to be successful in doing it. Cost: $45, registration required. Register: 786-2233 or continuingeducation@sunyjefferson.edu.

MASSENA TUESDAY, APRIL 16

n “Job Hunting Nuts & Bolts,” 2 to 3:30 p.m.,

Massena Adult Education Center. Sponsored by the St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services as part of a job-hunting series of workshops. Admission: Free. Register: www.sllboces.org or 1 (888) 360-7693.

TUESDAY, APRIL 16 —FRIDAY, APRIL 19

n Career Week, Massena Public Library.

Sponsored by St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services and the Massena Literacy Zone. Free workshops, employer booths, free presentations and training. Tuesday, health science day; Wednesday, agriculture and food, hospitality and tourism day; Thursday, information technology day; Friday, career fair. Information: www.sllboces.org or 1 (888) 360-7693.

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

n “Selling Yourself in an Interview,” 2 to 3:30 p.m., Massena Adult Education Center.

Sponsored by the St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services as part of a job hunting series of workshops. Admission: Free. Register: www.sllboces.org or 1 (888) 360-7693.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, APRIL 22-MAY 9

n Exploring Careers Workshop, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Massena Library Center for Career and Community Engagement. Sponsored

by St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Cost: $150. Register: www.sllboces.org or 1 (888) 360-7693. n The Art of Effective Communications, 2:45 to 3:45 p.m., Massena Library Center for Career and Community Engagement. Sponsored

by St. Lawrence-Lewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Cost: $75. Register: www.sllboces.org or 1 (888) 360-7693.

NORWOOD MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS, APRIL 22-MAY 9

n Exploring Careers Workshop, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Norwood Adult Education Center, Classroom B. Sponsored by St. LawrenceLewis Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Cost: $150. Register: www.sllboces. org or 1 (888) 360-7693.

OLD FORGE FRIDAY, MAY 17 —SUNDAY, MAY 19

n Adirondack Paddlefest, throughout downtown Old Forge and centered around the waterfront near Mountainman Outdoor Supply Co., 2855 Route 28. The nation’s largest on-water paddlesports sale. Information: www.mountainmanoutdoors.com or 369-6672.

OGDENSBURG SATURDAY, APRIL 6

n Ogdensburg Chamber of Commerce Sportsman’s Show, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., E.A. Newell Golden Dome. Rifle raffle, live hunting dog demonstrations at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., chain saw carving, taxidermy exhibit, sports equipment and memorabilia, fishing rods, lures, decoys, game calls, décor, maple prod-

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10

n Frederic Remington Art Museum Art Highlights and Tea Series, 2 p.m. lecture, 3 p.m. tea, at the museum, 303 Washington St. Presentation by Paul Pedersen, a visual artist whose works are Remington inspired. Cost: Lecture, free; tea, $12; members, $10. Reservations: 393-2425.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

n “Thrive Don’t Just Survive” with Bruce Baker, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dobisky Center, 100 Riverside Ave. Sponsored by the Ogdensburg Arts Council and the Artisans of the River Valley. A business event for artists: learn how to display and sell your work with segments to aid with increasing sales with dynamic marketing strategies, successful booth design and merchandising for art shows, trends and product development. Tickets: $65. Information: Karan M. Cross, Artisans of the River Valley, 842-2252 or karancross@aol.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 18

n “Angel of Music,” 7:45 p.m., Ogdensburg Free Academy, 1100 State St. The world’s longest-running “Phantom of the Opera” Franc D’Ambrosio performs with Glory Crampton, who played Christine on Broadway, and an ensemble cast some of the most famous Broadway show tunes. Tickets: $15-$37. Box office: www.ilovetheatre. org or 393-2625.

POTSDAM MONDAY, APRIL 15

n Social Media Basics, 6 to 8 p.m., Potsdam Civic Center Community Room. Sponsored by the Reh Center for Entrepreneurship at Clarkson University and the Potsdam Public Library. Taught by Brian Hayden, Clarkson’s social media manager, and Alicia Cabrera, a sophomore innovation and entrepreneurship major. Session focuses on developing knowledge of social media to grow business.

Free admission, registration required as class size is limited to 25 students. Register: rehcenter@clarkson.edu or 268-4350.

MONDAY, APRIL 22

n “Getting the Most from Your Website,” 6 to 8 p.m., Potsdam Civic Center Community Room. Sponsored by the Reh Center for Entrepreneurship at Clarkson University and the Potsdam Public Library. Taught by Jeff Yette, sales engineer for Slic Network Solutions. Class offers website techniques such as using meta descriptions, keywords, page titles and tags to increase search engine results and viewer usability. Free admission, registration required as class size is limited to 25 students. Register: rehcenter@clarkson.edu or 268-4350.

FRIDAY, APRIL 26 & SATURDAY, APRIL 27

n Fifth Annual Home, Garden and Business Show, “The Really Big Show,” noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Clarkson University’s Cheel Arena. Sponsored by the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. Dozens of venders on site to

showcase products and services, sell products and network with other business professionals. Information: Jo Ann Roberts, St. Lawrence Chamber events and promotions manager, jroberts@stlawrencecountychamber.org or 1 (877) 228-7810.

SYRACUSE MONDAY, APRIL 8

n CenterState CEO Annual Meeting, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the OnCenter, 800 S. State St. Sponsored by CenterState CEO. “Re: Invention Embracing Continuous Renewal” featuring a keynote presentation from Xerox Corp.

President Kevin Warren, announcement of the $350,000 Startup Labs Syracuse Business Competition Winner, CenterState CEO Business of the Year Awards and special address from CenterState CEO President Robert M. Simpson. Tickets: CEO members, $65 per person; $600 table of 10; non-members, $80 per person or $750 for a table of 10. Register: 470-1870 or lmetot@centerstateceo.com.

TUESDAY, APRIL 16

n WISE Symposium, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the OnCenter, 800 S. State St. Sponsored

by Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurism and the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. Featuring Pamela Slim, business coach and author of “Escape from Cubicle Nation,” Robin Chase, founder of Zipcar and Buzzcar, founder of GoLoco, and Nell Merlino, founder of Make Mine a Million $ Business. Registration and information as it becomes available, www.wisecenter.org.

Contact: Lindsay Wickham, 443-3550 or lwickham@syr.edu.

THURSDAY, APRIL 25

n Retirement Plan Administration and Compliance, 8 to 10 a.m., CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity, 572 S. Salina St. Topics: Fiduciary duties and requirements from the Department of Labor perspective and making defined contribution plans more effective to enhance retirement success and plan design options. Cost: Members, $10; non-members, $20. Information: 470-1997.

Register: www.centerstateceo.com.

WATERTOWN THURSDAY, APRIL 4

n 2013 Job and Career Expo, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Bruce M. Wright Memorial Conference Center. Sponsored by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. More than 1,500 people expected to attend. Register at www.watertownny.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 12 —SUNDAY, APRIL 14

n Northern New York Builders Exchange 37th Annual North Country Home Show, 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds Arena. Admission: $5; senior citizens and active military, $4; children ages 16 and younger, free. Information: 788-1330.

TUESDAY, APRIL 16

n “Social Networking and Your Business,” 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., Hilton Garden Inn,

1290 Arsenal St. Sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter, Rose and Kiernan and the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. How to use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube to connect with customers, improve visibility and promote your brand. Featured speaker: Kim Brown, Syracuse University Career Services Assistant Director of Alumni Programs. Cost: $10, includes continental breakfast. Registration: www.alz.org/cny or 782-8755 ext. 108.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

n Billion Dollar Trio, 3 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 227 Sherman St. Part of the Trinity Concert Series. A trio formed at the Juilliard School in 2011, this musical act features acclaimed members Alexey Gorokholinsky, clarinet, Adiran Daurov, cello, and Tomoko Nakayama, piano. Cost: $10-$14. Tickets: www.trinityconcerts.org or 788-6290.

MONDAYS, APRIL 22 & APRIL 29

n Strategic Management, 6 to 9 p.m., Jefferson Community College. Topics include establishing a company’s mission statement and vision to understanding the difference between an organization’s strategy and business model, how to perform a proper SWOT analysis and defining the price elasticity of demand. Instructor: Lance Alexander. Cost: $65. Register: 786-2233.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

n “How High-Potential People Speak,” noon to 4 p.m., Jefferson Community College. Begins with lunch and then a three-hour forum about how to master communication skills in difficult situations and how to get your ideas recognized, accepted and implemented.

Instructor: Melanie Rafferty, Cortel Improvement. Cost: $50. Register: 786-2233.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

n North Country Heart Walk, registration 8 a.m., walk begins 10 a.m., Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds. Sponsored by the American Heart Association. Register: www.northcountryheartwalk.org.

SATURDAY, MAY 4

n Introduction to Adobe Photoshop CS5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jefferson Community College. Basic Adobe Photoshop training course to improve user efficiency. Bring a bagged lunch. Cost: $60. Register: 786-2233.

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

ucts, jerky rubs, raffles and refreshments. Admission: $4; active duty military, $3; children ages 10 to 18, $2; ages 10 and younger, free; families, $12. Information: 393-3620.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8

n Performing Day to Day QuickBooks Functions, registration, 12:30 to 1 p.m., course, 1 to 4:30 p.m., Ramada Inn, 6300 Arsenal St. Sponsored by Bowers and Co. CPAS LLC. Second of three courses in a QuickBooks training series. Topics: Entering sales information, receiving payments, making deposits, entering bills, paying bills and tracking and paying sales tax.

Cost: $99, due by Wednesday, May 1. Final course scheduled for Wednesday, June 19. Register: www.bcpllc.com.  GOT A BUSINESS EVENT or calendar 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/NNYBusiness or www.nnybizmag.com for events calendar updates.

April 2013 | NNY Business

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BUSINESS SCENE Lewis County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours in Croghan

From left, Chris Freeman, Freeman’s Treats, Mary Hanno and Lewis County Legislator William J. Burke, R-West Lowville.

From left, Ralph and Elizabeth Hoch, Lewis County Chamber of Commerce members, and Mary and David Trayler, Root 42 Rustics, Carthage.

CHRISTINA SCANLON PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

CHRISTINA SCANLON PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Joe Edick, Bernier, Carr & Associates, Cindy Aucter, Lowville Journal and Republican, and husband Bernie. Croghan Meat Market and Silver Bench Jewelry hosted the February Lewis County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at the former E.M. Marilley & Co. in Croghan Feb. 21.

Front row, from left, Lewis County Leadership Academy Class of 2012 Brenda VanNest, Benefit Specialists of New York; Tina Lanier, AmeriCU Credit Union; and Cheyenne Steria, Climax Manufacturing; back row, Jared Thisse, Bernier, Carr & Associates; Kim Brouty, Northern Credit Union; Blaine Campany, Croghan Meat Market; and Arlene Hall, Mountain View Prevention.

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28722 NYS RT. 37 CERTIFIED SCALES EVANS MILLS, NY 13637 WE BUY JUNK CARS & SCRAP METAL!!

52 |

NNY Business | April 2013

BUSINESS SCENE Chaumont Food Pantry benefit at The Blue Heron

From left, Rich Miles, Empire Liquor, Paul Norton, chef, Norton Canvas, Cari Greene, owner, The Blue Heron.

From left, Stephanie Elliott, Angela Golden, Julia Marselis, Rebecca Barney and Kerri Derouin, all of Watertown Savings Bank.

ERIC INGERSON PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

ERIC INGERSON PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Amanda Miller, Lake Ontario Realty, Melissa Puccia, Leslie Robare and Mary Miles, all of Arsenal Wine & Liquor. Blue Heron Restaurant hosted the Fourth Annual Food and Wine benefit for the Chaumont Food Pantry Feb. 27.

From left, Paula Ahlheim, Glen Park Elementary, Linda Capone, Blue Heron, Laurie Comins, Glen Park Elementary, Cindy Fusco, Glen Park Elementary, and Karl Ahlheim.

Three C’s Limousine

threecslimousine.com Contact Jeff Powis @ 315-523-0007 9421 Number Three Rd., Lowville, NY 13367 Three C’s Limousine is proud to provide prompt, courteous, and professional service at affordable rates.

We offer chauffeured Hummer Limo service for Weddings, Proms, Sporting Events, Concerts, Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties, or Anywhere You Want To Go!

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 53

BUSINESS SCENE Jefferson County Agricultural Development Council annual meeting at Savory Downtown

John W. Wagner, area field supervisor, New York Farm Bureau, Munnsville, and Amanda Rhodes, president, New York State FFA, Morrisville.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Ron Kuck, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, Elaine Mason, husband Paul, Jefferson County Agricultural Development Council memberand Art Baderman, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County. The Jefferson County Agricultural Development Council held its annual meeting on March 1 at Savory Downtown, during which NNY Business magazine was presented with the “Friend of Agriculture” award.

54 |

NNY Business | April 2013

From left, Lyndsie O’Brien, South Jefferson FFA Chapter, William Stowell, agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, South Jefferson High School, and Courtney Ziegler, South Jefferson FFA Chapter.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Erik Shelmidine, president, Belleville-Henderson FFA Chapter, Nate Leviker, vice president, Belleville-Henderson FFA Chapter, Kristina Otey, 20122013 Jefferson County Dairy Princess, and Tedra McDougal, agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, Belleville-Henderson High School.

BUSINESS SCENE GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Awards at Black River Valley Club

Stevie Smith, executive director of Transitional Living Services of Northern New York with the 2012 Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award for a not-for-profit with more than 50 employees.

Karen Clark, director of USO Fort Drum with the 2012 Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award for a not-for-profit with 50 or fewer employees.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Mark R. Lavarnway, Watertown Savings Bank president and CEO, Lynn M. Pietroski, Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, and Thomas M. Brennan, owner, SpringDrive Digital & Print Graphics and chairman of the chamber board of directors. Watertown Savings Bank received the 2012 Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award for a for-profit business with 50 or more employees.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Westelcom employees Steve Wood, account executive; Paul F. Barton, president; Seth Crimmins, network operations manager; and Ben Brannan, director of technical support, with the 2012 Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award for a for-profit business with 50 or fewer employees. The awards were presented March 6 at the Black River Valley Club.

n LIKE NNY BUSINESS ON FACEBOOK at www.face book.com/nny business or scan this QR Code with your smartphone for links to exclusive content, daily updates and sneak peeks of coming issues.

All American Real Estate NNY broker/ owner James Conlin with the 2012 Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneurial Award.

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 55

BUSINESS SCENE GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at IHC High School

From left, David Winters, Watertown Audiology, Sarah M. Colligan, North Country Children’s Clinic, Kaitlin Robbins, Children’s Home of Jefferson County.

From left, Kathy Crowell, Patty Strife, Patti Shaughnessy and Sue Scott, all of North Country Goes Green.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Beth Hornbarger and husband Chris, Immaculate Heart Central Schools executive system administrator. IHC High School hosted the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce March Business After Hours March 20.

The Rev. Donald A. Robinson, pastor of St. Anthony’s and St. Patrick’s Catholic churches, and Lisa Carroll, Immaculate Heart Central Schools Education Council, Fort Drum representative.

TRACK YOUR COMPANY VEHICLES!

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MON.-FRI. 9AM-7PM • SAT. 10AM-6PM

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PHONE: PHONE: 315.788.9776 315.788.9776 56 |

NNY Business | April 2013

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BUSINESS SCENE Clayton Chamber of Commerce Business With A Twist at Clayton Dental Office

From left, Bill Heyman, Reinman’s Ace Hardware, Ashley Arquitt, Clayton Dental Office, and Lance Peterson, Peterson Painting and River Dogs.

From left, Chris Woodley, Woodley-Dee Mechanical, Melinda Calzada, Clipper Inn, and Amanda Peter, Adirondack Battery.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Clockwise from left, Colby Mallette, Northern Glass, David J. Males, vice president/general manager, WWTI TV ABC 50, Alan Marceau, Lawn Image and Marceau Paving, Mary Heyman, Reinman’s Ace Hardware, and Patti Kittle, RBC Wealth Management. Clayton Dental Office and Dr. Scott LaClair hosted the Clayton Chamber of Commerce March Business With A Twist March 21.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Jessica Freeman, Megan Ebbrecht and Amber Amyot, all of Clayton Dental Office.

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 57

LUNCH MENU Fairground Inn

Watertown’s Oldest - and Newest - Irish Pub! • Guinness On Tap! • Harp On Tap! • Offering Daily Specials!

• Take-Out Available!

Open Daily at 11:00AM • Sunday at Noon

Family owned and operated since 1978 Happy Hour .......Monday-Friday 4-7pm

Gourmet Sandwiches, Pizza, Wings, Steaks, Chicken, Soups and Salads 852 COFFEEN ST., WATERTOWN • 315-782-7335

849 Lawrence Street, Watertown, NY 782-6888 Serving Lunch & Dinner Monday-Thursday 11:00am to 10:00pm Friday & Saturday 11:00am to 11:00pm

Follow us on RESTAURANT & BAR

226 WEBB ST., CLAYTON, NY 13624 315-686-1110

LUNCH SPECIALS EVERYDAY STARTING AT 11AM Arsenal St., Watertown 315.782-5458 www.tiltedkilt.com

The Blue Heron

Open 7 Days a Week Chaumont • 649-2240

LUNCH STARTING AT 11AM & NOON ON SUNDAYS • Friday-Early Bird Fish Fry - 11-4pm $8.99 • Weekends Serving Fresh Perch Fillets — Lunch & Dinner Specials Everyday — Appetizers • Seafood • Kid’s Menu • Homemade Desserts • Burgers • Pasta • Steaks • Sandwiches • Full Bar Menu Gift Certificates Available - Handicap Accessible

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The Church Street Diner 107 Church St., Carthage, NY • 493-0997

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NNY Business | April 2013

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LUNCH AND DINNER SPECIALS DAILY! NOW SERVING BEER AND WINE • PIZZA BUFFET, SALAD AND SOUP BAR DAILY!

Catering Now Available “We Offer A Variety Of Packages To Meet Any Budget”

Order online at www.danospizzeria.com

April 2013 | NNY Business

| 59

BUSINESS HISTORY

IMAGE COURTESY JRECK SUBS

This 1986 concept drawing, from the Jreck Subs archives, depicts a store with a glass atrium. Jreck Subs CEO Christopher M. Swartz said the concept never took off because of the extreme temperatures in the north country affected the clarity of the glass.

Building a north country brand Born in an old bus, Jreck Subs a local favorite today

T NNY Business

he start of what is today an iconic brand that is synonymous with the north country had somewhat humble beginnings.

In the late 1950s, three friends, Ellis Martin, Keith Waltz and Jerry Haley, opened a sub shop outside of a Pennsylvania college. In an old Laundromat, looking to make a few extra dollars for school, the students opened a sandwich shop that operated from 4 to 11 p.m.

“Subs were very big in Western Pennsylvania, so we thought it would go,” Mr. Haley told the Watertown Daily Times in a Jan. 26, 1984, article.

About seven years later, the three found themselves teaching at Carthage Central School, along with Charles Lehman, also from their native Williamsport, Pa. Again looking to earn some extra money for their families during the summer, the entrepreneurs set out to replicate the

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NNY Business | April 2013

business they launched in Pennsylvania, though this time they bypassed the old Laundromat for something more mobile.

“Haley, Waltz and I figured we needed some summer income,” Mr. Lehman said.

“So we went to Harrisville and paid $145 for a school bus. I think we each invested $250. We set the school bus up at the entrance to what was then Camp Drum and did a good business.”

The business went so well in the summer of 1967 that Ellis Martin, one of the founders, and his brother, Robert “Jon” Martin, became interested, and the five decided to open a year-round shop. On Feb. 19, 1967, the first store under the new corporation opened in Massena with the name “Submarine House.” A week later, a second store was opened in Potsdam.

In 1968, a corporation was formed under the name Jreck Subs Inc. How did such an unusual name come about?

Easy. They took the first letters of the first names of the five owners: Jerry, Robert,

Ellis, Charles and Keith.

“I know it’s kind of a funny name,” Mr. Haley said. “But if you look at those letters, you just can’t spell anything else.”

“We had what we called ‘the dream,’” Mr. Lehman said in 1984. “We all wanted to become independently wealthy owners who could sit back and collect on their dividends. No one really believed it, but we said we wanted to be millionaires by the time we were 40. Well, nobody is a millionaire, but I still have the dream.”

After its initial launch, the reimagined Jreck Subs did a booming business. At first only offering “the regular” submarine sandwich, the menu expanded and so did the company. More stores soon opened in Northern New York, and the company grew to the point where it needed its own bakery. After securing some financing, a bakery opened on Mill Street in Watertown to produce fresh sub rolls each day.

By 1974, there were more than 20 Jreck Sub shops from Massena to Endicott,

including stores in the Syracuse and Utica markets.

The company’s lofty goals caused financial strain at the tail end of the 1970s.

According to corporate management, it had a typical new business problem: being undercapitalized and growing too fast. At that point, the business switched from central management and ownership to a franchising business model, with each location operating as an independently owned franchise.

By the late 1980s, the company was producing more than two million subs a year.

On Feb. 3, 1987, the company Western Fast Foods was created to aid in expansion of Jreck Subs to Western New York.

Western Fast Foods issued a public stock offering to finance construction of four stores in the Rochester area. Stock was issued at 20 cents a share. The hope was for local residents to buy into the homegrown company and enable Jreck employees to participate in company ownership.

Two months later it was reported that stock in Western Fast Foods was selling swiftly. In that time, half of the 2.5 million shares that were available had been purchased.

The four Rochester-area stores operated successfully for about five years, but they were housed in leased facilities with nonlocal franchise owners. As building leases began to expire and franchise owners tired of managing stores in far-away locations, the Rochester-area shops closed and Western Fast Foods dissolved. In 1996, Jreck Subs issued shares of stock to the former Western Fast Foods shareholders.

Today, the privately held company boasts more than 43 stores throughout Central and Northern New York and into the Adirondacks. Most recently, the company stationed travel trailers and sold concessions at the Daytona Motor Speedway during the 2013 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. According to current Jreck Subs CEO, Christopher M. Swartz, the company sells more than three million subs a year.

•

•

n BUSINESS HISTORY IS A monthly feature from the archives of the Watertown Daily Times.

Visit www.watertowndailytimes.com to access digital archives since 1988, or stop by the Times, 260 Washington St., Watertown to research materials in our library that date back to the 1800s.

Three articles were used in this piece: “Jreck’s: Million Subs a Year” by Times Staff Writer Thomas J. Martello, published Jan. 26, 1984; “Jreck Subs Offers the Public Stock” published Feb. 3, 1987; and “Jreck’s Stock Selling Like … Subs.”

April 2013 | NNY Business

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W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G H E R E ?

COLLEGIATE VILLAGE OF POTSDAM LOCATION: 206 W. Main St.,

Potsdam.

SIZE: 300 beds in 100 units on 18 acres of land.

ARCHITECTS: Westchester Modular, Wingdale, and LauerManguso, Buffalo.

DESIGN ENGINEER: Aaron Jarvis, Tisdale & Associates, Canton.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Renewal Housing Corp., Buffalo.

SITE PREPARATION: Sheehan Dinneen Inc., Potsdam.

JOBS: Approximately 90 percent of construction labor comes from St. Lawrence County.

ESTIMATE COMPLETION: 144 beds completed in 2013; 156 beds completed by the end of 2014.

JASON HUNTER | NNY BUSINESS

— Compiled by Kyle R. Hayes

Superior Walls employee Karl L. Watts, Dansville, guides a foundation wall into place while working at the Collegiate Village of Potsdam along Main Street in Potsdam. The project is scheduled to be complete in 2014.

Northern New York Builders Exchange, Inc. 22074 Fabco Road • Watertown, NY Tel: 315-788-1330 • Fax: 315-788-9357 Headquarters of the Building Industry in Northern New York

The 37th Annual North Country Home Show April 12, 13 & 14, 2013

Show hours: Friday, April 12 - 5 to 9 p.m.

Saturday ,April 13 - 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 14 - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tickets $5 for adults • $4 for Seniors over 65 & Military • Children 16 and under FREE

BOOTH SPACE AVAILABLE

For more information, please call: 788-1330 62 |

NNY Business | April 2013

NEXT MONTH

I

n our May issue, we examine growth in Northern New York’s economy and the role that more than a dozen economic development agencies play.

Also coming next month: n RESOURCE LIST: A comprehensive guide to who’s who in economic development. n Q1 HOME SALES: As the housing market continues to show signs of recovery across the country, we look at NNY real estate sales in the first quarter of 2013. n 20 QUESTIONS: After three seasons on the ice — the last in Watertown — 1000 Islands Privateers owner Nicole Kirnan talks about the future for her Federal Hockey League franchise. n PLUS: Small Business Startup, NNY Snapshot, Economically Speaking, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits Today, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Real Estate, Agri-Business, Business History, Business Scene. n VISIT US ONLINE at www.nnybizmag.com.

Follow us on Twitter for daily updates at @NNYBusinessMag, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nnybusiness, and view eEditions at www.issuu.com/NNYBusiness.

April 2013 | NNY Business

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www.nnybizmag.com

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