Ocbm no141 dec15 jan16 by Oswego County Business Magazine

OswegoCountyBusiness.com

Getting Oswego Health in Shape CEO Chuck Gijanto recognizes that Oswego Health is losing money. Find out what he plans to do to change that trend

Officials to Gov. Cuomo

December 15 / January 16

Help Us Keep FitzPatrick Working

$4.50

The Fight to Build a Holiday Inn Express in Oswego Find Out How Kim Doyle of Fulton Grew Her Hair Salon

Superior stroke care. It’s about time.

eceiving the area’s fastest stroke diagnosis and treatment starts even before you arrive at Crouse Hospital. That’s because our EMS

partners start communicating with our team the moment they arrive on the scene. Once here, our stroke specialists immediately assess your condition. And if more advanced care is needed, our boardcertified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeons use the most progressive stroke-rescue therapies and technology available. When it’s about time, say “Take me to Crouse.”

crouse.org/stroke

swego County has a broad selection of business parks in place that are perfect for your business.

Infrastructure is in place and there’s room to grow! Operation Oswego County will work with you to make sure your location is the best fit for your success—whether it’s on a Great Lake, an airport, or in wide open spaces. Financing’s available too: SBA 504 loans, County IDA tax-exempt and taxable bond financing, and Empire State Development financing.

In NY: Industrial Parks Perfect For Your Business

Among the businesses we host:

Our Industrial Parks Include:

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

Sunoco Otis Technology Linde North America Northland Filter International Southern Graphic Systems Canfield Machine & Tool Oswego State University DeWald Roofing

Oswego County Industrial Park Lake Ontario Industrial Park Airport Industrial Park Rich Corporate Park Columbia Mills Business Park Riverview Business Park

Call or visit us online to find your dream location:

L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD

(315) 343-1545 | www.OswegoCounty.org

THE POWER OF OUR PEOPLE

Here in Oswego County, we’re guided by a common spirit of giving to neighbors, families and others in need. The millions of megawatts of electricity generated at FitzPatrick powers more than homes. To proud New Yorkers like us — your friends and neighbors at FitzPatrick — it’s equally important to give back to our communities. Here are just a few of the local organizations and initiatives that our people and our company proudly support over the years: • Oswego County Schools • Harborfest • United Way of Greater Oswego County • Oswego County Soil & Water District • Syracuse Rescue Mission • Project Smart • ACR Health • Human Concerns • Operation Oswego County • Oswego Bookmobile • Mexico Public Library • Habitat for Humanity • Friends of Oswego County Hospice

Find out more about all that we’re doing for New York, at FitzPatrickPower.com Twitter.com/FitzPatrick_NPP Facebook.com/FitzPatrickNuclear

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

ness.com OswegoCountyBusi

Getting Oswego Health in Shape

izes that CEO Chuck Gijanto recogn Find out money. Oswego Health is losing change that trend what he plans to do to

Officials to Gov. Cuorickmo Working

December 15 / January 16

Help Us Keep FitzPat

$4.50

ay The Fight to Build a Holid Inn Express in Oswego e of Find Out How Kim Doyl n Fulton Grew Her Hair Salo

Issue 141

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

PROFILE FLOYD BACKES The new boss at Davis-Standard, one of the largest employers in Fulton, has a lot on his plate. Yet the 45-year-old Jordan resident finds time to work on his MBA at SUNY Oswego and volunteer On a number of boards in the region....................12

SPECIAL FEATURES

COVER STORY

How I Got Started Kim Doyle is growing her Hair We Are salon in Fulton again. She talks about how she started her business .......... 10

• THE TURNAROUND GUY New CEO Charles ‘Chuck’ Gijanto determined to get Oswego Health on right track

Lights, Camera, Action! Oswego native Jeanne Harris makes splash in world of entertainment, marketing ....................................... 42

Healthcare • Tobacco Free facilities — Banning smoking immediately outside the office (in addition to inside) can save employers big bucks: $6,000 per employee • Playground for All — ARISE creates a totally accessbible playground at ARISE at the Farm in Madison County

Making a Difference Bridgette Seguin recognized for work with Literacy Volunteers ..................................................................... 18

Genius NY to Award $5 Million Competition in Syracuse to award big bucks in tech start-up competition...................................... .47 Economic Meltdown Uncertainty about the future of FitzPatrick nuclear power plant has everyone on edge........................................... 56 Chamber Alliance Oswego-Fulton chamber now collaborates with CenterState CEO to improve efficiency, save cost........................ 62 Snowplow Contractors It has been a slow start for them but if weather forecast can be trusted they will be busy this season............ 64

SUCCESS STORY Oswego-based Green Planet Grocery is celebrating one year since opening its Cicero location. It now has three stores and planning for more...........84

Real Estate

• Commercial Properties — Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market?

Q&A Aiden McGuire is Destiny USA’s new marketing director, He talks about plans to promote the mega mall

DEPARTMENTS On the Job, Newsmakers. ........................... 9, 20 Where in the World... Albania, an unspolied place to visit..... 16 Dining Out... Blue Moon Bistro, Fulton..................... 28 Economic Trends IDA supports creation of 307 jobs ......... 31 Business Updates....................................... 32 My Turn Concerns with the National Spelling Bee............ 45 Last Page Mike Treadwell on saving FitzPatrick nuclear ...... 82 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Disciplined. Proven. Responsible. An investment advisory firm exclusively serving the needs of institutions, foundations, endowments, and not-for-profits by applying a disciplined, proven, and responsible investment philosophy.

disciplinedcapital.com DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

A Cozy Heart......................25 Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home................38 ALPS Professional Services.........................40 Amdursky, Pelky, Fennell & Wallen........................39 Amerigas............................21 Arise...................................73 Berkshire Hathaway ..........63 Blue Moon Grill.................27 Bob Cat of CNY ................25 Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law...........19 Brookfield Renewable Power.............................22 Burdick Ford......................20 Burke’s Home Center.........23 C & S Companies..............50 Canale’s Italian Cuisine.....27 Caster’s Sawmill Inc..........24 Century 21 - Galloway Realty.............................25 Century 21 Leah Signature Realty............23 Community Bank...............38

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Computer Accounting .25, 26 Cricket Wireless.................13 Crouse Hospital....................2 Davis-Standard LLC..........15 Disciplined Management Capital.............................5 Dusting Divas.....................13 Eastern Shore Associates Insurance.......................26 Eis House...........................27 Entergy.................................3 Fastrac Mafrkets.................41 Finger Lakes Construction..................24 Fitzgibbons Agency...........39 Food Bank............................7 Foster Funeral Home..........77 Fred’s Auto Parts................25 Fulton Community Development Agency....40 Fulton Savings Bank..........41 Glider Oil...........................41 Great Lakes Trolley...........31 Hardwood Transformations.............24 Haun Welding Supply........24

Hillside Commons.............15 Interface Performance Materials........................65 J P Jewelers........................31 Johnston Gas......................24 K & N Foods........................5 Key Bank...........................63 Lakeside Artisans...............31 Medical Registry of CNY..73 MetLife Ins. Co..................20 Mimi’s Drive Inn...............27 Mr. Sub...............................27 Nelson Law Firm...............11 Ontario Health & Fitness / Pulaski PT......................73 Operation Oswego County...2 Oswego Community Development Office......57 Oswego County Federal Credit Union..................11 Oswego County Mutual Insurance.......................20 Oswego County Stop DWI.38 Oswego Health ............14, 84 Oswego Industries..............26 Parker’s Excavating...........24

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Parker’s Service.................25 Pathfinder Bank..................56 Paura’s Liquor Store..........31 Peter Realty – Simeon DeWitt...........................73 Phoenix Press.....................40 Port of Oswego Authority..19 Priceless Realty..................21 Pro-Build............................23 RanMar Tractor..................21 Riccelli Northern................57 RiverHouse Restaurant......27 Scriba Electric....................21 Servpro of Oswego County...........................23 Springside at Seneca Hill....................74 SUNY Oswego, Office of Bus and Com...................8 Tailwater Lodge...................6 Trust Pediatrics..................73 Valley Locksmith...............23 Volney Multiplex...............21 White’s Lumber & Building Supply.............23 WRVO................................83

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

83798_FB_SFIH_Ad Oswego County Business Magazine (OCBM) T: 4.75” x 9.5” No Bleed 4c

SBA Empowers Small Businesses to Be Cyber Safe

he U.S. Small Business Administration recently unveiled a new cybersecurity Web page for small businesses at www.sba.gov/cybersecurity. “Cybersecurity is one of our nation’s most pressing national security priorities, and America’s 28 million small businesses, which create two out of every three new jobs in the U.S., are especially at risk,” said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet. “In an effort to combat cyberattacks against small businesses, the SBA’s online tools will help employers identify information security vulnerabilities that put their companies at risk.” A 2013 survey by the National Small Business Association indicates that 44 percent of small businesses reported being the victim of a cyberattack, with an average cost of approximately $9,000 per attack. Small businesses have valuable information cybercriminals seek, including employee and customer data, bank account information, access to business finances, and intellectual property. Small business employers also provide access to larger networks such as supply chains. The SBA cybersecurity Web page is a resource for small business owners to discover online courses, training opportunities, blogs and webinars, as well as learn cybersecurity information tips, including how to: • Protect against viruses, spyware and other malicious code; • Educate employees about cyberthreats; • Safeguard Internet connections by using a firewall and encrypting information; • Use best practices on payment cards, including shifting to more secure credit card payment technology known as “EMV.” The website at www.sba.gov/cybersecurity also includes key steps to take if a firm is the victim of a cybersecurity attack, as well as links to tools from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Let’s stick a fork in hunger. These days it costs more than ever to buy a bag of groceries. And that’s taking a real toll on a lot of families in Central New York. Fortunately, you can help. All it takes is $10 to put 32 nutritious meals on the table. So please help us Stick a Fork in Hunger. Give today. Visit foodbankcny.org/donatenow or call 315-437-1899.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

83798_FB_SFIH_AD_OCBM.indd 1

10/15/15 2:51 PM

COVERING CENTRAL NEW YORK OswegoCountyBusiness.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Lou Sorendo

Columnists

L. Michael Treadwell Bruce Frassinelli Sandra Scott, Jacob Pucci

Writers & Contributing Writers

Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Matthew Liptak, Stacey A. Bara, Michael Jaquez

Advertising

Peggy Kain Shelley Manley

Office Manager Alice Davis

Layout and Design

Chris Crocker, Kyle Meddaugh

unlimited horizons SUNY Oswego helps solve problems. We provide advisement and training for business start-up and expansion. We assist in accessing grants and provide for workforce development opportunities. We provide technical assistance and training for non-profit organizations. We build relationships that lead to a better economy and inject vitality into the Central New York community. SUNY Oswego offers unlimited horizons. Learn more. oswego.edu/obcr Office of Business and Community Relations 103 Rich Hall SUNY Oswego Oswego, NY 13126 315.312.3492 8

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 bi-monthly (6 issues a year) at 185 E. Seneca Street PO Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126. Subscription: $21.50 a year; $35 for two years © 2015 by Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. Third class postage paid at Syracuse, NY. Permit Number: 244

How to Reach Us

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

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

ON THE JOB

‘Do you use Facebook as part of your business — if so, how effective is it?’

“I frequently use Facebook as part of our recruitment strategies to source applicants who are interested in working at our Oswego location. It is quite effective, as social media has played a significant part in changing how candidates approach the workforce. The company has a main Facebook page, while specific regions may tailor a page to meet their specific needs. As a company, we participate in sharing news, positive customer experiences, and open job vacancies, as well as fun ideas to help inspire home projects for the do-it-yourselfer. Helping people ‘Love Where They Live’ is our focus and Facebook provides an opportunity for Lowe’s to reach out and touch the lives of members in our communities.” Megan Bustillo Lowe’s Home Center, Oswego “As a manufacturer that sells our products and services globally, we use Facebook minimally since we find it more of a consumer-based media. Our regional distributors in the United States use it as a means to communicate to their local customers and friends. We use LinkedIn extensively as a result of our business model being business to business. We find key executives follow our progress in various vertical markets and refer other business executives to our company.” Vincent G. Lobdell HealthWay Home Products, Inc., Pulaski “I do not use Facebook as part of my business. However, KeyBank does have a dedicated Facebook site that I sometimes share on my personal Facebook page. I do not use it as a means for conducting business.” Jamie Higby KeyBank, Oswego “We definitely use Facebook for all of our businesses. We have found it to be one of the least expensive and most effective ways to reach our audience. Some people argue that you reach a small group of people due to Facebook’s DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

algorithms, but the cost to boost posts is relatively inexpensive for how many people you are able to reach. Through this, we are able to effectively track results in this way as well. All in all, we do believe Facebook to be a great resource for our business.” Megan Morris Rehab Resources NY, Oswego “Universal Metal Works does use Facebook as a conduit to reach customers. We find it to be an extremely effective way to showcase our work and communicate our capabilities. Facebook allows us to connect with both existing and potential customers. Facebook has helped UMW expand its customer base from regional to national. Between Facebook and our website, UMW has been able to secure several jobs from customers throughout the United States.” John F. Sharkey IV Universal Metal Works, Fulton “Facebook gives us a way to connect with the communities around us. We share events, photos of individuals and activities that we do at Oswego Industries and ARC of Oswego County as well as outside our agencies. It’s a great way to make people aware and to get people involved!” Courtney Collins Oswego Industries/ARC of Oswego County, Fulton “Yes, we do use Facebook as a big part of our advertising. We post a few times a week and are working on posting daily. There is a spike in traffic on our Web page as well as walk-ins at our sales lot when we post sales and special offers. Social media is a great tool and is grossly under used in small business.” Patrick Furlong Jr. Home Center by Furdi, Fulton “Yes, we use it as part of our marketing plan as a way to interact and engage OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

with our audience. It is an effective way for us to easily and quickly inform, educate and entertain our dedicated group of fans. It’s also a great tool for new product launches and sales promotions.” Heather Bennett Otis Technology, Lyons Falls “Bass Lake Resort uses Facebook as a means of communicating current activities and events that are occurring on the resort. It is also used for reviews and a contact source for people who would like information or want to provide us with feedback. It refers people to our website for additional contacts, questions, and referrals, and in addition, job opportunities. The majority of people using our Facebook page are utilizing it for current organized activities and photos that are generated at the resort.” Lizette Bradley Travel Resorts of America/Bass Lake, Parish “With Adecco being a large international company, it is very visible on all popular social media sites, with Facebook being one of them. We have a corporate Facebook page to cover corporate initiatives as well as portals for clients, associates and candidates. Each local market is also encouraged to develop its own Facebook page that has local content. The Upstate New York region has several local pages including Syracuse, Auburn and Rochester, to name a few.” Stacey Boyer Adecco Employment Services, Pulaski “Yes we do use Facebook. It is an essential part of building awareness about our products, services, events and brand. We utilize the free and paid aspects of our business page to maximize the people we reach. We consistently analyze the ‘Insights’ dashboard provided to enhance the effectiveness of the material we post. This social media site is a dynamic tool in our integrated marketing plan.” Dustin Trimble The Eis House, Mexico

By Michael Jaquez 9

How I Got

Started Kim Doyle Cosmetologist and owner of Hair We Are Salon and Spa builds strong business in Fulton, one client at a time. She is now opening a new location

Q.: When did you decide to specialize in cosmetology and hair styling? A.: My family was poor and didn’t have much at all. My mom raised two kids pretty much by herself. There wasn’t enough money to go to college, so that wasn’t an option for me. In my senior year of high school, some of my friends were going to beauty school, and I thought I’d go as well. That’s really how it started. Q.: Was the financial end one of the most challenging aspects of launching the business? A.: It was. I worked for a local salon where I rented a station. I went in without any customers and started my business from the ground up. I went to the bank to borrow money, but it would lend me only so much to start my business. I really did not have much from my tax return from the year before, but I knew I was determined and this is what I wanted to do. I got with my family, who were big supporters, my husband, and some close friends and relatives who helped me establish my first location at the Excelsior Heights Mall in Fulton. Q.: Any other challenges you had to face? A.: I was a few months pregnant when I launched the business and had a small child at home. So we worked a lot of late hours, but without those late hours, we would not have the beauty of what we have now. It was challenging because I would go home after working in the salon, get my son situated, and my husband would come home from work. I would feed the family and then go back to the salon. Some nights, I wouldn’t get home until midnight or so. Q.: How did you end up at your present location? A.: I moved from my first location to City Limits Plaza, which Denny Wheeler owned. He was a great role model too as far as business goes. I had six chairs then after having two at my first location. Now, I have the most women working for me as well as the best. I have been at my present location for 18 years. We ended up expanding here by buying two houses next to us. When the third property became available, we tore that down for parking. Q.: How did you go from a business that featured yourself and two other beauticians to where you are at now? A.: You build clientele and you also

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

build your reputation. I also upgraded at each of our locations. We remodeled the second location because when we first moved in, it was just an empty space. As you gain a reputation and your tax returns look better each year, you can borrow money and build credibility as far as your business goes. Q.: To what do you attribute you success? A.: We treat our customers as our guests and put our hearts into customer relations. They make the heart of Hair We Are beat. If you have happy guests, then you have a successful business. Q.: What are some of the more gratifying aspects of your profession? A.: What makes me feel good is the community around me, the people that are in my life, and the support I get from family and friends. I do have a lot of family and friends that work with me, and I call them my business partners. I don’t call myself their boss. I wouldn’t have what I have today if it were not for everybody in my life, including the girls that work for me. They are amazing. Q.: What is it about your managerial style or personality that has led to success at Hair We Are Salon & Spa? A.: As the owner, I am very flexible with the girls. I try to be very understanding and compassionate, and know when to weed out a negative vibe. We all have it, and you got to get rid of it. Business is risky and I’m willing to take those risks. I tell people who say, “Think outside the box,” that I don’t have a box. The industry is constantly either adding new things or reviving old things. We have many girls who are certified and licensed in different aspects of the industry — such as hair and eyelash extensions — when they don’t need to be. We do continuing education all the time, whether it is CDs, hair shows, seminars or in-salon education. Q.: What has been the key to sustaining your business over the years? A.: There is always room to change and grow and move. I will never sit still. Within the last year, I’ve added a manager, Magen Doyle, something that I have never done before. She is amazing and I could not have asked for a better manager. We are opening a new salon in the spring. We are also making room for two more girls, which are two more opportunities in the area for employment.

By Lou Sorendo DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

NELSON LAW FIRM

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Oswego County Federal Credit Union is now in Fulton!

We’re just the right size to serve you— not too ‘Big City’ —but not too small either. Now folks in and around Fulton have easier access to:

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90 E. Bridge St. 5828 Scenic Ave Oswego Mexico 343-7822 963-2722

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Profile By Lou Sorendo

FLOYD BACKES Gentleman and a scholar: Davis-Standard leader pursues master’s degree while running plant

here is no age limit to learning. Managing his work life with school is Floyd Backes can attest to that. challenging yet rewarding at the same time. Backes is the director of opera“It doesn’t leave much to spare in terms tions at Davis-Standard in Fulton — he runs of time,” he said. “Now that the kids are the show at the local facility. He has worked substantially doing their own thing, that has for the local manufacturer since 2012 and helped and made a big difference.” progressed into his leadership post in 2014. Backes is originally from Springfield, At the age of 45, Backes has yet to Mass. He was raised in Allentown, quench his thirst for learning. He is pursu- Pa., and later graduated from ing his Master of Business Administration Cicero-North Syracuse High degree at SUNY Oswego while overseeing School. 162 workers at Davis-Standard. The plant He then moved around specializes in making equipment for the South with the U.S. Air Force plastic and rubber industries. and his first jobs, and has He started an MBA program at Syracuse been back in New York for University around 15 years ago, but due to the last 15 years or so. personal and family matters, put that on He resides in Jordan, the backburner. which was a convenient Now that his children are grown and ride to Welch Allyn when out of the house, it is time for him to pursue he worked there. It is his goal. about a 30-minute comHis youngest daughter, a sophomore mute to Fulton. at SUNY Oswego, is part of the health and “It’s a nice village wellness program at the college. setting,” he said. “It’s close “My goal with the whole MBA thing enough to Syracuse but far was I didn’t want my kids to get a master’s enough to have a small-town degree before I did. I’m just getting in under feel.” the wire,” he said. Welcome to the machine His eldest daughter entered graduate — As a child, Backes relished studies this past fall. Backes has three Lifelines daughters and a stepson. Age: 45 He said the MBA Birthplace: Springfield, Mass. program is rewarding Current residence: Jordan and challenging, and Education: Bachelor of Science in industrial technology, Southern Illinois University, 1995; Master of commended its flex- Business Administration, SUNY Oswego, expected in 2016 ibility. Career highlights: Began career as aircraft-certified welder and machinist for the United States Air “That has helped Force and progressed through manufacturing, engineering and operations leadership roles for comme out tremendous- panies such as Stanley Tools, United Technologies, New York Air Brake, Welch Allyn and General ly,” he said. Electric before joining Davis-Standard He has executed Current affiliations: Member of the Oswego Health Strategic Planning Committee and Workforce the program over two Development Board of Oswego County years and has been Personal: Three daughters and a stepson able to travel overseas Hobbies: Enjoys spending time with family; riding his BMW S1000 motorcycle; getting involved in the community; and taking courses at SUNY Oswego on business trips.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

the opportunity of taking things apart. “I couldn’t always figure out how to get them back together again, but the fun of it was trying to sort that stuff out,” he said. Backes has always had a natural inclination to build and take things apart. “That’s just a normal thing for me,” he said. While doing welding and machining in the Air Force, he pursued his bachelor’s degree on nights and weekends. He earned his Bachelor of Science in industrial technology at Southern Illinois University. “It made sense to me that industrial technology would be a good fit. It really embodies taking the things I knew from my training and experience in the Air Force and providing me additional insights in terms of how to run and improve an organization that does those things,” he said. As director of operations, Backes has responsibilities that differ from his past employers. As the master black belt for General Electric, Backes was working in a corporate support function, so direct reports were not such a significant factor as they are at Davis-Standard. “The big difference for me are the products that we are making,” Backes said. He said making converting machinery is a “huge departure” from what he was accustomed to at GE and Welch Allyn. “There, we were making high-precision micro-optics and micro-electronics such as sensors and things like that,” he said. “In the converting business, we are designing, building and testing massive automated highly engineered product lines with very big machines.” However, constructing large machinery is not foreign to Backes. When he was at United Technologies, he was responsible for the fabrication, building and machining of large chillers. Honed listening skills — “My biggest responsibility is to provide the team I work with the tools and opportunities for them to accomplish what they do in the best way possible,” Backes said. “That’s my goal every single day, and I try to structure my day to do that.” Backes said that involves a lot of listening to customers to determine what their needs are. It also consists of listening to his sales force — the feet on the street — as well as interacting with all employees. “We all have to communicate and DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

work well together, and I think I am well situated to be able to help enable those interactions and communications,” he noted. “One thing I think really helps and has worked for me for a long4G time to LTEisSmartphones after mail-in 4G LTE Smar try to bring some sense ofrebate humorCricket and VISA Promotion Card rebate Cricke 4G LTE Smartphones after mail-in 4G an eligible Backes Smartphone between $20 and $50, port your number to Cricket & activate Buy an eligible Smartphone betwe some levity to work everyBuyday,” new qualifying plan (min $40/mo.). Must make 2nd service payment w/in 45 days.* new qualifying plan (min $40/m rebate Cricket VISA reba Promotion Card said. “People have a tendency to really get focused on achieving a goal, and that’s fantastic. But if you have a way to break some of that stress once in a while, it comes in handy. That’s been a big difference for me. And of course, eating right and trying to stay active helps as well.” *Offer ends 1/7/16. Get card w/in 8 wks. Promotion card may be used to pay for your Cricket wireless services. *Offer ends 1/7/16. Get card w/in 8 wk For Backes, the skill sets that have your local authorized Cricket dealer location(s) below: Visit yo Visit your local authorized CricketVisit dealer location(s) below: Visit your local authorized served him the most have also been the LOCALLY OWNED 21 E. Bridge St 21 E. Bri 21 E. Bridge St LOCALLY OWNED 21 E. Bridge St L AND OPERATED. Oswego, NY Oswego, most durable as well. Oswego, NY ANDNext OPERATED. Oswego, NY to Subway Next to A S He said from the time he was a Next to Subway Next to Subway welder and machinist forFreethe U.S. Air Free Smartphones after Mail-in-Rebate: Valid on Smartphones after Mail-in-Rebate: Valid on Motorola Moto E ($49.99), ZTE Overture 2 ($39.99), LG Risio ($29.99) and Nokia Lumia 635 ($19.99) only. Available only at Cricket r Lumia 635 ($19.99) only. Available only at Cricket retail locations While supplies No rain checks. Rebate• 216-4453 21and cricketwireless.com. E. Bridge St.last.Oswego form must be submitted by 2/6/16. New activatio form must be submitted byskills 2/6/16. New activation on smartphone plan required ($40/month minimum). Valid only for customers Force through now, his listening who port their number from another carrier. Exclud who port their number from another carrier. Excludes ports from AT&T. Phone price and tax due at sale.Void in CT, RI, and Miami-Dade Florida, NA pursuant to license from VISA County, FL. Promotion Card, issued by MetaBank County, FL. Promotion Card, issued by MetaBank , member FDIC, or CenterState Bank ofNext to Subway have proven invaluable. U.S.A. Inc., is not redeemable for cash and may not be used for cash withdrawal at any cash-dispensing locations or at automated U.S.A. Inc., is not redeemable for cash and may no gasoline pumps. Card may be used to pay for your Cricket wireless services. Card is non-transferable and non-refundable. Funds gasoline pumps. Card may be used to pay for yo available at USIlocations where VISA debit cards are accepted for 150 days after the Card issuance, through the “VALID THRU” are available at US locations where VISA debit ca “I really benefit fromareshown that. like to on the Card. Must be active and in good standing for 45 days. Customer must Owned make second service payment within Operated 45 shown on the Card. Must be active and in good Locally and of activation to receive card. Customer could cancel anytime, but if not active for 45 days and does not make second service days of activation to receive card. Customer cou learn and to do that mostdays effectively, payment, will not qualify for rebate offer.I Limit 5 Cricket VISA Promotion Cards per household. Allow up to 8 weeks for fulfillment of payment, will not qualify for rebate offer. Limit 5 C Cricket VISA Promotion Card. Restocking fee for smartphone return up to $25 may apply. In-store activation fee up to $25 apply. Cricket VISA Promotion Card. Restocking fee for Visit Cricket store for details. Restrictions and other charges may apply. Offer subject to change & may be terminated at any time Visit Cricket store for details. Restrictions and other listen to people who know. That to me without notice. For cardholder agreement and complete terms and conditions, please visit https://www.cricketwireless.com/legalwithout notice. For cardholder agreement and co info/promotion-card-terms-and-conditions.html. ©2015 Cricket Wireless LLC. All rights reserved. info/promotion-card-terms-and-conditions.html. ©2 has instant value. I would say my ability to listen is far and away the biggest and most impactful thing I bring to Davis Standard,” he said. Healthy approach to community — Backes is quite conscious of his health, and volunteers for the Oswego Health Strategic Planning Committee. Backes said he joined as a volunteer “to see what I can do to better understand what’s going on with the health of the people of Oswego. I joined to learn and to see if there is anything I can do once I learn a little bit more about it.” “I think for me personally, I’ve taken a lot of dead ends in my pursuit of being healthy and I’ve learned a lot from that in terms of what doesn’t work,” he said. “I would love to be able to share that with other people if possible.” On a personal level, his goal is to s Serving always eat whole foods and avoid sugar. Oswego County “That’s my thing. So far, so good and & parts of we’ll see how it goes,” he said. Onondaga “Aside from staying away from the County. junk, fitness-wise I work out and try to lift some weights every day. I also like to s Fully Insured mountain bike, kayak and take walks,” & Bonded he added. s Call today Backes is also a member of the for your Free Workforce Development Board of OsEstimate: wego County. 315•591•1762 “I want to find out if there is something I can do or anybody else can think of that would help us create a talent pool or training program,” he said. ®

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Publisher’s note By Wagner Dotto

recently had to research a business in Fulton for a story in the magazine, a beauty salon named Hair We Are. I opened our website, typed the name of the business and was able to retrieve a story we wrote more than 15 years ago, in the December 1998 / January 1999 issue. It was quick, clean and very easy. The search engine is only one of many features in our website that we recently upgraded. As a matter of fact, the site — OswegoCountyBusiness. com — was totally revamped. We introduced a new interface, which makes it easier for viewers to find and read stories. We’ve added a great deal of space for photos — most of the stories we publish online now have photos. Three or four larger photos anchor the home page and spotlight the main news and feature stories. They rotate on the page, which give the site a dynamic look. Other changes include online payment

integration and the addition of extra sections to the site and ad module integration. Thanks to the greater flexibility the site offers, we’re now able to include other publications on the home page. We recently added the 2016 CNY Business Guide and the new CNY Winter Guide. Click on the cover of those publications and you can access the whole content in seconds, at no charge. Most of the content on the site is free to access – all the latest business news, the annual guides, etc. Readers can also see the most recent issue of Oswego County Business — it’s content, however, is only for paid subscribers. Readers who support the publication by spending $21.50 for an annual subscription can also access the entire content of Oswego County Business. They also have access to archives of stories we’ve run in the last 15, 20 years. Type the name of the business

or the topic you’re looking for and chances are you’ll get tons of results in a second. It’s such a great resource. Blackburn Graphics, LLC is the local company that worked on the site. Melissa Blackburn, the owner of the business, went the extra mile to make sure we implemented most of the features we wanted. Although it’s pretty much done, we’re still looking for ways to make the site more interesting and easier to navigate. If you have a chance, pay us a visit — OswegoCountyBusiness.com

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WAGNER DOTTO is the publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.

* Press Ganey Standard Overall Large Peer Group Hospitals June 2015 - Oct. 2015

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

oswegohealth.org DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

President Stanley Elected Chairwomanelect of AASCU Board Deborah F. Stanley, president of SUNY Oswego, was elected chairwoman-elect of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ board of directors during the association’s annual meeting on Oct. 27. She will serve as chairwoman in 2017. Stanley just completed a threeyear term as secretary-treasurer on Stanley the AASCU board, which included service on the board’s executive committee. “Deborah Stanley’s selection as chair-elect of the AASCU board of directors is a testament to the regard in which she is held by her colleagues,” said AASCU President Muriel Howard. “In her three years on the board as secretary-treasurer, President Stanley has demonstrated her commitment to our mission and values and to the public purpose of public higher education.” AASCU’s nearly 420 public colleges, universities and systems are located throughout the United States and in Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Campuses range in size from 1,000 students to more than 45,000. Committed to access, these student-focused institutions engage faculty, staff and students with the communities and regions they serve, helping to advance public education, economic development and quality of life. Stanley said the association brings college and university presidents and chancellors together to support member institutions in their public mission. “It is an extremely collaborative group, and the span of knowledge and experience collected among my colleagues provides a vast store of insight on significant issues facing public higher education,” she said. Among duties of her new position with AASCU as chairwoman-elect, Stanley will serve as the chairwoman of the Council of State Representatives, which is responsible for helping to formulate and recommend the public policy agenda to the association and assist in carrying out the agenda. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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Where in the World is Sandra Scott? By Sandra Scott

Albania

An unspoiled country to visit

n the 1980s my husband John and I visited all but one of the countries behind the Iron Curtain. Contrary to popular belief, travel in the Eastern Bloc countries was safe, friendly and inexpensive and the best

part was there were few tourists. Albania was the one country that we could not visit. At that time Albania was under the thumb of Enver Hoxha, who created an isolated Marxist nation. When

Hoxha died in 1985 he was the world’s longest-ruling Communist leader and Albania was one of the poorest and most repressive countries in Europe. Hoxha used the fear factor to maintain control. During his rule, more than 750,000 one- and two-man bunkers — with only the domed roof and gun slots visible — were built in the cities and countryside based on a feared invasion from Western countries that never materialized. Most are crumbling but I am sure that some will be turned into tourist attractions. Albania is a small country on the Adriatic and Ionian seas with a mountainous interior. Tourism is becoming an economic cornerstone of the country’s recovery. There are traditional villages, castles, historical sites and the coast is referred to as the Albanian Riviera. The transition to democracy and a market economy has been slow but in

Berat, one of the oldest cities in Albania about three hours by bus from the capital, is known as “The City of a Thousand Windows.”

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

2014 it gained European Union status. Like a forbidden fruit, I wanted to visit for years and we finally did a few years ago. John and I arrived in the capital, Tirana, at Albania’s only airport, which is named for Mother Teresa. The airport is new and passing through passport control was smooth, quick and friendly. A visa is not necessary. Not sure what to expect, I pre-booked a hotel that offered airport pickup. I figured after that we would be more comfortable and could decide what to do. Everything proceeded without a hitch and our hotel was new and wonderful. I booked a day tour that started in the main square then continued by minibus to Kruja, a pretty town an hour from Tirana that clings to a mountainside as do many of the other towns in this mountainous country. We visited a typical house and a new museum devoted to Skanderbeg, the national hero who repulsed a Turkish invasion in the 1440s. Once again I was embarrassed by how little I knew about other countries’ history whereas people around the world are familiar with American history and politics. We saw signs that said “I Love Obama” and American flags on the buses and elsewhere. From Tirana we took a three-hour bus ride to Berat, one of the oldest cities in Albania with layers of white houses ascending the hillsides giving it the name “The City of a Thousand Windows.” The valley has been inhabited for over 4000 years. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. We toured the hillside castle, which was a medieval city or citadel. Located at a strategic point, it has wonderful views of the area. It was first fortified in the fourth century B.C. It was a great trip. The people are very friendly and helpful. The food in Albania is excellent mainly because it is all organic due to the fact that the average farmer cannot afford imported fertilizers and pesticides. Albania is becoming a popular destination for tourists looking for an unspoiled country to visit.

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. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Albania’s coastal area — with many castles, villages and historical sites, is referred to as the Albanian Riviera.

Kruja, a pretty town an hour from Albania’s capital that clings to a mountainside as do many of the other towns in this mountainous country. Many locals sell their products at Skanderbeg Market.

A sign in reading “I Love Obama.” During our trip to Albania we saw American flags on the buses and elsewhere. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Making a Difference Bridgette Seguin recognized for work with Literacy Volunteers

ridgette Seguin, commercial lines claims manager at Eastern Shore Associates Insurance, was recently named Tutor of the Year for English Language Literacy at the annual meeting and awards ceremony for Literacy Volunteers of Oswego County. Seguin’s student, Ricardo Canales-Robledo, was named Student of the Year for English Language Literacy. We talked to her about her volunteer work with Literacy Volunteers. Q.: When you received the award, what was your reaction? A.: It’s an honor. It is very exciting to know that I can make a differe n ce i n somebody’s life, a n d really, it

didn’t feel like I did anything spectacular. But I am honored. I was speechless. Ricardo was also the student of the year, so it’s very fulfilling to have him be honored for that also. Q.: Is being able to make a difference in a student’s life what motivates you the most? A.: Absolutely. That’s exactly what motivates me. When I see his excitement and how happy he is when he learns something new, that makes me want to continue tutoring. Q.: You’re also a member of the Rotary Club. What type of community service do you provide? A.: I’m the Fulton Rotary president this year. We do a lot of monetary donations to youth services in the area. We also have a literacy program where we give dictionaries to third-graders in the Fulton school district every year. We also participate in a Rotary program called “Books for the World,” where we pack up 20 suitcases of books and they’re shipped overseas to other countries. So many of our members do many different things. We’ve donated to the youth hockey program and The Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County, and we do scholarships every year. Q.: It sounds like you’re very involved with youth and helping them out educationally? A.: Absolutely. That is one of our main focuses at the Rotary Club: youth services and literacy. Q.: Does Ricardo, your student, keep himself motivated? What kind of tactics do you use to

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

encourage and motivate your students? A.: He is self-motivated. This is the second time he’s been in Literacy Volunteers. When you join, you start by setting specific goals. The first time he went through, he wanted to get his citizenship. He was successful in that. Then he decided last year that he wanted to learn how to read and write in English. So his motivation is when he’s able to do something, to read a story for example, that motivates him to continue on to learn more. He gets so excited when he learns something. I’m teaching him the reading part of it, but we’re also check writing and keeping a bank balance — more life skill things. He really enjoys learning that too. It’s an everyday task. He’s excited, and I’m very happy that he’s getting so much out of it. Q.: What are the difficulties in teaching English to someone who is illiterate? A.: It’s a bit of a language accent barrier. Even though Ricardo can speak English, I have to listen intently to what he’s saying. He might be saying the right thing, but I don’t understand him. That’s probably the hardest thing. A bonus, though, is that I have six years of Spanish, so that helps me understand why he’s saying things the way that he is. Q.: What are the top skills needed in order to be an effective tutor? A.: You must be very flexible, patient and a good listener. Q.: How do you manage your time with volunteering and working at Eastern Shore Associates? A.: Very carefully. I do charity crafting, and I’m also very active in my church. I spend my time doing what I love. None of it really feels like work. Q.: What do you enjoy about volunteering and helping others in general? A.: I’ve always liked helping people. I’ve done this forever. That’s just how I am. I think tutoring has really opened my eyes to the literacy problem everywhere. There’s a huge need for tutors. People think you have to be a genius to be able to help another person. For me, it’s just knowing there’s a need out there I can meet. I’d like to encourage others to step out and also be tutors, because it’s very rewarding.

By Stacey A. Baran DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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Bernstein Now a BSK’s Committee Chairman Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC recently announced that Kevin M. Bernstein has been elected to be chairman of the firm’s management committee. Bernstein is a member of the firm with more than 30 years of experience having counseled a wide range of clients in matters concerning environmental and energy law, mining and property tax Bernstein assessment matters. In addition, he has occupied several leadership positions within the firm, including member of the compensation committee, chairman of its property department and chairman of its tax assessment, condemnation and property valuation practice. “Bond, Schoeneck & King has a long tradition of providing excellent service and quality legal work to our clients and I am honored to be given the opportunity to continue that tradition,” said Bernstein. He succeeds Richard D. Hole, who served two four-year terms as Bond’s management committee chairman, and continues his practice counseling clients in matters concerning business and corporate law, employee benefits and health law. Bernstein received a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Brockport and graduated cum laude from the Vermont Law School. He serves on the board of directors of the Baldwinsville Community Scholarship Foundation and the Northwest YMCA. He also served on the Baldwinsville Central School District Board of Education from 2000-2009. He is listed in Chambers USA 2015, Martindale-Hubbell,The Best Lawyers in America 2016 (Best Lawyers’ 2015 Syracuse Litigation - Environmental Lawyer of the Year), and NY Super Lawyers 2015. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Chirello Advertising Relaunched Website Steve Chirello Advertising has launched its first major website redesign in four years. “It is a major improvement — clean, sophisticated, mobile-friendly and easy to navigate featuring a portfolio with marketing materials, advertisements, publications, logos, video and website-social media,” said Steve Chirello, owner. The site was redesigned and constructed by agency in-house Chirello graphic/web designer Heather McCoy. The homepage at a glance offers a detailed introduction to the various services available. The redesigned website also showcases its 20 years of award-wining advertising with a new format, media gallery, and direct links to social media. The website can be viewed at www.chirello.com.

NBT Acquires Third Party Administrators NBT Bank recently acquired Third Party Administrators, Inc. (TPA, Inc.), a retirement plan services company located in Bedford, N.H. The business provides administrative services for 401(k), profit-sharing and defined benefit plans for more than 700 businesses as well as Section 125 administration. TPA, Inc. will operate as a standalone business, retaining its staff, business name and location. “We’re very excited about this new partnership,” said NBT Bank Wealth Management President Timothy Brenner. “TPA, Inc. has a stellar reputation in the industry, and the DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

services they offer are a great complement to the retirement plan services offered by our Wealth Management Division and the 401(k) recordkeeping services offered by our sister company, EPIC Advisors, Inc. Our commitment to TPA, Inc.’s employees, clients and advisory relationships is strong, and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future.” TPA, Inc. President Neil Tullis added, “This is an exciting opportunity for our company as it provides our team with the opportunity to focus on delivering our core services to our clients and continuing our strong growth rate. We look forward to building upon our past successes, increasing our referral network and accelerating our organic growth.”

Rent-A-Ride Opens Location In Cicero Rent-A-Ride neighborhood car rental recently added a new Cicero location at 8163 Brewerton Road, near Target on Route 11. Other Rent-A-Ride locations are in Fulton, Syracuse and Liverpool. “We are eager to build a relationship with the Cicero and Clay communities,” said CEO Marc Fernandez. “We make renting a car very easy. You pay for the rental and that is it, no extra hidden fees or money down, we take care of the rest.” Rent-A-Ride is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to pick you up from your home, office, or repair shop in one their many vehicles, Fernandez said.

John Watt Promoted to Executive VP at NBT John H. Watt, Jr. has been promoted to executive vice president at NBT Bank. Watt joined NBT Bank early in 2014 to lead the bank’s expansion into Maine and establish a regional headquarters in Portland. Watt has also provided executive leadership Watt for NBT’s credit DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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administration and consumer lending divisions since joining the bank. “John is a great asset to our leadership team,” NBT Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Dietrich. “He quickly established our presence in Maine by recruiting a strong team of local bankers to represent NBT Bank. He continues to support that team as his role has expanded to include oversight of some of NBT’s key lending functions. We look forward to his ongoing contributions to the success of our organization.” Watt has 31 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining NBT Bank, he was executive vice president of commercial banking, investment management and bank operations at Alliance Bank, a community bank located in Central New York. He was also a member of the board of directors for Alliance Bank and its holding company. Previously, he was employed by JP Morgan Chase and its predecessors where he held a number of roles in commercial banking. He has served on numerous community-oriented boards, most recently as president of the board of On Point for College in Syracuse.

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James M. Hamer has been named business development specialist at Pathfinder Bank. His primary responsibilities will include developing new deposit and loan clients primarily in the Mohawk Valley area while maintaining quality relationships with existing clients. “We are excited to welcome James to our team,” said Ronald Tascarella, Hamer senior vice president / chief credit officer. “He has been involved in commercial lending for many years, and brings considerable experience and enthusiasm to Pathfinder Bank and our commercial business team. James will be a true benefit to our growing customer base in Central New York.” Prior to this position, Hamer DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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Kelly Isabella has been promoted to assistant vice president, personal lines at Eastern Shore Associates Insurance (ESA), it was announced by Martha Murray, president. She was formerly personal lines sales manager. “Kelly’s leaderIsabella ship and management expertise is a tremendous asset to ESA,” Murray said. ”We all congratulate her on this promotion.” Isabella, a 14-year employee at ESA’s Fulton office is a native of Macedon. She resides in Phoenix with her husband, David, son, Justin, and daughter, Olivia.

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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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$500 College Scholarship Applications Available Through Oswego County Federal Credit Union

swego County Federal Credit Union (OCFCU), is again offering college-bound high school seniors who are members the chance to win one of five $500 scholarships. “OCFCU has joined the Credit Union Association of New York (CUANY) in offering seniors the chance to compete for these scholarships to either a two- or four-year accredited educational institution,” CEO William Carhart said. “In addition to the scholarships we’re offering, students will be competing for two $500 scholarships from the Syracuse Chapter of Credit Unions, and several $500 and $1,000 scholarships offered by the CUANY statewide. It’s a simple three-step process to apply. “First, students can stop in any OCFCU office and request a scholarship application form, or they can go online and download it from our home page immediately at www.oswegofcu.org by clicking on the “Scholarship Program” box. If the student is not an OCFCU member, then they can request a membership packet as well.

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“Complete the application form, write an essay, and obtain the required test transcripts along with the signature of the student’s parent or guardian. “Return the completed form to OCFCU no later than Jan. 15.” According to Carhart, there is no fee for submitting the application, but those students applying must be members of OCFCU, college-bound high school seniors at the time of application to either a two or four-year accredited educational institution, and attending college for the first time in the fall of 2016. Applications will be judged against others submitted from all over the state by the NYSCUL and winners will be announced in April. OCFCU’s 300 W. First St. office can be reached at 326-0138 and the East Bridge Street office can be reached at 343-7822. The 5530 Scenic Ave. (Route 3) Mexico office can be reached at 963-2722. OCFCU will open a new office in at 707 S. Fourth Street, Fulton, in early 2016. Further information can also be found online at www.oswegofcu.org.

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Dining Out A review of local and noteworthy restaurants

Blue Moon Bistro

Bill and Karen Hubel opened the restaurant in December 2005 after Bill, who worked in the kitchens of the former Old Stone Mill in Skaneateles and Lock III restaurant in Fulton.

Where you find escargot, ahi tuna and filet mignon on one menu By Jacob Pucci

inding escargot, ahi tuna and filet mignon on one menu is rare. Discovering all three on the same menu at an Oswego County strip mall happens once in a blue moon. Fulton’s Blue Moon Grill has been offering just that for more than a decade. Bill and Karen Hubel opened the restaurant in December 2005 after Bill, who worked in the kitchens of the former Old Stone Mill in Skaneateles and Lock III restaurant in Fulton, was looking to get back into the business. Bill Hubel was proud of the

steaks, wet aged in-house for at least 21 days before being trimmed and cut by hand, from the beginning. He buys only USDA choice or certified angus beef. It costs a bit more, but “it’s worth it for the enjoyable experience,” Hubel says. “The steaks were a focus from day one, or day 21, shall we say.” Before getting back into the restaurant business, Bill worked for a food distribution company for several years. He wouldn’t name names, but says he knows which restaurants buy OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

the pre-packaged, lower-quality steaks he used to sell. Ten years later, it’s still the steaks, veal, chicken and seafood that keep customers coming back. He doesn’t dare tinker with his namesake veal William, a dish of veal, shrimp and langoustines finished with a lemon wine cream sauce, or the chicken and shrimp piccata, great for those who can’t decide between land or sea. That’s not to say Bill doesn’t enjoy shaking things up a bit. For three weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

each spring, it’s Mardi Gras at the Blue Moon Grill. Crawfish etouffee, blackened shrimp, po’ boys and alligator highlight the special menu. For dessert, try the bourbon pecan pie or deep fried bread pudding. Whether it’s the food, live jazz or the masquerade ball, the restaurant is packed each day for lunch and dinner during Mardi Gras. Bill understands the growing season in Oswego County is short, but for the five months the Fulton farmers market is open, he buys as much of his ingredients there as he can. He especially enjoys picking out his tomatoes there, he says, because there is nothing quite like a local tomato. While looking through his pantry one day, Hubel realized that most of the ingredients that weren’t local came from inside the U.S . Only about 10 percent of the ingredients in his kitchWine selection at Under The Moon private banquet room, a floor below the main en are imported, Bill says. It started by restaurant. coincidence, but now, it’s part of their cooking. 122 Cayuga St., “We try to look Fulton, 13069 inward, instead of outward.” 315-598-4770 In a city where one has little choice but to Hours embrace the windy winLunch: Monday to Friday, ters, Bill and his kitchen crew do their best to 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. take the edge off the Dinner: Monday to Thursday, cold with specials like 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. veal osso buco, braised Friday and Saturday, beef short ribs and 4:30 to 10 p.m. full-bodied red wines. In summer lighter fare and drink, such as fish tacos, grilled chicken and fruity sangria, take over the menu. What’s next for the Blue Moon Grill? The aptly-named Under The Moon private banquet room, a floor below the main restaurant, opened in 2012. Now the Hubels are contemplating transforming their restaurant’s flat roof into a rooftop terrace. They still need to hire an architect to help figure out the logistics, but Bill already has a name picked out: Over The Moon. Bill, 53, has been in the restaurant business since he was 13 years old and despite the long hours and few days off, he wouldn’t have it any other way. “When restaurants run in your blood, they run in your blood,” he Bill Hubel is proud of the steaks, wet aged in-house for at least 21 days before being says. “I wanted to create my own trimmed and cut by hand. He buys only USDA choice or certified angus beef, he destiny.”

says.

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

L. Michael Treadwell ooc@oswegocounty.org

IDA Supports Creation of 307 Jobs

T Agency’s annual report show how the agency has helped create new jobs and retain existing jobs

L. MICHAEL TREADWELL, CEcD, is executive director of Operation Oswego County based in Oswego.

he County of Oswego Industrial Devel- also supported 11 projects projected to create opment Agency (COIDA) presented its 181 jobs and retain 11 positions in Oswego annual report to the Oswego County County. Some examples of projects that are Legislature’s Economic Development and being assisted through this program include Planning Committee Nov. 23. It provides Designer Hardwood Flooring CNY, a new an account of COIDA’s activities in the start-up manufacturer of panelized flooring 2014-2015 fiscal year, from Aug. 1, 2014 to that is located in the city of Oswego; The July 31, 2015. Gardens by Morningstar, a new 106-bed During this period, COIDA supported assisted-living facility in the city of Oswego; 20 projects that have or will be investing Huhtamaki in the city of Fulton, which investmore than $77 million in Oswego County. ed in new equipment associated with business Furthermore, these projects are projected to for Haagen-Dazs; Universal Metal Works in create 307 new jobs and retain 14 existing the city of Fulton, which is expanding; and positions in Oswego County over the next the new 81-room Holiday Inn Express under three to five years. construction in the city of Oswego. During the fiscal Other forms of assisyear, COIDA provided tance provided in the 2014Economic Trends or approved assistance 2015 fiscal year included through six of its nine the USDA Intermediary financial assistance proRelending Program Economic grams. The two programs Development Fund, which supwhich supported the greatest ported five projects; the Housing number of projects were the and Urban Development EcoPILOT Economic Developnomic Development Fund which ment Fund and the Straight supported one project; the Micro Lease Transaction program, Enterprise Program Economic representing 35 percent and Development Fund, which sup55 percent of the projects ported one project; and the COIDA respectively. General Economic Development The PILOT Economic Fund, which supported two Development Fund uses auprojects. thorized portions of PILOT Business projects assisted income to provide financial were distributed throughout assistance to businesses that want to expand Oswego County, located in five towns and in, remain in or move to Oswego County. This both cities. Projects represented numerous program has been in place since 1994 and has industry sectors including manufacturing, been highly successful. During the agency’s warehousing, retail, services, healthcare, last fiscal year, the program supported seven tourism/recreation and energy. projects projected to create 125 jobs and retain Seven of the 20 projects were in manufacthree positions in Oswego County. turing, representing 35 percent of all projects Some examples of projects that are ben- and 60 percent of capital investment. Detail efitting from this specific program include: on each is provided in the COIDA Annual Counseling & Healing Arts in the city of Report, which may be found at www.osweFulton, Felix Schoeller North America in the gocountyida.org. town of Richland, Fulton Animal Hospital Members of the County of Oswego IDA in city of Fulton and the Kallet Theater in board include Carolyn Rush (chairwoman), village of Pulaski. Gary T. Toth (vice chairman), H. Leonard The Straight Lease Transaction provides Schick (secretary/treasurer), Nicholas M. financial assistance to companies via real Canale, Jr., Donald Kunzwiler and Morris property tax, sales and use tax and mortgage Sorbello. L. Michael Treadwell serves as the recording tax exemptions as authorized by chief executive officer and David S. Dano as NYS General Municipal Law. The program the chief financial officer. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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CNYwinter.com 31

An architectural rendering of the project that will occupy the Midtown Plaza in Oswego. It will be a mixed-use development that would include retail, apartments and possibly some office space. It’s being developed by The Sutton Companies.

The New Midtown Plaza in Oswego

n the city of Oswego, the eastside has often been characterized as the west side’s ugly stepsister. That may all take a dramatic turn upon the reconstruction of the Midtown Plaza in Oswego. Louis G. Fournier III is the president of The Sutton Companies based in Syracuse. The company’s property management component owns the plaza and leases space to various businesses. It recently completed refurbishing the garage. The Sutton Companies bought Midtown Plaza and its 68,000 square feet of retail space in 2012. Fournier said the plaza, sandwiched between East First and Second streets on the north side of East Bridge Street, is an ideal location for a mixeduse development that would include retail, apartments and possibly some office space. “Ideally, we would like to see the remaining tenants become part of the new project along Bridge Street and concentrate the residential component behind the retail development to capture the river and lake views,” he said. The Sutton Companies has invested approximately $800,000 into the project, which includes the cost of the

garage demolition. Upgrading an eyesore — Fournier said many benefits exist for the city of Oswego and surrounding area due to the development of the Midtown Plaza. “First, we removed an eye sore — the condemned parking garage — from one of the most visible intersections in the city,” Fournier said. “This was an immediate benefit to the community.” Fournier said his company also created some short-term parking for local business owners that will be preserved during the new project. “In the long run, we would like to create a project that provides additional market-rate housing which will provide options for some of the professional workforce that works in Oswego but live outside the area,” he said. Fournier said with the exception of Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts, the remaining tenants at Midtown Plaza should be interested in being part of the new project “if we can make the numbers work.” “We have several other interested

BUSINESS UPDATE

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

commercial prospects, but nothing definite,” he added. The focus is now on building the project and leasing space, Fournier said. Other than the Midtown Plaza site, The Sutton Companies does not have any specific projects in the pipeline in Oswego at this time. “But if the right opportunity presents itself, we would like to continue to grow our business in the Oswego community,” he said. The Sutton Companies has a tradition of finding old, decrepit buildings and transforming them for viable use. Perfect examples are the Seaway Loft Apartments and Stevedore Lofts. The principals of MCK Construction developed the Stevedore Lofts and The Sutton Companies handles leasing. “I think it is a personal preference for my partners and me to preserve and find new interesting uses for old historic buildings,” Fournier said. “It probably costs more to renovate an older building than build new construction.” However, in the case of Seaway Supply and some of the other historic adaptive reuse projects The Sutton Companies has been involved with, DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

“it is worth preserving the unique features of older buildings,” Fournier said. “If you can leverage historic tax credits, you can offset some of the additional construction costs associated with preservation of older buildings,” he noted. Promising upside — Fournier was appointed the receiver of the Midtown Plaza in a mortgage foreclosure action in 2009. He continued in that capacity until 2012 when the property was acquired by an investor who specialized in buying non-performing loans. “We thought the property had upside and given our role as developer of the Seaway Loft Apartments and as property manager for Stevedore Lofts, we wanted to continue growing our business in the Oswego community,” Fournier said. “Another factor that initially drew Sutton Real Estate Co. to Oswego is that one of my business partners, Linda Charles, and I both graduated from SUNY Oswego and we both have kids that recently graduated from Oswego,” he said. “It’s a great community and we were happy to have some opportunities that made reconnecting with the community possible.” Fournier graduated from SUNY Oswego in 1982. The project has not gone without its challenges, including a lawsuit The Sutton Companies had to defend from a local developer that challenged the validity of the garage sale from the city to the new ownership group. The lawsuit set The Sutton Companies back financially and also cost it two years of time, Fournier said. “We never considered throwing in the towel, but we were disappointed we had to use resources for litigation that could have been used for the project,” he said. Conversely, The Sutton Companies has developed a strong working relationship with the city’s Community Development Office and Operation Oswego County and has found their support for its projects to be helpful, Fournier said. “We are looking forward to continuing this relationship with the Midtown Plaza project,” he noted. He said another challenge is finding the right mix of potential uses and how to make those uses financially viable.

By Lou Sorendo

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Louis G. Fournier III, president of The Sutton Companies, joins Linda Charles, company vice president, at the site of a rejuvenated Midtown Plaza in Oswego.

pic coming

Facade of Midtown Plaza in early December. Several stores remain empty as the plaza undergoes dramatic changes. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

The Fight to Build a Holiday Inn in Oswego A November photo of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suite construction on Route 104 East, behind Ruby Tuesday in Oswego. The $9 million project will be complete sometime in mid-April.

usinesspeople may tire of the cliché, “location, location, location,” but it remains the first tenet for strong operations and overall growth. Successful men and women rest easier by adhering to the second mantra — persistence, persistence, persistence. Thanks to one hotelier’s tenacity and loyalty to the ideal location, Oswego will see a new, $9 million stateof-the-industry Formula Blue-design Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites along state Route 104 East. Opening day is on target for midspring 2016. Running the show is Chris LaBarge along with his Branch Development Oswego LLC partners Bruce, Brian and Chris Monette and Nathan Race. The team is creating a four-story, 81-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites that would also bring 22 part- and full-time jobs to the community, and projected tax revenue of $2 million to $2.5 million annually. The city of Oswego offers several hotels, including The Best Western

Hotel to open in the spring thanks to the perseverance of a Malone hotelier who faced numerous obstacles, lawsuits and delays to implement his $9 million project Plus Captain’s Quarters, built nearly 30 years ago, and Quality Inn & Suites Riverfront Hotel, which served as Oswego’s original Holiday Inn in the early 1970s. There are also several motels scattered throughout the area. Despite solid projections and an ideal location on a major thoroughfare, LaBarge’s project met obstacles from the start but he and his partners OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

were as patient and pragmatic as they were persistent. “When you’re in hotel development, any type of development, you’re going to be met with resistance,” LaBarge said. “Not everybody is going to enjoy what you’re trying to do for the benefit of the community.” City visionaries had slated the site for commercial development, but the property was zoned as residential when LaBarge offered to purchase it from businessman Steve Thomas. Having been through a similar rezoning process to build his Holiday Inn Express in Malone, LaBarge knew what kind of uphill challenge he was facing. “The city had just not taken the steps on its own to revise zoning across the city, which would include this property which they had already identified as prime for commercial development,” LaBarge said. “We knew people would not all receive it with open arms, but the majority of people did.” As LaBarge and his partners

BUSINESS UPDATE

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Architectural rendering of the hotel’s main entrance. It’s part of a new design that’s being introduced by the Holiday Inn Express chain. wound their way through various bureaucratic hoops and hurdles, “people came and they voiced their opinions and they were heard,” he said. Some of those who expressed dissent included residents, other local hotel and motel owners, and in the midst of the city’s 2011 mayoral race, the opposition’s candidate. “I’d like to say that [outgoing] Mayor Tom Gillen stood behind me during his campaign [in 2011], which was extremely risky when we were going through the process for zoning approval,” LaBarge said. “His opponent at the time went completely against me and our project, in favor of all-local development.” Despite vocal opposition, and after the planning board gave the green light in January 2012 for another hotel project in the city — The Hampton Inn — the zone change for LaBarge’s project was finally approved by Oswego’s Common Council in March 2012. As the project gained traction, local hotelier George Broadwell Sr. predicted at that time, due to the market conditions and demand for rooms, whoever built first would edge the DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Chris LaBarge, from left, Brian Monette and Nathan Race. A Nov. 20 meeting of Branch Development Oswego LLC partners convenes in the hallway outside the first room on the first floor of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites currently under construction.

other project off the radar. Oswego County Business Magazine contacted Broadwell for comment on this story, or an update on The Hampton Inn, which has not seen onsite construction activity since its initial groundbreaking in 2013. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“Timing is very important and there’s so much going on with the Hampton right now,” he said, without providing any further comment. LaBarge said, “Once we completed the zoning, some of the residents in Oswego filed a claim against the city, 35

A Look Inside the New Holiday Inn Express

Oswego Holiday Inn Express will follow what company officials call Formula Blue design prototype. It puts sleep quality, simplicity and ease of maintenance at the center of its concept. Formula Blue is meant to appeal to Holiday Inn Express’s target guest—the “smart traveler,” according to the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) , parent company of Holiday Inn.

against Steve Thomas, against our corporation, and against me personally, that Roberts Rules of Order were not followed, and that other miscellaneous items procedurally were not correct.” At that point, the lending institutions that were backing the project stepped back to wait for the lawsuit’s conclusion. According to court documents, several residential neighbors and an adjacent business owner spent the next two years arguing at the Supreme Court level and then the Circuit Court in the State of New York to try to get the approved zone change retracted. “They failed at both court levels,” LaBarge said. “They further appealed to the courts and were rejected, which is what we anticipated.” By the time the hotel plan was finally approved, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) , parent company of Holiday Inn, had revitalized its design model. The “Formula Blue” prototype was introduced in the fall of 2014, just as LaBarge was finally ready to begin his build. 36

“Obviously we designed our original Holiday Inn Express and Suites for Oswego back in 2010–2011 when we first started. Because this new design concept came out, we went back to the planning board for an approval for the new design with the exterior renderings and a slightly revised footprint — about 300 square feet bigger,” LaBarge said. Oswego Branch Development brought forth its revised plan to the planning board late in 2014, and it was approved. “We proceeded over the winter to complete the new drawings,” LaBarge said. He said a complete redesign was implemented, and the team applied the new Formula Blue prototype design that IHG came out with. Formula Blue is an exterior and interior redesign model and more of a standard format for IHG’s Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn Express and Suites brand, the hotel owner noted. The only design difference in the Oswego location will be a larger OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

swimming pool and hot tub than in the prototype. LaBarge said he decided to include the larger pool and hot tub to specifically accommodate Oswego’s market based on his experience with his hotel in Malone. With the zoning change, permits and new design in place, LaBarge was finally ready to begin his Oswego project last July — five years after he started. “The planned opening is mid-April for the hotel. That puts us on about a nine-month schedule from start to completion,” LaBarge said. “I made a commitment to the mayor that I would stand the test of time and we would build a hotel in the city,” LaBarge said. “We delivered on that commitment. It took us a long time, much longer than we anticipated. We expected to be open three years by now, but unfortunately, lawsuits are a normal course of business in development. You do have to have that perseverance and just keep working through the process.”

By Janet Rebeor

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Davis-Standard Expanding in Fulton

avis-Standard, one of the leading manufacturers in Oswego County, is experiencing new developments designed to enhance the company’s role in Fulton. Last September, the plastics and rubber equipment manufacturer announced the acquisition of blown film leader Gloucester Engineering of Gloucester, Mass. While it is too early to gauge the immediate impact, Floyd Backes, director of operations, said he expects it will help grow the business overall from a Davis-Standard standpoint. “We will be supporting that Gloucester engineering acquisition any way we can, including with our engineering, assembly and installation teams,” Backes said. “Those will all be called upon when we are working to do the integration of that new business and then using that to leverage the rest of Davis-Standard’s strengths.” The purchase of Gloucester strengthens Davis-Standard’s blown film offerings by adding experienced design and process engineering capabilities, a large installed base and greater aftermarket

BUSINESS UPDATE

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

New product lines, leased space propel area manufacturer to new heights capabilities worldwide. Like Davis-Standard, Gloucester has been a respected brand name and innovator in film applications for more than 50 years. Customers of Davis-Standard and Gloucester now have access to the industry’s premier blown film technology and aftermarket service under one roof. Last October, Davis-Standard opened its new facility in Fulton to house the company’s blow molding business. Davis-Standard is leasing space from the adjacent Universal Metal Works facility, which recently completed a 20,000 square-foot expansion. “This is the blow molding business that has come out of our New Jersey facility which was closed a few years back,” Backes said. “What we are doing now is adding blow molding for the first time in the company’s history,” he said. “We will be building, testing and shipping blow OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

molders out of this new facility at the Universal Metal Works building all around the world.” Davis-Standard designs, builds, tests and installs all types of plastic and rubber machinery. “What blow molders do is fill the part of the market where you would need a little bit of plastic and a whole lot of air, such as a kayak or one of those playhouses that you see in someone’s yard for the kids,” Backes said. The Fulton facility will be making products that include under-the-hood automotive parts, such as blow-molded receptacles like small containers for windshield wiper or brake fluid. “We will also be doing things for the commercial market, business-to-business and then also the consumer market. So it’s a broad range of products,” he said. Backes said the foundation of the relationship with Universal Metal Works is “their ability to do what they do very well,” “They have been a wonderful supplier to Davis-Standard for a long time,” said Backes, noting that quality and delivery cost is unmatched. He commended the strong team at a well-run Universal Metal Works. “We both saw an opportunity to take this additional business unit and bring it into Fulton and make that happen so it can benefit not only Davis-Standard and Universal Metal Works with additional business, but Oswego County in general with additional work,” he said. Backes would not disclose gross annual revenues. A private equity firm owns Davis-Standard. He did say the company does gross more than $300 million and employs about 800 people. “It’s a good sized company and business is growing. We are doing well and expect that to continue,” he said. “There’s a couple of macro economic factors that are going into creating a good, strong demand for us,” he said. “We had good demand in 2015 and expect that to continue tin 2016.” “Some of the things that are helping is a really strong dollar,” he said. “We’re also seeing improvements in the cost of energy, which in this country has come way down. This not only helps our customers, but our customers’ customers.” “Everybody impacted by that is seeing an upsurge. We are riding some good tailwinds and I think we are going to experience growth through 2016,” he added. By Lou Sorendo 37

STEM Student Retention at Oswego Rises

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five-year National Science Foundation grant to increase SUNY Oswego retention of freshmen and sophomores in science, technology, engineering and math programs through Early Summer Scholars and other support services has succeeded beyond expectations in its first three years, fueling an expansion. Jaclyn Lovell, now a SUNY Oswego sophomore biochemistry major, said the college’s NSF STEP (STEM Talent Expansion Program) grant provided her an early boost, the opportunity to do field research following her freshman year. “It really opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I have no regrets about spending my summer here,” said Lovell, a Baldwinsville resident who worked with biological sciences faculty member Andrew McElwain on parasites infecting freshwater snails in Rice Creek. Lovell earned a teaching assistant position and continues to do lab work on McElwain’s project. With two years remaining on the $872,500 NSF STEP grant, organizers have set their sights higher than original goals: more upperclassmen serve as mentors in the labs of more science, technology, engineering and math students; more tutors help younger students on a walk-in basis in more courses; and more incoming students take part in a restructured math bridge camp. “The NSF is happy with the results,” said Fehmi Damkaci, chemistry department chairman and principal investigator for the grant. “We’ve scaled it up beyond the original proposal.” The college’s proposal had anticipated the five-program suite of early-college support services would have improved retention in STEM majors from freshman to sophomore years by 10 percent to 12 percent at this stage of the grant. Several of the programs have achieved increases of 13 percent to 15 percent in freshman-to-sophomore retention. The retention project aims, ultimately, to increase the STEM persistence-to-graduation rate as well. Damkaci said the goal is to improve the rate by 20 percent over 2010 levels.

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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Red Roof Inn Takes Over Fulton’s Riverside Inn

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he Red Roof Inn recently acquired Riverside Inn at 930 S. First St., Fulton. A hotel spokesperson said the 70room hotel caters to not only business travelers, but also to sports fishermen, many from out of state. She said the hotel is in renovation mode, with new bedding and furniture being installed. There will also be a new look in the lobby as well as restaurant, among other improvements, she said. The business employs 11, and expects to add more workers in the near future. All guest rooms at the pet-friendly hotel feature free WiFi, a flat screen TV, a microwave, a hairdryer, an iron and ironing board, a desk, and in-room coffee. Select rooms offer a refrigerator. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

The hotel offers a seasonal outdoor pool, free continental breakfast, a restaurant, a patio, a meeting room and a 100-foot boat dock. Red Roof Inn opened its 400th hotel in Council Bluffs, Iowa early in 2015. Additionally, the brand recently announced its plan to expand internationally into the Brazilian market. “Red Roof has experienced intense and aggressive growth this past year as a result of service enhancements and hotel innovations successfully reinventing the economy lodging sector by listening to customers and providing an enhanced experience at a value price,” according to its website.

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By Lou Sorendo OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Brittany Bullard and Adam Spizman are shown at their new location at 765 E. Seneca St., Oswego.

Spizman’s Strength Systems Relocates in the Port City Owner Adam Spizman now offers chiropractic service, indoor batting cage

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pizman’s Strength Systems has relocated to 765 E. Seneca St., Oswego. Owner Adam Spizman’s new facility features a larger venue compared to his former location on East Bridge Street. It offers more equipment, an indoor batting cage and a chiropractic room. Spizman, a 2003 graduate of SUNY Cortland, opened his business in 2010. He earned his degree in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science. Also on staff is Brittany Bullard, a chiropractor who trains all types of clients. She focuses on joint and muscle movement as well as “correction exercises” to better utilize the body during physical activity, Bullard said. The 3,000-square-foot location was previously home to Lake City Lodge No. 127 Free and Accepted Masons. Since the gym first opened, athletes as well as non-athletes come to practice during the off-season, train in a particular field or just improve their lifestyle. “We’re empowering people to live better,” Bullard comments. “It is very

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casual. We’re more of a community.” Spizman said he wanted to be involved in athletics since he was a youth. Throughout his childhood, he played football and baseball in school. Bullard was also heavily involved in sports, having participated in lacrosse, soccer, and martial arts, among other activities. Bullard began exercising at the original location before becoming the trainer. With a larger facility, Spizman has noticed an increase in the number of people who come to the gym. “We have a good retention rate of clients,” said Spizman, noting most of them stay with the gym for a long duration of time as regulars. Spizman moved back to his hometown of Oswego to open Spizman’s Strength Systems after having worked at a number of commercial gyms elsewhere. Seeing an athlete gain confidence from having trained at his gym is most rewarding to him. “I always knew this was what I wanted to do,” Spizman says. “Getting a text message from a kid, or even a parent saying ‘thank you’; that’s what really motivates me.”

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OVIA Insurance Acquires Pulaski’s Banach Agency

VIA Insurance Agencies has acquired Banach Insurance Agency in Pulaski. James Poindexter Jr., licensed insurance agent and vice president at OVIA Insurance Agencies, 9643 Brewerton Road, Brewerton. The company was formerly known as Oswego Valley Insurance Agencies before a recent rebranding. The acquisition takes effect on Jan. 1. He did not disclose the value of the transaction to respect the privacy of both parties. “Let’s just say that both parties were very happy with the agreement. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened,” Poindexter said. He has known Cindy Banach for the past 34 years. “She actually helped get me started in the insurance industry about 16 years ago, so it’s bittersweet that the company I own with two other outstanding partners could help her create an exit strategy into retirement,” he said. “We are very familiar with her book of business and the customers she services. Some of our staff personally knows a good number of the customers already.” Poindexter said the acquisition is part of OVIA’s growth model. “We have other plans besides acquisitions for growth that are in effect as we speak, but helping form succession plans for other agents reaching the retirement age has been something we have found success with in the past,” he said. The company has completed four other acquisitions besides Banach in the past seven years. “The strong professional relationships we have held over the years with other independent agents — some whom we have competed with — in the area is paying dividends now for both parties, buyer and seller, as we complete each one,” he said. “It has to mutually benefit both parties to work.” Being trustworthy, flexible and creative are key ingredients, Poindexter said. The roots of the family operated agencies that formed the company are

James Poindexter Jr., licensed insurance agent and vice president at OVIA Insurance Agencies. well over 100 years old, dating back to the pre-1900s. “We have always had a strong footprint in Central New York, specifically in Oswego County,” Poindexter said. D o w d & H a rrington and Streeter & Van Sanford merged in 1997 to become OVIA, LLC. “Our company began a strong push to continue to grow and expand our reach,” he said. “Since then, we have hired more account managers and producers and opened startup offices in Brewerton in 2008 and in Clayton in 2011. OVIA now operates six different locations in Onondaga, Oswego and Jefferson counties with 24 employees. “While other companies have pulled back and consolidated in tough economical times during the past several years, we have pushed ahead and created positive growth and set the path for our future,” Poindexter said. OVIA has other acquisitions it is presently working on that are expected

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to take effect over the next few years to strengthen its presence in Northern and Central New York. “Our long-term goal is to saturate strategic areas throughout New York state,” Poindexter said. “Since our long-term goal is to broaden our reach outside of the Oswego Valley corridor, just this past year we focused our efforts on re-branding our name and logo into OVIA Insurance Agencies. This was meant to create a new identity that would not imply that we were only located in the Oswego Valley corridor.” “Over the years, we have answered the question from people when they saw our acronym OVIA, and asked, ‘What is OVIA?’ Well, now we are playing off of this question to make sure the public knows what OVIA is,” he said. “Our forthcoming advertising efforts in 2016 will be focused on our new brand.” Poindexter said the company has had a long relationship with Banach, and represents the same insurance carriers she has. “Not much change is expected for these customers. We represent several more carriers that should produce new opportunities for some of these customers that we look forward to working with,” Poindexter said. “This acquisition benefits OVIA Insurance Agencies by adding to the footprint we have in Central New York and providing added volume to our entire book of business,” he said. “We expect to find growth from this book as well as from cross-selling and writing new business.” Being that OVIA already has an office in Mexico, it plans to handle Banach‘s business from that existing site. It does not plan on carrying the Banach Insurance Agency name, as the policies the customers receive will show the OVIA Insurance Agencies name. It has already made plans to hire Kathie Hoffman, a long-term employee of Banach. “We knew the value in Kathie’s abilities and her familiarity with the Banach customers she has serviced over the years,” Poindexter said. “We realized it was a tremendous opportunity for us to make sure we retained as many customers as possible through this transition and to make them feel like they never skipped a beat. “It’s always nice to recognize a familiar face and helps secure the immediate trust we look for in these new customers.” OVIA is 65 percent personal lines DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

and 35 percent commercial lines, so “we have a very good blend of products to satisfy this split of business.” Poindexter added the company has a strong group of carriers it uses for home, auto and seasonal products as well as a number of carriers it writes commercial auto, general liability, workman’s comprehensive and disability insurance with. “We specialize in writing mostly small- to medium-sized commercial business, but we also have larger municipal and educational entities as clients,” he said. “Since New York state relies heavily on tourism and seasonal business, we have plenty of customers related to campgrounds, marinas and rental cabins,” he added. “The hospitality industry has provided a good number of clients for us as well with restaurants, taverns and other related business.” Poindexter addressed some of the competitive advantages OVIA has. “What it boils down to is that many local independent agencies have a lot of similar carriers and characteristics,” he said. “At times, it seems they trade business with each other all while trying to tap into the markets of those larger, direct writers who have millions of dollars to bombard consumers with advertising to lure them aboard. “What we do hear from a lot of customers is that those direct writers do a great job of making them feel like numbers, not valued customers. We look to form a lasting relationship with the customer where we recognize them by name, not numbers.” Poindexter said besides building a relationship with customers to set OVIA apart from competition, the company realizes it’s a price-sensitive industry, so it is constantly reviewing renewal business and working proactively to stay in communication with customers ahead of time before they call us about an increase in premium. “Often we find savings for a customer even when they weren’t expecting it,” he said. “OVIA Insurance Agencies will earn less commission from lowering a customer’s premium. We look for this when others don’t because of the impression it leaves on a customer that we are looking out for them even when they aren’t. A happy customer is one that isn’t looking to go elsewhere.”

By Lou Sorendo

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo

Oswego native Jeanne Harris makes splash in world of entertainment, marketing

Lights, Camera, Action!

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

ll it took was a little encouragement. At age 8, Jeanne Harris was a sociable and outgoing girl. However, there was another side to her that was very creative. “I would spend a lot of time in my bedroom reading, writing songs and poetry, and teaching myself to sing through my record collection,” she said. “I was a bit shy about sharing those talents with anyone, including my parents.” When her father — Clifford Frederic “Fritz” Harris — was reading the newspaper one night, he came across an audition notice for a SUNY Oswego Children’s Theater production to be held at Waterman Theater. Both Janet, her mother, and father encouraged Jeanne to audition, as they thought it would pull her out of her shell. She went to the audition with some reluctance and got the role of “A Singing Angel” in Rosemary Nesbitt’s “A Christmas Festival.” From that point on, Harris fell in love with theater and music. “I fell in love with that whole world. It brought me out of my shell immediately,” she said. The late Nesbitt, whose community involvement included being a volunteer, museum director, drama professor, Children’s Theater director and city historian, proved to be a significant influence on Harris. “Rosemary saw something very special in me,” said Harris, noting that Nesbitt would become her mentor. “She was instrumental in me really blossoming and becoming a consummate performer. She also advised me during my career,” said Harris, now 50. Harris admired Nesbitt’s directness and professionalism the most. “She would say to parents, ‘Now look, these kids are going to be in closed rehearsals. This is not a high school play; it’s a professional production. What I am preparing these kids for is Broadway,’” Harris said. Nesbitt would tell parents, “If you don’t like it, take your kid out right now and leave,” Harris recalled. “Half the audience would take their kids out and leave,” Harris said with a laugh. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

SPECIAL REPORT After starring in many Children’s Theatre, junior high and high school productions, Harris decided to attend SUNY Oswego upon Nesbitt’s advice. She became immersed in musicals and plays with Nesbitt. “Rosemary held my hand and really just taught me stuff that I would have not learned anywhere else,” Harris said. While attending SUNY Oswego, she became a member of the State Singers. She also was selected to be the soloist for the Crane-Exline piano team, where Harris was instrumental in recruiting students into the SUNY Oswego music program. Harris was introduced into the world of media and broadcasting at an early age. Her grandfather, Clifford Chipman Harris, and father founded WSGO Radio in 1960, a business they owned and operated until 1972. Fritz Harris would later serve as Seventh Ward alderman in the city of Oswego and became the sales manager for The Oswego County Weeklies after marketing WSGO Radio. After retirement, he began working as a court attendant for the Oswego County Sheriff’s Department. “I remember at a young age sitting on my grandfather’s lap at WSGO spinning records,” she said. “I also remember the on-air light flashing on and off and the door shutting and seeing him go from grandpa Harris into work mode and attending to what needed to be done,” she said. In the early 1960s, Harris’ grandfather worked for the Gimbel Brothers and was the chief engineer at WIP radio in Philadelphia. “He wanted to start his own radio station somewhere and blaze a trail,” she said. “He and my father hired a helicopter and flew around Oswego, and saw the college and thought, ‘Wow, this might be a place to start a station and try a new venture,’” she said. “He and my father were true entrepreneurs and pioneers,” she said. With that background, it is no surprise that Harris launched into a successful business career. She is the co-founder, owner and CEO of the Emmy Award-winning JPI Creative Group in Red Bank, N.J. She is a twotime Emmy nominee, an actor, poetry and songwriter, voice-over artist, DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Jeanne Harris, center, is the daughter of Janet and Clifford “Fritz” Harris of Oswego. entrepreneur, volunteer and philanthropist. Successful career — While at SUNY Oswego, Harris entered the world of beauty pageants. “I was never a pageant girl and never dreamt of doing pageants,” she said. When the idea of winning scholarship money came into the picture, she was all in. She entered the Miss Oswego County Pageant in 1986 and won. “I said, ‘Wow, this is crazy. I can’t believe this is happening,’” she recalls. She would go on to win the talent competition at the Miss New York State Pageant and was awarded the first-ever “most talented” scholarship. Harris was also selected to become a member of the prestigious OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Miss NY State USO Troupe that toured nationwide. “It was phenomenal to see the smiles on the faces of our military and their families,” she said. During her year as Miss Oswego County, she was also bestowed the honor of being named a goodwill ambassador through Partners of the Americas, founded by President John F. Kennedy. She would go on to host the Miss Montserrat Pageant on the West Indies island of Montserrat through the Partners of the Americas program. Harris was encouraged to pursue her pageant career and was offered a job with the Miss New York State Pageant, but decided instead to become an entrepreneur. She started a new business ven45

SPECIAL REPORT ture with her fiancé, James Walsh. “I went down a different road, but still performed,” she said. She met her soon-to-be husband James at SUNY Oswego, where he played hockey for the Great Lakers. It was the day the couple was married — July 11, 1987 at St. Mary’s Church — when they decided to start their own production company. The couple moved to Staten Island to launch their business — JPI (Just Post It) Creative Group. “I went from a big fish in a small pond to completely the opposite,” Harris said. The couple lived on Staten Island for eight years before deciding to start a family. Prior to her having her children, Harris was cast in movies and television. She was in “Soapdish” with Robert Downey Jr. and Whoopi Goldberg, and also had a part in “The Fisher King” starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges. She was also cast in HBO productions. Harris was also in many regional theater productions, was the lead singer in many wedding and party bands, and toured all over the country with her show band, “Angel Heart.” “It was a lot of fun, then I said the clock is ticking and it’s time to have children,” she said. She decided to semi-retire in order to be a stay-at-home mom. The couple heard that Red Bank was an “up and coming area,” and decided to move there. “I love that I’m 10 minutes from the ocean,” Harris said. Golden voice — Jeanne and James own and operate JPI, which is a video production company. It specializes in TV production and editing for all kinds of programming. James is the “technical wizard” at the small business, which uses word of mouth to create awareness of what it does. Harris had the luxury of raising her daughters and also working out of a home studio. “I stayed at home and raised them instead of having a nanny,” said Harris. The couple has two daughters. 46

“One thing my parents taught me is optimism. If you don’t have a clear, optimistic mind, you are doomed.” Jeanne Harris

Chelsea, 19, is a sophomore at Rutgers University majoring in psychology, secondary mathematics and early childhood education. She is also the secretary of The Future Teachers Association. Courtney, 16, is in her junior year at Middletown High School South. She is a member of the U.S.A. Gymnastics National Trampoline and Tumbling Team. Courtney has been jumping since the age of 5 and trains in hopes of making the U.S.A. Olympic Team in 2020. “My daughters growing up to be this successful and brilliant have clearly become my best productions, without question,” Harris said. “I didn’t want my girls raised by anyone else but me.” “Now that I have set my daughters on the right paths, I’m really at this point in my life to start getting back into my music, singing and acting.” One of JPI’s latest projects — a product launch for cell phone giant Motorola — involved simultaneously directing live camera crews in London, New York and Brazil. “He does all the directing and I orchestrate things behind the scenes,” Harris said. “We never know what’s going to come up or what’s going to happen. It’s exciting and always fresh and different.” “I love when we get new clients and love when they see the finished product,” she said. “My voice over work is what I contribute most to the studio,” she said. Harris said one of her strengths OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

involves effectively dealing with clients and “treating people the way they want to be treated. That’s the Golden Rule. I think you get a lot further with sugar than vinegar. It’s very simple.” The couple has sustained the business for 28 years. “My husband and I work very well together. We’re a good team. Of course, there’s going to be issues, but we work through them,” she noted. “It’s like a well-oiled machine.” Over the years, JPI has completed projects for a variety of clients, from major companies like ABC, NBC and CBS It has been word of mouth that has led to developing business relations with the likes of major networks ABC and ESPN to Fortune 500 companies like Pepsi and IBM. Its celebrity client list includes Robert De Niro, Carl Lewis, President George H. Bush, Robert Downey Jr. and B.B. King, to name a few. Image is everything ‚ In order to sustain her youthful look, Harris relies on “coaching” from her daughter Courtney. She runs on a treadmill, rides horses, bikes, kayaks, and practices yoga and meditation to stay in shape. “I really try to eat right and stick to a low-carb diet. Proper sleep is also very critical, as is having a positive attitude and outlook,” Harris said. “One thing my parents taught me is optimism. If you don’t have a clear, optimistic mind, you are doomed,” said Harris, noting that is a trait she looks for in prospective employees at JPI. “I’ve been very blessed and fortunate in my life, and I love volunteering and giving back to my fabulous community,” she said. Harris volunteers at the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, as well as “Holiday Express,” a singing group that spreads holiday cheer to the less-fortunate in society. It is part of Monmouth County and Ocean County food banks. “We are proud of Jeanne’s talent and accomplishments,” said Fritz Harris. “We are thankful that she and her wonderful husband Jim have blessed us with two beautiful and talented granddaughters.” DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net

Why I’m Concerned with the National Spelling Bee

S ‘I am concerned that the National Spelling Bee has become so specialized there is no way that students can be competitive.’

BRUCE FRASSINELLI is the former publisher of The Palladium-Times and an adjunct online instructor at SUNY Oswego.

given the luck (or lack of it) of getting a word hortly after the start of the new year, the speller doesn’t know or recognize and local schools will be getting letters the pressure of performing before a packed inviting them to participate in the reauditorium of several thousand and an intergional competition of the National Spelling national TV audience of millions. Bee. In 2015, for the second year in a row, I was a coordinator of the regional bee — first in Easton, Pa., then in Oswego — for co-champions were crowned when the final spellers exhausted the list of words, which more than 20 years. The contest has been most people never heard of, nor could they co-sponsored by a local newspaper, once a even pronounce. Mind requirement, but no lonyou, these competitors are ger. Now, any commuMy Turn young — third through nity organization can be eighth graders. In what might be the supreme a sponsor. irony, few would be able to pronounce or In this area, The Palladium-Times, spell the co-winners’ names — 13-year-old The Post-Standard, the Watertown Times Vanya Shivashankar and 14-year-old Gokul and the Finger Lakes Daily News send one Venkatachalam. Between them, they had nine speller each to the national bee held in the Washington, D.C., area starting on Memori- appearances at the national bee. Shivashankar’s sister, Kavya, won the national competial Day and lasting for most of the week. To tion in 2009. determine this representative, each newsThis is my point: Because of the caliber paper conducts a local contest among the of the competition, words at the national bee spellers who come out on top in competimust be arcane and unusual in the extreme. tion at their schools. As such, many members of the audience can’t Aside from the excitement of particidentify with the bee as they could years ago ipating in the weeklong national event, when at least a large percentage of the words which includes two days of intense and were recognizable and likely to be used in fierce competition culminating with the everyday conversations. broadcast of the finals on ESPN, winners The regional bees, such as those in Osget to see the incredible sights of Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area, such as wego and Syracuse, on the other hand, have mostly everyday words where the audience Arlington National Cemetery, even the U.S. can silently try to match wits with the spellers Naval Academy in Annapolis. on stage. In some years, the spellers have visIn 1925, when the bee first started, the ited the president of the United States at winning word was “gladiolous.” In 1928, it the White House, although this has been was “albumen”; in 1930, “fracas” and in 1932, curtailed in the years following 9/11. At “knack.” the regional level, winning and runner-up Contrast these to the winning words this spellers get cash and other prizes. year — ``scherenschnitte” and “nunatak.” The idea of a spelling bee is to make (Just for the record, even Spell Check doesn’t students more proficient in one of educaknow how to spell these words and flagged tion’s basic skills. Reinforcing the importhem as misspelled.) The winning words in tance of this skill through a competitive bee 2014 were “feuilleton” and “stichomythia” gets the job done in a fun way, supporters and in 2012 it was “guetapans.” To my way say. of thinking, knowing how to spell “scherenI am concerned, however, that the schnitte” (the art of paper-cutting design) is a National Spelling Bee has become so speuseless talent that has little real-life applicacialized that unless students are willing to bility. commit an inordinate amount of time to Being an elite speller requires a major studying and memorizing Webster’s Third childhood commitment that has intensified New International Dictionary, the bee’s official source, there is no way that they can continued on next page be competitive. Even then, it’s problematic

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

as the bee has become more competitive. Those who achieve success at the national bee have coaches and an extreme training regimen in which they study four or more hours a day, including weekends, to learn the words and definitions in the official dictionary and their meanings. Many compete earlier in feeder bees. Let’s examine how the four local championship spellers did in the 2015 national competition. Dylan O’Connor, 14, of Alexandria Bay, was the only one of the four to make it to the final field of 49. This was his fourth appearance at the national bee. In 2013, he tied for 13th place. This year, he misspelled “arcology” as “arcologe” in the fifth round — there were 20 rounds of competition. Sydney DeLapp, 11, of Oswego went down in the third round on “nudicaulous” (having leafless stems), spelling it “nuticholous.” Stephen Ponzer, 13, an eighth-grader in the Cazenovia Central School District, also dropped in the third round as he misspelled “trouvaille” (a lucky find) as “trouvai.” “I hate French words,” Ponzer told The Post-Standard after he was eliminated. Gavin Buehler of Pultneyville in Wayne County survived the third round by correctly spelling “gastronome,” but was eliminated in the vocabulary test after the round. Spellers were given the phrase, “Something in desuetude is…” The correct answer is “apparently abandoned”; Buehler’s response was “deeply desired.”

“Spelling is a skill, and I don’t want to put it down, but we need to keep it in perspective. Many educators wonder about the time devoted to spelling bees. There is no known correlation between success in spelling bees and effectiveness in language use.” Shirley Haley-James of the National Council of Teachers of English 48

Scripps National Spelling Bee 2015 co-winners: 13-year-old Vanya Shivashankar and 14-year-old Gokul Venkatachalam. The National Spelling Bee has become so specialized that unless students are willing to commit an inordinate amount of time to studying and memorizing Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, the bee’s official source, there is no way that they can be competitive, says the author. Written spelling and vocabulary tests were introduced several years ago as a way to streamline the bee, especially since the number of contestants has continued to grow. In 2015, there were 285 competitors. Critics have begun questioning the value of the spelling bee. Professional educators see spelling bees as a throwback to the days of rote learning. Howard Carroll, a spokesperson for the National Education Association, told the Chicago Tribune that today educators stress critical thinking and effective communication. “Do we communicate more effectively because we can spell every word in the dictionary?” he asked. “The answer is probably `no.’” “Spelling is a skill, and I don’t want to put it down,” added Shireley Haley-James of the National Council of Teachers of English, “but we need to keep it in perspective. Many educators wonder about the time devoted to spelling bees. There is no known correlation between success in spelling bees and effectiveness in language use.” When spellers prevail at the national spelling bee following the heart-pounding and pressurized competition, we want to know how they did it. This is particularly true in recent years, because South Asian OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

American spellers have dominated the upper echelon of the bee winning for eight years in a row. In 2014 and 2015, there were Indian American co-champions. Capitalizing on the success of professional immigrants, there are now spelling bees that have been established exclusively for children of South Asian parentage, according to Shalini Shankar writing in a Newsweek article this past June. Shankar, who has been researching the success of Indian-American children in the spelling bee, says the North South Foundation holds educational contests, such as spelling bees. This “minor league” circuit gives South Asian American spellers far more opportunities to compete, as well as a longer “bee season” to train and practice, Shankar found. “This is particularly helpful because, as past champions confirm, ongoing practice and training are the key to winning,” Shankar said. The parents of these super-committed children are as invested in spelling bees and academic competitions as families with star athletes or musicians, Shankar said. “As several parents explained to me, spelling bees are the `brain sports’ equivalent of travel soccer or Little League,” Shankar wrote in Newsweek. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

SPECIAL REPORT By Matthew Liptak

Tony Kershaw, innovation specialist at The Tech Garden. “This competition is really to plant that flag. We expect to have an overwhelming number of applications because...this is an international competition.”

‘Genius NY’ Competition to Award $5 Million to Tech Start-Up Up to 1,000 tech start-ups expected to submit application for the competition

dministrators of Genius NY are gearing up for the beginning of a new startup competition this spring. Up to 1,000 startups from around the globe are expected to submit applications for the competition, which will bring young businesses to Central New York to compete for $4 million in prizes. The state put up the money for the competition, which includes another $1 DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

million for administrative support — rent, sales, marketing, coding assistance. The competition is designed to help companies in the data-intensive sector with revenue of $3 million or less. “It’s targeting industries like unmanned aerial vehicles — also known as drones —unmanned aerial systems and guidance systems, big data for enterprise applications, cybersecurity, OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

environmental sensor networks, smart microgrid analytics, informatics and health and wellness applications, Web mobile gaming simulation, advanced data-driven manufacturing and open source-open data,” said Eleanor Hanna, the director of communications for CenterState CEO. “We want to position Central New York as a global leader in data, sensors 49

and things of that sort,” said Tony Kershaw, innovation specialist at The Tech Garden. “This competition is really to plant that flag. We expect to have an overwhelming number of applications because this is an international competition.” Kershaw said they will be looking for sound business models, a sound technology and a core team. The ability for the businesses to contribute to the community will also be a factor in considering competitors. “These people need to have bright ideas not necessarily exclusively about their companies, but also about ways in which they can advance and move the needle growing our startup community here in Central New York,” he said. Competing startups will be required to be in Central New York for at least two years — the duration of the program. At least one of the final six companies competing is guaranteed to be from Central New York. This coming spring 16 area companies will compete in the first round, a regional qualifier, to win one of the six slots that will be eligible for the $1 million grand prize. These 16 local startups will receive an injection of $15,000 over three months.

Kershaw said that although only one finalist from Central New York is guaranteed, that does not mean there won’t be more. “It’s totally possible that if we received applications from Venezuela and Brazil and Nicaragua, India and China and none of those companies really make sense it could just turn out that there’s six Central New York companies, which would be awesome,” he said. The startup competition is the biggest that The Tech Garden, a Syracuse business incubator, has hosted. Both Kershaw and Hanna expect it to have a significant impact on the local economy. “We expect more jobs, higher-paying jobs, higher-skilled jobs and then from that creating the demand for more support for skills training and things of that sort,” Kershaw said. “This is really just a catalyst for so much more in the region as it related to technology business and entrepreneurship.” “It’s a tremendous opportunity for our region as a whole, specifically when you look at the sector it’s targeting and the level of investment that it’s attracting,” Hanna said. The data-intensive sector is a growing one and the administrators want Central New York to be a factor in that

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

growth. Kershaw said he recognizes that Syracuse and Central New York are relatively small. It doesn’t have a tech economy comparable to New York City, Boston or the Silicon Valley. But Kershaw believes that’s what can help set it apart. The Tech Garden itself has generated a buzz as a model for how communities can grow startup business particularly in technology. The Brookings Institute included The Tech Garden in a blog about leaving a technology footprint, Hanna said. Kershaw was in Anchorage, Alaska, this year to receive an award from the International Economic Development Council for the work being done at the incubator. Kershaw and Hanna said they are excited about the coming competition. It’s a way to promote both Central New York and its growing tech economy. “This is as much about directly supporting startups as it is about marketing Central New York as a place for startups to thrive,” Kershaw said. For more information on the Genius NY competition go to www.geniusny. com.

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

8 Questions to Aiden McGuire, Destiny USA’s new marketing director

What is your first priority? Destiny USA is New York’s largest shopping, dining and entertainment destination. But it’s also an incredibly important asset to the Central New York community. It’s not only a catalyst for economic growth, but also a regional driver of tourism to the Central New York region. My top priority is to continue to explore new and innovative ways to drive outside market visitation and tourism to Destiny USA, thus driving economic growth in our region. How are you going about doing this? All great marketing starts with a great central thought. A story. And making that story resonate with others. That’s the most important thing. And using our story to memorably reach our target audience. It starts by developing and implementing an integrated marketing and communications strategy, which will allow us to reach demographics that are important to us in highly targeted, innovative ways. For example, leveraging targeted online marketing and social media marketing. Where do you think the mall has room for improvement? One of the great things about Destiny USA is that it continues to evolve to meet our guest’s needs. A great example of this is the recent addition of Nordstrom Rack. For years, we had been hearing from our customers that they wanted a Nordstrom Rack, right here in Syracuse. Three year’s later, we are incredibly proud to bring a Nordstrom Rack to Syracuse. It was by far the number one most requested outlet not included in the original lineup of tenants. What do you think has been DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

McGuire became the director of marketing at Destiny USA in October. He most recently worked for KI, a contract furniture company based in Wisconsin. Previously, he worked in PR at Eric Mower and Associates and Mark Russell & Associates.

done well as far as marketing Destiny USA? I believe Destiny USA has done a wonderful job of humanizing its brand and finding unique ways to engage with its guests. From using social media to targeted online media and more. How does Destiny USA compare to other big malls? In addition to being New York’s largest shopping, dining and entertainment destination, Destiny USA is also the sixth-largest mall in the country. It’s is a 2.4 million square foot tourist destination that includes a strong mix of premium outlet tenants, restaurants and entertainment. New brands are continuing to open to create a unique and dynamic consumer shopping experience. A stunning three-story glass atrium provides perfect weather year round. It is the largest LEED® Gold certified retail commercial building in the world. How important is Canada? Canada is absolutely an important component of our international market and tourism. We continue to draw significant Canadian traffic, mainly due to our convenient location, but also due to the tremendous value of American retail. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

How is business/visitation impacted each year by the onset of the holiday season? Oxford Economics has projected an annual visitation rate of over 25 million visitors from throughout the U.S. and Canada. In fact, Destiny USA is the second most-visited shopping center in the country, according to Travel and Leisure magazine. Of course, the holiday shopping season plays a big role in the overall amount of traffic we receive at Destiny USA. What do you see as the future of Destiny USA? That’s the beautiful thing. The future of Destiny USA continues to be written. It continues to evolve and change with what the market demands, and the needs of consumers. From my vantage point, I see tremendous growth opportunity, not just for Destiny USA, but for the Central New York community with regards to lakefront development. I see Destiny USA continuing to serve as one of our region’s best and largest tourist destinations, attracting people from all over the globe. A destination where people travel to experience the best shopping, dining and entertainment experiences around.

By Matthew Liptak 51

COVER By Lou Sorendo

Turnaround Guy New CEO Charles ‘Chuck’ Gijanto determined to get Oswego Health on right track

he healthcare industry is going through a turbulent time that is taking a tremendous toll on all players involved. It’s times like these that demand strong leadership. In steps Charles “Chuck” Gijanto, the new CEO and president of Oswego Health. He has been in the healthcare business since 1982. He has experience in various parts of the healthcare industry, including finance, business development, strategic planning and operations. He recently served as the CEO of Baystate Franklin Medical Center and Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, both in Massachusetts. Gijanto’s appointment comes after Oswego Health’s CEO since 2007, Ann Gilpin, announced an early retirement in June. Gijanto, who turns 58 on New Year’s Eve, resides in the city of Oswego. He was actually retired in the summer of 2014 and residing in the Florida Keys. However, by that following winter, “I was pulling my hair out,” he said.

He was obviously not ready to sail into the sunset. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful there, but I was just going out of my skin,” he said. Last spring, a buddy of his who is the president at Massena Memorial Hospital was looking for a chief financial officer, a job that Gijanto had done before. “He asked if I would do it in the short term while he recruited, and I agreed,” Gijanto said. He did that for more than two months, and while the temporary position was winding down, the Oswego Health opportunity arose. “I had a lot of friends that went to Oswego State. I said to myself, ‘I should at least check it out,’” he said. He said the Oswego Health board search committee determined it was a good fit between Gijanto’s impressive background and the needs that Oswego Health faces. “There’s no question that this is a challenging environment for healthcare now. We have our share of challenges here, but I’m a believer that when communities and organizations OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

pull together, you can stand up to face most challenges,” he said. Gijano not only brings experience, but a solid array of various skill sets. “I work really hard to listen to people. I think in many ways and in all walks of life, that has gotten lost along the way,” he said. “I don’t pretend that I’ve got all the answers. I don’t. The answers lie within the folks who do the work here.” In order to bring those to the surface, a leader has to be able to listen well, engage in dialogue, and try to come up with the best possible solutions. “I’m also pretty casual, although the work that we do isn’t necessarily casual,” he noted. While there are many criteria and standards to meet, Gijanto strikes a balance between that structure and an informality that puts people at ease. By being approachable, Gijanto said he is increasing his odds of gathering feedback from folks throughout the organization and community. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration at Sienna College and his master’s degree in DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

CEO Chuck Gijanto at his office at the end of November

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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health systems administration from Rochester Institute of Technology. Welcome to Port City — Gijanto said the community has been very welcoming. “That really takes away any of the stress induced by moving to a new community,” he said. In terms of culture, Gijanto spent 16 years in Plattsburgh, eight of them in financial administration — first as controller, then as CFO. He would then serve a stint as vice president of strategic business development and then executive vice president-chief operating officer at CVPH Medical Center. “I think the cultures are very similar,” he said. “Both are college towns, and both communities have seen better days from an economic perspective. However, I think that rallies communities together in different ways,” he said. “It really felt normal to me right away. It’s not like I had to learn a new culture. It just felt like I was stepping into something I’ve known before. It puts you at ease and a little more relaxed so you can cut to the chase on things,” he added. Gijanto enjoys running and biking, which gives him an opportunity to explore downtown and the river walks. The Ticonderoga native will be celebrating his 32nd wedding anniversary in February with his wife, Jackie. The couple has a son, Joe, who is a program analyst at CVPH. They also have a daughter Jean, who along with a friend “packed up and moved to San Diego on a whim in May,” Gijanto said. “She is our wild child, but she did something I didn’t have the guts to do when I was her age. I give her credit for it,” he said. Gijanto also likes reading and, not surprisingly given his experience at the Florida Keys, does some fishing and scuba diving. “I enjoy a variety of things. I don’t have one ‘go-to’ hobby,” he said. “I like to spread it out. Being with my friends is my biggest pastime.” Money talks — Paramount on Gijanto’s list of challenges is the financial status of Oswego Health. “Hospitals in New York state, particularly rural hospitals, are really struggling, and so are ancillary organizations, whether they be nursing homes, home health companies or 54

physician offices,” Gijanto said. “Like a lot of our colleagues, we are losing money right now,” he noted. “We need to focus on growing service lines and new revenues, and gradually tightening up on our cost structure.” He said Oswego Health’s cost structure “isn’t bad. “But in the wake of falling volumes, which most hospitals are seeing, we need to make costs commensurate with drops in revenue,” he said. Rather than taking a Draconian “slash and burn” strategy, Gijanto is going to opt to be proactive and creative in addressing costs while taking a measured approach. Another major challenge lies in physician recruitment. In the midst of a physician shortage, Oswego Health is competing against larger hospitals armed with more money and technology to offer doctors. In terms of recruiting, Gijanto said it is imperative to avoid using a cookie-cutter approach. “You don’t try to recruit a cardiologist the same way you try to recruit an OB-GYN or anesthesiologist,” he said. “You need to really understand the dynamics in the medical community that we are in and where the needs are.” He said it is also important to utilize providers who are going to be either working with or referring to other physicians. “You might want primary care doctors in your interview cycle when you are recruiting cardiologists or surgeons,” he said. “They are the ones who are going to be referring to them and you want to see there is a good meshing of the minds to be able to do that well.” Gijanto said healthcare organizations have to be willing to invest because it’s a market-driven cycle. “You’ve got to be paying what the market is going to bear, and that depends individually on specialties and what those markets are,” he said. Changing landscape — A significant challenge for healthcare professionals is how to get the population at large to take ownership of their own health status. “Our objective is keeping people healthy and well in their home under care of a primary care doctor and not OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

having them cycle through the emergency room or hospital every 30 to 60 days,” he said. Meanwhile, Oswego County has one of the worse ratings for overall health indicators in New York state. “Our job is larger in that regard than most other places. We don’t have the depth of resources to throw a lot of money at it, so how do we get there creatively?” he asked. Gijanto said it requires a collaborative effort to address the poor ranking. Oswego Health will work with Northern Oswego County Health Services, Oswego County Opportunities, the Oswego County Health Department, the Rural Health Network and private physicians in efforts to manage the population. He said there is not going to be money available through Medicare and Medicaid to support the endeavor. “Their vaults are empty, and they are deeper in the red than anybody else,” he said. “We have to try to do it with resources that we have.” He said government payers then have to figure out how to compensate the organization for that. “Let’s say we do a really good job and we empty out the hospital. Now we’ve got this big structure sitting here with overhead and debt. How do we pay for that? That’s the piece government payers have talked a lot about, but haven’t really done a lot except on the punitive side. We need to get to the reward side of that as well,” he said. “We just don’t have enough money or bring enough money in under episodic care to create a margin to offset the reduction in patient volumes,” he said. He saw the new focus is expressed through terms such as care management, nurse navigation and patient-centered medical homes. In that scenario, a nurse, social worker or other healthcare professional periodically calls the patient to inquire about whether he or she is following proper protocol, such as taking their medicine, weighing themselves, being conscious of what they consume and exercising. Gijanto said there are people who are beyond behavior modification who will continue to be at risk with poor choices and behaviors. “If we can limit them and bring those numbers down, we can be successful,” he said. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Chuck Gijanto during a staff meeting at Oswego Hospital: “I work really hard to listen to people. I think in many ways and in all walks of life, that has gotten lost along the way. I don’t pretend that I’ve got all the answers. I don’t. The answers lie within the folks who do the work here.”

The New CEO At a Glance • On sources of job gratification Chuck Gijanto said he gains great job satisfaction from receiving a patient survey or letter indicating what great care a patient received. On his first day on the job, Gijanto came in at 5 a.m. and did rounds with a nurse supervisor. He spent several hours meeting and greeting staff, and later in the afternoon, was on the fourth floor when a nurse approached him. The nurse told Gijanto a patient wanted to see him. “The patient said, ‘I know you are new here and heard you came through at 5 in the morning. I want you to know that I’ve been in hospitals in Florida, Syracuse and elsewhere, but this is by far hands-down the best care I’ve gotten anywhere.’ When you hear something DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

like that, you just fill with pride,” he said. “I think with the job, I have the benefit of being involved in a lot, so there’s a lot of variety. I’m not dealing with the same set of patients or doing the same work every day,” he said. “That provides an interesting context to do the job.”

• On dealing with job stress Like most every job, running the show at Oswego Health features stressors. “In terms of de-stressing, I like to run and bike and I love being outdoors and staying active,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot better personally over the last five years managing my own health. I’ve lost some weight and am staying more fit.” Gijanto said he has an “amazing” network of friends who also are great OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

stress relievers and a solid family support system. “Those things all add up,” he noted. Gijanto took up biking and running after becoming too frustrated playing golf. “I would spend four hours getting angry at golf, which is the exact opposite of what you’re trying to do on your off time,” he said.

• On becoming affiliated with clubs and organization “All the clubs and organizations that I belonged to, I’ve left behind,” he said. He has been a Kiwanian most of his life, and also belonged to several health organizations, including the American Academy of Healthcare Executives. He 55

has also sat on a number of boards in the communities where he worked. Gijanto said before he affiliates with clubs or organizations when he first arrives in a new community, “I take care of the home fires first.” “I want to first get my arms around where the needs are at Oswego Health and where I can best help,” he said.

• On working within a heavily regulated industry Gijanto said organizations within the healthcare industry are “layered on” with regulations year in and year out. Processes are changed to adjust to new regulations, but many times, it is just adding a new step on top of those already created, he noted. “When all is said and done, after five years, you have so many new layers that the line from the beginning to the end of something is real squiggly,” he said. “The onus on leadership is to understand how to get from point A to point B in a more straight line versus adding more hurdles.”

• On his ‘opendoor’ style of managing “The only time my door is closed is when I am in a meeting,” Gijanto said. He invites staff to stop by and share thoughts and ideas with him. “I very much believe in the philosophy of service-oriented leadership,” he said. “We are here to serve the people who work for us, not the other way around.” Gijanto said he likes to walk around the organization and visit with staff. “I like to hear what is on their minds. Visibility is essential for good leadership,” he said. Another key element to leadership is the ability to communicate effectively. To this end, Gijanto has created an internal blog at Oswego Health as a way to fill the real-time communication void. “That way, I can get out to all 1,200 employees of Oswego Health at one time and share information, ideas and thoughts and get responses and feedback from people,” he said.

• On Oswego Health’s competitive advantage “Number one, we do great hands-on care here. When we look at our patient satisfaction scores, we generally do better than most of the hospitals around us,” he said. Oswego Health also provides a more intimate setting compared to other larger hospitals. “There’s always going to be people who you know working there, and that steps up our game in terms of how we take care of you,” he said. “It’s a more intimate, community-oriented approach.” He said patients are “a little more anonymous” at larger hospitals such as those in Syracuse. “We like that personal touch here,” he said. “Our mission is really to provide community-based service close to home for people and do it very well.” “We don’t want people to come here just because we are down the street. We want them to come here because they know they are going to get great care,” he added.

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New CEO: Oswego Health Not Ready to Affiliate, Merge

he healthcare industry is expected to continue its unprecedented trend toward consolidation, experts say. The new president and CEO of Oswego Health — Charles “Chuck” Gijanto — is intent on bucking that trend for now. “I think when it makes sense, it’s time to do it,” he said, characterizing the trend as a “hip thing” to do. “People are doing it because it’s administratively sort of exciting,” he said. However, the fundamentals have to be there, he noted. “It’s got to be a win-win for the organizations, and not about just being absorbed by a larger organization and then lost in the shuffle,” he said. Gijanto said Oswego Health has partnerships with all three major Syracuse-area hospitals, as well as a number of different physician groups in the region.

“We’re getting mostly what we need by these individual relationships,” he said. Gijanto said affiliating with one larger organization could occur down the road. “Right now, we are not there as long as we can meet the needs of the community,” he said. “If things get to the point where it’s either cost-prohibitive or administratively not feasible [to operate independently], or just a great opportunity for us arises with certain existing organizations, we’ll certainly talk to people,” he said. “At this point in time, the fundamentals really are not there that tell us it’s time for us to do that. “When and if we do it, we will be doing it for the right reasons. At this point, I don’t feel the urgency around Oswego Health having to affiliate.” Gijanto said affiliations should be viewed along a spectrum ranging from

a loose collaborative to “lock, stock and barrel” ownership and everything in between. He said the healthcare environment could be different several years from now than it is today, which may induce Oswego Health to get closer to one organization versus several. He said the state is encouraging organizations to get together and affiliate. The healthcare landscape was dramatically changed in 2009 when A.L. Lee Memorial Hospital in Fulton shut down. Oswego purchased the facility one year later. Gijanto said the community is “still settling down” from that. “It was very traumatic for the community and organization to go through,” he said. He said the state has recognized Oswego Health experienced trying times by going through this major transition. “I think it’s worked out pretty well. We’re continuing to push our strategic planning to know what we could and should be doing more of in Fulton in addition to Oswego and Central Square,” he said. “I think we are doing better at that.”

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DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo

Economic Meltdown Pending closure of the FitzPatrick nuclear power plant looks to gut local economy Nov. 2, 2015 may go down in history as one of the bleakest days in Oswego County history.

n that day, Entergy Nuclear, owner of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, announced its plans to shut down the facility by late 2016 or early 2017. Entergy — citing dramatic revenue losses due to record-low natural gas prices in the area — will not refuel the plant at the end of its current cycle. The company filed a notice with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission Nov. 18 indicating it would close the mon-

ey-losing plant. “Our decision to close FitzPatrick was based on the continued deteriorating economics of the facility,” said Entergy spokesperson Tammy Holden. “Sustained low current and long-term wholesale energy prices, a flawed market design and a high-cost structure are the factors that make FitzPatrick no longer economically viable.” The region has excess power supply and low demand, and recent studies by the New York Independent System Operator show the area is not dependent on FitzPatrick’s power production, Entergy officials claim. “It’s going to be catastrophic,” said Assemblyman Will Barclay (R-C-I-Pulaski), referring to 615 jobs and approxOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

imately $74 million in payroll lost. “It really is going to be tough. I don’t know how you recover from a blow like this,” he said. During refueling, approximately 1,000 additional skilled contract workers are brought from all over the United States to support projects at FitzPatrick. The influx of outside workers and associated local spending provides a major economic boost to the Oswego economy. Ironically, Oswego County economic development officials were actually talking about the possibility of a fourth nuclear reactor being constructed in the county several years ago. FitzPatrick is located adjacent to Exelon Corp.’s Nine Mile Point Units 1 and 2 nuclear power plants in Scriba. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Barclay said low commodity prices have played a major role in the closure. Prices for natural gas in particular have tumbled dramatically. “They are going to compete in the market. When you have a cheap producer who can generate electricity at lower prices, that is a challenge. There still is a market for electricity. If we get this power to market, it could be competitive and that’s what we ultimately have to do,” Barclay said. Barclay said additional electric transmission capabilities are needed. “There is a big market for electricity downstate, and if we had the transmission in place to ship energy from Upstate to downstate, I think that would go a long ways too.” Energy reform initiatives in New York are focused on upgrading an antiquated transmission system that has resulted in distribution bottlenecks, particularly in Marcy. Barclay said it is vital for Albany to look at nuclear energy as green energy. “We have subsidized solar and wind substantially in this state, and the reason is because we want clean energy that doesn’t emit carbon dioxide. Nuclear energy is clean and doesn’t emit carbon dioxide and is reliable. Unlike solar and wind, it goes seven days, 24 hours a day. I think it’s worth looking at investing in nuclear energy.” Congressman weighs in — “My heart bleeds for them,” said Congressman John Katko (R-NY24) in regards to FitzPatrick workers. “It really does. At the same token, there are many other projects that we are working on at the federal level to bring more jobs and stimulate the economy in Central New York.” Some of those projects include a rejuvenated Port of Oswego Authority, poised to tie in with a proposed cargo distribution facility east of Syracuse. “No matter what happens here, we’re doing many things to try to stimulate the economy in Upstate New York,” he said. Katko said federal regulators have actually put companies like Entergy in a favorable position with carbon emissions standards that are considerably stricter than they used to be. With nuclear plants being emissions free with no carbon footprint, “they are becoming increasingly important as we strive toward cleaner energy going forward,” Katko said. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

The June-July 2005 issue of Oswego County Business reported that Oswego was among six locations nationwide being considered as a site for a new nuclear power plant. It would be Oswego County’s fourth nuclear power plant. Then in December 2013 - January 2014, Oswego County Business discussed how the “nuke industry is losing steam.” According to the story, analyists from Wall Street expected some Upstate plants would close because the energy produced by them was no longer price competitive. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is seeking a measure that will require utilities to generate at least 50 percent of the electricity used by their customers from renewable sources by 2030. Katko noted given carbon emissions goals, the loss of FitzPatrick impedes the state’s ability to comply with stricter standards. Strictly from a tax revenue basis alone, the loss will be dramatic. FitzPatrick paid $4.2 million in taxes to the county in 2015, nearly 7 percent of the total tax levy, according to county officials. One-third of the town of Scriba’s overall revenue comes from more than $700,000 in annual tax payments from FitzPatrick. Furthermore, the company and its employees donated more than $325,000 in charitable contributions to community events and nonprofits in 2014, including Harborfest’s Grucci Fireworks show. The 838-megawatt plant was commissioned in 1975. Its operating license is good until October of 2034. County sets strategy — Operation Oswego County — led by executive director L. Michael Treadwell — is responding aggressively to the announced OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

closing. OOC along with Barclay were instrumental in organizing a community rally for FitzPatrick and the nuclear power industry at the county highway garage recently. “Ever since the word got out that there is a potential pending closure, Operation Oswego County — a nonprofit economic development organization — along with the county Industrial Development Agency both passed resolutions in support of the state doing everything it can within its power to work out some arrangement that would make keeping the plant in Oswego County a viable option,” Treadwell said. Other things OOC has done support the nuclear industry as a whole. “We do have two other nuclear plants in this county. Most of the things that could be done relative to Entergy and the future of nuclear power in this county are really things the state of New York has at least some control of,” he said. Treadwell said it is imperative to address a way to handle the carbon-free production of energy by nuclear power plants in a similar fashion with what has been done with the renewable energy sector.

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Longer-term goals include correcting the Marcy bottleneck and distributing power production from upstate to downstate, where the cost of power is greater and pricing is better, Treadwell said. “This community and county have been so supportive of the power industry and specifically the nuclear power industry,” he said. “That’s an asset that is not as common around this country. There are lots of areas that are opposed to nuclear power.” Instead, Oswego County has embraced it, Treadwell said. He said Oswego is well diversified in terms of power generation, with nuclear power, natural gas and hydro facilities. “We have promoted Oswego County over the years as the energy power generating capital of New York state, and even stretched it to say in the Northeast, and that is true,” he said. “If the state is serious about wanting to meet its carbon reduction goals which exceed federal goals, the nuclear power industry is one of those production components that can keep electricity flowing without increasing carbon emissions,” he said. Job loss stunning blow — Treadwell said the loss of 615 well-paying jobs will create a “tremendous” impact on both local and regional economies in terms of loss of workers’ buying power and its multiplier effect. “We have a county that consistently scores in the wrong direction in terms of unemployment, and you take 615 jobs away, then that number is going to get even higher,” he said. Oswego County has the second-highest unemployment rate in the state at 6.7 percent. “It’s overwhelming in terms of thinking about losing something of this magnitude,” he noted. Treadwell said the state has millions of dollars invested in various energy-related programs, projects and initiatives. “I’m not saying the state needs to be investing millions into Entergy per se, but it could invest in providing the avenue that makes nuclear power generation more viable in a time of the economy in which fuel prices have dropped dramatically,” he said. Treadwell said if the plant ceases operation and is approved to shut down, the process looks to be a lengthy one. “Jobs would be phased out over time, so it wouldn’t be totally falling off the cliff in terms of job loss,” he said. 60

Over time, however, the number of jobs associated with the closure would be reduced and the region would not reap the economic benefits of refueling outages. From an economic development standpoint, Treadwell said OOC’s mission is to do everything it can to support Entergy as well as initiatives that the state could do to keep the plant operating. The other alternative, he said, is to allow transition time for the facility to be marketed to another nuclear power company if the present owner wants to phase it out. He said interest in running the plant could be accelerated when energy prices begin pumping back up. “But the scary thing is, if your engine is not running, it’s hard to sell the car,” he said. “That’s another objective is to see if there is a way to keep the facility operating, whether it be Entergy running it or potentially selling it to another company,” he said. The ideal scenario for Oswego County would be to have Entergy keep running the plant. “They have been a great corporate citizen and have done a lot for the community,” he said. The Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. built FitzPatrick and ownership was later transferred to the New York Power Authority. NYPA also operated the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan. “When Entergy bought the facility in 2000 and took it over from NYPA, it was at that point in time that the nuclear business at the FitzPatrick plant really became an economic driver,” Treadwell said. Under NYPA ownership, the plant did not contribute to the area’s tax base. Call to rally — The county’s Industrial Development Agency has launched an intense public relations campaign supporting efforts to keep the plant in Oswego County operating. Treadwell, CEO of the IDA, said to expect those types of effort to continue. “We are not in any form or fashion saying, ‘OK, what will be will be’,” Treadwell said. “It’s a two-way street. There has to be some type of mutually agreed upon arrangement between the state and Entergy. I’m not saying it’s all in the state’s hands. It’s also in Entergy’s hands to negotiate something that is reasonable OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

and acceptable and will minimize any economic and human damage.” When Entergy shuttered the Vermont Yankee nuclear power facility in Vernon, Vt., in 2014, projections showed a loss in overall economic activity of $100 million. Entergy will also close its Pilgrim nuclear power station in Plymouth, Mass., by June 2019. Some 500 jobs in local businesses that sell goods and services to the Pilgrim plant and its employees will be put at risk, as will some $10 million in property taxes — about 7 percent of Plymouth’s levy — and $300,000 a year that the plant gives to local nonprofits, according to an economic effects study. Similar to FitzPatrick, Pilgrim employs nearly 600 and has an annual payroll of $77 million. Treadwell said the same financial impact was felt in Oswego County when the Miller Brewing Co. shut down in 1994. “On the flip side, they had employees making $40,000 to $50,000 a year,” he said. The average FitzPatrick worker earns about $119,000 a year in salary and benefits. “The impact on a per capita basis is significantly greater,” he said. Treadwell said if FitzPatrick does shut down, given its impact on the economy, “it makes a situation where you certainly need to step up your efforts in terms of trying to attract companies.” However, the closure of FitzPatrick is not like a typical closing of a business, such as the recent shutdown of Birds Eye in Fulton. “It’s not a closure in which there is an asset that remains behind and that can be promoted and marketed,” he said. “You cannot just go into the [FitzPatrick] facility and retrofit it to be another food processing plant or another manufacturing plant.” “It’s not doable,” he said. However, one possible card that could be played as a potential tool to try to attract another owner is an available workforce. “It depends on where the employees go. If they all pack up and leave, then it’s a different scenario,” Treadwell said. However, if many of them have the desire to remain in the region, “it creates a very good, skilled workforce base that theoretically could be an incentive to help attract another [nuclear plant] operator,” Treadwell said.

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Ted Skerpon, business manager of the local and chairman of the statewide IBEW Utility Labor Council of NYS.

Brotherhood Shaken FitzPatrick closing stunning blow to IBEW Local 97

he impending shutdown of Entergy Corp.’s James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba is short-circuiting many electrical union workers’ dreams. “The impact on IBEW Local 97 will be felt throughout all of our rankDECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

and-file members,” said Ted Skerpon, business manager of the local and chairman of the statewide IBEW Utility Labor Council of NYS. His role as chairman is “to bring common issues of the utilities’ workforce to the forefront of elected representatives’ OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

agendas in an effort to make sure they are making informed decisions,” he said. The closure will directly affect over 300 union members at the plant, plus an additional 300-plus non-represented employees. “Because of the loss of jobs at FitzPatrick, along with the closing of two coal-fired generation stations in the Buffalo area and the potential closing of the Ginna Nuclear Generating Station [in Wayne County], it will be very difficult to maintain a job in the area,” he said. Depending on the scope of the shutdowns, hundreds more will be impacted, from local tradesmen to vendors and local businesses, he added. The union provides all aspects of keeping the plant running in a safe, efficient and compliant manner, Skerpon noted. Skerpon said the union “has been working tirelessly in order to find solutions to keep the plant running, including attracting a new owner.” The union leader shared his idea of what he would like to see in terms of the plant’s future. “Considering the way Entergy went about this and the fact that they have yet to discuss with Local 97 what they needed to keep the plant running, I would say the ideal scenario would be that a new owner — whether it be the state or Exelon — step in and take over operations of the plant,” he said. Exelon owns and operates the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, which features two nuclear power plants located adjacent to FitzPatrick. “Considering they have the two next door, it could create efficiencies,” Skerpon said. State of energy crisis —Skerpon said during a recent rally to keep the FitzPatrick plant open that he has been dealing with “bad news” for the past several years related to New York state power generation against the

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about the New York state energy power system?” Skerpon asked. “We need to make some changes.” In an apparent step in the right direction, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will count nuclear power as renewable energy when the state issues new rules in 2016 requiring utilities to generate half their power from renewable sources by 2030. Upstate nuclear power will be vital to meeting Cuomo’s goal of cutting carbon emissions 40 percent, his aides reportedly said. Cuomo’s order will require utilities to generate at least 50 percent of the electricity used by their customers from renewable sources by 2030, with intermediate targets along the way, according to reports. The state’s Public Service Commission needs to approve the measure. However, Skerpon said he has several concerns on how the state will reach its aggressive initiative. “If the FitzPatrick plant shuts down and with the Ginna plant not far behind, then we are actually taking steps backwards in the attempt to reduce carbon emissions,” he said. “The bottom line is that nuclear power needs to be part of the overall

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plan, not just a temporary fix,” he said. Initiative seeks sweeping changes — In efforts at upgrading, the PSC is attempting to change the current utility model. The Reforming the Energy Vision initiative is a proposal to give customers more options with promised rate reductions distributed through local generators. At the core of REV is the ability to efficiently move electricity across the state to determine an accurate cost-benefit analysis for proposed local generators. “The price of natural gas and continuing New York state transmission congestion are ravaging Upstate power generation,” Skerpon said. He said the region has been waiting several years for transmission solutions, while the energy restructuring initiative is “slowly crawling” through the PSC. Skerpon said the state was home to the first electrical grid and features some of the oldest transmission infrastructure in the country. More than 80 percent of New York’s high-voltage transmission lines went into service before 1980

Ausugt / September 2015

backdrop of increasing imports from neighboring states and Canada to serve the state’s electricity needs. He said it is hypocritical for states that supply power to New York to have no allegiance with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. New York state is affiliated with RGGI. RGGI is the first market-based regulatory program in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon credits are awarded to companies that have reduced their greenhouse gases below their emission quota. Carbon credits can be traded at their current market price. Under RGGI, states sell nearly all emission allowances through auctions and invest proceeds in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other consumer benefit programs. “These programs are spurring innovation in the clean energy economy and creating green jobs in the RGGI states,” according to rggi.org. “If we agree that RGGI is a carbon tax, then if New York state imports power from states that do have that cost imbedded in their power prices, along with the commitment to reduce greenhouse gases, what does that say

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and more than 4,700 circuit miles will require replacement within 30 years, Skerpon noted. Upstate has a diverse set of generation resources that include natural gas, nuclear, wind and water. However, due to constraints on the existing transmission system, they are limited in their ability to satisfy downstate demand, he added. According to the New York Independent System Operator, transmission congestion has cost New Yorkers an additional $9.2 billion since 2004. An upgraded transmission infrastructure will bolster the reliability of the system, tap Upstate’s diversified generation resources and allow cheaper, cleaner, more efficient resources to satisfy downstate demand, Skerpon said. Carbon credits critical — REV does establish a “realistic” price for carbon for future power producers, but Skerpon said carbon values must be applied to existing generators that have already accomplished the REV emissions objectives. “We need to look at applying carbon credits to nuclear power in order

“We should not be closing safe, reliable, low-emission plants and buying power from other states, not to mention other countries.” Ted Skerpon, business manager of the local and chairman of the statewide IBEW Utility Labor Council of NYS to keep these carbon-free facilities in operation as part of the overall REV initiative and stop importing ‘dirty’ power from other states and countries,” Skerpon added. “This issue cannot get paralyzed the same way that agreed-upon transmission work has,” he said. “We are located in a county that has the ‘holy grail’ of reduced carbon emissions from nuclear power from

generators currently operating here in a region that welcomes them,” Skerpon said. He said these generators epitomize the type of carbon reduction sought in the REV initiative, yet they stand threatened to operate without a fair carbon price. “If New York state is sincere about targets to reduce carbon emissions, it must immediately calculate and provide existing generators fair value for carbon, because critical resources such as our jobs and tax revenue will be gone forever.” “New York state will never meet its emission reduction targets without them, and our friends, families and communities will suffer devastating economic losses,” he added. “We should not be closing safe, reliable, low-emission plants and buying power from other states, not to mention other countries.” Skerpon said that to date, no one has identified the costs associated with the new REV initiatives, not to mention how much real estate it will take to utilize solar panels for relatively little output.

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SPECIAL REPORT By Lou Sorendo

Elle Hanna

Jane Amico

Greg Mills

Collaboration: Name of Game for Local Chambers of Commerce Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber joins CenterState Chamber Alliance. Move seen as way to become more efficient

egional chambers of commerce are not immune to the trend of forming allegiances and collaborations as seen in many sectors of the economy. The Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce has joined the CenterState Chamber Alliance, which includes CenterState CEO as well as the Greater Utica, Cayuga County, and Cortland County chambers of commerce. The idea is to increase efficiencies within regional chambers while enhancing additional member services and economic development opportunities. “From a macro scale perspective, it is very much about regional collaboration and having that larger regional voice,” said Jane Amico, vice president of chamber services for CenterState CEO.

Amico said CenterState CEO already had a strong partnership with the Oswego-Fulton chamber and share a number of common members. Amico said when someone has a dual membership in both organizations, they receive a greater return on their membership investment. But most importantly, it expands their business development opportunities and their reach across county lines, she added. “Instead of looking inward to individual places that they traditionally do business, this really expands their opportunity to do business more on a regional basis,” she added. Elle Hanna, director of communications and media relations for CenterState CEO, said the initiative reflects what is happening with chambers of commerce and economic OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

development organizations across the country.

Trend among chambers “They are becoming more globally connected and larger-community connected,” she said. “The parochial boundaries that existed before don’t matter anymore.” “This is all part of a bigger trend that is happening and we’re participating in that,” she said. “We’re doing so for the benefit of all members and the alliance.” Greg Mills, executive director of the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, said the rise of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council has helped create a stronger voice and strengthened

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

regional approach to doing business. “It’s important for us in Oswego and Fulton and the areas and businesses we support to give them as much voice and strength to that voice as possible,” Mills said. He said the alliance “gives us that regionality and stronger voice and it strengthens the position that assistant executive director Danielle Hayden and I operate from here at the chamber,” Mills said. Over the past year, the Oswego chamber has been focusing on ways to increase its operational efficiency, and the alliance fortifies these efforts, Mills said. He said CenterState CEO is providing back office support to allow the chamber team to connect with its membership and community on a regular basis. Back office support includes accounting, academic development, communications and membership support. “Danielle and I will have more opportunities to get out there and be more present when it comes to membership and community engagement,” he said. “Perhaps we can find people who haven’t experienced the chamber

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

or don’t understand what the chamber can do,” he said. “It will give Greg and Danielle a chance to reach out to businesses in the community and understand what they need and what role the chamber should play,” Amico said. “They will then be able to develop and execute specific programs that meet those needs.”

Merging services Amico said the allegiance began with an initial partnership with the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce and evolved from there. “CenterState CEO is unique in that we are a regional leadership organization where economic development is the cornerstone of what we do,” she said. Amico said in other communities, there is a distinct separation between chambers and industrial development agencies. The Central New York region, however, is changing, she noted. CenterState CEO has a strong relationship with Mohawk Valley EDGE (Economic Development Growth

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Enterprises Corporation) as well as a solid alliance with the Utica chamber. In Cayuga County, Andrew Fish is both the Cayuga County Chamber director as well as the executive director of the Cayuga Economic Development Agency. “They have consolidated both their economic development agency and chamber under one roof,” Amico noted. In Oswego County, CenterState CEO has strong ties with Operation Oswego County, the county’s designated economic development agency. The Oswego-Fulton chamber will also have access to CenterState CEO’s member advantage program, which saves members money using collective buying power. CenterState CEO also advocates for small businesses through its public policy department, and the Oswego-Fulton chamber will be benefit from that as well, Amico said. CenterState CEO has the capacity to be able to handle the extra workload. “To create efficiencies is important for the sustainability not only of the Oswego-Fulton chamber but of our organization,” Amico said.

SPECIAL REPORT By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Snowy Outlook for Plowers Despite recent warmer weather, snowplow contractors are gearing up for what they believe will be a busy season

f you’re in the snow removal business, this winter could prove a profitable season for your company — despite the warmer and drier than usual December. According to The Farmers’ Almanac, the weather for 2015-2016’s winter should be “stormy with a good amount of snow” for New York and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic states. “We are ‘red-flagging’ the second week of January and the second week of February for possible heavy winter weather with a long, drawn out spell of stormy weather extending through much of the first half of March,” the Almanac stated. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) 2015-2016 winter outlook predicts above-average temperatures, and, because of the El Nino effect on the jet stream, a 50-50 chance of more

precipitation in the Central New York region. “Cold-air outbreaks and snow storms will likely occur at times this winter,” an Oct. 15 statement on NOAA’s website reads. “However, the frequency, number and intensity of these Chase events cannot be predicted on a seasonal timescale.” How do local snow removal contractors handle all this? Al Chase, owner of Chase Enterprises in Oswego, isn’t easily rattled by the Farmers’ Almanac’s dire forecast. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“We’ve been doing this a long time and weather is very hard to predict, especially with the lake effect snow we have on Lake Ontario,” he said. “We prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” In addition to his normal pre-season maintenance, finalizing contracts and hiring seasonal employees, he has been stockpiling additional rock salt. Last winter, his business used 3,000 tons on customer’s driveways and parking lots. Craig Smith, owner of Yardsmith in Syracuse, expects a good year for his snow-clearing business. Apparently, his customer base indicates growing anticipation of a busy snow plowing season. “I can’t keep up with all the requests I’ve had for snowplowing,” he said. “I’m thinking I’ve had at least a 10 percent increase of new customers.” He’s adding a sidewalk tractor to his equipment lineup, as sidewalk clearing has increased in the city of Syracuse. He belives that enforced ordinances about keeping public walkways clear has helped his business grow. At Manwaring’s Lawn & Snow Services in Oswego, owner David Manwaring prepared for the busy season by obtaining an additional plow truck “so we’re not swamped,” he said. Last year’s snowfall kept him plenty busy, so he anticipates that the additional truck should help him keep up. If you decide to clear your own walks of snow, remember the snow shoveling safety guidelines. Use a lightweight snow pusher, which weighs less than many clunky shoves. Pushing snow aside spares your back from the strain of shoveling. Wear lightweight layers so you can remove clothing as your body warms. Especially if you do not engage regularly in aerobic exercise, take breaks as needed. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

SPECIAL REPORT By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Skyline Solar installed the solar project at Burritt Motors. The Phoenix-based company was one of the installer partners for the Solarize CNY program. The 51kw roof-mounted system covers about 70 percent of Burritt's energy needs

Going Solar I

The region still lags behind but use of solar energy is increasing

s CNY going solar? Using solar energy to power businesses certainly cuts utility overhead; however, several obstacles still persist in making accessing solar energy difficult for many organizations. Among its many sustainable features, SUNY Oswego’s Rice Creek Field Station boasts a rooftop-mountDECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

ed solar photovoltaic system, providing about 40 percent of its total electricity needs. “Anecdotally I’m seeing more solar panels around,” said Julie Harrison Blissert, director of the office of communications and marketing for SUNY Oswego. “For example, the Crisafulli Skating Rink in Oswego has solar OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

panels on its south-facing roof.” Chris Carrick, energy program manager with the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board, said that solar is “certainly growing in the region but we’re in the early stages.” As a whole, New York ranks fifth

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in the nation for the amount of solar panels installed. According to data provided by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), about 1,100 solar projects exist in Central New York with roughly 200 of those in Oswego County. To expand the use of solar energy, the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board is offering the Solarize CNY program. It helps homeowners and business owners to go with solar energy by providing a discounted price on solar panel installation through a partnership with installers selected through a competitive bidding process. The solar companies perform installation projects up to 200 kilowatts. To date, more than 90 percent of the program purchase participants are homeowners, “but a growing number of farm owners and business owners are showing interest,” Carrick said. Carrick believes that few businesses in CNY have turned to solar energy because the delayed return on investment: up to seven years. Most small businesses can’t afford to wait that long. Small business owners stay busy enough keeping their companies afloat. Researching an investment which may or may not make sense for their business falls low on the priority list. Companies that rent their facilities usually don’t want to invest in a longterm structure that they would likely leave behind should they move the company. Though many solar companies lease their equipment, many businesses are unaware of this option. It’s also easier to go solar if the company owns its building because they do not need permission from the landlord. Many landlords do not realize the benefit of investing in solar because their tenants pay for their own utility costs, although some recognize that lowering operating costs for their tenants makes their properties more competitive. Of the CNY businesses investing in solar, dairy farmers represent a large sector. Their high electrical use, along with their tendency to try other eco-friendly practices, makes them ideal candidates to try solar. Despite the manufacturing sector’s high electrical use, Carrick has not noticed many going solar, but as the costs of installation continue to decrease, he hopes more will consider 68

other factors include the incentives that reduce the upfront cost of solar and the price the customer pays for utility power. After that, it is a matter of balancing the amount of space available for the panels and the company’s energy demands. Solar works on a net metering basis, so if the host’s solar panels produce more power than what they need in a given time span, the kilowatt hours roll over to a time when the panels produce less energy. If panels become completely covered with snow, they won’t produce any energy. Carrick doesn’t recommend climbing up on the roof to shovel off the snow since it’s easy to damage the panels or fall. Hosts can clear groundbased panels if they take care to avoid scratching them. Despite these efforts, most hosts’ panels generate only 5 to 10 percent of their electricity during the winter months. Panels work better at lower temperatures, which Chris Carrick, energy program manager with helps offset poor performance the CNY Regional Planning and Development during gray months. Frequent Board rainfall also helps clean panels, compared with dusty Southwestern solar energy. areas. “It’s cost-competitive if you can “We try to explain to people it’s make use of the 30 percent federal a great time to go solar because we tax credit and accelerated depreciastill have a 30 percent federal grant tion benefits,” Carrick said. “Then it for installation cost, parts and labor,” becomes a very attractive proposition Carrick said. “It’s scheduled to go and can reduce the payback to three to down to 10 percent on Jan. 1, 2017 for five years. businesses.” According to Carrick, “Many If a customer purchases a system solar companies now offer a power directly, they use the tax credit, accelpurchase arrangement.” erated depreciation, thus reduce the The solar company that installs out-of-pocket expenses. If they lease panels owns the panels and takes the panels, the solar company keeps those tax credits and depreciation benefits benefits and passes along a reduced and sells kilowatt hours to the custom- price in the lease payment or kilowatt er that acts as the host for the panels. hour to the company. The customer buys kilowatt hours “One of the big benefits in going from the solar company based upon solar is it locks in your cost of energy,” how much energy their panels proCarrick said. “Whether you purchase duce, just as they purchase electricity yourself, lease or do a power payment from their utility company. The solar agreement, you know what it will company is responsible for all maintecost.” nance costs. Most panels last 20 to 25 years. Considering the gray New York Any homeowner or business can winters, many people wonder if solar enroll for a free, no-obligation solar panels work here. Carrick said the assessment of their property on the solar resource is only one factor that program’s website at www.solarmakes solar a good investment. The izecny.org. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

SPECIAL REPORT By Stacey A. Baran

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CiTi, Cayuga Community College join forces for education initiative

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he Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation and Cayuga Community College have formed a partnership called the Center for Career and Community Education. This alliance creates greater educational opportunities for those seeking higher levels of employment. CCCE acknowledges the expansion of jobs in the local area such as advanced manufacturing and health programs. The partnership allows adult learners to get educated in these fields before jumping out into the job market. The two sites for the program are located at CiTi’s satellite office at 806 W. Broadway, Fulton and the CCC campus in Fulton. Carla DeShaw, executive dean for community education and workforce development at CCC, said CiTi and CCC originally worked separately toward the same goal. Their funds, resources and staffing were scarce in regards to programs in areas like literacy and technology. “Rather than competing, it would be better for our community to work together,” she said. “It’s a pioneering move.” The collaboration allows both centers to address the educational needs as one unit while also pooling resources to allow for greater opportunity for learners. One of the first initiatives is to open an advanced manufacturing institute on the CCC campus with the help of local employers to better meet the needs of the community. Local manufacturers will assist in both the design and acquiring necessary equipment. With both high poverty and illiteracy rates in Oswego County, DeShaw said increasing job growth makes it the ideal time to create more educational opportunities in the area. DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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Carla DeShaw Employers should be aware of this program, as there is a severe shortage of workers in advanced manufacturing in the region. The demographic the CCCE is targeting varies depending on the program, she said. Some students are dislocated or “underemployed” — those who work a few part-time jobs while actively seeking a permanent full-time career. Others are attempting to transition to a position that features more mobility. The CCCE also works with out-ofschool youth, with the help of a grant received from the Oswego County Workforce. “We’re still working through the operational aspects of it,” DeShaw said. “But so far, it’s been very rewarding to take this challenge on.” OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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SPECIAL REPORT By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

The building formerly occupied by Ponderosa Steakhouse on the corner of George Street and state Route 104 is one of 104 commercial properties available for sale in Oswego County, according to real estate agent Florence A. Farley

Commercial Real Estate: Buyer’s or Seller’s Market? If you’re looking for commercial real estate, whether it’s a buyer ’s market or a seller’s market makes a big difference how much real estate you can afford. Area real estate agents weighed in on whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market — and what that means to those looking to start or move a business. Florence A. Farley, a real estate agent with BHHS CNY Realty in Oswego and a former president of the Oswego County Board of Realtors, said that many creative investors see opportunities in the rural county, including the easy access to Oswego County, its well-educated workforce, the quality of life and signs of growth that include expansion at Novelis and the growth of the Port Authority. “We are also fortunate to have legislators who are working with the nuclear energy community to retain the positions at these plants. Oswego County is an Empire State Development Zone.” She believes that the market favors buyers of commercial properties 70

presently. “The initial investment can be minimal for the quality of the buildings and businesses acquired,” Farley said. “A dollar invested in a purchase in Oswego County goes a very long way. Those investors who develop a solid business plan with all of the assistance and financial advice of the resources mentioned above can become the next big success story and pass along their business to their grandchildren.” Mark Coppola, broker at Pickit Homes Real Estate in Mexico, agrees that it’s a buyer’s market. “We have a lot of people leaving business properties, but no one buying them,” he said. He wishes that more tax incentives were available to help lure new investors to the area. “You don’t have much chance to make it in business here,” he said. “We’re in an area decreasing in population. It’s not a good business environment.” Bill Galloway, owner of Galloway and Associates in Oswego, believes that the somewhat limited inventory OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

of commercial properties indicates an advantage for sellers. “I have a few investors looking to get into our market so there’s not a lot of selection from in the commercial segment,” he said. “It limits them, but there are available properties.” He cited redeveloped and rehabilitated properties as examples of ways that creative buyers discover new spaces, but downtown is one area where a seller could do quite well. “Definitely contact your Realtor, who has a lot of knowledge of commercial real estate, and then come up with a business plan and work together for developing the right location for the business you’re trying to get into.” As the old adage goes, “location, location, location” can help a business succeed or cause even the best-planned business to fail.

By the Numbers Among 104 commercial properties available for sale in Oswego County is a golf course selling for $1.2 million Florence A. Farley, a real estate agent with BHHS CNY Realty in Oswego and a former president of the Oswego County Board of Realtors, compiled the following information from the multiple listing service (MLS) n “Oswego County has 104 commercial properties currently available. n “Of those, 17 have contingent offers or are rentals of business space. The properties range from a 199-acre golf course for $1.2 million to a small construction trailer for $38,000. n “So far in 2015, there have been 20 sales registered through the MLS. These included an historic brick storefront in downtown Oswego, a small trailer park in Hannibal, a great old school building in Fulton, a dance studio in the town of Scriba, a lovely old church in the town of Constantia and a campground with 307 feet of waterfront on the shores of Oneida Lake for $325,000. n “In 2015 [sellers] received 83.96 percent of their asking price. That number is significantly higher for residential sales. Usually around 91 percent.” DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Health Care Special New Playground Serves Children of All Abilities Smoke-Free Facilities Save Employers

$6,000 per year saved in health insurance costs per employee, say experts

ARISE creates a totally accessible playground at ARISE at the Farm in Chittenango

Dr. Uva Gets Life Time Achievement Award DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Smoke-Free Facilities Save Employers Study: A tobacco user costs his employer $6,000 per year in health insurance costs. Experts want the ban to extend to outside the facilities

f you think that going smokefree as a facility won’t save your company much money, consider a study conducted by Ohio State University in 2013. It states that on average, a tobacco user costs his employer $6,000 per year in health insurance costs, additional smoke breaks and lower productivity. If you employ 10 smokers, that adds up to $60,000. “Tobacco is the leading cost of lost production time, more than alcohol use or family emergencies,” said Deborah Mendzef, coordinator for the CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health at St. Joseph’s Heath Center. If employee acceptance worries you, Mendzef said that many employees support no-smoking policies. She referenced a 2010 study performed by Onondaga County that revealed 66 percent of residents said their workplace instituted a tobacco-free policy. The New York’s Clean Indoor Air Act already bans smoking at businesses inside, but as far as smokers going out to the parking lot or other places on the property, that’s up to each establishment. Those opposed to tobacco use, want stringent laws that would ban smoking outside facilities as well. Joseph Wicks, community engagement coordinator and integrative community planner for Tobacco-Free CNY (https://tobaccofreecny.wordpress. com, tobaccofreecny@gmail.com), said that quitting tobacco protects the health of employees and visitors. “It

reduces tobacco litter, the number one litter in the world. A smoke-free policy eliminates it. It’s good for company image and PR. It usually contributes to employees quitting smoking.” He added that quitting usually takes about seven attempts, but many people lack the most effective environment: one where smoking isn’t allowed. “You have to make decisions that will benefit everyone,” Wicks said. “Maybe they will not be on board OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

right away, but most people will say it’s better. Give them a chance to voice their opinion.” Establishing a smoke-free policy the right way can promote better compliance. St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse went smoke-free in 2007. Mendzef said the organization took “the ideal steps” to institute its status as a smoke-free campus. Before committing, the hospital designated a committee to determine the importance of the policy so the organization could understand its importance. Once they discovered the manifold benefits to the business, they set a timeline. Simply announcing that no one may smoke on the company’s property from today forward likely results in poor adherence to the policy. Mendzef recommends at least six months to a year. “No one likes change,” she said. “It takes time to educate staff members and to get everyone in the loop and to understand the purpose of the policy.” Deciding how to announce the policy also helps pave the way to a successful policy. Depending upon the nature of your workplace, explaining the forthcoming policy in a meeting, company newsletter and on the website can help. “You can have fun with it in a way by offering incentives,” Mendzef said. “When St. Joseph’s went smokefree, it was on the Great American DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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HEALTHCARE SPECIAL REPORT

“Tobacco is the leading cost of lost production time, more than alcohol use or family emergencies,” said Deborah Mendzef, coordinator for the CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health at St. Joseph’s Heath Center.

Smokeout (held Nov. 19 and promoted by the American Cancer Society). A TV personality served cold turkey sandwiches.” The gesture acknowledged employees quitting “cold turkey,” but providing cessation methods can demonstrate how serious your company is about supporting employees who want to stop smoking. Your health insurance benefits likely provide cessation methods, for example. You could also provide contact information to the state-sponsored cessation program, www.tobaccofreenys.org. The site offers resources that can provide free signs and support in completing the process. Months before the policy takes effect, place signs in prominent places to notify employees and guests of the new policy and when it begins. “Maintenance crews or security could courteously remind people,” Mendzef said. “Some places make lit-

tle maps showing designated smoking areas or include a smoke-free policy. You could give the reasons behind it like increased wellness and safety.” It may seem sensible to place ashtrays at the door; however, that only encourages smokers to hand around entrances to smoke. Mendzef said that some organizations place canisters for butts at the borders of their property, along with signs so that smokers know that smoking is prohibited after that point. Plan to provide ongoing support and education because new people won’t know about the policy. But rest assured that as time passes, the level of support required decreases. Online resources include the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), American Lung Association (www.lung.org), Health Line (www. Healthline.com) New York Smoke Free (www.nysmokefree.com) and Tobacco-Free CNY (https://tobaccofreecny.wordpress.com).

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Most physicians, many healthcare professionals and almost all of the healthcare leadership in Oswego County receive and read Oswego County Business magazine.

Reaching healthcare professionals. Another good reason to advertise in Oswego County Business (315) 342-8020 DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

New Playground Serves Children of All Abilities ARISE creates a totally accessible playground at ARISE at the Farm in Chittenango

By Melissa Stefanec

ne of the quintessential elements of childhood is playing on a playground. The breeze on your face as you swing, the stickiness of a hot summer slide, those are things most children and their families take for granted.

Playgrounds are interspersed in communities around the country. Many of them are open to the public and funded through nonprofits or municipalities. Their ramps, climbing walls, swings, forts and slides may seem to be open to everyone, but that isn’t always the case. Children with disabilities are often unable to partake in what has become a childhood rite of passage—playing on a playground. Playgrounds are also crucial to development; they help children develop strength, balance and coordination, and they also offer an opportunity for social interaction. The idea of children missing out on such opportunities was the motivator for one organization to do more. ARISE, a nonprofit organization representing the rights of people with disabilities in Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison and Seneca counties, found a way to give playground access to children of any ability. ARISE created a totally accessible playground at ARISE at the Farm in Chittenango, Madison County. The playground, which opened for play late this past summer, is an obvious standout in the region. It boasts 16,000 square feet of play area, 57 different activities and accommodates up to 375 people. The defining factor of the playground is the surface it was built on. Wood chips and stones make it very difficult for children with mobility issues to access a playground. Part of the reason this playground is fully accessible is because its floor is poured rubber. This DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

floor is the most expensive part of the playground. Even after receiving a significant discount from the installer, the rubber cost about $135,000, according to ARISE. However, there is more to making a playground fully accessible than its surface. All ramps are accessible by wheelchair. There are multiple swings, including ones that are compatible with people of all mobility levels. There are two areas of the playground — one for children aged 2 to 5 and one for children aged 5 to 12. The playground even has embedded activities in its walls, sensory panels, and a pirate ship. This marvel of a playground came with a price tag of more than $400,000. Nancy Kern Eaton, director of development and public relations at ARISE, said the entire committee tasked with creating the playground had sticker shock as the costs started rolling in. For this reason, there was a lot of hesitation about the project. “We realized it was a very expensive endeavor,” said Eaton. “But we also OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

believed every single person should be able to benefit from this playground.” ARISE decided not to cut any corners when it came to accessibility, even if the cost was high. “We just decided we had to raise that much money,” said Eaton. The planning process took almost two years. Officials at ARISE consulted with parents, employees, volunteers and area businesses to get feedback and ideas. The need for foundation and business support was very real, and ARISE started fundraising early on. They also contacted vendors to negotiate prices. Eventually, ARISE raised enough money to build a totally accessible playground. According to Eaton, the response and financial support were everywhere. When she explained how important playgrounds were to children, people really started listening. Numerous sponsors gave $5,000 or more toward the playground’s creation. Once members of the community realized how important a fully accessible playground was, many of them started putting their 75

money behind it. There are a lot of things to consider in regards to accessibility. During the planning stages of building a playground, many people focus on meeting Americans with Disability Act requirements, but meeting those requirements doesn’t necessarily make a playground fully accessible. There’s more to it, and Eaton wants to get people thinking about it. Eaton recognizes most municipalities or local groups looking to build a playground cannot afford to build fully accessible and large playgrounds. However, she said that shouldn’t keep planners from considering accessibility issues during the planning and building processes. She says communities are behind accessible playgrounds; there is just some legwork to be done. “I would really encourage people to not make assumptions in what kind of support they can get,” she said. She also has some pointers for would-be playground builders. She said, when faced with the decision of what aspects of a playground should be made accessible, builders should consider how children with disabilities are going to get to that playground. It’s great to have accessible equipment, but if children can’t get to that equipment, that equipment isn’t practical. Wood chips and stones create powerful barriers for children who have to use mobility devices. “I would recommend doing a

smaller playground with poured rubber over doing accessible equipment with wood chips.” She also added that when ARISE polled parents on what made a good playground, the response was swings, swings and more swings. To that refrain, the playground at ARISE at the Farm has numerous different styles of swings that feature accommodations for people with various mobility levels. Due to the feedback ARISE received, she suggests organizations and municipalities focus on the playground’s surface and a couple of accessible pieces of equipment that will get a lot of use. Eaton also hopes that would-be playground builders will come out to ARISE at the Farm and see the playground for themselves. She hopes they will then get as excited as ARISE is about these sorts of playgrounds. “We are hoping people will come and see it and realize why they want to do it [build accessible playgrounds] too. We are beyond excited. The kids are all over it.” The playground at ARISE at the farm is open to anyone who wishes to play. During certain times of year, some onsite activities may limit playground usage. Call 315-687-6727 or visit www.ariseinc. org/recreation-art/arise-at-the-farm/ for more information.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Donations Make Park Possible ARISE officials say the newly opened park in Chittenango was made possible by a number of organizations that donated money to the project. Donors who contributed $5,000 or more are: Bottar Leone, PLLC, Allyn Foundation, NBT Bank, Central New York Community Foundation, Gorman Foundation, Dorothy & Marshall M. Reisman Foundation, Snow Foundation, Boeheim Foundation, Wegmans, Lockheed Martin Employees Federated Fund, Tania S. Anderson and J. W. Burns & Company Investment Counsel. Significant support was also provided by Denzak Recreation, Hawthorne Property Service, Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Jim Marshall Farms Foundation, Kinsella Quarries, Maxian & Horst, and Bob Schwitter. ARISE at the Farm was made possible by a gift from Jim Marshall, DVM, in 1998.

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Health Care BRIEFS Dr. Uva Gets Life Time Achievement Award

etired Oswego Hospital physician Ronald Uva, who provided healthcare to area women for more than 30 years, was recently presented the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), District Uva II 2015 Life Time Achievement Award. The award recognizes his leadership in obstetrics and gynecology, his efforts in the field of women’s health advocacy and his service to ACOG. “I was humbled that an organization such as ACOG would take the time and effort to honor me,” Uva said. “It has been my privilege to dedicate my life

to women’s health care, advocacy and to ensure that the residents of New York state have access to the finest health care available. I hope that my writings give information and clarification to the complex medical issues of our time” Uva has been active in ACOG for many years, fulfilling numerous advocacy roles. In 2011, he was elected a vice chairman where he advocated at both the state and federal levels for universal maternity coverage and for other health issues related to women. for women.

Rosemarie Surowiec Joins OCO Medical Staff

hysician’s assistant Rosemarie Surowiec has joined the medical staff at OCO’s Fulton Center for Reproductive Health. The center provides a wide array of reproductive and gynecological healthcare services and comprehensive education. Surowiec, who holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Buffalo and a master’s degree in medical science from the physician assistant program at Emory University in Atlanta, brings with her a wealth of experience. She has worked in the OB-

GYN departments for Atlanta Grady Memorial Hospital and Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. She has also worked at Auburn’s East Hill Family Medical Family Planning Clinic. “Rosemarie’s professionalism, openness and acceptance of each individual she serves make her a perfect addition to our medical staff,” said senior director of Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) Health and Nutrition Department, Ellen Holst. As a physician Surowiec assistant, Surowiec works with women from teens to post-menopausal as well as men in regards to all aspects of their reproductive health and overall wellness. “I always wanted a career in the medical field,” said Surowiec. “I enjoy being a physician assistant. I like that I am often able to spend more time with patients than a physician can, and that in many incidences patients relate to, and feel comfortable with, a physician’s assistant.”

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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Success Story

By Lou Sorendo

3514 W. Genesee St., Fairmount. The partners said once the Cicero store is well established, they will start to look at creating additional locations within the region. Scripa said they are targeting smaller communities such as Oswego. “Our concept is to spread good health,” Scripa said. When Scripa got into the business, it led to a transformative, life-changing experience, he said. Several years ago, the pair met and discussed Lewis’ involvement in the health food business. “We had a good conversation and he planted a seed in my mind to start eating differently,” Scripa said. “I started shopping at his store in Fairmount quite a bit.” Scripa switched over to organic and non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) foods. “The big thing for me was I had a lot of food allergies. My family, generally speaking, ate whatever we bought at the grocery store,” he said. “It was a total lifestyle change. It changed my health and life and I wanted to share that with other people and deliver Brent Lewis, left, joins business partner Joe Scripa at Green Planet Grocery in Cicero. Brent’s message by building store by store and providing this to communities,” he said. His current belief is once you rid your body of chemicals by eating organic and non-GMO foods, “you just start to feel better.” The Scripa family started to notice positive changes after significantly reducing sugar intake in the household and switching to organic meat. “Even though it was a little bit more costly, we saw cost savings in fewer medical bills,” he said. He said illnesses and trips to the reen Planet Grocery is orbiting Brent Lewis and his partner, Joe Scri- doctor have lessened “because we are around the world of success. pa, are partnering on the Cicero location not putting stuff into our body that is The business, which special- and plan further expansions as well. not meant to be there.” izes in natural and organic groceries and Lewis opened his first Green Planet Still in the game — Lewis maintains supplements, recently celebrated its one- Grocery store in the Midtown Plaza, Os- a high level of fitness, and is able to do year anniversary at its third location at wego in 2004. After experiencing success things such as play competitive basket6195 Route 31, Lakeshore Plaza, Cicero. there, he went on to open a second store at ball that the average 67-year-old would

GREEN PLANET GROCERY

Oswego-based Health Food Store, with Three Locations, Plans Additional Expansion

G 78

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

probably frown upon. He is a member of The Press Box Players out of Oswego and competes in 3-on-3 tournament action on the national level. The team recently placed fourth overall in the country. “The guys I play with are pretty good athletes. I’ve only been able to stay with them because of my diet and nutrition,” he said. Prior to Green Planet, Lewis owned four rent-to-own stores. “The business was very profitable, but it wasn’t my passion. I sold them in order to get into the health food store business, which is what I really wanted to do,” he said. When Lewis came to Upstate New York 20 years ago, he saw a definite need for “eating clean” that was not being met in the region. For both partners, helping people is the source of their gratification. “It’s definitely about helping people and watching them respond positively to the store and benefit from eating better,” Lewis said. Lewis said the key to expansion is being and staying profitable. “In order to get financing, you have to show profitability and success,” he said. He said one of the foremost challenges to launching a new business is getting people to recognize and accept it in the community. Scripa said social media is the No. 1 reason why people know the new Cicero location exists. Scripa said key to the overall plan is developing consistency and continuity as the team grows. “Even right now with three stores, over the past several months we have begun to integrate and really communicate store-to-store really well,” he said. The stores are also able to share products and experience among themselves. The new store in Cicero is benefitting from the knowledge that has been gathered at both the Oswego and Fairmount stores. “Then when we go from three to four stores, it’s moving that knowledge forward and making sure it’s a strong, consistent product,” Scripa said. Creating comfortable vibe — In order to be successful as a businessperson, the focus needs to be on customer relations and hiring people who are knowledgeable and respectful of the customer base, Lewis noted. “My philosophy in this business is we should be appealing to every person who comes in, regardless of political or sociological beliefs,” Lewis said. “We DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Eric Mena is the manager of Green Planet Grocery, located at the Midtown Plaza in Oswego. It is one of three Green Planet locations in the region. should make sure they feel comfortable when walking into the store and not intimidated.” “Also, you have to be extremely professional in order to keep older people coming into your store. You can’t be a slipshod operation in any way, because they will pick right up on that,” he noted. Scripa said the typical health food store in the area — particularly the chain versions — “feels like a pharmacy because it’s all supplements.” Lewis’ original concept was to bring everything under one roof. With the exception of some items, a customer can get everything he or she needs to fill a pantry at Green Planet, Scripa added. Although independent, Green Planet is affiliated with a retailer group featuring more than 300 stores that gives it buying clout. “This allows us to be competitive with any of the big box stores,” Scripa noted. Scripa said oftentimes, grocery stores do have organic offerings, but “they might be under a 50,000 to 80,000 square-foot roof.” He said Green Planet Grocery is considerably smaller in size, making the shopping experience easier to navigate. “Ninety-nine percent of our products are organic or non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) food with not a lot of bad choices,” he said. “If you make it easy for people to shop with less bad options, they are less likely to pick up something that is not good for them.” “We have everything a grocery store would offer,” said Scripa, noting that organic meats are quite popular. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

“A lot of the local bigger stores are importing their organic meat from other countries, which don’t have the regulations and practices that we have here in New York,” he noted. He said the meat at Green Planet is local, state-certified and organic. Scripa said each store also features an extensive selection of supplements, including vitamins, protein powders, herbs and oils. “We find a lot of people are going to the doctor today and being told to get into a store like this where they have better choices,” he said. He said a main demographic are people who have food allergies, are gluten-intolerant or are practicing vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. Each store also has an expert specializing in nutrition and supplementation. Lewis’ daughter, Rebecca, a naturopathic doctor, is on staff at the Fairmount location and fields questions on supplements, herbs and homeopathic remedies. His son Owen manages the Fairmount store. “It’s gratifying to have your kids follow your own beliefs,” he said. “It makes me feel good, plus their health has been affected positively by their nutrition.” The 6,000-square-foot Cicero store has a cafe and coffee bar in partnership with Cafe Kubal, a local coffee roaster. “One of our big beliefs is to provide as many local products to the community as possible, and Café Kubal is a local roaster right here in Syracuse,” Scripa said. 79

Best Business Directory

COPY + PRINT Port City Copy Center. Your one stop for all of your copy + print needs. 184 Water St. Oswego (back of Canal Commons). 216-6163.

COUNTERTOPS & TILES Oswego Soapstone & Tile, a Pauldine company. Quality tilework. See gallery photos at OswegoSoapstoneandTile. com. 315-593-9872.190 5th Ave. Oswego.

CUSTOM PICTURE FRAMING Picture Connection 169 W. 1st St. Oswego 343-2908. Quality conservation matting & framing for your photos, prints, original artwork & objects.

DEMOLITION Fisher Companies. Commercial & residential demolition. Great prices. Fully insured. Free estimates. 45 years of experience. Call Fisher Companies at 315-652-3773 or visit www.johnefisherconstruction.com.

ACCOUNTING & TAX Canale Insurance & Accounting Service for all your insurance, Accounting, Payroll and Tax needs. Locally owned and operated. For insurance call 343-4456, Taxes & Accounting 343-0409.

EXCAVATING Manwaring Lawn & Snow-Serving all of Oswego County. Residential / commercial. Fully insured. A+ rating with BBB. Free estimates. Call Dave 315-593-9892.

ANTIQUE BROKERS The Antique Brokers — multi dealer antique shop. Buying & selling antiques & collectables. Gerald A. Petro, 315-5619777, across from the Great Northern Mall, 4180 Rt. 31 Clay, NY. Buyers of gold, silver & coins. Vendors wanted.

APPRAISALS & ESTATES Antiques & Estates Specialists. We buy, sell, appraise, liquidate, auction. Barry L Haynes Co. 5872 Scenic Ave. Mexico, NY 315-963-0922, 41 years experience! :-)

AUTO COLLISION Northside Collision Baldwinsville. Upstate’s largest collision/repair center. Lifetime warranty loaners or rentals. We assist with the insurance claims. 75 E. Genesee St., Baldwinsville. More information, call 638-4444.

AUTO SALES & SERVICE Bellinger Auto Sales & Service — third generation business! Towing, auto parts & accessories, used car dealers, car batteries, automotive repair, Truck repair. Oil, lube & filter service. 2746 County Route 57 Fulton, NY 13069. Call 593-1332 or fax 598-5286.

AUTO SERVICE & TIRES Northstar Tire & Auto Service. Major/minor repairs. Foreign & domestic. alignments. Tire sales. Call Jim at 315-5988200. 1860 State Route 3W, in Fulton.

AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR Port City Car Care — Major/minor automotive repair & service. Excellent automotive repairs with small town family values. We take pride in what we do and strive for quality customer service. Call John at 315-207-0500, 20 Ohio St. Oswego.

BATTERIES JD BATTERIES-Oswego’s Battery Specialists. Automotive, marine/RV, snowmobile, motorcycle, jet ski, heavy duty, golf cart, cell phones, laptops. 200 W 4th St, Oswego (across from Stewarts). 315-216-4993 or 315-297-8412.

BEER BEER BEER C’s Farm Market & Beverage Center — where the beverages never end. Domestics, microbrews, imports. Our selection makes us the best! Fruit baskets. Rte. 104 West (behind Fajita Grill) Oswego. 343-1010. www. csfarmmarket.com.

BOTTLED SPRING WATER Bottled spring water and coffee service for home and office. We now have single serve cups for your K-cup brewer. Free delivery. Convenient. Refreshing. Economical. Jay Sea Distributing. 343-3700. Remember: buy local.

Gilbert Excavating. Septic Systems. Gravel & top soil. Septic and tank pumping. 691 Co. Rt. 3, Fulton 13069. Call 593-2472.

BUILDING SUPPLIES

FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT & SERVICES

BUILDING SUPPLIES

Jerome Fire Equipment Co., Inc. Portable fire extinguisher and kitchen suppression systems sales & service for the home and business. Home safety supplies: Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, escape ladders, etc. 8721 Caughdenoy Rd., Clay, NY 13041. 315-699-5288. www.jeromefire.com.

Burke’s Home Center. The complete building and supply center. Two locations: 38 E. Second St. in Oswego (3436147); and 65 North Second St. in Fulton (592-2244). Free deliveries.

Stripping, refinishing, regluing, repairs, restorations. Haynes Restorations. 5872 Scenic Ave., Mexico. 315963-0922. Commercial/residential. 33 yrs. exp.

Deaton’s Ace Building & Home Center. Your one stop home improvement shop 3970 Port St. (Rte 13) Pulaski, 315-298-2644.Web: www.deatonsace.com Store hours: Mon-Sat 7-7, Sunday 8-5.

FURNITURE RESTORATION

CLEAN UPS/CLEANOUTS

GIFT SHOP

Filthbusters weekly house cleaning. Spring-cleaning. Offices & businesses. We clean attics, garages, storage buildings, rental units, foreclosures & estates. We haul debris & unwanted items. Over 24 years in business, fully insured & competitively priced. Free estimate. Call 298-7222.

The Vintage Garden. 315-727-8388. Consignment & gift shoppe-antiques. Furniture, home & garden decor. 3715 St. Rte. 13 Pulaski (next to the Knights Inn). April-May hours W-F 10 - 4, Sat. 10 - 3.

CLEANING

Fulton Glass — Oswego County’s only full service glass shop. Residential. Commercial. Shower enclosures. Auto glass. Window and picture glass. Screen Repair. Window Repair. Beveled Mirrors and Glass. Hrs:M-Th 7-5, Fri 7-noon. FultonGlass.net, 840 Hannibal Street Fulton, NY 13069, 593-7913.

Clean Care Service. One source for all your cleaning needs. Carpets and upholstery, windows, floors, siding, gutters, interior painting, epoxy painting of concrete floors. Fully insured. 2072 Rabbit Lane Phoenix, NY. Call 695-6775 cleancareservice.com.

CLEANOUTS Manwaring Cleanouts. Serving all of Oswego County. Residential/commercial. Fully insured. A+ rating with BBB. Free estimates. Call Dave 315-593-9892.

CLOCK & WATCH REPAIR Brewerton Watch & Jewelry Repair. Watch & jewelry repair. Clock repair. 60 years in business. 9340 Brewerton Rd. Brewerton, NY. Call Orley at 676-7474.

GLASS

GUNS & AMMO Sharpshooters — Full svc gun store. Buy / sell / trade / transfer & storage. Long guns, hand guns. 315-298-5202. 1164 Co. Rt. 28, Pulaski.

HEATING & COOLING JR Comerford & Son-HVAC since 1916. Commercial & Residential Installation, Service & Repair of Heating, Air Conditioning & Air Quality Systems. www.jrcomerfordandson.com, 24 Ohio St. Oswego, NY 315.343.4030.

CLUTTER REMOVAL

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Expert Clutter Removal. We clean out your junk, not your wallet! Attics, basements, garages, yards, almost anything! Free estimates! Call Bruce 315-730-6370. Year round service! www.ExpertClutter.com.

Wet Paint Company. Paint, flooring, blinds & drapes. Free estimates. Call 315-343-1924, www.wetpaintcompany. com.

CONTRACTOR Natoli General Contractors. Residential & commercial. Bath & kitchen tilework. Masonry. Windows. Quality work. 3756 Co. Rte. 45 Oswego. Call 342-8850.

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

INTERIOR REMODELING C.P. Force LLC — Custom interior remodeling. Kitchens, baths, new rooms. Flooring, insulation, roofing, siding. One company does it all. Fully insured. 24 hr emergency svc Snow and Ice removal. Mark Davis 315-341-4949.

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

JEWELERS

LANDSCAPING

JP Jewelers is your hometown jeweler offering supreme design at wholesale prices. Whether you’re buying or selling, JP Jewelers is here to be your local jeweler. 136 W. Bridge St. Oswego. (315) 342-GOLD. Find us on Facebook.

D&S Landscaping Office. Servicing Oswego & surrounding areas. Quality work, prompt & dependable service. Free estimates. Fully insured. Backhoe services, Lawn mowing, snow plowing, top soil, tree work. Hydro-seeding, & asphalt seal coating. 315-598-6025 (cell 315-591-4303).

JEWELRY BUY /SELL

LUMBER

Bridge Street Jewelers, 137 East Bridge St. 315-342-0022. We sell quality jewelry at affordable prices. Layaway and credit available. Lowest prices on certified diamonds in the area. Always buying gold, silver & platinum.

D & D Logging and Lumber- Producers of high-grade hardwood lumber. Sales, full service sawmill, hardwood lumber, wood chips & bark, Timber cutting. Call us at 315593-2474, 1409 County Route 4 Central Square, NY 13036.

JUNK HAULING

White’s Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski: State Rte. 13, 298-6575; Watertown: N. Rutland St., 788-6200; Clayton: James St., 686-1892; Gouverneur: Depot St., 287-1892.

Pack Rat Rubbish Removal. Serving Oswego and Onondaga counties. Haul all of your unwanted junk away. Also sheds, fences, swimming pools, decks and more. Gutters cleaned. Prices starting @ $25. Credit cards accepted. Insured. Free estimates. Call 436-8051 or 708-4834.

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.

MOVING C&S Moving- Great customer service. Free estimatesInsured, call Chuck at 315-532-4443.

OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT BJ’s Outdoor Power Equipment/Sales & Service. 3649 State Route 3, Fulton, NY. www.bjsoutdoorpower.com. We sell Ferris, Echo, Central Boiler, and Snapper products. 315-598-5636.

PAWN BROKER Pawn Boss. We buy everything from game systems to

gold & silver. Coin collections, guitars, and flat screen TVs, too! Check us out on www.newyorkpawnboss. com.

PET GROOMING & KENNELS K9 Grooming & Pet Motel offers the finest possible loving, gentle care for your dogs & cats. Visit our website at www. k9groomingandpetmotel.com, call 315-343-5158 or stop in to see us at 2452 Co. Rte. 7 Oswego.

PORTABLE TOILETS Blue Bowl Sanitation Inc. Portable toilets, veteran-family-owned since 1952. bluebowlsanitationinc.com, 315593-3258, Fulton, NY 13069.

REMODELING JTS Remodeling. New construction, fiber cement siding, pole barns. All phases of construction & remodeling. Call Judd at 315-591-6959.

ROOFING Over The Top Roofing. Mike Majeski. Commercial & residential roofing. Quality craftsmanship. 50-year manufacturer’s warranty for residential roof. Call- 315-882-5255, 400 Co. Rte. 7 Hannibal, NY 13074.

SELF STORAGE Northway Mini Storage- Conveniently located at 279 Crosby Rd. Parish, NY. Best rates around! Call John or Mark at 315-625-7049. Don’t tow it, stow it.

ADVERTISING BARGAIN HEADING: LISTING:

$159 for 1 Year

Just fill out this form, and send it with a check to: DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

Oswego County Business P.O. Box 276 • Oswego, NY 13126 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Last Page

By Lou Sorendo

L. Michael Treadwell Talks about marketing campaign to urge officials to keep James A. FitzPatrick open Q.: Can you give us a sense of what the media campaign is about that the Industrial Developement Agency launched recently? A.: The intent is targeted to the crisis situation in terms of the potential loss of Entergy’s James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant and the economic impact associated with that. We want to get the word out to the governor, other state officials and the state at large as to how important the nuclear power industry is to the state of New York, and in the case of Entergy’s facility, to Oswego County and Central New York. It’s a big economic engine for the area and we wanted to make everybody aware of the fact that this isn’t just closing a plant. It’s closing a major economic player in our region. Q.: What various media are you using and how is the message being marketed? A.: We’re using pretty much everything, including Facebook and Twitter. We’re sending our message to all our allies via the Internet, whether they be elected officials or businesses in the area that have been very supportive of efforts to try to save the Entergy plant. We’re trying to hit every avenue that we can. We want our community in Central New York to stand behind Entergy, stand behind the nuclear industry, and the power generation industry as a whole. We’ve done ad placements in The Post-Standard and The Palladium-Times, as well as a publication in Westchester County where the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant is located. We’ve also been hitting the political and news talk shows and had one of our board members interviewed on Capital Tonight. CenterState CEO has also been pursued in terms of getting information out. The New York Times was also here doing interviews on the plant and its impact. 82

Q.: How did the initiative come about and what does it hope to accomplish? A.: The effort ties in with the initiative State Sen. William Barclay started with the recent rally to save the plant. At our Nov. 11 IDA meeting, we made the decision to keep the momentum going. The real issues that we face concern the nuclear industry as a whole in addition to Entergy, which is in a crisis mode. We also have the Exelon facilities that are very critical and important to our economy and energy mix in New York state. If there could be a way in which the state could step up in terms of looking at the nuclear industry more favorably in terms of its role in the energy mix in the state of New York, and in our case, Upstate New York, that would be beneficial to the bottom line. We’re also hoping there could be some incentive for the Entergy facility to reverse its notice to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the state’s Public Service Commission and refuel to keep the plant operating.

able energy gets all types of carbon tax credits, and that is an element that could be made available to nuclear power. Nuclear power is virtually carbon free. Our No. 1 goal is to have a refueling in 2016. If it is determined that Entergy will shut the facility down at some point in time, and if it is refueled, it increases the probability that there could be another operator to take over Entergy’s license. A winning scenario for Oswego County and the power industry in the state of New York and Central New York becomes much less probable without the plant being refueled and continuing operations. It’s much more difficult to find a buyer for your car if the engine won’t start.

Q.: How much is the Industrial Development Agency investing in this media campaign? Is this money well spent? A.: We have not at this point in time established a figure. This is an evolving initiative. We haven’t capped anything and are monitoring things very closely in terms of what we are doing. Q.: Is it reasonable to believe that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has the power and influence to keep the plant operating under Entergy or a different owner? A.: We know the governor is the key figure in this initiative in terms of trying to save this plant. The governor said he wants this plant to continue to operate. He’s taken a positive step in terms of the energy plan with nuclear power. RenewOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Treadwell is the executive director of Operation Oswego County and CEO of Oswego County Industrial Development Agency.

DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016

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