ISSUE 166 Feb / March 2020

OSWEGO COUNTY

BUSINESS DREAMING BIG February-March 2020

$4.50

cnybusinessmag.com

Covering Oswego, Onondaga counties

Since Rich Burritt, 36, took over his family dealership in 2006, Burritt Motors in Oswego has grown by at least 15% every year. In 2019, it surpassed $100 million in sales, a record.

He is now ready to complete a $10 million project that will position the business for further growth. Page 54

PROGRESS ISSUE Big projects, loss of population, lack of qualified workers, — all about CNY’s economy inside

CNY’s Business Magazine

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

3 10/30/18 5:29 PM

Y O SW EG O C O U N T

BUSINESS DREAMING BIG $4.50

February-March 2020

cnybusinessmag.com

ga counties Covering Oswego, Ononda

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 • Issue 166

over his family Since Rich Burritt, 36, took Motors in Oswego dealership in 2006, Burritt every year. In 2019, has grown by at least 15% in sales, a record. it surpassed $100 million a $10 million He is now ready to complete the business for project that will position further growth. Page 54

PROGRESS ISSUE on, Big projects, loss of populati — all lack of qualified workers, about CNY’s economy inside

CNY’s Business Magazine

COVER STORY

Rich Burritt, fourth-generation owner of Burritt Motors, brings a taste of Disney magic to the 54 automotive sales world

2020

• Outlook for 2020 • CNY in lag mode — not keeping pace with state, national trends • Q&A with Rob Simpson, CenterState CEO leader • SUNY Upstate: $2.5 billion economic impact • Top projects in Oswego County • Fulton: New promising era of renewal and development Oswego: Still riding high: Many projects are underway • Analysis of eight key economic sectors in Central New York

36

28

94

SPECIAL FEATURES New York’s Population Declines Again 2019 was the fourth year in a row that New York lost more people than it gained.............34 Taking the Lead A Q&A with NYS Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay................................................................................................36 Child Victim’s Act & Your Business Dramatic change in the law has resulted in a wave of new litigation across New York state. Is your business exposed? ......................................................................................39 Gig Economy Flourishing Nation1099.com estimates that about 11% of US adults work fulltime as freelancers...............................40 Innovation Prize Dropcopter, a local drone company, wins $500,000 prize for innovative use of drones..........................................42 Growing Your Business in 2020 Five small business owners share their secrets......................................................................................46 Syracuse metropolitan area sees the highest level of employment on record, according to the NYS Labor Department...................................................50 Starting Up Studies recognize Syracuse as among the best cities in the country for startup companies.....................................................52 Telemedicine Report shows one-third of those seeking behavioral health services do so through telemedicine......................91

DEPARTMENTS On the Job What advice would you give to your younger self?.........11 How I Got Started: Dennis Munski, Munski Automotive.......................14 Where is Sandra Scott Budapest, Hungary...............................................20

Newsmakers/Business Update .................................................................22-30 My Turn The unique way journalists write ...........................................48 Economic Trends Council awards $86.2 million to CNY.........................70

The bacon-wrapped scallops at Tavern on the Lock, Fulton 32 4

Tim Notes Best foot forward: Snowshoeing in Oswego County.......94 Last Page

John Halleron, Small Business Development Center........98

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CNY’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE OswegoCountyBusiness.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

2 Lake Street Pulaski, NY 13142

Associate Editor

Andrea Wisgo, NYS Lic Broker Owner

L. Michael Treadwell Bruce Frassinelli, Sandra Scott Tim Nekritz, Richard L. Weber

Office: (315) 298-7060 • Cell: (315) 591-6920 Specializing in Real Estate around the Salmon River NY and Oswego County.

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Columnists

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Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Christopher Malone Payne Horning, Alexander Plate Mary Beth Roach

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Oswego County Business is published by Local News, Inc., which also publishes CNY Summer Guide, Business Guide, CNY Winter Guide, College Life, In Good Health– The Healthcare Newspaper (four editions), CNY Healthcare Guide and 55PLUS, a Magazine for Active Adults (two editions) Published bimonthly (6 issues a year) at 185 E. Seneca Street PO Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126.

Subscription: $21.50 a year; $35 for two years © 2020 by Oswego County Business.

All rights reserved.

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How to Reach Us

P.O. Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: 315-342-8020 Fax: 315-342-7776 Email: Editor@OswegoCountyBusiness.com FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Had a Stroke.

Back on Stage.

Musician Todd Hobin KNOW THE SIGNS • CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY

Central New York music legend Todd Hobin knew nothing about stroke — but he does now. That’s why he’s raising awareness about stroke risk factors and its signs and symptoms.

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Fact: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Important to know: Stroke can happen to both men and women — at any age.

Good news: Stroke is preventable by managing medical risk factors and healthy lifestyle choices.

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Read Todd’s story and learn more: crouse.org/toddhobin.

10

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

ON THE JOB What Advice Would You Give to Your Younger Self?

Do you wish you had your current knowledge when you were newer to your career? We asked area business professionals, “If you could go back in time and give your younger self professional advice, what would you say?”

Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant “I’d say, ‘You are better, stronger, smarter and more resilient than you could ever imagine. Truly seize the day and live each and every moment of it. You have the power! And when you hear about a little-unknown company named Apple, buy as much stock as you can.

Leah Haggerty, Broker and owner, Century 21 Leah’s Signature in Fulton “Over time, you’ll find a career that strikes the perfect balance: one that thrives on your abilities and interests but also supports a

financially independent lifestyle.

Don’t think of retirement as the finish line. If you’ve found your calling and your health permits you to continue to work, then why quit? I happen to be 65 years old, but I have no plans to hang it up any time soon.”

David D Mirabito, Senior financial services executive, Financial Partners of Upstate NY in Fulton “I would say, ‘Don’t be afraid to take a risk.’ I was very, very conservative and I should have taken greater risk and extended myself in a much broader manner. I grew

everything very cautiously.”

Carol Fletcher, President of C.R. Fletcher Associates, Inc. in Syracuse “I would tell my younger self to pace yourself and really set some goals. Sometimes the business carries you. If you can be very proactive on what your goals are, make sure those are always working. It’s easy to get sidetracked.”

Gail Cowley Owner and executive vice-president, Cowley Associates in Syracuse “I’ve learned a lot about leadership over the years. I probably should have spent more time connecting with people and inspiring people in the workspace. It’s important. In the past seven years, I’ve spent a lot of time developing leadership skills and doing self reflection. Had I started 10 years before, I’d be even better than I am today.”

Joe Szlosek, Owner JAS Recruitment.com in Syracuse “I have always been a person who makes goals and puts a plan together and works the plan. I think the comment I would make to myself in my mid-20s as I was working for someone else versus working for myself, ‘You should never underestimate the benefit of education and learning. You

IN HINDSIGHT...

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

11

cannot learn enough. Whatever situation you’re in and whatever role you’re playing, there’s always an opportunity to learn from a college, a community and leaders where you work. Network, ask questions, read, understand and want to learn more.

Be comfortable and competent in what you know and accept what you don’t know.’”

Kara Rudy, President of MarketDesign Consulting in Syracuse “’Business relationships matter more than you think. Everyone from the copier vendor, to your landlord, to the parking lot attendant, could at some point have an impact on your career. Open, honest communication should be your hallmark. You can learn as much from a bad manager as you can from a good one — just make sure you emulate the good one. If you are one of the first to arrive at work in the morning, you will always be ahead of those who come later. Shake hands firmly. Don’t break bones, but even more importantly, don’t be a wimp. Don’t be afraid to disagree, but once you have made your point, and are sure you have been heard, don’t belabor the issue. If you’re not having fun at work, it’s time to look for something else.”

Virginia Biesiada O’Neill, Chief administrative officer with Pioneer Companies in Syracuse “Invest yourself in others. The old adage ‘what goes around comes around’ is true, including the time you invest in providing opportunities to others. As you develop the talents of others and open the door to promotions and a path forward for those around you, the same will happen to you in return. Prove the naysayers wrong. There are lots of people who will tell you that you can’t do this or that. They may say you don’t have the ability or skills.

Instead of believing that, take the time to figure out a plan to develop the needed skills, build relationships with those who can help, and stay positive. Be flexible in career opportunities. These days, it is hard to find someone who has climbed the ladder at one company or stayed in the same general job all the way to retirement. Don’t say no when given assignments. Sometimes, you may be asked to take on an assignment you may not really like or may require 12

you to learn a new skill or method.”

Leslie Paul Luke, President and CEO, St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse “I’m very good at finding and developing people. I’d tell the younger Anne, ‘Keep doing it.’ I’m fair at identifying a business board.

Something I’m not good at is paying myself first. It is hard.”

Anne Messenger, Principal at Messenger Associates in Manlius “As I begin my 25th anniversary of being a woman entrepreneur in 2020, I would tell my former self, ‘You will open hundreds of new doors, meet amazing people, expand your business, and do so much more than you dream of doing when you begin. Every time you start a new business, service or product, write a book or lead an organization, you’re life changes for the better. Keep saying “yes” to as many opportunities as you can, stay humble, eager and innovative.’”

Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, President, Women TIES, LLC in Syracuse “My best advice to my past self would be invest in yourself.”

Marie Schadt, Owner K-9 Grooming and Pet Motel in Oswego “I would tell my past self to set better goals, and be more diligent and intentional with the process to achieving those goals and to enjoy the ride. Celebrate the small successes while you are working on the big goals.”

Michele King, Owner, Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers of Oswego “The advice I would give to my past self if I could would be, ‘Be kind to yourself. You don’t need to

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know everything at once. Do what you know. For what you don’t know, be a good student and learn the best you can. Be willing to ask for help.

No successful person gets there by themselves. Be a Go Giver and surround yourself with Go Givers [based on the book “The Go Giver”).

If you are the smartest person in the room then you’re hanging with the wrong crowd. Be around people who have more knowledge and experience than you.’”

Debbie Bilello, Administrator, Fort Brewerton/Greater Oneida Lake Chamber of Commerce “Expect more of employees, look to expand your market reach and charge more for work you do.”

John Henry, Owner Speedway Press, Mitchell Printing & Mailing Inc. and The Phoenix Press in Oswego “Be humble, take risks and know what you are worth!”

Kerrie Ann Webb, CEO, Oswego YMCA in Oswego “Try not to hold people to the same standard as you hold yourself. Most people will see things differently than you. Use it as an opportunity to learn from their perspective.”

Garrette Weiss, Business education liaison, Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation in Mexico “Read 10 pages a day and live by the six P’s: Prior Planning Prevents Pitiful, Poor Performance.”

Dustin Trimble, General manager, The Eis House in Mexico “Listen and learn as much as possible. Free education from others with years of experience is better than paying for education.”

Brenda Weissenberg, Owner/manager, Affordable Business Solutions in West Monroe “I’ve always had great mentors and advisers. I haven’t always checked in with them as often as I should. It’s easy to think I can solve problems because I know my business but no one person has all the answers. Don’t forget the people who have helped you.”

Steve Chirello, Owner of Chirello Advertising in Fulton FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Say hello to healthy.

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ConnextCare offers a comprehensive set of services family and internal medicine, pediatrics, dentistry, psychiatry, social work under one medical group. Patients within our network can now visit any of the six locations at any time. And because we’re seamlessly connected, our staff can access your medical records at the touch of a button. It’s a faster, more convenient and easier way to keep yourself and your family healthy.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Learn more at connextcare.org — or better yet, stop in to one of our six sites Located in Fulton, Mexico, Oswego, Parish, Phoenix, Pulaski and say hello.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

13

Started How I Got

By Lou Sorendo

Dennis Munski Longtime owner of Munski Automotive in Oswego started his business 28 years ago.

He reflects on his success, longevity

Q.: At what point did you decide to embark on your own?

A.: Prior to starting my business, I worked at Oswego Nautical on West First Street for about five years. When I heard the owner of the CITGO gas station at West First and Seneca streets was planning to retire, I agreed to take over the business on a land contract. I took over what small clientele the former owner had. He was getting pretty old and there were no gas pumps there anymore. He was doing handfuls of oil changes and fixing tires, but there wasn’t a whole lot going on. We opened at this location on Aug. 1, 1992 and are in our 28th year of doing business.

Q.: What was your inspiration to going solo?

A.: I got tired of people telling me to do something the wrong way.

I had seen the wrong ways of doing it, so I asked, “Why don’t we go do it my way and see how it plays out?”

It’s about having the first and final say about it, because if you’re the one responsible, you’re the one who has got to have the say. Prior to creating my own business [and prior to working at Oswego Nautical], I worked at Monroe Muffler, Gunn Buick, Bresee Chevrolet and I owned and managed Midas Muffler on East Seventh and Bridge streets. I started back in 1974 at Miceli Gulf here in Oswego.

Q.: Your location is in a longtime commercial district. Do you know some of its history?

A.: I believe the former owner was here since about 1979. I’ve been here the longest. What is unique is that I am the 79th owner of this property. While doing construction work across the street, a worker found a 1908 calendar, and featured on it was an import-export business specializing in beer, wine and smoking tobacco. The business occupied five addresses in one giant building that was located where my shop is today.

Q.: How did you finance the launch of your business?

A.: I pretty much launched it with a paycheck from Oswego Nautical. What was nice is that all the parts houses knew who I was.

So when I went to them and said, “I need a charge account. This is what I’m doing,” their answers were, “No problem.”

14

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Q.: What was the most significant challenge you encountered when you first opened the shop?

A.: One of the biggest challenges I faced when we first opened was getting this place clean. It was an absolute disaster. Inside, the floors in the bays were covered with thick grease. We tried pressure washing it, but all it was doing was cutting lines in it. We were using roof torches to warm it up, then scraping it with ice choppers. The biggest thing I harp about around here is keeping the floors clean, because then we don’t have to worry about getting customers’ cars dirty.

Q.: What do you believe is the key to business success?

A.: Customer satisfaction. We give them more than what they expect. A lot of technicians say, “Yeah, we can try.” My response is “yes.”

A customer will say, “People don’t even want to tackle this.” I’ll say, “I’m good. I’m not afraid.” We’ll take on any job within reason. Time and money are what drives business, and some jobs are not worth doing because they are not worthwhile for both the customer and us. If someone comes in for a belt change and as long as it’s not storming or pouring out, we’ll go outside and do it. If someone comes in with a check engine light on, we’ll go out and scan it and have a conversation with them.

Q.: How do you go about getting customers?

A.: It pays to spend a couple minutes of your time to gain the confidence of somebody so they will come back in and fix it. We want to ease their mind and indicate to them that the problem is not as bad as they think and their car will be safe to drive. You build it; they will come.

You do a good job; they will stay.

In Oswego, Tom tells Joe, and Joe tells Pete, and Pete mentions it to his wife, and the wife mentions it to her girlfriend. It goes on and on. We just tried not to burn any bridges.

Q.: What are some of the major changes you have seen in the automotive repair business through the years?

A.: The independent shops are getting few and far between in town.

In more cases than not, it seems like independent shops will go out of FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

their way to help you. The biggest change over the years has been the rise of technology and the internet.

You get people calling and saying, “I was online and I found this and this.

So what do you think?” And I’ll say, “What do you want me to say? The internet just told you what’s wrong with your car. You want to believe that or do you want to have someone look at it and find out what is wrong?”

Q.: Can you give us a sense of the cost to keep pace from a technological standpoint?

A.: A $2,000 scanner is now an $8,000 scanner. We also have to do a lot of monthly updates and software revisions. We went from having one computer controlling the whole car to four of them doing it now and all talking to each other. The biggest thing is to find out what part of it doesn’t want to talk. We spend several hundred dollars a month for software. The shop management software, which handles invoicing and estimating, is all internet based and used to be free if you were a Standard Plus member. Now, it’s $65 a month.

Our repair software is Mitchell On Demand, which costs $170 a month.

The updates for our scanner each month cost $118.

Q.: Can you talk about the people that have worked for you over the years?

A.: We’ve only had a handful of techs over the 27 years I’ve been in business. My tech now, Lyle Ernestine, has been with me for 10 years.

Some of them thought they would go on and run their own business.

However, just because you’re a good wrench doesn’t mean you can run a business.

Q.: Is it hard to find good employees?

A.: We used to have people sitting at a desk answering phones, writing estimates, doing invoices and ordering parts, but it’s very difficult to find somebody to do that job. We’re not afraid to spend money here for salaries, but none of the kids coming out of school want any part of physical work or manual labor. They just want to sit at a desk and type on a keyboard. I don’t know what they want, but they really don’t want this.

If you have a good tech, you need to make sure everything is peaceful around them and not ruin their life OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

by being an ass at work. It’s rare if not impossible to get young people interested.

Q.: Do you think it’s a matter of how much the position pays?

A.: You hear on the radio in the morning how automotive businesses are looking for technicians. They are actually just looking for people to change oil in cars and a chance to try to mold somebody into a more advanced position. But younger people don’t even want to go in there. When I started, I was making $6 or $7 an hour. Techs today are paid $20-plus an hour. I mean, how would you like to be 8 to 5 five days a week, knocking down $40,000-plus a year and not having to worry from 5 at night to 8 in the morning about anything?

Q.: You were heavily into marine repair in the early days. Are you still working on boats?

A.: We used to work on boats when I first opened. I had the knowledge and knew people in the area, and it wasn’t hard to have work.

Most of the time, we had six to eight of them sitting here at the lot, and we were running service calls all over the place. We had so many boats and nautical equipment here that people wouldn’t bring their cars in thinking we didn’t have time to work on automobiles. I still do boats for a couple of good friends that have been coming to me since the beginning. In 2013, we stopped working on boats on a regular basis after remodeling the office.

I dragged everything out of here and never brought it back, and also sold my boat that spring. I thought it was a good time to stop working on boats.

Q.: After all these years of work, what do you envision as being your ideal retirement scenario?

A.: I’m always threatening by saying I’m done, but every time I take time off, it drives me crazy. I’m just not ready yet. We took off from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2, and it was probably the worst vacation I ever had. One is I couldn’t go anywhere because we commercially plow, but we didn’t have any snow. It’s hard to walk out of here and do that. Lyle needs a paycheck, and whatever time I take off, I pay Lyle to take off as well. Being that we can’t get anybody to work at the front desk, we really can’t change the way we do things. It’s easier for both Lyle and myself to take time off at the same time.

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

SUNY Oswego’s Online MBA Among U.S. News Rankings of Top Programs

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UNY Oswego’s online MBAcontinues its place as the highest-ranked public school offering in New York state and among the nation’s top online master of business administration programs in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 “Best Online Degree Programs: MBA.” SUNY Oswego, tied for 54th place overall, was one of only two public schools in New York state to crack the list’s top 100 online graduate business programs. Oswego was ranked third in the state overall.

“The outstanding academic and strategic leadership of SUNY Oswego has created a culture of putting students at the center of whatever we do,” said Prabakar Kothandaraman, dean of Oswego’s School of Business. “Our distinguished faculty imbibe that spirit as they bring great intellectual power and real-world knowledge to serve our students to do exceptionally well in their careers and be responsible members of society. The ranking is a reflection of our collective resolve to always strive to excel in achieving these goals.”

The positive impact on students and alumni in the program is one of its defining factors, Irene Scruton, Oswego’s MBA director, said.

“In our last survey, alumni reported back to us that over 30% were promoted while in the program,” Scruton said.

“Our alumni also shared how much they valued the flexibility of year-round scheduling, accessibility of faculty and customized support in benefiting their career goals.”

Many online MBA students are working professionals looking to advance their careers, contributing to the program more than doubling in enrollment in a five-year span. SUNY Oswego’s online MBA program runs year-round, including offerings in winter and summer, enabling more efficient degree completion.

“Our No. 1 public ranking in New York state and high rank nationally communicate to a student that our program delivers high quality in five key program areas of faculty credentials, student engagement, student services and technology, reputation and student excellence,” Scruton said.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Safe Haven Museum in Oswego Gets Makeover

By Payne Horning

T

he Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum in Oswego, which memorializes how President Franklin Roosevelt allowed nearly 1,000 Jewish refugees into Fort Ontario to escape the Holocaust during World War II, is currently undergoing a major six-figure renovation.

Kevin Hill, president of the Safe Haven Museum, says it was time for an upgrade. The exhibits had remained substantially unchanged since it opened back in 2002.

“When I took over as president of the board, I had a few things that I was working toward — items that I wanted to see taken care of during my tenure, and upgrading the exhibits was one of those,” Hill said. “I’m very happy to see it take place.”

At the top of the priority list is updating the museum’s technology to improve the overall presentation. Much of the exhibit has been two-dimensional — pictures, signs, and at the end of the tour, a 38-minute video. That was too static, Hill said.

“I think if people had visited the FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

museum in the past, they were used to a well-laid out museum, but the exhibits were a bit outdated, lacked technology, and a lot of the technology we did have was not functioning,” Hill said. “We want the visitors to have a more personal attachment to the Safe Haven story.”

To make that happen, Hill said the museum is adding more interactive components. New electronic stations will offer visitors a chance to choose among a list of refugees to hear about their individual experiences; more artifacts from the camp will be on display; and in the center of the museum, a walk-in replica of a living quarter from the Fort will give people a chance to see what life was like for some of the 982 refugees during their stay.

The redesign won’t change the footprint of the museum; Hill says they’re just making more efficient use of the space they already have to improve the visitor experience. For example, the former movie theater will be upgraded and moved to the front of the museum with a shorter version of the earlier-mentioned film played at the OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

beginning of the tour in an effort to get people engaged as soon as they arrive.

However, it’s not just the layout that return visitors won’t recognize when the museum reopens in May. Hill says there will be new information on display as well.

“It will be more in-depth on the topics that were presented before,” Hill said. “So, think of the original exhibit as more of an overview of the story. Now we are going to be diving in.”

The renovation comes on the heels of the 75th anniversary of when the refugees arrived. Some of the surviving refugees, who were children when they lived at the Fort, returned to Oswego last summer to commemorate the anniversary.

Officials say it may have been the last reunion of its kind, but work to tell the story continues. Local, state, and federal lawmakers are trying to integrate the Safe Haven Museum and Fort Ontario into the National Park Service. The federal government is currently studying the feasibility of that proposition.

Hill says this renovation could help that cause.

“I’m hopeful that this will demonstrate to the National Park Service that we’re serious about the location, we’re serious about preserving and protecting this history, and we will do whatever it takes to make sure this story is told for generations,” Hill said.

17

Publisher’s note

T

By Wagner Dotto

his is our Progress Edition and I hope readers will enjoy reading it.

The idea is to provide an accurate picture of what’s going on in the region — the good, the bad and the ugly.

To that end, we have a little of everything, including a great (and sad) story about population loss in New York state. We lost 76,790 residents between 2018 and 2019 — that’s like losing more people than the entire population of Utica within a year (Utica’s population is 60,500).

The Empire State is No. 1 in population loss in the country and has lost residents for four straight years (Gov. Cuomo blames the weather).

We have a Q&A with the president of CenterState, CEO Rob Simpson, who talks about the need to tackle poverty in the region (30.5% of the Syracuse population lives in poverty).

We also have an interview with

M&T Bank economist Gary Keith who has a tremendous knowledge of Upstate New York’s economy. His view is that, yes, Upstate is growing, but not as fast as other regions. One of his concerns: population loss. “My biggest fear is what if we created a job, and there was no one there to fill it?”

Then we have some positive stories that are taking place here — there are many of them. Substantial projects in Fulton and Oswego are fueling enthusiasm and economic activity in the two Oswego County cities. The “brain drain” has finally slowed — more college graduates and millennials are choosing to stay in the area than before.

Many business owners interviewed for this issue also said they feel pretty optimistic about the economy and about their businesses.

In the meantime, a report from The Brookings Institute lists Syracuse as one of the country’s potential

growth areas for the future of America’s high-tech innovation sector. In other words, Syracuse has what it takes to support new start-ups.

I love the story about Syracuse-based Dropcopter. The owners develop drones to pollinate fruit and nut trees. Founded in 2014 the owners decided to move the company in 2016 — from San Francisco to Syracuse. Last year they got a big boost from the region — a $500,000 prize — which was awarded by Grow-NY competition. They are ready to further grow their business.

WAGNER DOTTO is the publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.

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Where in the World is Sandra Scott?

By Sandra Scott

Budapest, Hungary The union of three cities — Buda, Pest and Óbuda —region experienced rapid growth last century. It’s among top destinations in Europe

B

udapest, one of the great cities of Europe, has been inhabited since Roman times. At one time there were three cities situated on the Danube: Buda, site of the royal residence; Pest, with its dynamic growth from the 19th century; and Óbuda, known for its somewhat less urban but cheerful restaurants and citizens.

In 1873 the three cities united and experienced a pace of development which was virtually unmatched in Europe. From 1867 to 1918 Budapest shared the capital of the Austria-Hungary Empire with Vienna. The Hungarians called it “Belle Époque,” a period of

“happy peacetime.”

The 19th-century Chain Bridge connects the hilly Buda district with the flat Pest area. It was the first bridge to connect the two sides of the city. Before that people had to use ferries.

The story goes that Count Istvan Szechenyi, a prominent politician and writer, was on one side of the river when his father died. It was winter, and the ferry could not make the crossing so he missed his father’s funeral. The count’s family was instrumental in having the Chain Bridge constructed. It was regarded as one the modern world’s engineering wonders.

A hop-on bus tour is the best way to get acquainted with Budapest. The bus stops at major tourist spots, including Heroes’ Square, one of the major squares in Budapest, noted for its iconic statue complex featuring the seven chieftains of the Magyars (Hungarians) and other important Hungarian national leaders, as well as the Memorial Stone of Heroes.

The seven chieftains were the leaders of the seven tribes that arrived in the area from the Carpathian Mountain area in AD 895.

The Parliament building is probably the most recognized building in Hungary. It is there that one can see the

The Parliament building is probably the most recognized building in Hungary.

20

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Holy Crown of Hungary, also known as the Crown of St. Stephen, circa 1526.

The crown had a varied history: it had been stolen, hidden, lost, recovered and traveled abroad. In 1848 the crown was buried in a wooden box in the forest in Transylvania, now Romania. At the end of the World War II the crown made its way to the United States for safe keeping from the Russians. It was kept in Fort Knox until 1978 when, by order of President Carter, it was returned to Budapest.

Near the Parliament building is a fairly new memorial, Shoes on the Bank of Danube, to honor the thousands of Jewish people who were executed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during World War II. The best view of the Parliament is from a river cruise which is often included with a hop-on bus tour ticket. It cruises by the Buda Castle that was built between 1749 and 1769 as the Royal Palace; Fisherman’s Bastion, a neo-Gothic bastion that commemorates the Fishermen’s Market with seven towers that represent the seven Hungarian tribes; Margaret Island which is the recreational park located in the Danube River; and Gellert Hill topped with a Statue of Liberty and where the famous Gellert Hotel spa is located.

Budapest, and all of Hungary, is noted for its excellent cuisine. A cooking class at one of the cooking schools such as ChefParade is a great way to meet and chat with a local while learning how to cook some iconic Hungarian recipes such as goulash, chicken paprikash and apple strudel. The meal at the end usually includes Hungarian unicum, an herbal liqueur, or pálinka, a type of fruit brandy. There are many places to see Hungarian folk shows, some of which include a meal.

Only a US passport is needed for entry into Hungary. While the Hungarian language is not closely related to most other European languages, English is widely spoken. The money is called forints but credit cards are widely accepted as are euros and U.S. dollars.

Sandra Scott, a retired history teacher and the co-author of two local history books, has been traveling worldwide with her husband, John, since the 1980s. The Scotts live in the village of Mexico.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Chain Bridge in Budapest connects the hilly Buda district with the flat Pest area.

Pool at Gellert Hotel in Budapest.

Heroes’ Square, one of the major squares in Budapest, noted for its iconic statue complex featuring the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

21

NEWSMAKERS NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE Barton & Loguidice Receives Military Award Barton & Loguidice was presented with the “Above and Beyond Award” by the NYS Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR) at a ceremony in December at its Liverpool offices.

This award is given to employers to recognize their efforts that are “above and beyond” the legal requirements of benefits provided to activated guard and reserve employees.

From January to August 2019, Albany Managing Engineer Roy Rich-

ardson, who is also a major in the New York Air National Guard, was deployed to Kuwait. Barton & Loguidice implemented long-standing policies and provided support for Richardson and his family which included fast-tracking project assignments, assembling needed benefit information, and establishing an office-wide meal train to provide dinners to Richardson’s family while he was serving abroad.

“B&L is receiving this award for its support, understanding and caring of a deployed employee as well as their leadership responsibilities for doing the right thing for their employees,” said Paul Geiss, chairman of the CNY committee of the ESGR. “B&L provided

Major Richardson’s family with support and made the transition as seamless as possible, enabling him to focus on his deployed mission.”

A resident of Brunswick near Albany, Richardson specializes in planning, design and construction and has extensive experience as a project manager on a variety of projects involving drinking water and wastewater systems. Richardson earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is a professional engineer in New York.

Additional ESGR awards were presented to Richardson’s direct supervisor and Albany executive manager.

Engineers Donald Fletcher and Richard

Oswego Industries Chosen as 12 Days of Giving Recipient by Novelis Oswego Industries Inc., a Fulton-based nonprofit agency that supports adults with developmental disabilities, has received $1,250 in funding from Novelis as part of Novelis’ annual 12 days of giving program.

“Novelis’ support means so much to our agency,” said Laurie Davis, executive director of Oswego Industries. “They have been an important community partner for over 40 years, and we are grateful our relationship continues to grow.”

The 12 days of giving program is powered by Novelis’ employees, who nominate their favorite local charities each year to be considered. Employees Lynne Eggert and Cynthia Manno both chose to nominate Oswego Industries.

“Investing in and collaborating with strategic partners like Oswego Industries supports economic development and community resilience. It is with great appreciation that Novelis enhances its engagement with our valued collaborators to make a positive impact in CNY and beyond,” said Jeff Cruse, plant manager of Novelis, Inc. “We look forward to what we can 22

From left are Lynne Eggert, Cynthia Manno and Jeff Cruse of Novelis; and Laurie Davis and Rebekkah Frisch of Oswego Industries. achieve together in 2020.”

Oswego Industries will use the funding to continue the agency’s workshop transformation plan, which helps integrate people with disabilities into the workforce alongside people without disabilities.

“This donation will help us empower the individuals we support to work OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

on more of the contracts we receive from companies like Novelis,” said Igor Kasovski, director of operations at Oswego Industries. “Ultimately, more of the people we support will be able to work on important vocational skills and increase their independence.”

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Straut were honored with the Patriot Award, recognizing their support and sustained commitment to Richardson’s deployment and the needs of his family while he was deployed.

Olinsky Law Group Has a New Partner

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Reppel joined the firm in 2013 and focuses her practice on Social Security disability appeals and workers’ Reppell compensation claimants.

“We are delighted to have Kristi become a partner with the firm. Kristi has shown herself to be an exceptional disability attorney with exceptional abilities,” said Howard Olinsky, the firm’s managing partner.

Kristi earned her law degree from The Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 2010, where she was a member of the Women’s Law Association. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science, magna cum laude from Siena College in Loudonville.

Reppel was born in Utica and currently resides in Cicero,with her husband, Nathan.

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BUSINESS UPDATE

Mirabito Energy Products’ team members specialize in delivering heating products.

Mirabito Energy Products Increases Capacity, Market in CNY Acquisition of West Monroe’s North Shore Oil gives company larger footprint

M

irabito Energy Products has expanded its footprint in Central New York with its recent merger with North Shore Oil Co. The combination is called North Shore Oil, a division of Mirabito Energy Products.

Mirabito provides energy products for residents and businesses throughout Upstate New York, western Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

The company offers a variety of products, including heating oil, propane, natural gas, coal, gasoline, diesel fuels, and kerosene.

In addition to being an energy provider, Mirabito owns and operates 108 convenience stores throughout CNY, making Mirabito one of the largest convenience store chains in the region.

“Like so many of our mergers and acquisitions, the North Shore Oil combination was the result of a relationship built over time,” said Maureen Mirabito, head of corporate communications and community relations manager at 26

Mirabito Energy Products.

Former North Shore Oil owners Harry Pratt and Bill Webb were looking to retire and approached Mirabito Energy Products about the acquisition.

“They trusted us to take good care of their employees and their customers.

We are thrilled to be growing in that region and serving the people and communities there,” she added.

Established in 1972, North Shore Oil provided petroleum products throughout Central and Northern New York.

It’s based in West Monroe.

With the acquisition, North Shore Oil employees made the transition to the new company as well.

“We are thrilled to add 15 North Shore Oil employees to our team,” said Matt Meehan, vice president, home comfort-commercial fuels for Mirabito Energy Products. “Those running the day-to-day operations at North Shore Oil before the acquisition continue to do so today.”

Mirabito said people are always OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

the key when it comes to making the merger process seamless.

“With any type of change comes uncertainty. We try to mitigate that as best we can with open communication to customers and employees, provision of training and support to new staff, and ensuring consistency in day-to-day operations, procedures, and practices as the transition settles in,” she said.

Meehan said the former owners “were true partners with us” through the transition.

They were instrumental in “assisting in our communication efforts with employees and customers and giving us critical insight into the communities and their needs.”

Rick Ogden, Mirabito Energy Products’ regional manager in that area, connected personally with employees and many of the customers in the new territory.

“It’s important to all of us that we do a great job for the people who entrust us to heat and fuel their homes,” Mirabito said. “Our aim is to always add value wherever we can, whether through our loyalty program, installation and service of home heating and cooling equipment, and on-time, consistent home heating delivery.”

Meehan said Mirabito Energy Products is increasing its presence in the region while featuring value and service.

“Our customers will benefit from the increased programs and services that we offer — price protection options, heating and cooling equipment installation and service, maintenance, emergency services, affordable energy solutions, and our loyalty program, which includes immediate discounts at the gas pumps,” he said.

Last December, the family owned and operated business acquired two convenience stores in the region — formerly Mercer Mobil in Watertown and Adams.

“Now customers in the area can validate their loyalty points and enjoy immediate discounts at the gas pumps,” Meehan noted.

Meanwhile, North Shore Oil continues to operate independently as a service provider.

“The changes and benefits come in the sharing of resources and expansion of services for both employees and customers,” Mirabito said.

By Lou Sorendo FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

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illiam Barry rang in the new decade by taking the next step in opening his landscaping business and filing a doing business as (DBA) certificate with the Oswego County clerk’s office.

On Jan. 3, Barry filed a DBA, identifying his business as One Cut Above landscaping. He’d been working through the process since June, but has had the idea to open a landscaping business for years.

Barry says that he started One Cut Above because, besides having a genuine interest in landscaping, he requires the flexibility that working for himself can provide.

Barry was an Army reservist, stationed in Oswego, until he was deployed in 2012 and sent to Afghanistan.

He served for three years, and upon returning to Oswego, got a job and set about building a civilian career.

“I had a career, and I was doing quite well for myself,” Barry said.

“However, I was diagnosed with PTSD, as a result of my Army service, and I

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

needed to make a change. The best thing for me is to work for myself, to have the flexibility to take my health seriously.”

The process to build the business has been slow, and Barry needed to make a significant investment in equipment to get started. He has invested approximately $20,000 in machinery like zero-turn lawn mowers, a small dump truck, a trailer for the equipment, a stump grinder and a brush hog.

With his business, Barry will focus on spring, summer and fall yard work.

He said that he expects to have a lot of clients in the spring and fall, for cleanup work. He also has excavation equipment that will allow him to install underground water lines.

Currently, Barry’s biggest concern is securing a client base, to start making back his original investment and eventually make a profit.

“At the moment, I don’t have all that many jobs lined up, so it is a shot in the dark in a way,” Barry said.

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By Alexander Plate OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

27

BUSINESS UPDATE

Lenny Costa next to a wine rack in his Casa Brazil Restaurant & Hotel in Pulaski.

“The majority of people who visit us are now regular returning customers who appreciate freshly made-to-order flavorful food,” he says

Pulaski Gets Taste of Brazil Brazilian steakhouse adds diversity to Pulaskiarea dining scene

F

or Lenny Costa, owner of Casa Brazil Restaurant & Hotel, 3866 state Route 13, Pulaski, dining not only nourishes the body; it nourishes the soul.

Costa took the chance of establishing a Brazilian steakhouse in the northern outskirts of Oswego County, and the bet looks like a good one.

His restaurant, formerly the Salmon River Pub and Grill, is quickly becoming a destination point for many looking for 28

a unique dining experience.

Costa, a New York City native of Brazilian descent, decided to open the restaurant to be closer to family.

He took over after deciding the concept of starting a Brazilian steakhouse in Pulaski was a worthwhile endeavor.

Costa characterizes himself as a “big food guy.”

“With my passion for food, I wanted to bring something different to the area. While we specialize in Brazilian OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

food, we also offer classic American-Italian cuisine.”

His passion stems from training alongside some of the world’s highly acclaimed chefs.

Costa launched the business in July of 2019.

“The majority of people who visit us are now regular returning customers who appreciate freshly made-to-order flavorful food,” Costa said.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

This is not Costa’s first business venture. He owned and operated five restaurants in Kentucky, and sold them to a chef who was working for him.

He has worked for the Hilton New York and The Plaza in New York City, and owns a restaurant in the Big Apple, his hometown.

“I’ve always spent my life in the kitchen,” said Costa, who has been involved in the restaurant business for more than 25 years.

Costa said he does miss New York City, which is where all his lifelong friends are as well as family.

“My history is there,” he said. “It was hard to leave everything behind, but I keep in touch with everyone.”

Costa said he enjoys the family style atmosphere that Pulaski offers.

“Family is the No. 1 thing to everyone in Brazil,” he said.

He said a family dinner in Brazil normally features about 30 to 40 people in the house, which includes close friends, and depending on the family, sometimes it is 100 or more.

“It’s a tight community that stays together,” he said. “Pulaski reminds me of that. It was a win-win situation.”

The main challenges in launching the business involved startup costs and repairs. “We are still trying to improve every day,” Costa said.

Unique food, experience In characterizing Brazilian cuisine, Costa said above all, it is fresh.

“I go out and buy food in the morning depending on whatever I need for that day. I cook it, sell it, and if I run out, I run out,” he said.

“It’s cooked to order with a lot of seasoning. It’s more like southern comfort food,” said Costa, noting that Brazilian food has been heavily influenced by European cuisine.

“Whether it’s Italian, Mexican, German or French, everything is combined FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

into Brazilian cuisine. When you eat Brazilian food, you can taste a little bit of all those countries,” he added.

What sets his restaurant apart is the ability to serve authentic, everyday Brazilian specialties that include Pao de Queijo (cheese bread), coxinha (chicken croquettes) and rabada (oxtail stew).

“In the United States, there are the regular Brazilian steakhouses, but the real franchises come from Brazil and are in places such as New York City, Brooklyn and Queens,” he said. “All of those steakhouses are based in Brazil, in the north country where the meat comes from.”

Brazilian chefs are recruited to cook at these restaurants, creating an authentic experience for diners.

“I want to do the same, but I want to offer more variety of food,” he said.

“You can go anywhere in the country and get rice, beans, pasta, potatoes and meat, but I want to feature the side of Brazil that is not on the menu,” he said.

For example, he incorporates foods that have been influenced by the African culture, such as okra and black-eyed peas.

A popular and common dish is feijoada, which is a stew of beans with beef and pork. It is commonly prepared in countries such as Portugal and Brazil. It is considered the national dish of Brazil.

Costa said it took a while for customers to get familiar with foods such as yucca, a pricey import that is similar to potatoes. It is one of the No. 1 sellers at the restaurant.

Costa seasons his steaks the same as is done in Brazil. The salt he uses is a coarser version than what Americans are accustomed to.

“When we put the salt on the meat, it becomes tender and juicy, and you don’t need anything else,” he said.

Most of his products — such as cheesy bread flour — come from Brazil and are imported, and often he has to travel to New York City to pick up his products.

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Pleasure of pleasing For Costa, owning a business extends beyond being his own boss.

“My biggest pleasure is being able to cook a meal, serve it and see someone like it,” he said.

He recalled when a Brazilian gentleman who has lived in the U.S. for 36 years walked into the kitchen following his meal and tearfully hugged Costa.

“He said, ‘You just served me amazing food that gave me a little bit FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

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of home,’” he said.

He added that he received a similar reception when Brazilian students from SUNY Oswego visited.

“These people understand that type of food, because at one point in their lives, they had a grandmother or mother that cooked like that,” he said.

Costa hails from the southernmost regions of Brazil.

“We do cook in traditional ways, so it’s more rustic and earthy,” he said.

While the menu is a la carte, Costa also accommodates those that want items not listed “Everything is made to order and not pre-made,” he said.

The business also features a juice bar with selections such as avocado, cacao and papaya.

Costa said keys to success moving forward involve getting folks to try his food while enjoying a friendly staff.

“Everybody loves everybody,” he said.

“Pulaski residents are pretty much set in their ways. Some of them have the guts to try something new, while others don’t,” he said.

Costa also features American cuisine, such as freshly made chicken nuggets, cutlets and tenders.

The restaurant features vegetarian and gluten-free dishes as well, and Costa makes his own vegetarian hamburgers and steaks.

He said in terms of pleasing customers, it all starts with a clean facility.

He is not afraid to give his restaurant the “white glove” treatment and OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

has cleaning done three times a day.

“When you come to eat at my house, you’re coming for the experience,” he said.

Costa will also send out a free sample for those not familiar with certain entrees.

“Everyone wants VIP treatment, and to me everyone is a VIP,” he said.

“I want everyone to feel a part of the Casa Brazil family. If I go somewhere and get treated like a VIP, I always return no matter the distance or cost.”

Meals can be served family style or individually.

Costa said business is “booming” during the summer and fall fishing seasons.

“The word on the river is the food is fantastic,” said Costa, noting he also advertises on local fishing guide sites.

“This is our first winter, and not everyone knows we are here yet. The first year is the most difficult,” he said.

“You have to make sure your name is out there,” he said.

The facility also has eight hotel rooms, with cable television, Wi-Fi, a refrigerator, microwave and two beds in each room.

Costa noted folks associated with the local sports fishing and campgrounds industry used the lodging facilities primarily during spring, summer and fall.

The lodging facilities are available year round.

By Lou Sorendo FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

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DiningOut

By Christopher Malone

Restaurant

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Fillet with asiago cheese and mashed potatoes with gravy on the side ($18.99).

Tavern on the Lock Lock, stock, and many warm plates at this Fulton restaurant

T

here is something warm about a winter’s walk down to Tavern on the Lock in Fulton. After stepping out of a warm car, walking through slightly falling snow as heated breath plumes rise up, the glow of neon lights beckoning travelers feels like something out of a road trip movie from the late 1970s.

Tavern on the Lock, which is located at 24 S. First St. in Fulton, has a cozy aura and an appeal of a country dining room complete with wallpaper and illustrative décor.

We were immediately placed at one of the booths in the clean-looking dining area with comfy cushions. The utensils in front of us were clean as was the bathroom, albeit looking like something out of a dimly lit roadside motel.

My friend and co-eater Josiah en32

joyed a couple of beers each during the entirety of dinner ($6 each, $24 total). We were also bestowed a fresh loaf of bread and butter. The crispy crust was easily cut through and presented a warm, most interior — bread that grandma used to make.

We also kicked off the meal with the bacon-wrapped scallops ($10.99) and loaded waffle fries ($8.99).

Considering the three starters (bread included) it was clear Tavern on the Lock requires patrons to mentally prepare and don’t be afraid to take away leftovers.

The six bacon-wrapped scallops, plus a crouton-like pinwheel atop greens, had great minimalist plate presence. Tarragon sauce, which was a flavorful standout dripped over the sides of the bacon. Although the bacon OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

was flimsy and easily fell off the scallop, it was enjoyable. The classic finger food was redeemed by the sauce.

The loaded waffle fries lived up to its description. The literal pile of waffle fries was smothered in cheddar cheese and cheddar-jack cheeses. Bacon bits decorated the top. It’s an unhealthy dream that never tasted so good. The highlights were the crispy waffle fries — not one faltered. The issue I had was the cheddar cheese, which was the kind that squirts from nacho cheese machines at fairs and sporting events.

Still, without the bagged cheese, the dish probably would have fallen short.

The three entrees ordered were all specials — surf, turf, and coop.

The chicken special ($16.99), petite steak ($18.99), and the fried cod and shrimp ($18.99) were dished out for FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Tavern on the Lock Address 24 S First St., Fulton, NY 13069 Phone 315-592-2661 Website/Social http://tavernonthelock.net facebook.com/Tavern-on-TheLock-120563514623222 Hours Sun.: Noon – 10 p.m.

Mon. – Thurs.: 11 a.m. – Midnight Fri. – Sat.: 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.

our consumption. Entrees do come with a complimentary salad bar, which we passed on. There’s no opposition to vegetables, but there is an opposition to stagnant open-air vegetables.

The surf plate was more of a low tide. The fried shrimp and cod were haphazardly tossed on a plate, as if a gloved hand just scattered the pieces like rolling dice. The breading wasn’t too much, albeit flavorless and looking like it came out of a box, but the meat was really good and not dry. Green beans came on the side, and those were cooked perfectly.

As requested, the filet came out medium rare. It was flavorful, not over-seasoned, and was not overly fatty. On top of the steak sat greens and asiago cheese. The asiago was mild and accentuated the meat. The mashed potatoes with gravy that came on the side was a perfect complement. The thick gravy pooled atop of the flattened and familiar mashed starch. It was a gravy to be reckoned with.

The chicken was my favorite. The pounded bird breasts were coated with tomatoes, onions and more of the asiago cheese. Three for three, the chicken special wasn’t dry either. The sweet potato fries were crispy, not overly salted, and plentiful.

Before tip, the total meal of four beverages, bread, two appetizers, and three entrée specials came to $110.58.

Tavern on the Lock definitely serves up the comfort food for a variety of ages in a relaxing atmosphere. There are plenty of food options, including choices for vegetarians and vegans as well. In the summer, the restaurant does have covered outdoor seating and looks out over Lock 3. There are also plenty of evenings with live music.

So why not Lock in an outing?

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

The bacon-wrapped scallops with tarragon sauce ($10.99).

The loaded waffle fries with cheddar cheese and bacon bits ($8.99).

The special chicken entree with asiago cheese topping chicken with tomatoes and onion, plus sweet potato fries ($16.99). It was my favorite.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

33

New York’s Population Declines Again

2019 is the fourth year in a row that New York lost more people than it gained. It has lost more people than any other state in the nation for the second year in a row in 2019

I

By Payne Horning

n what has become a grim annual tradition, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau again finds that the number of people who call New York home continues its slide downward.

Between 2018 and 2019, the state’s population dropped by 76,790 residents, or about 0.4%. This marks the fourth year in a row that New York lost more people than it gained.

According to the Census Bureau, New York was in the minority for the decline. Forty states and the District of Columbia increased their numbers. And although other states lost a larger share of their total population, New York experienced the largest numeric drop.

One of the few highlights from the annual report is that New York has more residents today than it did at the start of the decade. In 2010, there were 19,378,102 people living in the state.

Today, there are 19,453,561. That’s a gain of 75,417 people, or about 4%. That said, most of New York’s population increase over the last 10 years came in the first half of the decade and the growth trailed almost every other state.

The reasons for Empire State’s paltry population rise are the subject of debate.

It was featured prominently in the state’s last gubernatorial election, which took place in 2018. The Republican candidate Marc Molinaro said New Yorkers were voting with their feet in response to the performance from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration and his economic policies. To that end, the Brookings Institution notes that New York, California, and Illinois — three of the largest blue states in the country — saw the biggest out-migration to other states in the last few years of the decade. William Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, says it signals a population shift from pricey, highly urbanized locales to other parts of the country as the national economy improved.

But Cuomo has pushed back on 34

that idea, blaming the drop in New York on weather. He said people who have left were in search of warmer climates.

There may be something to that. The Census Bureau’s report says the south experienced the largest numeric growth and percentage growth last year in the country. The northeast, on the other hand, saw its first population decrease this decade from 2018-2019.

Despite a minimal uptick in people, New York remains the fourth-largest state in the country, behind Florida, Texas and California. Pennsylvania, with 12,801,989, is a distant fifth.

Nationwide, the Census Bureau report notes that the United States’ population also saw modest increases over the decade. The number of people living in the country rose just 6.3% since 2010 to 328,239,523. However, the data shows that may be coming to an end.

According to the Census Bureau, the nation’s natural increase — the number of births minus the number of deaths — is the biggest contributor to the U.S. population increase. And the new report says for the first time in decades, the natural increase dropped below 1 million in 2019.

The decline in the natural increase is widespread. Forty-two states and the District of Columbia had fewer births in 2019 than 2018, including New York.

And even in those states where the number of births rose, it was by small sums. Washington led the group with 612 more births in 2019 than 2018.

While there are numerous consequences from population changes among the states, perhaps the most important is the effect on their influence in the nation’s capital. Every 10 years, Congress apportions the House of Representatives’ 435 seats according to shifts in population. New York, which currently has 27 members of Congress, has lost seats every decade since 1940.

The numbers show that trend is poised to continue.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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35

New York Assembly Republicans recently elected Will Barclay of Pulaski to serve as the party’s leader.

This makes Barclay the first Central New Yorker in at least 115 years to serve as Assembly minority leader.

Taking the Lead Representative Will Barclay adapting to new life as NYS Assembly Minority leader, pushing for closing the state’s $6.1 billion budget gap, repealing bail reform law, and finding ways to reduce population loss in NYS

By Lou Sorendo

Q.: How did your experience as the Assembly Minority Conference’s ranking minority member on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee help prepare you for your current role as leader of the Assembly GOP? Does it give you an advantage when reviewing, analyzing and debating the state budget?

A.: I’ve been in the Assembly and in leadership for quite some time, and as a result I’ve slowly moved up the ladder. A ranker on the Ways and Means Committee can rightfully be classified as the second or third spot behind leader of the conference. That allowed me a bigger platform when I was ranker and I had more of a public face. As ranker, I 36

attended all the budget hearings and then spoke for the conference when it came to budgetary matters. That higher profile position gave me the experience for this even higher profile role.

You would think as a rank-and-file legislator, you’re certainly engaged in the budget and have more of a macro picture of it. But the budget we have in New York state is massive.

We have analysts in each conference that carefully examine the budget because it is so complex. I went through the process when I was ranker on the Ways and Means Committee, so I have an idea of what it entails. But until you are actually engaged in it and doing it, you don’t realize how substantial and complex it is.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Q.: Generally speaking, what do you see as the most effective method to close the state’s $6.1 billion budget gap?

A.: It’s probably one of the most pressing issues we are facing in this state. It’s unfortunate that we are facing this budget shortfall in light of the fact the nation’s economy seems to be doing fairly well. Jobs are being created and wages are rising across the nation.

Normally that means more revenue for government coffers, but unfortunately that is just not the case in New York. There has been a bit of mismanagement on the part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and majorities in the legislature and spending on Medicaid is really out of control. Our conference FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

has some ideas on how to do it, but the governor just recently put out his budget proposal. I feel the governor and Democratic majorities are the ones who got us into this mess, and I would like to see what they propose before I show my hand in terms of how to do it.

That being said, one thing I will speak publicly about on behalf of our conference is we feel that raising taxes is not the proper way of getting us out of this fiscal mess. The state leads the nation in three of our biggest taxes: property, sales and income taxes.

We can’t just keep coming back to our citizens and demanding more and more out of them to try to balance this budget. If we do that, we will continue to witness this mass exodus as people leave the state. Obviously, the more people leave, there are less people paying taxes and it’s harder to balance the budget.

Medicaid is where the money is being spent and from a forecasting standpoint, it’s way overbudget. That is where the solution has to come from.

Q.: Is it fair to say that given this is an election year, spending will be kept down and legislators will refrain from any broad-based tax increases in 2020?

A.: I don’t think I’ve ever seen spending really kept down. The concern I have is that sometimes budget gimmicks are used, and that’s what is happening with Medicaid. We just push off some liabilities with Medicaid and roll the deficit over into the following year. We are certainly not for kicking the can down the road. I think this has

to be addressed and there are going to be hard decisions that have to be made.

I’m not really in the business of complimenting the governor all the time, but he has to some extent kept state-funded spending, excluding federal appropriations that come into the state, under 2%. That is a sustainable level that we can afford in New York state. Unfortunately, the longer he has been governor, there’s been more gimmicks and loopholes that indicate he’s not totally committed to that 2% cap.

Q.: What are some of the more significant holdover issues from 2019 that will draw the Assembly’s attention as 2020 unfolds?

A.: Clearly the No. 1 issue is bail reform that was passed in last year’s budget. We are hearing overwhelming backlash from district attorneys, law enforcement and victims. We held a press conference recently to hear victims’ stories, and it was really heartbreaking.

We were told bail reform is a way to provide more equity in the system, and that the system was rigged against the poor. Maybe there are some arguments that can be made and certainly reform could have been made to the bail system, but this extends well beyond nonviolent alleged criminals.

Violent repeat offenders are being released, and that is a real public safety issue. Not a day goes by when you don’t see or hear of someone else being released from jail.

Sometimes as a legislator, we deal in theoretical ideas and don’t always see the impact of our policies. The bail

Minority leader Will Barclay meeting with supporters recently.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

reform measure is more than theoretical; it’s a real public safety concern. Our conference position is to repeal those so-called reforms and go back to the drawing board. We’d be willing partners with our downstate Democratic colleagues to make reforms to address inequity, but we’re not going to throw the whole thing out right now. By doing that, we are creating a real public safety issue.

I feel confident about repealing the law. We are outnumbered in the Assembly, and unfortunately we are outnumbered in the Senate as well, so it’s tough. However, I hope some of the suburban Democrats downstate and even Upstate start feeling the pressure and use their leadership to push for change.

The public outcry and amount of media attention this so-called reform is causing is creating tremendous pressure to change the law.

We have a very strong executive branch of government in New York state, and the governor has to be engaged. He has said he is open to reexamining this. From our conference’s perspective, we have to do it sooner than later. We don’t want to just wait and see, which is being said by some of the leadership in the other house. I think it ought to be repealed immediately, and that is what we will continue to hammer on.

Q.: Besides bail reform, what are some of the other more significant issues confronting the state?

A.: Another thing that is really devastating, particularly in Upstate New York, is the exodus of people out of New York state. We lost 77,000 people over the past year. This is really having dire consequences for our state and the sustainability of the system we have in place. It’s in jeopardy as a result of people leaving.

What we have always believed and fought for is to make the state more business and population friendly. You can’t expect to tax people to death when there are other opportunities in other states, and don’t think people are not going to look that way. The governor said last year that, “It’s the weather.”

I’m not denying weather might play a role in it, but it’s a lot easier to make a decision to move out to a warmer state if you can save $10,000 to $20,000 in taxes and get a good job.

There are a lot of things we can do to help that situation, but it will take time 37

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to unravel. That is what we are fighting for, and unfortunately it involves a difference in perspective between New York City Democratic colleagues and Upstate. We have to keep our voices heard and be very loud.

We live in such a great state that is one of the most diverse states geographically. Right here in Oswego County, we have Lake Ontario, and just to the east are the Tug Hill and Adirondacks. You go south, and there are the beautiful Finger Lakes.

What other state can provide the geographic diversity — along with the world capital that is New York City — that our state has?

It’s such a tragedy in my mind that we aren’t the Empire State we once were.

Q.: What do you believe will be the keys to working together with Democrats in order to improve Upstate New York’s economy and the constituents of your district?

A.: It’s always a challenge. We come from really very different positions as far as perspective. However, in our house, I have a good relationship with the Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and I’ve known him throughout my political career and consider him a friend. I told him when I became minority leader that I promise to always act in a professional manner and try not to make things personal. That’s what I am going to try to do, but at the same time, I’m certainly not going to be a shrinking violet when it comes to calling out different policies that we disagree with or think are bad for the state.

He told me he understood, and I think we can have a decent working relationship.

One thing that members of the Republican Conference have done that I believe is valuable is invite downstate members to visit and see the issues facing Upstate. Last year, I went down to the Bronx to do the same thing. My feeling is most downstate representatives are trying to do the right thing by their constituents. We can show them some of the problems we have with policies and how they impact our constituents, and we would be happy to do the same.

It’s about relationship building, understanding, acting professionally and not making things personal. That’s what I am going to try to accomplish.

It’s just like in business or anything else: You make friendships that way, and it’s a lot easier to find common ground when you are not yelling at one another.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Richard L. Weber, Esq.

The Child Victim’s Act: What It Means for Your Business

T ‘During a one-time window of opportunity, victims of child sexual abuse who are now well into adulthood are able to pursue lawsuits over events that occurred decades ago. This dramatic change in the law has resulted in a wave of new litigation across New York state.’

Richard L. Weber is an attorney with Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC in Syracuse. He specializes in business litigation, trust and estate litigation, and property disputes. To contact him, send an email to rweber@bsk.com.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

he Child Victims Act has set aside the does not impose automatic liability on statute of limitations that previously employers for the unsanctioned acts of governed child sexual abuse claims in former employees. Nevertheless, businessNew York, and in the process has “revived” es that employed or provided services to thousands of potential claims. children should take steps to prepare for During a one-time window of opporpotential revived childhood sexual abuse tunity, victims of child sexual abuse who claims. are now well into adulthood are able to Prudent steps include: pursue lawsuits over events that occurred n Review and update current policies decades ago. designed to prevent childhood sexual This dramatic change in the law has abuse, including employee conduct poliresulted in a wave of new litigation across cies. the state — in fact, the New York state n Investigate and review historical incourt system has implemented new rules surance coverage. As the revival window to handle the flood of revived cases that allows for lawsuits on events that occurred have hit the courts since the revival windecades in the past, it is important to dow opened in August 2019. ascertain the specific insurance coverage The vast majorthat was in place for the Guest Columnist ity of the “revived” business in prior years. lawsuits seek to Long-time insurance recover financial damages not only from brokers and agents may be able to assist the individual alleged abuser, but from the with documenting historical insurance businesses and entities that employed or coverages. supervised that individual. n If your company receives notice of Claims against businesses are made a “revived” child sexual abuse claim — or under legal theories such as negligent if you are personally aware of events that hiring, negligent supervision and neglimay lead to a claim — make prompt effort gent retention. Because the Child Victims to locate and safeguard records concerning Act concerns childhood sexual abuse the alleged events, abuser and victim, and incidents, the “revival” window is particidentify current or former staff that may ularly impactful to business that regularly have knowledge of the alleged events. The employ or serve young adults. passage of time may make this task diffiTraditional “first job” employers such cult, but it is important. A large number as restaurants, retail shops and grocery of the revived cases identify the alleged stores often employ workers under 18 victim by a “Jane Doe” pseudonym — this years of age, and decades ago they may means that the initial litigation court filing not have utilized the more thorough may not provide the name of the alleged employee training and conduct protocols victim, which can complicate efforts to that are commonplace today. Similarly, promptly identify internal records related businesses such as medical practices and to the victim or the alleged events. sports facilities provide services for young n Consult with an attorney and your adults that in the past may have included insurance carriers (both current and fordirect, one-on-one interaction. mer) promptly about any revived childBecause the alleged incident(s) may hood sexual abuse claim as soon as you have occurred decades ago, current busiare made aware of the claim. ness owners and managers may have no n Develop an appropriate public relapersonal knowledge of the alleged events, tions response. Allegations that a business the accuser or the accused. They may is at fault for the independent and unhave no staff or records left at the business sanctioned actions of a former employee that could shed light on the parties or the that occurred decades ago could impact allegations. customer relations today. Present manageIt is important to remember that a ment should discuss what (if any) public plaintiff who alleges that a business was statement should be made in the event of responsible for the unsanctioned conduct a claim, and designate specific individuals of a former employee has the burden of to handle media inquiries. proving that claim: The Child Victims Act OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

39

SPECIAL REPORT

Gig Economy Flourishing Nation1099.com estimates that about 11% of US adults work full-time as freelancers

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

I

f you want to supplement your income or even replace it entirely with work that provides greater flexibility, consider entering the gig economy: picking up short-lived jobs you complete on your terms.

“It’s a whole industry in and of itself,” said Jeanne Morelli, vice-president of operations and senior business technology consultant at iV4, a firm with presence in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. Her firm uses consultants who aren’t employees for short-term work.

Nation1099.com estimates that about 11% of US adults work full-time as freelancers, including some who also work a regular job. According to Intuit and Emergent Research, the number of on-demand American workers will increase from 3.9 million to 9.2 million between the years of 2016 and 2021.

Upwork, a gig website, estimates that gig work puts more than $700 billion to the economy annually.

Technically, we’ve always had gig workers.

“People have been doing this a long time,” said Reneé Downey Hart, professor of practice at the Madden

40

School of Business at LeMoyne College in Syracuse. “Whether moonlighting or doing whatever they had to do to make ends meet. Now we’re trying to quantify it.”

Gig work is different from running one’s own business. Gig work typically refers to on-demand services — hustles — or sporadic, short-term work. While gigs may result in lasting relationships between those hiring and those working, it doesn’t always.

“It’s an on-demand economy,” Downey Hart said. “We don’t have an 8 to 5 world anymore, since we have a global economy and connectivity.”

She added that people working gigs aren’t always in it for just the money.

“They often make less money but they do it for what they want: control and respect,” Downey Hart said. “The beauty of the gig economy is it allows agility and fluidity for both the worker and employer.”

One of the many perks about gig work is that you choose how much or how little you care to work. The flexibility offers true freedom while still bringing in some money and keeping

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

you as busy as you’d like.

In modern times, apps usually facilitate gig work, since they add a layer of safety, provide an easy means of connecting with people who want to hire gig workers, and help ensure that workers receive their pay.

Ashley Barfield: A Dogged Gig Worker

Syracuse resident Ashley Barfield had always watched dogs for friends and family who were traveling and has a little experience helping dog trainers.

A professional make-up artist focusing on wedding and prom events, Barfield wanted a means of extra income during the winter, typically a slow time for her make-up business. When she stumbled upon Rover, a dog walking app, she realized she found an ideal way to make more income while doing something she loves.

Rover helps her connect with vetted clients and takes a small percentage of her fees. She first meets the dog and client in a public place to ensure the dog (and owner!) is friendly. That initial introduction helps her more easily enter the client’s home when they’re gone.

“Before I completely open the door, I call out the dog’s name and put my hand out with the back of my hand, and then they sniff,” Barfield said. “I haven’t had a dog yet not let me in.”

For dog sitting, she usually watches the animals in their own homes.

Barfield admitted that at first, she felt nervous about using Rover, but it’s working out well for her. The owners provide care instructions and their vet’s phone number. The app offers an emergency hotline in case anything happens with a client or dog.

In addition to earning more money, Barfield likes that she can do something fun.

“It’s heartwarming,” she said.

“How could you not like to meet new pets all the time?”

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

“It’s an on-demand economy. We don’t have an 8 to 5 world anymore, since we have a global economy and connectivity.”

- Reneé Downey Hart, professor at the Madden School of Business at LeMoyne College.

Barfield said that she thinks people like to hire gig workers like her because of the convenience. Instead of reserving a spot at a boarding kennel and stressing out their pets — many vets also provide boarding — going with a dog sitter app makes more sense.

Barfield advises people interested in app-based gigs to research the app well before signing up. She has tried a few gig sites that didn’t pan out because they had no presence in Central New York.

She also recommends meeting those who hire for gigs in a public place for safety’s sake.

Common Gigs Available

1.Driving

Sign up for ride sharing apps like Uber (www.uber.com) or Lyft (www.lyft.com) or delivery services like Grub Hub (www.grubhub.com) or Door Dash (www.doordash.com). If you have a smartphone, good driving record and a late-model vehicle in good condition, just add a friendly demeanor and you’re ready. The app allows you to choose when and where you want to drive. By maintaining good ratings with top-notch service, more business comes your way any time you’re available.

2.

Mystery shopping

Also known as secret shopping, this gig involves working as a contractor for a third party hired by a business that wants an honest opinion about its goods and services. For example, a fast food restaurant wants to know if its employees are keeping the place clean, using the approved signs and uniforms, recommending additional items and overall presenting the right image. If you have a PayPal account (most pay this way), can observe and remember many details and can follow the many rules of the shop, you can get free goods and services (from FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

G

Gig Work & Your Taxes

ig workers must report their income to the Internal Revenue Service. Many people use gig work to supplement their retirement income. Consider how gig work affects your financial status if you’re drawing on Social Security.

Leyla Z. Morgillo, certified financial planner and associate adviser with Madison Financial Planning Group in Syracuse, said that if you’re not full retirement age and you draw on Social Security, the benefit will be reduced by $1 for each $2 you earn in excess of $18,240.

“That can pretty quickly erase any Social Security benefits being received,” Morgillo said.

In the year you will turn 66, which is your full retirement age (FRA), your benefits will be reduced by $1 for every $3 you earn above $48,600 until you reach age 66. If your goal is just to flex your entrepreneurial muscle, stay active and earn some pin money (providing your definition of “pin money” is less than $18,240), then don’t worry about it.

“If retirees find themselves working in a gig where they are treated as an independent contractor, one of the ways that they can help reduce their associated tax bill is to contribute to a SEP IRA,” Morgillo said. “The sim-

oil changes to clothing to meals out) and a small stipend for your time. You can stack up several evaluations in a single day or snap them up whenever you’d like. Sign up at Sinclair (www. sinclaircustomermetrics.com), Best Mark (https://apply.bestmark.com), Market Force (www.marketforce. com/become-a-mystery-shopper) and Intelli-shop (www.intelli-shop.com/ shoppers). Avoid scamming entities that ask for money upfront.

3.Selling your skills

By now, you are really good at what you do. Many websites offer an easy way to sell your knowledge as a contract worker. As with mystery shopping, don’t sign up for a site that requires money upfront. Although some provide premium membership, they at least allow participation for free. Try Guru (www.guru.com), Elance (www. elanc.com) or Upwork (www.upwork. com) for selling business, artistic, legal, writing, secretarial, sales, engineering, architectural, programming and other OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

plified employee pension plan (aka SEP) allows 1099 workers to contribute up to 20% of their net earnings from self-employment or $56,000, whichever is less, in 2019.

“One of the key features is that there is no age limit for contributing to a SEP, as long as the eligibility criteria is met, so contributions can be made even after age 70 ½.”

Once retirees are 65 and drawing on Medicare, they must make sure that their income falls below the thresholds for the surcharges for Medicare B and D premiums, as a result of the Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA).

“Each person’s situation is unique and one provision does not generally apply to all,” said Lee M. Gatta, a chartered life underwriter, chartered financial consultant, accredited estate planner with Prudential Financial in DeWitt.

“Working in retirement even part time can change the taxation of income from all sources and possibly increase the rate at which their Social Security income is taxed,” Gatta added. “Gather as much information about your own benefits and ask a trusted adviser to help you determine how much additional income can be made without causing your tax bracket to creep up. skills. While the people seeking workers aren’t necessarily all rock solid and paying top rates, they’re generally vetted and you can safeguard your payment by opting for secured funds paid to the site and held by them until you complete the project.

your 4.Selling expertise

If you enjoy mentoring and teaching, then instructing online through Udemy (www.udemy.com) or Varsity Tutors (www.varsitytutors.com) to share your knowledge with the world.

5.Doing errands

You’re likely your family’s go-to for help because you know how to do a lot and you have the time. Why not get paid to help others? Tasks such as childcare, tutoring, personal care, cleaning, home repairs and dog walking are available at sites like Care (www. care.com) and Takl (www.takl.com).

41

SPECIAL REPORT

Pollinating drones operated

by Syracuse-based Dropcopter fly 10 feet above the treetops.

Pollinating via drone helps farmers maximize their window for pollination.

Local Drone Company Wins $500,000 Innovation Prize Syracuse-based Dropcopter builds custom drones for pollination

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

W

hile farmers have been using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to efficiently scout fields for crop issues and to take aerial photos, Syracuse-based Dropcopter flew the idea in a new direction: pollinating fruit and nut trees.

Founders Adam Fine and Matt Kobal met serendipitously in 2014 through a motorcycle blog and eventually, conversation turned to UAVs, commonly called drones.

While Fine had been struggling to develop drones to deliver food and beverages to golfers on the course (come to find out, they hated the noisy fly-over), Kobal had a different idea: let drones help pollinate trees to augment honeybees’ work.

The duo’s work in pollinating with drones impressed the judges at the Grow-NY competition in November in Rochester, where Dropcopter was

42

named one of just seven winners out of 200 entries. The $500,000 prize will certainly help out as the company continues to bloom as the flowers it pollinates.

Initially founded in San Francisco in 2014, the company began working with almond growers who spend $400,000 to pollinate 1,000 acres of almonds. It’s an industry practice to ship in honeybees from across the U.S. to ensure they have enough available to pollinate trees in California. The industry uses 1.8 million colonies to provide pollination to almost a million acres of almonds statewide.

Nuts aren’t the only food affected by a lack of bees. About one-third of the food we eat must receive pollination.

While bees aren’t the only pollinators, they do quite a bit of it.

According to a November 2015 study by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, non-bee pollinaOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

tors, including flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wasps, ants, birds and bats, perform 25% to 50% of the total number of visits to crop blossoms. That means honeybees complete from 50% to 75% of the job. For some crops, bees perform most of the work. With some crops, like almonds, only honeybees can provide pollination.

According to the American Beekeeping Federation, “Honeybees contribute nearly $20 billion to the value of US crop production.”

Colony collapse disorder, a scenario in which most of the worker bees inexplicably abandon a seemingly healthy hive, has reduced the number of honeybees by 50% in the past decade. Bee supply is only one issue to pollination.

Farmers have only a limited window of opportunity for their trees to become pollinated. Bees don’t fly at night, during cold weather or when it’s even FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

a trifle windy.

Drones can do all of those things while covering 40 acres per hour, skimming 10 feet over the trees.

Drones can be programmed to pollinate every single tree in the orchard, unlike their small, striped counterparts.

Every time a Dropcopter employee operates drones, a flight plan must be filed with the FFA. The company does not allow the growers to operate drones.

In 2016, Dropcopter moved to Syracuse and found a good place to grow at Centerstate CEO’s Tech Garden.

The Genius NY Program also helped get Dropcopter off the ground. Fine said that Dropcopter serves orchards across New York as well as maintaining a presence among California growers.

Trips to Brazil and Israel last summer showed promise for using drones to pollinate conifers and date trees, respectively.

Dropcopter is also looking at preventive application of pollen, which may help curtail the spread of disease from contaminated pollen.

An interesting facet of the Dropcopter’s research is that drone pollination combined with standard bee pollination appears to offer the absolute best results; however, Fine said that independent research showed that drone pollination alone raises fruit and nut set by 25% to 50%. Fruit or nut set is whether or not a tree produces a fruit or nut from a blossom. So far, Dropcopter has pollinated apples, cherries, pears, pistachios and almonds.

They’ve explored getting into crops such as pumpkins and row crops like corn and soybeans. Most of the firm’s research is taking place in New York state — another boon for the local

Dropcopter moved from San Francisco to Syracuse in 2016. Based at CenterState CEO’s Tech Garden, the company has established partnership with Cornell University and local growers. economy — with organizations like Cornell University and growers such as Beak & Skiff Orchards in LaFayette in 2018. Unfortunately for the sake of the research, the weather was perfect for bee pollination.

“Dropcopter has data to back up their findings but from my perspective, it was a perfect spring,” said Peter Fleckenstein, Beak & Skiff partner and general manager of fresh fruit and juice operations. “Every day during full bloom, it was warm, the sun was out there was no wind and the bee work was phenomenal.”

While he felt impressed with the drone’s efficiency, he wished he could have seen it operate during a less op-

timal season so he could really see the difference between the treated portion of the experiment and the control.

Fleckenstein also noted that so far, bees have been able to successfully pollinate the orchards at Beak & Skiff and he hasn’t faced a season when he couldn’t obtain rental hives. He added that “the concept of Dropcopter is great” and that he would recommend Dropcopter to growers experiencing issues with pollination.

Fine said that Dropcopter plans to use the prize money to work on research and development.

Empire State Development funded the Grow-NY competition through its Upstate Revitalization Initiatives.

Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul awards Dropcopter’s co-founder and CTO Adam Fine (center) and CMO Mike Winch. Photo provided.

A Dropcopter custom-built drone sits grounded, awaiting another pollination run.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

43

Maple Weekend Takes Place in Northern Region

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OCO has a vision for the future. That’s why we’re committed to our mission: empowering people, OCO has a vision for the future. That’s why we’re supporting our communities, and changing lives for committed to our mission: empowering people, supporting our communities, and changing lives for the better. With over 50 services that include housing, the better. With over 50 services that include housing, care management, addiction recovery, education, health care management, addiction recovery, education, care, transportation, crisis services, advocacy and health care, nutrition services, transportation, crisis prevention for all ages, we’re investing in people, services, advocacy and prevention for all ages, we’re building futures and changing lives. investing in people, building futures and changing lives.

Making a difference – it’s what we do!

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

reparations are already underway for March 21-22 and March 2829, maple weekend open house events at 18 sites in Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego and Oneida counties and at the International Maple Museum in Croghan, Lewis County.

A wide array of maple products from maple syrup, maple sugarcakes, and maple cream to maple floss, maple brown sugar, maple milk and more sweet treats will be available for purchase. Check details and directions at www.mapleweekend.com for sites that may be open only on Saturdays or one of the two weekends.

Visitors to sugarhouses in this northern region of New York state will meet sugarmakers, enjoy sap-to-syrup tours, taste samples, and see how sap is boiled into syrup at ultramodern sugarhouses as well as one making maple for 99 years and one boiling sap since 1844.

The participating sites, stretching from the foothills of the Adirondack mountains to Black River Bay, and Tug Hill to areas named for the steam engine inventor, a Central American country, and a Carthaginian Empire hero; and into the Mohawk Valley; represent more than 176 years of maple sugaring. A new participant in this northern region of New York state for 2020 is Silver Sap Maple in New Bremen, near Lowville.

In Oswego County, various events, including pancake breakfast, will be held at: • Fulton: Red Schoolhouse Maple, 2437 county Route 4, 315-243-1034.

Pancake breakfast and gourmet maple products.

• Hannibal: Maple Hill Farm, 86 Guernsey Road, 315-593-2396. Maple syrup, maple cream, molded sugar.

• Hannibal: Maple Hollow Farm, 1309 county Route 85, 315-564-7133. Free samples of pure maple syrup, maple cream and maple fluff.

• Mexico: Yardley Maple, 524 county Route 64, 315-380-1416. Tour sugarhouse and see the process of sap being turned into pure maple syrup.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Reserve space in the 2020 CNY Summer Guide editor@cnysummer.com 45

Growing Your Business in 2020 From expanding beyond Central New York to beefing up marketing strategies, experts share tips on how to grow your business

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Y

ou’ve likely heard of plenty of businesses or municipalities that launched a “2020 plan” of some sort, anticipating that their “vision” of the future should be sharp in a new decade. Area experts offered these tips for helping make the growth of your business a reality this year.

• “Marketing is only one piece of the pie in business. People have to start looking at their business in a holistic way. Businesses don’t consider the details: company culture that makes people want to stay, revenue control and information technology. It all needs to be integrated.”

Gail Cowley, Owner and executive vice-president, Cowley Associates in Syracuse.

46

• “Stretching outside the Central New York area into different markets.

• “Be visible and active in the community. Give back so people will know what your company does and what it’s about. It keeps you in front of people.

• “Companies that are growing are investing in their own employees with certifications and further training.

Employees are your biggest asset ever.

You have to train them and keep them in the business. It can make or break a company.”

Carol Fletcher, President of C.R. Fletcher Associates, Inc. in Syracuse.

• “Set objectives at the end of the previous year or at the beginning of OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

the year by getting input from all the team members coming together. Then, they can unite to make it happen. Have a plan A and plan B so you don’t get off track from your goals.

• “To continue growing, we rely more and more on networking. It becomes more social media involved as we go on.

• “We put a lot of effort into getting and keeping our employees. All employees are involved in management. We have a Recognition Squad: all employees and no management. They have outings and parties for the whole organization.

They give out awards to people feel connected.

Jeanne Morelli, Vice-president of operations and senior business technology consultant at iV4 in FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester.

• “A business board shouldn’t be a mirror of you but people you trust who have different perspectives and skill sets. Whatever it is, find a group of outsiders who can help you wade through the particulars of growing your business.

• “Set aside time per week to read and think. It’s huge. We get so caught up in ‘doing’ we don’t take time to step back, digest and think. We see that all the time, especially with women business owners I work with.

• “Have a plan and always, always be ready to flex it. It’s difficult. It’s a hard line to walk but you’ve got to do it, especially today when things move so fast. Focus.

• “Hire well. This is critical. It’s painful. One has to be patient. But if you hire well, you’re golden. Be enormously aware of the importance of diversity and inclusion.

• Once you’ve got the right people, develop them. Train them well and then get out of their way.

• “Close your mouth and actually listen. Business owners think they have all the answers. It’s so hard for so many to listen. Astonishingly, we don’t have all the answers. If we do hire well and

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

develop our people and listen, others have better answers than we do.

• “Mark milestones and celebrate success. Don’t celebrate by yourself.

Pop a cork. Say, ‘It’s so cool we did this’ or ‘Jessica made this great discovery and put it to work.’ Small things and big things. It gives people a chance to sit back, breathe and say, ‘We pulled this off.’”

Anne Messenger, Principal at Messenger Associates in Manlius.

• “The simplest way to grow your small business is to have an opinion.

What I mean by that is social media is a platform, particularly LinkedIn for business-to-business or Facebook for business-to-consumer. That’s a great way to start a conversation in the community that’s looking for expert level education. The biggest impact you can make is to bring topics, challenges to the forefront and have an opinion on why it’s important, how to evaluate it how to address this.

• What most people don’t recognize is there’s a huge shift in digital marketing. Most people look online for answers to their questions. The way you get found these days is to be the

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

company that is providing the answer.

Give people value before you ask for something.”

Kara Rudy, President of Market Design Consulting in Syracuse.

• “I’ve always made a practice to read voraciously a variety of things. In my industry, it’s challenging to stay ahead of what the trends will be. Use of PDF files vs. hard reflective art for ads was in its infancy when I started this business over 20 years ago, but I knew that this would be the future. You see trends for your clients. Five to six years ago, I noticed that a nice way for a bank or credit union to interest younger members was to set up credit unions in high schools.

I recognized it as a way a credit union could influence and gain new members.

• “Your best source of new business is your existing client. There are new ways you can help existing clients. I’m always looking for those to provide value to clients and help grow my business. We tend to be myopic and stay consumed with what we’ve always done. We have to make extra effort to go beyond that.”

Steve Chirello, Owner of Chirello Advertising in Fulton.

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Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net

The Unique Way Journalists Write They are accused of using arcane language that most humans do not. This newsspeak is called “journalese”

‘What about the “heist” at the local savings and loan where the perpetrator made his getaway with the “loot.”

BRUCE FRASSINELLI is the former publisher of The PalladiumTimes. He served as a governor of the Rotary Club District 7150 (Central New York) from July 2001 to June 2002.

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P

rofessionals in various businesses are notorious for using words and acronyms that the public cannot understand.

Public relations specialists advise their bosses when making speeches to KISS (Keep It Short and Simple). We see acronyms such as GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Practices), IPO (Initial Public Offering), NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) and EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization).

“Jargon masks real meaning,” Jennifer Chatman, management professor at the University of California-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, once said. “People use it as a substitute for thinking hard and clearly about their goals and the direction that they want to give others.”

Here are just a few of the thousands of jargon-filled terms that business-oriented professionals lean on too heavily: • Think outside the box (to approach a business problem in an unconventional fashion) • Robust (a product or service with a virtually endless capacity to please) • Reach out (contact a person or company) Then, there is this one which annoys me the most: Giving 110%. The most you can give is everything you’ve got. Even if a human is capable of doing this, the best we can expect is 100%.

You can’t give more unless you have magically found a way around the laws of mathematics. To ask someone to give more than 100% or to proclaim that you have given 110% also announces that you failed third-grade math.

We journalists also are accused of using arcane (there I go again) language that most humans do not. They are right, by the way.

This newsspeak is called “journalese.”

We see it in a lot in headlines. “Police nab burglary suspect,” “Yankees top Dodgers,” “Bills blank Jets,” “Teachers, board ink pact.”

There is really a simple reason why some

of these words are used: They are short and tend to fit into the space given for a headline.

“Nab” rather than “apprehend,” “top” rather than “defeat,” “blank” rather than “shut out” and “ink” rather than “sign” are all much more economical words for headline-writers.

They also tend to be more colorful, a handy tool to encourage more readership, because, after all, isn’t attracting readers to a story the ultimate name of the game?

Veteran reporters — assuming there are any around these days — will fall back on journalese way too often. That’s why you will read that fires rage out of control, those who refuse to pay numerous parking tickets are scofflaws rather than lawbreakers, and key labor accords are hammered out at the 11th hour by weary negotiators in marathon, around-the-clock bargaining sessions narrowly averting threatened walkouts.

In Central New York, reporters must have strict discipline to report on the pervasiveness of winter weather. We endure teeth-chattering cold. “Snow” is the most dreaded of four-letter words in our region, and reporters must be skilled at finding synonyms to break up the monotony of using the word over and over again.

Yes, of course, “snow” is the straight-forward first reference, but then come “the white stuff,” “it” or “the flakes.,” Snow does not

My Turn

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

just fall; it pummels the region, piles up, drifts, strands motorists, causes blinding whiteout conditions. Roads become ice-slicked or treacherous, and we will always tell you the grim human toll that big storms will take and how snarled our highways became.

We journalists say things that other humans would never dare say.

For example: We report that “a Baldwinsville man was stabbed following an altercation outside a village bar.”

Can you imagine a father saying to his wife, who just got back home, “I sent the kids to their rooms, because they got into an altercation.” This dad would say “fight” or “argument.” Let’s not forget the journalese cousins of “altercation” — “melee,” “brouhaha” and “imbroglio.”

Or, how about this one: “A New Haven man fingered his business partner in the theft of $30,000 from company funds.” You’ll never find Mom telling Johnny, “OK, no dessert for you tonight, young man, because your brother fingered you for eating cookies before dinner.”

What about the “heist” at the local savings and loan where the perpetrator made his getaway with the “loot.”

In every fire report, you are likely to see this kind of phrase: “The blaze [conflagration] started in the living room.” Don’t expect Dad to say on a cold winter’s night: “Heck of a blaze I started in the fireplace, don’t you think?”

After many municipal meetings, you are likely to read: “Fulton residents turned out at last night’s City Council meeting to express concern and consternation over a proposed tax increase for next year.” Picture Mom telling Liam, “I want to express my concern over your proposed trip to the mall with your friends.”

Legions of (well, maybe a few) academics have compiled a list of these well-worn journalese phrases vs. the way humans usually talk: • A working blaze (fire) • Quipped, opined (said) • Terminated (fired) • At this point in time (now) • Officers observed (police saw) • Fled on foot (ran away) • Slated (scheduled) • Male juvenile (boy), female juvenile (girl) • Succumbed (died) • Laceration (cut) • Purported (alleged) The Columbia Journalism Review has noted the proliferation of “big” words in news stories. “Do not be FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able,” journalists are reminded in the Elements of Style handbook.

They include “imprecation” (a spoken curse), “feckless” (lacking strength of character, irresponsible), “atavistic” (ancient or ancestral), “inchoate” (just begun, not fully formed) and “sclerotic” (having sclerosis, becoming rigid and unresponsive).

The U.S. House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry into whether President Donald Trump committed bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors centered on his phone call to the Ukrainian president. The Latin term “quid-pro-quo” (this for that) came up hundreds of times concerning whether Trump was asking for an investigation of his political rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter, in return for the release of $400 million in U.S. military aid.

We heard the word “redacted” (censored) ad nauseam in conjunction with the Mueller report. Speaking of former special counsel Robert Mueller, when he testified before congressional committees in 2019, he used the word “purview,” as in “that is not in my purview,” about 40 times. “Purview” has a number of meanings; the one most applicable in this case is “the range or limit of my authority.”

The online statement left by the El Paso WalMart shooter, whose actions left 22 dead and 26 injured last August, was most frequently referred to as a “manifesto” and, to a lesser extent, as a “screed.”

When U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh appeared for Senate confirmation hearings, some senators were said to have “grilled” him, rather than “questioned” him.

Any event that ends with death or destruction might be described as “ill-fated,” as if its destiny had been preordained. “The Titanic sank during its ill-fated, maiden voyage.”

So, when we come right down to it, what is journalese anyway? “Journalese is the artificial and sometimes over-abbreviated language regarded as characteristic of the popular media.”

Phillip B. Corbett, associate editor for standards at The New York Times, calls journalese “a strained and artificial voice more common to news reports than to natural conversation.”

As far as which local medium does most poorly when it comes to journalese, I shall remain tight-lipped.

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The Red Hot CNY Job Market Syracuse metropolitan area sees the highest level of employment on record, according to the NYS Labor Department

L

ooking for a job? New York companies are hiring.

Karen Knapik-Scalzo, associate economist with the New York State Department of Labor Division of Research and Statistics in Syracuse, reports that the labor market in the Syracuse metropolitan region “remains robust.”

She said that for the 12-month period ending October 2019, the number of nonfarm jobs in the Syracuse metro area — which consists of three counties, Onondaga, Oswego and Madison — increased by 5,200, or 1.6%, to 331,000, “its highest level on record,” KnapikScalzo said.

Plus, the Syracuse area had an unemployment rate of 3.9% in October, one the lowest Octobers on record.

Knapik-Scalzo foresees many job opportunities in a variety of industries for people entering the workforce as baby boomers age out of it. These industries include construction, manufacturing and agriculture.

The Bureau of Labor Market Information Division of Research and Statistics foresees “strong growth” for agriculture through 2026, thanks to expansion of animal production, aquaculture and demand for dairy, hard cider and craft beer.

Growth in the construction skilled trades is also projected to continue through 2026, according to the bureau because of other industry expansion such as food manufacturing; however,

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By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant the bureau noted that this sector tends to be sensitive to fluctuations in the overall economy.

Electronic product manufacturing has also been increasing as defense-related contracts have boosted the industry.

Among the industries under trade, transportation and utilities, the utilities, merchant wholesalers, durable goods and warehousing and storage showed the most growth. The bureau noted Syracuse’s location at a major New York crossroads — I-90 and I-81 — as an idea for fostering expansion in this segment.

Professional business services and technical services are projected to grow through 2026, a continuation of the 55% growth the bureau noted between 2013 and 2018.

Carol Fletcher, president of C.R. Fletcher Associates, Inc. in Syracuse, has observed this trend.

“The hot jobs are anything data related,” Fletcher said. “Business intelligence and analytics are hot this year. We’re seeing a high demand for them. CompaFletcher nies have acquired data over the years. They’re OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

going to use it and hopefully improve and become more efficient to increase their bottom line. The tech sector is growing by leaps and bounds.”

Fletcher has observed more employers seeking to keep their employees’ skills sharp and updated through education.

Joe Szlosek, owner of JAS Recruitment in Syracuse, said that engineering has been a hot area.

“There’s a deficiency in the supply,” Szlosek said. “The field is growing exponentially over the years, and a lot has to do with the growth of products within that Szlosek field, including technology. A lot of the engineers we have in Central New York are educated here.”

He said increased efforts to promote Central New York as a good place to live and work and efforts to live up to that reputation has helped attract more people, including millennials. Szlosek said that millennials want to find a city to work in that offers affordable housing, entertainment, restaurants and culture.

Education boasts the most employees among the significant industries in FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Central New York — more than 45,000.

The Bureau of Labor Market Information Division of Research and Statistics also added that as baby boomers age out of teaching positions, their roles will require filling. The industry is predicted to enjoy 9.9% growth.

Heath care and social assistance is also a sector driven by the aging baby boomers who will increasingly need their services and retire from working in this sector, according to Fletcher. Especially promising parts of the industry include ambulatory health care, and social assistance.

“Some of the biggest industry we’re seeing growth in besides tech is healthcare,” Fletcher said. “It’s unbelievable.

We’re seeing this industry take off.”

Statewide data also shows good times. In the month of November 2019 (the most recent data available), the number of non-government, private sector jobs increased by 15,300 (that’s 0.2%) statewide, reaching 8,327,800, according to the state’s Department of Labor. The percentage mirrors that of the nation’s rate of new jobs and represents the highest number of jobs in New York ever. Economic growth like this is great news for anyone seeking employment in New York. With unemployment at only 4.0% — 16,000 fewer unemployed people than in November 2018 — that means New Yorkers are finding jobs.

Since November 2018, New York’s job market has shown particular growth among private educational and health services, adding 65,300 jobs — more than any other industry sector. Not surprisingly, ambulatory health care was an especially big player at 42,700 more jobs. As more stand-alone and specialty surgical centers rise to meet the growing healthcare needs of aging baby boomers and new insurance enrollees, it’s logical that the market will offer more jobs in this medical setting.

Professional and business services also grew (+25,400), especially in professional, scientific and technical services (+17,700), management, scientific and technical consulting services (+6,500) and architectural, engineering and related services (+6,200). These areas relate to business and industry growth.

Leisure and hospitality (+20,300) also rose in jobs. As more individual businesses and travel organizations work to promote the state’s offerings to tourists and the folks at home, it makes sense that these businesses need more workers. The biggest growth spurts were among accommodation and food services (+15,700) and food services FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

and drinking establishments (+8,900).

These gains also reflect the overall good economy. When times are good, people want to travel and play.

Last year wasn’t all good news for employment. The New York State Department of Labor states that of all job sectors manufacturing has suffered the most job loss in 2019, decreasing

by 4,300, especially in durable goods (-4,800) and fabricated metal items (-1,700).

Second on the list of employment decline is in services, including laundry services (-5,900) and “other” service industries (-2,900). That perhaps reflects more people doing things for themselves, as the “DIY” trend is still popular. Why hire someone when you can watch a YouTube how-to video and take care of it yourself? The third area of service decreasing, personal care services (-2,400), may indicate that demand for care aides is declining because of the rising cost in healthcare.

“We continue to see some small job losses in the financial activities sector that is mainly concentrated in insurance carriers and related activities,” KnapikScalzo said.

2020’s Best Places to Find a Job With the unemployment rate at a near 50-year low and employers expecting to hire 5.8% more college graduates from the class of 2020 than from the previous graduating cohort, the personal-finance website WalletHub recently released its report on 2020’s

“Best Places to Find a Job.” To determine the strongest local job markets in the U.S., WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 31 key metrics. The data set ranges from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary.

Best Cities for Jobs

Worst Cities for Jobs

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Scottsdale, Arizona South Burlington, Vermont San Francisco, California Austin, Texas Fremont, California Chandler, Arizona Boston, Massachusetts Tempe, Arizon Portland, Maine Boise, Idaho

173. Cleveland, Ohio 174. Anchorage, Alaska 175. Gulfport, Missouri 176. Toledo, Ohio 177. Huntington, West Virginia 178. Brownsville, Texas 179. Stockton, California 180. Newark, New Jersey 181. Fayetteville, North Carolina 182. Detroit, Michigan

Rochester ranked 154th worst city to find a job while Buffalo ranked 152nd.

Syracuse was not ranked in the survey.

Best vs. Worst • Gilbert, Arizona, has the highest median annual household income (adjusted by cost of living), $89,903, which is 3.4 times higher than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the lowest at $26,281.

• San Jose, California, has the highest monthly average starting salary, $6,019, which is 3.2 times higher than in Brownsville, Texas, the city with the lowest at $1,876.

• South Burlington, Vermont, has the lowest unemployment rate, 1.7%, which is 5.3 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 9%.

• Plano, Texas, has the fewest part-time employees for every 100 full-time employees, 32.86, which is 3.6 times fewer than in Burlington, Vermont, the city with the most at 118.23.

• Fremont, California, has the lowest share of workers living in poverty, 1.84%, which is 10.3 times lower than in Huntington, West Virginia, the city with the highest at 18.86%.

To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-jobs/2173/

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Syracuse’s Startup Scene Earns National Attention Studies recognize Syracuse as among the best cities in the country for startup companies

By Payne Horning

S

yracuse may not be a Silicon Valley or New York City, but as the startup industry begins to expand beyond the traditional larger cities into other parts of the country, there are signs indicating that the Salt City could become part of the next wave.

The Brookings Institution recently listed Syracuse as one of the country’s potential growth areas for the future of America’s high-tech innovation sector.

To qualify, the cities had to be of a certain size and have well-educated populations, nearby research universities and existing innovation companies.

Additionally, Embroker, Inc., a San Francisco-based digital insurance company that serves startup companies, just ranked Syracuse as among the top 10 cities in the country for lowest startup costs. Renting an office in the Salt City costs an average of $900 a month compared to $4,500 a month in New York City.

But it wasn’t just the cheap office space that earned Syracuse this high-profile attention. The Embroker study said the city is also “ripe with programs that aim to foster entrepreneurs, seed their companies, and support them as they grow.” For example, the study noted the state’s Genius NY competition that takes place in Central New York, which awards $3 million annually to

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startups focused on the drone industry. Syracuse is also home to the Tech Garden, a business incubator that has helped launch dozens of high-growth companies.

“We’ve got a really strong network right in Syracuse,” said Michael Quigley, co-founder and president of SpinCar, an automotive merchandizing company that was formerly a resident at the Tech Garden.

SpinCar is internationally known for its technology that allows online shoppers to see a 360-degree image of a car’s exterior on a dealer’s website. It serves six car manufacturers and nearly 3,000 automobile dealerships across the U.S. and western Europe, employing more than 100 people.

After launching in Syracuse eight years ago, the company relocated to New York City. But it later decided to return home. Quigley says the cost of living benefits in Upstate were definitely part of the calculation, though there were other factors as well.

“In our experiences, people are just more willing to lend a hand than they might either be otherwise in a larger metro like New York City or Silicon Valley where you’re one of 1,000 or 10,000 startups as opposed to a market like Syracuse where you’re one of 10 or 20,” Quigley said.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

One of those who lent a hand to SpinCar was StartFast, an early-stage venture capital firm in Syracuse that invests in startups. The venture accelerator was highlighted in the Embroker study for its three-month program offered to startups with an associated seed fund.

James Shomar, a partner at StartFast, says the climate for startup companies in Syracuse has completely changed over the past decade. He notes how several of these businesses like SpinCar and TCGplayer, a company that created an e-commerce marketplace for collectible card games, are now occupying formerly empty spaces in downtown Syracuse.

“It’s just a very different world,” Shomar said. “When we started in 2012, I feel like you could throw a bowling ball down Warren Street and not hit anything. It’s come a long way in a very short time.”

Shomar says this industry is not only finding success here — it’s breeding it as well. StartFast now interacts with startups that were founded by the former employees of other startups in the region. According to Shomar, that’s one of the reasons Syracuse is standing out nationally. Early companies like SpinCar have paved the way for more growth.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

The Brookings Institution recently listed Syracuse as one of the country’s potential growth areas for the future of America’s high-tech innovation sector.

Another secret to the region’s success, he says, is its intellectual capital.

“You have some incredible talent pouring out of universities, which is huge,” Shomar said. “People would be surprised to realize this, but some of the greatest founders of our time grew up or were educated here. One of the founders of Airbnb grew up outside of Albany, the original founder and CEO of Netflix was a Hamilton College grad, one of the founders of Android is a Utica College grad. The list just goes on and on.”

Quigley agrees. The trouble, he says, is some of that talent is forced to leave the area because about 80% of the capital for investments in startups flows into only five markets: Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York and Boston. Unless Central New York starts investing in these companies to remain competitive, entrepreneurs will go to where there’s seed money.

“I think to the extent that other local business leaders can reinvest their capital into the community, that’s going to drive this,” Quigley said. “Clearly the talent pool and ideas are here, we just got to keep them here and I think that the linchpin in doing that is having a capital market for getting these companies funded.”

Shomar says Syracuse is not the only “tier two/three” city outside the major metropolitan areas that is competing to inherit the next phase of the startup economy. In fact, the Brookings Institution study listed as many as 35 potential growth areas, including several others in Upstate: Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany.

Key to staying ahead of the pack is more investment.

“I’m definitely optimistic about the future, but I always like to describe us as being an inch off the ground still,” Shomar said. “We have a good shot now that only really comes around once in a generation, but it’s going to really require all of us to seize it.”

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

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Rich Burritt on Jan. 14 at the construction site of his $10 million expansion project in Oswego, which will include a new Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership. Photo by Chuck Wainwright.

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

COVER

By Lou Sorendondo

Dreaming Big Rich Burritt, fourth-generation owner of Burritt Motors in Oswego, brings a taste of Disney magic to the automotive sales world

C

hoosing Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966) as your role model in the business world is similar to a trip to Walt Disney World Resort.

It’s an extraordinary journey toward success.

As a legendary film producer and pioneer of the American animation industry, Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards earned by an individual, having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations.

The automotive sales industry is anything but an amusement park. But for Richard A. Burritt, president of R.M. Burritt Motors Inc. and Burritt Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Oswego, applying Disney’s time-honored business principles has served as a catalyst toward reaching the next level.

Burritt is a student and avid supporter of the Walt Disney method. He has embraced Disney’s emphasis on building a performance-driven culture.

At the heart of the Disney approach is creating an experience that is unparalleled while achieving both employee and customer satisfaction. Burritt essentially has adopted the Disney mantra that if you take good care of your staff, they will take good care of their customers. This ultimately leads to repeat business as well as referrals.

Developing or acquiring new businesses is the typical approach in this growth strategy, and the 36-year-old business owner has taken notes.

Burritt Motors is constructing a $10 million expansion that includes a Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership, a stand-alone collision and accessories center, a touchless car wash, a detail center, and a number of other upgrades on its 15-acre site. The business will also be installing spray-in truck bedliners.

It is located between the ChevyBuick store and Lake Ontario Prompt

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Medical Care along state Route 104 East in Oswego.

Burritt has realized steady growth since he took the reins at Burritt Motors in 2006, and strives to grow by at least 15% annually.

Burritt surpassed $100 million in sales in 2019, the first time the business has hit that mark in its history.

Using 2006 as a benchmark, Burritt Motors has sold on average 45 vehicles per month. This has grown at an average annual rate of 15%.

Burritt Motors sold on average 220 vehicles per month in 2019.

“The objective is to continue this growth and to reach 300 vehicles per month,” Burritt said. That would figure to 3,600 vehicles per year in the next three years.

“Similar growth is forecast for service, body shop, parts and detail departments,” he added.

During the first year running the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealerships store on West First Street — the former Shapiro Motors — in 2018, Burritt more than tripled business there. He leases that space, and the building is presently up for sale.

Burritt graduated with great distinction in business administration and technology management and was an Academic All-American lacrosse player at Clarkson University in 2005. In 2007, he was a top scholar at the National Automobile Dealers Association Academy.

Footsteps to fill Burritt is the fourth generation of his family to run the business. That’s a rarity: Less than 4% in the industry make it to four generations of family ownership.

Rich’s father, Chris Burritt, became president of the dealership at the age 55

of 24, the youngest in the state and one of the youngest in the nation. He was ushered into the top spot when Rich’s grandfather — Richard M. Burritt — experienced health issues. The founder of the business was Elmer O. Burritt in 1955.

Chris attended Northwood University, a foremost institution in automotive marketing and management, and ran the dealership for nearly 40 years.

Burritt said he watched his dad’s career and how he navigated through both good times and bad.

“If you can survive in your weakest moments, you can thrive in your best,” he said.

While Burritt enjoys being around vehicles, his passion really lies in successfully running the business.

“I’m a numbers person. I’ve always said, ‘Each number tells a story. I just want to be the best author I can be,”’ he said.

Burritt familiarized himself with the business at a young age and was selling cars at 16. At 17, he was a service adviser working with customers.

In addition, he took advantage of many training opportunities during his high school and college years, traveling with his dad to various seminars.

Burritt said his father taught him to study and evaluate a person’s psyche and to avoid dealing with situations on an emotional level.

He also emphasizes the use of servant leadership, where the main goal of the leader is to serve. The business leans in a different direction from traditional leadership models, flipping the typical pyramid model into a reverse hierarchy instead.

Burritt said his wife Britanee and son Brogan provide a good support system as he seeks to create a comfortable work-life balance.

He usually features three big sales a year in March, June and September.

During those sales months, he tirelessly works every weekend from open to close.

However, during the other nine months, he makes sure to give more of his weekend time to family.

Since Rich Burritt took over his family dealership in 2006, the business has grown by at least 15% every year. In 2019, it surpassed $100 million in sales, the first time the business has hit that mark in its history.

“My dad went and brought back a wealth of information regarding sustaining performance excellence and leadership,” Burritt said. “It really struck a chord with me.”

While most of the dealers who attended thought it was merely a requirement, Burritt embraced the approach and how his business could gain from it.

“It really changed how we operated and look at things. It’s about leading and

sustaining a service culture,” he said.

Burritt graduated from the Disney Institute, and has developed a handbook and curriculum around what he learned for his own staff.

“We put every single one of our employees through our own Disney class and go over core values, history, how to think, how to lead a sustained culture and leadership excellence,” he said.

Burritt said leadership “can happen at any level of the organization, whether you are a detailer or a manager.

“They can be leaders, and we try to encourage those characteristics. Our success would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our entire staff and leadership team,” he noted.

“Disney believes in doing everything 1% better,” said Burritt, noting the approach places a premium on showmanship and experience.

The Disney model looks at every aspect of a particular business before

The Disney Way Chevrolet, an automobile division of General Motors, has had a longstanding bond with Disney, and at one point required their dealer operators to attend the Disney Institute, a professional development and business consulting division of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.

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Rich Burritt on Jan. 14 checking the construction of his $10 million expansion project. Photo by chuck Wainwright.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Rich Burritt notes his most significant risk is competing against digital dealers who do not have a brick-andmortar presence. “Our biggest risk is competing against someone who didn’t spend $10 million” to build a new store. determining how to make it more efficient, create more value, and emphasize showmanship, safety and quality.

“They dissect everything we do, and determine how we can make every bit of that better,” Burritt added.

All about the experience The culture that Burritt has created is performance driven, but he also strives to empathize with his employees through measures such as an open door policy.

“If employees can make a difference, it will impact them and the lives of those around them,” he said.

Burritt pays a percentage of net profit to his leadership team as added incentive to excel. He also sees each of his departments within his business as breeding grounds for employees to learn and advance within the system.

For instance, once detailers gain experience, they can advance into rust proofing and installing spray-in bedliners, and potentially become painters capable of working on customer’s cars.

“I have created a system where people can start at any level and work their way all the way up,” he said.

Burritt said he credits his family background with his strong work ethic, noting his mother’s side operated farms.

He also credits his athletic background with feeding his desire to be competitive. He played football and lacrosse at Oswego High School and is a member of Clarkson University’s all-time lacrosse All-Stars.

“We want to win. I’m not here to come in, sit back and relax. I’ve never called in a day of my life and I’ve never missed work from being sick,” said Burritt, noting he was the same way as a youth in school.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Diversification vital Burritt noted his most significant risk is competing against digital dealers who do not have a brick-and-mortar presence.

“Our biggest risk is competing against someone who didn’t spend $10 million” to build a new store, he said.

Burritt is still married to the brickand-mortar method, although he mentioned that without diversification, it would not work.

“You need to push every button at the same time,” he said.

In terms of competing online, Burritt said, “if you are not in it, you can’t compete. It’s really that simple.”

He said 90% of people are shopping online. “We all do research online and you are in a small percentage if you do not,” he said.

“Consumers come in educated, they know what they want, when they want it, and what they want to pay,” he said.

When consumers used to visit up to eight dealerships to find what they want, now that number is 1.6.

“We focus on what’s important to customers. Besides sales, we offer service, financing, a body shop, car wash, rust-proofing center, detailing, parts and accessories, and have a Locavore

food truck coming soon,” Burritt said.

“We provide whatever they want. As long as we have everything available, I think that we win in the end.”

Burritt characterizes his online presence as strong.

“The price you see is pretty much the price you pay. There is little margin built into it and it is very transparent,” he said. Burritt also features a price-match guarantee on service and everything it sells.

Burritt uses several different forms of artificial intelligence, systems that feature software that works 24-7 understanding the needs and wants of consumers. Conversica, a cloud software technology that focuses on customer experience, is popular in automotive circles.

“As long as you are providing a good experience, then typically they will come in or call in,” he said.

Burritt serves as president of the Syracuse Auto Dealers Association and is on the board of directors of the New York State Automobile Dealers Association.

He has taken on leadership roles in many organizations, including United Way of Greater Syracuse, YMCA, the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation, Oswego Industries, and Oswego Youth Soccer and Little League.

Big Fish in Small Pond Larger auto dealerships such as Burritt Motors in Oswego becoming staple in industry

By Lou Sorendo

T

he common stereotypes of the hard-selling, slick-talking car salesperson are quickly diminishing in the midst of an industry that is featuring internet shopping and transparent pricing.

Retailing is rapidly changing for many car dealers and their bottom lines, according to McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm with a global presence. Its website claims two forces are limiting dealer profits.

First, automakers continue to boost incentive pressure as they face growing price competition and as a result, squeeze the margins of their dealer OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

networks.

Second, third party digital channels for research and digital-vehicle purchases are increasing vehicle pricing transparency and enabling consumers to make product comparisons easier.

In light of these factors, Richard A. Burritt, president of R.M. Burritt Motors Inc. and Burritt Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Oswego, is on a mission to create a new, exciting and different experience.

Burritt Motors is constructing a $10 million Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership, with a stand-alone showroom for Jeep; a stand-alone collision and accessories center that will be five times 57

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The business will also be installing spray-in truck bedliners. It is going to be located next to the Chevy-Buick dealership on state Route 104 East.

Burritt said the grand opening is targeted for sometime in late March.

As of mid-January, the project was about 85% complete.

“This is a big opportunity, and I’m hopeful that it will create more opportunities for every one of my employees.

That’s actually the most successful thing to me. It’s not so much the money; it’s the byproduct of doing the right thing, growing success and having each employee take part in that,” he said.

Burritt plans on taking detailing services on the road and also attending to houses, boats, RVs and docks. He has nine detailers now, and his goal is to have 20 full-time detailers by the end of the year.

“I think it’s a really good way to connect and get exposure with people without spending money. It is its own form of advertising,” he noted.

Burritt along with his wife Britanee also wants to test the market with their 58

Locavore food trucks and eventually build a brick-and-mortar restaurant featuring the same local farm-to-table fare.

“We literally want to get to the point where we can actually hydroponically cultivate all the fruits and vegetables so we can have full sustainability,” he said.

The objective is not only to create more foot traffic, but to also offer a healthier lifestyle to his employees and customers.

Bigger the better The days of being a small-store auto dealer are diminishing, according to Automotive News.

Regardless of geography, market size or franchise, many dealers with a single point or a small group find they must either become bigger or sell to a bigger group, Automotive News claims.

“The retail business model now favors big groups, they say, which can more easily hit factory sales targets, afford dealership improvements and achieve cost benefits,” its website states.

“It’s harder to be relevant and you have to just be so efficient. There are a lot of conglomerates coming in, so naturally, that is what we are trying to do ourselves in order to control the OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

market,” Burritt said.

In order for the new project to be successful, Burritt said it will simply be a matter of executing the game plan.

“I have a pro forma of exactly what needs to be done,” Burritt said. “We know how many employees we need, how many customers we need to see, and how many cars we must have on the lots.

“We just have to roll up our sleeves, be humble and empathetic, listen to our employees, and build a culture where they like coming to work. That will allow them to execute.”

He also said another key will be for staff to exhibit a high level of emotional intelligence.

That ability to be aware of, control and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically, is a hard trait to come by, Burritt noted.

“Nowadays, it is more about how can employees relate with others and how can they work in a team atmosphere,” he said.

“It’s really harnessing the leadership’s team ability to inspire and mentor others, and just enjoy what we do. If we can do that and execute the game plan, it will work,” he added.

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

59

2020 ‘The sentiment is better than it once was. There’s an effort by our political leaders to get stuff done. But at the same time, we’re losing jobs in retail. Retail is dying in general because of e-commerce. It seems like yet another store at Destiny is closing every week.’

Joe Szlosek, owner at JAS Recruiting, Syracuse

Outlo

W

hile no one owns a functioning crystal ball, area professionals knowledgeable in the area’s economy offered their business outlook for CNY. Here’s what they had to say: “I’m optimistic. That’s not a sugar-coated thing. I see that the national economy continues to be strong and local investment is rising. When you see the progress that the cities of Fulton and Oswego are going through, it makes your head spin. You’re seeing concrete changes with new businesses and construction. I’m seeing tangible changes, not just studies and grant possibilities.

I’m seeing things happen. There’s lots of good buzz out there. You start to believe some of that’s going to come true.

When things grow and the investment is rising and people are onboard with starting businesses, there’s a role for me in there.”

Steve Chirello, owner of Chirello Advertising in Fulton

-------v-------

“I believe the economy is doing quite well so I have a positive outlook for business in 2020. I believe we will see further job growth, lower unemployment and more opportunities for people to get ahead. As many jobs are now digital and virtual, I believe that those who have the needed skills will find that there are many opportunities outside of a traditional company and office. More people will be able to work almost anywhere in the world, deliver excellent results and be able to balance personal and work life.”

Leslie Paul Luke, president and CEO, St. Joseph’s Health, Syracuse

-------v-------

“Moving our headquarters to Central New York from San Francisco was one of the most positive things for our company. Being involved in CenterState CEO’s Tech Garden and Genius NY Program grew the company from two guys and a drone to five people and six aircraft. This is one of the largest areas for unmanned aircraft systems in the nation. That’s helped us tremendously 60

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

ook for 2020

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

with working with the FAA. Working with Cornell has been helpful in innovating. There’s nothing quite like this in the nation. We see growth for us and the other teams in the Tech Garden.”

Adam Fine, founder/CTO Dropcopter in Syracuse

-------v-------

“I think 2020 looks pretty good.

There are major hiring initiatives in the area. Amazon is possibly building two large distribution centers in the area.

Though not high paying, these positions pay better than some. That has a ripple effect. There will be some senior level positions at those places and suppliers to those warehouses. Plus, they’ll need to construct the facilities themselves.

Other companies will be doing some hiring, like JMA Wireless is one example.

The sentiment is better than it once was. There’s an effort by our political leaders to get stuff done. But at the same time, we’re losing jobs in retail.

Retail is dying in general because of e-commerce. It seems like yet another store at Destiny is closing every week. I don’t think anything can turn it around.

If you’re a retailer, you need to change your model and become an e-retailer. For shopping centers like Destiny, it’s too big. You’ll still have a lot of empty spaces, even if you filled it only with entertainment and restaurants and just kept the shops doing well.”

Joe Szlosek, owner at JAS Recruiting, Syracuse

-------v-------

“The outlook is stronger than ever.

I’m on the board at CenterState CEO. With all the things CenterState is involved in, I don’t hear any negatives.

People got a running start in 2019 and I think 2020 will be strong.”

Gail Cowley, owner and executive vice-president at Cowley Associates, Syracuse

-------v-------

“It’s very positive. We’ve been off to a very good start. We have new companies coming in. They’re hiring FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

and staffing up. We see a very positive outlook. We should see 10% growth. A lot of young companies are growing.

What we haven’t noticed before is we have a great source of employees in our colleges. These companies are recruiting and training kids coming out of school.

It keeps them here. For a while, we had a trend where recent graduates went to the bigger cities. They’re staying more.”

Carol Fletcher, president at C.R. Fletcher Associates, Inc., Syracuse

-------v-------

“There’s an excitement for business owners starting a new decade. They’re looking for a deeper understanding of where they’ve been and where they’re going. I think 2020 in Central New York is likely going to be a little bit of an upswing with the start of a new decade. It brings a sense of promise and opportunity. People have a renewed sense of pride in their profession and community. There’s a greater sense of collaboration and sharing. There’s redevelopment going on for shared facilities.

We are bringing people together to grow business and ultimately provide a better life for the community.”

Kara Rudy, president at MarketDesign Consulting, Syracuse

-------v-------

“I’m optimistic, but I always am.

I like what I see in local government collaborations. I love what I see in young leaderships stepping up. There is an increasing incidence of start-ups and entrepreneurial activity. I see a deeper appreciation of diversity and inclusion, which still needs work, but it’s coming.

The Central New York business environment has always stayed between the extremes of economic highs and lows, but we’ve never seen layoffs to the degree that other companies we’ve seen nationally, ones that completely undermine the economy. But we’ve never seen someone come in and hire 20,000 people or something like that.

We generally have been stable.

The No. 1 struggle for companies will continue for big and small comOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

2020

panies: finding employees — not just warm bodies — but the right employees, whether someone for a small commercial cleaning company that needs to find people to do janitorial work or companies finding a new CFO. Across the board, it’s the No. 1 struggle.”

Anne Messenger, principal at Messenger Associates, Manlius

-------v-------

“I think that we are going to have a very good economic year in Central New York. It’s nice to see the development with new business clients. We do see the effects of some of the work of the business organizations and the development in areas like the waterfront.

It makes a difference. It is an election year and that makes a difference. From a state standpoint, we will be in a good place. There were some new laws passed in the last year that affects companies that I’m not sure we’re prepared for, like the New York State Shield Act in 2019.

It gets applied March 21. That affects every organization. It’s meant to ensure that businesses are protecting personal information data. What it means for organizations is that they now have to make sure that they understand on their own network and systems what kind of information they have. You have to have now security controls that are documented and proven, show you’re training your staff on security and repeating training so they know what to do to prevent problems.

You have to document what you will do if something happens and have someone in charge of data security. It puts into place regulations about notification if your network is at all infected or breached, you now have to notify the people whose information may have been touched, not if it’s stolen but if it has any unauthorized access. There’s a lot of pieces to that. This is going to be a big cost to organizations. They have to plan for this. Most people are not ready for it.”

Jeanne Morelli, vice-president Operations and Senior Business Technology Consultant with iV4, Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester 61

2020

CNY in Lag Mode Region can’t keep pace with upward downstate, national economic trends

By Lou Sorendo

S

top the bleeding. New York lost more people than any other state in the nation for the second year in a row in 2019, according to federal estimates.

U.S. Census Bureau data shows New York with an estimated population of 19.5 million people as of July 1, 2019, making it the fourth largest state in the country. But the data showed the state’s population dropped 76,790 over the prior year, far more than the 51,250 lost by second-place Illinois.

Gary Keith, vice president-regional economist at M&T Bank in Buffalo, said this population decline is at the root of Upstate New York’s economic doldrums.

Upstate New York as a whole continues to lag behind the national average gross domestic product.

GDP is the monetary value of all finished goods and services made within a region during a specific period.

The national GDP rate came in at about 2.3% for 2019 while Upstate New York featured a rate of 0.8%.

“The trend of lagging continues, and the explanation for it involves the lack of population growth,” Keith said.

“It’s critical in a service-based economy

62

to have more people to serve in terms of health, education and retail. With our flat-to-down population, which certainly includes Oswego County, it has a big impact.”

When looking at population percentage changes from 2010-2018 according to Census numbers, Cayuga County (3.6%), Madison (3.6%), Oswego (3.4%), Cortland (3%) and Onondaga (1.1%) all showed declines.

Upstate New York’s economy continued a long run of stagnancy in 2019, with “dim prospects” for improvement in the near future, according to regional economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

They note there is a significant difference in job growth Upstate versus downstate and nationally.

While jobs grew at a 1.4% clip nationally from October 2018 to October 2019, and 1.3% downstate, Upstate showed no expansion.

Keith takes issue with the word “dim” to describe prospects entering 2020.

“I wouldn’t be that dire,” he said.

“We still have significant economic might relative to others in the country.”

He said the problem is lack of OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“My biggest fear is what if we created a job, and there was no one there to fill it?” growth.

“From an output perspective, we still do quite well, even though it’s a small industrial base,” said Keith, noting Upstate New York would be the 13th largest state if a break with downstate did occur.

“It’s a growth story that all boils down to population trends,” he said.

Keith said this pattern has occurred for decades. He said the outmigration of baby boomers and a hollowing out of the state’s workforce continues this cycle.

The economist said the key issue today involves those mid-career folks aged 35 to 55 who are seeking greener pastures.

“That’s where the population loss is occurring, even more so than with baby boomers and older people,” he added.

Keith noted this detracts from the labor pool while stunting activity for service businesses.

“It’s been a 50-year storm. We have transitioned from an industrial economy to a service-based economy, which has a dramatic impact on worker skills and how they align with what employers’ needs are,” he noted. “It’s difficult when you have individuals that have been in one industry transitioning to another.”

Keith used the analogy of remediating a brown field.

“You have to go through the process of getting the old out before you can start going forward with the new, unlike other areas of the country that don’t have to go through that process.

We do,” he said.

Keith said the entire Northeast has to adjust to “what’s happening on the ground and hope to get more entrepreneurial growth that would reverse that trend.”

“That’s what we are in the process of now,” he said.

Double-edged sword The latest unemployment figures FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

show Oswego County at 4.8% in November (4.5% in 2018) and Onondaga County at 3.5% in November (3.4% in 2018).

These are not seasonally adjusted numbers, which means Oswego County’s numbers are more like 5.1%.

“We’re all operating in the 4% to 5% range,” Keith said.

“Whether the figure is seasonally adjusted or not, that is historically near our low point regardless of what number you use,” he said. “That is a difficult labor market for employers that are looking to add employees.”

Keith said M&T does a survey twice a year of Upstate New York companies, and results indicate that about one out of three are hiring but are still having trouble finding applicants.

This is being experienced at a national level as well, where average unemployment numbers have hovered in the 3.5% range.

“It’s a difficult commodity to find,” he said.

This, of course, impacts businesses that are poised to expand.

“I talked to a lot of construction companies, and they would love to be able to build fast, but they can’t find enough people,” said Keith, noting he is hearing the same from other industries as well.

In terms of projections for 2020, Keith said to expect unemployment numbers to stay the same barring any change in the national outlook.

“2020 will be a lot like the past year, or perhaps slower because of uncertainty” caused by it being an election year, and global issues involving trade and Middle East turmoil, he noted.

The positive side of the low unemployment figures is that it is keeping consumer spending on a roll.

“The other side is paychecks that are being earned and dollars that are being spent,” Keith said.

He said consumer spending typically drives 70% of activity in the economy.

“Low unemployment is a boon to that if it stays in the current range,” he said. “We don’t see anything that will disrupt that.”

“However, where is the next new employee going to come from, and what are we doing to have access to a labor pool?” he asked.

The lack of a sufficient workforce FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

2020

Gary Keith, regional economist for M&T Bank. may delay companies in terms of new hires and could also force an expanding company to look out of state, he noted.

“The biggest positive we have is people have money in their pockets and are going to spend it,” he said.

Millennials staying put The regional workforce for the 12-county area in Central New York decreased by about 52,000 people from 2007 to 2019. That region includes Onondaga, Madison, Cayuga, Oswego, Cortland, Herkimer, Oneida, Lewis, Jefferson, Seneca, St. Lawrence and Tompkins counties.

However, Keith noted the region is doing “a much better job of retaining younger adults. They are taking advantage of some of the older workers leaving he playing field.”

“One of the things that has been beneficial for employers and productivity is being able to hire people with newly acquired skills,” he noted. “In the early part of their careers, they tend to be cheaper, so labor costs get a boost by offsetting the more expensive with the less expensive.”

“The old story was the ‘brain drain.’

As soon as you minted somebody from a college or university, they were off to somewhere else,” he said.

Despite more millennials staying put, the “brain drain” will always exist OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

on some level, Keith said.

“We draw many young people to our higher education institutions. We import all those folks, but don’t keep them all,” he said. “You try to focus on homegrown students to some degree, and maybe get some of the transplants to stick around.”

Keith said the number of millennials staying put is growing in many parts of Upstate New York and Central New York.

“This is a natural demographic change that we haven’t seen in a long time,” he added.

“We’re seeing some actual growth in that group, which bodes well for down the road,” he said. “However, the issue has always been that somebody is leaving to offset that growth.”

“It’s in one door and out the next, and we don’t get any benefit from it,” he added.

Reinvesting in small urban areas — such as the cities of Oswego and Fulton in Oswego County — has been beneficial throughout Upstate New York, Keith noted.

Both Oswego and Fulton are parlaying $10 million in state Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding into downtown improvements.

“Many of our underinvested cities are starting to make a comeback.

That has a lot to do with keeping and attracting younger workers that want that kind of environment” as opposed to suburbia, he said.

Keith said one of the longstanding problems Upstate has had is under-investing in cities in smaller urban areas.

“That is being addressed, maybe not as quickly as we hope, but it’s making a difference and I think we have to keep doing it,” he said.

Keith said these types of upgrades don’t have to be expensive.

“Putting up nice new awnings and just making an area look more tidy goes a long way. Having the opportunity to perhaps have dinner out at a new place that was formerly an older building goes a long way,” he said.

“It doesn’t take a silver bullet to move the needle,” he said.

He said monies directed toward development projects lead to additional investment being made.

“I think we are seeing some of that confidence in Central New York,” he said.

63

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Q A

2020

&

with

Rob Simpson

CenterState CEO president says region must focus on eradicating poverty, closing the skills gap

By Lou Sorendo Q.: You noted last year the “robust growth that drove investments in 2018 were expected to continue into 2019.” Did that pan out the way you expected? Is there a single headline to characterize your economic forecast for 2020?

A.: During our annual economic forecast breakfast, we highlighted the new optimism that is being felt in our community. In fact, members of the business community who contributed to this year’s economic forecast report described our regional economy using words like “vibrant, evolving, growing, progress, strong, robust” and “diverse.”

It’s a sentiment echoed time and again in meetings with our members and partners. It’s optimism borne from seeing transformative projects take shape in our community, and our elected leaders aligned in their objectives. It is a direct reflection of our work and collective efforts to focus and execute on economic strategies rooted in data and best practices.

-------v-------

Q.: Are the region’s gross domestic product and unemployment numbers where you want them to be at this point? If not, what can be done in order to improve these key indicators?

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

A.: The region’s growth over the past three years is anticipated to continue, with real GDP growth strong at about 1%. Job growth has also accelerated over the past year, closing the gap as compared to the national average, which supports a near-record low unemployment rate.

These statistics and other indicators, underscored by our own research, tell a new story of economic advancement for the region.

Taking a closer look at job growth, we are seeing some of the best statistics in decades, highlighting the private sector’s role in driving the region’s economic resurgence.

According to the New York State Department of Labor, in every month of 2019 the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area grew jobs over the previous year at a rate of more than 2%. The Syracuse MSA consists of Onondaga, Oswego and Madison counties.

That is a higher rate than the state as a whole, and nearly 3.5 times the rate of job growth in the combined regions of Albany, Buffalo and Rochester.

Wages were also up 4% in Syracuse from November 2018 to November 2019.

This progress is also driving another metric of success, population growth.

In fact, the city of Syracuse is unique as OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

it saw a 0.32% increase in its population between 2017 and 2018, making it the only metro area in New York state to see gains.

According to American Community Survey data, from 2010 to 2018, there was 12.8% growth in millennials in Onondaga County with the largest actual gain in the city of Syracuse with an increase of 9.3%.

In fact, Syracuse’s gain in millennials accounted for 28% of the gain in millennials in Onondaga County.

For the past decade or more, we have heard over and over about “brain drain” and how our young people were not staying and how we failed to hold onto our student population.

Yet today’s reality is starkly different. We are seeing an increase in the number of young people staying in Syracuse following college and more folks choose to come here to live and work in this vibrant urban center. This growth in Syracuse serves as an important reminder that a vibrant city is critical to our region’s strength.

-------v-------

Q.: Syracuse continues to struggle with one of the nation’s highest 65

poverty rates, with almost a third of city residents living below the poverty line, according to new data released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data shows that 30.5% of Syracuse’s population lived below the poverty line in 2018. As a key economic driver in the region, what is CenterState CEO doing to address the poverty issue?

A.: A vibrant city requires opportunity for all — not just for a few. Which is why, as we examine our community’s unacceptable rates of poverty and economic segregation, there is reason to be hopeful that this critical problem is, at a minimum, no longer getting worse and may in fact be improving, though at a rate that demands continued if not increased vigilance.

In 2013, poverty in Syracuse was 34.6%, and the 2018 poverty rate was 30.5%. That’s a change of 4.1% over five years.

Since 2012, Black and African American poverty has gone down more than 3%. That is on par with Buffalo, and an improvement over cities like Rochester that saw an increase in its poverty rate, and Detroit, which was unchanged.

And for Hispanics and Latinos, poverty went down more than 11%, outpacing Rochester, Buffalo and even Detroit.

While the overall rate of poverty remains far too high, we are beginning to see the numbers move in the right direction. We must not make the mistake of masking the true human toll of racial and socio-economic equality in marginal statistical improvement.

We must also not fail to acknowledge even slight progress so as to reinforce the collaborations and partnerships that have rightly formed to focus our community’s attention and resources on this pressing need.

-------v-------

Q.: From all indications, a skills gap remains one of the most significant challenges confronting Central New York employers. How will the new $75 million STEAM high school and training center make a difference when it comes to properly preparing people to take on available jobs in the region?

A.: Talent remains one of the most significant pressure points faced by 66

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businesses in the region. We continue to develop strategies and programs to attract talent, like the launch of Good Life CNY, a new quality-of-life and job portal site for our region, and address workforce needs through programs like WorkTrain.

But we also need to prepare our region’s students so they are ready for tomorrow’s high-tech jobs. That is why we celebrate the news that Gov. Andrew Cuomo will establish the state’s first regional science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, or STEAM, high school in Syracuse, as well as a worker training center that will offer high school equivalency degrees, advanced technical certification and college degrees.

This $71.4 million investment to renovate Central Tech High School into a multipurpose complex builds on Mayor Bill Walsh and County Executive Ryan McMahon’s vision to educate and train the workforce of the future.

-------v-------

Q.: Up Start is a collaborative business development program that connects existing businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs to the tools and networks that help them thrive.

Can you update us on CenterState CEO’s economic inclusion team and its Up Start program and how this is making a difference in terms of spurring business growth in the city of Syracuse and surrounding areas?

A.: Salt City Market is a great example of this work and one of Up Start’s major accomplishments. Eighteen prospective Salt City Market merchants received sector-specific training through the Up Start program in 2019. Many of them received additional one-on-one technical assistance to address specific needs related to their emerging businesses.

Although less than half of these businesses will eventually be selected for market stalls, all of the training participants now have the knowledge and skills necessary to grow a catering business. Several will be making the leap into business ownership regardless of whether or not they are selected for the market.

Up Start has also seen success in leveraging additional resources to sustain and strengthen our efforts around a larger-scale build-out of the Neighborhood Development Center model OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

and seed an equity fund for patient capital investment into small minority-owned businesses in distressed neighborhoods.

Up Start will also be venturing into a second sector-specific training program in 2020, with the development of a StartIt! training course specifically designed for businesses in the trades and construction sector in order to help implement the Syracuse Build initiative.

-------v-------

Q.: How significant of a role has the Talent Task Force played in terms of developing new and creative strategies to help draw talent to the region?

A.: The Talent Task Force recommended strategies to help employers source mid- to high-skill talent in a number of ways. One is attracting new talent to the region, which the Good Life CNY hopes to address. In October, we launched the Good Life CNY in partnership with Advanced Media New York. Targeted marketing efforts to drive traffic to this new quality-of-life and job portal site for our region is already yielding results, with the highest number of visits coming from Washington DC, New York City, Philadelphia, Columbus and Canton, Ohio, and Boston.

In fact, more than 6,000 users have visited goodlifecny.com and more than 1,600 have specifically clicked on the talent connect job board.

There, visitors can review the 3,146 jobs available across key industries.

Additionally, nearly 40 job seekers have joined the talent network with a variety of skill ranges from entry level to 15-plus years of experience. At the same time, we also look at ways to keep strong talent graduating from our universities here and uncovering hidden talent from non-traditional sources.

-------v-------

Q.: How is the Work Train initiative progressing and is there tangible evidence that it is making an impact?

A.: Work Train is focused on developing collaborative solutions to workforce challenges — supporting employers and building capacity of our partners.

We do this by building industry partnerships, which are growing. CurFEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

rently, 54 companies work with us to address workforce need in manufacturing, health and construction industries.

Through these industry partnerships, nearly 900 people have been placed into jobs after completing training through our partners.

We are excited to be part of Syracuse Build and Syracuse Surge and see unprecedented alignment from government, business and community partners around technology and construction workforce needs. We continue to expand partnerships and are working on a number of new opportunities with organizations like CNY Works, the Syracuse Community Center Collaborative and Syracuse Financial Empowerment Center.

-------v-------

Q.: Two distribution centers — a proposed $350 million distribution center in Clay and another in DeWitt — are believed to be an Amazon fulfillment centers. Is this a positive indication that Onondaga County still has the drawing power to land such significant projects?

A.: Aligning strategies and investments to key industries have long been central to our business development efforts. Just five years ago, we were one of the most vocal advocates for investments to support the growth of the warehousing and logistics sector because the data told us, unequivocally, of the opportunity for our region.

This is why we have pursued opportunities to attract projects like those announced for Clay and DeWitt.

Today, we are proud to work alongside County Executive McMahon and others to bring these important projects online, bringing with them hundreds of good paying jobs with benefits and career ladders accessible to those in our community who need them most.

Additionally, we are tracking a number of additional potential warehouse and distribution projects.

-------v-------

Q.: How would you characterize the confidence level of regional industry and business leaders as 2020 unfolds? You mentioned last year that nearly three-quarters of respondents predicted a strong year.

Can we expect to see the same level of confidence going forward?

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

For the past decade or more, we have heard over and over about “brain drain” and how our young people were not staying and how we failed to hold onto our student population. Yet today’s reality is starkly different.

We are seeing an increase in the number of young people staying in Syracuse following college and more folks choose to come here to live and work in this vibrant urban center.

A.: Overall, I would characterize the confidence level of our regional leaders as optimistic. There are a number of positive indicators that show we are on the right path. Seventy-four percent of our forecasters say the past year was either strong or very strong. This year, that optimism increases with 76 percent who anticipate a very strong to strong year ahead. Forty-nine percent expect to make capital investments. Seventy percent expect sales and revenue to expand in 2020. Sixty-five percent say they’ll be hiring in 2020.

-------v-------

Q.: Central New York will receive $86.2 million in funding to support 93 economic and community development projects in 2020 as a result of the latest round of Regional Economic Development Council funding.

Among the projects for which CNY received funding are Cayuga Milk Ingredients LLC, Tessy Plastics’ expansion project, and ACCESS Dental Laboratories. Of the projects being funded in CNY, which bode well in terms of making the greatest economic impact on the region?

A.: All of the projects funded in this round will have a positive economic impact on the region and the communities OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

2020

in which they are located. Of special interest are investments in growing tech companies, such as Digital Hive and Spark Orange; manufacturing expansions such as the Cayuga Milk, Lydall and Tessy Plastics; initiatives such as Oswego’s Start-Up NY program and Commonspace in Syracuse, and investments in traditionally underserved neighborhoods, such as Salina 1st and Access Dental Labs.

-------v-------

Q.: GENIUS NY continues to be the largest business accelerator competition for the unmanned aerial systems industry in the world. In general terms, what kind of economic development impact does competitions like this produce?

A.: GENIUS NY is the world’s largest accelerator program for UAS, and is open to unmanned systems, IoT and big data startups. Each year, this program invests $3 million in five early stage companies, while also providing incubator space, business programming, mentors, advisers and resources.

The grand prize is $1 million and there are four $500,000 awards. As of April, we will have invested $12 million in 22 startups.

In January, five teams moved into The Tech Garden to start the program’s fourth round. There are 15 of 17 companies (participants from rounds 1-3) still located in the community. These companies have come from all over the U.S. as well as from Israel, Italy, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Over the past three years, more than 30 local jobs have been created and more than 40 interns hired. Recently, we announced that five startups in the GENIUS NY accelerator — AutoModality, Civdrone, Fotokite, OmniMesh and TruWeather Solutions — have raised over $10 million in additional private investment. This follow-on-funding validates the investments into the GENIUS NY program and proves the program’s ongoing impact in Central New York.

Additionally, the 50-mile beyond visual line of site corridor, the test site, the recently proposed small UAS testing facility at Griffiss International Airport in Rome and all of the companies that test here are key elements to the innovation ecosystem we have created to support startup companies in the UAS industry.

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2020

SUNY Upstate: $2.5 Billion Economic Impact New study shows economic impact of SUNY Upstate has grown 50% over last decade. It directly employs 10,959 people

S

UNY Upstate Medical University contributed $2.5 billion to the state and local economy and supported, directly and indirectly, more than 18,321 jobs across New York in fiscal year 2018, according to a recent study and report by a national consultant. It was published in January.

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

“Our mission is to serve and improve the health of this community.

But as this report points out, we are also a vital player in this community’s economy — employing more people than anyone else and generating billions of dollars for the state and local economy each year,” said Upstate Interim President Mantosh Dewan, MD. “Our talented, valuable employees are investing their salaries into the Central New York economy, which plays a critical FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

role in the vitality of the region and New York state.”

The substantial economic impact figure — which has grown 50% in a decade — includes capital improvements, Upstate expenditures and salaries to employees who spend their income on housing and services in Central New York. Additional dollars are generated by students, patients and visitors to Upstate, according to consultant Tripp Umbach.

The study looked at the economic, employment, government revenue and community impacts of Upstate, which is the region’s only academic medical center.

Highlights of the report include: n Upstate directly employs 10,959 people. n Upstate supports an additional 7,362 employees through local business and employee spending. n Upstate sustains and supports 14,920 jobs in Onondaga County. n Upstate’s annual payroll is $625 million. n Since 2008, Upstate’s overall economic impact grew 50%, from $1.67 billion annually to $2.5 billion; employment grew 30% from 14,000 to 18,321; and government revenue generated grew 86% from $86 million to $160.4 million. n One dollar of state support to Upstate generates another $58 in the state economy. n Student enrollment at Upstate Medical University has grown 30% since 2006. n More than 3,100 Upstate alumni practicing in New York generate $7.1 billion in economic activity, support 35,363 jobs and generate $377 million in state and local taxes. n Alumni physicians practicing nationwide generate $993.1 million in taxes annually. n Upstate is a considerable driver of tax revenues for the state and local governments. Tax revenues attributable to Upstate in the form of income taxes, sales taxes, real estate taxes paid was estimated to be $160 million in 2018.

“Upstate’s economic impact goes far beyond our payroll. We are constantly investing in our infrastructure and patient care and we use local goods and services that generate millions of dollars in state and local tax revenue,” Dewan said. “Our role in the SUNY OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

2020

system helps bring in state dollars that are valuable to the Central New York economy and stir additional growth, spending and economic prosperity.

“We are proud of the work we do to improve lives and now we know unequivocally that Upstate is an integral player in the local and state economy.”

Upstate’s commitment to research also translates to local economic investment. Upstate is entering its third year of near double-digital growth in annual research expenditures. Upstate’s clinical departments host more than 450 active clinical trials per year. The SUNY research expenditures of $35 million ripple across the state economy and generated an additional $20.7 million in indirect and induced activity.

The growing number of Upstate graduates has created a vast network of nearly 7,900 alumni nationwide. Those licensed physicians generate more than $24.8 billion in economic activity and support or employ nearly 132,354 employees throughout the United States.

As the region’s only academic medical center, Upstate’s mission is to improve the health of the community it serves through the university, a biomedical research enterprise, two-campus hospital, an extensive clinical network covering patients in 17 counties and other supporting entities.

As a public, nonprofit hospital, Upstate provides many safety net and one of a kind services, including burn and trauma care, to name a few.

Many Upstate programs and special services are supported by the Upstate Foundation, which manages 1,000 funds and endowments totaling close to $200 million in total assets.

The report also noted how Upstate employees give back to their communities through volunteer time and money to local causes. In fiscal year 2018, the value of that time and money contributes an additional $25 million in economic impact to the community. That total includes $9.7 million in direct charitable contributions and an additional $15.3 million in donations of time to local charities by students, staff, faculty, physicians, residents and Upstate families.

Submitted by SUNY Upstate Medical University 69

L. Michael Treadwell ooc@oswegocounty.org

Economic Development Council Awards $86.2 Million to CNY Region was again named a ‘top performer’ — NYS award to provide support to 93 projects

‘One reason CNY is and has been good about receiving a substantial allocation as a top performer is that the region as a whole has worked together very cooperatively in terms of developing strategies that can be effectively implemented.’

L. MICHAEL TREADWELL, CEcD, is executive director of Operation Oswego County based in Oswego. To contact him call 315-343-1545 or visit www.oswegocounty.org.

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G

ov. Andrew Cuomo on Dec. held 19 research and development companies with strong growth potential. This will the ninth Regional Economic Dehelp create new jobs and investment in velopment Council (REDC) round an economically distressed community. of awards program in Albany.

They have been awarded $850,000 for this Central New York was again named $4,250,000 project through an ESD grant. a ‘top performer’ and will receive $86.2 The project will create/retain 30 jobs. million economic and community devel• Lydall Performance Materials, Inc. opment funding to support 93 projects. will recommission an idled part of its One reason Central New York is and existing Volney factory to manufacture has been good about receiving a substanmaterials used in the global flooring tial allocation as a top performer is that the region as a whole has worked together manufacturing industry. The project involves machinery and equipment, site very cooperatively in terms of developing infrastructure, building strategies that can be efimprovements, and fectively implemented.

Economic Trends related systems. The This has resulted in a recommission line will cumulative total of $766 create new jobs and retain the company’s million being awarded to CNY projects statewide workforce. They have been over nine rounds. awarded $700,000 for this $3.5 million The Central New York Region is project through and ESD grant. The project comprised of the Syracuse metropolitan area and the counties of Cayuga, Cortland, will create/retain 12 jobs.

• Oswego County will winterize the Madison, Onondaga and Oswego. historic main lodge at Camp Hollis for Oswego County received funding four-season use. They have been awarded for 11 projects, representing $4,333,795 $229,000 for this $317,500 project through in grants and $19,827,931 in total project a parks grant. costs.

• Oswego County will implement a Below are the descriptions of those shared public safety records management projects. system for multiple police departments • Construction Design and Manwithin the county. The shared service agement, Inc. will develop a 9,000-sq.-ft. initiative will increase cohesive efforts building on the former Nestle site on Fay and uniformity in reporting and related Street in Fulton. The property will be processes for the county Sheriff’s Departleased by the Charter Communications ment and local partner police departTech Ops Division which will locate its ments. Sharing the implementation and business to Fulton. The move will enable utilization of the new software will realize Charter Communications to be more cena sizeable cost savings to each agency and tralized within their demographic service induce long-term operational efficiencies. radius, thereby minimizing driving time They have been awarded $576,545 for this for the technicians and increasing opera$1,307,901 project through a Department tional efficiency. They have been awarded $282,000 for this $1,410,000 project through of State grant.

• The Port of Oswego Authority will an Empire State Development (ESD) grant. perform a feasibility study to assess the The project will create/retain 35 jobs. possible construction of an entertainment • The County of Oswego Industrial venue that will provide a recreational and Development Agency will redevelop the tourism draw for the region. The proposed former Nestle site, in the city of Fulton, project will have integrated water access, into the Manufacturing Start-Up Facility. state barge canal access, along with road The facility will provide 30,000 square access. Economic factors shall be includfeet of world class manufacturing space ed such as cost, area of draw, return on for innovative small manufacturing and OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

construction and operations, plus other determining factors. They have been awarded $20,000 for this $50,000 study through an ESD grant.

• The Town of Oswego will construct sewer collection facilities along the town’s lakeshore. The project will eliminate on-site sanitary treatment systems by serving commercial and residential users with public sanitary sewer collection facilities. The project will also eliminate water quality impacts, and increase sustainability and commercial development. They have been awarded $300,000 for this $2 million project through an ESD grant.

• The Town of Oswego will develop a local waterfront revitalization program (LWRP) to define community revitalization goals, identify appropriate land and water uses, establish policies, and recommend public enhancement projects along its fivemile Lake Ontario waterfront. The LWRP will address economic and environmental resiliency, infrastructure, flooding and erosion, water quality, deteriorating and underutilized waterfront areas, and lack of public access and recreational opportunities.

They have been awarded $56,250 for this $75,000 project through a Department of State grant.

• The Town of Sandy Creek will complete a shoreline resiliency feasibility study to address natural and nature-based shoreline protection methods in response to flooding, erosion, and water levels throughout the 17-mile Eastern Lake Ontario dunes system. They have been awarded $30,000 for this $33,000 study through a DEC grant.

• The Village of Cleveland will complete various improvements to their existing water system. They have been awarded $1 million for this $6,135,000 project through an HCR grant.

• The Village of Phoenix will assist in the renovation of mixed-use properties in the village’s downtown.

They have been awarded $290,000 for this $749,530 project through an HCR grant.

These 11 projects represent funds that will be invested throughout Oswego County and will have a significant impact on several sectors of Oswego County’s economy, such as manufacturing, recreational tourism, waterfront revitalization, municipal infrastructure and mixed-use development.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

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2020

Oswego County’s Top Projects Many transformative projects taking place in 2020 look to bolster economic development in Oswego County; highlights of 2019 include city of Fulton receiving $10 million in state Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding

W

hile the city of Oswego has been in the limelight recently due to its successful management of its Downtown Revitalization Initiative, now it is the city of Fulton’s turn to capitalize on the $10 million award it received as part of the 2019 DRI program.

The funding will assist dozens of projects that promise long-term jobs and investments into infrastructure and assets critical to economic development.

Austin Wheelock, deputy director of Operation Oswego County, the coun-

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By Lou Sorendo ty’s designated economic development agency, said projects that are focused on the former Nestle site in Fulton will be accomplishing many goals, including targeted economic and community revitalization, direct employment opportunities, and support of the city of Fulton’s DRI plan.

One such project is a 9,000-sq.-ft. building being developed by Construction Design and Management, Inc. located on the former Nestle site on Fay Street. Charter Communications Tech Ops Division will be leasing the OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

property and will locate its business to Fulton.

Meanwhile, the county Industrial Development Agency will redevelop a parcel in the former Nestle site into a manufacturing start-up facility. The facility will provide 30,000 square feet of manufacturing space for innovative, small manufacturing and research and development companies with strong growth potential.

Wheelock noted there has been “very strong” demand for modern flexible light industrial and manufacturing FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

Attis Industries completed acquisition of the corn ethanol and grain malting operation in Fulton from Sunoco, LP in 2019. The company’s aggressive desire to expand its innovative suite of green technologies into marketable products is a huge economic development opportunity in terms of developing the surrounding property and further highlighting the site.

space within Oswego County.

“There is a lack of available space for small- to medium-sized industrial start-up and early growth companies, so we see this as a strategic decision to attract and retain these types of companies in Oswego County,” he said. “We’ve already spoken to several companies that are interested in locating in the space when completed and are taking their needs into consideration in the design of the facility.”

Wheelock said the ideal business types for this facility would be advanced manufacturing, food processing, and companies involved in research and development.

“Not only do we see high interest from these industries, we also believe these businesses thrive on innovation and a skilled workforce which are what made Fulton and the former Nestle site FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

so successful in the past,” Wheelock said. “We want to respect our industrial past while focusing on the future.”

REDC awards Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced the winners of the 2019 Regional Economic Development Council awards.

The Central New York REDC was again named a “top performer” and received $86.2 million in economic and community development funding to support 93 projects. Eleven of those projects are in Oswego County and represent $4.3 million in grants toward $19.8 million in total project costs.

Wheelock said this funding, combined with the recently announced $16 million the county was awarded as part of the Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative, made for a strong 2019 on the economic development front.

Complementing that is the city of Fulton winning $10 million in state DRI funding.

“Looking at the combination of the three state grant initiatives including the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA), Oswego County will be able to address many goals of the Oswego County economic advancement plan,” Wheelock noted.

The CFA process replaced multiple applications for economic development projects with a single application for state economic development resources from numerous state agencies, and institutionalized the role of the regional councils in identifying priorities for state resources.

“It was an interesting year for CFA projects as there are several projects that will lead to direct job creation and retention,” Wheelock said. “Others address the need to improve critical infrastructure and quality-of-life assets that will provide long-term improvement in economic development.

“We feel that all of the projects will address economic development needs in important ways.”

In the city of Oswego, the Port of Oswego Authority will perform a feasibility study to assess the possible construction of an entertainment venue that will provide a recreational and tourism draw for the region.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

2020

“A waterfront performing arts facility in Oswego could be a great asset and attraction to build on Oswego’s growing tourism and hospitality economy and would enhance other ongoing tourism investments like the indoor water park.”

- Austin Wheelock, deputy director of Operation Oswego County

Wheelock said this feasibility study is a “great opportunity” to explore the development of a unique attraction for visitors and residents alike to the city of Oswego and the Central New York region.

“A waterfront performing arts facility in Oswego could be a great asset and attraction to build on Oswego’s growing tourism and hospitality economy and would enhance other ongoing tourism investments like the indoor water park,” Wheelock said.

The OOC deputy director said while it would be a significant draw for tourism, it would also be an important asset to improving quality of life for residents and students and would help to attract and retain the best talent to Oswego County.

Attis Industries Attis Industries completed acquisition of the corn ethanol and grain malting operation in Fulton from Sunoco, LP in 2019.

The ethanol plant is now an essen73

tial element of Attis’ operations and will be pivotal in the company’s expanding technology portfolio as it develops the site into a state-of-the-art green tech campus.

Wheelock said the acquisition of the former Sunoco LP plant and 1886 Malt House was “great news” for Oswego County for the long-term sustainability of the plants and the jobs they support, both directly and indirectly.

Wheelock said the company’s aggressive desire to expand its innovative suite of green technologies into marketable products is a huge economic development opportunity in terms of developing the surrounding property and further highlighting the site.

This makes Oswego County “an engine of renewable energy and agribusiness economic activity,” Wheelock said. “These transformative projects will act as a magnet to attract further investment and supporting business to Oswego County.”

The company’s plans also align with Oswego County’s economic advancement plan’s initiatives to target the energy sector and agribusiness.

MacKenzie-Childs MacKenzie-Childs is moving its distribution, warehouse and shipping operations to a new site in Oswego County.

The company, which designs and manufactures popular furnishings, dinnerware, kitchenware and other items, is relocating those operations to a 200,000-sq.-ft. warehouse in the town of Volney. The firm’s warehouse functions are currently based in Auburn with some additional storage elsewhere.

MacKenzie-Childs has reportedly outgrown the Auburn warehouse and needed a bigger facility.

The new warehouse will employ 50 to 55 people initially. The company expects the workforce to grow to 75 to 100 people in the next few years.

Developing ventures Many top projects that gained momentum in 2019 are coming to fruition as 2020 unfolds. n iFreeze: At the end of 2018, Martens Fresh LLC purchased 123,042 74

2020

Austin Wheelock, deputy director of Operation Oswego County. He says there has been “very strong” demand for modern flexible light industrial and manufacturing space within Oswego County. square feet of space from K&N’s Foods USA on Phillips Street in Fulton.

Martens Fresh will utilize the property as a cold storage facility and distribution center “iFreeze” for its fresh-cut food service packaging and distributing frozen vegetables.

According to its website, the iFreeze will be used for railcar and container unloading, private label packaging, blanching and individual quick freezing, cold storage and as a distribution center.

In the first half of 2019, iFreeze made significant investments to repair and modernize the refrigeration system, renovate the office space and repair the roof.

“With this facility fully operational and its fleet of refrigerated trucks, iFreeze is well positioned to be a key player in the cold storage and frozen foods logistics industry serving the Northeast, Midwest and eastern Canada,” Wheelock said. n Page Transportation, Inc.: Page is operating a facility in the city of Oswego from which it serves Novelis and others with logistics and materials handling services.

Novelis is the world leader in rolled aluminum products and recycling, and the largest global producer of automoOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

tive and beverage can sheet.

For Novelis in Oswego, Page operates a high-technology scrap aluminum sorting line that allows the aluminum scrap to be graded prior to moving on to the Novelis facility.

The Page operation is the first installation of this technology in the United States. It is located at the former Distribution Centers-Americas facility on county Route 1A in Oswego. n City of Oswego DRI: The LITATRO Building, 22 Crossroads, the new indoor water park, and Harborview Square all gained momentum during 2019. All are under construction and will accomplish significant initiatives, including mixed-use commercial and residential downtown development, creation of new waterfront attractions, and the strategic redevelopment of vacant and underutilized sites.

These projects will go through various phases of construction and will be completed in 2020 and beyond.

“These projects will highlight Oswego’s downtown and waterfront and be the catalysts to further private investment and job-creation opportunities,” Wheelock said. n East Lake Commons, LLC: After some development revisions, this project is anticipated to begin construction in 2020.

The redevelopment of the Midtown Plaza into a multi-story mixed-use commercial and residential development, the adjacent waterfront development of the indoor water park and Oswego Health’s new behavioral health center to the north “will dramatically transform the east side downtown area,” Wheelock said. n Tailwater Lodge: The development of the former Altmar Elementary School into Tailwater Lodge and the subsequent expansions of the hotel and recent additions of the fitness center, spas, game room, tasting room, and banquet facilities have been a shot in the arm to Albion and the eastern Salmon River area, Wheelock noted.

“This unique hotel and retreat center was recognized in 2019 as the winner of the Hilton Tapestry Collection Connie Award and is the highest award given to hotels across the Hilton worldwide brand for outstanding product and service,” he added.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

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P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126

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Fulton: New Promising Era of Renewal and Development Newly minted City of Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels ready to capitalize on Downtown Revitalization Initiative, unleash spirit of renewal

By Lou Sorendo

N

ewly elected City of Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels is beginning her first term as her hometown enters a promising era of renewal and development.

The $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative is certainly a

needed boost for a city that has been beleaguered by economic maladies in the past.

Grant monies can be used for public improvement, new development and rehabilitation of existing structures, revolving loans and grant funds, and

Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels

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branding and marketing.

Michaels said the city is partnering with state officials as it navigates through the DRI process.

To kick things off, there have been several community input sessions as well as regular local planning committee meetings.

“What we are doing is developing a process of reviewing projects that have been presented and analyzing all of them,” Michaels said. “We are determining which projects are viable to move forward.”

Also assisting the project is Cameron Engineering & Associates.

“We are narrowing down the projects to determine which ones will be presented to the state for recommendation,” she noted.

The current amount of DRI funding requested for all projects totals to $12,536,845, almost $3 million more than the allotted $9.7 million. Several of the projects reportedly went over the 20% asking limit, creating a challenge for the LPC. Fulton’s DRI application, titled “Blazing New Trails,” centered on capitalizing on the city’s natural and manmade assets, including its waterfront, traditional downtown and the state Route 481 corridor. The mission is transforming Fulton’s downtown and waterfront into a regional attraction, using the investment to implement several strategies.

Some of the more significant DRI-related projects include the $18 million expansion of Oswego Health’s Fulton Medical Center; a $12.85 million redevelopment of the former Nestle site into a retail and commercial business park; a $4.5 million project to build upon the city’s multi-use trail system; and a $4 million project that will see the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency construct a 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the former Nestle site.

Meanwhile, subcommittees have been assigned various proposed DRI projects and are charged with critically examining each and either determining whether they are ready to move forward or recommending that they are not ready.

The subcommittees will report on whether the projects are in the development, planning or concept stage.

“We are coming back to the table FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

in a few weeks and are going to start narrowing down those projects for recommendation to the state,” she said.

The city and its LPC act as influencers and advocates for these projects, and ultimately officials in Albany make the final decision as to what projects are approved.

“I think it’s important that we look at all of the projects that are being presented and understand the diversity of those projects and the potential impact it has on our community,” Michaels said.

“What we’re looking at are transformative projects that will start to change our city for the better,” she added. “As mayor, it’s important that we look at all these projects and understand the impact they can have on the here and now and our future,” she said.

Michaels said whether the initiative involves development of the former Nestle site, a small coffee shop downtown or a zoning project, “all of those are important and I trust that the LPC will make strong recommendations to support that transformational vision,” Michaels noted.

The Fulton mayor said the city is learning from its partners in adjacent communities who have also benefitted from DRI funding.

“There are many communities that we can learn from. We’ve actually engaged with those communities to better understand how they managed their $10 million award,” Michaels said. “We are taking notes and learning from that so we can implement similar strategies.”

Nestle site development The city of Fulton recently agreed to sell a portion of the former Nestle site to Operation Oswego County, the county’s economic development agency, which intends to construct a manufacturing facility at the location.

“It’s the gateway to our city, and sends a message of who we are as a community,” Michaels said. “As we drive through that gateway, we’re met with the Nestle property.”

“It’s important to me that we continue to look at that property and develop it to meet the vision we have for the city,” she noted.

In addition, Construction, Design and Management Inc. purchased a lot on Fay Street between South Sixth and FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

South Seventh streets in 2019.

The company is constructing a 9,000-sq.-ft. building to operate as office space and distribution center contingent on a lease agreement with Charter Communications.

“We have additional projects that are being proposed through the DRI,” Michaels added.

“I’m confident that we are going to continue to develop that property.

What that is going to look like depends on many different variables. We have a planning commission and our DRI planning committee looking at the property, while my administration will continually look at the property.”

Michaels noted DPW crews have recently attended to cleanup duties at the site, and further cleanup will occur over the next several months.

Michaels said the Fulton business community has a solid foundation of health, service and manufacturing industries.

“We have to continue to build relationships and make sure we are always making Fulton a safe place to live and work,” she said. “In order to do that, we have to make sure that we are building relationships in these key sectors of the community.

“That being said, it’s important to me that we learn how to support the businesses that are currently doing business with us. We need to get it right with the businesses that choose to do business here.”

“It’s going to take time. It’s not going to happen overnight,” she said.

She said DRI funds represent a great opportunity for the city to start that process.

“Through all of this great work being done in the city, we are going to be able to market ourselves to outside interests, and entice developers who may want to consider Fulton to do business,” she said.

Waterfront revitalization The City of Fulton Local Waterfront Revitalization Program is a voluntary, grass-roots effort that brings together local and state governments, commerce and industry, environmental interests, private organizations, and community citizens to assess opportunities and constraints and to build a consensus on OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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the desired future of the community’s waterfront.

The LWRP provides a strategy for achieving that vision and for managing local resources.

Michaels said the city features a committee that is moving the LWRP forward.

“There will be some movement in 2020, but I can’t speak to that now because there is some involvement with the state in terms of approval,” she added.

“Again, we are working with our partners in Albany to move that process forward. They have been great to work with. We will continue to work with them to see if we can bring to fruition the LWRP,” she noted.

Michaels noted waterfront development is critical to the city’s success.

“People are attracted to water, and how we develop our waterfront is going to be critical to attracting people to visit, to live here and to want to work here,” she said.

“We understand the value and importance of developing our waterfront,” said Michaels, noting that proposed DRI projects, the LWRP and development of multi-use trails all focus on the waterfront.

Lake Neatahwanta is also on the radar.

Local officials and scientists have reported that years of sediment buildup have caused the lake to become shallower and warmer over time, which helped bacteria and blue-green algae thrive.

“We are continuing to talk about and learn what needs to be done at Lake Neatahwanta,” Michaels said. “We have a lake committee that is going to be reinstated, and we’re doing to have individuals and experts around the table who can talk about the project and what needs to be done.”

Michaels said plans call for some entertainment and family activities at the lake, although nothing specific has been announced yet.

“There’s are opportunities for us in and around the lake, and we have a strong team in place that wants to see great things happen at the lake. We will continue to work together to develop our ideas and strategies to bring that quality of life component back to the city,” she said.

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2020 Oswego Still Riding High Downtown Revitalization Initiative projects coming to fruition; new spirit of prosperity returning to Port City

By Lou Sorendo

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he city of Oswego is still riding high on the momentum created by the state $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative it was awarded several years ago.

According to city of Oswego Mayor William Barlow, 11 of the 12 projects are completed or under construction.

Construction of the LITATRO (acronym for “Luck is the Ability to recognize opportunity”) building, seen as the future cornerstone of downtown Oswego, is well under way and ahead of schedule.

LITATRO will be a five-story, mixed-use hub for businesses and 21 upscale apartments. Restaurants on the first floor and a rooftop deck are expected, as is underground parking.

Development of a new indoor water park, an extension of the Quality Inn & Suites on East First Street, is also well under way.

“I was able to tour it recently and it is going to be nothing short of amazing,” Barlow said.

Meanwhile, construction of Harbor View Square on West First Street continues as crews prepare to build the main mixed-used building facing north.

The $15 million project will feature a five-story, mixed-use building containing 46 one-bedroom rental units and 10,000 square feet of retail-commercial space on the north end of the site.

Along the south and west sides of the property, there will be 18 three-bedroom townhouses.

Another DRI project is 22 Crossroads, a four-story, 44,000 square-foot building at the corner of West Cayuga and Water streets in Oswego. Featured there will be 32 apartments and about 8,300 square feet of commercial space 78

with underground parking.

The elevator shaft to the building was recently completed.

East Lake Commons, to be located at the former Midtown Plaza, will seek final approval from the city’s planning board in February.

Plans call for a six-story, 88,000 square-foot mixed-use facility at the corner of East First and Cayuga streets.

Barlow said the project is hinging on state funding.

“With any luck, demolition of the existing plaza will happen in early summer,” Barlow said.

The mayor said these projects benefit the city from an economic development standpoint.

“The investment in our downtown, the jobs being created and the residential units that will surely attract more people with good-paying jobs into our downtown will increase business and activity in our core downtown area,” he said.

Additionally, these projects make Oswego a more viable destination, giving residents and potential visitors more options and activities while generating more interest, he added.

With unique attractions like the Children’s Museum of Oswego, the indoor water park, the city’s summer concert series, and the farmers’ market, the city is becoming a viable destination for many different people, Barlow noted.

The mayor said the key to sustaining the city’s recent renaissance will be filling the new housing units in the core downtown area with tenants who work for local major employers like Novelis, Exelon and SUNY Oswego.

“The employees are the exact peoOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Oswego Mayor William Barlow ple we want in our downtown with the means to patronize our downtown and local small businesses and further stimulate the economy,” he said.

Back to basics Barlow has significantly strengthened the city of Oswego’s code enforcement approach as he enters his second term as mayor.

“The most effective economic tool any municipality has is its neighborhoods,” he said. “Code enforcement is a direct investment in neighborhoods.”

Barlow said with strong code enforcement, the quality of neighborhoods improves by eliminating blight, addressing disorderly behavior, encouraging private investment and FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

beautifying the community.

“Code enforcement, when implemented properly, is nothing short of an economic development tool to leverage private investment, attract people to our community and raise property values,” he noted.

Barlow has also managed to streamline the building and permitting process by cutting bureaucratic red tape and eliminating unnecessary hurdles for small business owners.

The mayor said he is seeing tangible results of that while those measures are encouraging further business growth in the city.

“It is more of a reputation correction than anything. Before our permitting overhauls, the city of Oswego was known to be a difficult place to conduct business,” he said. “Whether it was trying to fix property, build a building or pitch an idea, there was an attitude that was known regionally that Oswego was a tough place to do business.”

Barlow said that perception has been reversed.

“Building permit numbers are way up from four years ago and look at the development taking place before our eyes,” he said. “People aren’t afraid to start a project here anymore, large or small, and now know city government is there to help and assist with the process, not throw up roadblocks.”

Meanwhile, the Port City has taken great strides in enhancing its waterfront over the last several years.

“The key these next few years will be taking the tragedy that is the high-water levels and the associated damage and turning it into a positive,” Barlow said.

The city has secured $12.6 million in grant funding from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative program. The plan was established in 2019 for municipalities and residents along Lake Ontario to seek funding to repair damage along the shoreline caused by high-water levels and flooding.

The funding is expected to spur economic development projects along the lakeshore.

“If done correctly, these projects will make our waterfront the worldclass destination we’ve been trying to make it for the last 40 years,” Barlow said.

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Construction of the LITATRO (acronym for “Luck is the Ability to recognize opportunity”) building, seen as the future cornerstone of downtown Oswego, is well under way and ahead of schedule. It will be a five-story, mixed-use hub for businesses and 21 upscale apartments. Restaurants on the first floor and a rooftop deck are expected, as is underground parking.

Construction of Harbor View Square on West First Street in Oswego continues as crews prepare to build the main mixed-used building facing north.The $15 million project will feature a five-story, mixed-use building containing 46 onebedroom rental units and 10,000 square feet of retail-commercial space on the north end of the site.

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Economic Sectors Analysis of some of the key sectors of the local economy

By Lou Sorendo

1 Agriculture

NY Farm Bureau: Reform needed in ‘onerous’ farm labor bill; dairy remains supreme in Oswego County

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s 2020 unfolds, the Oswego County agricultural community is awaiting proposed changes to a bill that looks to threaten its very well being.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently unveiled his 2020 budget plan, and in it, he proposes changes to the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act. The law protects farm worker rights and ensures every farm worker benefits from the basic labor protections and rights that all other workers in the state have.

One provision of the law that the New York Farm Bureau is seeking to change involves the definition of the word “family,” said Mark James, senior field adviser-membership strategy specialist for the New York Farm Bureau.

“The law says that you have to pay extended family members overtime, and provide disability insurance and workers’ compensation,” James said. “For a small family, that is very onerous.”

The law that is in effect exempts only immediate family members from the law, such as a husband, wife and children.

However, the typical family farm involves members of the extended family as well, such as aunts, uncles and cousins.

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James said he spoke with an area farmer whose farm has been in the family for 180 years. The farmer now has four grandsons involved in the operation, and says he cannot endure these additional costs.

“The future of this farm would be in jeopardy because of this law,” James said. “However, the governor has listened to us and put language in the budget to basically extend the exemption onto extended family members.”

If that provision remains in the budget package and is passed by April 1, then it would take effect immediately “just to provide some clarity and guidance to the farm community,” James said.

He noted farming families are big, not just the traditional versions in Oswego County, but also among the Amish community.

“This is definitely going to effect how the Amish do business, because they have large extended families,” he said. “This would be a huge burden on those small Amish farms.”

There are 33,400 farms are in operation today in New York state, 96% of which are family-owned.

The act took effect Jan. 1, and also allows collective bargaining and unionization of farm workers.

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It also created a wage board that is directed by legislation to make a report to the governor regarding any needed changes in the law in March.

James said the bureau would like to see the wage board expanded beyond its current three-person format. One is appointed by the Department of Labor, another by the New York State AFL-CIO and the third is the president of the New York State Farm Bureau.

“We’d like to see some broader representation because right now, it’s stacked 2-to-1 against us. We’d like to see that put in place as well,” he added.

The migrant worker situation Thanks to immigration control, U.S. borders have been tightened and there are fewer people coming into the country, James said.

He said the good news is area vegetable crop growers can access the federal H-2A visa program, designed to establish means for agricultural employers to bring eligible non-immigrant foreign workers to the U.S. However, James said it is a “very costly and cumbersome program.”

“We certainly are trying to make some changes to that program,” said James, noting that President Trump recently spoke at an American Farm Bureau meeting and talked about the adverse effect wage rate, or a minimum wage that the Department of Labor determined must be offered and paid to U.S. and alien workers by agricultural employers of nonimmigrant H-2A visa agricultural workers.

In addition, farmers must pay for migrant workers’ transportation from and to their native country, and must provide housing and transportation to accommodate any personal needs.

“It’s all politics. You have a crowd that wants everybody kicked out of the country and a crowd that has a more tolerant approach,” he said.

Dairy is king Milk is by far the largest agricultural commodity in the state and represents 47% of the state’s total agricultural sales.

In Oswego, the dairy sector ranks No. 1 in sales while vegetables are No. 2.

“We’ve obviously gone through FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

some attrition within the dairy industry over the last several years. We’ve had four years of low milk prices. The good news is the price of milk is inching up now, but unfortunately, we’ve had four years where farmers were receiving payments that were below the cost of production. So, they’ve had to go into debt and extend their credit line,” he said.

Projections foresee prices heading up to $20 per hundredweight for milk over the coming months, he noted.

“That’s all good news, but now farmers have to pay off that debt they accrued over the last four years,” he noted.

Another significant step forward is the signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

“This should provide some relief for dairy farmers in terms of additional exports of milk and milk products to

Canada and Mexico,” he said.

Canada and Mexico are the top two export markets for U.S. food and agricultural products, totaling nearly $40 billion last year and equating to 325,000 jobs.

James also noted trade agreements with both China and Japan bode well for the agricultural industry.

“We ship milk products to the Pacific Rim from this region, and so again, we are finding more markets for milk, which is going to obviously help prices. It’s all supply and demand, and the more demand for a product there is, the higher price a farmer will get,” he added.

Meanwhile, New York ranks second among the states for production of apples and maple syrup.

James noted apples as well as maple syrup production in Oswego County continues to be significant.

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In terms of apples, farmers have seen a drop in prices and a glut on the market in terms of supply, and have been looking at ways of diversifying and finding more markets for their products, James added.

Maple syrup, meanwhile, has been “a real bright spot” in the county, he said.

According to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, Oswego County featured 31 farms producing maple syrup, 15,000 taps and the ability to make about 3,500 gallons of maple syrup.

That compares to previous Census numbers that saw 17 farms and nearly 13,000 taps producing about 2,500 gallons of maple syrup.

“That’s been an industry that has expanded over the past several years in Oswego County,” he noted.

2 Higher Education County’s top employer driving force in Oswego County economy

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UNY Oswego, an economic engine in Oswego County and throughout the Central New York region, is addressing the skills gap in the region that is considered the most pressing issue facing industries.

The college is the largest employer in Oswego County with 4,993 full-time, part-time and student employees.

“These members of our campus community reinvest back into the community on a daily basis,” said SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley. “Yet, it is important that we shine a light on the linkage that exists between business and academia and the collaborative efforts that are taking place to grow and invest in our talent pool and skilled workforce.”

Industries throughout Oswego County and the CNY region rate the recruitment of a skilled and trained workforce as one of their most significant issues and a contributing factor in their ability to operate and grow their business today, Stanley noted.

SUNY Oswego is the largest state university in the region with 7,986

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students.

“Our curriculum includes high-demand, high-quality, innovative degree programs developed with industry and business partners in mind,” Stanley said.

Examples include its electrical and computer engineering and software engineering programs, recently accredited by the engineering accreditation commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology; the school’s new biomedical health informatics graduate program; and SUNY Oswego’s online Master of Business Administration, ranked No. 1 among New York state public colleges and No. 3 overall in New York.

Stanley serves as co-chairwoman of CNY’s Regional Economic Development Council.

“This allows me to bring a deep understanding of higher education’s ability to deliver innovation, and also how to use talent to fully leverage our competitiveness in key sectors such as health, technology and education,” she said.

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SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley.

Significant growth sector Over the past 20 years, SUNY Oswego has invested more than $900 million in academic, residential and infrastructure enhancements to better support the mission of the college and enhance the experience of the campus community, Stanley said.

Over the past five years of campus renovations and new construction, SUNY Oswego’s capital plan projects exceeded $69 million and injected more than $37 million into New York’s economy.

As the college looks ahead to 2020 and beyond, the following projects 81

are high on its capital improvement priority list: n Breaking ground on Hewitt Hall: SUNY Oswego will break ground this year on an $80 million renovation of Hewitt Hall. This is a capital investment project aimed at transforming Hewitt Hall and SUNY Oswego’s graphic design, broadcasting, communication and media facilities into one of the best in the nation. n A rehabilitation project will continue on the Funnelle residence hall in 2020, with work to focus on the renovation of all floors, including common spaces, bathrooms, roof and the replacement of major core utilities. n In the next five years, SUNY Oswego looks to invest an additional $35 million in its capital projects that will result in increased jobs, direct labor costs, and the purchase of materials that together will have a substantial impact on the local, regional and state economies.

These planned projects include the Hewitt Quad renovation, Seneca Hall refurbishment, and the creation of the Lanigan-Penfield Connector, which will integrate Lanigan Hall and Penfield Library into a larger, connected complex with more unified internal functions.

‘Town-gown’ bond Stanley said a strong “town-gown” relationship between the city of Oswego and SUNY Oswego contributes to the economic vitality of the area.

“SUNY Oswego’s vast intellectual and creative resources are uniquely and systematically positioned to provide collaborative opportunities that support and strengthen the local Oswego community and the region,” she said.

“This engagement is central to the core mission of our campus by linking faculty, staff and students to external business, industry and community impacts,” she added.

Stanley noted SUNY Oswego campus organizations completed 10,025 hours of community service with monetary charitable impacts of more than $80,000 last year.

“From experiential learning and career preparation, to community-engaged learning and service, to building awareness of the college as a vital community resource, external engagement 82

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adds value to the student experience and to the college as a whole,” Stanley said.

She said a shared vision for building external partnerships includes student and faculty alignment with business and industry practices and trends, business and industry alignment with program and curriculum development, and supporting the needs of external partners in the community and region.

Stanley said SUNY Oswego is also committed to maintaining and strengthening positive relations between the college and city of Oswego.

The college’s chief diversity and in-

clusion officer, Dr. Rodmon King, serves as chairman of Mayor William Barlow’s Campus-City Relations Committee.

Members of the CCRC meet regularly to initiate dialogue among residents, students, landlords, business owners, local law enforcement, college administrators and the mayor’s office.

“The work of the CCRC strives to make clear that all members of the greater Oswego community benefit when our collective energies blend to create a more vital, vibrant and inclusive living and working environment,” Stanley said.

3 Human Services Nonprofit/Human Services Human services are key connectors in Oswego County’s communities, providing resources and supports to help people build a self-sustaining future that would be out of reach otherwise, according to Diane Cooper-Currier, executive director of Oswego County Opportunities, the leading human services organization in the area.

OCO’s mission is accomplished through the combined efforts of nearly 600 employees and approximately 1,200 volunteers. The team delivers a needed array of services to nearly 16,000 individuals annually.

“OCO collaborates with many other agencies so that all of us can be more effective,” said Cooper-Currier, noting that many OCO programs have formal partnerships and contracts with other nonprofits or educational institutions that provide an important role in program delivery.

“Working together assures there is less duplication of services and that resources are being utilized the most efficiently and effectively,” she noted.

“That being said, we continue to struggle to meet needs in certain areas.”

She said the need for safe, affordable, accessible and permanent housing continues to exceed the supply.

“Progress is being made, but more needs to be done, especially in the more rural areas of our county,” Cooper-CurOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

rier said. “The lack of mental health services places a burden on county residents in need, as waiting lists are long and they often must travel long distances for care.”

Additionally, many human services are primarily available in the cities of Fulton and Oswego, which challenges residents without their own transportation in the more rural areas of the county on figuring out how to get to services, she said.

“A more roCooper-Currier bust public transit coupled with private transportation services is needed as well as bringing these services to rural communities,” the OCO leader said.

Environment of uncertainty Cooper-Currier said stability in the human services sector is a “very rare” concept.

She said the primary funding for nonprofits are often government grants, and the nature of this funding is in constant flux and often dependent on local, state and federal agendas and priorities.

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“As a human service agency, we must be flexible, nimble and creative to use these resources and others to sustain and maintain what we currently do and look for opportunities to strengthen our services and meet changing community needs,” she said.

Cooper-Currier noted OCO does an excellent job at examining community needs, finding resources to meet these needs and continuing these services in a funding environment that is constantly changing.

Some new opportunities in 2020 for OCO include opening a new home for developmentally disabled adults in the village of Hannibal, and continuing renovations on existing homes throughout the county to accommodate aging

residents.

OCO is also partnering with an affordable housing developer to build a significant number of affordable housing units in Pulaski, she said.

“With our partners through LIFT [Learn, Identify, Focus and Transform] Oswego County, a collaboration focused on increasing economic self-sufficiency for those in poverty, we are exploring opportunities and developing a more effective, systemic approach for lifting people out of poverty,” she added.

“OCO does not do this work alone.

We rely on our private and government funders, business and community partners, schools and other nonprofits to help people, support this community and change lives,” Cooper-Currier said.

4 Real Estate Still a sellers’ market as home prices nudge upwards; shortage of inventory continues

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he sellers’ market that prevailed in 2019 on the Oswego County real estate scene is expected to spill over into 2020.

That is according to Florence Farley, sales agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CNY Realty in Oswego.

Farley noted there is still is a shortage of homes for sale in Oswego County, and trend that has existed for several years.

According to the New York State Association of Realtors, there were only 1,579 new home listings in 2019 in Oswego County.

Farley “That is only about a four-month supply of inventory,” Farley said.

Months of supply is the measure of how many months it would take for the current inventory of homes on the market to sell, given the current pace of home sales. Farley said a healthy, balanced market would feature approximately five to seven months of FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

available inventory.

Economists for the National Association of Realtors (NAR) expect only about a 4% increase in new and existing home sales in 2020.

“That is good news for sellers, but can create higher prices for buyers,” she said.

In terms of cost, the median sales price of a home in Oswego County in 2019 improved by 7.2% from the previous year.

Farley said that translates to a buyer paying $111,300 for a home versus $103,800 the previous year.

“That again is good news for sellers and the local tax base, she added.

The factors that control these prices are the limited inventory of available houses, the fact that there are fewer new starts in construction, the low rate of unemployment and low interest rates that are able to support the housing demand, she said.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the NAR, and Gay Cororaton, senior economist for the NAR, expect the 2020 average interest rate to be around 3.8%.

That makes home ownership affordable, “especially for the 25- to 40-year-olds who accounted for the OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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largest segment of home buyers last year,” Farley said.

With that said, Farley said, investors and economists also caution that a number of events can impact the Federal Reserve’s ability to maintain the federal funds rate.

Those include the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Brexit [the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union], the outcome of Phase 2 of the U.S.-China trade negotiations and the pending U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

A recent Wall Street Journal article points out that with interest rates below 2%, the Federal Reserve and central banks can’t lower them further and “we may be looking at the need for a new business cycle model,” Farley said.

All of the most recent projections by economists are that the economy will grow modestly and at a slightly slower pace, Farley said.

“As usual, much depends upon the behavior of our federal and state governments when it comes to tariffs and investment,” she noted.

Farley noted Oswego County is in the midst of a number of revitalization efforts to promote business vitality, an improved tax base and job creation.

“From the city of Fulton being granted $10 million in Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding to invest in its community to the ongoing renaissance in the city of Oswego to our $3.1 billion agricultural community, the atmosphere and outlook is better than it has been in years,” she said.

She said all play a key role in the overall CNY Rising initiative that coordinates the efforts of five counties to grow the economy, bring in new jobs and reduce poverty in rural communities.

CNY Rising is a strategic plan developed by the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council that identifies key strategic investment areas and initiatives, prioritizing investments based on regional strengths and opportunities for growth.

Farley said commercial real estate in Oswego County has improved as well. One example is the expansion of home décor giant MacKenzie-Childs into a vacant 200,931 square-foot warehouse in Volney that is expected to employ up to 55 workers.

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Renewed enthusiasm William Galloway, broker-owner of Century 21 Galloway Realty in Oswego, said there seems to be a spirit of renewal in the city of Oswego, particularly due to the success of the $10 million DRI program funded by the state.

“The DRI has sparked a lot of development into not only downtown but throughout the entire community,” Galloway said. “At Century 21 Galloway Realty, we have been very active dealing with both new developers from our area and developers from other areas looking at the Oswego community.”

As U.S. homebuilding increased last November, pending sales and new listings rose year-to-date in New York state compared to that time in 2018, according to a housing market report released recently by the NYSAR. “I have noticed an upward swing in new construction in the Oswego community over the past five years,” Galloway said. “The real estate market has remained strong but there is still a lack of inventory available for all new

2020

buyers in our market.”

The number of homes for sale did increase by nearly 7% last November compared to year-ago figures in Oswego County.

“Homes sales will remain strong and listings are expected to really begin to be more active,” said Galloway, noting the market last year saw Century 21 Galloway Realty have a record year for number of units sold as well as gross commission.

“Century 21 Galloway Realty was once again the leader in residential and commercial real estate in Oswego County for 2019,” he noted.

The median sales price of a home in Oswego County rose more than 18% to $130,000 when comparing prices in November 2019 to November 2018.

Galloway said the median sales price of homes has increased because it has been a sellers’ market and a home priced at market value has received multiple offers many times in an extremely active market.

“I would forecast the same trend for 2020 as we saw in 2019,” he said.

5 Health Care Oswego Health, ConnextCare continue role as major economic catalysts in county

O

ne of the most significant economic development projects in the county in 2020 will be the creation of Oswego Health’s new behavioral health services facility. It will be built specifically to provide specialized inpatient and outpatient care.

“Our commitment to mental health in the community is expanding and in the fall, Oswego Health will open the new behavioral health services location, transforming mental health care,” said Michael Harlovic, president and CEO of Oswego Health.

The health system will renovate 42,000 square feet of what was once a former grocery store to feature 32 inpatient beds.

“Patients will find the new location offers a welcoming, soothing and healing environment that includes secure outdoor spaces, comfortable interior areas and a kitchen area,” Harlovic said.

84

The building itself will be landscaped to match the neighborhood and will be well-maintained, he added.

“Our vision is that this new prestigious facility will become a model that’s implemented across the United States for this specialized care,” he added.

Primary care services will be available onsite to assist those who utilize these services become healthier overHarlovic all.

Services that are offered at the Bunner Street location, the outpatient clinic and through the Assertive Community Treatment Team also will be relocated OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

to the new facility.

It is anticipated that 150 staff members will be at this new location.

Meanwhile, Oswego Health has projects and initiatives planned this year that bode well for the area from an economic development standpoint.

A few key initiatives it is working on this year include: • The emergency room at Oswego Hospital will be renovated to include a pediatric-friendly room to accommodate the hospital’s youngest emergency department patients.

• Oswego Health is investing more than $7.6 million to renovate Oswego Hospital’s third and fourth floors featuring 44 private rooms with their own bathrooms that offer a hotel-like feel.

“These comfortable and attractive private rooms will lead to safer, quicker healing. Plans also include comfortable areas for families and loved ones,” Harlovic said.

Matter of quality, access “Our mission for Oswego Health is to provide accessible, quality care and improve the health of residents in our community Harlovic said.

“We have stayed true to this mission since the hospital started back in 1881, when our founders were determined to provide care to all residents, regardless of income and other factors,” he added.

They desired a location that people could easily access and, of course, wanted their facility to have the best physicians and most modern technology, Harlovic noted.

Fast forward 139 years, and Oswego Health is now one of Oswego County’s major employers with more than 1,200 employees, generating $207 million in economic activity, including an annual $78 million payroll and $27 million in tax dollars generated.

In addition, every great community consists of key pillars — a strong educational system such as SUNY Oswego, industrial powerhouses such as Exelon Generation and Novelis, and access to affordable health care, Harlovic said.

“Together, we can attract and retain the best talent. Together, we can improve quality of life and overall FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

safety of our community. And lastly, if we work together, we can improve the local community right here in Oswego County,” he said.

Oswego Health made several key investments in 2019 to improve not only the quality of care, but also the accessibility of care.

The organization revolutionized its orthopedic service line and opened The Center for Orthopedic Care at the Fulton Medical Center in March 2019.

The facility enables area residents to receive the best orthopedic care and services locally without traveling to neighboring Onondaga County.

As one of the Oswego’s major employers, Oswego Health was awarded a $27,000 Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative grant by New York state and the city of Oswego to purchase a 12-passenger van. The vehicle is used to transport staff members who reside within Oswego’s city limits to and from work. Oswego Health provides rides during all shifts to employees who meet the established criteria.

Primary care scene The anchor organization for primary care in Oswego County, ConnextCare, celebrated its golden anniversary in 2019. The federally qualified health care center continues to be an economic driver in Oswego County with an annual budget of $26 million and 240 employees.

Daniel Dey, president-CEO of the Pulaski-based organization, said Conn e x t C a re i s d e d i c a t e d t o t h e overall improvement in the health of the Oswego County community and will continue to id ent ify and pursue resources to expand.

“Particular emphasis will be on the vital service needs Dey in the community that ConnextCare has historically focused on, such as primary, dental, behavioral health and school-based health center services,” he noted. “The availability of resources, both financial and staff, and the targeting of significant health challenges such as substance FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

use and mental health will influence expansion,” Dey added.

Substance use disorders and behavioral health issues are critical health care needs in the county, he said.

“Aside from bringing additional resources to bear, efforts at collaboration among community providers is a desirable way to improve and expand services,” he said. “One particular example of this is the development of the Oswego County Integrated Delivery Network that is a collaboration among several community-based organizations to promote integration. Members include health, government and social service agencies.”

Root of the matter The Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Elementary School now features a new onsite dental clinic, made possible through $250,000 in state funding.

Onsite dental services at schoolbased health centers are a vital service given the fact that dental services are

2020

often overlooked as a critical component to overall health, Dey said.

“Although SBHC dental services are highly convenient, the expense of establishing a program is sometimes prohibitive. Nonetheless, by continuing the pursuit of funding sources and through the introduction of innovative technologies such as telehealth, the prospect for continued expansion of services is enhanced,” he added.

Meanwhile, one development that is particularly promising for health care is the involvement in the training of health professionals, Dey said.

For example, ConnextCare trains a variety of health professionals in collaboration with several regional teaching programs.

Dey said these include medical student, resident, nurse practitioner, physician assistant and nursing assistant training programs.

ConnextCare is also designated as a National Health Services Corps Loan Forgiveness Program-eligible site.

6 Manufacturing State funding supports promising CNY projects; MACNY looking to fill skills gap plaguing region

S

everal projects received substantial funding through the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council in 2019, all of which bode well for the promising high-tech manufacturing sector in Central New York.

Randy Wolken is president of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York and the Manufacturers Alliance of New York. He is entering his third year as co-chairman of the CNY REDC. There were 38 projects in Onondaga County that received more than $21 million during the latest round of funding.

Wolken noted some of the more significant manufacturing-related projects involve Lydall Performance Materials in Volney, which received $700,000 to re-commission an idled part of its existing factory to manufacture materials used in the global flooring manufacturing industry.

Tessy Plastics received $5 million to redevelop one of its existing facilities OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

in Central New York, allowing it to expand the number and type of products it manufactures. Also, Currier Plastics received more than $2.3 million to expand its facility in Auburn in order to expand in the growing medical market.

Cayuga Milk Ingredients received $5 million to install equipment geared to increase its production ability.

O t h e r manufacturing projects that were awarded funds include Marathon Boat G ro u p , I n c . , which received Wolken $870,000 to renovate and equip its facility in Marathon.

Another lesser-known expansion project involves Armoured One, which received $700,000 to expand 85

manufacturing operations in Syracuse. The company is a manufacturer of bullet-resistant glass and an active shooter-training provider.

Another promising project involves Haun Specialty Gas, Inc., a gas and welding supply company that plans to renovate and equip its existing warehouse facility in Syracuse to begin manufacturing dry ice. It received $150,000 in REDC funding.

Outside of REDC projects, Wolken pointed to the Attis Industries acquisition of Sunoco in Volney last year as a major step forward for Oswego County.

Attis will not only operate a 100-million-gallon per year corn ethanol plant, but also plans on developing the site into a state-of-the-art green tech campus.

“The state and country are moving toward greener sources of fuel, and that campus will add a lot to that conversation” in terms of added production capability and job creation,” the MACNY leader noted.

“The economy has done very well and so has Upstate manufacturing,” said Wolken, noting that he has heard from many MACNY members who foresee continued growth and investment as 2020 unfolds.

“The continuing challenge is finding quality workers,” said Wolken, noting that is a “good problem to have” being that growth accompanies that trend.

“I see positive economic growth and outstanding performance on the manufacturing front heading into 2020,” he said. “The fundamentals look really good, and all indicators point to a successful year for manufacturing.”

Meanwhile, two distribution centers — a proposed $350 million distribution center in Clay and another in DeWitt — are believed to be an Amazon fulfillment centers.

“That is a great win for all the region, because what it does is demonstrate that the Syracuse area is the logistics center of the state,” said Wolken, noting that its strategic location allows easy and quick access to Canada and large metropolitan areas.

That role is being reaffirmed, Wolken said, with some of the largest distribution facilities being built anywhere.

“Logistical capabilities have always been a strength of ours, and we are noted for our ability to move goods in and out of our community and into the rest of 86

2020

the world,” he said.

UAS sector taking off

Additionally, Wolken said the growing unmanned aerial systems industry is being heavily supported in CNY. NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research) is a New Yorkbased nonprofit organization that provides expertise in UAS operations, aeronautical research, safety management and consulting services.

Headquartered in Syracuse, NUAIR is responsible for the continued development and advancement of New York’s 50-mile UAS corridor between Syracuse and Rome, facilitating beyond visual line of sight testing, commercial operations, and the safe integration of UAS into the national airspace.

“This is the wave of the future for all kinds of vehicles,” said Wolken, noting the Syracuse region is on the cusp of this newly developing growth sector.

“I think every manufacturer is high tech and focused on becoming more high tech,” Wolken said.

Traditional industries such as Novelis, Crucible Industries and Nucor Corp. are continuing their transition into more high-tech operations, while newer high-tech industries are also coming into focus, he added.

Wolken said “we are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0.”

Industry 4.0 is the trend toward automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes which include cyber-physical systems, the internet of things (IoT), industrial internet of things (IIOT), cloud computing, cognitive computing and artificial intelligence.

The Internet of Things is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

The Industrial Internet of Things refers to interconnected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked together with computers’ industrial applications, including manufacturing and energy management.

“We are continuing to move in that OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

direction, using data, software analytics, and advanced manufacturing technologies. I think every industry is going to do more of that and I see that as the future of manufacturing,” Wolken said.

Regional business leaders are expressing confidence moving forward, he said.

Skills gap continues

MACNY’s new career and talent platform is helping to address the current skills gap and labor shortage in CNY. “The truth of the matter is we still have a meaningful gap when it comes to skills,” Wolken said.

“One of the ways we are helping is providing a current talent platform for companies so they can push their job openings out to a much broader audience, find individuals who are looking to work in these sectors and demonstrate the need,” he said.

MACNY is also offering apprenticeship programs knowing that companies like to train their own workers in house, he added.

The organization is also working with middle schools, high schools and colleges while offering internship and career awareness opportunities.

“We really do need to get young people and all individuals aware of these great jobs,” he said. “We literally have thousands of job openings,” said Wolken, noting a typical member company has openings to fill 5% to 10% of its workforce.

Meanwhile, the CNY STEM program continues to grow. The program was designed in conjunction with Partners for Education & Business and the CNY STEMHub to support CNY high school seniors who plan to pursue a college degree in a field related to science, technology, engineering or math.

“Hundreds of individuals have applied and are connected to the network,” Wolken said.

Dozens of students have secured scholarships, which come with an internship.

“What this is doing is demonstrating the need, ability and desire of companies to invest in individuals who are getting these higher-level skills,” Wolken said.

He said it is an effective manner in which to get students coming out of high school to earn a scholarship and work at a local company.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

2020 7 Tourism Fishing is king while anchoring Oswego County’s bountiful recreational opportunities

I

t’s an alluring proposition. The economic impact of sport fishing in Oswego County is approximately $42 million, according to Janet West Clerkin, tourism and public information coordinator for the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism & Planning.

During 2019, her department continued to refine and expand its angler marketing campaign.

“Our fishing industry is very important, and we devote multiple resources to promote it,” she said.

In 2019, staff attended or was represented at 26 trade shows, some in Canada as well as many in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

Clerkin said several were fishing specific and in partnership with other Lake Ontario counties.

The county maintains a tourism website — visitoswegocounty.com — and all licensed charter captains and guides receive a free listing on the site.

They also receive a free listing in the county’s fishing and hunting guide.

The county will be producing a new guide in 2020, Clerkin noted.

“We rely on the charter captains and fishing guides to provide us current information for the website listings,” she said.

Clerkin said the county ended 2019 with more than 20,000 followers on its Facebook site (www.facebook.com/ visitoswegocounty/), and more than 14,000 followers on its fishing page (www.facebook.com/oswegocountyfishing/.)

That is more than double when compared to the previous year, and Clerkin noted it is due to new content, including videos.

In 2019, the tourism office uploaded approximately 16 new videos to YouTube alone, with numerous others on Facebook and Instagram.

It produced several new videos, including one about the north shore of Oneida Lake and another on Thornwood MX in Williamstown.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

The latter features motocross, a form of off-road motorcycle racing.

“We’ll continue to expand video topics in 2020,” Clerkin said.

Clerkin noted the tourism office also arranged familiarization tours for outdoor and travel writers, and supported outdoor television broadcasts such as Pennsylvania Outdoor Life, the Outdoorsman Channel, and Fishing Behind the Lines, a nationally televised public television production.

The county also maintains a fishing reports hotline and distributes reports to a variety of media outlets.

In addition, it places print ads and editorial content in regional and national publications, and works with partner agencies such as other Lake Ontario counties and the state Department of Environmental Conservation to promote fishing, Clerkin added.

“To help overcome negative publicity from last year’s high-water levels of Lake Ontario, we ran a summer billboard and social media campaign in target markets to spread the word that Oswego County is open for business,” she said.

“Our peak reach, on Facebook, was right before Harborfest, when we reached over 110,000 people in a single day,” she said.

New for 2020 are two regional promotions through Market New York grants.

Clerkin said the county is partnering with Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties on a new grant to help overcome the negative impact of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River flooding.

“We’re also embarking on a new outdoor recreation campaign with Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison and Cortland counties to promote the Central New York region’s fishing, hiking, paddling, winter activities and other outdoor recreation activities,” she said. “We’re excited about this opportunity for more promotion of events at Winona Forest in northern Oswego County and other areas.”

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Janet Clerkin

Destination points Harborfest continues to be Oswego County’s largest event, although attendance is highly influenced by the weather, Clerkin said.

Attendance at Super DIRT Week in the fall has increased steadily, she noted.

“We’re excited that the event will continue to be held at the Oswego Speedway for the next few years,” Clerkin noted.

While not an event per se, the annual salmon run in early fall draws thousands of visitors to Pulaski and the Salmon River corridor.

The abundance of lake-effect snowfall, particularly in the northeast part of the county, brings thousands more for snowmobiling and other winter activities.

Fat biking, snowshoe races and other events organized by the volunteer group, Winona Forest Recreation Association, continue to grow and are highly successful, Clerkin added.

With a robust tourism industry comes occupancy tax revenues, certainly considered a valuable revenue stream for Oswego County over the past several years.

Occupancy tax held steady during 2019, said Clerkin, noting there are several variables that affect occupancy tax revenues.

“They include maintenance outages at the nuclear plants, which bring in contractors from other areas; activities driven by SUNY Oswego; adult and youth sports events; hotel rates and 87

expanded room capacities; fishing conditions; flooding, and the weather,” she said.

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated new indoor water park in the city of Oswego is designed to create excitement on the local tourism scene.

Other tourism-related projects are in the wings as well.

The processes for designating Fort Ontario as a national historic site and establishing the Eastern Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary continue to move forward, Clerkin said.

“Both of those projects have potential to bring many more visitors to Oswego County,” she noted.

There are several projects taking place along the waterfront in the city

of Oswego.

The Port of Oswego Authority will open a small RV park for marina customers on the east side in May. “There will also be improvements made to marinas on the west side in the near future,” Clerkin said. “We are also excited by the new management agreement for the Legends Field complex.”

The public-private partnership developed there has brought renewed life to that facility and the potential for even greater growth is on the horizon, Clerkin said.

“Some of the events they have held in the last year or so have exceeded our expectations, so the future looks good,” she noted.

8 Banking Key indicators suggest that uncertainty reigns in the banking world

I

n banking, the shape of the yield curve indicates future interest-rate changes and economic activity.

Typically, a normal yield curve is upward sloping to the right, an indication that investors are receiving higher yields for taking the risk of a long-term security. “ R i g h t now, the yield curve is flatter than Kansas,” said Mark Tryn i s k i , p re s i dent and CEO of Community Bank System Tryniski Inc. “That’s not good for the banking industry. We need steeper yields.”

The yield curve is the difference between the interest rate on a short-term Treasury note and a 10-year Treasury note.

A flat yield curve is typically an indication that investors and traders are worried about the economic outlook.

As of Feb. 5, the yield on a onemonth Treasury note was 1.55%.

Meanwhile, it was 1.6% on a 10-year Treasury note.

“That just tells you how flat the yield curve is. Typically, the difference 88

is 2 percentage points or more,” Tryniski said.

“It is essentially a fear index in a way,” said Tryniski, noting the yield is the inverse of the price.

“When people want the safety of treasuries, they bid up the price, which makes the yield lower. In a sense, it’s a fear index for a prognosticator of what peoples’ expectations are,” he said.

He said the steepness of the yield curve is analogous to investors’ perception of the future.

In terms of the bond market, “right now it is suggesting uncertainty relative to the future because the yield is so flat,” Tryniski said.

“The yield on a 10-year Treasury is extremely low, which would suggest that the bond market thinks caution is the right way to approach the future,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tryniski said inflation rates have been “really low” for a long time, “which has confounded a lot of economists that don’t understand or can’t figure out why it is that inflation hasn’t been a bit higher.”

Inflation is an increase in prices and a fall in the purchasing value of money.

“Some say it’s monetary policy, some say it is the impact of technology and productivity, and some say it is the changing nature of the workforce, and those kinds of things,” Tryniski said.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“It would not appear at this point to be any indicators on the horizon of significant inflationary pressures,” he said.

Inflation rates can devastate banking prospects as it affects the value of currency.

Tryniski, a SUNY Oswego grad, spoke to what drives the performance of the banking sector.

He said economic, credit and interest rate cycles are the three main drivers of bank performance.

“Obviously the economy has a significant impact on banking in terms of customer liquidity, depository relationships and ease of credit,” he said.

The credit cycle is critical as well.

“Typically, a bad credit cycle is associated with a downturn in the economy or recession. It has material impact typically on banks in terms of credit and loan write-offs,” he said.

The interest rate cycle is also important in terms of determining the steepness of the yield curve.

“Where we are in that interest rate cycle can depend on whether or not the fortunes of the industry are rising or falling,” he said.

Technologically speaking Technology, meanwhile, continues to revolutionize the banking industry.

“Like most industries, the banking industry has been significantly impacted by technology,” said Tryniski, noting it all started with the ATM, and then evolved into online and mobile banking.

“Now, there are all sorts of other functionalities and capabilities in terms of customer channels that can be effectuated with technology,” he said.

Peer-to-peer payment systems, such as PayPal, have also impacted the industry as well.

“That’s going to continue to happen,” he said.

Also, Tryniski said declines continue in branch traffic and branch-based transactions.

Branch-based transactions are down about 3% to 4% per year and are expected to decrease further, he noted.

“Online-based transactions are continuing to accelerate, as is mobile banking,” he said.

With advanced technology comes hackers, and Tryniski noted millions are spent annually to provide cybersecurity.

“We are hardening our systems but doing it in a way that still makes those FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

systems reasonably accessible to our customers. There’s a balance there,” he said. “Certainly the banking industry is probably the No. 1 target for bad actors.”

Tryniski said it is difficult to ascertain whether automated systems are replacing people in the banking industry.

“Technology is reducing the number of people needed to do jobs which were previously manually oriented,” he said. “On the other hand, the banking industry is investing like crazy in digital platforms and technologies, and that takes people.”

“In one sense, technology can be used to reduce the number of people previously doing manual work, but you’re also taking that benefit and investing in these digital platforms and technologies which are extremely expensive and require technological expertise to run,” he said.

“So in a sense, you are replacing the manual process with a highly technological process which is more expensive in terms of the people. Software developers and people who understand how to implement digital platforms and technologies are expensive people,” he noted.

It is not so much a net reduction as it is a transition, he said.

“I think of it as the industry transitioning from analog to digital. Analog would be your branches and people, and the industry is transitioning to digital, which are technology platforms. There is a slow transition away from analog toward digital,” he said.

Tryniski said Community Bank stays competitive on both a brick-andmortar and online level.

“I think it’s important to be disciplined in banking. It’s not an industry like tech where the only way you can succeed is to make big bets and execute on certain large strategies,” he said.

“Discipline is an extremely important virtue in the banking industry in terms of what we do and how we do it,” he said. “Fundamentally, you need to be disciplined in how you manage your business, capital deployment and operating costs.”

He said a general environment of discipline is needed to start with in order to succeed.

“Beyond that and looking into the future, success will be more dependent on the decisions banks make in investing in digital infrastructure and digital customer channels,” he noted.

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Use of Telemedicine for Behavioral Health Increasing Excellus BCBS report shows one third of those seeking behavioral health services do so through telemedicine

B

ehavioral health services delivered via telemedicine now accounts for nearly one-third of all telemedicine visits, according to a review of 2019 claims data by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

In 2018, behavioral health services accounted for less than 25% of all telemedicine visits. The health plan serves more than 1.5 million members across 39 counties of Upstate New York.

Telemedicine allows a health care

provider to treat a patient by telephone or a secure, two-way video connection that is similar to Skype or FaceTime. Private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid pay for health care services delivered via telemedicine.

Behavioral health services include treatment for mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The top mental health conditions for which health plan members seek telemedicine treatment are generalized anxiety disor-

ders, major depressive disorders, dysthymic disorders, posttraumatic stress disorders and adjustment disorders.

The use of telemedicine for behavioral health services also includes treatment of substance use disorders including opioid use disorders, alcohol use disorders and tobacco use disorders. The top specialists seen via telemedicine for behavioral health treatment include so-

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from previous page cial workers, psychologists, counselors and nurse practitioners.

“Patients are realizing that they can see a specific behavioral health provider on an ongoing basis from the privacy of their home, where they feel comfortable and can call at their convenience,” said Marya Vande-Doyle, director of workplace wellness and telemedicine for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “Another factor in many parts of upstate New York may be the shortage of behavioral health professionals, especially those who specialize in treating children and adolescents. Telemedicine can easily connect these patients with accessible behavioral health providers from whom they can receive ongoing care.”

Extrapolating the health plan’s member claims data to reflect the entire statewide population, Vande-Doyle estimates that New Yorkers logged more than 80,000 telemedicine visits for behavioral health services in 2019.

A survey of upstate New York adults conducted in late 2019 by One Research and commissioned by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield found that among 2,000 respondents: • 17% are receiving counseling for a mental health condition, • 28% are taking medication for a mental health condition, • 35% say they will consider using telemedicine for treatment of a mental

Percent of telemedicine visits by health plan members for behavioral health conditions, by age group, 2019 30.0%

25.3%

25.0%

20.7%

19.7%

20.0%

12.8%

15.0%

10.7%

10.0% 5.0%

6.5%

4.2%

0.0%

0-10 years

11-20 years

21-30 years

31-40 years

health condition, • 58% of participants who said they take a medication or are receiving counseling for a mental health condition say they will consider using telemedicine to connect with a health care provider.

Using telemedicine to access behavioral health services is most popular among patients in younger age brackets.

A review of health plan claims data found that approximately 70 percent of users are 40 years old or younger.

About one-quarter of users are 20 years old or younger.

“Many of my clients are young working professionals and are not

41-50 years

51-60 years

61 years and older

intimidated by the use of technology for our sessions,” said Tara Ammersen, Syracuse, a licensed clinical social worker who uses telemedicine to meet with patients. “Also, my clients with children appreciate that they don’t have to arrange for child care while away from home for a session.”

“Telemedicine for behavioral health services isn’t for everyone and every situation,” said Vande-Doyle. “The significant year-over-year increase in its use for behavioral health services clearly demonstrates its growing acceptance as a tool that enhances access to care.”

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Best Foot Forward: Snowshoeing in Oswego County

I While the sport of snowshoeing is too granular and off-the-radar an activity to have a specific economic impact measured at this time, events around the county bring in plenty of dollars for gas, food and lodging in their localities.

In addition, some community businesses serve the sport directly.

Tim Nekritz is director of news and media for SUNY Oswego, where he spearheads telling the stories of the campus community.

94

t’s no secret that Oswego County has an abundance of natural beauty throughout its geography. It’s also no secret that we get a lot of snow.

What seems like more of a secret is how easy it is to make the most of it via snowshoeing.

Whether doing a one-time rental, taking a guided excursion or buying to become a regular, opportunities to snowshoe are as abundant as the rolling hills and pristine valleys that dot the county.

From the Amboy 4-H Environmental Education Center to Winona State Forest Recreation Area, with many letters of the alphabet and parts of the region in between, the Oswego County website features 14 recommended areas for snowshoeing and skiing, while some local knowledge will unearth many more.

The Amboy center, off Route 183 and part of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County, offers snowshoes for adults, youths and toddlers to explore its acreage, providing guided walks on snowshoes for schools, youth organizations, church groups and the general public. Wooden snowshoes can accommodate adults and youths, with toddlers wearing small aluminum frame snowshoes.

“These two-hour long programs include a short indoor lecture on the history of snowshoeing, explanation of why there are different shapes and styles of snowshoes and how they function differently,” said Linda Brosch, 4-H team coordinator for the Amboy 4-H Environmental Education Center. “After snowshoes are strapped on, the groups head out into the facility’s woodland. Some snowshoeing is completed on the trail system but there are opportunities for bushwhacking off trail.”

Brosch said people of all ages and athletic abilities take advantage of these offerings on many of the environmental education center’s 150 acres. “A person does not have to be a marathon runner to participate,” Brosch said. “Hiking poles or ski poles can be used to provide more stability.”

One of the more vast — and sometimes competitive — opportunities takes place in the Winona State Forest Recreation Area,

with more than 9,000 acres on the county’s northern border with Jefferson County.

“Winona Forest is one of the snowiest places east of the Rockies with an average snow fall of 250 inches per year,” the county notes on its website. “ In winter, the prevailing westerly winds move cold winter air over the warm water of Lake Ontario producing massive lake effect snow falls on the Winona Forest in the Tug Hill area.”

While this is not as fun if you’re trying to clear your sidewalk or driveway, it’s extremely enjoyable for outdoors enthusiasts.

In addition to boundless opportunities for individuals and families to check out the woods, the Winona Forest Recreation Association stages a variety of special events.

These include the Stonewall Snowshoe 5K and 10K in late January. “Consistently one of the biggest snowshoe events in the USA, the 10,000 acres of Winona Forest is the perfect venue for this Tug Hill event,” the race’s website noted. “[F]or those trying this snowshoe race for the first time, you will not be disappointed by the great trails, big snows and plenty of like-minded adventurous winter enthusiasts to share the day, and make memories.” The race even rents light racing snowshoes for a small fee to invite participation.

On the more casual side, SUNY Oswego’s Rice Creek Field Station has trails open to snowshoers from dawn until dusk on a daily basis. On Saturdays, visitors can borrow snowshoes for free, although only adult sizes are available at this time.

On many of those Saturdays when there is snow cover, Rice Creek Ramble nature hikes provide guided snowshoe walks with a naturalist “covering topics like identifying mammal tracks, winter bird identification and winter tree identification,” said Kristen Haynes, assistant director of Rice Creek Field Station. “Our naturalists can tailor the walk to participants’ interests and abilities.”

The center has added events like a snowshoe owl prowl, where attendees can enjoy the winter wonderland while listening and watching for these majestic winter birds, and a Celebrate Snow festival with abundant family activities to better introduce the public to some of the field station’s 300 acres.

Tim’s Notes

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

County will always have some kind of season.

Advice to get started

A participant in the 2018 Stonewall Snowshoe competition organized by Winona Forest Recreation Association. It’s one of the many ways people can enjoy snowshoeing in Oswego County.

Snowshoes mean business

While the sport of snowshoeing is too much an off-the-radar an activity to have a specific economic impact measured at this time, events around the county bring in plenty of dollars for gas, food and lodging in their localities. In addition, some community businesses serve the sport directly.

At Murdock’s Bicycles and Sports, beginners and enthusiasts have provided pretty consistent business the last few years, said Greg Mills, who owns the shop on Oswego’s West First Street.

“There really isn’t a specific age group or demographic for the people purchasing or interested in snowshoeing,” said Mills, who sells Atlas and Tubbs snowshoes and poles. “I would categorize buyers as people looking for a way to enjoy winter, exercise and find another reason to be outdoors. Snowshoeing does not require any refined athletic ability. If you want to be outside during the winter, it is a great way to be outside and an easy activity to get started.”

For those not yet sure if the sport is for them, Mills offers rentals as well. “If someone is considering snowshoeing as a form of exercise and enjoying winter, I FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

would suggest they stop in and rent a pair of snowshoes and give it a try,” he said. “If they enjoy it and want to make it a part of their winter exercise routine, we will apply the rental fee towards the purchase of a pair of snowshoes.”

Oswego Expeditions, run by Jennifer Mays and based out of the Port City, provides a variety of options for all ages.

“We offer snowshoe rentals, guided river and canal treks, group snowshoeing [age 4 and up] and adult group treks,” Mays said.

“As an outdoor enthusiast who loves the waterfront, I feel the opportunity to snowshoe on the greenspaces overlooking Lake Ontario and along the Oswego Canal is a unique experience to be had by all,” Mays said. “As a business owner, I think East and West Linear Parks have the potential to be marked and maintained for winter recreation, drawing visitors and locals to our waterfront during the winter months to safely experience snowshoeing, fat biking, cross country skiing and more.”

One of the unusual challenges for the 2019-20 season for businesses and recreation sites alike was a lack of snow for much of December and January. But a snow-dependent sport in Oswego OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Polled on advice for getting started, respondents offered plenty of tips and observations.

“Recreational snowshoeing is a sport or activity that anyone can participate in,” Brosch noted.

“If a person is just getting started, I would suggest that they attend a guided snowshoe program such as the Woodland Snowshoe Wanders at the Amboy 4-H Environmental Education Center to see if they like the sport,” she said. “Snowshoes are sized by weight, not foot size. Once snowshoes are purchased, fit them to your boots before you are outside at the trailhead. This will save a person a lot of time.”

Getting started is “very easy,” Haynes noted “All you have to do is strap on the snowshoes and start walking!”

She cautioned that snowshoeing is “a little more strenuous than walking,” but once somebody gets comfortable on snowshoes, they can start taking on hillier terrain or faster paces to get a really good workout.

“There are a few distinct styles of snowshoe available, so I suggest renting or borrowing a pair first before buying,” Haynes added. “In terms of footwear, choose comfortable, waterproof or water-resistant boots. If you’ll be in deep snow, consider wearing snow pants or gaiters.”

She reminds people that one might sink a bit in deep snow, but not to panic if this happens. “The snowshoe is designed to help you sink less, and also to help you grip the snow surface via the crampons on the bottom of the shoe,” Haynes noted. “Snowshoes work well on fluffy and packed snow because of these different advantages ‘buoyancy’ and grip.”

For Mills, the abundant natural resources and easy entry into the sport makes it a natural activity for Oswego County.

“Snowshoeing is an easy way to get outside and explore our beautiful area at a pretty inexpensive price,” Mills said. “Find a place you want to hike, pull your car over, slap on a pair of snowshoes and take a hike.

You don’t need groomed trails, a ski resort or a dedicated trail system. You could snowshoe almost anywhere.”

95

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Best Business Directory AUTO SALES & SERVICE Bellinger Auto Sales & Service — Third generation business. Used Cars, Towing, general auto repair & accessories, Truck repair. Oil, lube & filter service.

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CONSTRUCTION Dunsmoor Construction Inc. – Residential-Commercial Construction. Serving Oswego County. Home Improvement Contractor. 315-343-4380 or 315-5915020.

KILN-DRIED HARDWOODS Lakeshore Hardwoods. We stock kiln-dried cherry, walnut, maple, butternut, ash, oak, basswood, mahogany, cedar figured woods, and exotics. Also, hardwood flooring, moldings, stair parts & woodworking supplies.

266 Manwaring Rd. Pulaski. 298-6407 or visit www. lakeshorehardwoods.com.

LAND SURVEYOR Robert M. Burleigh, licensed land surveyor. Quality land surveying. Residential, subdivision, commercial, boundary surveying. 593-2231.

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COPY & PRINT Port City Copy Center. Your one-stop for all of your copy + print needs. 37 East First St., Oswego . 2166163.

DEMOLITION Fisher Companies. Commercial & residential demolition. Great prices. Fully insured. Free estimates. 48 years of experience. Call Fisher Companies at 315652-3773 or visit www.johnefisherconstruction.com.

White’s Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski: state Route 13, 315-298-6575; Watertown: N. Rutland Street, 315-788-6200; Clayton: James Street, 315-6861892; Gouverneur: Depot Street, 315-287-1892.

OUTBOARD MOTORS Arney’s Marina. Route 14 Sodus Point, NY. Honda four-stroke motors, 2 hp to 250 hp. Repower your boat with the best! Call 483-9111 for more information.

TRACTOR/LAWN EQUIPMENT

EXCAVATING Gilbert Excavating. Septic systems. Gravel & top soil.

Septic tank pumping. 685 County Route 3, Fulton, 13069. Call 593-2472.

RanMar Tractor Supply, Sales and Service of New and Used Tractors and Farm Equipment – 5219 US Rte 11 Pulaski, New York – 315-598-5109.

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97

Last Page

John Halleron Lack of a qualified, motivated workforce one of the toughest obstacles small businesses face, says senior business adviser Q.: What do you believe are some of the tougher obstacles facing small business owners in Oswego County and Central New York?

A.: I feel that the toughest issue facing businesses will be the lack of a qualified and motivated workforce.

I see this across all industry sectors.

I also know that significant efforts to combat this are being implemented by numerous agencies across the county. Being in the same office as the Workforce Development Board of Oswego County gives me a firsthand view of those efforts. Because there are more jobs than candidates to fill them, hiring and retention are going to be more difficult. The rising minimum wage is also a factor that can be troublesome.

Q.: Of the services that the Small Business Development Center offers, which are most in demand today?

A.: By far the most popular service is the assistance in business plan and financial projection preparation. The New York State Small Business Development Center has a proprietary online platform known as Entreskills which allows a client to work with a template at his or her own pace to develop his or her plan. My office also has a unique program for developing the necessary financial data to demonstrate viability. Once the client determines start-up requirements, estimated revenue and expenses as well as the assumptions these are based upon, I can prepare five years of financial projections which includes a profit and loss statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet for each year.

benefits to business owners and prospective business owners?

A.: Over the past five years, the class sizes have been very stable. We have graduated an average of 35 attendees per year. The advantages of participation are many. While everyone knows how to do the job, so to speak, the class gives an insight into the back room operations. Attendees have access to professionals in accounting; human resources; legal; marketing; real estate; and risk management-insurance. The class is also a great opportunity for networking.

The last benefit of completion is the eligibility to apply for the microloans provided by local and county economic development agencies.

By Lou Sorendo Q.: Both the cities of Oswego and Fulton are in the midst of significant downtown beautification projects thanks to the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

Do you see this as a catalyst for future small business growth in these two cities?

A.: There is no doubt in my mind that the infusion of DRI funding will have a major impact on not only small business, but on the attitude of the region. I have already seen an increase in excitement and willingness to investigate new business possibilities. As the region becomes more energized and attractive to outside investors and potential residents, there will be a growing need for goods and services. I would like to think that Oswego County residents would step up to fill that need. We have the tools to make it happen; we just need the people to use those tools.

John Halleron is a senior business adviser at Small Business Development Center, Office of Business and Community Relations, SUNY Oswego.

Q.: How has participation in the Micro-Enterprise Business Training Program trended over the past several years? Are folks taking advantage of the program?

What do you see as its most significant

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

FEBRUARY /MARCH 2020

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