NNY Business September 2015

// THE INTERVIEW: parks & recreation

superintendent erin e. gardner P. 26

SEPTEMBER 2015 Volume 5 No. 10

nnybizmag.com

Little giants fuel big biz $2.95

/nnybusiness @NNYBusinessMag

north country cashes in on youth sports // Northern New York’s Premier Business Monthly //

2 | NNY Business | September 2015

September 2015 | NNY Business

|3

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>>

Inside SEPTEMBER 2015 13

14 22 18 |

COVER |

|

SMALL BIZ STARTUP |

|

14 leveraging sports The north country’s explosive youth sports industry could mean big bucks for the region. |

13 back to his roots For one former teacher, woodworking is a perfect retirement business. |

FEATURES |

18 outfitting athletes Victory Promotions has a simple recipe for success: take care of every customer.

milestones |

20 The next 100 years RBC Wealth Management celebrates its centennial with a move to new offices.

SMALL BUSINESS |

22 rising high again Mr. Rick’s Bakery sees profits explode in its new locale. |

TOP TRANSACTIONS |

25 JEFFERSON COUNTY The top 10 property sales in the Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties topped more than $10.4m in July.

|

BUSINESS SCENE |

39 NETWORKING, NNY STYLE From Jefferson to Lewis counties, businessmen and women connect for success. |

BUSINESS HISTORY |

44 A century of wealth Watertown’s RBC Wealth Management branch traces its north country roots to 1915. |

ONLINE |

NNYBIZMAG.COM Connect with us online for daily updates, more photos and exclusive Web content.

September 2015 | NNY Business

|5

Contributors

BusIness www.nnybizmag.com

Chairman of the Board John B. Johnson Jr.

Lance M. Evans is executive officer for the Jefferson-Lewis and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors. He recaps a busy summer for local Realtors. (p. 24)

Michelle Capone is regional development director for the Development Authority of the North Country. She writes about the authority’s 30year history. (p. 30)

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

He writes about how to craft a meaningful mission statement. (p. 31)

Publishers

John B. Johnson Harold B. Johnson II

VP News Operations Timothy J. Farkas

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Staff Writer / Editorial Assistant Lorna Oppedisano

Photography

Brooke Rouse is the executive director of the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce.

She shares tips for a successful seasonal transition. (p. 32)

Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Corp. He writes about tough choices to grow our economy. (p. 33)

Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 28-year IT veteran. She shares some details of Microsoft’s new Windows 10 platform. (p. 34)

Justin Sorensen, Amanda Morrison Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Coty Giannelli

Director of Advertising Michelle Bowers

Magazine Advertising Manager Beth Hornbarger

Advertising Graphics

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

Circulation Director Mary Sawyer

Sarah O’Connell is an advisor for the state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Jefferson. She offers practical tips to avoid the pitfalls of ‘wave-riding.’ (p. 35)

Joleene Moody is a freelance writer who lives in Pulaski with her husband and daughter. In her debut column, she writes about risk-taking and seizing success. (p.36)

Lorna Oppedisano is an editorial assistant and writer for NNY Magazines. In Startup, she writes about Watson Woodworking. In features, she visits sports business Victory Promotions. (pgs. 13, 18)

MARKETPLACE Bach & Company ...................... 8 Bay Area Bakery and Chocolates ....................... 19 Blue Seal Feeds ........................ 46 Bonnie Castle Resort & Marina ........................ 17 Bradley’s Trophy & Promotion .............................. 46 Caskinette’s Ford ..................... 39 Cheney Tire .............................. 21 Clayton Dental Office ............. 46 Coleman’s Corner ................... 19 Community Bank Wealth Management .............. 16 Creg Systems Corp. ................... 8 Crouse Hospital ......................... 7 D.L. Calarco Funeral Home ...... 31 Dr. Guitar Music ....................... 46 Fairground Inn .......................... 19 Foy Agency ................................ 4

Fuccillo Auto Group .................. 4 Fuller Insurance Agency ........... 4 Garlocks Design Center ......... 12 GWNC Chamber of Commerce .......................... 47 HD Goodale ............................... 4 High Tower Advisors ................ 28 Hospice of Jefferson County .... 45 Immaculate Heart Central Schools ........................ 45 Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors ................................. 24 Macar’s ..................................... 40 The Marrone Law Firm ............. 48 Nigro Companies .................... 29 Northern New York Community Foundation ............................... 25 Northwestern Mutual ............. 4, 9 Nortz & Virkler Ford .................... 4 OS Sealers ................................ 21

6 | NNY Business | September 2015

Overhead Door ........................ 46 Rainbow International ............. 21 RBC Wealth Management ...... 23 Sea Comm Credit Union ......... 33 Seaway Valley Prevention ........ 8 Shred Con ................................ 34 T.F. Wright & Sons Granite Foundry ...................... 35 Transitions Behavioral Health Services ........................ 36 Tunes 92.5 & 104.5 ................... 42 Waite Motorsports .................... 41 Waite Toyota ............................ 43 Walldroff Farm Equipment ...... 32 Watertown Daily Times ............ 30 Watertown Savings Bank .......... 2 Watertown Spring & Alignment ............................... 4 WWTI TV 50 .................................. 3 Ziebart Tidycar ........................... 4

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. © 2010-2015. All material submitted to NNY Business becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

Subscription Rates 12 issues are $15 a year and 24 issues are $25 for two years.

Call 315-782-1000 to subscribe.

Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email bhornbarger@wdt.net, or call 315-661-2325 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail blabrake@ogd.com, or call 315-661-2507 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y., a Forest Stewardship Certified facility.

Please recycle this magazine.

|

INTERVIEW

|

|

ON THE COVER

|

26 A vision that excites After three years, Watertown Parks and Recreation chief Erin E. Gardner talks about plans to improve her department with the same tireless enthusiasm she did when she started her post. |

COLUMNS

30 31 32 33 |

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ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING NONPROFITS TODAY COMMERCE CORNER AGRIBUSINESS

DEPARTMENTS

8 9 10 12 13

34 BUSINESS TECH BYTES 35 SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS 36 entrepreneur’s edge

|

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

24 37 39 44 46

real estate roundup CALENDAR BUSINESS SCENE BUSINESS HISTORY next month

For this month’s cover shot, photographer Coty Giannelli captured the action between Pop Warner League football rivals Watertown and Indian River at Watertown’s Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.

In this month’s cover story, by Magazine Editor Ken Eysaman, we examine the youth sports in Northern New York and the many opportunities it presents as a growing segment of the region’s economy. Ken’s story begins on page 14.

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September 2015 | NNY Business

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n this month’s cover story, we examine the explosive growth in the north country’s youth sports industry as more and more tournaments continue to see success while attracting hundreds of athletes to Northern New York.

To date, 2015 has seen the Jefferson County play host to its first district swim tournament, recordsetting lacrosse tournaments, a state gymnastics competition and a slate of other competitive events. As participation in youth sports continues to grow, many see it as a Ken Eysaman chance to bolster the region’s economy. Our cover story begins on page 14.

In this issue you’ll also read about a sports-related business as it closes in on 15 years of success, another business celebrating a century of service in the financial sector and a third that has seen its profits nearly triple after it moved to a new location. n

n

n

20 QUESTIONS — This month we sit down with Erin E. Gardner, superintendent of parks and recreation for the City of Watertown. With more than three years on the job, Mrs. Gardner shares her vision for a revitalized parks and recreation department that is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar renovation of its municipal arena. Our interview with Mrs. Gardner begins on page 26. n

n

n

BUSINESS SCENE — This month’s scene section, which begins on page 39, features 42 faces from more than three-dozen north country businesses and organization across the tri-county area.

8 | NNY Business | September 2015

On Aug 12, we joined the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce for its Jefferson Leadership Institute alumni reunion at Maggie’s on the River. That same day, we joined community, business and Fort Drum leaders as North Country Honors the Mountain broke ground at Tower Square in historic Thompson Park on a new monument honoring the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum.

On Aug 19, Carthage staffer Elaine Avallone joined the Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce for its August Business After Hours at Braman’s Block, the Thousand Islands Area Habitat for Humanity multihome build in Carthage.

On Aug. 20, we joined the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce at the Ramada Inn for its August Business After Hours.

Finally, on Aug 25, small business columnist Jennifer McCluskey joined the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce for its August Business Spotlight at Fobare’s Fruits in Rensselaer Falls. n

n

n

20 UNDER 40 — Nominations are open through Friday, Oct. 2, for our 5th annual NNY Business 20 Under 40 program that honors emerging leaders who show promise in their professions and communities.

Visit nnybizmag.com, where you will find all the requisite details about the program, a nomination form and instructions on how to submit a nomination. On Thursday, Dec. 10, we will recognize the class of 2015 during a luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or general feedback, please contact me at keysaman@wdt.net or 661-2399.

Yours in business,

P E O P L E O N T H E M O VE

Sackets Harbor native honored in Washington

The Washington, D.C., Chamber of Commerce recently named Michael Akin, president of Reingold LINK, as its 2015 Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Mr. Akin graduated from Sackets Harbor Central High School in 1999 before moving to Washington, D.C., to attend The George Washington University. He founded Reingold LINK, a strategic communications firm, in March 2012. The company has grown from a small, local communications and community engagement shop with a few clients to a national brand with more than 100 local, regional and national clients.

JCC Foundation names new executive director

Jefferson Community College recently appointed Lisa M. Familo to the position of college development officer for the Jefferson Community College Foundation.

As executive director for the Jefferson Foundation, Ms. Familo is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic advancement objectives for the college, as well as alumni programming.

She has nearly 15 years of nonprofit management experience. Mrs. Familo holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University, a bachelor’s degree in communication from North Carolina State University and a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University.

Prior to moving to the north country in 2014, Ms. Familo served for 10 years as executive director of the Harnett County Partnership for Children in Lillington, N.C., subsequent to serving as program manager with the organization for three years.

Previously, Ms. Familo served as executive director of the North Carolina Alliance for Health, a Morrisville-based organization that advocates for policies to promote wellness and reduce obesity and tobacco use.

Ms. Familo served as chairwoman and vice-chairwoman for Harnett County United Way and as vice president for Harnett Area Business Professional Women. She was also involved in the Harnett County Business Education Partnership, Kiwanas of Harnett County, Local Interagency Coordinating Council of Harnett County, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Ms. Familo lives in Dexter and is a native of Oswego.

New ABM board members The Antique Boat Museum recently announced re-elections and appointments to

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.

the museum’s board of trustees.

The following people were re-elected to three-year terms, through July 2018, during the museum’s annual membership meeting on Friday, July 17, 2015: William J. Cosgrove, Jr., Harold B. Johnson II, Eric Mower, Joseph M. Pal, Melissa RingerHardy, John D. Simpson, Rick W. Tague and Addison F. Vars III. In addition, Edward C. McNally and Lee T. Hirschey were appointed as trustee emeritus, following extensive tenures and playing significant roles as board members.

The following people were appointed as officers at the meeting: Rick W. Tague as chairman; Kathleen R. Cross as vice chairman; Charles S. Crow III as secretary; and William J. Cosgrove Jr. as treasurer.

Law office hires Gouverneur native

Gretchen E. Tessmer, recently joined the law firm of Case & Leader, Gouverneur.

Ms. Tessmer earned an associate degree from SUNY Canton and a bachelor’s in mathematics and English from SUNY Potsdam.

She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa at SUNY Potsdam and Phi Theta Kappa at SUNY Canton, as well as recognized on the National Dean’s List and Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges.

She was admitted to the Advanced Study National Science Foundation program as a John von Neumann Scholar in summer 2007 in conjunction with a joint Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam program.

Ms. Tessmer then attended Syracuse University College of Law. She elected to complete her legal education through a clerkship overseen by the New York State Court of Appeals, which she finished, and then passed the New York State Bar examination.

During her clerkship, she worked as a legal researcher and paralegal in St. Lawrence and Oswego counties, with a focus on real estate, trusts and estate planning.

Ms. Tessmer also writes fiction and poetry on a semi-professional level, and has been published in more than 30 magazines across the United States and United Kingdom, as well as the North American Review’s blog.

She is a member of the American Bar

Association, New York State Bar Association and is being nominated to be a member of the St. Lawrence County Bar Association.

Excellus regional president expands role

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has recently given Eve Van de Wal, regional president of the company’s Utica region, expanded responsibilities in Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties.

In her enhanced role, Ms. Van de Wal is responsible for supporting and maintaining Van de Wal business relationships and community engagement in the north country.

She oversees operations in the company’s Watertown office.

Ms. Van de Wal has more than 30 years of experience in health care delivery and health insurance. In her 17 years with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, she held Please see PEOPLE, page 29

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Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), a subsidiary of NM, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, and member of FINRA and SIPC. Brian Wilcox, Insurance Agent(s) of NM. Brian Wilcox, Registered Representative(s) of NMIS. Brian Wilcox, Representative(s) of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company®, (NMWMC) Milwaukee, WI, (investment management, trust services, and fee-based planning) subsidiary of NM, limited purpose federal savings bank. Representative(s) may also be an Investment Advisor Representative(s) of NMIS. NCAA® is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

September 2015 | NNY Business

|9

Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers July 2015 $1.62 June 2015 $1.59 July 2014 $2.18

25.7%

Source: NYS Department of Agriculture

526,398 in July 2015 461,876 in June 2015 564,476 in July 2014

Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas

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

July 2015 $2.82 June 2015 $2.83 July 2014 $3.80

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

25.8%

27.8%

19.3%

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

July 2015 $2.36 June 2015 $2.47 July 2014 $3.00

90,100 in July 2015 91,500 in June 2015 89,900 in July 2014

21.3%

0.2%

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

134, median price $139,450 in July 2015 121, median price $153,500 in June 2015 116, median price $137,000 in July 2014

86, median price $91,000 in July 2015 66, median price $90,500 in June 2015 67, median price $89,000 in July 2014

15.5% Sales

1.8%

28.4%

Price

2.4%

Sales

Price

Source: St. Lawrence Board of Realtors Inc.

Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Inc.

NNY unemployment rates

5.3 June 2015

July 2014

5.6

6.5

United States

July 2015

6.5 5.3 June 2015

July 2014

5.4

6.0 June 2015

July 2015

6.1 July 2015

New York State

6.8

Lewis County

7.8 July 2014

7.0

7.2 July 2015

June 2015

6.8

5.9 June 2015

St. Lawrence County

July 2014

6.2

Jefferson County

July 2015

ECON SNAPSHOT

July 2015 $2.73 June 2015 $2.78 July 2014 $3.78

6.7%

$1.30 on July 31, 2015 $1.25 on June 30, 2015 $1.09 on July 30, 2014

Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil

10 | NNY Business | September 2015

(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)

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

July 2014

NNY

Economic indicators

Source: U.S. Department of Labor and New York State Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted. Latest available data reported.)

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

Economic indicators New automobiles (cars and trucks) registered in Jefferson County Cars 558 in July 2015 552 in June 2015 571 in July 2014

2.3%

Trucks 141 in July 2015 134 in June 2015 114 in July 2014

NNY

23.7%

Source: Jefferson County Clerk’s Office

Passengers at Watertown International Airport

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

4,670 inbound and outbound in July 2015 3,694 inbound and outbound in June 2015 4,574 inbound and outbound in July 2014

2,332 in July 2015 2,338 in June 2015 2,302 in July 2014

2.1% Source: Jefferson County Board of Legislators

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

DBA (doing business under an assumed name) certificates filed at the Jefferson County Clerk’s office July 28 to Aug. 28, 2015. For a complete list of DBAs filed in past months, visit www.nnybizmag.com.

Aug. 28: Hockey Republic, 18451 Black Creek Road, Lafargeville, Victor F. Natali, 18451 Black Creek Road, Lafargeville. n Capital Assurance, 169 Polk St., Watertown, Michael J. Leonelli, 151 Winslow St., Watertown. n Terry Family Preservation Services, 25911 state Route 26A1, Plessis, Andrey Jean Grega, 25911 state Route 26A1, Plessis.

Aug. 27: Captured Imagery, 465 Holly St., Watertown, Esther Lambright, 31636 U.S. Route 11, Philadelphia.

Aug. 25: Westcott Construction, 14458 Hands Flat Road, Harrisville, Nicholas J. Westcott, 14324 Pearl St., Harrisville, and Kathy R. Westcott, 14458 Hands Flat Road, Harrisville.

Aug. 24: Committee to Elect Cliff Olney, 847 Washington St., Watertown, Clifford Gilbert Olney III, 847 Washington St., Watertown. n O. S. Sealers, 564 Mill St., Watertown, Justin Sullivan, 564 Mill St., and Alexander E. Sullivan, 914 Mill St., Watertown. n Interstate Vape, 23720 state Route 342, Watertown, James T. Bain, 22012 Weaver Road, Watertown. n Beckstead Construction and Sanitation, 26560 county Route 16, Evans Mills, Michael and Amber Beckstead, 26560 county Route 16, Evans Mills. n MD Property Preservation Services, 17481 U.S. Route 11 Lot 11E, Watertown, Melissa Marie and Derek Jonathan Moyer, 17481 U.S. Route 11 Lot 11E, Watertown. n Casablanca Nails Spa, 26449 Johnson Road, Evans Mills, Eric and Anhtuyet Nguyen, 26449 Johnson Road, Evans Mills. n My Mommy Mafia Cleaning Services, 737 Leray St., Watertown, Keshia L. Marquez, 737 Leray St., Watertown.

Aug. 20: Prestige Painting & Pressure Washing, 17 Sand St., Apt. 2, Philadelphia, Kyle L. Lawton, 17 Sand St., Apt. 2, Philadelphia. n Purple Lotus, 133 N. Main St., Black River, Kristin Lee Burroughs, 133 N. Main St., Black River. n North Country Hypnosis, 215 Washington St. #105, Watertown, Joshua A. Kirnie, 202 Hixson Ave., Syracuse.

Aug. 14: Delicious Dynasty, 24479 state Route 411, LaFargeville, Harrell Ivy Sanford, 30591 state Route 180, Watertown, and Kevin Hoover, Jr., 1411 Washington St., Watertown. n Rpem Graphx, 40270 Hyde Lake Road, Theresa, Greg A. Sweet, 40270 Hyde Lake Road, Theresa. n Pit Crew Express, 906 Boyd St., Watertown, Susan Dunagan, 906 Boyd St., Watertown.

Aug. 13: Purity Flooring & Renovations, 18416 Star School Road, Dexter, Derek John Helmer, 18416 Star School Road, Dexter.

Aug. 12: The Law Office of Jaime H. Weinberg Esq., 20128 Carr Road Ext., Wellesley, Jaime H. Weinberg, 20128 Carr Road Ext., Wellesley. n VOS, 202 Pike St., Brownville, Sonia R. Holmes Rickman, 202 Pike St., Brownville. n Jay’s Handyman Services, 1008 Huntington St., Watertown, Jason M. Barker, 1008 Huntington St., Watertown.

Aug. 10: Upstate Furniture Repair, 26441 state Route 12, Watertown, Timothy J. Nevin, 26441 state Route 12, Watertown. n KL Painting & Pressure Washing, 17 Sand St. Apt. 2, Philadelphia, Kyle L. Lawton, 17 Sand St. Apt. 2, Philadelphia.

Aug. 7: Baskets & More, 16487 U.S. Route 11, Watertown, Janet M. Tunstall, 16487 U.S. Route 11, Watertown. n Just Wingin’ It Poultry Farm, 29812 county Route 46, Evans Mills, Stephanie Okun Marnell, 29812 county Route 46, Evans Mills.

Aug. 5: 315 Kustoms, 8975 state Route 178, Henderson, Matthew J. Salisbury, 8975 state Route 178, P.O. Box 89, Henderson. n Fabric and Sew Much More, 38648 state Route 12E, Clayton, Debbie L. Wood, 13151 county Route 5, Clayton.

Aug. 4: Canine College, 531 Eastern Blvd., Watertown, Sandra King, 1398 Cosgrove St., Watertown. n K & R Construction, 14620 Military Road, Sackets Harbor, Kenneth Andrew Hanners, 14620 Military Road, Sackets Harbor.

Aug. 19: Wonderworks, 1308 Holcomb St., Watertown, Wendy A. Pound, 1308 Holcomb St., Watertown. n Roxy Images, 8038D General Patton St., Fort Drum, Roxanne Barton, 8038D General Patton St., Fort Drum. n thenewboston, 32 Hungerford Ave., Adams, Greg Timothy Roberts, 32 Hungerford Ave., Adams.

Aug. 3: Cyla Beauty Academy, 29730-29734 Maple St., Black River, Sara J. Altmire, 24221 Lester Road, Felts Mills. n Brother’s Mediterranean Cuisine, 21182 Salmon Run Mall Loop West, Watertown, Khayal Ibrahimkhalilov, 241 Lafayette Road Apt. 332, Syracuse. n Sanford Welding, 16209 Foster Park Road, Dexter, Sale Richard Sanford, 16209 Foster Park Road, Dexter.

Aug. 18: Gold Star Property Management, 72 Champion St., Carthage, Barry K. Stewart, 72 Champion St., Carthage. n Andante Music Studio, 17254 Miller Road, Adams, Glenn Federmann, 17254 Miller Road, Adams.

July 31: All in One Flooring, 8109 country Route 125, Chaumont, Trace G. Mathieu, 8109 country Route 125, Chaumont.

Aug. 17: Phuc Ai Nguyen, 26449 Johnson Road, Evans Mills, Phuc Ai Nguyen, 21830 Oakpoint Lake #C, Watertown. n Little Lou’s Tutus, 23117 U.S. Route 11, Watertown, Julia Hope Fairman, 23117 U.S. Route 11, Watertown. n Sly Recovery and Investigation, 21605 Heathers Acres Drive, Apt. 9B, Watertown, Orin Shane Sly, Jr., 21605 Heathers Acres Drive, Apt. 9B, Watertown. n Fins Eatery & Pub, 43681 state Route 12, Alexandria Bay, Mary Alice Roberts, 43681 state Route 12, Alexandria Bay.

July 30: J.P. Excavation, 42659 Cullen Road, Redwood, Jeffery C. Papin, 42659 Cullen Road, Redwood. n White Dog Imaging, 206 S. Indiana Ave., Watertown, Maxwell I. French, 206 S. Indiana Ave. P.O. box 904, Watertown.

July 29: Wilcox Wealth Management & Financial Services, 200 Washington St. Suite 208, Watertown, Brian D. Wilcox, 28471 Bartlett Drive, Theresa. n C & J Contracting, 521 Stone St., Watertown, Christopher John Leone, 521 Stone St., Watertown.

July 28: Northern New York Grappling, 1041 Arsenal St., Watertown, Ryan Kent Webb, 352 S. Indiana Ave., Watertown.

transactions

DBAs

1.3%

September 2015 | NNY Business

| 11

business briefcase ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

New JCED website

Featuring videos of board meetings and other new resources, Jefferson County Economic Development recently launched a new website at jcida.com.

Atlas Advertising, of Denver, Colo., was hired by the agency for about $13,000 to develop the website, which offers a wider range of resources, data and social media features than the previous version, marketing director F. Marshall Weir III said. Among other things, the website provides an overview of financial incentives offered to businesses and highlights advantages of being located in the county.

Videos of monthly board meetings will be available on the website for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency, Jefferson County Local Development Corp. and Jefferson County Civic Facility Development Corp.

COMMERCE

Nominations sought for business awards

On Nov. 5, the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce plans to celebrate local businesses at its annual dinner at SUNY Potsdam. The chamber, comprised of more than 500 members across the county and beyond, is seeking nominations for this year’s

three business awards.

“Producer or the Year” is anew award that recognizes a chamber producer who has developed a capacity for creating and selling a handmade, locally sourced or value-added product, raising awareness and pride for local products. Nominations can include a variety of producers, from specialty food and beverage, art and jewelry, to home and personal products.

Nominations are also open for the “Customer Service Excellence” award, recognizing a chamber business that has provided extraordinary service in its delivery of a product and/or service to customers.

The third and most prestigious award is the “Business of the Year” award recognizing a chamber member who has contributed to the growth of St. Lawrence County’s economy and brings pride to the business community.

Submit nominations online at NorthCountry Guide.com or call the chamber, 386-4000.

Nominations will be accepted until Oct. 9.

AGRICULTURE

Dairy plant receives grant

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that the Upstate Niagara Cooperative Inc. dairy plant will share part of $18 million in economic development funding.

The company, a privately owned dairy production cooperative, plans to use a grant of

up to $400,000 to buy, start up and upgrade the North Lawrence Dairy facility to produce yogurt and other dairy products.

The grant will cover a portion of the cost of renovations and purchase of new equipment.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative Inc. is headquartered in Buffalo, with more than 360 dairy farm families in Western New York owning the cooperative. It produces and markets a variety of dairy products under its own brand, Upstate Farms, and produces private-label dairy products for national distribution.

Upstate developed plans to purchase and upgrade an underperforming dairy facility in North Lawrence that was planned for shutdown by the prior owners. In 2011, the company requested Empire State Development assistance to help facilitate the acquisition and reduce the costs of improvements and equipment upgrades. ESD offered a $400,000 capital grant, which the company accepted.

As a result of this project, the company has retained 51 jobs and will create an additional 34 jobs. Upstate already has created 12 new jobs. The expanded facility now produces regular and Greek-style yogurt.

Altogether, Gov. Cuomo announced more than $18 million in economic development funding for 19 projects that are generating economic growth statewide.

The funding, approved by Empire State Development’s board of directors, supports projects that are creating 403 new jobs and retaining 1,474 existing jobs in the state. This funding also will leverage more than $490 million in private assets and other public funding to support local businesses and projects that are building a strong foundation for economic growth and job creation.

Local cidery awarded

Kaneb Orchards’ St. Lawrence Cider was recently recognized with the “Best in Class” award at the New York Wine & Grape Foundation Governors Cup Competition at a ceremony at the New York Wine & Culinary Center in Canandaigua.

This is the second year the Massena cidery has earned this award. The business, now in its second year of producing hard cider, has won international awards in Indianapolis and Michigan as well.

Versatility Custom Cabinetry Line Flexibility with limitless sizing 70 years of wood working expertise Wood-Mode provide every design need Freedom and flexibility to create a truly Personalized space Lifetime Limited Warranty Monday-Friday 7am-5pm Saturday 8am-3pm Sunday 9am-1pm 15 Washington Street Alexandria Bay 482-2521 12 | NNY Business | September 2015

HEALTH CARE

CAH offices relocate

Carthage Area Hospital has recently moved its billing and accounting offices offsite in anticipation of relocating additional clinical services to the main campus.

The offices are now located at 40 Franklin St., Suite 1A, Carthage, the location previously occupied by Dr. Fish and Dr. Harvey. Patients can still choose to pay their bills at the main campus at the reception desk located at the hospital’s main entrance.

Small Business startup BUSINESS

Watson Woodworking THE INITIAL IDEA

There was no escaping fate for Edward J. Knapp. Deep down to his core, like his father and great-grandfather before him, the art of woodworking is engrained in his DNA. He completed undergraduate and graduate school in education, paying his way through the latter with money he earned from building and selling custom furniture. Mr. Knapp attended classes in the evenings, and worked with his father during the day.

“Some of the fondest memories of my father was when we worked together,” he said.

Mr. Knapp went on to a 32-year career in teaching and school administration, but he never lost his love for carpentry. When it came time to retire, he returned to his roots and began what he fondly refers to as his “hobby business.”

TARGET CLIENTELE

Mr. Knapp has never had a specific type of customer in mind for Watson Woodworking, but it is mostly young professionals who gravitate toward the custom-made pieces he creates. He produces everything from furniture to cabinets to rocking horses, and every piece is hardwood and one-of-a-kind. Mr. Knapp would never be able to make 100 of the same item, he said.

“I do multiple items, but I really like the challenge,” he explained. “If somebody says, ‘Here’s a picture.

Could you build something?’ I guess that’s what the retirement hobby is all about.”

Mr. Knapp displays his wares at a few craft shows a year, as well as farmers markets, and a popup store in Lowville during the holiday season.

He also uses websites such as Custom Made to bid on not-so-local jobs.

“I’ve delivered to Queens, New York, and Maryland,” he said. “So you get to know people.”

THE JOURNEY

Full-time sit-by-the-pool, golf-allday retirement isn’t for everyone. After constantly being on the go with work and family for decades, the concept of retirement was foreign to Mr. Knapp.

“I still don’t feel like I can sit in the middle of the day and read the paper and not feel a little guilty,” he said with a laugh.

Throughout his career, he had kept the family tradition of carpentry alive as a hobby, and pondered the idea of making a part-time job of it, as he had done in graduate school. Mr. Knapp and his wife retired in 2011 and built a new home. The off-the-beaten-path house was ideal for the new venture: it’s surrounded by woods, filled with Mr. Knapp’s work and complete with a woodshop in the basement.

In early 2013, Mr. Knapp reached out to the Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College, the organization he credits for helping to get the idea off the ground. Representatives drove to his house and walked him through some of the paperwork.

“I still call if I have a question,” he said. “I don’t hesitate to call and bounce ideas off one of the folks there.”

After a few months of planning, Watson Woodworking was officially launched in March 2013.

Since then, he’s produced about 16 to 20 large pieces a year, and was instrumental in organizing

COTY GIANNELLI | NNY BUSINESS

“There’s an opportunity for us to showcase the artisans in the area, whether it be woodworkers or potters or jewelers or silversmiths.”

— Edward J. Knapp, owner, Watson Woodworking last year’s Northern Tier Woodwrights pop-up shop, a commercial space in Lowville for local artisans to show their work. The store displayed the offerings of nine different woodworkers, showcasing everything from furniture to toys to clocks.

Mr. Knapp’s mission was to give fellow Northern New York artisans the opportunity to show their products.

“I think the Adirondack North Country Association calls this area ‘the invisible factory,’” he explained. “There are people who are very talented and do great work and are not very well known.”

The area was supportive of Northern Tier Woodwrights, Mr. Knapp said. In fact, people urged him to stay in the space year-round. But more time in the retail shop means less time in the woodworking shop, he explained.

This is one of the challenges Mr. Knapp has faced: balancing work and marketing. While he does foster healthy relationships with the members of the “invisible factory,” he knows he has competition. Getting your name and work known in the area is important, he said.

Another issue Mr. Knapp has faced since starting his business is shipping. With furniture pieces as large as his, shipping long distances is expensive.

When he bids on projects online, he looks for customers in places that are relatively close, like Rochester, or locations where he has family, like Boston, he explained. In those cases, he can travel and save the clients the hefty delivery charge.

His favorite aspect of Watson Woodworking is

the same as what he loved most about teaching: the people.

“The interaction with the people,” he explained.

“Not only the clients, but the fellow woodworkers and even the vendors. They’re very helpful.”

IN FIVE YEARS

Mr. Knapp’s top priority is finding a home for this year’s Northern Tier Woodwrights. More artisans have shown interest in participating, but last year’s space on South State Street, Lowville, is rented. He would like to keep the shop in the same area, and is on the lookout for available property, he said.

Although he worked in education for 32 years, Mr. Knapp has never taught woodworking, and might soon get the first opportunity to do so.

The Adirondack Folk School has asked him if he would consider teaching a class.

“I said, ‘I can write lesson plans, I know that,’” he said with a chuckle. “That’d be interesting to do.”

Looking further ahead, Mr. Knapp said he’s interested in working with artists from broader areas to create a stronger artisan network. He explained that his ideal system would be similar to that of New Hampshire’s artisan guild, with retail stores spread throughout the state and a museum to display the members’ works.

“I do think that there’s an opportunity for us to showcase the artisans in the area,” he said, “whether it be woodworkers or potters or jewelers or silversmiths.” ­— Lorna Oppedisano

WHERE 6826 Chase Lake Road, Glenfield | FOUNDED March 2013 | WEB watson-woodworking.com

September 2015 | NNY Business

| 13

C OV E R STORY

A competitive growth industry As participation in Youth sportS multiplies, Businesses, organizers see new opportunities for positive regional economic activity

D

BY KEN EYSAMAN | NNY BUSINESS EDITOR

Despite temperatures that reached

just 27 degrees, for Maureen Lundy-Way’s three children, it was a great February day for a swim.

The three youths were among 700 swimmers who took over the Watertown High School pool Feb. 7 and 8 to compete in the Central New York District Championship meet. The mid-winter event was a first for Watertown as host and just one example of how the explosive youth sports industry is gaining traction at an expansive pace in Northern New York.

Ms. Lundy-Way’s sons Connor, 16, and Caleb, 13, have been swimming since they were 5 and her daughter, McKenzie, 12, since age 4. “Starting at such a young age, they’re always improving their skills and times,” she said Ms. Lundy-Way is a nine-year veteran coach for the Watertown YMCA Blue Sharks, a competitive swim team of more

14 | NNY Business | September 2015

than 120 young swimmers from across Jefferson County.

“It’s a great, non-weight-bearing sport for kids to be involved with,” she said, adding that simply learning to swim is a lifesaving skill.

The district swim meet was one of the largest youth sporting events ever held in Watertown, bringing teams of swimmers and their families to the city from Auburn, Cortland, Fulton, Norwich, Oneida and Oneonta. The district meet is held annually, with teams taking a turn each year to host the event.

Until February, Watertown had always passed on its turn for concern that the city didn’t have the facilities. This year, organizers figured out a way to make it work.

“It’s a great family piece,” Watertown Family YMCA chief executive officer Peter W. Schmitt said of the swim program. “The YMCA Blue Sharks have been a part of this community for 45 years. It’s a great program

to keep kids active and families involved.”

Mr. Schmitt said February’s two-day tournament would not have been possible without support from the community. The impact of the meet didn’t go unnoticed by businesses, either. Many realized it was going to be a big event and helped by donating food and money, among other things. The gymnasium at Watertown High School was converted to a barracks for athletes and families of the 580 or so out-of-town swimmers stayed in local hotels, ate in local restaurants and fueled vehicles at local gas stations.

Like many hotels, the Fairfield Inn on Commerce Park Drive offers discounted price packages for such events. Seeing value in future events, the Fairfield Inn also gave $10 to the YMCA for each room booked, toward future swim meets. While that might have been a small dollar amount, the act of support was more significant from a local

C O V E R S T O RY

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

The Watertown YMCA Blue Sharks dance to the song ‘YMCA’ as a warm-up during a final practice before hosting the 2015 Central New York District Championship at Watertown High School last February. The Blue Sharks is a competitive swim team for youth aged 5 to 19.

lodging industry that has grown fiercely competitive in the past five years with at least a half-dozen large, nationally branded hotels opening their doors to guests in Watertown and Jefferson County.

The Greater-Watertown North Country Chamber of Commerce estimated the swim meet alone delivered a roughly $100,000 boost to the local economy.

“I would venture to say we haven’t drawn this large of a crowd in close to a decade,” Lynn M. Pietroski, then-president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce said.

Mr. Schmitt said the YMCA was “extremely pleased” with how well the meet went and that it would “most definitely” host it again when its turn comes up again in a few years.

That same weekend, the Watertown Municipal Arena hosted the three-day Ed Lupia Memorial youth hockey tournament. It also fueled regional economic ac-

tivity as several hotels reported blocks of bookings by youth hockey teams. The Best Western Carriage House Inn sold 40 rooms to youth hockey teams while the Fairfield Inn sold 30 rooms to hockey teams in addition to the 15 that the Cortland swim team used. Other hotels saw similar bookings that same weekend.

Few would doubt that the multimilliondollar modernization of the city’s arena presently under way will help attract more youth sports tournaments. But while some maintain that the city needs another sheet of ice to grow winter season youth sports, officials are remain cautious about such an investment until demand picks up.

“If we had a second sheet of ice, we could fill 30 or 40 percent of it. But then we’re paying $1 million plus to have a building that’s not full two-thirds of the time,” Watertown Parks and recreation Superintendent Erin E. Gardner told NNY

Business in a 20 Questions interview last month. “We’re booked solid with the arena that we do have. A second sheet of ice down the road if minor hockey and figure skating expands and they need more hours, or if we’re doing other programs that take up hours, then we would need it.”

With a remodeled arena slated to open in January, Ms. Gardner said the facility is already booking up.

Gary DeYoung, director of tourism for the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council said the potential for growth as a youth sports destination is really measured against available facilities to host large events. And while participation in youth sports has grown, the region could greatly benefit from additional investments in facilities.

“Over the last decade lodging has built up,” he said. “But we have to have to have event capacity and lodging availability. To see substantial growth, we need more September 2015 | NNY Business

| 15

C OV E R STORY facilities, then we’d have opportunities to do a lot more of that.”

Just 10 weeks after the YMCA Blue Sharks pulled off its first major tournament in Watertown, the YMCA hosted the New York State YMCA Gymnastic Championships, which drew teams from Batavia, Cortland, Glens Falls, Oneida, Rochester and Saratoga.

“We had 220 athletes and their families in town for two days and managed an extremely successful event,” Mr. Schmitt said.

Nationally, the youth sports movement

16 | NNY Business | September 2015

has become a $7 billion industry in travel alone.

In the north country, the most popular non-school-related youth sports are soccer, lacrosse, swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, hockey, baseball and football.

Teams are typically organized through community-based programs and organizations, like Little League, Pop Warner and the YMCA, or groups, such as soccer and lacrosse clubs, that are funded by fees, donations and business sponsorships. The YMCA successfully manages the widest

slate of youth sports in Jefferson County.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that at least 35 million youths between 5 and 18 play an organized sport each year in the United States. Of that, the majority, or 21 million are involved in non-school youth sports. Youth soccer has risen from 2,388,000 players in 1995 to 3,020,000 in 2012. Its growth has been evenly split between boys and girls.

Peter Clough is president of the nonprofit Greater Watertown Pop Warner League. He said while participation in

C O V E R S T O RY youth football has leveled off in recent years, due in part to the national attention that concussion-related injuries have received, it remains a popular club some 46 years after the first Pop Warner game was played at the Watertown Fairgrounds.

“We have more competitive kids starting earlier, developing skills,” he said, adding that his Watertown league has 110 youths ages 5 through 12 who play on four different teams. In addition, the league has a cheer squad that numbers 30. “There are a lot more opportunities for local play with less travel, which saves parents money.”

Mr. Clough, who is also a volunteer coach in the North Country Lacrosse League and a father of three young children, youth sports helps develop skills in children like few other activities.

“In general a lot of life lessons are being taught on the field of competition,” he said. “Kids learn so much by just having to compete.”

In the north country, Mr. Clough said lacrosse has been the fastest growing youth sport in recent years. Three years ago, he and Geoff Eliopoulos, who run the North Country Lacrosse League, launched the two-day Showdown Lax Fest tournament at the Watertown Fairgrounds.

“I would say over the last couple years, the sport has really grown at the youth level,” he said. “When we started the IHC club four years ago, we started with a K-2 team and we were the only local club to have one. Now everybody has one, so it’s grown quite a bit.”

The tournament continues to grow each summer. In June, nearly 80 teams, including several from around the state, competed in two days on nine different fields.

“With our activities with youth lacrosse, we thought of the idea to have another local tournament,” Clough said. “That way, local kids who want more competition wouldn’t have to travel too far to do so.”

The first year, the tournament had had about 30 teams. Last year, the teams numbered in the mid-50s and this year, the total climbed to 80. Along with local squads from Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, teams will travel to compete in the event, including from Corning, Akwesasne, Geneva and Rome.

“It’s definitely grown,” Mr. Clough said, noting that the event included an age range from 5-13 at the modified level to older teens taking part in a varsity tourna-

ment. “We’ve added basically 20 teams a year so we’re hoping to continue that growth for the next four or five years.”

Tom O’Brien became head varsity lacrosse coach at South Jefferson in 1994, the same year he started the 1812 Shootout, a youth lacrosse tournament in Sackets Harbor that draws nearly 5,000 players to the tiny historic village over two weekends of intense play.

“When you walk down the street it’s neat to see the little village transform to a lacrosse town,” said Mr. O’Brien, now principal of the South Jefferson Middle School.

Some 260 teams — boys and girls — participated in this year’s tournament held July 11 and 12 and July 18 and 19 at Madison Barracks.

Athletes from as far away as Texas and New Jersey and across the Northeastern United States have traveled to Sackets Harbor for the 1812 Shootout with many staying in local hotels or camping during the week between tournament play. Mr. O’Brien estimates the number of spectators tops 17,000 during the tournament.

“Hotels are full and for most of the restaurants in and near Sackets, it’s the best two weekends of the year,” Mr. O’Brien said.

The four-day tournament easily deliv-

ers upward of $1 million or more in local economic impact based its length, number of athletes and spectators.

“It started with only eight varsity teams 21 years ago,” Mr. O’Brien said.

Daniel Myers is executive director of Double Play Community Center, which opened in 2011 to offer local youths opportunities to participate in sports and other recreational and educational activities.

“Youth sports is a multibillion-dollar industry that provides economic stimulus for our communities,” Mr. Myers said.

“We’re providing opportunities for kids to be involved not just physically, but socially, too.”

For Mr. Myers, the economic impact of youth sports on communities isn’t just a dollar figure. He sees it as a chance to grow and develop youth into healthy and productive adults. And a healthy population will attract bigger opportunities for positive growth and development for the community and region.

“We’ve taken a group of kids who otherwise would not have activities and we’ve created enrichment opportunities for them,” Mr. Myers said. n KEN EYSAMAN is editor for NNY Magazines.

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

September 2015 | NNY Business

| 17

Features

Charles F. “Chuck” Lamon Jr., owner and founder of Victory Promotions, Watertown and Canton in his Watertown store last month.

COTY GIANNELLI | NNY BUSINESS

A customer-first culture For Victory Promotions, success comes with meeting diverse needs

By Lorna Oppedisano

C

NNY Business

harles F. Lamon Jr. had a passion for sports and a knack for sales and marketing. He just needed a way to combine them.

Mr. Lamon always anticipated running his own business. After working for 10 years as sales manager at his father’s wholesale beer distribution company, Best Distributing Co., Mr. Lamon followed what he refers to as a “natural progression” and opened Victory Promotions.

“Every day starting this business, I drew upon the experiences and the marketing and sales training that I [had] received,” he said.

With virtually no experience in screen printing, the entrepreneur was confident that his marketing and sales expertise would carry the company. Now nearly 15 years later, the company has expanded to

18 | NNY Business | September 2015

add custom embroidery and promotional products, serving local sports teams, nonprofits and small businesses in primarily Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

“It’s limitless,” he said of his customer base. “Anybody with a sign or a team name. Or anybody who wants branding.”

When he started out, Mr. Lamon wrote a business plan from scratch and researched his competition. He found that he had the market cornered, especially when it came to companies that offer both screen printing and custom embroidery services. There was a remarkable lack of competition in the team market, too, he said.

In June 2001, Mr. Lamon purchased a small screen printing operation in Watertown on Bradley Street and opened Victory Promotions. Later that year, the company added custom embroidery to its list of offerings. Demand increased, and in August 2003, he bought Gary Hopps’ KTI Screen Printing in Carthage to meet customers’ needs. The next year, the

company’s amenities expanded to include promotional products. By 2006, it was time to move again. Victory Promotions closed its Bradley Street and Carthage locations to open its present home, the 8,800-squarefoot facility at 114 Parker St., Watertown.

Customer demand dictated each expansion of space and capacity, Mr. Lamon explained.

“We have to make sure that our times aren’t longer than anybody else’s,” he said.

In 2007, Mr. Lamon made the decision to open a second retail location in Canton. After realizing how often he was traveling to St. Lawrence County — a couple times a week — he invested time to find the right commercial space up north, and opened shop in October.

Victory Promotions was appointed the only authorized team dealer of Adidas and Under Armour north of Syracuse in 2010 and 2013, respectively. More recently, the company became an authorized team dealer for Russell Athletic and Wilson.

Features From the perspective of local patrons, this is a huge plus. Watertown High School has been a client of Victory Promotions since Mr. Lamon founded the company, and within the past three years, the school has ordered the majority of its uniforms from Victory.

Michael A. Lennox, the school’s director of health, physical education and athletics, said the fact that Victory Promotions offers the most current brands is significant.

“And more importantly, we’re given a good price,” he said, explaining that Mr. Lamon’s company works realistically within the price boundaries of what its clients can afford.

But what’s best about working with Victory Promotions is the service, Mr. Lennox said: “It’s personable. It’s up front. It’s honest.”

Mr. Lamon said he’s always conscious of the local economic climate of the north country and prides his business on its customer service and competitive pricing. By growing the business to its present volume, Victory Promotions has become a preferred distributor of many suppliers, he said, explaining that the savings are passed along to customers in ways such as package pricing for student athletes.

While Victory Promotions has primarily

The Charles F. Lamon Jr. file AGE: 47 JOB: owner, founder, Victory Promotions FAMILY: wife, Michelle; children, Ryan, 19, and Mackenzie, 17 HOMETOWN: Watertown EDUCATION: Associate degree in business administration, Jefferson Community College; Bachelor of Science in management, Clarkson University CAREER: Sales manager at familyowned Best Distributing Co. until 2001; founder and owner of Victory Promotions, 2001-present

seen forward progress, it was not immune to the recession. In 2009, the company experienced its only year without positive growth. That year, the number of small business clients dipped due to the uncertainty of the economy, Mr. Lamon explained. But Victory Promotions offered local businesses something that could help them out of the slump: branding.

“It’s a lot different than a 30-second commercial,” he said.

The biggest challenge that Victory Promotions faces now is time, Mr. Lamon

said with a chuckle.

“In this world today, everything is instant,” he said, “and this is still a business that you have to take an order, order in inventory, artwork approval and then actually process the goods.”

He’s added capacity and employees and tweaked the company’s processes to address the issue, he said. The company now employs 21 people. The facility on Parker Street houses 13 embroidery heads, an automatic screen printing machine and two manual screen printing machines.

Looking ahead, Mr. Lamon said he’ll probably add sales reps, and could potentially open more retail locations. If the timing is right to fill a void, he’ll take advantage of the opportunity. Within the past year, the company’s website and team catalogue have helped it expand, as well.

Mr. Lamon credits Victory Promotions’ success to the staff and the business’s efforts to maintain competitive pricing, production time and quality.

“At the end of the day, I think we’ve done a great job servicing the needs of our customers,” he said. n LORNA OPPEDISANO is a staff writer and editorial assistant for NNY Magazines. Contact her at loppedisano@wdt.net or 661-2381.

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JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

RBC Wealth Management-U.S. CEO John G. Taft, left, with Cyril Mouaikel, managing director-branch director of RBC’s Watertown branch, in Mr. Mouaikel’s new office atop Washington Street, Watertown. The investment advisory firm built a new branch office at 19485 U.S. Route 11, across from the CANI building in the new Washington Street Business Park under development by Purcell Construction Co.

All eyes on the future

RBC’s Watertown branch digs in atop Washington Street

By Joleene Moody

J

NNY Business

ust over the crest of the hill atop Washington Street in Watertown sits a brand new financial center on the fringe of the Washington Street Business Park that is home

to a century-old city institution.

RBC Wealth Management, Watertown’s oldest and largest brokerage firm, moved from its Public Square offices next to the Family YMCA to the new custom-built space in August to give clients, local business leaders and employees more room to do what they do best: serve the community on every level.

“After 100 years downtown, we looked at several different offices in the same area,” said Cyril Mouaikel, managing director – branch director of RBC’s Watertown office.

“But we didn’t feel those spaces filled our 20 | NNY Business | September 2015

Supreme Court, was on hand for an open needs, especially when it came to parking.

Some of our clients are aging and not as mo- house and ribbon-cutting last month. bile as they used to be. So it was important “The Royal Bank of Canada and all the Canadian banks we find a place with behaved the way banks ample parking to acshould behave during commodate our clients the 2008 financial crisis. on every level.”

The office has None of them folded. achieved record They all maintained their dividends,” Mr. success and ranks Taft said. “And they all in the top 10 branches made money throughin productivity and profitability for the out the crisis. I like to Minneapolis-based think today that RBC is RBC Wealth Cyril Mouaikel, branch director, the best example of reManagement. sponsible financing we RBC Wealth Management have in the world. That John Taft, chief Watertown branch executive officer of RBC responsibility gives our Wealth Managementclients comfort.”

U.S. and great-grandson of William Howard The new office employs six financial adTaft, 27th President of the United States and visors, a senior investment associate and later 10th Chief Justice of the United States five senior support staff. It is this staff, Mr.

“

Longevity helps us stay connected to our clients and community by doing the right thing.

—

FEATURES Mouaikel said, that makes RBC iconic and trustworthy in the Watertown and north country community.

“We have wonderful people with great tenure,” he said. “For example, we have a gentleman who has been with us for 47 years now. We have another woman that has been with us for 33 years. This longevity helps us stay connected to our clients and community by doing the right thing.”

The right thing also includes stimulating the region’s economy and bringing jobs to Jefferson County by employing local companies for site development. With 5,200 square feet, the new office will enable the Watertown branch to grow.

BUSINESS HISTORY Built by local hands, the facility was a n RBC Wealth Management: highly collaboraA timeline of 100 tive project between years in business Mr. Mouaikel, KDM p. 44 Alliance, the owner, Purcell Construction Corp., Watertown, general contractor, GYMO PC, Watertown, design architect and engineering, and CBRE, project manager.

A very green approach was used during the design and construction of the $1.1 million building. It features energyefficient windows, insulation and equipment, water-saving features and LED lighting. Environmental consciousness is important to the organization, and is the reason RBC contributes millions annually to various like-minded organizations in Canada and the United States.

“Employees volunteer in a wide range of charitable and community activities.

We match contributions in both time and money to reward them for investing,” Mr. Taft said. “We work in conjunction with environmental projects and are now funders of organizations committed to clean water around the world, one of which is called the Clean Water Project.”

RBC Wealth Management serves a variety of diverse clients, from those with a $35,000 retirement accounts to billiondollar trading accounts, Mr. Taft said. No matter the financial need, all are served and honored and always will be.

“Our new facility is a pretty significant commitment on the part of our wealth management division and RBC to this community,” Mr. Taft said. “I think what we’re trying to signal is that were here to stay. We have a 100-year industry that is unique, and we look forward to serving Watertown for 100 more years.” n Joleene moody is a creative coach, author, comedic speaker and freelance writer who lives in Oswego County with her husband and daughter. Contact her at joleenemoody.com.

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September 2015 | NNY Business

| 21

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Mr. Rick’s Bakery co-owners, from left, Paul Geremy Alberry and his parents, Frances M. and Paul G. Alberry, show off their new location on Route 11.

Rising to new heights Move to larger space roughly triples business for owners

By TED BOOKER

F

NNY Business

rank E. Bizub bought two glazed doughnuts and a cinnamon roll for $3.97 on a recent Monday morning at Mr. Rick’s Bakery — a favorite stop since the business relocated in late May from downtown to Route 11 south of Watertown.

“I’ve been here probably a half-dozen times since they moved,” said Mr. Bizub, a transportation technician for Davidson Auto Group. The dealership is among several businesses that are a short drive from the bakery at 17099 Route 11 in the town of Watertown, making it an ideal spot for workers for breakfast and lunch.

Business at Mr. Rick’s has roughly tripled since it moved into the newly renovated, 3,700-square-foot former Butler Fence Co. building — nearly three

22 | NNY Business | September 2015

times the size of its former rented space at 525 Mill St., co-owner Paul G. Alberry said. Mr. Rick’s opened in 2001 at the Mill Street location owned by Patricia Signor.

Mr. Alberry said the larger building’s 2,000-square-foot kitchen has enabled the family-owned business to offer a lunch menu with a range of deli sandwiches, hot entrees, soups and salads that weren’t previously available. There are now 16 people on staff.

He said the retail side of the business has benefited from an influx of traffic among professionals who work along outer Washington Street.

“We’re getting doctors, nurses, BOCES workers, insurance agents and employees from Samaritan Summit Village and car dealers. Some people come in two to three times a day,” said Mr. Alberry, who co-owns the bakery with wife Frances M. and son Paul G.

The Alberry family bought the former storage facility for $189,000 from American Asphalt Inc. of Massena, according to Jefferson County property sales recorded April 7. Before that, Mr. Alberry said, the building was leased for about 14 months to complete a full-scale makeover of the structure that included the installation of new ceilings, tiling, electrical wiring, windows, doors and interior painting.

Mr. Alberry said about $500,000 overall was invested in building renovations and equipment. The work was partly financed by a $40,000 loan from the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency and a $350,000 loan from M&T Bank.

“We’re building a new storage building by the winter and will have the parking lot paved in the next two years,” the 56-year-old said.

The larger structure also has enabled the bakery to expand the wholesale side of its

FEAT UR E S business, Mr. Alberry said, which accounts for most of its sales. He said the company sells breads, rolls, doughnuts and desserts to about 150 wholesale customers across Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. They include 15 Nice N Easy convenience stores, some of the best-known restaurants in the region, several area school districts, campgrounds and other mom-and-pop businesses.

At Mill Street, Mr. Alberry said, retail sales only accounted for about 5 percent of the bakery’s total business; thanks to the new location, they now account for

Mr. Rick’s Bakery / glance WHERE: 17099 U.S. Route 11, Watertown HOURS: 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Closed Sundays.

ONLINE: mrricksbakery.com WHOLESALE: 779-8070 BISTRO: 788-7425

about 30 percent.

On Monday morning, four employees worked in the kitchen. Two employees were

busy kneading dough for Italian rolls, while others prepared sandwiches and soups for the lunch crowd. Daily sandwich specials, which include a salad, are priced at $7.99.

Mr. Alberry said that while the bakery lost a portion of its former customers who live downtown, some of them are still willing to make the drive because of the “quality and price of our products.” He added his 27-year-old son, Paul, plans to eventually take over the business. n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at tbooker@wdt.net or 661-2371.

September 2015 | NNY Business

| 23

R EA L E STATE ROUNDUP

A busy summer for local Realtors

B

etween listing, selling, renting and appraising real estate, north country Realtors participated in several events across the region and beyond this summer.

Women’s Council of Realtors golf tournament

The Tri-County Women’s Council of Realtors held its annual captain and crew golf tournament on July 24 at Highland Meadows Golf and Country Club.

Tournament proceeds benefitted the Fort Drum USO chapter and local WCR chapter events. Major sponsors were First Niagara and Timothy A. Farley P.C. Nineteen teams participated in one of three divisions — mens, ladies and coed.

While participation was open to anyone, a few winning teams included Realtor or affiliate members. The team of Nick Sterling, TLC Real Estate, Nat Burgess, Pat Reilly and Brandon Raymo, won the men’s division with a score of 57, 15 under par. The ladies’ division winning team finished with a score of 72, par, and included Janet Handschuh, Heart Homes, Betty Compeau, Kim Delles and Lynda Chester. Coed division winners were the team of Tom Penn, Gouverneur Savings and Loan, Cindy Penn, Tara Amato and Chuck Penn with a 9-under-par score of 63. Awards were given for longest drive to J.J. Farmer, men’s division, and Nicole Winters, ladies’ division. Ms. Winters also won “closest to the pin” as did Jim Paquette for the men.

Next year’s tournament is set for July 29 at Highland Meadows.

Political action committee events

Through RPAC, Realtors support

candidates who believe in and help protect homeownership, property rights and other issues important to property owners and the real estate industry.

All money raised comes from volLance Evans untary contributions. On July 22, Realtors from St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties held an RPAC fundraiser during the Community Performance Series production of “Chicago” at SUNY Potsdam. About $4,700 was raised.

Members of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors held a barbecue and silent auction at Coyote Moon in Clayton on Aug. 4.

The event raised about $3,000. Both events were great ways to raise money while having a good time.

Leadership events

In August, Randy Raso, Raso Real Estate, Lisa L’Huillier, Hefferon Real Estate, and I traveled to Chicago for leadership training.

Randy Raso, the 2016 JeffersonLewis Board of Realtors president, and I attended the National Association of Realtors Leadership 200 and Leadership 300 classes on Aug. 9. The classes are designed to help participants understand leadership development, the role of leaders in Realtor associations, how to develop strategic planning skills, manage risk and understand the role as a leader.

We also participated in NAR’s annual

leadership summit. This event helps lay out the vision of the incoming National Association of Realtors president, introduces the rest of the leadership team for the year and gives incoming local and state leaders some training on resources about issues they may face during the coming year. We heard from NAR 2016 President Tom Salomone, NAR CEO Dale Stinton, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, received an issues perspective from NAR VP of Government Affairs Jerry Giovaniello and several panels on issues facing the industry. Outside speakers included four-time world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, Olympic gold medal soccer player Mia Hamm and John Foley, former lead solo pilot for the Blue Angels.

The National Women’s Council of Realtors held its leadership academy in Chicago from Aug. 7 to 9. Lisa L’Huillier is set to serve as 2016 New York State WCR chapter president. While there, she joined 250 other state and local WCR chapter president-elects, and incoming WCR regional vice presidents to hear 2016 WCR President Melissa Zimbelman and her team outline events and responsibilities for the coming year. Among these for a state president are to be an educator, communicator, leadership developer and WCR’s liaison to the rest of the real estate industry in their state. Ms. L’Huillier also attended workshops on technology tips and tricks and on conflict resolution. n LANCE M. EVANS is the executive officer of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors.

Contact him at levans@nnymls.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

It is a great time to buy or sell real estate.

Jefferson-Lewis Board of REALTORS invites you to visit nnymls.com, then contact one of our members and let them show you how to

Dream It, Live It, Own It in Northern New York.

Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors

®

www.nymls.com

24 | NNY Business | September 2015

RE AL E STAT E / top transactions Top 10 property sales by price recorded in the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office in July 2015: $3,385,000: July 9, Town of Ellisburg: Three parcels, 538 total acres more or less, Saxe Road, Douglas E. Brown and Deborah B. Brown, Mannsville, and Russell L. Brown and Wendy S. Brown, Mannsville, sold to Hillcrest Farms LLC, Woodville. $991,000: July 20, Town of Alexandria: 2 acres, Linden Cove Extension on shore of St. Lawrence River, Robert Brough, Clayton, sold to SEA 129 LLC, Cumming, Ga. $560,000: July 1, Town of Watertown: 1.159 acres, Dry Hill Estates, Charles G. Caprara and Maureen A. Caprara, Watertown, sold to Alejandro Rodriguez, Watertown. $550,000: July 30, Town of Watertown: 5.05 acres, Pheasant Run, Deer Meadows Drive at Cagwin Bend South, Richard G. Mangan and Kathryn Kellogg Mangan, Henderson, sold to Daniel A. Bryden and Megan Bryden, Brownstown. Mich.

known acres, bounded by Market Street, Walter E. Siebel and Alexander Vangellow (associates), 29 Market Street Associates, Potsdam, sold to Trezza Realty LLC, Potsdam. $225,000: July 16, Village of Norwood: 2.78 acres more or less, bounded by NorwoodPotsdam Highway, Melanie F. and Larry H. Nichols, Cazenovia, sold to DG Strategic II LLC, Goodlettsville, Tenn. $215,000: July 1, Town of Waddington: 2 Parcels, unknown acres, Lot 6, Dorothy H. Locy, Waddington, sold to Jayme V. Smith and Jody M. Fitzgerald, Ogdensburg. $194,000: July 1, Town of Macomb: 5.81 acres more or less, bounded by Black Lake Road, Chris-

tine J. LaRose, Ogdensburg, sold to William J. and Michele M. Bronner, Malone. $193,000: July 16, Town of Potsdam: Unknown acres, Mile Square Lot 39, bounded by Regan Road, Michael B. and Elaine Whitehead, Potsdam, sold to Sitaraman Krishnan and Sinduja Sitarman, Potsdam. $197,500: July 31, Town of Canton: 1 acre more or less, Mile Square Lot 1, bounded by State Highway Route 310, David L. and Juanita R. White, Canton, sold to Gino Montanaro Jr. and Rebecca Welsch, Bethany, Pa. $190,000: July 1, Village of Canton: Unknown acres, bounded by Farmer Street and State Street, Timothy J. and Amy Lamitie, New Hartford, sold to Daniel T. and Jennifer R. Thomas, Canton.

$390,000: July 2, Town of LeRay: 0.533 acres, River Bend Drive, Adam L. Odett and Lynn M. Odett, Watertown, sold to Kathryn E. Clarkson and Gary W. Clarkson Jr., Watertown. $330,000: July 21, Town of LeRay: 0.458 acres, Riverbend Estates, Timothy Jewett and Danielle Jewett, Watertown, sold to Sirva Relocation Properties LLC, Independence, Ohio. $330,000: July 21, Town of LeRay: 0.458 acres, Riverbend Estates, Sirva Relocation Properties LLC, Independence, Ohio, sold to Ryan P. Murtie and Jessica R. Murtie, no address listed. $329,050: July 8, Town of Ellisburg: 83.5 acres, Comstock Road, Matthew D. Graves and Darcia M. Graves, Adams, sold to South Jeff Land Co. LLC, Ellisburg. $299,999: July 9, Town of Champion: 2.48 acres, Jackson II Road, Daniel A. Wasneechak and Barbara J. Wasneechak, Carthage, sold to Eric A. Fernandez and Karma A. Fernandez, Fort Drum. $288,500: July 15, Village of Dexter: No acreage given, Grant Street, J. David Giruzzi and Jacqueline S. Giruzzi, Dexter, sold to Klint E. Kuhlman and Lindsay A. Kuhlman, Newport, R.I. Top 10 property sales by price recorded in the St. Lawrence County Clerk’s Office in July 2015: $600,000: July 31, Village of Potsdam: Unknown acres, bounded by Main Street and Market Street, M.S. Compeau Inc., Potsdam, sold to 16 Main Management, LLC, Malone. $330,000: July 2, Town of Morrisville: 0.43 of an acre more or less, bounded by Blackstone Bay Road, Stephen R. and Kimberly E. White, Hammond, sold to Ronald L. and Holley E. Hainen, Canandaigua. $290,000: July 16, Town of Colton: 11 acres more or less, Lot 20, bounded by Backwoods Road, Parker B. Sherwood III and Cynthia C. Sherwood, Queensbury, sold to Robert W. and Theresa P. Selby, Johnson, Vt. $275,000: July 10, Town of Parishville: 4.550 acres more or less, Lot 10, bounded by Pumpkin Hill Road, Michael R. and Rachel Y. Martin, Potsdam, sold to Russell J. Tuttle Jr. and Cynthia L. Tuttle, Potsdam. $260,255: July 23, Village of Potsdam: Un-

September 2015 | NNY Business

| 25

20 questions

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

A vision for parks & rec

W

hen Erin E. Gardner transitioned from executive director of a senior living residence to superintendent of parks and recreation for the city of Watertown in April 2012, her new job came with a few surprises. Since that time, Mrs. Gardner has worked to improve the department’s relationship with the community and make a positive impact on the area. This month, she sat down with NNY Business to discuss the work she’s done, the state of local projects such as the city arena and dog park, and her vision for parks and recreation.

1

NNYB: In 2012, you said “I know the department has to gain the public’s trust again,” referring to the billing issues that plagued the city’s rec department. Has the department gained the public’s trust? How? What’s been done?

GARDNER: Absolutely. We’ve implemented policies and procedures to ensure that people are paying. We have a “pay before you play” policy, so if you don’t pay to use our fields or you don’t pay to use the arena, then you’re not going to play. We’ve had no problems with that. People appreciate it. It’s less work trying to track people down afterwards. And we’re also out in the public eye more. We want people to know what we’re doing. We want people to know what their tax dollars are going toward.

NNYB: City officials said at the time that “building a team will be a key to your suc-

26 | NNY Business | September 2015

n After

three years, excitement still stirs in city’s parks chief

2

cess.” You hired Scott Weller from the YMCA as a key member of your team. Do you have all the right people on board to lead the department into the future?

GARDNER: I absolutely think we do. Everybody here is long-term. We all have the same goals. We all have the same vision for what the department’s going to be. We’re working on our mission statement. I’m very confident that this team is as strong as it will be. It’s a great team. Everybody works together and everybody has one goal and that’s public awareness, community service and trying to do things for the community that don’t cost an arm and a leg. So many people in the community can’t afford to do things.

3

NNYB: We now have the position of superintendent, but there wasn’t always leadership that existed solely in Parks and Rec. Some folks think that city staff was a little shy in the past about approaching council with the reality of this is what we need.

GARDNER: I wouldn’t doubt that. I don’t begrudge my predecessor at all. He put a lot of years in here. He did a lot of great things.

He did a great job. To some extent, his hands were tied because he wasn’t a department head, and so he always had to go through somebody else to get to council. You can’t begrudge him for that. I don’t have anything

negative to say about him. The amount of time, effort and personal things that he put into this department. There are thousands and thousands of kids who know who he is, and what he’s done for them. To some extent, his hands were probably tied a little bit.

4

NNYB: You previously worked as an administrator at a senior living facility. How do you feel that experience prepared you for the job you hold today?

GARDNER: Even though my clientele was for the most part senior, I still had the responsibilities: personnel issues, scheduling, collecting money, getting quotes for different products or vehicles. Just to be able to see things from other perspectives, I’ve always got an open mind. I’m not going to pretend that I know what you do. I want to listen and hear what you do, and what drives you to do it. I have an open door policy. I’ve always had that.

And that seems to work well in all of my jobs.

5

NNYB: What was the series of delays to get the ice arena project going like from your point of view?

GARDNER: It was frustrating. I spend more time in that arena that I spend at home. And I saw all the problems that it had. I saw the dollars that it was costing the city to fix that, or fix this, or the leaky roof that leaked

2 0 questions on every event. I really knew that it needed to happen. I was optimistic because I really do think that we have a council that does listen.

All the department heads provide the city council with a weekly update of things that they should know or should need to know. So they know exactly where we stand: if there are problems, if there are issues, if we’re doing good things, everything that I think they should know. I try to keep them as well informed as possible and I think they respect that. When I go to them with an issue, they listen.

6

NNYB: So moving forward, when the facility is complete, what plan do you have in mind to maintain it well into the future so that those kinds of issues don’t accrue again?

GARDNER: Obviously, we need a preventative maintenance plan. I’ve had those in all the other facilities that I’ve worked in. You just develop it depending on how the facility turns out. You put everything on a budget. Five-year plan. Ten-year plan. You budget for those things and you get them when you need them and you have money for them. The problem with this arena is that it was built, and then they threw walls up, and nothing was done after that. You can’t expect the most used building in the city of Watertown to not have any updating for 30 years. It was time.

7

NNYB: What could the city have done to avoid that?

GARDNER: Well, they could have had a preventative maintenance plan. Maybe more visits from people at city hall. I’m not sure how often the superintendent of DPW came down here to see what all the issues were. But I know that now we get visits from people from city hall.

I’d call them and say, “Can you stop down here? I want to show you this or show you that.” I want to keep everybody in tune with what’s going on, because when something does go wrong, I want to say, “We talked about this two weeks ago” or two months ago or whatever the case may be.

8 9

NNYB: What’s the timeline currently? When will the arena be done?

GARDNER: We’re looking at the beginning of January. We’ve had no setbacks so far.

NNYB: Does Watertown need another sheet of ice to meet demand?

GARDNER: It really depends on who you ask. When they did the feasibility study for JCC, it was deemed that there was not enough need to fill a second sheet of ice. If we had a second sheet of ice, we could fill 30 or 40 percent of it. But then we’re paying $1 million plus to have a building that’s not full two-thirds of the time. We’re booked solid with the arena that we do have. A second sheet of ice down the road if minor hockey and figure skating expands and they need more hours, or if we’re doing other programs that take up hours, then we would need it. That feasibility study showed that right now, putting the money into it, we wouldn’t be able to recoup the money based on how many hours the people said they would use it.

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

City of Watertown Parks and Recreation Superintendent Erin E. Gardner reflects on her three-year tenure last month in her temporary office at the Watertown Fairgrounds off Coffeen Street.

The Erin E. Gardner file AGE: 36 JOB: Superintendent, parks and recreation department, City of Watertown FAMILY: husband, Matthew Gardner; children, Max, 5, and Molly, 4 HOMETOWN: Raised in Adams Center; lives in Adams EDUCATION: Associate degree in liberal arts from Jefferson Community College; Bachelor of Science in therapeutic recreation from Utica College at Syracuse University; master’s degree in education from University of Phoenix CAREER: Superintendent since April 2012; executive director of senior living residence of Bluefield Manor Housing Inc., Auburn; Wartburg Lutheran Nursing Home, Delmar; Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown; Uihlein Mercy Center, Lake Placid community involvement: South Jefferson Central School District Board of Education, elected 2014 BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ AND WOULD RECOMMEND: “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen; “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom

10

NNYB: What can your department do to help advance youth sports?

GARDNER: As far as sports on the ice, there’s very limited time that any of these sports can really get off the ground and play. We have a lot of fields. I would like to get an indoor facility. I would like to have basketball courts, volleyball courts. We’re looking to put in a spray park up at Thompson Park. That would be great for the local people, but it would also bring people in from the area and get people into Watertown,

spending money at the restaaurants, possibly spend money at the hotels, gas, whatever. I’m pretty sure we have about $350,000 budgeted for that. It’s in the five-year plan.

11

NNYB: So what about the pool at the park?

GARDNER: That’s another controversial issue.

Does it get used? Yes. Would it get used if it was open? Yes. Do communities of our size have three pools? No. They normally have one. Maintaining the pools and the staff for the pools, it gets to be expensive. You’ve got to look at the city as a whole. We’ve got to look at what other buildings in the city are deteriorating like the arena, that are used all year-round.

All of our pools are only open for a month and a half, two months at most.

12

NNYB: Do you think the Factory Square dog park is necessary?

GARDNER: There are people who may not have a yard for their dog to run in. The more things you can add to a community to enhance the quality of life, the better. I don’t think a dog park is a bad thing at all. The politics of it drive me up the wall. We’re just trying to do a good thing, and then you’ve got these people coming in from every direction and trying to sabotage efforts.

13

NNYB: What programs have you added?

GARDNER: One of the things that I’m most proud of is the outdoors movies. That’s been a great asset to the city. I see now all these little towns and villages around the city are now doing that in their communities. We brought back Snowtown USA. We brought back Kite Day. We’ve added other events like build your own scarecrow down at Veterans Memorial Parkway. We’ve added for-tax events. As far as specific programs, we’ve added horseback riding. We’ve added snow play. We’ve September 2015 | NNY Business

| 27

20 questions added kickball, fishing clinic, scuba diving.

14

NNYB: What kinds of things would you like to bring to the community in the winter months?

GARDNER: As with everything, you have to submit a budget, and based on priority, you get things cut. For the last couple years, I’ve put in a groomer for the trails up at Thompson Park. So many people would use them if they’re groomed. It just hasn’t hit that priority level yet.

I also at one point had snowshoes. Just get a stock of snowshoes and people could rent them out and take them out. So those are all things that I keep continuing to put in every year, and if it hits the priority level, it hits the priority level.

We brought back Snowtown and that’s from New Year’s Eve to the middle of February for the last two years.

15

NNYB: How do you balance work and family and have fun?

GARDNER: We do an awful lot with our family as a whole, with my parents and siblings and all of their children. My husband and I take the kids to different theme parks, water parks, playgrounds, beaches, whatever. We just try to do something on my days off. It’ll be good this fall because the arena’s not open, so it’s going to be a downtime. It’s the first downtime since I’ve started the job. So we’re trying to plan as

much as we can. My husband and I play soccer over at the Y. I’ve got my kids involved in t-ball and soccer and tumbling. I’m on the South Jeff school board. That gives me something different than the city to focus on, and I really enjoy that.

16

NNYB: What are your most significant accomplishment since you’ve been on board?

GARDNER: Offering activities and programs at low and no cost. That’s really been my focus.

I want every kid to have a chance, not just doctors’ kids, you know what I mean? I want every kid to have a chance to participate in everything. I also want to have family-oriented fun, like outdoor movies.

17

NNYB: What really cements your place as a leader in your organization, in terms of earning the respect of constituents?

GARDNER: I have an open door policy. Anybody can come talk to me. When there’s an issue, I address it then. That’s one of the things that a lot of leaders have. When there’s an issue you have to address, you have to do it right then, you can’t put it on the back burner.

The community needs to look at you and say, “You know what, she’s listening.” The ability to delegate. The ability stand back and look at things and say, “You know what, if I was a community member in any other community, how would I view this?” It’s my passion to really provide people with something recreational to do.

18

NNYB: What’s the best advice you’ve ever followed and who did it come from?

GARDNER: My parents always said, “You can do anything if you set your mind to it.”

They’ve never held us back. They’ve never told us that we couldn’t do anything. Both my sisters and myself are in high positions. My parents said, “Do it. You can do it. There’s nothing stopping you.”

19

NNYB: You grew up in Adams Center. What keeps you in the north country besides the job?

GARDNER: Family. I’ve got three siblings. My parents still live in the area. My in-laws live in Adams Center. Family is definitely what keeps us here. I have a strong sense of community.

I currently live in Adams and I love Adams. I love the sense of community that they have. But I also love the fact that I can contribute to the sense of community in the city of Watertown, too, as part of my job. I love to do things to make the people of the city of Watertown happy that they live here.

20

NNYB: Are you enjoying the job?

GARDNER: I love the job. Right now, it’s my plan to retire here. I love it. It’s demanding because parks and recreation isn’t a 9-to-5 job.

Ice opens up at 6 in the morning. If there’s a Wolves game, you’re not getting out of there until 11 or 11:30 at night. I show face at everything. I want people to know that I’m here. I’m here if you need me.

— Interview by Ken Eysaman. Edited for length and clarity to fit this space.

28 | NNY Business | September 2015

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE PEOPLE, from page 9 several management positions before being appointed president of the firm’s Utica region in 2008.

Prior to joining Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, she spent 15 years in critical care and coronary care nursing.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the SUNY Brockport, Ms. Van de Wal earned master’s degrees in health services management and business administration from SUNY Institute of Technology. She and her husband Dale have two children and live in New Hartford.

Arsenal Plaza

1283 Arsenal St., Watertown NY

NNY native appointed college unit director

Watertown native Jonah Coburn, a financial representative with The Dodd Group of Northwestern Mutual, was recently appointed Syracuse area college unit director.

Mr. Coburn has been associated with Northwestern Mutual since 2013. His new responsibilities include recruiting, training and mentoring financial representative interns and representatives, while providing clients with financial services.

Mr. Coburn received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Oswego in 2010. He lives in Baldwinsville with his wife, Stephanie.

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Carthage Hospital adds new medical specilist

Carthage Area Hospital recently hired board-certified urologist Felix T. Oben, M.D. Dr. Oben plans to see patients at the hospital’s Urology Center, 3 Bridge St., Carthage, as well as Oben perform surgeries at the hospital. He comes to the hospital from Oswego County Urology, Fulton, a private practice in which he still practices.

Dr. Oben completed medical school at the University of Yaounde, Republic of Cameroon in 1990, where he graduated as class valedictorian. He then completed residency at Howard University.

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September 2015 | NNY Business

| 29

economically speaking

DANC at 30: Strengthening our area

T

he Development Authority of the North Country was created in 1985 under Article 8, Title 29 of the Public Authorities Law to provide infrastructure, services and economic development in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. It is a self-supporting public benefit corporation overseen by a 13-member board of directors. This is its 30th year of operations.

The Watertown-based authority is not supported by direct state approrpriations or taxes.

It is self-supporting through revenue-generating contracts with municipalities, service providers and grants, which are mutually negotiated among the parties. The authority operates a solid waste management facility in Rodman, a broadband network, a gas-to-energy plant, and water and sewer facilities. The authority provides services to customers at Fort Drum and in the surrounding region. In addition, it administers several state-funded loan programs that promote job creation, affordable housing, tourism, agriculture and redevelopment.

During its 30-year history, the authority has been a leading force in developing public infrastructure. One of its first actions was to sign the Solid Waste Management Agreement in 1986 with Jefferson and Lewis counties and the City of Watertown. The authority was tasked to begin work to site, build and operate a state-of-the-art regional landfill to replace local facilities that could no longer meet strict new environmental regulations. In 1992, the Solid Waste Management Facility began operations, and in 1993 St. Lawrence County joined Jefferson and Lewis counties and the Watertown as a partner in the new landfill facility.

Two additional infrastructure projects that played important roles in supporting Fort Drum were the Fort Drum-to-Watertown sewer and water lines. The Authority developed, owns and operates the 12-mile Fort Drum-to-Watertown sewer line, which became operational in 1987. This $15.5 million sewer line connected

30 | NNY Business | September 2015

Fort Drum to the Watertown wastewater treatment facility and four town sewer districts serving areas of the towns of LeRay, Champion and Pamelia.

The authority also developed, owns and operates the 11-mile, $8.5 milMichelle Capone lion Watertown-toFort Drum water line, which began operations in 1991. This system became a primary water source for Fort Drum. In addition to Fort Drum, it services water districts in the towns of LeRay, Champion and Pamelia. These water and sewer lines not only provided Fort Drum with muchneeded infrastructure, but served as a development tool to attract business and housing to communities along the infrastructure.

Since its inception, the authority’s leadership wanted to give back to the people of the north country through its facilities. Its first effort was to create a 2-mile walking trail over the Fort Drum-to-Watertown water and sewer lines along Route 11 in the Town of Pamelia. This trail is named the James Kanik trail after the authority’s first board chairman. In 2012, the Authority created two walking trails adjacent to its landfill. One trail is named for the Glazier family, which owned land on which the facility is located. The other trail is named the Murray trail for past board chairman Douglas L. Murray. Last month, the authority dedicated the Douglas L. Murray Agricultural Interpretive Center located adjacent to the Murray trail.

Early in its history, the authority became a regional resource for affordable housing and business development programs. Over its 30year history, New York State has provided the authority in excess of $23.7 million in fund-

ing for affordable and market-rate housing development. These funds have been used by developers to help build more than 3,400 units of housing in the three counties.

In addition, the authority received money from the state to administer business loan programs. Recently, with the advent of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council, the authority has been asked to administer programs that go beyond Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties to include Franklin, Hamilton, Essex and Clinton counties. These programs are for tourism, value-added agriculture, and redevelopment projects.

The most recent infrastructure project that the authority has undertaken is the development of its public access telecommunications network. This middle-mile broadband fiber optics network was started in 2004. It provided high-speed, reliable and cost-effective broadband, connecting Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties to national telecom carriers in Syracuse. The authority was asked by New York State to assist with a project across the northern and eastern part of the state. Utilizing $19 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, the Northern New York Telecommunications Network was completed in 2012. The system supports education, health care and private carriers and industries across the region.

The authority has been successful in its past 30 years by working with partners within our communities to further the goals of the region.

It will continue to work with its partners to manage continued growth and vitality of the region for generations to come. n michelle capone is director of regional development for the Development Authority of the North Country. She is a lifelong Northern New York resident. Contact her at mcapone@ danc.org. Her column appears occasionally in NNY Business.

nonprofits today

A mission statement is your guide

M

ost organizations have a mission. Businesses have missions, projects and initiatives have missions. Even individuals have internal missions that help guide them, the decisions they make and how they allocate their resources of time, talent and treasure.

All nonprofit organizations have missions that are declared to the Internal Revenue Service in order to justify becoming a tax-exempt organization. Nonprofits receive special tax status because they address problems or provide community enhancements that the government and business can’t or won’t. Their mission statements must be about this public benefit. Fully realized, however, a mission statement should be so much more than simply a prerequisite for charitable status.

A mission statement is an important tool that defines an organization’s primary objectives and purpose. Why was your organization founded? Do you know its mission statement? What differentiates it from all other organizations? What are your core competencies? Why should anyone care? Let the “why” direct the “how” and “what.”

A mission statement is your organization’s touchstone for everything. It is the “organization conscience.” It is important as a continual reminder both inside the organization and outside the organization. In addition to clarifying who you exist to serve and within what boundaries you serve them, it helps to continually focus your energies and can be a primary motivator for staff, board members, volunteers and investors. A good mis-

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sion statement should be broad enough for flexibility but narrow enough so as not to over commit.

A mission statement can be a good check and guide when an Rande Richardson organization is confronted with important decisions: “If we do this, will it further our mission?” These best decisions are those that take your organization’s mission to the next level and enhance the experience for those your serve. It can be easy to lose sight of an organization’s mission when consumed with daily activities, or in pursuit of funding opportunities.

Adherence to a well-formulated mission statement helps prevent what is sometimes called “mission creep.”

What is your organization’s mission statement? Does it accurately reflect how the organization’s decisions are made, how its resources are allocated? Some organizations regularly review their mission statement to determine if their purpose still aligns with reality.

A good mission statement should be a powerful and concise articulation of your organization’s impact. It should compelling and clear. It is the foundation for developing your organization’s vision statement, which will lead to uncovering the core underlying human value you desire to achieve. Together, it creates an

emotional, compelling, enthusiastic sense of where you’ve been and where you’re going. It tells your supporters what they should hold you accountable for doing and gives them a reason to reward you for doing it. It speaks to your culture and values, and helps others rally around them.

Resist the temptation to write something you think others want to hear. Write something realistic enough to achieve but powerful enough to inspire. Make sure it has as its focus those you exist to serve.

By doing all these things, you have a built-in decision-making, resource-allocating guide. You have the foundation for your brand and your value proposition to motivate your stakeholders. Purpose, passion and values aligned are a powerful and transformational force. What is your winning idea? How will you measure your success? Let your “organizational conscience” be your guide.

One more thing: once you’ve done this, remember that your mission and vision are a sacred partnership with those who make it possible. Don’t forget to thank and show gratitude for all those who provide the resources, both human and capital, for making it all happen in the first place. This is how, together, whatever your mission, we can purposefully change and shape our neighborhoods, our communities and the world now and for future generations. n Rande Richardson is executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident and former funeral director. Contact him at rande@nnycf.org. His column appears every other month in NNY Business.

(315) 782-4910 • 1-800-772-4201 • Fax: (315) 785-8248 www.dlcalarco.com • francee@dlcalarco.com

September 2015 | NNY Business

| 31

commerce corner

Make a successful seasonal transition

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all brings beautiful colors, holiday preparations and harvest season. It also brings shorter, cooler days that signal it is time to prepare for hibernation. In the north country, we know that hibernation, given our long winters, is not a productive option. Business trends and cycles, as well as time and weatherdependent projects, may help direct fall planning for a successful seasonal transition. Being aware and strategic now may lead to your most successful year yet, whether you are a new entrepreneur or a veteran business owner.

shows and research products and services firsthand.

Winter is a great time to plan, plot, budget and follow-up, but if you have not put in the time to get all of the Brooke Rouse information together, you may be forced to travel or wait until spring.

Keep your staff working

Take advantage of the nice weather and daylight hours

Outdoor repairs and landscaping, façade improvements, prewinter cleaning and attention to ensuring your storefront lighting, loading dock, parking and other areas are ready to endure snow, ice and darkness are important things to think about now.

You certainly don’t want to deter customers, be caught in a storm or be making repairs with frozen fingers.

As any manager or owner may experience a seasonal lull of hibernation, employees may, too. It is important to identify

your cash flow, but in order to maintain a strong and skilled team. Anticipate the season and seek out jobs that can pick up in the winter, utilize other skills of your employees, diversify your offerings or lay the groundwork for an even more productive spring and summer.

As animals have a natural instinct to gather food, people also have a natural tendency to stock up on food, money, clothing and other items. Unlike the animal ability to completely hibernate, humans tend to act similarly to survive the season as active, productive creatures.

Your business may require you to stock up on cash if you anticipate a slow season. Your end-of-year accounting may require some attention to be ready for the next tax season, your customers and employees may require care and direction to remain faithful and the pressure to be extremely productive may be overwhelming and ever-present leading up to the winter.

Taking the time to think about your seasonal transition, trends and tendencies now will provide a few months of preparation to make your winter as productive as possible and reduce the stress of mother nature’s clock, chipping away at your daylight hours.

Taking the time to think about your seasonal transition, trends and tendencies now will provide a few months of preparation to make your winter as productive as possible and reduce the stress of Mother Nature’s clock.

Avoid stalling progress due to winter conditions

You likely have clients and projects in the works or on the horizon now. You don’t want to be stalled by weather-related travel complications. Take time in the fall to meet with clients in person, attend

good projects for the winter season and prepare staff for those projects, focusing on relevant and timely projects in the fall.

Additionally, many industries experience a reduction in work, whether minor or extreme, and face the threat of losing good workers by not being able to keep them employed year-round. The ultimate goal of your company should be to keep a certain level of work, not only for

n Brooke Rouse is executive director of the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Promotion Agent. She is a business owner, holds a master’s degree in tourism and is a former SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center Advisor. Contact her at brouse@ stlawrencecountychamber.org or 386-4000.

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agribusiness

Tough choices to grow our economy

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he past few months have been interesting here in Northern New York. We heard from our elected county officials about tax revenue difficulties and future challenges to maintain services.

We saw news about unemployment rates remaining some of the highest across the state. St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties had their own versions of meat-processing plant issues. A planned farm distillery faced stiff opposition from some of its potential neighbors and two planned manure storage structures made the news.

From my agricultural economic development seat, all of these headlines caused me to step back and look at a bigger picture, a 50,000-foot-view perspective of what’s happening and what needs to happen.

Despite our views of the pros and cons of projects making headlines, the debate over their locations highlights a lack of options for shovel-ready sites for development. Where do we develop our communities to have the least impact on existing businesses and neighborhoods? How do we provide the infrastructure needed for new businesses to locate here? How do we attract new development without having “shovel-ready” sites where we can avoid such conflicts?

While the meat-processing plant was making news about its proposed industrial park location, we were investigating a lead about a possible new feed manufacturing plant. Feed manufacturing plants can produce odors and dust. They also require three-phase electric power, and of-

ten need natural gas. To provide the best location and attract the company, access to the interstate is a valuable asset. Where do we find a site suitable for feed manufacturJay Matteson ing close to the interstate, with the necessary infrastructure, and where it won’t upset the neighbors?

Unfortunately, the lead on the feed mill turned out to be false, as many do. But it was worth exploring.

In order to attract new businesses, our community needs to make tough decisions and have a clear vision of how we want to grow. As an example, agriculture is something we do very well in Northern New York. It is a growing industry as evidenced by more than a handful of investments within the past decade, including: n An $80 million plant expansion of Great Lakes Cheese in Adams n Reinvestments by H.P. Hood in its LaFargeville plant n Purchase of Morris-Northstar Hatchery by the world’s leading poultry genetics supplier, Aviagen n Growth of the Amino Max feed plant in Watertown and other feed plants in Jefferson County n Rapid expansion of many dairy farms n Growth in the farm-based beverage industry in the tri-county area

n Growth in the local livestock industry n Growth in our agritourism

We can continue to grow, but it means we will have to deal with things like manure storage structures and meat-processing plants, if we are to leverage our strengths to create economic opportunity.

Sometimes these operations cannot be hidden on our back roads. Often they need to be located as close to the interstate as possible with access to municipal water systems, municipal sewer, threephase electric power and sometimes natural gas.

The Interstate 81 corridor is a jewel, especially with our proximity to Canada.

The meat-processing plant project hopes to draw some of its supply from Canada.

Midway International Logistics, a poultry products USDA-certified inspection company, is here because of our Canadian connection. Morris Northstar Hatchery, now Aviagen, is here because of our Canadian connection.

And, although I am writing this from the perspective of the agricultural industry, there are other traditional manufacturers in our area because of the easy access to Canada. Each of the interchanges along Interstate 81 offers a unique opportunity to attract business development. If infrastructure exists, we need to exploit these areas. If infrastructure is needed, we need to look at how to get it there. n Jay M. Matteson is agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Local Development Corp. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident who lives in Lorraine. Contact him at coordinator@comefarmwithus.com. His column appears monthly in NNY Business.

September 2015 | NNY Business

| 33

business tech bytes

Windows 10: Devil is in the details

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hether in an email, text message or on a website, aren’t you noticing more and more often an online ad for something you just Googled? This is being led by some of the biggest players in the market. Adobe’s bold move with its Creative Suite, as an online-only offering, Microsoft’s Office 365 and Google apps are rapidly increasing the spread of cloud-based softwareas-a-service platforms. Convenient, cutting-edge SAAS is rapidly becoming commonplace for home and business while driving a whole new way of gathering data on how we are using their products. Now with the introduction of Windows 10, software giant Microsoft has even gone one step further and integrated this kind of behavior monitoring into the core operating system, taking the issue of online privacy to a whole new level.

If you exercised your free Windows 10 upgrade option – and who wouldn’t if you were running the latest dismal release from Redmond, Windows 8.1 – you have just given Microsoft permission to share your information with unspecified partners for unspecified reasons. During the installation did you stick to the typical software installation recommendations?

If so, you just essentially gave Microsoft permission to directly monitor pretty much everything you are doing on your machine. This is assisting Microsoft with not only acquiring a better understanding of how millions of us are using their products, but also collecting personal data for targeted advertising purposes.

Windows 10 is a different breed of operating system in that it will also be able to monitor your offline activity. This means there will be a level of analysis of your Jill Van Hoesen every move from editing files and folders on your local desktop to uploading the latest photo to Facebook, and it does not stop there.

Slowly the word is getting out about the advent of the Personal Advertising ID. If you have installed Windows 10, chances are you have been assigned one of these. Do you also have other Microsoft devices like a tablet, phone or even your Xbox? If so, your personal data will also be mined off these devices.

Under the default Windows 10 installation details of your location, every website visit, every command you execute by typing or speaking will be uploaded to Microsoft. It will in turn share this information with the business that created the latest app you just downloaded or with advertisers paying Microsoft for your information.

Could this be the reason why the crew in Redmond is not charging you for this upgrade? Normally you would be charged around $100 to upgrade to the latest operating system. This time around, Windows 10 is a free upgrade, but remember nothing is free, so when you and

the other 14 million who upgraded on day one alone, you allowed Microsoft a new cash flow model in your personal data.

For those who are computer savvy, it is possible to check your privacy settings in hopes to retain some control over what you are sending off to Microsoft and partners. This will disable some of the features of the new OS, like the voice-driven, artificially intelligent personal assistant Cortana, the Microsoft answer to Apple’s Siri. Unfortunately, Cortana will not operate without access to your location and permission to transmit a lot of your personal usage information.

Have you, like most of us, become complacent about reading privacy policies?

Are you one of the millions who just click “accept” without a second glance or even a cursory review? Read your terms and conditions before you accept a privacy policy on that website or before you download the latest app. Almost every computer application you use today — be it on a phone, tablet, desktop or even a wearable — is collecting data on you and is banking on you not bothering to read the privacy policy.

It is 2015 and we are all used to forgoing some privacy for convenience, ease of use, additional features and other “free” things, but now is not the time to be unworried with all the data breaches, large and small that are happening each and every day. Protect yourself. Data scooping is here to stay. n Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspaper Corp. and a 25-year IT veteran. Contact her at jvanhoesen@wdt.net.

Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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small business success

Pick the right kind of wave to ride

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had a chance to visit Melbourne Beach, Fla., a few years ago and learned that it was one of the top surfing spots in the eastern United States. It was fascinating to watch the line of surfers floating on their boards, letting wave after wave pass by until all at once they’d start paddling furiously toward shore, standing, and then riding the curl until they either fell or it ran out. I wondered how surfers knew that a certain wave was going to be “the one.”

So, of course, I Googled it and found a website, surfscience.com, that broke waves into three basic types.

The first type is a “flat swell.” Basically, it never develops into an actual wave, at least at the right time, and the less experienced surfer will waste time and energy chasing after it and then having to paddle back out to the waiting area.

The second type is a “pitching wave.” This is when the wave is already starting to crest, and it may break over the surfer as he or she tries to stand up, usually with a wipeout occurring, and then the surfer has to recoup and wait for another opportunity.

The third wave is what the accomplished surfer waits for: the “half-built swell.” The rider gets to catch the momentum and the buildup of the wave and surf it to a successful completion.

These descriptions, of course, bring to mind how important it is to gauge both what kind of a business someone wants to start, and how to correctly time the market entry.

Some entrepreneurs decide to start

a business because it sounds like a good idea or it interests them.

But it might not be an idea that is right for this particular time or consumer market.

For example, Sarah O’Connell mobile food trucks are very trendy right now all over the country, and we have many vendors right here in the north country. But the most successful local operators recognize that our market

lasted, but the market was quickly saturated by latecomers who also tried to cash in; many of these endeavors wiped out pretty fast. We used to have a sign in the office that said, “If you see the bandwagon, it’s already too late.”

Clearly, I’m making the argument that the preferred entrepreneurial wave type is the “half-built swell.” The would-be business owner has been eying the local environment, doing his or her homework in terms of potential customer base and financial viability of the concept. The entrepreneur has timed the market entry of a fairly new but growing opportunity that would seem to have a good chance of a sustained and successful ride. This concept can also be applied to an existing business that is looking at expansion or opportunities for growth.

We used to have a sign in the office that said, ‘If you see the bandwagon, it’s already too late.’

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is small and our season for outdoor dining is short, so those issues provide a natural limitation to how many of these businesses can be sustained. This would represent a “flat swell” for some would-be businesses because they may be choosing a business type that’s just not going to pan out in our area.

Other prospective business ideas fall into the “pitching wave” arena. This may be represented by a very popular and seemingly successful model that some people try to jump into too late. I remember the short-term growth of baseball card shops back in the ’90s. The first shops to open did the best for as long as the fad

n

n

n

If you’d like to assess your business idea or expansion, the Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College offers a seven-week Entrepreneurial Training Course, as well as a 14-week online version, starting in October.

Successful completion of the course and the development of a business plan with an advisor will make qualified entrepreneurs eligible to apply for a local microloan of up to $40,000. n SARAH O’CONNELL is a certified business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at Jefferson Community College. She is a former small business owner and lifelong Northern New York resident. Contact her at soconnell@sunyjefferson.edu. Her column appears bi-monthly in NNY Business.

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entrepreneur’s edge

Start making choices for yourself

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hat follows is something many will almost immediately disagree with, mostly because we would rather cut our left arm off than allow ourselves to see the truth within us. But as a coach, I would be remiss if I didn’t point it out. My job is to hold up a mirror to those who are unintentionally sabotaging themselves. So if you want to get mad at me and tear this out of the magazine and stomp all over it, that’s OK, too. I’ll still love you.

So here it is. Everything that is happening to you right now — positive or negative — is happening because of the choices you’ve made. No one else put you where you are or made you who you are.

You did that. And even if they played a part in your present circumstance, any choices you made before you arrived in your present circumstance put you there.

You are responsible for yourself, for where you are and for who you are. If you don’t like where you are or who you are, you can use the same tactic you used that got you there in the first place: choice.

I had a conversation with a man about this once and he didn’t like it. He insisted he was stuck in his job and had no other choice but to stay. I told him that wasn’t true, that he had the choice to leave. He had a lot of choices. No one was forcing him to stay. The only thing that was keeping him where he didn’t want to be was his story. I held up the mirror. He smashed it.

Now before you rip this page out and

crumple it up or pin it to a dart board, really understand what I am saying. I am no stranger to difficult times and struggle.

I’ve been laid off and even Joleene Moody fired. I’ve been unemployed.

I’ve also been in jobs I hated. I had to feed a toddler and put gas in my tank and do all the things we have to do to keep our head above water. I could have cursed the employment gods and blamed outside forces for my circumstances, but that would have only kept me in that space of defiance even longer. You know that space, right? That space where you give up and hold onto a story and maybe even blame someone or something for your circumstance? And if you have to do that, if you have to get angry and blame someone for your ugly situation, go for it. Get mad. But don’t stay there for very long. Process that crap and get out. Then stand up and take responsibility for yourself.

Years ago, a friend invited me over for dinner after work. I was working in local television news at the time. When I entered the kitchen to say hello she greeted me with, “I saw your live shot today. Nice. You’re so lucky. So how is your charmed life?”

Lucky? Charmed? My life is not charmed. My life is deliberate, even the bad parts. No one came knocking on my door and handed me a television job. I chose it. I fought for it. Just like no one gave me the personal struggles and addictions that plagued me for most of my life. I chose them. I fought for and against them, too.

New Thought author Wallace Wattles wrote in his book “The Science of Getting Rich,” that “Your place in life is not fixed by heredity. Nor are you condemned to the lower levels by circumstances or lack of opportunity.”

Remember this. Paste it on your forehead. Or your desk, whichever works for you. I remember when I first read those words, it was like someone threw a ton of bricks at me. Not only did it resonate with every cell in my body, it woke me up. It is still waking me up.

So right now, in this moment, start making choices that will get you what you want. Will it happen overnight?

Of course it won’t. Will it be easy? Not all the time. Will you lose friends and be criticized and even doubt yourself?

Absolutely. You’re going to feel pain. But given the choice, which you always have, I would rather feel the pain of growth instead of the pain of death.

Choose life in a big way. I’ll be right there with you. n Joleene moody is a creative coach, author, comedic speaker and freelance writer who lives in Oswego County with her husband and daughter. Contact her at joleenemoody.com. Her column appears monthly in NNY Business.

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Wednesday, Oct. 7

n Workshop: How to Use Your iPad, 6 to 8 p.m., Sally Ploof Hunter Memorial Public Library, 101 Public Square. Aims to teach how to use an iPad, including downloading apps, taking photographs, creating notes, using reminders, iBooks, and covering the settings. Bring iPad to workshop. Instructor: Leonard Flack.

Cost: $30. Information: Continuing Education, 786-2438.

Canton Saturday, Sept. 26

n Local Living Festival, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Village Green, downtown. Includes educational seminars and workshops, demonstrations and more on topics such as conservation, preservation, health, agriculture, technology and more. Information: locallivingventure.org/content/ local-living-festival.

Tuesday, Oct. 6

n Women’s Business Bootcamp Luncheon, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., SUNY Canton Campus Center, Room 212214, SUNY Canton, 34 Cornell Drive.

Semi-annual event features a key note speaker, luncheon and mini trade show for attendees to showcase products and services. Cost: $30, includes networking time, luncheon, keynote speaker and table for marketplace. Information/register: SBDC, 386-7312, sbdc@canton.edu or canton.edu/sbdc.

Monday, Oct. 26

n St. Lawrence County Matchmaker, 8 a.m. to noon, SUNY Canton Campus Center, Room 212-214, SUNY Canton, 34 Cornell Drive. Hosted by the SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center, North Country Procurement Technical Assistance Center and St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. Provides small businesses opportunity for 10-minute meetings with colleges, federal agencies, state and local governments and large regional institutions to network and share marketing materials. Cost: small businesses, $10; purchasing agents, free.

Information/register: SBDC, 386-7312, sbdc@canton.edu or canton.edu/sbdc.

Cape Vincent Saturday, Sept. 26

n Oktoberfest, noon to 5 p.m., Village Green. Details TBD. Information: Chamber, 654-2481, thecape@tds.net or capevincent.org.

Clayton Ongoing second and fourth Mondays monthly n Lion’s Club meeting, 6:30 to 8 p.m.,

Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service, 100 Union St. Information: Lion’s Club, 686-5268; claytonlions@gmail.com.

friendly powdered color. Cost: $35; in advance, $30. Information: View Arts Center, viewarts.org or 369-6411.

Thursday, Sept. 24

Potsdam

n The River Parishes Toast of the Town, 5 to 9 p.m. 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, 200 Riverside Drive. To benefit Christ and St. John’s Episcopal Churches. Ticket includes hors d’oeuvers for two and chances to win prizes. Cost: $100. Information: in Clayton,Tracy Brabant, 686-5118; Cape Vincent, Sharon Wiley, 654-2282 or Nancy DelBorgo, 654-4618.

Sunday, Sept. 27

n NNY Kidney Walk, 9 a.m., Cerow Recreation Park, 600 E. Line Road. To benefit National Kidney Foundation.

Check in scheduled for 9 a.m.; walk start, 10 a.m. Information: Nanette Carbone, ncarbone@cnykidney.org; 476-0311.

Saturday, Oct. 10

n Harvest Festival, noon to 5 p.m., Coyote Moon Vineyards, 17371 E. Line Road. Includes live music, wine, beer, mulled wine, farmers market, food and children’s activities. Cost: $3; military, $2; club members and ages 21 and younger, free.

Fort Drum Monday, Oct. 5 & Tuesday Oct. 6

n Boots 2 Business, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, Clark Hall, Mount Belvedere Blvd. Course for soldiers transitioning out of service includes market research, licensing, funding and operating a business. DOL SFL-TAP briefing required.

Information: SFL-TAP, 772-3434.

Odgensburg Saturday, Sept. 26

n Harvest Moon fundraiser, 7 to 11 p.m., Frederic Remington Art Museum, 303 Washington St. Includes food, dancing, auction and more. To benefit museum.

Cost: members, $40; nonmembers, $45; preregistration discount available.

Tickets/information: museum, 393-2425 or fredericremington.org.

Sunday, Oct. 18

n Adirondack Buyer Days, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cheel Arena, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Ave. Wholesale trade show featuring handmade gift and valueadded food products produced locally.

Only open to qualified buyers; free.

Information/register: www.adirondack. org/FallBD.

Syracuse First Wednesday of each month

n Business Innovation Days meeting, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Technology Garden, 235 Harrison St. Opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs to meet one-on-one with SBDC counselor. Appointment required. Information/register: Onondaga Community College SBDC, 498-6070 or SBDC@sunyocc.edu.

First Friday each month

n Toolkit Day with SCORE, by appointment, The Technology Garden, 235 Harrison St. Counselors provide mentoring to business owners. Information/register: Lynn Hughes, 579-2862 or Lynn@ TheTechGarden.com.

Thursday, Sept. 24

n Successful Business Women Awards, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., Oncenter, 800 S. State St. Presented by Her HeartBeat.

Includes guest speakers, networking, giveaways, awards program and more.

Networking and breakfast reception slated for 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.; program and awards, 8:30 to 10 a.m.; networking and photos, 10 to 10:30 a.m.

Cost: $30. Information: 579-3917 or jclance@bizeventz.com.

Saturday, Oct. 3

n Speed Networking, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., TERACAI Corporation, 217 Lawrence Road E., North Syracuse. Share your one- to two-minute “pitch” and business cards with other area businesspeople. Limited space; preregistration preferred. Registration slated for 7:30 a.m.; program, 8 to 10:30 a.m. Cost: CenterState CEO members, $10; nonmembers, $25. Information: CenterState CEO, 470-1800 or centerstateceo.com.

Old Forge

Wednesday, Sept. 30

n Ogtoberfest, 2 p.m., Lockwood Civic Center, 141 W. River St. Includes German food and drinks, fireworks, music and children’s activities. Information: Laura Pearson, 393-3620.

Saturday, Oct. 17

n Running Colors 5K, 9 a.m., waterfront.

Check-in scheduled for 9 to 10:45 a.m.; 5K fun run/walk, 11 a.m. Runners to be blitzed with food-safe, environmentally-

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

Black River

n Syracuse Tomorrow: Meet the Candidates Reception, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., The Landmark Theatre, 362 S. Salina St. Local and state non-partisan political action committee Syracuse Tomorrow’s annual fall candidate reception aims September 2015 | NNY Business

| 37

COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

to provide an opportunity to meet candidates for the offices of Onondaga County Executive, the Onondaga County Legislature, Syracuse Common Council and Town Supervisor. Cost: members, $25; nonmember, $40. Information: CenterState CEO, 470-1800 or centerstateceo.com.

Saturday, Oct. 3 & Sunday, Oct. 4

n Hack Upstate VI, 11 a.m. Saturday to Sunday afternoon, The Technology Garden, 235 Harrison St. Event aims to help area developers, innovators and designers share ideas, form teams and build products. Slated Saturday schedule: doors open, 11 a.m.; idea pitching and team formation, noon; commence hacking, 12:30 p.m. Sunday schedule: cease hacking, 11:59 a.m.; demo intro/ welcome judges, noon; demos, pitches and presentations, 12:30 p.m.; awards ceremony, 1:30 p.m. Free to all participants and spectators. Information: hackupstate.com, doug@hackupstate.com, mitchell@hackupstate.com or 760-4225.

Wednesday, Oct. 7

n Sunrise Breakfast & Awards, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., Embassy Suites, 6646 Old Collamer Road S., East Syracuse. Presented by Sustainable Upstate Network.

Networking and breakfast scheduled for 7:30 to 8:15 a.m.; guest speaker presentations, special address, sustainability awards program and giveaways, 8:15 to 10 a.m.; networking, 10 to 10:30 a.m.

Cost: $30. Information: Joyl Clance, 579-3917 or jclance@bizeventz.com.

Wednesday, Oct. 14

n B2B Marketplace, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Oncenter, 800 S. State St. Presented by Time Warner Cable Business Class. Includes training and education programs, networking events and visibility opportunities. Call or check online for pricing.

Information: centerstateb2bmarketplace. com, 234-1481 or reg@btitravel.com.

Wednesday, Oct. 14

n 2015 Economic Champions Luncheon, noon to 1:30 p.m., The Oncenter, 800 S. State St. Local businesses recognized for contributions to economic growth in the region. Call or check online for pricing. Information: CenterState CEO, 470-1800 or CEO@centerstateceo.com.

Thursday, Oct. 22

n Excellence in Health Care Awards, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., The Lodge at Welch Allyn, 4355 State Street Road, Skaneateles Falls. Recognizes the region’s top health care industry leaders, innovators and companies. Cost: $75. Information: Joyl Clance, 579-3917 or jclance @bizeventz.com.

38 | NNY Business | September 2015

Watertown First, third & fifth Monday of each month

n Watertown Toastmasters Club, 7 p.m., Jefferson County BOCES- Charles H. Bohlen Technical Center Administration Building, Conference Room A, 20104 State Route 3. Meetings open to anyone interested in improving community and leadership skills. Information: watertown.toastmastersclubs.org.

Tuesdays, ongoing

n Watertown Evening Rotary meeting, 5:30 p.m., Paddock Club, 1 Public Square. Information: 786-6633 or watertowneveningrotary.org. n BNI-NNY Partners for Success meeting, 7:30 p.m., Comfort Inn, 110 Commerce Park Drive. Networking group.

Information: President Jessica Page, 786-5032; bniupstateny.com.

Wednesday, Sept. 30

n Workshop: Word Press and Blogging, 5 to 8 p.m., Extended Learning Center, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Aims to teach basic skills to launch a website. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop. Instructor: Leonard Flack. Cost: $35. Information: Continuing Education, 786-2438.

Thursday, Oct. 1

n “What are Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs)?” lecture, noon, Sturtz Theater, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Cornell plant breeding expert Margaret Smith plans to explain to the public what GMO’s are and how the technologies are applied. Free. Information: Cornell Cooperative Extension Agriculture, Parenting, and Fort Drum Program Leader Catherine Moore, Cmm17@ cornell.edu or 788-8450 ext. 236.

Saturday, Oct. 3

n The Mayor’s Charity Ball, 8 p.m. to midnight, Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington St. Benefits The Resolution Center of Jefferson & Lewis Counties, Watertown City School Backpack Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Food by RJ’s Catering; drinks by the Paddock Club.

Reservations required. Tickets: individual, no seating, $65; couple, no seating, $120; reserved table and seating for four, $300; reserved table and seating for eight, $600, Information: Sheila Barney-Pullus, Mayorscharityball 2015@gmail.com.

Thursdays, Oct. 1 through Nov. 12

n Entrepreneurial Training Course, 6 to 9 p.m., Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Aims to teach valuable tools and tips for business owners.

Includes instruction from local profes-

sionals on accounting, advertising, insurance and legal issues. Cost: $195.

Information: Small Business Development Center, 782-9262.

Monday, Oct. 5 through Thursday, Dec. 31

n Online Entrepreneurial Training Course. Aims to teach valuable tools and tips for business owners through online instruction, discussions and assignments.

Includes video presentations by area business professionals. Cost: $195.

Information: Small Business Development Center, 782-9262.

Monday, Oct. 19

n Workshop: ServSafe Certification, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Extended Learning Center, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Aims to prepare restaurant operations to meet the new state-mandated training requirements for foodservice personnel. Tuition covers cost of ServSafe Essentials textbook, exam and proctoring of the exam. Instructor: Pope Vickers, certified ServSafe Instructor and Food Management Professional through the National Restaurant Association.

Cost: $275. Information: Continuing Education, 786-2438.

Wednesday, Oct. 21

n Business networking expo, 3 to 7 p.m., Bruce M. Wright Memorial Conference Center, 1291 Faichney Drive. Presented by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Information: Alekzandra Huttemann-Kall, events@ watertownny.com. n Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Bruce M. Wright Memorial Conference Center, 1291 Faichney Drive. Food and drink by RJ’s Catering, Embellished Catering and O’Brien’s Restaurant and Bar. Includes networking, prizes and food. Register by noon, Tuesday, Oct. 20. Cost: preregistered members, $10; members, $12; nonmembers, $15.

Information: Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, 7884400 or chamber@watertownny.com.

Wednesday, Oct. 28

n Tech-Splosion Two, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Best Western, 300 Washington St. Vendor fair and continuing education classes. Speakers include Frances Carroll Jay Groah and Bill Rosier from Matrix.

Hosted by the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors. Cost: $25. Information: Face book.com/events/728806910575981.  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.nny bizmag.com for events calendar updates.

business scene Jefferson Leadership Institute Reunion at Maggie’s on the River

From left, Debbie Fox, Car-Freshner, Watertown, Michael Russell, JLI ’11, AmeriCU Credit Union, Watertown, and Mindy Boenning, JLI ’07, SUNY Empire State College, Fort Drum.

From left, Erich Leonard, JLI ’11, New York Air Brake, Watertown, Anthony Surber, JLI ’13, HighTower Advisors, Watertown, and Keith Perry, JLI ’13, New York Air Brake, Watertown.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Susan Beiswenger, JLI ’15, JRC, Watertown, Konstantinos Vilaetis, JLI ’15, New York Air Brake, Watertown, and Eileen Snyder, JLI ’15, Crowley & Halloran CPAs, Watertown.

From left, Stuart Schmitt, JLI ’15, Family YMCA, Watertown, Melissa Snyder, UnitedHealthcare, Watertown, Hartley Bonisteel Schweitzer, JLI ’11, Jefferson County Planning, and husband, Reginald “Reg” Schweitzer, Neighbors of Waterown. The Greater-Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce sponsored a Jefferson Leadership Reunion at Maggie’s On the River on Aug. 12.

September 2015 | NNY Business

| 39

business scene 10th Mountain Division Monument groundbreaking at Thompson Park

From left, Michael H. McKinnon, deputy to the garrison commander, Fort Drum, and Col. Bryan J. Laske, garrison commander, Fort Drum.

Mary M. Corriveau, committee member, the North Country Honors the Mountain, Watertown, and James W. Wright, chief executive officer, the Development Authority of the North Country, Watertown.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Command Sgt. Maj. Zach Hurst, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Drum, Command Sgt. Maj. Ray Lewis, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, and Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Cook, Fort Drum Garrison. A groundbreaking for the North Country Honors the Mountain monument was held Aug. 12 in Thompson Park’s Tower Square, Watertown.

From left, Michael T. Plummer, the North Country Honors the Mountain Committee, Watertown, Carolyn D. Fitzpatrick, chairwoman, Jefferson County Board of Legislators, Keith B. Caughlin, the North Country Honors the Mountain Committee, Watertown, and Gilbert H. Pearsall Jr., chairman, the North Country Honors the Mountain Committee, Watertown.

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business scene Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Braman’s Block

Reg Farney, left, and son, Brenon, of Farney’s Home & Building Center, Carthage.

James Uhlinger, Champion Materials, Carthage, and wife, Brie, Bowers & Company CPAs, Watertown.

ELAINE AVALLONE PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

ELAINE AVALLONE PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Clockwise from back left, Thousand Islands Area Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors member Sid Pond, Habitat executive director Lynn Morgan and partner family member Danielle Money. Habitat hosted the Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce August Business After Hours at its Carthage Habitat build — Braman’s Block — on Aug. 19.

Randall Williams and Jessica Fisk, Habitat partner family members.

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business scene GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Ramada Inn

From left, Eric Matice, and Jewels Thorigal, both of Ramada Inn, Watertown, and Ryan Jones, Advanced Business Systems, Watertown.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Susan Sovie, Sovie Law Firm, Watertown, Kristyna Mills, Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Watertown, and Ute Richnavsky, Watertown.

The Ramada Inn, Watertown, hosted the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce August Business After Hours on Aug. 20.

42 | NNY Business | September 2015

From left, Althea McKenzie, United Group, Watertown, Alekzandra Huttemann-Kall, GWNC Chamber of Commerce, Watertown, and Michelle Parks LaBrake, Mary Kay, Watertown.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Wesley Kujawa, Farm Credit East, Watertown, and Dan Estal, Northern Credit Union, Watertown.

business scene St. Lawrence Chamber of Commerce Business Spotlight at Fobare’s Fruits

Jennifer Collins and Matthew Carr, Hero’s Haven, Madrid.

Gayle and Steve Fobare, Fobare’s Fruits, Rensselaer Falls.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Tony Lynn, Community Broadcasters, Ogdensburg, and Gloria McAdam, Gardenshare, Canton.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Josh McGrath, Viable Options, Canton, Jim Brann, Comfort Inn & Suites, Akwesasne. Fobare’s Fruits, Rensselaer Falls, hosted the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce August Business Spotlight on Aug. 25.

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business history

A century of service Watertown investment firm traces roots to 1915

R

NNY Business

BC Wealth Management’s Watertown branch traces its roots to October 1915 when the Wall Street brokerage firm Foster & Adams opened an office in the city. It is the oldest, continuously operating investment advisory firm in Watertown.

Last month, the firm cut the ribbon on a new freestanding office building atop Washington Street in the fast-growing Washington Street Business Park. The $1.1-million investment marks a renewed commitment to Watertown and the north country by the global financial management firm whose U.S. headquarters is in Minneapolis. The opening of a new branch office drew a visit from RBC Wealth Management-U.S. CEO John G. Taft, great-grandson of former U.S. President William Howard Taft.

The firm’s Watertown history is well documented in the Watertown Daily Times.

On the occasion of its 100-year anniversary, a timeline of significant events in its history was constructed from the archives of the Watertown Daily Times and local branch staff.

1915 — Foster & Adams, established in 1903 by Howard Crosby Foster and Daniel Adams, open a Watertown office in October after Floyd L. Carlisle, then president of Northern New York Trust Co., and later, president of the St. Regis Paper Co., persuades the Wall Street brokerage firm to come to the north country. “Mr. Carlisle, a close personal friend of Mr. Adams, was gravely concerned at the increasing infiltration of ‘bucket shops.’ He offered support of the banking community, as well as other friends and contacts in the north country, if Foster & Adams would extend their wire services from Utica to Watertown.”

1962 — Foster and Adams negotiate ground-floor space with the trustees of the YMCA after the Northern New York Trust Co.Bank building is slated for demolition. The firm’s first office was located in the old Flower building on Arsenal Street, moved to

44 | NNY Business | September 2015

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Clockwise from above: Clients make their way to RBC Wealth Management’s new Watertown branch office during an open house last month. RBC Wealth Management-U.S. CEO John G. Taft, far left, cuts the ribbon on the new branch office with Branch Director Cyril Mouaikel and branch Senior Vice President William “Sandy” Conde III. Mr. Taft cuts a cake with longtime branch employee Lou Green as Mr. Conde looks on. Grandson of founder Howard Crosby Foster, former branch manager Everett G. “Rett” Foster. the second floor of the Woolworth Building, then to the Northern New York Trust Co. 1967 — George Cornelius, Foster & Adams office manager since 1919, retires.

In large measure, the success of the brokerage service in its early years and throughout the Great Depression is attributed to Mr. Cornelius. “His contributions to the growth of the firm in the north country and the ‘image’ of Foster & Adams, which he has created are too well known to all to need restatement.”

1968 — Senior partner Henry P. Foster, son of founder Howard Crosby Foster, assigns his son, Everett G. “Rett” Foster, to Watertown in January to co-manage the office, after the local staff of Foster & Adams resigns. Rett quickly signs Charles H. Stone Jr. and Patrick Killorin as advisors. William W. “Sandy” Conde III, Rett’s former college roommate at Colgate University, joins the firm in August. Mr. Conde

and Rett co-manage the form for many years. Much like the predecessor, Mr. Cornelius, the two are instrumental in the firm’s growth and success in the north country.

1977 — After 61 years of service to the north country as Foster & Adams, Wall Street investment firm Tucker, Anthony & R.L. Day Co. buys Foster & Adams.

“The staff and management of Foster and Adams are extremely pleased with the new arrangement as Tucker, Anthony & R.L. Day Co. offers a broader range of investment products and alternatives for their clients. They will be able to offer stocks, corporate, government and municipal bonds, insurance, annuities, options and total investment and financial planning.”

1982 — Lu Green is hired as an administrative assistant. Ms. Green continues with the firm today and has held many positions in the firm in her 33 years, including branch service manager.

1998 — Cyril Mouaikel is hired as a financial advisor,

business history

KEN EYSAMAN | NNY BUSINESS

followed by William Tremont and Donald Musnicki, who join the firm in 2001.

2002 — Tucker Anthony and RBC Dain Rauscher merge. Soon after, Rett Foster and Mr. Conde pass the branch management reins to Mr. Mouaikel, who continues to manage the office today.

2008 — RBC Dain Rauscher becomes RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets.

The integration with RBC Capital Markets includes a migration to a new technology platform, which provides clients with extensive global resources while maintaining a small-firm feel. Mr. Mouaikel is named to the Chairman’s Council for the first time.

2010 — The Watertown branch loses a mentor and friend in February when Rett Foster dies. “Rett was a respected financial advisor, a remarkable steward of endowment funds, a courageous volunteer board member who never avoided a tough decision to right an organization, a generous benefactor, an enthusiastic citizen of Clayton and a trusted friend if so many Northern New Yorkers and north country institutions. He leaves a legacy of success and a better community. The new branch manager’s office is dedicated in memory of Rett Foster.

2011 — Christine Cisco and Patrick Signor join the firm. For 47 years, Sandy Conde remains a constant in the office. Mr. Conde serves as a steady guide for clients during the market declines of the early ’70s, the high interest rates of the ’80s, the tech bubble of the late ’90s, Y2K, Sept. 11, 2001, and the near financial collapse of 2008. “His ability to offer historical perspective and insight has proven to be a valuable resource to fellow advisors.”

2015 — The Watertown branch celebrates 100 years of service, employing six financial advisors and six support staff who serve 2,500 households across Central and Northern New York. The Watertown office also serves clients in more than 30 states, Canada and the United Kingdom, managing an asset portfolio that totals more than $1 billion.

Mr. Mouaikel and Mr. Conde mark several years on the President’s Council of RBC, and Mr. Mouaikel his seventh consecutive year on the Chairman’s Council. Mr. Mouaikel is named managing director for the Watertown branch office. n Business history is a monthly feature from the

archives of the Watertown Daily Times. Visit 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.

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n October, we examine success and leadership in business, visiting a handful of Northern New York business leader who share their stories of challenge and success.

Also coming next month: n MILESTONES: Lowville’s Foy Agency celebrates 65 years in business. n PEOPLE: Longtime Northwestern Mutual financial advisor Bob Gould retires.

• TROPHIES • AWARDS • EXECUTIVE GIFTS

n 20 QUESTIONS: An in-depth interview with a north country business leader. n BUSINESS HISTORY: A look through our archives at a Lewis County business.

WINE BOXES, HUMIDORS, CHESS SETS, ETC

n SMALL BIZ STARTUP: A feature story about a recently launched north country small business in Jefferson County.

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n PLUS: NNY Snapshot, Economically Speaking, Entreprenuer’s Edge, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits Today, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Real Estate, Agribusiness, and Business Scene. n VISIT US ONLINE at www.nnybizmag.com.

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