OSWEGO COUNTY
BUSINESS February-March 2021
cnybusinessmag.com
$4.50
Covering Oswego, Onondaga counties
Entrepreneur Leaving His Mark in Oswego Atom Avery just finished his most ambitious project to date — Litatro, a new five-story building in the heart of downtown Oswego, featuring 20 luxury residences, retail space, restaurant and rooftop deck that will be transformed into a destination place featuring ‘world class eats.’
CNY’s Business Magazine
PROGRESS ISSUE Analysis of 9 key sectors of the economy. Plus, economic trends, jobs, major projects and more.
Inside: Five Signs of a Good Start-up Idea
Had a Stroke. Back on Stage.
Musician Todd Hobin KNOW THE SIGNS • CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY
Central New York music legend Todd Hobin knew nothing about stroke — but he does now. That’s why he’s raising awareness about stroke risk factors and its signs and symptoms.
F.
FACE DROOPING
A. S. T.
ARM WEAKNESS
SPEECH DIFFICULTY
Fact: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Important to know: Stroke can happen to both men and women — at any age. Good news: Stroke is preventable by managing medical risk factors and healthy lifestyle choices. What to do: Time lost is brain lost. So it’s vital to know the signs of a stroke — F.A.S.T. Four words to live by: Call 911 and say, “Take me to Crouse.“ When it comes to stroke, every moment matters. As one of just 10 hospitals in New York State tohave earned Comprehensive Stroke Center status, and with the region’s newest ER and hybrid ORs, Crouse offers the most advanced technology for rapid stroke diagnosis and treatment
Read Todd’s story and learn more: crouse.org/toddhobin.
TIME TO CALL 911
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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
COVER STORY
50
Atom Avery celebrates the completion of his most ambitious project to date, the Litatro building in downtown Oswego
Excellus’ crisis plan helps company pivot. P. 88
Issue 172
Business is good for Pulaskibased HealthWay. P. 94
SPECIAL FEATURES
2021
On the Job Business owners talk about their main goals...............11
• 2021 employment outlook • Analysis of nine key sectors of CNY’s economy •Updates onmajor projects in Fulton, Oswego, Onondaga, Jefferson counties • Drone industry soars to new heights in Central New York
Fauci Effect Enrollment is up 40% at University at Buffalo, 26.2% at SUNY Upstate.....................................................................................................62
Profile Catherine Gill is now the CEO at St. Luke Health Center...16 New Restaurants Bucking the trend, two local restaurateurs open new eateries in Oswego. They discuss their decisions.................28 Small Business Five signs of a good start-up idea........................40
ALSO: New health-related laws and how they will affect you. P. 86
Dining out
30
Fate of Suburban Malls Many factors exist as to why traditional malls are biting the dust.......................................................................................44
New administration brings renewed hope for I-81 project. P. 47
SUNY Oswego professor finds succcess operating goat farm. P. 31
DEPARTMENTS How I Got Started Matt Dawson, mydigitaldiscount.com.......................14
Where is Sandra Scott Istanbul, where East meets West.........................20 Newsmakers / Business Updates..............................................................22, 32 My Turn Old book describes the Trump phenomenon........................42
Tim's Corners Tug Hill Outfitters to help you explore the outdoors....48
Nothing beats a diner — and Sherry’s Downtown Diner in Oswego won’t disappoint you. 4
Economic Trends Assistance to businesses during the pandemic........60
Guest Columnist Obligation of nonprofit directors......................................93
Last Page Katie Toomey: On providing assistance to businesses.......98 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021 OSWEGOAudi, COUNTY BUSINESS 5 Over 20 New Vehicle Franchises Including Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Ram, Volkswagen and More
Burritt Motors, Oswego
Acro-Fab.................................43 AHR Plumning......................23 Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home...................43 ALPS Professional Services.23 Aqua Spa Float Center ........12 ARISE......................................82 BarclayDamon.......................49 Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law..............13 Bosco & Geers........................56 Brookfield Renewable Power.................................41 Buckingham Brothers...........36 Builder’s FirstSource..............3 Burke’s Home Center...........23 Burritt Motors........................24 C & S Companies..................13 C J Demears Mechanical......36 Canale’s Italian Cuisine........27 Canale’s Ins. & Acc. .............29 Century 21 Galloway Realty...............23 Compass Credit Union.........17 ConnextCare..........................19 Cornell Cooperative Extension...........................15 Crouse Hospital.......................2 Dain Cullinan Funeral Home...................36 6
Patterson Warehousing........79 Pontiac Care and Rehabilitation Center ......81 Port of Oswego Authority....58 Johnston Gas..........................25 Ranmar...................................25 JTS Remodeling.....................41 RiverHouse Restaurant........27 Lakeshore Hardwoods.........59 Rowlee Construction............15 Laser Transit...........................36 Rudy’s Lakeside Drive-In....27 LC Cleaners............................22 SBDC – Small Business Litrato Building.....................24 Development Center........26 Local 43 (NECA EBEW).......73 Scriba Electric.........................25 MACNY..................................77 Spereno Construction...........25 Menter Ambulance...............87 Sweet-Woods Memorial.......56 Mimi’s Drive Inn...................27 Tax Time of CNY Inc.............43 Mitchell Speedway Technology Development Printing..............................58 Organization (TDO).........58 Mopping Mamas...................23 The Gardens Mr. Sub ...................................27 at Morningstar .................83 NET Die Inc............................10 The Medicine Place...............87 Northern Ace.........................59 Three Sisters...........................39 Novelis..................................100 United Wire Technology......38 Ol’ Factory Soups & Scents..39 Universal Metal Works.........79 Ontario Orchards..................39 Vashaw’s Collision................26 Operation Oswego Co..........99 Watertown Industrial Center Oswego County FCU............38 of Local Development.....73 Oswego Co. Mutual Ins........17 WD Malone............................25 Oswego County Opportunities Whelan & Curry OCO.....................................8 Construction.......................6 Oswego Health .....................85 White’s Lumber.....................25 Pathfinder Bank.......................9 WRVO.....................................92
Advertisers
Davis-Standard LLC.............26 Driver’s Village.......................5 Eastern Shore Asso. Ins........41 Ellen Ladd Tax.......................15 Empower FCU.........................7 Excellus - BlueCross BlueShield.........................91 Exelon Generation ................99 Financial Partners of Upstate..........................57 Fitzgibbons Agency..............59 Foster Funeral Home............57 Freedom Real Estate.............36 Fulton Block Builders...........29 Fulton Oswego Motor Express...................79 Fulton Savings Bank.............18 Fulton Taxi..............................58 Fulton Tool Co.......................59 Gartner Equipment...............69 Granger’s Construction........10 Harbor Eye Associates..........82 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY............85 Howard Hanna Real Estate.57 Image Now By Mahar..........49
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Empowering People. Improving Lives.
CNY’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE OswegoCountyBusiness.com Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto
Writers
No matter what the “new normal” looks like, OCO will stay running strong to provide more than 50 services to help individuals and families move from poverty to self-sufficiency.
Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Christopher Malone Ken Sturtz, Mary Beth Roach Payne Horning
Columnists
L. Michael Treadwell Bruce Frassinelli, Sandra Scott Tim Nekritz, Richard Weber
Advertising
Peggy Kain Richard Annal
Office Manager Nancy Nitz
Layout and Design Dylon Clew-Thomas
Cover Photo
Chuck Wainwright
#OCOHere4You
Transportation. Addiction recovery. Job readiness. Sexual health. Cancer screenings. Homes for the developmentally disabled. Head Start. Meals on Wheels. Housing for homeless youth, individuals, and families. Mental health services. Reproductive health. WIC. Outreach. Crisis hotlines. Victim advocacy. After-school programs. Literacy.
Oswego County Business is published by Local News, Inc., which also publishes CNY Summer Guide, Business Guide, CNY Winter Guide, College Life, In Good Health– The Healthcare Newspaper (four editions), CNY Healthcare Guide and 55PLUS, a Magazine for Active Adults (two editions) Published bimonthly (6 issues a year) at 185 E. Seneca Street PO Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126. Subscription: $21.50 a year; $35 for two years © 2020 by Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Buffalo, NY Permit No. 4725
How to Reach Us
P.O. Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: 315-342-8020 Fax: 315-342-7776 Email: Editor@OswegoCountyBusiness.com 8
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
“I shared with Pat that there’s nobody better to work with than Pathfinder. I told him to go in and lay the cards on the table. Tell them this is what you need, and then they’re going to say, “What hoops do we have to jump through to get you there?”
“It’s nice to be recognized as somebody. I walk into Pathfinder and one of the tellers say, “You’re the fried chicken guy.” That’s why we moved back. New York City is a lot of fun, Boston is a lot of fun, but you’re just another number. Oswego is home.” PAtrick mitcheLL - southern FAre downtown oswego
Atom Avery - LitAtro BuiLding downtown oswego
CONGRAT ULAT IONS T O SOUTHERN FARE ON THEIR GRAND OPENING
!
Small Business is crucial to the success of any growing community. We aim to be there from the very beginning, when it counts. The wellbeing of our city, our home, depends on all of us working together and we plan to continue building Oswego alongside you.
To learn more about our personalized approach to banking, visit any of our 10 locations throughout Onondaga and Oswego counties or reach out to us by phone 315-343-0057 or at www.pathfinderbank.com
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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ON THE JOB What are your main goals this year and how you can make them reality Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant “I would say that our top goal always is to be the region’s first choice for quality healthcare. With that, we continue to strategically look for opportunities to improve access to care for the community, and a major focus for Oswego Health in 2021 will be to increase market share in Fulton as we see this as a significant growth opportunity for the organization. Our first initiative in Fulton is to expand our primary care services in this market and I’m excited to share that we will be opening another office in April. Also, our physician relationship manager and our referral center is collaborating with community providers on ways to improve access to our specialty services for their patients.” Michael Harlovic CEO and president, Oswego Health, Oswego
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“Having been in the Central New York recruiting field for over 30 years, we are seeing certain key markets and industries prospering during these challenging times. We remain optimistic and positive that we will continue to move forward and assist more people in furthering their careers. On behalf of our entire agency, we would like to give thanks to the front-line workers for all they are doing. We wish continued success to all.” Carol R. Fletcher Owner C.R. Fletcher Associates, Inc., Syracuse “The goal for The Watertown-Oswego SBDC is to improve our visibility in the three counties that we serve. Those being Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego counties. In order to
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
accomplish this, we are increasing our advertising both conventionally and digitally. We are also generating more content for our social media channels, including YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.” John R Halleron Senior advisor, Watertown-Oswego SBDC, Oswego “We want to continue to stay open and to make it so people feel confident enough to travel again and to use their local travel agency, Canalview Travel, when making their future travel arrangements instead of booking online. We are still here. We have been staying up-to-date with all travel safety protocols and guidelines to pass on to our clients. We are also reaching out to our clients via email, social media and direct mailings with sales promotions to help plan their next vacation.” Sandy Shue Manager, Canalview Travel, Fulton “We want to offer advice and services that help stabilize our business clients’ companies. It is pretty early but we have developed a plan of action and communication.” James Loperfido CEO, JGL Management Consulting Inc., Auburn
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“Operation Oswego County is a nonprofit economic development organization serving all of Oswego County. In 2020, there was an emphasis on assisting the small business community due to the pandemic and we will continue to provide assistance to small businesses to help them through the pandemic, as was done in 2020, where hundreds of businesses received relief financing and deferments from existing loan payments. Special relief programs created last year have been extended and our partners, the SBA and COIDA, are continuing to provide support for businesses.” L. Michael Treadwell Executive director, Operation Oswego County, Oswego “The top goal for my organization, Women TIES, LLC, is to support my members with additional promotion, publicity and press services to help them gain recognition, branding and more sales. Women-owned businesses are suffering during the pandemic so we will spend more oneon-one time with members to support them in a greater way, which we believe is through PR, connections and social media focus. We are preparing new documentation, videos and podcasts by mid-February to educate members on our new focus in 2021. ” Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham President, Women TIES, LLC, Syracuse “I have a lot of different services involving coaching and teaching modeling techniques. There’s also personal training. It’s a one-stop shop
for women and I want to continue to promote this in 2021. My main goal is to grow my clientele and spread the news about Fit to Reign.” Corrin Stellakis Certified personal trainer and owner, Fit to Reign Personal Training, North Syracuse “We’re hoping to continue to make ends meet. We are a show barn, so we have students who show and boarders who show. We’re hoping COVID ends soon. We’re starting to see the economic impact of COVID as we have some empty stalls and every stable in the neighborhood suffers the same thing. People go from stable to stable so the competition increased.” Allen Hinman Co-owner Buxton Creek Stables, Brewster
and doors in Oswego and Onondaga counties. We want to make sure we have a family oriented persona about our company. My goals are to make sure everything we do is community oriented. We want to be the No. 1 company. We are working on more promotion. We use Thryve, which is fixing our whole website. They advertise for us through the counties and promote us on Facebook. We’re just starting to use this company more.” Samantha Bonnett General manager, Bonnet Sales and Service, Central Square
“I want to do what I do every year: help people with their real estate needs both now and beyond. Sometimes it’s not about selling a home as quickly as possible, but it’s about selling a home five to seven years from now. We may look around their home and evaluate what they could im“My goal this year is to increase prove upon. We list things they need revenue much more than the econto do with their home before getting it omy grows. I would like to do an on the market so they have something excellent, better than expected job to work toward. Instead of waiting of keeping my clients happy. I’m to redo the kitchen seven years from working harder, trying to be smarter now when you want to sell, why not and doing the best I can. People who redo it now and enjoy it? A home is are customers in my field come to us because they are not comfortable han- the most valuable asset people own dling financial matters for themselves. — far more valuable than anything else they have. Small things that they We want our business to grow and can take care of themselves can make our clients to be delighted with us.” David Mirabito a difference, like the color of their Financial adviser with Mirabito paint. It is not always completely renFinancial Group, Fulton ovating the entire house. Something so small can make a difference in the money they receive. “We are a 50-plus year family Judy M. Winslow business. Every year for us is about Real estate broker, Hunt Real Estate trying to make sure the community ERA, Manlius is taken care of for their windows
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Started How I Got By Lou Sorendo
Matthew Dawson Entrepreneur started his business — mydigitaldiscount.com — in the late ‘90s while in college. It’s still going strong
Q.: What motivated you to launch MyDigitalDiscount.com Inc. in 2001?
A.: I got started in college in the late ‘90s when I wanted to make some extra money for beer and stuff like that. Using the Swap Sheet, I would go around back in the day and buy lots of goods, mostly gaming systems. I would purchase 30 to 40 different games and then sell them individually on eBay. Q.: Were you making money?
A.: I was making pretty decent money with that, but I was in college and it was a part-time fun thing. However, I got upset at how long it took for images I was taking to save onto memory, so I decided I was going to figure out why it was so slow. What I ended up finding out was the flash memory controllers back in the day were essentially junk. I went and began looking for who has a new flash memory controller coming out, what the technology was doing and how it was progressing. After an extensive Google search, I came across a company in Taiwan called Realtek that was bringing out a new controller, and according to its website, was 20 times faster than any other controller on the market. I received a sample, put it in my camera, clicked the picture button and it was done almost instantly. Right then and there, I knew I was onto something. However, the minimum order quantity was 100 pieces. Q.: How did you get together the necessary funding to make the business happen?
A.: I ended up selling my car and getting rid of all possessions I had that were worth money at that time. I was short about $4,000 of the $16,800 needed to get the minimum quantity order of the lower-end memory cards. Fortunately, Alcan Employees Federal Credit Union approved a $4,000 loan for me that my awesome dad co-signed for, and that allowed me to make that minimum order and get started. That’s when I began an adventure that turned out to be mydigitaldiscount.com. Q.: Did you face any particular obstacles at the time?
A.: I was met with a lot of skepticism at the outset, with people calling me a liar, cheat and fraud. They would say, “It’s not true and 14
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‘It’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Last year was expected to be one of the best years we would ever have in our history, and we were targeting $10 million in sales. But COVID-19 hit, and the year went downhill’ can’t be real. There’s multi-million dollar corporations selling these types of products, and there is no way you have a product that is 20 times better than theirs.” It took a while to convince people to start buying because they literally thought it was nonsense. But once people started buying, they reported back on message boards and forums that it was for real. Q.: How did you do financially in the first few years?
A.: From 2000 to 2002, I did amazing sales considering I was just a kid fresh out of college. I was selling probably $200,000 worth of products a month and realizing about 25% margins. It was not all fun and games or anything like that. I reinvested money back into the business over the years. At that time, I was selling just compact flash cards. I would then move into portable storage devices and have been dealing in solid-state drives since 2007. Q.: At what location did you get the business started?
A.: My first location was my college apartment, which I quickly outgrew. You had to walk along a narrow path between two rows of boxes to get to my bedroom. Under the mentorship of the late Larry Perras, I took the Micro-Enterprise Small Business Training Program. Larry was an inspiration to my
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In Health, Food & Nutrition Providing nutrition education to county residents from preschool through their senior years
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Continued on page 96 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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PROFILE By Ken Sturtz
Catherine Gill New CEO of St.Luke Health Services, Oswego County’s largest nursing home, takes the helm amid coronavirus pandemic
W
hen Catherine Gill arrived at St. Luke 32 years ago as the new controller, the 120-bed health-related facility had only two payer sources – Medicaid and private – and just three people in its business office. “It was pretty straightforward and easy,” she says. “Over the years things have changed.” Add being a new boss to the changes. Gill is now chief executive officer of St. Luke Health Services and its affiliated nonprofit providers Bishop’s Commons and St. Francis Commons in Oswego. She took the helm at the beginning of the year following the retirement of longtime CEO Terrence Gorman. The organization Gill now oversees provides healthcare and residential services to more than 300 people a day and employs a staff of 400. Gill grew up in Oswego and came to St. Luke early in her career after earning a business administration degree from SUNY Oswego. She admits she didn’t intend to stay for three decades, but says she was able to grow within the organization. As the facility expanded in the early 1990s, the board of directors wanted another licensed administrator as a backup. So, Gill became licensed and moved into the assistant administrator role in 1993; a decade after that she became chief operating officer. “‘I grew up here’ is what I tell people,” Gill says, laughing. “I’ve done it all in this organization and I’m excited for the opportunity to move into the administrator/CEO role.” Gill says she’s prepared to lead St. Luke because her boss, Gorman, allowed her to learn and play an important role in running the organization. The pair worked together for 32 years and during that time Gorman was being a tremendous mentor, she says. Gorman is quick to point to Gill’s depth of knowledge of long-term care, bolstered by the fact that she’s one of the most senior employees in the organization.
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“For our organization to be able to have a resource like Cathy Gill has always been invaluable,” Gorman says. “And so, for us to be able to have her take over in my role has been one of the best transitions any organization could hope for.” Having a steady, experienced hand leading the organization is crucial as St. Luke and residential care facilities nationwide deal with the ongoing pressure of the COVID-19 virus. Gill says the pandemic has been difficult on both residents and staff. In the United States, more than 100,000 residents and staff of long-term care facilities have died from the virus. In the interest of keeping them safe, nursing home residents have gone months without their families being able to visit in person, a situation that has been extremely hard. Staff have worked with residents to set up video chats via Skype, FaceTime and Zoom to help them stay in touch
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
with family. And some family have been able to visit outside windows. Challenging times have necessitated being flexible and willing to adapt. Gill says she’s especially proud of the staff for helping address a unique problem. Since the pandemic ended in-person visits, nursing homes have been flooded with calls from families checking on their loved ones. It can be as simple as someone calling because a parent isn’t answering the phone. Normally, the call would go to the resident’s floor for staff to field. But with no family visits, the number of calls checking on residents skyrocketed, pulling staff away from providing hands-on care to residents. Several months ago, the staff came up with a solution. “We asked them to help and they came up with this idea and I just love it,” Gill says. “It was very, very creative.” Employees Lending Family Support, or E.L.F.S., was the result. In essence, employees adopt specific units and become the contact person for fam-
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
ilies. The employee can update family on how their loved one is doing, or if they’re having trouble reaching their loved one, the employee can find out what’s going on. Families know they can call that specific person for updates, and other staff can spend more time caring for residents. Dealing with the strain on staff during the pandemic has also been challenging. New directives from the health department have come on a weekly and even daily basis, forcing staff to adapt, Gill says. They must remain clad in protective gear throughout their shift, even when helping residents with difficult tasks such as showering. And they have worried about their own health. Gill says they’ve tried to emphasize employee appreciation by offering free meals and having shirts made up that say “Healthcare Heroes.” Employees also received yearend bonuses. “You hear that phrase “healthcare heroes” thrown around, but it is true,” Gill says. “I have been humbled with this pandemic to see how our staff have just pulled together and rallied for our residents because it’s all about keeping them safe.” Preventing staff burnout remains crucial and Gill has tried to lead by example when it comes to having a work-life balance, though she admits that has been easier said than done recently. “I learned early on that you sometimes have to leave things at work,” she says. “If you take it home I don’t think you’re effective.” Outside of work, Gill loves to dote on her Havanese dog named Cocoa. She also enjoys cooking for family and friends and especially barbecuing in the summer. She says she loves learning to cook new dishes and is open to trying just about anything. Her true vacation doesn’t begin, however, until she’s left land. Over the years Gill has taken roughly 30 cruises. She takes three cruises a year and says that’s when she can recharge. “There’s something to always look forward to,” she says. “It’s extremely relaxing.” Gill took her first cruise after she and a friend decided to do something different for vacation. They met some nice people on the cruise and quickly became friends. For the last few years, they’ve taken cruises together and enjoy catching up with each other. And her favorite cruise destination? The Caribbean because, as much as she loves Oswego, she wants to be someplace FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
warm on vacation. Gill says she doesn’t anticipate making any significant changes as CEO until after the danger from the pandemic has passed. She says she has heard from many employees who are glad she is taking on the new role, rather than an outsider who isn’t familiar with the organization and its culture. She has an open-door policy and describes her management style as collaborative. Cheryl Ascenzi and Gill grew up together in Oswego and remained lifelong friends. She says the passion and commitment Gill has for caring for the residents, families and employees at St. Luke is simply a part of her personality. Gill fulfills a similar caretaker role with family and friends, Ascenzi says. She’s often the first person to sense that a friend or family member is in distress, sometimes before they realize it or express it themselves. She is the kind of person who remembers birthdays and milestones, Ascenzi says. During good times she is the glue that pulls people together. In difficult times, she is the rock others lean on for support. Those qualities are part of what makes her a good fit to run St. Luke, Ascenzi says. “Cathy is a servant leader,” she says. “She wouldn’t ask someone in the organization to do something that she wouldn’t be willing to do herself.”
Lifelines
Birthplace: Oswego Current Residence: Oswego Education: Oswego High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from SUNY Oswego in 1988, received a master’s degree in management in 1994, received a Master Of Business Administration in 1997, received her New York State Nursing Home administrator’s license in 1998 Affiliations: Member of LeadingAge New York, Long Term Care Executive Council, past board officer for the New York Association of Long Term Care Administrators Personal: Single, Havanese named Cocoa Hobbies: Enjoys cooking and traveling. Has taken about 30 cruises, but none since the pandemic began. Enjoys making friends on cruises. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Publisher’s note By Wagner Dotto
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aid advertising is key to keeping investment in advertising with us is very low. this magazine going, and we’re Like most business, we’ve been thankful so many of our adverhit hard by the pandemic — our sales tisers have continued running ads volume has dropped more than 20% with us, even during the pandemic. in 2020 and remains down in 2021. Advertising provides the means Despite that, we have continued for us to publish. Simply put, if we don’t have enough ads, we can’t pub- working to improve the product. Many longtime readers may lish. So, it’s in order to thank those recall Oswego County Business as a businesses and organizations that black and white magazine, printed on have chosen to advertise in Oswego opaque white offset stock — a grade County Business — even during or two higher than newsprint. That tough times. has changed in the last few years. The pandemic has thrown everyToday Oswego County Business is thing up in the air. We’re somewhat printed entirely on glossy stock and is lucky that about 90% of our total 100% color. That gives us the chance distribution — 6,500 / 7,000 total to use more and larger photos, which copies per issue — is mailed directmakes the publication more visually ly to readers. That guarantees that appealing. We have added pages — readers receive the publication on a the magazine usually prints with 96 regular basis and that advertisers getHOME MORTGAGE LOANS pages plus cover. the exposure they seek. SERVICE We’ve also expanded the range We also publish this magazine with PERSONAL of stories we publish. Years ago, our every other month (six times a year), focus was exclusively Oswego Couna low number of editions annualty. Since a couple of years, we’ve ly, meaning that for companies the
adopted a more regional approach to covering the news. Readers now can catch great stories about developments taking place in Oswego, Onondaga and Cayuga counties. From time to time, we even include stories from Jefferson and Madison counties. Our economy is very interconnected and it makes sense for the publication to cover a larger area. Oswego County Business is CNY’s only business magazine and we strive to make it a truly premium, regional magazine — and advertisers play an important role in that.
WAGNER DOTTO is the publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
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Where in the World is Sandra Scott? By Sandra Scott
V
isit two continents but just one city. It is where East meets West. The Bosporus Strait separates the city of Istanbul in Turkey with Asia on one side and Europe on the other. Its strategic location has made it a crossroads of the world, where the influences of many empires are still evident. An inexpensive ferry connects Europe and Asia. Istanbul was the capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. The city has been known by several names, Byzantium, Stamboul and Constantinople. A gold record by The Four
Istanbul, Where East Meets West Lads celebrated the 500th anniversary in 1953 of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans with the song, “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” a lighthearted reference to the name change. Constantinople was protected by a series of walls that were added to and modified over the years. It was considered one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built, portions of which are still visible in places. The best place to get an overview of the city is from Galata Tower, built in the 1300s. It is one of the highest and oldest in Istanbul. It was once used for
surveillance and now offers a great 360 view of the city. Elevators carry visitors to the upper levels. Besides the view, there is a restaurant and a nightclub that hosts a Turkish show. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, familiarly known as the Blue Mosque, is a functioning mosque that is also a top tourist attraction. Constructed between 1609 and 1616, the name is derived from the hand-painted blue tiles that adorn the interior and the blue stained glass windows. Nearby is the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul’s principal mosque and another popular tourist site. Con-
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, is a functioning mosque constructed between 1609 and 1616. It’s one of Istanbul’s top tourist attraction.
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
struction started in 537 and at one time it was the largest Christian Church in the Byzantine Empire. In 1453 with the takeover of the Ottoman Empire it was converted to a mosque. When visiting a mosque, modest dress is required, most mosques provide wraps, and shoes must be removed. To see how the powerful once lived and some of their riches visit Topkapi Palace built in the 1400s and Dolmabahçe Palace, the largest palace in Turkey with 285 rooms. Don’t miss bumping shoulders with the everyday people at the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest markets in the world with over 4,000 shops. It is considered one of the world’s first shopping malls and it can be overwhelming. Just go slow taking in the sights, sounds and the smells. Accept the free samples, and bargaining is the norm. For a riot of color and smells stop by the Spice Market. The Basilica Cistern is an incredible underground water system built it in 532 to provide water to the grand palace. Readers of Dan Brown’s book “Inferno” will recognize it as where one of the book’s most dramatic scenes takes place. Concerts are held here on occasion. Enjoy some of Turkey’s delicious cuisine. The most famous sweets are Turkish delights, a jelled confection that may contain dates and nuts; and baklava, thin layers of dough with nuts and syrup. A common street food is the “doner” similar to a Greek gyro. Turkish coffee is strong and often sweetened with sugar and cardamom. “rucka” is the national drink similar to anise-flavored ouzo Visitors need a valid passport and a visa, which can be acquired online. Mastercard and Visa are widely accepted. Credit cards from credit unions do not always work outside the United States. On the streets there are touts offering free tours and other freebies which ultimately end up including a visit to their “uncle’s” carpet store. It is best to decline unless you want to buy a carpet. Sandra Scott, a retired history teacher and the co-author of two local history books, has been traveling worldwide with her husband, John, since the 1980s. The Scotts live in the village of Mexico. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
For a riot of color and smells, stop by the Spice Market, a popular stop at the Grand Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest markets in the world with over 4,000 shops.
Galata Tower offers visitor a panoramic view of Istanbul. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Image of Medusa at The Basilica Cistern in Istabul. 21
NEWSMAKERS NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE Tricia Peter-Clark to Become CEO at ConnextCare Tricia Peter-Clark, the executive vice president and chief operating officer at ConnextCare, will become the health center’s new CEO in June, following the retirement of Dan Dey, who served on the position for 13 years. “I am very grateful for the ConnextCare board’s confidence in me. I look forward to continuing to build on the impressive legacy that was established by Dan Dey and excited about the many strategic opportunities ahead,” she said. Prior to joining ConnextCare in 2013, Peter-Clark was the coordinator of the Rural Health Network of Oswego County and director of health operations, both under the auspices of Oswego County Opportunities (OCO). She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health services from D’Youville College in Buffalo and holds a master’s
degree in business administration, with a concentration in leadership, from St. Joseph’s College of Maine. She is also a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. ConnextCare operates health centers in Fulton, Mexico, Oswego, Parish, Phoenix and Pulaski. It also operates seven school-based health centers located in APW, Mexico, Pulaski, Fulton and Sandy Creek School districts. “ConnextCare will undoubtedly continue its success under the very capable leadership of Tricia,” said Dey. “Her accomplishments have been innumerable and remarkable since joining ConnextCare when it acquired several primary care practices from OCO and Oswego Health in 2013. She has been singularly instrumental in building a cohesive and positive culture among the initially diverse programs, and effecting a very successful rebranding from Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc. to the symbolic ConnextCare. Among her many notable successes, she has been pivotal to guiding ConnextCare through the challenging COVID-19 pandemic.” Established in 1969, ConnextCare is a patient-centered network of health care practices providing Oswego and surrounding county residents with a variety of comprehensive health care and related services. The center is operated by a private, partially federally funded
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Four Attorneys Join Olinsky Law Group Olinsky Law Group announced four new attorneys have joined the Syracuse-based firm. “Our firm is experiencing a surge in federal court Social Security disability appeals nationwide, and these newest team members will enable us to meet the need for this growing demand,” said Howard Olinsky, the firm’s managing partner. The attorneys are: • Susan Allen, who earned her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, Boston, in 2019. She also holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and history from Colgate U n i v e r s i t y, Hamilton, (2015). She is a member of the American Bar Association, Massachu-
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setts Bar Association and the Asian American Bar Association. She previously worked for Long, Hagan, Huff-Harris, LLC and other Boston-based firms. Allen resides in Syracuse. • Amy Ganetis, who earned her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, magna cum laude, in 2010. She also holds a Master of Arts in criminal justice from the University of Albany (2008); a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and sociology, summa cum laude, from the University of Albany (2006); and an associate’s degree in criminal justice, summa cum laude, from Onondaga Community College (2005). Among other places, she worked for the Mafrici Law Office, PC, in Cicero. Ganetis resides in Parish. • Alexander Hobaica, who earned his J.D. from Albany Law School in 2017. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in government and politics, summa cum laude, from Utica College (2014). He has been admitted to the bar in Minnesota, the District of Northern New York and the District of Colorado. Among other places, he previously worked for Vindigni, Betro & Getman, PLLC, in Oneida. Hobaica resides in Utica. • Va l e r i e D i d a m o e a r n e d her J.D. from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law in 1990. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in biology with a pre-med course of study from Iona College in New Rochelle (1983), and she is a member of the New York State Bar Association. Among other places, previously she worked for Stanley Law Offices in Syracuse. She resides in Cicero. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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SUNY Counseling Services Center Director Gets Award Katherine Wolfe-Lyga, director of theSUNYOswego Counseling Services Center, recently earned a national award for her far-reaching leadership in the field of campus mental health. The Association of University and College Counseling Center (AUCCCD) conferred its AUCCCD President’s Award on Wolfe-Lyga “to recognize her meritorious contributions,” Barry A. Schreier, chairman of AUCCCD’s Communication Committee, wrote in notifying the campus. AUCCCD, the largest organization of campus mental health leaders in the world, annually recognizes member achievements that exemplify excellence in the promotion of mental health for colleges and universities.
The recognition supports a team and college-wide effort, said Wolfe-Lyga, who has provided leadership at Oswego, her undergraduate alma mater, since January 2016. “This acknowledgment of the work is a statement of the support that I am given,” Wolfe-Lyga noted. “SUNY Oswego’s leadership understands mental health support must reach beyond the confines of counseling services and demonstrates a commitment to the mental health of our students. Additionally, the collaboration with colleagues in other departments and the talent and strength of the counselors in the department enables me to provide meaningful support in national efforts in college mental health.” “The AUCCCD award is a national recognition and highlights not only Kate Wolfe-Lyga’s contribution nationally, but is a significant recognition of Kate Wolfe-Lyga as a national leader from your campus,” Schreier noted, adding it shows “that your counseling center and campus employs a national leader in campus mental health.”
Oswego Health Foundation Has New Board Members The Oswego Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the health system, has announced four new board members. They will serve for a threeyear term, concluding June 2023. They are: • Tara FitzGibbons is the business manager and group health administrator at FitzGibbons Agency, LLC, a local and independent full-service insurance agency. FitzGibbons attended SUNY Oswego and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1994, then continued her education earning a Master of Arts in organizational communication from SUNY Albany in 1996. FitzGibbons
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served as a board member/treasurer of the Friends of Oswego County Hospice board and served as an Oswego Hospital board member from 2009-2011. She is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Oswego County and a 2004-2005 Oswego County Forty Under Forty honoree. • Craig Fitzpatrick is a financial adviser at Pathfinder Bank, who enjoys helping clients of all ages prepare for financial success. Fitzpatrick attended St. John Fisher College and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 2006. He is active in the community and serves on the board of directors of the Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County, Fulton Kiwanis Club, and has served on the Oswego Health golf tournament committee for the past five years. • John Sharkey IV is the president of Universal Metal Works, a leading metal fabrication facility in Fulton. Sharkey attended St. Lawrence University where he majored in both math and economics and graduated magna cum laude in 2005. He then continued his education earning an MBA in finance and entrepreneurship from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2007. • Heather Sunser is a financial services practice group leader at Barclay Damon,LLP.She primarily concentrates her practice on real estate law, institutional lending, land use and municipal compliance. Sunser attended SUNY University at Albany and earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1996, then continued her education earning a Master of Arts from SUNY Oswego then later her Juris FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law where she graduated magna cum laude in 2001. Sunser volunteers at Vera House Legal Clinic, Habitat for Humanity, Volunteer Lawyer Project of Onondaga County, and serves on the board of trustees for Onondaga County Bar Foundation. The 2020-21 Oswego Health Foundation board of directors consists of: Ed Alberts, chairman; Peter Cullinan, vice chairman; Mark Slayton, treasurer; Katie Toomey, secretary; Julia Burns; Rachael A. Dator; Mary Ann Drumm; and Michael Harlovic, president & CEO Oswego Health.
Oswego County’s ‘Next Great Idea’ Call For Entries “The Next Great Idea Oswego County Business Plan Competition” (NGI) is calling for entries for this year’s competition which culminates with $80,000 in prizes, said NGI Chairperson Austin Wheelock, deputy director for Operation Oswego County (OOC). The NGI competition is accepting business concept proposals through April 30. “We’re excited this year to offer $50,000 in seed capital to the overall winner. The second and third place winners will receive a combination of seed capital and in-kind business services worth $20,000 and $10,000, respectively. We feel growing the competition in this way will help attract even bigger and better ideas to the competition and show the region and beyond that we are serious about encouraging entrepreneurship in Oswego County.” The entire competition will consist of three phases, starting with the Business Concept Proposal which will be due by April 30. The competition’s website, www.oswegocounty.org/NGI/ index.htm, includes an overview of the event, competition timeline, application guidelines, sponsors, partners and contact information. For more information, contact Austin Wheelock at 315-343-1545 or at ngioswegocounty@gmail.com. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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The bar at Southern Fare, located on the ground level of Litatro, a building in the heart of downtown Oswego. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Canfield Photography.
New Restaurants Open in Oswego Undaunted by pandemic, two Oswego restauranteurs move forward with openings By Payne Horning
I
t’s the story of twin lifelong dreams that met a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Oswego’s two newest restaurants, located right across from one another on Bridge Street, opened this January in spite of the COVID-19 health crisis that has shaken the country’s economy and turned the dining industry on its head. Over the last year, dozens of restaurants in Central New York have been forced to close. Some even shuttered for good due to the drop in traffic and government restrictions on in-door dining. Others have entered a temporary hiatus as their owners await better conditions. But Sherry Babcock, owner of Sherry’s Downtown Diner, and Patrick Mitchell, owner of Southern Fare, are forging ahead, unwilling to let their passion be sidelined by the pandemic. “It wasn’t ever about whether this would happen but was a point of how do we make it happen,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got to figure this out, we’re 28
going to make it happen, and that was the mentality.”
Drawing on Experience Southern Fare is located on the ground level of Litatro, a new addition to downtown Oswego that is hard to miss. The towering mixed-use building at the corner of Bridge and First streets features luxury apartments and commercial space, including Mitchell’s restaurant. The eatery features a southern-inspired menu and other culinary creations that reflect Mitchell’s travels. The Oswego native spent years refining his craft in several capitals of American cuisine: New Orleans, New York City, Las Vegas and Boston. “My business here is sort of a collection of all those experiences that I’ve had, really highlighting the southern hospitality that I grew to love in New Orleans,” Mitchell said. “It’s something OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
I’ve always wanted to do and we had kind of always had our eyes on moving back home, so it was just about how do we do this, how do we make this happen?” Babcock’s restaurant, located right next to The Children’s Museum of Oswego, is also the culmination of experience and plans. She had worked for years as the general manager of Friendly’s in Oswego, gathering a loyal base of customers along the way. That came to an abrupt end in April 2019. Babcock was among the group of employees who was literally left out in the cold when the company suddenly closed the restaurant’s doors in April 2019 without any prior notice. That incident, although frustrating, inspired Babcock to finally go out on her own. This was the opportunity she was waiting for to realize her goal of opening a restaurant, and to boot it would provide a place for her former colleagues to work and her former FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Sherry Babcock, the owner of Sherry’s Downtown Diner in downtown Oswego. customers to dine. “When Friendly’s closed, the family dining experience that involved the kids and the fun and all of that was gone,” Babcock said. “So, we decided to give them back that sense of community, a place where you could bring your kids and have all of the same foods they loved and be relaxed. And this is just mine. I don’t answer to anyone except myself.”
Unfazed As fate would have it, both restaurateurs committed to opening their businesses in 2019, the year COVID-19 was born. Mitchell moved home that summer at the same time Babcock was starting her project. In the months leading up to their respective opening days, the two were confident that they had thought of everything. Little did they know those plans, much like everyone else’s, were about to be upended. When COVID-19 struck, the entire state of New York came to a screeching halt. The New York ‘pause’ required everyone except essential personnel to remain at home. Even though those working in the food industry were considered essential workers, restaurants were relegated to takeout service only. It was a daunting moment for those in the business and conditions did not improve much over the coming months. Restaurants were eventually permitted FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
to reopen but faced capacity limitations and even when owners had open seats, they sometimes struggled to fill them because of fears over the virus. Local staples shuttered for good, changing the landscape of Central New York dining forever. Neither Babcock nor Mitchell changed course, though. They marched on, ready to rise to this challenge. “When someone says, ‘gee what are you doing — this is a tough time to open a business,’ I say we’re making it work,” Mitchell said. “You can always find a reason as to why you shouldn’t try something. If you truly want to do something, you figure out the way.” Opening a restaurant in the shadow of this pandemic has proven difficult at times. Babcock had to delay the opening of her diner by almost four months and Mitchell said equipment and other items that were once readily available to restaurants can now take weeks or even months to receive. Southern Fare was forced to start with a soft launch as a result, offering takeout in mid-December while they waited for the long-delayed furniture to arrive. But both Babcock and Mitchell say the restaurant industry has never been easy, which is what makes the victories all the more rewarding. “There’s going to be ups and downs to this business, that’s how it’s always been,” she said. “But we’re there for the community, that’s why we do this.” OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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DiningOut By Christopher Malone
Restaurant
Guide
BBQ burger ($7.75) at Sherry’s Downtown Diner. The thick patty was cooked medium, came with lettuce, two onion rings and a slathering of barbecue sauce.
Delectable Downtown Diner
O
Nothing Beats a Diner — and Sherry’s Downtown Diner in Oswego Won’t Disappoint You
h, Sherry, your food holds up. It’s interesting to visit a location for a couple reviews. While sitting at the counter of Sherry’s Downtown Diner, 7 W. Bridge St., Oswego, some unwarranted comparisons to the former Dino’s House of Burgers popped into my brain. I never visited Hanabi Sushi Restaurant, which was located in the same space a while back, however, so there was no basis for comparison. But there’s a lot to enjoy and admire when different business owners utilize a space. It means a space is a hot commodity — especially being adjacent to 30
the Oswego Children’s Museum and around the corner from Old City Hall and Water Street Café — and valued. The minimally decorated Sherry’s Downtown Diner is a bright space, and the large windows do help. The tables are spaced out and plexiglass dividers separate countertop seating, at appropriate distances. The bathroom, albeit visibly and aromatically spotless, still feels like a locker room. The personalities of those who work there, including the eponymous Sherry, were beyond friendly and hospitable. The diner is one of those places where I felt greeted as if I’m a regular, OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
not a first-timer. With a smile, I sat and enjoyed multiple cups of medium-bodied “bottomless coffee” for $1.75. The menus — there are two-sided, laminated breakfast and lunch menus — are to the point and boast familiar staples. Although making decisions are tough at times, I ventured into both mealtimes. It almost felt like 2007, when I was in Greenwich, England, standing with one foot on each side of the Prime Meridian. Move over eggs and bring on the stuffed French toast and pancakes! Out came the short stack of flapjacks ($3.75) and French toast ($4.75). A short FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
stack, similarly to everywhere else, is numerically two of whatever a person orders. By luck, I received three slices of stuffed French toast. Per my server, the diner’s griddle master considered it “special” — boy, did I feel special. Unlike the French toast I’ve consumed in recent reviews, Sherry’s version does not feature rinky-dink, wimpy bread. The medium-thick slices of whipped cream cheese-stuffed bread are great. The flavor of the cream cheese is present enough and doesn’t overpower the cinnamon dust freckling the bread. Whipped cream and fruit (strawberries or blueberries) can be added — and they were. Although the fruit came with that grimace inciting syrup, there wasn’t pooling. The pancakes were golden brown discs and met expectations — crispy around the edge, fluffy in the center. They boasted that fresh-off-the-griddle aroma and flavor. After smearing a bit of the butter ball across the surface of the pancakes and drizzling on the maple syrup, each bite was a dose of happiness. For the cold winter day, a cup of chili ($1.75) sounded perfect. Never have I seen a price that low for a cup of chili — slightly concerning at first. The flavorful bean-heavy chili was hearty with chunks of meat and a medium heat. Instead of the red-brown color of standard chili, it had an orange-red hue. Thus, this version proves chili is difficult to mess up and I love enjoying other people’s take on this popular dish. I’d have doubled up on the servings had I known. I was having a difficult time deciding between the Reuben and the honey BBQ melt but another patron chimed in, saying he hasn’t had the latter but the Reuben is good. He was right — the Reuben is good. For $7.95, a customer gets a thick sandwich packed with corned beef, sauerkraut and dressing between those slices of bread. Plus, a side is included; I went with some classic mashed potatoes, complete with red skin flecks. The sammy wasn’t drenched in dressing, had an even distribution of mild sauerkraut, and the tender beef was flavorful and not dry. I finally ended the meal with the BBQ burger ($7.75). Fear sunk in at first — my server did not ask me how I wanted the burger cooked. The expectation: a thin patty that’d be charred to something slightly softer than a hockey puck. Thankfully, this presumption was incorrect. The thick patty was cooked medium, came with lettuce, two onion FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Reuben sandwich ($7.95): It wasn’t drenched in dressing, had an even distribution of mild sauerkraut, and the tender beef was flavorful and not dry.
French toast ($4.75): The flavor of the cream cheese is present enough and doesn’t overpower the cinnamon dust freckling the bread. rings, and a slathering of barbecue sauce. The stacked-high burger, which needed two hands to eat and extra napkins, came with standard fries that can be found, well, anywhere. I’ve said it once and said it before — nothing beats a diner. For all this food, the bill (pre-tip) came to $28.03. Yes, there were some leftovers that my wife enjoyed. Well, except for the second half of the Reuben. Our pup pulled it off the counter. Two paws up from that guy. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Sherry’s Downtown Diner Address 7 W. Bridge St., Oswego, NY 13126 Phone 315-207-2016 Website/Social facebook.com/Sherrys-DowntownDiner-107689274393594 Current Hours Daily: 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. 31
Assistant professor James Weinschreider teaches in the technology department at SUNY Oswego while he maintains a goat farm in Wayne County.
SUNY Oswego Instructor Re-Launches Goat Dairy
Assistant professor and his wife produce specialty cheeses at their re-launched business in Wayne County By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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perating a goat dairy provides interesting conversation fodder for SUNY Oswego assistant professor James Weinschreider. “It’s a great ice breaker,” he said. “In dealing with students, it’s good they can see you can do more than your job as a nice side hustle. I think it empowers them to learn for themselves. It’s a good life skill.” Residents of Williamson, Wayne County, Weinschreider and his wife, Joanne, started the farm originally in 2009 in Marion when their
children were young and daycare became too costly. James decided he would quit his job as a mechanical engineer to stay home with the children while his wife worked as a nursing instructor at St. John Fisher in Rochester. To keep him busy, the couple bought a few goats. James learned how to care for goats through tips from local goat farmers and veterinarians and he learned how to make cheese through reading, websites and taking a few cheesemaking classes.
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Cheese made by Middle Road Creamery, includes feta and Chevre. The couple began making and selling cheese, originally known as Blue Moon Bend Creamery. The goat dairy took off. The Weinschreiders decided that building their own creamery would benefit the business. In 2015, they moved it from Marion to Williamson and spent four years building a new creamery on a 15-acre property. As before, they followed all the protocols required by the New York State Department of Ag & Markets to reFEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
certify and in early 2020, they reopened the business as Middle Road Creamery. Now that the children are a little older, Weinschrieder has returned to work as an assistant professor in the —technology department at SUNY Oswego, where he teaches introduction to materials technologies, and materials precision production. The seasonal nature of goat dairying works well for his work schedule. The does have kids in the spring and their milk dries off by fall when he is back to teaching. During the winter months, the Weinschreiders use cow milk from a local dairy to continue making cheese. Their varieties include chevre, feta and tome. The Weinschreiders age some of their cheese in an above-ground cheese cave that they keep at a constant 50-degree temperature. James’ education in engineering has helped him construct the creamery equipment and the buildings on the farm. Joanne’s healthcare background has helped in caring for the goats’ physical needs. The couple owns 25 Nigerian, alpine and Saanen goats, all raised with non-GMO feeds. When the does deliver their kids — as many as 60 — James must decide which carry the genetics they want to keep and which kids will be sold. The goats browse on eight acres of pasture, supplemented with hay yearround. Goats are notoriously easy to graze, feeding on forage that many other grazing animals would forgo. “I once had a patch of poison ivy,” he recalled. “They ate it all down. I milked that evening and found my forearm broke out from the poison ivy.” The farm also raises hens for eggs. James feels pleased with the layout of the farm, which he designed. “The old farm didn’t have a good setup for selling locally,” he said. “We put this barn close to the road so people could stop by and buy cheese. When we opened up, we had a good turnout.” Of course, he did not plan for a worldwide pandemic to disrupt food supply chains; however, that caused consumers to seek food from alternative sources, including his farm stand. The self-serve window allows access to a small refrigerator where customers can purchase their cheese and eggs. He self-financed the farm and designed and built his own pasteurizer. He hopes to begin pasteurizing cow milk in 2021 and perhaps make butter and sell fluid goat milk. Many customers have asked about goat milk. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Francesca Orsomarso, the founder and president of FMN Creative in Utica.
Onwer of Utica PR Business Selected as Young Entrepreneur of the Year
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By David L. Podos
he owner of a boutique public relations company in Utica has recently been honored with the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the SBA Upstate New York district office. Francesca Orsomarso, the founder and president of FMN Creative, started the business in 2016. FMN Creative is a full-service social media marketing agency that was founded when Orsomarso decided to combine her passion for marketing and music. Since starting, her business has become an SBA Certified Women-Owned Small Business and a New York State Certified Women’s Business Enterprise and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business. These certifications allow FMN Creative to participate in government contracting, which has opened doors to more opportunities for Orsomarso’s business to grow and expand. “The SBA Upstate New York district office is excited to recognize Francesca Orsomarso. She is a dedicated entrepreneur who prides herself as a creative problem solver who can harness social media,” said SBA District Director Bernard J. Paprocki. “It’s truly inspiring to see young people like Francesca turn their passion into a successful business OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
and grow it right here in Upstate New York.” “As a full-service social media agency, we are a company’s direct connection to its on-line audience. We act as our client’s digital voice,” Orsomarso said. “With the level of services we offer, we literally are able to turn clicks into customers for our clients. At FMN, we craft social media strategies and campaigns that allow our clients to cut through the digital noise.” Orsomarso said small businesses are the backbone of the economy. “I was inspired to stay local with my business as I believe that small businesses like mine have the ability to grow local communities, create jobs, and make innovation and technology accessible to the local economy,” she said. FMN plans on being around for a long time to come, growing physically as well as digitally. “We really value that one-on-one connection with our clients, so naturally being able to add more team members will allow us to scale up our services,” Orsomarso said. “On the digital front, I just recently launched the FMN Creative Social Shop, which is our online store. It is built with small business owners and professionals in mind, offering bitesized social media services.” 33
Jennifer Powers helps her son, David, work sap off a maple tree in their property.
Maple syrup produced by the family of Jack Powers of Locke, Cayuga County. The father, Jack, started the business to give his son, David, a job. David was born with with Down syndrome in 2010.
Ex Police Officer Turns to Maple Syrup Business to Meet Family’s Needs Happy Jack’s Maple sells at area farmers markets, pop-up shops in other stores, online and at a few grocery stores By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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ost people become farmers because they are carrying on a family tradition or they chose this as a profession and attended a school such as Cornell or SUNY Morrisville. For Jack Powers of Locke, Cayuga County, it was for his son, David, who was born with Down syndrome in 2010. Powers wanted a greater opportunity for David. According to Employment in Adults with Down Syndrome in the United States, a study released in 2015, only 56.6% of adult respondents (17 and older) work paid positions and only 3% work fulltime. The median wage for people with Down syndrome was $8 per hour. While brainstorming for ideas on what he could do to provide for David’s future, he heard that a neighbor wanted to retire from the maple syrup business and sell his operation. Powers had been working as a police officer in Ithaca, his dream job.
Despite possessing no knowledge of maple sugaring, he decided to invest in the business and stay home with David. His wife, Jennifer, works at Cornell as manager of the virology lab. For a couple of years, he boiled sap at a neighbor’s farm until the maple business became profitable enough for him to make it a full-time operation. A Farm Credit loan helped Powers bring the operation up to modern standards. Improvements included a vacuum system, which helps draw more sap from the trees and new reverse osmosis equipment, which hastens the boiling process. Maple farmers boil the water from about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Powers also replaced his initial wood-fired evaporator with one fueled with oil because the cost of wood became too expensive. Powers built a sugar house to provide a home for the operation. Other farmers and friends helped Powers learn the process and for his
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first season in 2012, he tapped 3,000 trees, the same year his daughter Brooke was born. For the current season, he has about 15,000 taps out, which is a high number for many New York farms. Happy Jack’s Maple — the brand name of Powers’ syrup — sells at area farmers markets, pop-up shops in other stores, online and at a few grocery stores. Powers also sells to wholesale clients, a revenue stream he hopes to increase in 2021. In addition to regular syrup, he also makes bourbon barrel aged syrup. He uses newly emptied bourbon barrels to store and age syrup for up to a year. His other products include maple cream, maple sugar and maple candy. Powers also makes maple cotton candy and maple popcorn when he is able to sell at summertime events. “With COVID, it put a stall in everything we were doing,” he said. “Sales dropped way off this year as would be expected. Hopefully, next year we’ll invest in more marketing.” Early in his business, he realized FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
the power of marketing. “Everyone told me I was crazy to pay a fairly large amount of money for someone to design the label, but it has drummed up a lot of business for us,” Powers said. “A bunch of accounts were from people who said they saw the label and it caught their eye.” Other than David, now 11, and his sisters Brooke, 8, and Julia, 6, Powers has only occasional help from his father, Dwight Powers, and other family members. “David is definitely getting more involved,” Powers said. “He likes the bottling aspect. He likes to hit the button to get the syrup flowing. He does what he can. I try not to force the issue. I started it for him and it is a family operation. If the kids aren’t interested in it when it’s time for me to retire, that’s that.” For now, he welcomes the children’s help, especially in a line of work where challenges include squirrel and wind damage to the lines and uncooperative weather. The temperature regulates when maple trees release sap. Maple farmers need freezing cold nights and warmer days for the sap to flow. If it is too cold or too warm, the sap is limited. Sugaring season can begin as early as January and end as late as the end of March, depending upon the weather. Once the sap begins flowing, the season lasts six to eight weeks.
Brian Rossi and his family of Fabius, promoting the coffee he sells in the region.
‘Serial Entrepreneur’ Weathers Pandemic Owner of Cook’s Coffee sees decline in sales but he’s optimistic business will pick up
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By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
ntrepreneurship is Brian Rossi’s cup of tea — make that cup of coffee. Seven years ago, he founded his most recent venture, Cook’s Coffee, named for his late grandmother, Ida Cook. She provided Rossi with inspiration both in her enjoyment of java and the special bond the two shared. Cook’s Coffee maintains coffee service for commercial clients’ breakrooms and for a few bakery shops. The pandemic has decreased demand from both types of clients. “Those drinking coffee at the workplace are now drinking it at home,” Rossi said. “There’s an obvious decline in sales. We’re not sure when or if that will ever level out to where it was. Rossi is not discouraged. He has weathered economic storms before. A resident of Fabius, Rossi has founded and sold a few businesses, including an office products store and a vending machine business. He currently operates Star Pine Properties in Central New York. He calls Cook’s Coffee, “not the biggest company I’ve built but probably the most special” because it pays
Promotional material featuring Cook’s Coffee. tribute to his grandmother. “I committed to making a cup of coffee that she liked,” Rossi said. “I wanted to build a coffee that didn’t leave your mouth tasting bitter and sour. I wanted an easy-to-drink, ‘grandma’s cup’ of coffee.” “She was Sicilian and 5 feet tall. She had a stovetop percolator her entire life. She was always making coffee in it on the stove top.” When Grandma Cook would drink coffee as late as 8p.m., Rossi asked how she could do it. “She’d say, ‘It rests me,’” he said. Her winsome nature shines through in how her grandson operates his busi-
BUSINESS UPDATE
Former Ithaca police officer Jack Powers and his wife Jennifer. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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ness. Rossi brings samples, has company leaders taste it, and more often than not has a new client on his hands. “It has nothing to do with price,” he said. “We’ve been successful in adding as many clients as we want. We don’t try to sell anybody anything. When we talk with clients and they want to talk about price, you have to realize things are done better, faster and cheaper and you can pick only two of those. We’re premium coffee.” At present, he serves 200 locations. He attributes his coffee’s popularity with his custom blend of beans. He purchases beans from a variety of sources and roasts them in small batches so he can always provide fresh coffee. The inventory in the warehouse turns over about every two weeks. He also provides his customers’ locations with water filtration and commercial grade coffee making equipment. “Different growing regions produce different flavor profiles,” Rossi said. “If you want something chocolatey, go with Columbia. For mild, consistent flavor, Guatemalan beans. We use a range of growing regions and
a program that we mix those coffee growing regions together to achieve a desired taste. We dial up the taste profile we’re trying to achieve and balance the beans to get to that. If you have a single growing region coffee, it is like adding an individual spice to something. It begs for a counterpoint. Our coffee is a blended, smooth finish and you need to use multiple growing regions to achieve that.” Learning the equipment was a more daunting process. He had never dealt with maintaining and repairing coffee makers, so he said that in the beginning he had to rely on calling the manufacturer and referencing YouTube videos to figure out how to get the equipment working again. “The biggest issue with coffee maker is the water is so hard here,” Rossi said. “It calcifies. Filtering the water is so important.” Initially, he did not realize this. “Within two years, the equipment was all garbage because the calcium built up,” he said. “It was an expensive lesson. I also learned that it tasted different from the coffee made without
filtering it.” Rossi employs his brother, Mike Rossi, and Rich Gerlock for sales and delivery. His wife Jennifer is chief financial officer. They both like the company “perk” (pun intended) of having unlimited coffee. Rossi self-funded the company and much of its profits he donates to causes important to him, such as Life Link International, American Heart Association and area churches. “It’s a labor of love,” Rossi said. “My family wears the branded merchandise. We use the coffee mugs. It’s an homage of the matriarch of our family. It’s a fun company that stands for the life of my grandma and a good cup of coffee.” Up to this point, Rossi has avoided opening a retail location; however, with the pandemic dragging on he is considering that option. “When you have a product people like, they’ll find you,” he said. “This whole venture has been a blessing and a healing exercise for the family. It’s provided jobs for people and put a better cup of coffee in people’s cups.”
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Online MBA at SUNY Oswego Recognized by U.S. News SUNY Oswego’s online MBA continued as the highest-ranked public school offering in New York state and among the nation’s top online master of business administration programs in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 “Best Online Degree Programs: MBA” released Jan. 26. Oswego was one of four schools in New York state in the top 100 (ranking #62 overall), and the only public college program in the state on that level. “This ranking reflects many dimensions of our faculty excellence that include their student-centric approach, flexibility, globally recognized leadership and expertise in their area of teaching,” School of Business Dean Prabakar Kothandaraman said. “Their continued pursuit of cutting edge content and state-of-the-art pedagogy have always come in for praise by our MBA program alumni, and that is what is reflected in this ranking.” “Our MBA program success is grounded in the outstanding faculty in our program, the specialized student support we provide to MBA students and the collaborative effort between many departments on campus to serve our faculty and students,” said Irene Scruton, director of MBA programs and assistant dean of the School of Business. Understanding the specific needs of working professionals furthering their careers through the online MBA is a significant strength, Scruton said, as Oswego’s program has higher retention rates than average for national online programs. “The majority of our MBA online students are working professionals with significant career and personal responsibilities,” Scruton noted. “Our MBA program is experienced with that perspective and our team and faculty are able to offer customized student support for their program success.” This has meant adapting to any number of factors, including the way the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the professional and personal lives of those students. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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Nonprofit organizations in Upstate New York can apply for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Award grants of up to $5,000, which the company is offering to help fund health and wellness programs in the region. The application period closes Friday, March 5. All nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations in Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Central New York region are invited to apply for an award. The award can be used for programs that have clear goals to improve the health or health care of a specific population. Any program that aims to improve the health status of the community, closes the gap in health disparities, reduces the incidence of specific diseases, promotes health education and assists our communities in dealing with COVID will be considered. For additional information and the online application, go to https:// news.excellusbcbs.com/news-room/ community-investments-partnerships. Award winners will be announced later this spring. “The company’s Community Health Awards demonstrate a corporate commitment to support local organizations that share our mission as a nonprofit health plan,” said Mark Muthumbi, regional president, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “These awards complement our existing grants and sponsorships with agencies that work to improve community health in upstate New York.” Excellus BlueCross BlueShield divides its 31-county Upstate New York operating area into four regions: the Central New York region, which includes Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, Oswego and Tompkins counties; the Utica region, comprising Clinton, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego and St. Lawrence counties; the Southern Tier region, including Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Tioga, Schuyler and Steuben counties; and the Rochester region, encompassing Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties. The company’s corporate giving follows all applicable laws and regulations and does not support funding organizations that conflict with its corporate mission, goals, policies or products.
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Five Signs of a Good Start-up Idea Got an idea for a start-up? Before you get overly excited, consider its viability. By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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tarting a small business in Central New York may sound pretty easy. Go to the county’s clerk’s office, file a doing business as (dba) certificate, get a tax number and go from there. Will the business succeed? Here are five aspects that will determine the fate of your great business idea.
1.
Does the market need it? You may have a great idea, but if no one in your target market needs it or the market is already saturated with it, your idea will not work. “Entrepreneurs want to start a business because they are passionate with the idea they want to create and offer in the marketplace,” said Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, president of Women TIES, LLC in Syracuse. “Just because they love the idea doesn’t mean there is a need for it. The most important place to begin is with simple research via the internet and also within the entrepreneur’s main region of sales to see what similar businesses already exist. “By studying what other companies currently offer in terms of services and products may also help define what the new entrepreneur wants to offer and at what competitive price. You can have the best business idea in mind but if the market is already saturated, it makes it harder to succeed initially until the new business develops its own niche.”
2.
Is the business name unique? “The entrepreneur should search the internet to make sure the name and website address he or she wants to use isn’t already taken or 40
too similar to an existing business,” Higginbotham said. “Securing a name and multiple website URLs is a major move for any entrepreneur so proper research needs to be done in advance before formally filling out paperwork and printing business cards or marketing materials.” This may seem a trivial matter until you try to build a website or create buzz on social media. If no one can find your company because its name is similar to other entities, your company cannot grow. A unique name also helps ensure you avoid legal entanglements by sounding as if you are copying another company’s name.
3.
Does it solves a problem for someone? People pay for solutions to their problems, not because they want you to make a living. “A business that has clearly defined that proposition of solving a problem is off to a good start,” said John R. Halleron, senior business advisor with Small Business Development Center in Oswego. “Know who is going to use this service or product. Who is your market? If you can identify it clearly, you’re off to a good start.”
4.
Does it have multiple revenue streams? “You have to figure out if you have additional products or services to complement the original one,” Halleron said. “That is key to getting the OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
ball rolling.” It can also keep that ball rolling. Times change and can change quickly, as evidenced by 2020. Halleron added that the SBCD can help new business owners with developing projects on their revenue so they can create benchmarks and plan their business growth.
5.
Can you can make this product or provide this service very well? While many companies hire people to perform work for them, most start-ups cannot afford to outsource the process of providing their main moneymaker. “Is your product or service tied to something you are really good at and do you hear that often?” said Meghan Florkowski, director of the WISE: Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Women’s Business Center in Syracuse. “Are you passionate about it? Even better.” Of course, thinking of a business that will be popular or unique is important; however, the owner’s personal interested in and excitement for the business helps. “Now it’s time to remain flexible and open to advice,” Florkowski said. “Once you do your research, you may find your idea has to change and you will need to market it. That’s where entrepreneurship organizations like the WISE Women’s Center can help.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net
‘The True Believer’
‘Now that the Trump presidency has come to an end, we are still trying to figure out how this brash, unconventional businessman and TV celebrity caught the attention of so many Americans. How were so many able to overlook his lack of experience, his many flaws in character, morality, ethics, etc.? ‘
BRUCE FRASSINELLI is the former publisher of The PalladiumTimes. He served as a governor of the Rotary Club District 7150 (Central New York) from July 2001 to June 2002. 42
I
Book written nearly 70 years ago describes the Trump phenomenon
must confess that when Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president and was one of about 17 Republicans vying for the nomination, I thought it was a publicity stunt. I was not alone. We all expected Trump to milk media attention for millions of dollars of free publicity for his brand, then at some point several months down the road, drop out of contention. So much for that off-the-rails prediction. But who could blame our skepticism. Trump was up against either sitting or former governors from Ohio (John Kasich), New Jersey (Chris Christie), New York (George Pataki), Florida (Jeb Bush), Virginia (John Gilmore), Arkansas (Mike Huckabee), Louisiana (Bobby Jindal), Wisconsin (Scott Walker) and Texas (Rick Perry). Also in the race were sitting or former U.S. senators from Texas (Ted Cruz), Florida (Marco Rubio), South Carolina (Lindsey Graham), Kentucky (Rand Paul) and Pennsylvania (Rick Santorum). In the midst of all of these experienced politicians was Trump with zero experience in elective office. Not that he needed any. The U.S. Constitution lists these qualifications to be president: He or she must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old, and must have been a resident of the United States for 14 years. That’s it. Why, heck, the president doesn’t even need a high school diploma to be eligible to serve. On top of all of this, Trump’s self-proclaimed genius as the master of the deal sounded somewhat hollow because of his checkered business career where his companies have declared and emerged from bankruptcy six times between 1991 and 2009. He also has been accused of stiffing contractors, hiring illegal immigrants to work on his projects and properties and other business related no-nos. Through it all, Trump emerged from the gaggle of candidates as the winner and the GOP flag-bearer to go up against Hillary Clinton, who, with her supporters, was elated because they were taking on who they and many in the country thought was her weakest opponent. Democrats were expecting a walk
in the park, until it wasn’t. Many Republicans, even some Democrats, wanted an outsider, someone to “drain the swamp” of the out-of-touch politicians and political corruption and cronyism. Now that the Trump presidency has come to an end, we are still trying to figure out how this brash, unconventional businessman and TV celebrity caught the attention of so many Americans. How were so many able to overlook his lack of experience, his many flaws in character, morality, ethics, etc.? Not only did these flaws slide off the Teflon Donald, but some of his supporters have been almost cultlike in their willingness to believe so many lies, most notably that the Democrats and President Joe Biden Jr. had stolen the 2020 election. This repeated false narrative was partially responsible for an angry mob of Trump supporters marching and sacking the Capitol building on Jan. 6. Trump urged his supporters to go to Washington to “stop the steal.” He whipped up the crowd by saying, “We will never give up; we will never concede.” He then urged them to march to the Capitol and insist that the 535 representatives and senators and his loyal Vice President Mike Pence set aside the election results, which had been officially certified by the legislatures and governors of all 50 states. Many level-headed Republicans say they are “heartbroken” by these events. During Trump’s tenure, they convinced themselves that Trump’s faults were worth tolerating if it meant furthering the conservative agenda. They are saddened that Trump’s fulfillment of campaign promises — such as strengthening the military, taking important steps to bring peace to the Middle East, approving tax cuts for many Americans and protecting our southern border from illegal immigration by building a wall, along with other accomplishments — were lost in a matter of minutes in the untenable and self-destructive role of what will be remembered as a sinister day in American history. These Republicans and Trump were on the same page when it came to such major issues as eliminating regulations stifling busi-
My Turn
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
‘Despite tthe Capitol episode that brought allegations of insurrection, sedition and domestic terrorism, Trump has a fiercely loyal base. Again, many of us wonder why? How can they overlook what he has fomented?’ nesses, protecting gun rights, freedom of religion, school choice, opposition to abortion and smaller government. But then came the Capitol episode that brought allegations of insurrection, sedition and domestic terrorism. Despite the aftermath, Trump has a fiercely loyal base. Again, many of us wonder why? How can they overlook what he has fomented? I happened upon a book written in 1951 by Eric Hoffer called “The True Believer.” Hoffer was an American moral and social philosopher who died in 1983 at the age of 80. Although written nearly 70 years ago, “The True Believer” describes the Trump phenomenon as closely as any explanation I have seen. According to Hoffer, The True Believer is a “hitchhiker who thumbs a ride on a cause that he is willing to give his all for. He is a fanatic who needs a messianic-type figure to worship and, if necessary, die for. He is the mortal enemy of things-as-they-are, and he insists on sacrificing himself for a dream impossible to attain. He is today everywhere on the march.” These movements begin with a desire for change from the discontented who have no confidence in existing culture or traditions. They feel that the FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
power to change is beyond their reach, so they need to ally themselves with other, similarly disaffected people. They become open to the concept of participating in a movement that gives them the option of offering their individual lives to the larger goal. Leaders are vital in the growth of a mass movement, but for the leader to find any success, the seeds of the mass movement must already exist in people’s hearts, Hoffer said. And this is where Donald Trump came in. He was able to tap into and give voice to this smoldering frustration that many Americans have in a system that they feel is stacked against them and favors the elite, the connected, the rich and the famous. His battle cry of “Make America Great Again” emphasized not the future but a perpetual battle of what the present has become in their eyes. Mass movements aggressively promote the use of faith over reason, which gave birth in the Trump administration to rampant misinformation, even conspiratorial theories that projected the Trump agenda forward. Any tactic that furthers the cause — even illegal ones — is fair game. When Trump urged his followers on Jan. 6 to go to the Capitol to make their voices heard and to take back the “steal,” he gave license to his supporters to do what they had to do to make sure he would stay in office for another four years, even if it meant thumbing their collective noses at the will of the American people and to defy the Constitution which all presidents swear to protect and defend. Adherents to mass movements must not question the leader’s word under any circumstances. When Trump insisted time after time that he had won the election — “by a lot,” — his followers believed him. A vast number of Republicans still do. The truth is that Biden won both the electoral and popular votes. To spread and reinforce their doctrines, Hoffer said, mass movements use persuasion, coercion, misinformation, outright lies and misdirection. They don’t admit mistakes, because in their minds there is no such thing. Successful mass movements don’t need to believe in a god, Hoffer said, but they must believe in a devil. Hatred unifies the true believers, and the ideal devil is someone who is perceived to be the personification of evil, such as the 2016 Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton and the 2020 opponent, Joe Biden and the Democrats. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Empty hallways at Great Northern Mall in Clay on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 31. Most stores have moved to other locations or closed.
Death Knell for Suburban Malls Retail Council: Many factors exist as to why traditional malls are biting the dust By Lou Sorendo
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once-treasured tradition is fading away. Two suburban malls in Onondaga County — ShoppingTown in DeWitt and Great Northern in Clay are seemingly dying slow deaths. According to a report by Credit Suisse, about 20% to 25% of all malls in the United States will close in the next five years. In 2017, more than 6,000 mall stores closed and left the malls. Onondaga County is considering using ShoppingTown Mall as a site to vaccine people against COVID-19. County officials reached an agreement with its owner, Moonbeam Capital, in November, and acquired the mall in December for $3.5 million. In January, the county issued a formal request for proposals to redevelop the mall. ShoppingTown filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of U.S. 44
Bankruptcy Code in 2019 and never reopened after malls were ordered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to close temporarily in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. It has lost retail titans Macy’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, J.C. Penney and Sears over the last several years. Meanwhile, Great Northern Mall is struggling as well while losing nearly all of its retail tenants. The mall is now losing its last anchor store — Dick’s Sporting Goods. Dick’s, a longtime tenant of the mall, has notified the town of Clay it plans to move from the mall in the spring to the former Value City Furniture store next to Wegmans at 3965 Route 31. Dick’s is Great Northern Mall’s last anchor store, so its departure is another nail in the coffin for the mall, which opened on Route 31 just east of OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Interstate 481 in 1988. Competition from Syracuse’s Destiny USA, the largest mall in New York, has been a major challenge to Great Northern. Incidentally, Dick’s opened a large store in Destiny in 2012. Competition from online retailers has led to the closing of all of Great Northern’s other anchor stores, including Sears and Macy’s, and most of its in-line stores. The departures accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic and have left the mall with one national retailer, Old Navy. All this follows a national trend that sees suburban malls losing their clout.
National trend “There are plenty of factors. The overarching one is inherent restlessness FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
of the shopper. What brought about shopping malls in the first place is that people wanted to see something new, and loved the idea of a new store,” said Ted Potrikus, former president and CEO of the Retail Council of New York State. He recently retired from the organization after working there for 31 years. It was about 40 years ago when the mall ramp-up started. “Real estate developers were buying up every parcel of land they could to put together these giant shopping malls,” he said. “One would be built and it was really popular. So they build another one, and that would be the one you couldn’t get near because it was popular, new and it was shiny.” “Suddenly, the one that used to be new was sort of old,” he said. “And then another new one would arrive.” Situated right between ShoppingTown and Great Northern on the I-81 corridor is Destiny USA, a six-story super regional shopping and entertainment complex that features 19 anchor tenants. “That’s the shiniest of all,” Potrikus said. “Suddenly, as these things get bigger, they tend to really suck the life out of the ones that started it all,” he said. “That’s no fault of the developers; that’s just the way we are as shoppers. We want to go to the place that’s new.” Over the past 15 years or so, shopping on the internet has become the rage. “If you are any kind of retailer, if you don’t keep updating your website and keep stuff new, you are going to lose your audience,” he said. “Shoppers are more restless now than ever before because they have more choices than ever before.” The original intent of the shopping mall was to give shoppers many choices. “To use an old tired phrase, people would ‘shop the day away.’ That’s what people liked to do, and they don’t like doing that anymore,” Potrikus added. According to retail experts, an ongoing trend is that people like to spend money on experiences and not goods, because they can get items like their pants, shoes, iPods and all other things online, he said.
An ‘overbuilt’ industry Simply put, Potrikus said one of the key issues is the retail sector — including malls — have been overbuilt. “In the 90s, prior to the internet taking off as a shopping vehicle, it seemed like every parcel of open land ultimately FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Dick’s Sporting Goods at Great Northern Mall in Clay is the last anchor store to leave the mall. It’s scheduled to relocate within the next few months. became some sort of store or strip mall, and we are paying for that right now because they overbuilt,” he said. “The question that I used to get is when all these stores were popping up was, ‘When is this going to stop? When are people going to stop building stores?’” he said. “Suddenly, we had too many, and we were overstored. The competition was too steep. How many bookstores and drug stores can you have all selling the same things and all fighting for the same dollar?” he asked. He said subsequently, businesses could not drop their prices anymore because margins were too thin. He noted many companies that did build are now gone, such as The Wiz, Borders, and Circuit City. “The graveyard is pretty full of these stores that for a while, you couldn’t get enough of,” he said. “But suddenly, you didn’t want to go in there anymore.” He said many have been forgotten, such as Media Play and Caldor. Potrikus said to not expect malls to be built in the ShoppingTown model, which is essentially “just a giant building with a whole bunch of stores.” In terms of what’s popular and where the most shoppers have gone, it’s been to “power centers,” he noted. “Power center I believe is a glitzier phrase for strip mall, where there is a discount store on one end and usually a home improvement store on the other OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
end,” he noted. “In between, you have everything from a Chinese restaurant, hair salon, small grocery store and a liquor store. These are places where you can drive up to the door, go in and do your stuff, and drive out.” Potrikus said strip malls like that will still be built, although that concept has even declined a bit over the years. There are stores that remain extremely popular and attract customers by the droves, such as Target, Walmart and grocery stores such as Wegmans and Price Chopper. Enhancing that popularity is an option where consumers can do their shopping online and then simply travel to the store to pick their items up. Potrikus said this is how brick-andmortar retail is competing. “That is also why the classic indoor shopping mall model doesn’t necessarily work, unless one of those anchor stores has quick in and out where they can do that,” he said. The shopping mall began with the suburbs. In 1956, the Southdale Center, America’s first indoor mall, opened in Edina, Minnesota, just outside of Minneapolis. Life magazine called it “The Splashiest Center in the U.S.,” and praised its “goldfish pond, birds, art and 10 acres of stores all ... under one Minnesota roof.” The indoor shopping craze soon spread to every corner of the United States. Three hundred malls opened by 45
1970, mainly catering to homemakers. The trend continued and, by 2017, at its peak, America was home to over 1,200 malls, according to esquire.com.
Keep it fresh While people still like to get out and shop, the question becomes where do they want to do it. Potrikus said to expect a long gestation period as the pendulum swings back to the independent stores that are located more in an open-air environment, and that’s where shoppers can actually “touch and feel” merchandise. Meanwhile, the traditional shopping malls are transitioning into something that is more of a nightclub and entertainment zone, he said. “You won’t see as much of that ‘touch and feel’ stuff until Black Friday. A week before Black Friday every year, I am on the phone with reporters who are asking, ‘Why is it that people still like to go out?’ The answer is because they like to. I know that is hard to believe in 2019, but there still is a large part of the population that likes to get out and go to the mall. “Where do they like to go? They like to go to the one that is shiny and up to date.” Potrikus said there is a whole team of folks at Destiny USA whose sole purpose is to keep the mall new and different every day. “That’s because Pyramid Management Group sunk a ton of money into it. That is not a short-term proposition that you’re looking at in the middle of the city. That is a long-term deal and they are gong to keep that place new so that the people of Central New York and beyond will see it as a destination point,” he added. Potrikus said the successful malls today and those that will survive into the future feature a combination of shopping, entertainment and serve as a tourist attraction. In essence, it’s not just about consuming goods, but also entertainment as well, he noted. “Civic leaders — not just in New York but all over the country, are looking at ways to revitalize the downtowns that got eviscerated by the shopping mall,” he said. “However, now the pendulum has swung where people are eviscerating the shopping malls to get us back downtown.”
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Pulling up anchors The commercial-real-estate firm CoStar estimates that nearly a quarter of malls in the U.S., or roughly 310 of the nation’s 1,300 shopping malls, are at high risk of losing an anchor store. Potrikus said many of them are simply reducing the number of brickand-mortar locations they have. He said a company takes a different approach when it takes losses in the stock market, watches annual sales decrease or fails to meet goals. “Growth doesn’t necessarily mean, ‘I’m going to open X number of stores in the next fiscal year. Growth could mean, ‘I’m going to close a bunch of stores and take the money that we save there and put it back into the ones we keep so that the performance of those stores can grow. We want to invest into those rather than spread themselves too thin,’” Potrikus said. Another factor in diminished brickand-mortar locations is a changing leasing environment. While the trend of building new stores in the retail sector skyrocketed in the ‘80s and ‘90s, owners were entering into traditional commercial leases of 20 or 30 years. “So the leases that were taken out 20 to 30 years ago have come due,” causing many to balk at the idea of renewing a long-term pact, Potrikus said. Many of the stores that disappeared in the mid-90s may also have signed enticing 50-year leases at the conclusion of World War II, and when it came time to renew, preferred not to because of a drastically changed marketplace. Many could not sustain their margins at the new real estate rates. “It just becomes too expensive of a business proposition to keep the store open,” he said. “That could be one of the reasons why you see these anchor stores go. New paper is due, and the new paper doesn’t look anything at all like what it did in the past,” he said. He noted that mall owners also have a tendency to think their property is worth more than it is, and the property ends up vacant for years because they are asking too much for that space.
Ripple effect When anchor stores pull up stakes and leave, remaining stores suffer. “It’s the anchor store that has the brand name on the outside of the mall, and it’s the anchor store that drives OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
people to it,” he said. “When an anchor store goes away and that sign comes down, people drive by,” he said. “For the stores that were closest to the anchor store, they lose foot traffic.” “Whether you are a small or big retailer, a coffee shop or a restaurant, it’s that foot traffic that makes or breaks your day. So if the feet are not there, there’s no reason for you to be either,” he said. From an economic development perspective, when a mall suffers, so does the community it is located in. “What’s going to happen is the town is going to say, ‘Here is your tax bill.’ And the mall owner is going to say, “It’s not worth that much. I’m not bringing that much in with rent,’” he said. Like in ShoppingTown’s case, the issue becomes a legal one. “You also have activists who say these malls are a blight and eyesore,” he said. Can malls like Great Northern make a comeback? They should take a page out of Destiny’s book as Pyramid is adding on attractions such as nightclubs. “It’s a mall but it isn’t a mall, but what it did was brought in more people. It’s that calculated, studied risk that will drive people to look at buildings like Great Northern Mall,” he said. “The thing that will bring those malls back is if that is where everyone goes again,” he said. “With computers sitting there at home and in the palms of our hands, I think it’s going to be awfully hard.” “So many of our shopping habits have been irrevocably changed by the Internet,” he said. Potrikus said it comes down to two time-tested tenets of retail: “The shopper is always right and location, location, location,” he said. “Location now can be in your pajamas on your couch at 10:30 at night.” “Right now, the shopping mall is not the location and it’s not where shoppers want to be for the day. If they go into a mall, it’s more to pinpoint a particular store. That’s why the stores with street-facing entrances are having a bit of a heyday now. You can park your car, walk in and out, and don’t have to walk past Orange Julius or wander the halls,” he said. “The mall is gone. I think the ones that stay open are the ones that are figuring out how to reinvent themselves. It’s not easy,” he said. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Gov. Cuomo said that the redesign project of I-81 in Syracuse will break ground in 2022. It will encompass the redesign and or replacement of 50 bridges and cost somewhere in the range of $1.9 billion.
Officials Breathe New Life into Syracuse’s I-81 Redesign Project By Payne Horning
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ew commitments from high-ranking government officials are raising hopes that the long-awaited I-81 viaduct construction project will finally move into the fast lane. The 1.4-mile elevated stretch of Interstate-81 that cuts through downtown Syracuse dates back decades and in 2017 officially reached the end of its “useful life,” ramping up the pressure to replace it. Now, travelers know when that will get underway. “In Central New York, we will transform the obsolete and poorly designed I-81 viaduct in Syracuse into a modern transportation corridor,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in one of his recent State of the State addresses. “We are conducting environmental and public reviews this year and we will break ground in 2022.” The news was enthusiastically greeted by local officials like Syracuse-area State Sen. Rachel May, who said it is “immensely gratifying” to see some movement on the project. But it’s FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
not just Cuomo’s pledge that people find encouraging. Incoming U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also made recent remarks that give some reason to believe I-81 could be a federal priority as well. On Dec. 20, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Tweeted, “Black and brown neighborhoods have been disproportionately divided by highway projects or left isolated by the lack of adequate transit and transportation resources. In the Biden-Harris administration, we will make righting these wrongs an imperative.” There’s good reason to believe I-81 falls into that category. When the interstate was built, it cut through the city’s 15th ward, a largely black neighborhood. A report by the New York Civil Liberties Union documented the consequences of that decision: more than 1,300 residents in that section of the city were displaced and due to discriminatory practices and policies of the time, those who were uprooted struggled to find housing away from OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
the neighborhoods surrounding the viaduct. Long-term exposure to that traffic has proven harmful for residents in proximity to the highway, especially among the city’s minority population. Asthma rates and lead poisoning rates from lead-based fuels are higher among black than white residents in Syracuse according to the report. State and local officials leading the effort to redesign I-81 hope to correct these grave errors by replacing the elevated portion of the interstate with a community grid. It would be a street-level, multi-lane pathway through the area that could direct more traffic into the city and its businesses rather than ferrying cars past them like the interstate does now. New York Sen. Charles Schumer, the new Senate majority leader, said he is not only planning to use all of his clout to get the job done, he has already mentioned the project to the incoming transportation secretary before Buttigieg was even confirmed. “I specifically raised I-81 and told him it’s one of my top priorities for New York state,” Schumer said. “We agreed that projects like I-81 are an opportunity to make much needed improvements for our country’s infrastructure, rebuild local communities and create economic opportunity.” The effort to replace I-81 has thus far been slow-moving and the pandemic hasn’t helped. The reasoning could be the sheer magnitude of what’s involved. I-81 project director Mark Frechette said it will encompass the redesign and or replacement of 50 bridges, affect three interstates, and cost somewhere in the range of $1.9 billion. That will make it one of the largest projects New York’s Department of Transportation has ever undertaken, according to Frechette. Despite the challenges, Syracuse Councilor Khalid Bey is now optimistic. He says the support of national figures could be exactly what Syracuse needs to get the ball rolling. “Federal support for this critical project will help move past the series of delays we have faced,” Bey said in a statement. “I am thrilled that this project is getting the national attention it needs. I look forward to working with state and federal officials to get this essential project in motion, a key piece for the safety and prosperity that Syracuse deserves.” The I-81 project is currently under review by the Federal Highway Administration. 47
Tim Nekritz nekritz@gmail.com
Tug Hill Outfitters to Help Others Explore Great Outdoors New business in Williamstown an opportunity for local couple to share remote outdoors
‘Starting in spring, the company will welcome visitors of all ages and skill levels for paddling excursions (from a couple hours to a half-day), kayak lessons, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing and more on 140 acres of wildlands bisected by the west branch of Fish Creek. ‘
Tim Nekritz is director of news and media for SUNY Oswego, where he spearheads telling the stories of the campus community. 48
O
n a crisp December day as we walk through the woods in Williamstown, Emily Hart says her father cleared this trail and points out trees planted by her mother and her grandparents. It’s clear that Tug Hill Outfitters, a business she and her husband Chris Legard are launching this year, is a labor of love. Starting in spring, the company will welcome visitors of all ages and skill levels for paddling excursions (from a couple hours to a halfday), kayak lessons, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and more on 140 acres of wildlands bisected by the west branch of Fish Creek. The land includes the large plot Emily got from her family — where she and Chris are raising their son Leo — and the homestead next door where her mother still lives. That family connection to this beautiful land along Finnerty Road and their passion for the outdoors are among the reasons for starting the business, Hart says. “This is in part about taking care of the land, being stewards of the land, and exposing people to a beautiful part of Cen-
tral New York that is pretty remote and that people don’t get to see,” she explains. They both have rewarding day jobs — Hart is a science librarian for Syracuse University, Legard a fisheries biologist — so this part-time enterprise is about following their passions and sharing them with other outdoor enthusiasts. A main offering, once spring allows, will be a half day trip that starts with a short woodland hike to a boat launch on the west branch of Fish Creek, where they will put in canoes or kayaks, then one of them will lead groups on a guided paddling excursion. This half-day adventure starts on their property and ends at a fishing access point to the east in Westdale. A shorter excursion (a couple of hours) would take visitors to Gifford Lake. They currently plan to concentrate on small excursions of no more than six people, although people can inquire about larger group events. Outdoors provides opportunities for distancing, which gets around some restrictions and concerns that impact other businesses during COVID-19.
Tim’s Notes
Emily Hart shows off some of the kayaks, canoes and gear in the basement of the home owned by her and husband Chris Legard, which serves as home base for their new business, Tug Hill Outfitters. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
The pandemic has brought a small silver lining, as working remotely equates only rare commutes, spare time they can put into preparing for the business, exploring the outdoors and spending time with Leo. Classes will include introductory beginning kayaking techniques, for those looking to get comfortable with kayaking and canoeing in an easy atmosphere; intermediate kayaking techniques for those looking to fine-tune and take on more challenging trips; and introduction to fitness paddling and performance gear using surf skis, for those who aspire to do more with the sport, such as the races Chris and Emily have participated in for several years. “Kayaking is a fabulous sport, providing full-body movement and an intense cardio workout,” Emily explains. For people like her with knee issues, this provides a very healthy outlet. For their guided paddling excursions, the business will provide all equipment, including boats, paddles and life vests. Chris says that the high-performance and lightweight gear will help customers get more out of the experience. “High-quality and lightweight equipment is easier to use, so people can feel comfortable and travel more efficiently,” Chirs notes. “It’s just a better experience when you’re using a performance-oriented boat, and a carbon-fiber-based paddle is easier to hold for a couple of hours.” This includes canoes as well, where the 35-pound models Tug Hill Outfitters will use are much lighter than the 70 to 80 pound models people might be accustomed to, while being even more durable. If there’s a snow base, they expect to accommodate those looking to cross-country ski or snowshoe with groomed trails starting next winter. During paddling season, the business will operate most weekends, and classes and shorter excursions will be offered on some weeknights with the longer daylight hours of summer. The whole family, including Leo, looks forward to the opportunities this can present. “Leo told Chris he was excited for us to start the business because he would like to meet more kids he can canoe with,” Emily said. For more information or to book a reservation, visit tughilladventures. com or email tughilladventures@gmail. com. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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COVER STORY
Golden Touch Atom Avery celebrating the completion of his most ambitious project to date, the Litatro building in the heart of downtown Oswego By Lou Sorendo
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n entrepreneur is inherently a businessperson who is willing to take on greater than normal financial risks in order to complete a project or endeavor. This is a person who possesses the innate ability to organize, launch and operate a business in a highly efficient and profitable manner. For area entrepreneur, business manager and real estate developer Atom Z. Avery, that spirit of entrepreneurship may very well be embedded in his DNA. Since 1999, Avery Rental Properties has provided housing for families, business professionals and students while also becoming engaged in transformative property development projects in the city and county of Oswego. His maternal grandfather, J. Francis “Zeke” Vona, and his great-uncle John joined in operating Vona Shoes in Oswego for many years, while great-uncle Thomas founded Vona’s restaurant on West Utica Street in 1947. The Vona brothers were significant contributors to the Oswego community in many ways, and their progeny now carries on that legacy. In fact, Zeke is Avery’s middle name. 50
“We’ve always had a sense of business in our family,” he said. “I definitely aspired to owning properties and buildings. The business aspect in terms of running the different businesses that I own now, however, I didn’t know was coming,” the Oswego native said. “It’s been a fun ride, though, and I like challenges.” His father Richard worked at and retired from the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant in Scriba when it was owned and operated by the New York Power Authority. His mother Loretta also was engaged in business ownership in both the service and retail sectors in Oswego. Avery has a passion for the risk-taking that runs hand-in-hand with entrepreneurship. “Those are the things that make me tick for sure,” noting he gains fulfillment by putting the right teams and deals together, whether it is with partners or investors.
From energy to entrepreneur Prior to calling his own shots, Avery worked for Entergy — former owner of OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant — for 11 years as a union steward. “Believe it or not, being out there and learning the corporate structure helped my career as an entrepreneur,” he said. As part of Entergy’s security department, Avery learned to understand personnel issues, policies and procedures, as well as patience, particularly when working with the federal government. “Being a union steward gave me a good look at how people think and work together,” he said. Prior to that, Avery was engaged in residential real estate and worked with property developer and landlord Thomas Tesoriero while gaining significant support from his parents as well as his in-laws. “It’s really been a family affair my whole entire career,” he said. The jump into being his own boss was relatively seamless for Avery and his wife Falecia. “My wife and I knew that [working at FitzPatrick] was not a long-term path for me,” he said. “So anytime I got a raise out there or increase in pay, we basically put it toward our 401K at the FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Entrepreneur Atom Avery photographed Jan. 28 at Litatro, his new building in downtown Oswego. Photo by Chuck Wainwright. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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New Litatro building at West First and Bridge streets dominates the
landscape of downtown Oswego.
time or toward direct payment on one of my mortgages.” When he did decide to resign, both he and his wife were taking home about $115 every two weeks. “We weaned ourselves off my payroll out there,” said Avery, noting that buying properties and advancing his real estate business enabled the couple to do so. Falecia graduated from SUNY Oswego in 1999 with a degree in human development and a minor in art and conflict resolution. She worked for the City of Oswego Water Department before having her first child in 2002. “Since then I’ve been a domestic engineer and Atom’s partner in every endeavor. I ebb and flow in and out of projects where needed while also trying to be the constant at home for our children,” she said. He said being able to provide for his family while building his business outside of the FitzPatrick environment was a key to his success. In 1999, he purchased his first house at the age of 19 thanks to Pathfinder Bank and his dad, who co-signed for a loan. 52
Before he worked for Entergy, he owned two properties featuring eight rental units. Over his time with the company, Avery would significantly grow his portfolio to be able to execute an exit plan and work on his own. “The running joke honestly in our family was, ‘Right after this, I can resign. Or right after I buy this, get this project done or get this fixed up, we’re done. That’s enough,’” he said. The fulfillment comes from always trying to leave things better than how they were found, he added. “What happens is doors open, opportunities open, and it becomes, ‘OK, are we going to do this? Does it make sense for us right now? That’s how it goes,’” Avery said. He said most people who get into real estate start with small residential properties. “That’s exactly what I did. As we grew, we would introduce different team members, such as in accounting and maintenance,” he said. “At first, you do it all yourself,” Avery said. “And then you get family and friends to help you. As you get bigger, OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
you have to hire people to maintain the level of quality that you want.” Avery said he has been blessed with an “amazing team” that includes office manager Sue Henry, who “just knocks it out of the park for me.” “It’s so critical to have people that you can rely on. People really make a business successful; it’s not just the investment, it’s the people putting in the time,” he said.
Streamlined operation Avery noted that evolving technology has transformed the property development industry with resources such as QuickBooks and electronic signatures streamlining processes, while the ability to use Zoom video conferencing and FaceTime is more important now than ever. Social media has also changed the game over the last decade or so, Avery said, noting he uses a local company owned by Robert Ruggio — WEBGIO — to handle his website, social media and some back office functions. Besides his rental properties business, Avery oversees the day-to-day FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Litatro features 20 luxury residences — similar to the one shown — as well as retail and commercial space, underground parking and a restaurant. operations and management of several properties and businesses, including the new Litatro Building; Beacon Hotel; 5 Points Wine and Liquor at 1 Washington Boulevard at the forks of the road in Oswego; and The Gardens By Morningstar. The Gardens is co-owned and operated with local entrepreneur Joseph Murabito. “It has been a challenge with COVID-19, but we are up and running and going strong. It’s just a scary thing,” said Avery in regards to dealing with regulations involving the global pandemic. Avery said partnering with Murabito, owner of Elemental Management Group in Oswego, is beneficial from both a personal and professional standpoint. “Our families get along, and while our mindsets are a little bit different being that we come from different angles, we complement each other’s leadership skills,” he said. Murabito manages six businesses, five of which are adult residential care facilities. “Having those businesses to collect information from is phenomenal,” Avery said.
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Signature piece Avery’s signature project to date is the five-story Litatro building at West First and Bridge streets in the heart of downtown Oswego. Litatro features 20 luxury residences as well as retail and commercial space, underground parking, Southern Fare Restaurant on the first floor as well as rooftop deck that will be transformed into a destination place featuring “world-class eats,” Avery noted. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
The project received tax incentives through a payments-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with Oswego County; the state helped with $1 million in Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding; and Pathfinder played a role with key funding as well. He said the city was user-friendly in terms of making the building process as smooth as possible. “This was everybody’s project — not just Atom Avery’s or Falecia Avery’s or our project,” he added. “It was fun. When everybody is 53
working toward the same goal, it makes anything fun,” he said. Litatro is actually an acronym meaning “Luck Is The Ability To Recognize Opportunity.” The saying comes from Avery’s initial mentor— Tom Tesoriero. “He used to have all these sayings and lines, and one of them was ‘luck is the ability to recognize opportunity,’” Avery said. “People oftentimes say, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky!’ But the bottom line is, chances are they are not lucky. They just took the opportunity that was presented to them and did something with it,” he added. “It’s not about luck. If you don’t like something in your life, change it,” he said. “It’s true even in relationships. If you’re unhappy, you need to work on it and change it. It’s the same in business, life and everything.” This year, Avery will set his sights on launching the operational portion of The Maples Adult Living Community while balancing his focus on the upcoming rooftop bar at Litatro. Avery also features a standalone website — litatro.com — which offers general information, pricing and access to lease agreements. Woven into the fabric of his entrepreneurial spirit, Avery’s driving force has always been to give back to the community in which he knows and loves. In doing so he is proud to serve on the board of directors for the Oswego County Federal Credit Union in addition to being chairman of the board at Oswego Health.
Fresh beginnings Avery and physician Micheal Stephens, a family medicine specialist with Oswego Health, are teaming to launch The Maples Adult Living Community, an adult living residence located at the former Michaud Residential Health Services in Fulton. The completely remodeled facility is expected to open this summer. While the aforementioned Joseph Murabito is not an equity partner, he does participate on the management side. Elemental Management Group will perform back-office duties and help manage the facility. Avery mentioned he is looking forward to working with Elemental and an opportunity to glean perspectives from several leaders. There was discussion during the early stages of planning at The Maples that a wing specifically designed for 54
treating COVID-19 patients would be created. However, that looks all for naught at this point, Avery said. “It doesn’t look like it is needed
obviously with the vaccine,” he said. “It’s probably a blessing in disguise that the timeline didn’t work out preCOVID-19,” said Avery, noting it would have been challenging to open and launch a communal living environment at the height of the pandemic in 2020. “But we are looking forward to better times for sure,” he said. He said the business does its best in keeping with constantly changing COVID-19-related regulations administered by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the New York State Department of Health. “We are looking for some normalcy in life; that’s what we are looking for,” he said.
Right-hand woman
Atom Avery and wife Falecia.
Lifelines
Atom Z. Avery Birth date: May 12, 1979 Birthplace: Oswego Current residence: Franklin Park historical district, city of Oswego Education: Graduated Oswego High, 1998 Honors: U.S. Small Business Administration’s Business of Excellence Award, 2014; Leadership Oswego County’s Distinguished Alumni Award (LOC is administered by SUNY Oswego’s Office of Business and Community Relations), 2016; the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award, 2016 Affiliations: Member, board of directors, Oswego County Federal Credit Union, Oswego Health Family: Wife Falecia; and three children, Aubrey, 18; Azalia, 16; and Apollo, 8 Hobbies: Spending time with family at camp in Fair Haven, golf OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
For Avery, his wife Falecia is “my start-up, go-to person, and what I mean by that is she wears many different hats and always has, whether it’s helping with furnishings or picking out finishes. That’s her area of expertise,” said Avery, noting his wife also keeps a tight rein on interior budgeting. “She steps in to help get the businesses launched, and then she steps out and goes back to what she enjoys, which is raising our family and being at home,” Avery said. The couple, which celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary last June, has three children, Aubrey, 18; Azalia, 16; and Apollo, 8. Aubrey is a college student who already owns property and is getting into real estate. “We go through ebbs and flows of too much work and too much play sometimes. Finding that balance is important,” he said. “Sometimes you have to make an appointment to have a date night” and view family as an equal priority. The family enjoys vacationing together and summers at its camp in Fair Haven. “We always raised our kids in an environment where our kids’ friends want to come and be in,” he said. “I want my children to be happy, engaged in a healthy life and relationships, and do what their hearts desire,” Avery said. “I have no true dreams that my children will do what I do,” he said. “Maybe I think that way because I bought a lot of property from a lot of people whose parents may have passed, and they didn’t want to do it. In my mind, I’m not holding anyone accountable to do what my wife and I have done.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Team Avery Builds Toward Success Husband, wife combination plays key role in transformative development projects in county By Lou Sorendo
T
hey are Oswego’s version of the ultimate power couple. Atom and Falecia (Murray) Avery have hardly hit their stride in the business world, but they are already heralded for their high level of entrepreneurial spirit while generating significant economic and community growth in the city and county of Oswego. The couple’s latest creation is the Litatro building in downtown Oswego, one of several recent developments that have spurred a renaissance in the city. Dominating the Oswego city skyline, Litatro features 20 housing units, private-access underground parking and a rooftop bar area. “It is very fulfilling,” Falecia said. “Both of our families have business backgrounds and are from the Oswego area. We are very proud to be from Oswego and are happy to be a part of its growth and revitalization.” Since 1999, Avery Rental Properties has provided housing for students, families and business professionals throughout the community. In 2011, the couple teamed to transform Oswego’s historic Knights of Columbus building into the Beacon Hotel, a 14-room boutique style hotel. The hotel project earned them the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Excellence Award in 2014. They also partnered in the conversion of the former Loretto Health and Rehabilitation Center into The Gardens by Morningstar, a 106-bed assisted living complex in Oswego, in 2016. Later that year, the couple was presented the Dee Heckethorn Entrepreneur Award from Operation Oswego County. Other holdings include 5 Points Wine and Liquor at 1 Washington Boulevard at the forks of the road in Oswego.
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Key catalyst Falecia said her husband is “the driving force to all of our endeavors.” “Most of the time, I find out about our ‘opportunities’ and projects with a conversation that’s starts out with Atom telling someone, ‘I haven’t even told Falecia about this one yet, but … as he talks to friends, family or business associates about his next idea, business or project.” She said after 25 years together, she has grown used to it. “I sometimes am not always on board at first, but it’s what makes him tick and he really has been blessed with a gift for managing and developing businesses,” she said. Falecia said it has also been quite fulfilling to carry on the hard work and commitment the couple learned from their parents and pass that on to the community and their children. The couple has three children: Aubrey, 18; Azalia, 16; and Apollo, 8. “For me, I spend a lot of time supporting each venture’s interior and exterior design. It comes naturally to me to be able to select all the paint colors, floorings, fixtures and finishes for each project,” she said. “I learned it all from my parents.”
Showing the example For the past 50 years, her mother, Diane Murray, has worked alongside Falecia’s father, Thomas J. Murray, building homes and most recently airplanes. “She can literally lay the foundation on your house, paint its walls and decorate it to feel like a home,” Falecia said. “She’s like Martha Stewart on steroids and has taught me so much.” Diane has “done it with such grace and all while raising six children and OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Falecia Avery 13 grandchildren,” her daughter said. She said growing up and watching how her parents complement each other and support each other through tough times and successes has been pivotal in how she approaches projects with Atom. “Growing up, I witnessed my parents’ hard work and pure grit to get just about any project done,” she said. “I mean, whose parents have built multiple-family homes while working full-time, and during retirement have rebuilt a ‘55 Chevy and are currently building their third airplane?” Falecia asked. “Not many! It’s inspirational and they probably could outwork us in their sleep.” “My siblings and I were all raised to believe we could do anything if we put our minds to it and work hard,” she added. “As a young girl, I can’t tell you how important that was to hear. I think that mentality and being raised with a strong Catholic faith that instilled helping others really fostered my ability to support anything Atom takes on.” What Falecia enjoys most is watching Atom’s dreams come true and showing her children that they can do anything they put their minds to. “Our children have grown up watching and being involved in the process,” she said. “We have shown them the ins and outs of many different processes and types of endeavors. “I love that they are realizing you don’t have to stay in one lane to be happy and are also learning to pivot in tough times.” Falecia said while her children have yet to focus on a career path to pursue, they have been shown with the right team and support, “the sky is the limit.” “And that’s what I enjoy most.” 55
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he largest indoor agricultural show in the Northeast, the New York Farm Show (www.newyorkfarmshow.com) has welcomed guests to the New York State Fairgrounds since 1985. Normally held toward the end of February, the show will not go on this year because of COVID-19. The show is more than a chance to peruse the wares of more than 400 exhibitors. It also includes numerous workshops, demonstrations and seminars, all part of the free admission show. Since it is held during a lull in agricultural schedules, it allows farmers the opportunity to get off the farm for a few hours, rekindle old friendships and feel the camaraderie forged by the challenges of farming. The show’s absence is not just a loss for farmers. Many agricultural enthusiasts attend to see the latest in farm technology and shop for agricultural gifts and toys. Rural landowners also attend the show to learn more about topics like forest management. Many of the vendors offer items for pet animals, tools and home décor. The lack of a Farm Show represents another loss of an event at the fairgrounds. The official calendar contains no events through the end of March except for drive-through Girl Scout cookie sales and American Red Cross blood drives. Without the show, the hospitality-based businesses in Syracuse lose another opportunity to feed and lodge the vendor personnel presenting at the show and any non-local attendees. Despite ongoing discussions about possibly rescheduling the show, “there’s no planning going on now at all,” said Scott Grigor, show manager. “The governor has not let us play in his house yet.” The disappointment in Grigor’s voice indicated how important he believes the show is for attendees. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
“It’s a showcase of agriculture for the Northeast,” Grigor said. “It’s the go-to information center. It’s a one-onone type of thing. It’s a farmer meet and greet, but that would be harder now with the masks.” The event is so popular that it draws sizeable crows to peruse six of the buildings at the fairgrounds. Grigor said that he doubted the show could be managed in a way that would keep people apart. “We could not get personnel to police it,” he said. “Making sure that anyone who comes is safe is my biggest thing.” He did not think a virtual event would be well attended because the farmers interested in the show typically are not desk-oriented individuals but are more hands-on. “I’ve watched several virtual shows and my attention time is 15 to 30 minutes,” Grigor said. “I can’t see farmers sitting in front of a computer to watch a show. Virtual shows are a lot of work and the response they get, they’re a little disappointing.” Because it is a trade show, the Farm Show would not receive vendor revenue in a virtual format. Farm Progress and the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association coown and co-produce the New York Farm Show. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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SUNY Oswego faculty member takes a forwardlooking approach on the ever-evolving landscape of media law
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UNY Oswego communication studies faculty member Jason Zenor’s new book takes a different approach to media law — focusing forward instead of back. The unique direction of “Emerging Media: Legal Principles, Virtual Issues” took shape in the media law classes he teaches in Oswego, Zenor said, as students were more interested in emerging technologies and trends than cases in dusty law books. The ramifications of legal issues in cutting-edge media developed into his research focus in the past decade. “I published several papers on virtual reality and artificial intelligence and how communication technology could change,” Zenor said. “And then also in my class I found that most of the interesting conversations we had and debates we had were on these issues.” The result is a book that its publisher, Cognella Publishing, said “introduces contemporary media and information studies students to the nexus between law and emerging media technology of connected devices, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.” The book covers issues in the news like regulating tech companies, bots spreading fake news, apps that can track health information, facial recognition technology and hacking of data stored in the cloud. Zenor noticed that this future-oriented focus is not something found in other textbooks. “For students, there is no textbook like this on the market for media law,” Zenor explained. “Mostly, you’ll find legal books and textbooks that are looking at the past, because it’s based on precedent and obviously it’s easy to FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
write about what’s been established. So I took a shot here.” But the book, like his classes, also involves critical thinking, encouraging students to think about how communication technology can cause harm psychologically, socially and politically, and how laws and regulation may or may not mitigate these effects. “The book is to make students think about technology and communications critically, but not just having a debate The Helpful Place based on their opinions but by having it grounded in legal principles,” Zenor 2721 Route 3 • Fulton • 315-592-2063 PULASKI & VICTOR, NY said. PULASKI & VICTOR, NY “Whatever we have in the future for law and policy will be obviously derived from what’s already established,” he noted, “but it’s not a law textbook in the sense where there are lots of cases, and you have to memorize the letter of the law. It’s just more of a grounding that leads them to the discussion of critical analysis.” With an issue like privacy, for example, some books might serve up a 50-page chapter on case law, but with LAKESHORE HARDWOODS the way technology continues to evolve PULASKI & VICTOR, NY so rapidly, providing more current examples and seeing where this topic www.lakeshorehardwoods.com 315-298-6407 might go could provide a more effective www.lakeshorehardwoods.com 315-298-6407 approach, Zenor said. The textbook also acknowledges that students in broadcasting or journalism “didn’t get into it to become As a Certified WorkComp Advisor, the FitzGibbons Agency lawyers,” Zenor said. offers free comparative Workers’ Compensation quotes from “They are freelance journalists or have their own podcast, so they multiple insurance carriers to give you the best possible rate. need to have a sense before they say something defamatory or try to violate somebody’s privacy,” Zenor said of today’s students. “I just found that some www.lakeshorehardwoods.com 315-298-6407 of these textbooks for media law, you Email Us! have 400 to 600 pages, and it was case all! Give Us a C In after case, which is fine for law school fo Agency Insurance @askfitz.co 0 2-500 m (315) 34 or somebody who has an interest in that sort of thing. But I find for my students, 44 E Bridge St, Suite 1 just it’s too much, and it’s not what they Oswego, NY 13126 take away from it.” www.askfitz.com (315) 342-5000 Other topics covered include censorship, false speech, civil liability, obscenity, identity rights, intellectual property, consumer protection and market regulation. Zenor also was pleased that his ISO 9001:2015 REGISTERED publisher made the book affordable, and it has applicability beyond what • Full service CNC precision machine shop a normal media law book might have. • Specializing in vertical and horizontal machining “This is not only for broadcasting • Small to large capacity or journalism students, but also for • Production of one to thousands students who might be in communiPhone: (315) 598-2900 cations or information studies,” Zenor Fax: (315) 598-4210 said. “But anybody who is going to be a consumer and a citizen will get www.fultontool.com something from it.”
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Assistance to Oswego County’s Small Businesses During the Pandemic
T ‘Looking to the future, we want to ensure that as many of our small businesses as possible not only survive the pandemic but thrive despite it.’
• Counseling & Healing Arts; hroughout the COIVD-19 pandemic, • Tavern on the Lock, Inc.; Operation Oswego County (OOC) • Focused Fiscal Force, LLC, a tax prepahas heightened its focus on the small ration and bookkeeping service; businesses of Oswego County. • B & T Sports Shop of Fulton, N.Y., Inc., The OOC COVID-19 Emergency Relief Program is an emergency loan fund, which a retail sporting goods and team sales store; • Fulton Screen Printing, a screen printprovides zero-interest, 180-day loans to small ing and embroidery shop; businesses with 50 or less employees. • Red Roof Inn; The maximum loan amount a business • Bed Head Hair Company, a salon. could receive is $10,000 to support operations Over the Top Roofing, LLC, a roofing and employment that were directly affected by COVID-19. There is no cost to apply, no contractor in the town of Granby, EDM closing costs, no filing fees, and no attorney Contractors Equipment Repair a tool and fees (unless you hire an attorney at your own equipment repair business in the town of Granby, and Kathy’s Cakes and Specialty expense). Over the course of this program, OOC has Treats, a bakery and ice cream shop in the town of Volney, received assisted over 40 businessEconomic Trends assistance. es from all across Oswego Businesses in the County. These businesses provide a wide range of industries from town of Schroeppel that received assistance manufacturing to retail, professional services were Green Cleaning Services of Central to tourism and hospitality, and agriculture New York, Inc., a residential cleaning service, Lindsley Excavating, LLC, which provides to healthcare. The following are businesses who uti- excavation and site-preparation work, and lized the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Pro- Green Light Courier, Inc./Green Light Freight & Trucking, LLC. gram, broken down by municipality. D&D Logging and Lumber, LLC, a CME Electrical Supply, Inc., a wholesale electrical and hardware supply company, sawmill, Brown Dog Wood Products, which and Oswego Valley Millwork, which creates specializes in kiln drying and molding manucustom cabinetry, both from the town of facturing, and Charlie’s Auto Service, an auto repair shop, all from the town of Palermo, Hannibal, received assistance. Businesses from the city of Fulton who received loans. Treasure Lilly, Inc., a women’s and chilreceived loans were:
L. MICHAEL TREADWELL, CEcD, is executive director of Operation Oswego County based in Oswego. To contact him call 315-343-1545 or visit www.oswegocounty.org. 60
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Not all small businesses in Oswego County have struggled with the pandemic. HealthWay Home Products in Pulaski, for example, has embarked on a new $2,795,000 project, consisting of the renovation of two buildings and the purchasing of necessary equipment. It will create 40 new jobs. Financial assistance was provided by Operation Oswego County, the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency and Central New York Enterprise Development Corporation. dren’s boutique in the town of Hastings, CT Grass, Dirt & Snow, LLC, a provider of small engine parts and service in the town of Hastings, and Northern Firewood & Earth Products, Inc., a firewood and material supplier in the town of West Monroe, received assistance. Stone Creek Golf Course, in the town of Oswego, was given a loan. Businesses in the city of Oswego who received loans include: • Oswego County Business magazine; • Inking Tattoo Company, Inc.; • JP Wholesale Jewelers, Inc.; • Mitchell’s Speedway Press; • Gosek Electrical Company, LLC, and • Canale Insurance and Accounting Services, LLC. Amedio’s Auto Repair, K & G Sportfishing, LLC, a fishing charter, and Reina Motor Car, a used car sales service, all in the town of Scriba, received assistance. Harbor Lights Professional Chemical Dependency Service and Take Charge Strength Studio, a fitness center, both in the village of Mexico, received loans. Steve’s Body Shop, a mechanical and auto body repair shop, and Pople Ridge Farm, LLC, an equestrian riding center and show facility, both in the town of Mexico, received assistance. Allsource Fire Supply, Inc., supplier FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
of pre-fabricated fire suppression systems and components in the Town of Parish and Salmon River Pines, offering cabin rental and guided fishing services in the Town of Albion, received loans. Port Lodge Motel in the town of Richland, Rainbow Shores, LLC, a restaurant in the town of Richland and Whitaker’s Sport Shop, a tackle shop and 9-unit motel in the village of Pulaski, received assistance. Finally, FioJos, a food truck service in the village of Lacona and Greene Point Marina, a marina with food, beer, fuel, parts and accessories sales in the town of Sandy Creek, received loans. In total, 45 loans were approved. Of those, 43 have been accepted and funded. Three of the loans were approved in late fall 2020. Two of the borrowers have not yet completed the initial 180day interest-free period of the loan. Of the 41 businesses who have reached the end of their 180-day interest-free period, 25% of these businesses were able to pay back the loan, in full. The remainder of those 41 businesses rolled theirs over into a two-year, low interest loan. We are pleased to have assisted so many small business clients throughout Oswego County. We look forward to developing on going relationships with them, many of which are new clients OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
to OOC. Not all small businesses have struggled in the same way. HealthWay Home Products, an international air filtration company in the village of Pulaski, found its products in such high demand due to the pandemic, that they needed to expand quickly. The $2,795,000 project, consisting of the renovation of two buildings and the purchase of necessary equipment, will create 40 new jobs. Financial assistance was provided by OOC, the COIDA and CNY EDC. As 2021 begins, businesses are still experiencing the effects of the pandemic, as is our economy as a whole. Looking to the future, we want to ensure that as many of our small businesses as possible not only survive the pandemic but thrive despite it.
Operation Oswego County still has some money available through the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Program for small businesses in Oswego County with 50 or less employees. If your business is in need of assistance, call 315-343-1545. 61
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Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. 2021 Employment Outlook Healthcare sector is projected to be the region’s fastest-growing industry during this decade By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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hat will the 2021 job market hold for job seekers? Karen Knapik-Scalzo, associate economist with the New York State Department of Labor Division of Research and Statistics in Syracuse, offered a few answers. “The healthcare sector has many job opportunities in the Central New York region,” she said. “There was a record number of jobs in Central New York’s healthcare–– sector in 2019 prior to the pandemic and the pandemic has shed continued light on the importance of the industry. The healthcare sector is projected to be the region’s fastest-growing industry during this decade.” While consumers quarantined at home and continue to spend more time at home, shopping does not happen at stores as much. That is why those supporting online shopping will continue to find work. “Growing demand for online shopping and the development of local Amazon distribution facilities in Onondaga County has created job opportunities in the local warehousing-storage and distribution sector,” Knapik-Scalzo said.
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These positions include material handlers, stock clerks, order fillers, forklift drivers, truck drivers and frontline supervisors. Working at home, educating at home and recreating at home means that more people rely on technology. Knapik-Scalzo said that hightech and computer-related industries are expanding. Beyond COVID-19, a few other influences are affecting hiring, including age demographic shifts. “The education sector is a large industry locally both at the pre-K to 12 level and post-secondary level,” Knapik-Scalzo said. “It has many job openings, especially as baby boomers retire from the industry.” Job titles needing employees in education include teachers, school bus drivers and attendants, teacher aides, and substitute teachers. She added that healthcare practitioners and support workers are also in demand as the workers in this industry are retiring and longevity expands. Examples of these positions includ registered nurses, physicians, physiOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
cian assistants, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, medical assistants, athletic trainers, home health aides and personal care aides, certified nursing assistants, licensed practical and vocational nurses, mental health counselors and nurse practitioners. She added that the ongoing shortage in the agricultural sector continues to cause the industry to experience labor shortages for hands-on labor. Across many industries, customer service representatives and sales support staff are in demand. Joy Rinaldi, vice-president of operations at CPS Recruitment in New Hartford, Auburn and Syracuse, said that COVID-19 has only exacerbated shortages among healthcare organizations. “Workers that have been working through COVID are completely burned out,” Rinaldi said. “There’s high demand.” Workers who perform lab testing or COVID-19 screening are in high demand for the foreseeable future as the pandemic continues. “Anything in technology is huge,” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Rinaldi said. “From our own experience, call center workers — more companies can go remote with those types of jobs. Anyone who can be flexible to work from home is a necessity.” The region’s growth in technology has created more demand for software engineers, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers. “More companies are present to hire those positions,” Rinaldi said. “Companies that have been able to break ground here have been successful in attracting employees.” She advises people who are looking for work to make sure their skills on platforms like Zoom are up to par so they can work remotely if possible. They should also ramp up their virtual soft skills. “That customer or client is not just looking to see how they’ll answer the interview questions,” Rinaldi said. “If it’s anything technical in nature, what will they do if their audio or visual doesn’t work? Are they in a quiet, professional space? Are there dogs barking or children crying? Do they screen how they look and sound? It’s not a job skill but a new reality.” For similar reasons, professional writing skills and phone skills are important too. Some companies are hiring individuals to oversee their COVID-19 management. “Companies never had to be as concerned about employees’ wellbeing and they want to make sure they have a safe environment,” said Carol R. Fletcher, owner of C.R. Fletcher Associates, Inc. in Syracuse, Fletcher. “Companies are being very conscious of the pandemic.” She added that certain industries such as alcohol distributors are doing well, along with those involved with home furnishing, high technology and warehouse and distribution. Those manufacturing masks, gloves, sanitizer and other healthcare items “will continue to be busy for a while. Not until the majority have received the vaccine will this wind down. People are cautious.” She believes that most companies have tried hard to maintain their workforce. “Companies are striving hard for their employees,” she said. “They’ve tried to be as consistent as they can through this.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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9 Key Sectors Analysis of some of the key sectors of the local economy Stories by Ken Sturtz
1 Agriculture Some sectors have seen their sales rise dramatically, despite the pandemic
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swego County has deep agrarian roots and today farmers produce everything from fruits, vegetables and maple syrup to meat, milk and Christmas trees. The market value of agricultural products produced in Oswego County is more than $41 million. The number of farms has ticked down in recent years, but the county still counts more than 600 active farms, ranging from operations employing multiple people to part-time family farms. Although farmers dealt with many challenges in 2020, some sectors — nurseries, greenhouses, Christmas tree farms — saw their sales rise dramatically, says Mark James of the New York Farm B u re a u . T h e Farm Bureau James also worked with the state to ensure the scores of farmers markets in the region were able to open for farmers to sell their products. “One of the bright spots of the pandemic is we’re seeing more and more folks shopping locally and sourcing food from local farms,” James says. Farmers who sold directly to consumers saw significant sales increases, likely due to shortages at supermarkets and worries about supply chain issues, says Joshua Vrooman, an agriculture community educator for Cornell CoOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
operative Extension of Oswego County. CSA vegetable boxes and U-pick operations also experienced major bumps in sales during the summer and fall. Farmers were helped during the pandemic by efforts of the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, which partnered with Cooperative Extension to distribute facial masks and hand sanitizer. Vrooman says they distributed thousands of masks and gallons of hand sanitizer to farmers in the county, especially those in direct contact with consumers. The outlook for farmers in 2021 will likely depend somewhat on who their customers are. Anyone whose main market was supplying restaurants, for example, was hit hard in 2020, says Erich Keena, an agricultural economic development specialist for Cooperative Extension. Even as restaurants have reopened, they’re not doing the same volume of business, which affects their suppliers. Farmers who saw increased sales in 2020 by selling directly to consumers will likely enjoy robust business this year.
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Oswego County Business reaches more than 2,000 people earning more than $100K in Oswego County 63
2021 12 Energy
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Exelon power plants in Scriba produce a third of the state’s carbon-free energy
swego County’s energy sector is dominated by its nuclear power plants, which despite concerns about closing in recent years, continue to provide a large number of good-paying jobs. Exelon Generation operates Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station and the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant, both in Scriba. Nine Mile Point Units 1 and 2 generate 1,907 megawatts, enough electricity to power more than
2 million homes. Unit 1 entered service in 1970 and Unit 2 in 1988. The FitzPatrick plant produces 838 megawatts, enough to power 800,000 homes; it entered service in 1975. Exelon employs more than 1,300 workers in Oswego County with an annual payroll of more than $170 million. Periodic refueling outages necessitate more than 1,300 additional workers, many of whom travel to Oswego County from out of state. For several
13 Healthcare Oswego Health sees substantial growth in 2020, has played pivotal role in vaccine distribution
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hroughout 2020, health care organizations have been on the front lines of protecting the community from COVID-19 and will continue to be essential in 2021 as the economy recovers. Oswego Health’s task has been twofold, playing a key role in combatting the coronavirus as well as moving forward on several key expansion and development projects. “We’ve been very proud as a system of the work we’ve done internally to protect our patients,” says Michael Backus, chief operating officer for Oswego Health. “We have done a remarkable job of being prepared for the pandemic.” In particular, Backus says Backus the hospital has worked tirelessly to educate employees of the importance of the organization’s infectious disease prevention strategies and ensure they are continually being 64
followed by staff. That’s been important at Oswego Hospital, but also at other units in the system, such as assisted living. Oswego Health has also led the pack on vaccinating its staff against the COVID-19 virus. Its preparation and planning were so efficient that during the vaccine’s initial rollout it used 99% of its vaccine allotment, drawing praise from the governor. Oswego Health will play a key role in vaccine distribution, among its staff and residents in its assisted living facilities as well as the public at large when the time comes through its primary care offices. “We’re now rolling into getting those second shots to the people who had the first,” Backus says. “We’re working very hard on that. It’s the thing that’s going to turn this pandemic around.” Oswego Health has continued to expand and enhance its specialty service offerings. It added a new orthopedic surgeon to its Center for Orthopedic Care team as well an orthopedic physician assistant and a nurse practitioner. It also added a new bariatric surgeon to its Center for Weight Loss & Surgery. Backus says Oswego Health’s investment in specialty services makes OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
weeks before and during outages, the influx of people gives a boost to the local economy. Exelon says its employees at its Scriba power plants, which produce a third of the state’s carbon-free energy, worked diligently to fulfill the critical role they play in powering hospitals, regional response centers and millions of homes and essential businesses during the pandemic. The company says it has taken precautions to keep employees and the community safe, such as completing temperature pre-screenings of all employees-contractors, allowing as many employees as possible to work from home, limiting travel, and minimizing personal contact through social distancing.
business sense and means people no longer need to leave the community and go to Syracuse to access those services as has traditionally been the case. “A lot of people went south for that healthcare,” he says. “There’s no reason for that. We’re able to offer that care right here.” Oswego Health opened its new behavioral health services facility, Lakeview Center for Mental Health and Wellness, in January. The project was made possible through a $13 million grant from the state Department of Health. The facility on East Cayuga Street in Oswego was the location of a former grocery store. The 42,000-square-foot space is designed to provide inpatient and outpatient care and includes 32 inpatient beds. “I think that’s going to pay dividends coming out of our community,” Backus says. Other projects by Oswego Health include resumption of renovations to the third and fourth floors of Oswego Hospital. The current rooms are being turned into 44 private patient rooms. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. Plans are also underway to renovate the Advanced Medical Services building on Route 481 in Fulton as part of a plan to expand primary care services in the community. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
14 Higher Education
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SUNY Oswego faces a $6.6 million shortfall in its 2020-21 budget
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UNY Oswego remains a major economic force in the community. In 2020, the college spent more than $76 million on employee compensation. Since 2013, its capital projects have exceeded $110 million and injected $50 million into New York’s economy. Higher education faced challenges at nearly every turn in 2020, from financial pressure and fighting COVID-19 to finding a way to safely educate students. “We accomplished a great deal in 2020, while also managing our response to an unprecedented global pandemic to ensure the health and safety of members of our community while striving to maintain and extend excellence in teaching and learning,” says President Deborah F. Stanley. Last fall, amid rising cases of COVID-19, the college proactively entered a two-week pause of in-person learning and moved to fully remote learning. Most on-campus activities were suspended, including athletics, extra-curricular activities and in-person dining. College officials praised the way students responded to the pandemic restrictions, which upended traditional campus life. “Our campus community met this challenge head on and displayed to others that when we pulled together, cared for one another and followed the rules and guidelines, we brought our positive cases down,” Stanley says. In the midst of dealing with the pandemic, the college also faced a $6.6 million shortfall in its 2020-21 budget. Its state funding was reduced 25% and it experienced a small decrease in enrollment revenues in the fall 2020 semester. The college took a multifaceted approach to maintain its operations and financial stability. SUNY Oswego suspended or reduced hiring, put travel on hold and scoured its budget. Despite the challenges, SUNY Oswego continued to deliver an academic curriculum to students in the spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020, and winter 2020 semesters through a mixture of face-to-face, online and hybrid classes.
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“Our faculty and staff have shown tremendous resourcefulness in implementing the unforeseen and rapid change to remote teaching and learning,” Stanley says. “They successfully negotiated a long roster of unplanned circumstances and delivered in their full capacities to support our students and our college — they were unwavering in their dedication to student success.” As part of its efforts to help students affected by the pandemic, in spring 2020 the college applied for and received $3.6 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Recovery (CARES) Act funding. It expects to receive another $3.6 million in CARES funding this year. The grant money can be used to help students pay for eligible expenses such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care. SUNY Oswego also created a Student Emergency Fund in 2020 to assist students with the immediate housing, food, transportation and technology needs they encountered due to the pandemic. The fund has received more than $270,000 in private donations to date. In 2020, the college also rolled out several new academic programs. In addition to minors in sales and entrepreneurship, and business analytics, it also proposed creating a master’s degree in higher education leadership and added a new track to its master’s degree in biomedical health informatics. As the spring semester begins, Stanley says SUNY Oswego will be guided by its “Winter and Spring Forward 2021 Plan.” It provides detailed information and guidelines including on academic instruction, weekly surveillance testing, isolation and quarantine protocols, and outbreak response and containment. Testing students and employees weekly during the spring semester will be made easier by the college’s partnership with SUNY Upstate for virus testing and response. Between August and November 2020, students and employees received more than 22,000 COVID-19 tests.
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SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley.
Cayuga Community College: Working on its new Advanced Manufacturing Institute Cayuga Community College has faced similar challenges, taking precautions for in-person learning and developing the capacity to deliver instruction remotely. “Our students have been extremely resilient and engaged in their coursework,” says President Brian M. Durant. Over the last year the college has developed the ability to offer both hybrid and fully remote instruction, which is more convenient for some students, but also helps other students maintain their enrollment and continue their studies. Although it’s not the same as in-person learning, Durant says the college is focused on keeping students engaged. Cayuga Community College is also moving forward on a new workforce development project on its Fulton campus, an Advanced Manufacturing Institute. The institute will offer stateof-the-art learning opportunities and hands-on training, helping the local workforce enhance their expertise and ensure that regional industry leaders have a talented pool of potential employees. The college is working with local manufacturers, the county Industrial Development Agency and the Cayuga Community College Foundation on the 7,500-square-foot facility. Renovations will begin this year.
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15 Manufacturing Overall employment declined significantly in 2020
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anufacturing continues to be a key driver of the economy throughout much of Upstate New York and in Oswego County. “This year was a challenge, but still overall a significant amount of manufacturing activity,” says Randy Wolken, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York. Manufacturing employment in Central New York declined significantly in 2020, but things are already beginning to recover, Wolken says. Part of the challenge is that the economy hasn’t been fully open for a while, which reduces both demand and opportunity for the manufacturing sector. An upside for manufacturers last year during the pandemic was the fact that many were deemed essential businesses. With the proper precautions, many manufacturers remained open. Novelis, which employs 1,200 people in Central New York and is the largest manufacturer in Oswego County, experienced disruption in
its operations in 2020. In response to temporary shutdowns by American automakers, Novelis temporarily ramped down some production at its plant in Scriba. During this period, it continued to produce aluminum for the beverage can and specialty markets. Novelis kept all employees whole and resumed full capacity operations at its plant at the beginning of the summer. “Our ability to continue essential operations was in big part thanks to the agility from our teams to adjust workflow, operations, schedules and adhere to new safety requirements,” says Jeff Cruse, plant manager. “Equally imCruse portant was our commitment to teamwork and finding resourceful ways to share information.”
16 Nonprofit Financial hurdles hitting nonprofits when the demands for their services is high
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rom human service agencies and colleges to hospitals and museums, nonprofits are a massive piece of the economy. Nonprofits employ nearly 20% of the workforce in the state. Thousands of people across Central New York work in the nonprofit sector and many more benefit from their work, whether that’s feeding the hungry, providing medical care or preserving cultural treasures. But nonprofits have endured unprecedented strain throughout the pandemic as the demand for their services has skyrocketed and many of their funding sources have dried up. “If you think about it from a busi66
ness perspective, you’ve got challenges on both sides of the ledger” says Peter Dunn, president and CEO of the Central New York Community Foundation. “There’s a multifaceted challenge that’s impacted the nonprofit service sector in our region.” Many organizations that rely on government contracts or reimbursements to provide their services have experienced Dunn OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Novelis is continuing to provide aluminum to Ford for its F-150 pickup truck and it is benefiting from increased demand for aluminum cans. Despite the pandemic, the company has continued collaborating with partners at CiTi Boces to build out the pipeline of future STEM and manufacturing professionals through its P-Tech program, which graduated its first class. Some areas of manufacturing, such as automotive, will continue to recover in 2021, Wolken says. Others, such as those in food processing or those making home goods, actually saw growth throughout 2020. “I think what we’ll see is an incre mental recovery throughout 2021 especially as vaccines flow more regularl y, ” Wo l k e n says. Additionally, Wolken says the state and federal government are likely to make Wolken investments in infrastructure and the green economy, which will benefit manufacturing.
problems due to state and local government facing severe fiscal challenges. Organizations both large and small have experienced delays being paid or have seen funding cut, Dunn says. Nonprofits that rely on fundraising events and private donations for a significant portion of their funding have generally struggled, too. Donor dollars have been stretched thin this past year and the pandemic forced the cancelation of most fundraising events. Although some organizations found ways to successfully reinvent their fundraisers, often by turning them into virtual events, many more organizations simply lost that revenue they normally would have been able to plan on, Dunn says. The impact has also varied by organization. Some have been better able to weather the funding challenges than others. All these financial hurdles are FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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occurring at the same time that any nonprofits, especially health and human service agencies, have experienced increased demand for their services. “Nonprofits are an economic engine and if their revenue models are undermined, that’s going to affect their ability to staff the services they provide” Dunn says. It hasn’t all been doom and gloom for nonprofits, however. In the past year many organizations have doubled down on the communities they serve, partnering with other organizations to ensure those most affected by the pandemic receive help. “I think as a community we can be tremendously proud at how orgs have stepped up to face shifting needs and challenges and dynamics,” Dunn says. Patrick Dewine, executive director of the United Way of Greater Oswego County agrees that one of the positives
that came out of the pandemic was an opportunity to see just how well nonprofits, government and other partners were able to come together to meet needs in the community. “We’re very fortunate here in Oswego County where we already have great relationships between nonprofit agencies,” Dewine says. “Everybody seems to be working toward the same goal which is to make a positive impact in the community.” Still, when COVID-19 hit it created an unprecedented opportunity for nonprofits to Dewine pivot and come
together to meet the needs of the community. For example, numerous mass food distributions throughout Oswego County in 2020 involved significant collaboration between local nonprofits, the Food Bank of Central New York, the American Dairy Association, local government and community groups. Despite the success of many collaborative efforts, Dewine says the United Way, like many nonprofits, has faced fundraising challenges. The organization embarked on a new campaign in the fall with the expectation that there would be challenges raising funds. Some donors are out of work or have had their hours reduced. Others are dealing with unforeseen expenses. The challenge for nonprofits going forward, Dewine says, will be balancing the need for services with potential funding shortfalls.
17 Real Estate Expectation is that 2021 will bring another hot real estate market in CNY
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entral New York experienced one of the hottest real estate markets in recent memory in 2020, driven by strong buyer demand and limited supply. The COVID-19 virus put a lid on most real estate activity in April and May, which caused sidelined buyers to flood real estate agencies with inquiries when things opened back up in the summer. Once the market picked up steam, it never really slowed down. “If you had asked me in May or June if our housing market would be able to rebound this well from the shutdown, I would have been skeptical,” says Andy Azzarello, president of the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors. Despite the disruptions earlier in the year, the housing market finished 2020 with 9,387 sales, a mere 4% decline in home sales, according to the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors. The median sales price soared 11% to $157,900, a sign of the intense demand among buyers. The data includes Cayuga, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and Seneca counties. Potential buyers stuck at home FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
earlier this year were likely to realize they needed more space or decide it was time to upgrade to a new house. Historically low mortgage rates added an additional incentive. It wasn’t only a story of strong demand, however. The region’s housing supply has remained relatively low for several years. Many homeowners considering selling their homes hesitated amid the initial chaos caused by the pandemic. If they didn’t have to sell their home right away, many decided to wait until things settled down. The result was that buyers were receiving their asking prices and new homes coming onto the market were generally scooped up quickly. “The big thing that drove the market was inventory is low, which is why you’re seeing multiple offers,” Azzarello says. “At heart of spring and summer 2020 we were seeing upwards of 10-15 offers on one house.” Azzarello says the real estate market in 2020 showcased why a real estate agent is important for consumers. An agent will help a buyer through the process of deciphering multiple offers OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Andrew Azzarello and negotiate the best deal out of all those offers, he says. Even though the market cooled somewhat heading into the winter, it’s still not uncommon for sellers to receive multiple offers. Home sales in December were up 23% over 2019. The supply of houses on the market showed no signs of ticking up in December either. The number of homes for sale dropped 27% from 2019 to 1,702. Azzarello says agents are already preparing for a busy spring in anticipation that 2021 will bring another hot real estate market. “Everybody is looking forward to 2021 and the market to continue,” Azzarello says. “2021 will be a blur if this keeps up.”
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18 Small Business
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Business adviser sees influx of clients interested in starting small businesses
n Oswego County small and locally owned businesses remain a vital driver of the economy, supporting jobs and contributing to a special sense of place within communities, says Katie Toomey, executive director Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Those businesses have also borne the brunt of the COVID-19 economic crisis, she says. Businesses have faced challenges ranging from a decrease in customer demand to supply chain issues. Some businesses were forced to adapt to continue operating. Others invested in new technologies to allow their employees to work from home. Small businesses in some industries, such as manufacturing, have been able to weather the crisis better than others, Toomey says. “I think small business is going to benefit from this whole thing,” says John Halleron, a senior business adviser with the Small Business Development Center at SUNY Oswego. While Halleron acknowledges the pandemic has created challenges, he says small businesses are more adaptable and
can move quicker to make necessary changes than large corporations. Small businesses have also benefited from the public eschewing crowds and avoiding travel. People have been more likely to avoid traveling to larger crowded businesses, such as big box stores and chain restaurants in favor of smaller locally owned businesses that feel safer. “People are always going to need goods and services and if you can get it locally that’s where you’re going to go,” Halleron says. Halleron is already seeing an influx of clients interested in starting a small business as well as people who put their business plans on hold during the earlier phases of the pandemic. He says he expects interest in starting small businesses to continue to grow as the economy recovers. But the strain on existing businesses and the uncertainty about the speed of the vaccine rollout in 2021 are weighing on small business owners. “We hear a very muted sense of optimism from members,” Toomey
says. “Their projections for the year ahead are as sobering perhaps as I have seen in more than a decade of doing this work.” Toomey says the mood among businesses owners is the result of a year of incredible uncertainty and stress. But there are reasons for optimism, the first of which is that this economic crisis is driven by a public health crisis, Toomey says. That means there is a clear path forward with vaccines and safety precautions. “What makes me truly hopeful is my unwavering belief in our capacity to rewrite our future because we have done so before,” she says. “We have been written off far too many times to count and yet, we didn’t give up. Instead the business community dug into the challenges to develop and execute strategies that built a new foundation on which we can and will rebuild now.”
19 Tourism Number may not be so bad, after all, says tourism diector
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isitor spending in Oswego County hit more than $170 million in 2019, the highest level since tracking began. That followed steady increases over the last decade. “We went into 2020 feeling pretty good about where we were and then of course the bottom fell out for everybody,” says David Turner, director of the county’s Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning. The COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on tourism in 2020, but although tourism officials expect visitor spending to be down when final numbers are collected, it appears that some subsectors bounced back and were less affected
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than others. “I don’t know that it’s going to be as bad as everyone might expect,” Turner says. Hotel stays were down in 2020, as expected. Food and beverage, overall lodging and transportation are also likely to be down. Activity at campgrounds, however, was up last year. Turner attributed the increase to the public becoming comfortable with the idea that they could camp safely during the pandemic. That activity spilled over to convenience stores, gas stations, and ice cream and food establishments. The fishing industry likewise had OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Dave Turner
a surprisingly good season given the circumstances. Fishing activity started off slowly in the first half of the year. The state promoted fishing, done with the proper precautions, as a safe outdoor activity for anglers cooped up inside. Charter captains and river guides adapted and fishing picked up considerably later in the season. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
2021 A survey of local charter captains showed most were booked up solid without a day off for the second half of the season, Turner says. With the notable exception of fishermen visiting from out of state, most of the county’s tourism and recreation visitors in 2020 were more local than is typical. With travel significantly limited, many people in Oswego County and throughout Central New York chose to rediscover opportunities for recreation closer to home, Turner says. The challenges encountered in 2020 were something of a mixed bag for many businesses. The Tailwater Lodge in Altmar includes 88 rooms, a restaurant, spa, tasting room and event venue. Tom Fernandez, COO of the Woodbine Hospitality Group, which owns Tailwater, says that while the property was affected by the pandemic, it performed significantly better than its other properties located in urban areas. Tailwater’s bread and butter is
‘We went into 2020 feeling pretty good about where we were and then of course the bottom fell out for everybody.’ David Turner, director of the county’s Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning. leisure tourism. In the fall it caters heavily to Salmon fishermen. It serves snowmobilers and, to a lesser degree, steelhead fisherman through winter and into March. Summer brings people for fishing, boating and general recreation. Fernandez says Woodbine has focused on expanding into serving the business community and handling
weddings with its event venue and tasting room. The wedding market has seen intense growth, but suffered setbacks in 2020. “We had a really tough time with events,” Fernandez says. Sales and marketing staff worked with clients to cancel or reschedule their weddings. With the proper health protocols, some couples decided to move forward with weddings that maxed out at 50 people. Although Tailwater has been hosting few events, planning for future events is already at a fever-pitch. “We’re booking into 2023 right now, which is something that we don’t normally do, booking two, three, four years out,” Fernandez says. “We usually want to be in that zero to two range for booking, but we understand there’s a pent-up demand.” Fernandez says the wedding demand is a great indication that things will get back to normal soon and business will thrive.
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Construction of the Midtown Plaza on the east side of Oswego: 75,000 square-foot mixed-use building being built by Rochester-based Home Leasing, LLC.
2021
City of Oswego Progress
Batten Down the Hatches Port City withstanding COVID-19 storm, focuses on ’21 progress By Lou Sorendo
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ike any business, the city of Oswego had to hunker down and battle to control finances in anticipation of the inevitable chaos created by COVID-19. For city of Oswego Mayor William J. Barlow, it has taken hard work since the onset of the pandemic last March for his team to effectively deal with the negative implications. “From offering a retirement buyout back in mid-summer to reducing upcoming salary expenses, reducing citywide overtime and other cost-saving measures, we were able to hold the line on the 2021 city budget by preventing a property tax increase,” he said. In response to the health threat, the city transitioned to telework, funded its preparation and response to the pandemic in the form of several small business initiatives, and tested its essential employees for the virus weekly all while providing personal protective equipment. “We’ve tried to not let the pandemic impact our plans and progress,” he said. “While it certainly has had an impact on all of our daily lives, a big focus of 70
my time throughout 2020 was dealing with the response to the pandemic but also keeping our large-scale projects on track.” Those large-scale projects have been running concurrently ever since the city was awarded $10 million in Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding in 2016. Barlow effectively leveraged the funds with private investment, which yielded a wave of positive economic development projects throughout the city. The demolition process of the Midtown Plaza on the east side of downtown Oswego started last June. The plaza, built in 1965, was razed to accommodate a five-story, 75,000 square-foot mixed-use building being built by Rochester-based Home Leasing, LLC. The new building facing East First Street will house 70 residential apartment units, 46 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom, along with 3,300 square feet of commercial space on the ground level. The city has been going through a renaissance of sorts. Major economic deOSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
velopment projects downtown include the Litatro building, Riverwalk/22 Crossroads, and Harborview Square, all promising additions to the local retail and housing sectors. Meanwhile, the Lake Ontario Water Park and Oswego Health’s new Lakeview Center of Mental Health and Wellness look to fill a considerable void on the local recreation and health care scenes, respectively. Oswego Health recently closed its Oswego Behavioral Health Services location on Bunner Street and moved resources to its new facility at 29 E. Cayuga Street. In addition, recent renovations at Oswego City Hall preserve a vital historic resource in the county. “Our eyes are already on maintaining the momentum beyond the initial construction of these developments,” Barlow said. “We’re already experiencing some spill-over investment by existing businesses or, in some cases, new businesses throughout downtown and I expect that to continue.” The mayor said once the projects are completed and COVID-19 passes, FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
outdoor programming and community events will be incorporated. He said these measures will showcase the new developments and target potential downtown residents the buildings are expecting to attract. “Above all, there are still some important, privately owned key buildings downtown that still need attention, like Old City Hall, Ferris Wheel, 1850 House and others,” Barlow said. “We’ll focus on trying to get some work and improvements done to these buildings to get them back into productive use to complete our entire downtown.”
All along the waterfront One of Barlow’s focal points this year will be an overhaul of the city’s waterfront. The city has been allotted more than $16 million from the state Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for repairs and renovations to Wright’s Landing, Breitbeck Park infrastructure improvements and a makeover of the International Pier. The renovated Wright’s Landing Marina is scheduled to reopen June 1 with a new pavilion, remodeled restrooms and bathhouses, a welcome center and gift shop, marine fuel access, additional fire pit seating on the waterfront and wheelchair accessibility. The state directed $6.1 million in REDI funding to buoy the project, which resulted in the marina becoming more flood-resistant and pedestrian-friendly. The marina area has been lifted three feet to account for the new water levels from plan 2014 and will prevent future flooding from the high water levels in the future, the mayor added. The International Joint Commission’s Plan 2014 is the roadmap for FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
regulating Lake Ontario outflows that went into effect in 2017. The city is also preparing to repurpose the International Pier. Late this spring, the city is expected to launch a $9 million project to upgrade the pier. The project will result in space that is restricted for pedestrian use only, and will feature a boardwalk, public dock access, more seating areas and community space for events and various public activities. The International Pier will become the Mayor William S. Cahill Jr. Pier after the late former mayor Bill Cahill. The project is anticipated to be complete in 2022. “Between his work as mayor and his fishing business, his name and life is synonymous with the waterfront and this tribute is fitting,” Barlow said. Work was also completed last year on 12 self-adjusting docks at the Port of Oswego Authority Marina that will also protect from future flood damage. “People love the waterfront and, if utilized correctly, the waterfront can be a great asset,” Barlow said. “We’ll now have a premier marina with quality facilities for boaters to enjoy, and great public common areas and leisure activities in the marina for residents to enjoy from land.” Also completed in 2020 was the city’s $56 million sewer separation project, designed to reduce the potential for sewer discharges into the Oswego River and Lake Ontario. “While it was critically important to respond and deal with the pandemic, which we’re still doing, to me it was equally important to keep the city moving forward despite everything stacked up against us,” Barlow said.
‘Heroes as Neighbors’ Barlow recently announced a new housing program to encourage those who work in Oswego to live in the city. The “Heroes as Neighbors” program will partner with Pathfinder Bank to cover closing costs associated with the sale of an Oswego home to frontline workers, first responders or active military members. “Our mission has long been to capture the employees who work for our major employers in and around Oswego, like Oswego Health, Novelis, Exelon and SUNY Oswego, and to entice OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
2021
them to live here in Oswego rather than commuting to work,” he said. The mayor said the “Heroes as Neighbors” program is an incentive for employees in the health care field to buy a home in Oswego. “It is also a way to extend thanks to our local heroes who have worked so hard in high-risk situations since the beginning of COVID-19,” Barlow said. The mayor said first-time homebuyers are often caught off guard by closing costs, and while wrestling with the life decision to buy, rent, move or stay put, those extra funds at the close of the transaction can be a tipping point. “By partnering with Pathfinder Bank to eliminate the possible deterrent, we offer an extra incentive and make it all that much easier to purchase property right here in Oswego,” Barlow said. Meanwhile, the city is engaged in developing a police re-imagining plan that is designed to bring law enforcement closer to the community, support the police department and its officers, and enhance the quality of life in the city. As of late January, the plan was moving through the approval process before the Oswego Common Council. Barlow said the council appointed a diverse committee, held an open public forum, conducted an extended public comment period, and is expected to move through a transparent and public approval process. “Our plan supports our police department and officers and is structured around unifying law enforcement and the Oswego community,” the mayor said. The plan mandates foot and bike patrols during the summer months, incorporates mental health counselors to co-respond to appropriate calls, calls for more investment in modern training programs, requires OPD to participate in more special initiatives like HOPE and Service to Aid Families, implements random quality assurance surveys throughout the department, and publicizes all policies and procedures. “Our plan will bring law enforcement closer to the community to improve communication and build relationships, increasing the number of positive interactions between police and public,” Barlow said. “The plan ensures the safety of Oswego residents and is in touch with the real world situation on the ground in our community.” 71
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City of Fulton Progress
City of Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels is shown visiting a downtown business last spring to distribute a COVID-19 safety packet.
City of Fulton Kick Starts DRI Projects Beating back pandemic, city of Fulton intent of making progress happen in 2021 By Lou Sorendo Indeed 2020, is one for the record books. Deanna Michaels, in her first term as mayor of the city of Fulton, shared the lessons learned through encountering the challenge that was and still is COVID-19. “As with many of our neighboring communities, we found ourselves in uncharted waters,” she said. “From the onset of the pandemic, we knew there would be a great deal of hurdles to overcome and it was going to take a strong team, a committed focus and an open mind to navigate through this.” Michaels said she is proud of how Fulton, its businesses and residents continue to respond to COVID-19. “We have worked hard to keep everyone safe, keep everyone informed and keep us moving forward,” she added. COVID-19 arrived on the heels of the euphoria Fulton was feeling after recently becoming the recipient of a state-backed $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. Michaels said the Fulton DRI continues to move forward. “Throughout the pandemic, we 72
continued to meet virtually with our partners in Albany and have held several virtual committee meetings,” she said. Late last year, the city finalized its slate of projects and submitted it for Gov. Cuomo’s review. “Our state partners and consultants continue to stay in touch and I am confident in the direction we are moving,” she said. “We are on track and should hear from the governor’s office early to mid year.” The DRI funds are highly significant in terms of having the potential to upgrade the quality of life in the city. Fulton’s plan intends to capitalize on the city’s natural and manmade assets, including the waterfront, traditional downtown and the state Route 481 corridor. The goal is to transform Fulton’s downtown and waterfront into a regional attraction. “The DRI is a real win for the city of Fulton. If we play our cards right, put the right people in place to manage the process and leverage these dollars, we will see significant investment and growth for our city,” she noted. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Some changes have been made to the city’s initial DRI plan. With COVID-19 in mind, the grant fund, which was originally $600,000, was increased to $750,000. This fund is designed to assist local businesses whose projects did not meet all the criteria for the DRI but would still like to get some grant funding. The fund was increased to include COVID-19 recovery needs, including personal protective equipment. Big-ticket items on the city’s radar include an $18 million expansion of Oswego Health’s Fulton Medical Center ($3.6 million in DRI funding); $12.85 million to redevelop the former Nestle site into a retail and commercial business park ($2.57 million in DRI funding, and $4.5 million to build upon the city’s multi-use trail system ($903,000 in DRI funding). Michaels is taking a page out of the city of Oswego’s playbook and making efforts to leverage the funds to involve private-sector investment as well. “We will do all we can to make these dollars work in the best interest of the developers and city. We understand the trust that is being placed in Fulton FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
to do what is in the best interest of the city,” she said. “We have to be strategic and deliberate in our approach and we cannot be afraid to take our time to do it right.”
Fresh ideas, image A major personnel move has resulted in Brad Broadwell becoming the new executive director of the Fulton Community Development agency. Michaels said he brings to the plate skill sets that bode well for community development in the greater Fulton area. “We could not be happier to have Brad lead our Fulton Community Development agency,” she said. “Not only does he bring years of experience in community and economic development, but he also brings a vision and ideals that align nicely with the direction we are moving. He is a strong leader and one we need on our team to move us forward.” The city recently unveiled a new city logo that showcases Fulton’s water-
2021
front location with an artistic image of a photo of the lower bridge/lock area. “The logo encompasses all that is beautiful about our city while representing a fresh new direction,” she said. “We are a city with a bright future and this logo speaks to that direction.” Meanwhile, the city is developing a nearly $1 million project that will create several multi-use trail segments that will complement the existing trail network and help push forward the City of Fulton Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. Michaels said the first phase of the project has been complete. “It’s a beautiful project that opens our waterways to be enjoyed by many,” she said. “This is only the start, however. There are additional projects in Phase 2 that will tie in nicely to the work already completed.” A long-time focus for the city has been the continued dredging and cleanup project associated with Lake Neatahwanta. This year, the city is bringing back
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a new and revived lake committee. “This committee will bring to the table new ideas, new vision and a comprehensive approach to addressing all the opportunities the lake has to offer,” she said. “We need to see better results in our efforts and start offering more to our community in terms of quality of life. We will honor our past but it’s time we think differently about what can be and not get lost in only what once was.” The former Nestle site continues to represent an opportunity for increased economic development in Fulton. “There continues to be interest in the property and we are continuing conversations with interested developers,” she said. In September of 2020, Spectrum celebrated the opening of its new location at the former Nestle site. Spectrum is expanding its technical operations in the area and will utilize the 9,000-squarefoot facility as a centralized hub for field service support across western Onondaga, Oswego and Cayuga counties.
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IBEW THE IBEW LOCAL LOCAL 43 43 THE OFFICERS OFFICERS OF OF IBEW IBEW LOCAL LOCAL 43 43 4568 Pat –– President 4568 Waterhouse Waterhouse Road Road Pat Costello President Alan Marzullo -Costello Bus. Mgr. / Fin. Secretary Clay, Don Morgan –– Bus. Fin. Clay, NY NY 13041-9613 13041-9613 (315)422-0435 (315)422-0435 Don Morgan Bus. Mgr. Mgr. Fin. Secretary Secretary Kevin Crawford - President
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OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Onondaga County Progress
Yearning for Normalcy Central New York business sectors gearing up for what is hoped to be successful recovery year By Lou Sorendo
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OVID-19 does not discriminate when it comes to impacting economic sectors. As of last October, all private sectors of the Central New York economy were negatively impacted by COVID-19, according to Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO in Syracuse. CenterState CEO is an independent economic development strategist, business leadership organization and chamber of commerce. In terms of employment loss, Simpson said even the least impacted sectors suffered losses over the past year, when in recent years the region has experienced job expansions. “Services, particularly accommodations, food services and hospitality have been most severely impacted, followed by retail trade and then professional and business services,” he said. In 2020, these sectors experienced employment losses of between 16% and 20% compared to 2019. Overall private employment is down by about 10%, with health care and educational services faring somewhat better (-8.7% and -9.7%, respectively) and manufacturing and construction faring somewhat worse (-10.8% and -11.9%, respectively). COVID-19 has indeed changed the landscape of the CNY business world. Since last spring, CenterState CEO has advocated for additional resources and spending on programs that will complement the region’s economic strategy and support key industries that have been severely disrupted, Simpson noted. “As the possibility of additional business and pandemic challenges arise, our team stands ready to again rapidly deploy its skills and knowledge to track and share resources, information, tools and programming,” he said. “We 74
remain committed to our four-pronged approach to assess, respond, mitigate and recover from this crisis, and to assist all businesses now and in the weeks and months ahead. The pandemic has also impacted ongoing economic development projects being done throughout the Central New York region. “There have been some delays due to the early shutdown of construction projects and as a result of the materials unavailability,” Simpson said. A few projects have been paused in order for officials to understand the impact of remote work on future office space needs, he added. “However, those impacts have not resulted in the cancellation of any major projects, and leads continue to come in for new expansion and attraction projects,” Simpson said.
State assistance provided Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2022 state budget calls for the creation of a $130 million Pandemic Recovery and Restart Program to support highly impacted small businesses as well as the restaurant, arts and entertainment industries that are being hurt by COVID-19. The program would establish three new tax credits and increase a fourth one to help highly impacted small businesses in the accommodation, arts and entertainment, restaurant and musical and theatrical production industries bring back jobs to New York and help the economy recover faster. “These tax credits shouldn’t be viewed in a vacuum,” Simpson said. “They represent an important piece of the puzzle to help some of our hardest-hit small businesses, particularly restaurants and entertainment venues. These credits, which in some cases can be redeemed even prior to tax filing, OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO will help businesses bring back employees and return to profitable operation sooner, he added. “Of course, these credits have to go hand-in-hand with other priorities from the state, including accelerated vaccinations and a significant increase in rapid testing,” he said. “These are the keys to helping bring back demand, which is what will, ultimately, help these businesses return to health.” Simpson said federal support is also critical for these businesses through programs like the payroll protection program and grant opportunities targeting the most impacted industries. CenterState CEO was instrumental in assisting businesses during their safe return to on-site operations in accordance with state guidance in 2020. Simpson said the organization has had significant positive feedback on the utilization of the various resources it developed. “Businesses have shared that having the information compiled in one location is very helpful,” he said. “Businesses continue to use our various tools and resources found on our website. Additionally, businesses with specific questions can reach out to our team at support@centerstateceo.com.
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
2021
Amazon Warehouse in Clay Ready in the Fall
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ultinational online retailer Amazon will soon have a new home in a warehouse and distribution center under construction in the town of Clay. Amazon will open a state-of-theart fulfillment center at the warehouse,
which will be the second largest building of its kind in the world. The five-story, 3.8-million-squarefoot facility is expected to be complete in the fall. The distribution center will be used by Amazon to pick, pack and ship small items like books, electronics and toys. Employees will work alongside Amazon robots engineered to store and pack items. The facility is expected to create
Syracuse Region: 20,000 Jobs Lost Since February 2020
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igures from the Syracuse MSA (metropolitan statistical area) Workforce Data Report from December show 20,000 jobs have been lost since February 2020 even as overall unemployment has fallen recently due to people exiting the labor force. The Syracuse MSA comprises four counties: Onondaga, Oswego, Madison and Cayuga. Meanwhile, the nationwide slowdown of job growth is being felt in Syracuse. “One of the best data points for the CNY economy over the past three years was not only our record low unemployment rates, but also our consistent growth in the labor force,” said Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO. As opportunities expanded in
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
CNY, people stayed in the workforce longer and those on the sidelines joined the work force in search of opportunities, he noted. “Once the severely negative impact of the pandemic is lessened through control of the virus, we can expect demand to return and many of those jobs with it,” he said. “In fact, that’s what we saw start to happen through July of 2020.” Simpson said a major component of the lost labor force last fall was women exiting the workforce in order to attend to their children’s educational needs. “If we want to build a robust labor force in the future, improving access to family and child care is important because we clearly see that the burden falls disproportionately on women,” OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
1,000 full-time jobs and will open in the fall. Trammell Crow Co. is building the $350 million distribution center on 111 acres of land formerly occupied by the Liverpool Public Golf and Country Club on Morgan Road. The Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency voted last October to approve $70.8 million in tax breaks for the project over 15 years.
he noted. Meanwhile, estimates based on recent population data show 14.5% of Central New York residents live in poverty. The poverty rate is significantly higher in more populated centers such as the city of Syracuse. The share of people who earn less than half of the local median wage dropped by 2.7% between 2008-2018, Simpson noted. “Overall, poverty went down in the city of Syracuse from 2014 to 2019 and if you had a job — any kind of job — the chances that you were in poverty fell the most, down 22.5%,” he said. However, poverty rates are higher for the unemployed, but from 2014 to 2019, it got worse, Simpson added. In 2019, 53% of the unemployed were in poverty, compared to 50.7% in 2014. “So while there is some data that suggests that for some we are making small progress, the stark reality is many people have not seen their situation change,” he said. 75
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Drone at NY-UAS (New York unmanned aircraft systems) test site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome. Photo provided.
The Future is Now Drone industry soars to new heights in Central New York By Mary Beth Roach
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he unmanned aircraft industry in the region is primed for a big boost. Ken Stewart steps in as the new president and chief executive officer of NUAIR, and he’s setting his sights on a greater commercialization of New York’s 50-mile unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) traffic management corridor between Syracuse and Rome’s Griffiss
Ken Stewart 76
International Airport. It is expected to generate significant economic growth in the region. With its offices in Syracuse, NUAIR is responsible for managing the New York UAS test site, one of seven Federal Aviation Administration-designated UAS sites in the United States. It maintains radar and technologies within the corridor, trains companies on how to scale up the use of drones and helps navigate these partners through the permitting and waiver processes with the FAA. The technology and surveillance systems within the corridor provide companies with a safe environment to both test and deploy their commercial UAS operations in real, active airspace. More than 3,300 UAS flights have been conducted within the corridor since 2015 as NUAIR continued to advance and build the needed infrastructure throughout the entire 50 miles. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the completion of the corridor in late 2019. One such capability being conducted within the corridor involves extending the piloting capabilities of UAS. Current FAA regulations require OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
drone pilots to operate their drones within visual line of sight. This makes scaling operations like package delivery difficult. NUAIR is developing an advanced UAS traffic management system within the 50-mile corridor that will make piloting UAS beyond visual line of sight a possibility while maintaining the highest level of safety in the national airspace, according to Stewart. Recently, the corridor was the site where NUAIR; the COVID-19 Humanitarian UAS Response Partnership (CHURP); and CHURP’s drone provider, DroneUp, were able to test the delivery of COVID-19 test kits from Upstate University Hospital to its CNY Biotech Accelerator on East Fayette Street. According to local media reports, officials at Upstate and in the UAS community see great potential for drones in delivering time-sensitive materials in the future. The test site and corridor provide the area with significant economic benefits, including high-paying tech jobs. It draws people to the area that are interested in flying unmanned aircraft and creates additional investment opportunities, Stewart noted. Since its founding in 2014, NUAIR has conducted more than 3,300 advanced drone test flights. “Our primary goal is to continue building jobs and opportunities in the area. Commercializing the corridor is a key element in unlocking the true potential use of drones, contributing to the further economic development of the Central New York and Mohawk Valley regions,” Stewart said. Stewart is coming to NUAIR from FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Boston-based AiRXOS, which is part of GE Aviation. Throughout his tenure with AiRXOS, the company worked closely with NUAIR, so he is on familiar ground. He said this is “a great opportunity to build on previous experience, bring those capabilities here and commercialize New York’s 50-mile corridor.” These advanced drone operations require a high level of rigor, safety and thorough understanding of FAA standards and regulations, according to Stewart and Tim Lawton, NUAIR director of marketing and public relations.
Whole new era “We help organizations expedite their path to advanced UAS operations,” said Stewart. “Companies invest time and money trying to implement drones into their daily operations. With our years of experience and knowledge of current regulations, we are here to help accelerate their return on that investment.” NUAIR’s work also centers on safely integrating drones into the airspace with manned aircraft, Stewart pointed out. Stewart compares unmanned aircraft system traffic management to a digital toll road, where people will pay to use these toll roads because it can get them to their destinations faster or more efficiently. “If you can build a more cost-effective alternative for companies that deliver goods or health care to customers and patients, you’re going to be able to monetize those operations,” Stewart pointed out. “The 50-mile UAS corridor covers close to a half-million people between Onondaga and Oneida counties. Once we’re able to commercialize that, then you can expand that across a broader New York.” Stewart said the integration of UAS into the national airspace will transform aviation traffic management. Unmanned traffic management is based on digital sharing of each user’s planned flight details. Each user will then have the same situational awareness of airspace, unlike what happens in today’s air traffic control, he explained. Currently, he said, air traffic management for manned aviation centers around pilots working with air traffic controllers in towers. But since drones don’t physically have pilots on the aircraft, Stewart foresees a more autonomous “software-defined network of the future of air traffic management.” The evolution of advanced air mobility means instead of taking a cab, one might take an AAM transportation vehicle. While he believes AAM needs more time to come to fruition, he anticipates that it could be possible within the next six or seven years. Until then, Stewart and the NUAIR team will continue their work in enhancing the unmanned aircraft industry in Central New York and advancing New York’s 50-mile UAS Traffic Management Corridor. “Drones can be used to save time, money, resources and even lives. NUAIR has the knowledge, technology, and resources to help almost any business integrate drones into their daily operations,” he said. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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EZ Stak is a Kingston, Ontario, Canada-based company that recently completed a $6 million expansion project in Watertown, moving to a new 14,660-square-foot facility and adding production lines. EZ STAK is an industry leader and manufacturer of modular interior storage systems for work trucks, service bodies, vans, trailers, and law enforcement vehicles.
Up in Arms
Jefferson County looks to recover as usually prosperous tourism trade takes major hit due to COVID-19 By Lou Sorendo
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efferson County truly is the land of milk, honey and wine. However, COVID-19 has tried to put a damper on those sweet agricultural offerings. The county — thanks to the Thousand Islands archipelago at the outlet of Lake Ontario and head of the Saint Lawrence River — is also a popular destination point for many. Tourism, agriculture, and the equine industry are the largest industries in Jefferson County. Dairy ranks as the No. 1 type of farming done in the county. While tourism is vital in Jefferson County, Fort Drum drives the economy. The military installation provides employment for more than 4,000 area residents and generates $1.5 billion in annual economic impact. Tourism, however, was among the most impacted sectors in the county to 78
be devastated by COVID-19, according to David J. Zembiec, CEO of Jefferson County Economic Development in Watertown. “Typically, the tourism season in the summer is a short window anyways,” he said. “Businesses were delayed from being able to open. Also, the delay impacted more business-related travel as opposed to recreational travel, which starts later in the season.” By the time businesses were able to open, there was a considerably shorter window to work with while maximum occupancies were set to limit clientele numbers and exposure. Restaurants have been shut down or are struggling to get by, he noted. Hotels, meanwhile, were paralyzed due to virus-related travel restrictions. While no sector went untouched, there were a significant number of businesses in the manufacturing sector OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
that stayed afloat. If they had a line of production that was tied to an essential industry, they were given the green light to keep operating, Zembiec said. He noted those manufacturers that were making products necessary for sectors such as transportation, infrastructure and health care to function were considered essential enterprises. “For example, you may have a tape company that couldn’t keep operating making hockey tape, but continued to manufacture materials for use for first aid purposes,” he said. “Some companies were forced to shut down or had to spread out their shifts — say over three shifts as opposed to two — so they avoided having people concentrated together while working,” he added. Zembiec said it is difficult to say what sectors have fared or will fare well as the COVID-19 crisis continues on. “It’s more on a case-by-case basis and whether companies had the alternative to sell something else,” he said. For example, several distilleries in Jefferson County turned to making hand sanitizer. “It kept them operating with some revenue coming in, even if was enough to just break even,” he noted. While businesses cut back on staff with fewer clients to serve, they took the opportunity to operate more efficiently in that environment. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Zembiec said he is hopeful those efficiencies pay dividends once the virus is tamed. He has been with the organization for 11 years, and served as deputy CEO prior to taking the top post over in January.
Salt in wound?
Meanwhile, the minimum wage has been increased in all parts of New York state outside of New York City. The minimum hourly wage is now $12.50 from $11.80 everywhere outside of New York City, Long Island and Westchester County. That 70-cent an hour raise will mean an extra $28 a week in the paycheck of a person working a full-time job paying minimum wage. Zembiec said the change in the minimum wage affects some businesses more than others depending on what kind of margins they are operating with under the “new normal” environment. “We’ve heard business people say, ‘Geez, I’m already losing money due to COVID-19. I don’t see my ability to come back and pay higher wages on top of it’,” he said. Of great concern in Jefferson County are minimum wage standards for farm workers. Agriculture is a growing industry in Jefferson County. From honey to cheese, milk to wine, and conventional to organic, its farms, manufacturers and agribusinesses offer a variety of products and services. Farm operators are reportedly expecting a tight labor market and rising wages in the year ahead, in addition to continued pandemic precautions, debate over immigration reform and potential changes to overtime pay. Even prior to COVID-19, businesses have automated some processes that are replacing jobs that require repetitive type skills. However, automation is serving as a catalyst for new jobs that features higher wages, Zembiec noted. “There will be growth as businesses upscale workers to be able to operate and maintain those automated systems,” he said.
Helping hand
Along with a host of services, the agency is offering loans of up to $10,000 for businesses with less than 20 employees as part of the Jefferson County Local FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Development Corporation’s $300,000 emergency assistance fund. Twenty-five percent of the loan will be convertible to a grant. JCED spearheaded efforts to keep local businesses aware of benefits such as the federal Payroll Protection Program. Since last March, a special council consisting of key players — including the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Watertown Local Development Corporation, Development Authority of the North Country, Jefferson-Lewis Workforce Development Board, Jefferson County Department of Health and the Watertown Small Business Development Center — were all brought together on a weekly basis and updated on the latest happenings. “This ensured everyone had the same accurate information,” Zembiec said. “People are hopeful now that we have a vaccine under way. The question is how soon will we be able to get back to at least semi-normal?” he noted. COVID-19 slowed project development somewhat, but Zembiec noted no
2021
major project was in the hopper at the time it struck. “Economic development takes a long time anyways,” he said. “For those looking to expand or locate a new business here, it may take a year or two before they pull the trigger and the timing has to be right.” Discussions concerning a few prospective projects were put on hold, “but I think they will be happy eventually anyways,” Zembiec said. JCED is also a part of the North Country Alliance, which featured a COVID-19 Emergency Business Relief Program. “People are hopeful now that we have a vaccine under way. The question is how soon will we be able to get back to at least semi-normal?” he noted. Zembiec said certain products are tough to get now that many people are home more. “Even when you go to the grocery story, the shelves for dish detergent are pretty well empty because people are home eating more and doing more dishes,” he said.
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Pandemic Causes a Spike in Medical School Applications Enrollment is up 40% at University at Buffalo, 26.2% at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Experts attribute that to ‘Fauci Effect’ By Payne Horning
C
assidy McGinn, a 22-year-old from Tully, has always considered pursuing a career in medicine, but it was never a guarantee. Even though her major at SUNY Geneseo was chemistry, McGinn was also interested in other professions. She even considered going to law school. It wasn’t until her senior year at SUNY Geneseo, in the fall of 2019, that McGinn finally settled on medical school. She applied for admission to SUNY Upstate Medical University and was accepted. It was at this moment, after McGinn had finally found her footing in the world, when the world itself shifted underneath her. COVID-19 struck. “This pandemic came quickly to the United States and it was evident that we didn’t have the proper PPE, we were understaffed in a lot of hospitals, they didn’t have the resources,” McGinn recounted. “So, it definitely takes a certain type of person to pursue this career.” As it so happens, McGinn is that exact type of person. The pandemic 80
didn’t make her regret the decision to go into the medical field at all. If anything, she says, it had the opposite effect. “If you know anything about med students, it’s that they’re persistent, it’s that they are courageous, and they need to be resilient,” McGinn said. “I think in a time when the medical community has been so challenged, I think it reaffirmed my decision to apply to medical school and the same thing goes for a lot of other premedical students.” McGinn is right. Rather than serving as a deterrent, the coronavirus served as a rallying cry. Applications for medical schools have surged across the country in the past year — up 18% according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Some schools in New York are seeing even bigger numbers. M.D. program applications rose by 40% at University at Buffalo and 26.2% at SUNY Upstate Medical University compared to 2019. Although encouraged by the spike, physician Lawrence Chin, dean of Upstate Medical University’s College OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
of Medicine, said he is not surprised. As the shadow of the pandemic spread across the world in spring 2020, Chin said the students enrolled at SUNY Upstate stepped up to the plate. They volunteered in large numbers by manning the phone lines for contact tracing and helping test people. “So, I knew that this was going to kind of be a challenge to young people and also an opportunity for them to make a difference,” Chin said. Equally motivating for this class of future medical professionals, Chin says, was watching the healthcare system actually make that difference in the world. They witnessed the rapid mobilization of every end of the medical field – from frontline workers saving people with COVID-19 who were on the threshold of death to developing multiple vaccines in record time. Upstate itself played a major role in this fight. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently named a test Upstate developed as the No. 1 COVID-19 saliva test in the world. While all frontline workers are inspiring in their own right, this spike in applications to medical schools is being named for one in particular: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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With his dogged persistence in educating the public about the coronavirus and how to combat it in the face of nonsensical backlash from a small but loud group who question science, Fauci has developed a large fanbase. Among them is McGinn, who called Fauci one of the best public figures of our time. And now it can be said that Fauci also has what could be referred to as a following. Many healthcare professionals attribute the rising interest in pursuing a career in medicine at this moment to the so-called “Fauci Effect.” “There are so many people involved at the federal level, at the state level, and at the local level, but he is a symbol, emblematic of the kind of example of what we’re trying to do at academic institutions like Upstate –following the science, using science,” Chin said. “Dr. Fauci is an excellent example of how we communicate it to the public so that they trust what they’re hearing and that they trust the treatment, and the messages we are sending like wearing a mask.” God willing, the pandemic will end
before this incoming class of medical students graduate and have a chance to be the next Fauci. But even if that does happen, Chin said the work is far from over. COVID-19 exposed many of the health inequities and disparities that exist in the United States. For example, the mortality rate from this disease is higher among Black Americans than white Americans even though that community represents a smaller share of the nation’s population. The next generation of medical leaders will be called on to carry the baton in those fights and others. “The combination of this pandemic and the need to right the health inequities that exist really capture the imagination and I think that also is driving interest in medical schools,” Chin said. “There’s certainly a long way to go and you have a group of students that see an opportunity for them to participate in making a difference.”
Cassidy McGinn from Tully graduated from SUNY Geneseo and decided to pursue a career as a medical doctor. “I think in a time when the medical community has been so challenged, I think it reaffirmed my decision to apply to medical school and the same thing goes for a lot of other premedical students.”
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New Position at Oswego Health: Employee Experience Manager New hire involved in employee engagement to make sure that employees feel valued and heard By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
A
s healthcare organizations feel even greater difficulty in employee retention, Oswego Health has created and filled a new position. Jennifer Coleman has come on board as the organization’s first employee experience manager in late 2020. Coleman grew up in Vermont and has lived in New York since 2000. She attended Ithaca College as a music education major and stayed, first working as a teacher for seven years and then shifting to human resources in a variety of entry level and then mid-level roles for nine years. Coleman is a certified professional in human resources and a member of the Society for Human Resource Management. “I love teaching and helping people grow and develop,” she said. “I found I could do that in HR.” Her previous role was at EarQ in Syracuse as director of employee engagement. When she saw the opening at Oswego Health, she felt it aligned with what she wanted to do. She also likes the values and vision for human resources at Oswego Health, including its view of employee experience. “Right now, with everything we’re facing with the pandemic, some people are working from home and in a healthcare organization, there’s a lot on everyone’s plate,” Coleman said. “We’re trying to keep them happy and wanting to come to work.” Beyond the pressures from the pandemic, she believes that healthcare is different than it used to be because of generational differences that necessitate an emphasis on employee engagement to make sure that employees feel valued and heard. “The fact that we have employees 84
spread throughout Oswego County, makes it critical that we can reach everyone in different ways,” said Marquand Brown, vice president of human resources for Oswego Health. “We needed someone who can focus on engagement with those employees, not only during the pandemic but to remain competitive.” Brown added that he has heard of similar challenges facing other healthcare providers in the region. That is why he feels it is so important to “connect with employees to the point where they’re happy coming to work.” Coleman represents the first point of contact for employees at all levels who need information. She also oversees seeking information from employees through means such as staff surveys. “We manage those and analyze results,” Coleman said. “They all have different perspectives to bring to the table.” She is also involved with rolling out Reward Gateway, an app and website that will help employees to recognize each other for good work and to facilitate communication in the organization. “The idea is that we’re looking at any way we can to communicate with staff, and also patting each other on the back,” Brown said. Coleman said that she has felt very impressed with how invested the organization has become in employee engagement. “It was impressive to me that from the CEO down, everyone seemed they really wanted more employee engagement,” Coleman said. “They were excited to have a dedicate role.” Brown views adding this role as a way to help Oswego Health offer “the best-in-class HR department. Also, it OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
helps with recruiting talent across the organization. Having someone dedicated to this role creates good word-ofmouth and attracting talent we might not have before.” Brown hopes that as more Oswego Health employees get to know Coleman, they will view her as a trusted resource when they need help. Coleman echoed the sentiment, expressing that she “wants to be able to build relationships with more and more of the staff and leaders in our organization. It’s only been a few months. I’m still getting the lay of the land. I want people to feel comfortable coming to me.” That aspect of her position has been more challenging, as face-to-face meetings have been limited and virtual meetings lack the same dynamics. But Coleman looks forward to using whatever means she can to engage with employees. “Keeping all our employees engaged, even if they don’t have access to email or not involved in Zoom meetings, is important as every employee can feel valued and that they have a voice,” Coleman said. Brown added, “I think Jen is going to do amazing things for Oswego Health. We are so happy to have Jennifer on the team and I look forward to improving engagement at Oswego Health.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
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HEALTHCARE
New Health Laws: How They Will Affect You By Payne Horning
I
f 2020 was the year of the pandemic, one can only hope that 2021 will be remembered as the year it ended. The distribution of vaccines is taking center stage, but there are other important health-related developments on the horizon in New York. Several new noteworthy laws impacting New Yorke’s healthcare take effect this year.
Paid Sick Leave Perhaps the most significant change this year is the enactment of the state’s new sick leave program. Employees are now entitled to at least 40 hours of paid time off each year to tend to their own illness or to care for a sick family member. It’s the latest expansion in the state’s paid leave campaign since 2018 when employees were given paid leave to bond with a new child, care 86
for a loved one with a serious health condition or to help relieve family pressures when someone is called to active military service. This new mandate affects almost every business — even small businesses with fewer than five employees have to provide paid sick leave for their employees so long as the company has a net income of $1 million or more; those with less revenue must offer 40 hours a year of unpaid leave. Companies with 100 or more employees must provide 56 hours of paid leave annually. Under the new system, the paid leave benefit is earned. Employees are guaranteed a minimum of one hour off for every 30 hours worked, retroactive to Sept. 30, 2020. Alternatively, business owners can offer their staff the paid leave hours for the year up front rather than an earn-as-you-work system. However, if the employee does OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
not later work the requisite number of hours to have earned that time they already took, it is not subject to reduction or revocation. The paid leave program arrives at an important time. The state has started inoculating the public, but is wrestling with high transmission rates of the coronavirus. Director of the Labor and Employment Law Program Esta Bigler said the new law could be a major asset in that fight. “This is really a very important step forward in fighting COVID,” Bigler said. “If someone is sick and they feel that they cannot stay home because they will lose their job because they don’t have any job protections if they stay home and if they don’t receive pay for staying home, then they won’t. I live in New York City and that means they will be riding the New York City subway and spreading whatever they have, whether it’s FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
COVID or the flu. So, it really provides protections for workers, for employers because employers certainly don’t want their workforces to get sick, and for the public.” The New York State Legislature did pass a paid leave program in response to the pandemic last year, but it had limited applicability. The COVID-19 paid leave program mandated paid sick time and related job protection for the state’s residents so long as they or their minor dependent child are subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation issued by the state of New York, the Department of Health, local board of health, or any government entity duly authorized to issue such order due to COVID-19. That means it missed some people who were symptomatic but hadn’t yet been tested or ordered to stay at home. “There are people who don’t feel well, but they don’t know they have COVID-19,” Bigler said. “So, it didn’t really cover a wide variety of possibilities, a wide range of things that we now know are COVID-19. Paid sick leave is very important even if we weren’t in a pandemic, but it certainly makes it even
more important now.” Another important provision of the new paid sick leave law is that it applies to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. If someone or their family member has been affected by one of these offenses, they can take paid time off to address safety needs. For example, absences from work may be used, among other reasons, to obtain services from a domestic violence shelter, to meet with an attorney about a related lawsuit, or for time to relocate.
COVID-19 Treatment Covered New Yorkers cannot be denied coverage by insurance companies for COVID-19 treatment. Inpatient and emergency services related to the disease must be covered regardless of whether the insurance company later claims that the treatment was not medically necessary.
Insulin Costs Amid surging costs for insulin, New York state has capped how much
insurers can charge for this crucial medicine. A new law limits cost sharing for insulin to $100 per 30-day supply for those with state-regulated commercial insurance. It’s a response to the many people with diabetes who have struggled to pay these bills in recent years, some of whom have resorted to rationing or even skipping doses. “One of the most urgent issues faced by those living with diabetes today is the cost of insulin, which has skyrocketed in price, tripling in price between 2002 and 2013,” said physician LaShawn McIver, senior vice president of government affairs and advocacy for the American Diabetes Association. “With more than one in ten New Yorkers living with diagnosed diabetes, and nearly 130,000 more diagnosed every year, it is critical that elected officials address the needs of their citizens with diabetes.” At least six other states have also capped these costs. New York’s cap on insulin applies as insurance plans are renewed or issued after January 1.
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Working from home, Melissa Gardner, executive vice president, population health engagement at Excellus BCBS, has to juggle work and kids. In a statement, she said: “We are supporting each other more than I would have thought possible,” she said about her colleagues at the insurer. Photo provided.
Excellus’ Crisis Plan Helps Company Pivot Nearly entire workforce of 3,600 at Excellus still working from home. ‘We haven’t missed a beat,’ says regional president
M
The Plan “Not knowing what the future 88
The Problems
would bear got us ready for the pandemic,” said Mark Muthumbi, regional president. Before shifting to an entirely homebased business model, Excellus had in place a means to securely transmit sensitive data and had available sufficient laptops to keep everyone connected. When the governor declared a state of emergency, Excellus was ready. On March 16, the company verified that its systems offered sufficient bandwidth to securely handle all its users working from home. The following day began its work-from-home policy meant to last for the duration of the crisis period.
Of course, no change of this size comes without its unique challenges. Muthumbi said that for him, it was the change in how Excellus employees interact. “The traditional setting was the office structure where you can meet with your colleagues,” he said. “Shifting to a virtual environment was one of the challenging parts — seeing them virtually and trying to organize virtually.” Adjusting to a less regimented day also tested staff’s organization and prioritization skills. At home, without the accustomed cues of passing time, it is easy to work too much or work too little. “It seems like we have a flow now,” Muthumbi said. “People know when to take breaks and when to finish their day.” Since employee safety comes first, it’s likely that July will be the very soonest Excellus employees will be back at their offices, depending upon vaccinations, infection rates and other factors.
The Pivot
The Positives
One would expect snags when making a monumental change such as this; however, Muthumbi said switching to home-based work went
While no one wants a pandemic, it can be helpful to consider some of the growth opportunities that have resulted from COVID-19.
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant aking an organization-wide shift in basic business operations for a company of 3,600 employees represents a huge challenge. That is why Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has been ready for years to face some sort of major crisis. Last spring, it turned out to be COVID-19. Long before the pandemic, about a third of the insurance firm’s employees had been periodically working at home to lessen their need to travel to any of the company’s offices in Syracuse, Watertown, Elmira, Binghamton, Rochester, Utica and Plattsburgh. But it took preparation begun long before the pandemic to shift to a nearly entirely home-based workforce.
very smoothly. “We haven’t missed a beat,” Muthumbi said. “We’ve been home over the past 10 months. We’ve been meeting and exceeding customer expectations from within the first and second day of the pandemic.” By March 20, the insurer had launched a COVID-19 web page to address the concerns of members, employers, brokers, providers, media, employees and the general public. Only about 2% of employees — a few working in the mailroom — still came into the building during the early days of the pandemic. The ability to have the other 98% working from home was a result of imagining that some sort of catastrophe would eventually happen and preparing for that eventuality. “From our resilience perspective, it’s to make sure we can work from anywhere and have secure connections,” Muthumbi said. “We seem to be doing a good job at that.” With standard COVID-19 safety precautions in place, a few other employees have begun returning to work because of the open enrollment period, but most are still at home. About 80% of renewals occur in January.
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Muthumbi said that Excellus’s “safety net plans” have shown growth as members have left their commercial plans. Muthumbi has heard from employees that additional time for family activities has proven enjoyable and a means of reducing pandemic stressors. Many employees report that they enjoy working at home. “We’re in 39 counties and that was a lot of commuting,” Muthumbi said. The home environment is more relaxed. Through Microsoft Teams meetings, employees may learn more about each other. “Some of my team’s kids show up,” Muthumbi said. “I know the pets’ names. It makes a more personal relationship than what we had. We’re more open. In our discussions, people are open to seeing each other in their home setting. Those interactions have been positive.” Excellus has allowed employees to share their stories on the company’s internal website along with tips for maintaining wellbeing, including the employee wellness program.
Reimbursement for telehealth visits Like other health insurance companies, Excellus covers COVID-19 testing in full for those referred by their physicians and began reimbursing for telehealth. This has allowed healthcare providers to offer access to healthcare while patients quarantined and to continue to reduce foot traffic into the office for more routine issues. “Providers didn’t really understand how they can reach those patients if they can’t come in,” said physician Gregory Carnevale, vice-president
Physician Gregory Carnevale,is vice president of medical affairs for retail markets. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
medical affairs for retail markets. “It caught the health industry off guard. It’s in our DNA to prepare for risk. We expanded telemedicine services for not only COVID issues but non-COVID issues. We increased reimbursements to be on par for in-person visits for phone and video visits and waived co-pays and urgent care visits related to COVID.” This caused an explosion of telemedicine visits. Excellus also guided healthcare providers through the technical aspects such as coding and billing procedures for telehealth visits. Internally, Excellus has been working on improving employee wellness. Carnevale referenced the Swiss Cheese Defense Model by Ian M. Mackay, based upon James T. Reason’s Swiss Cheese Model of Accident Causation. As with a stack of Swiss cheese, each layer of COVID-19 defense has “holes.” Each layer of protection is imperfect, yet together they provide adequate coverage. Physical distancing, face masks, hand hygiene, ventilation, contact tracing, disinfection and health screenings and testing are not enough by themselves, but together make a difference.
Pandemic Progress “Now what we’re trying to focus on is to assist in the many different layers in the equitable and efficient distribution of vaccine,” Carnevale said. “We’re trying to inform our members and employer groups about the availability of vaccines, current segment of the population who’s eligible to receive it and the almost daily information regarding additional possibilities of vaccine to distribute.” One vaccine, being developed by
Mark Muthumbi is regional president of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Johnson & Johnson not yet available will provide protection in just one dose instead of the usual two and will but not require as stringent temperature during storage. Carnevale also said that Excellus is also concerned about “equity issues in terms of some of our population and some historically racially discrimination. The African American population has a higher rate of non-vaccination and it’s something we have to address because they’re one of the highest groups that has detrimental effects from COVID.” No one is turned away from receiving the vaccine for reason of cost. “We’re trying to assist in the distribution process,” Carnevale said. “This is a long-term effort we need to continue to support.”
Excellus BCBS & COVID-19: By the Numbers • $102 million to pay for increased telemedicine coverage and increased provider reimbursement rates. • $40 million in cash advances to providers approved beyond normal $192 million in advances. • $1 million in grants to hospitals for testing supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE). • $1.5+ million in grants and sponsorships for locally based, health related initiatives. • $51 million to cover suspension of prior-authorization, reviews, clinical editing programs and claim filing requirements. • $19-23 million to cover waived copays and member cost sharing for COVID-19 related care. 110,000+ page views on Excellus’s COVID-19 web page. • $3 million to cover mandated increase in reimbursement for COVID-19 hospital admissions. • $600,000 in grants to community-based food banks and pantries. • $30,000 in grants to local diaper banks. • $17.6 million in medical premium refund credits to employers. • $3.4 million in dental premium refund credits to employers. • $200,000+ in grants for “return to work” kits for employers. • $50,000 in funding for local domestic violence prevention organizations. • 2 million-plus telemedicine visits, an increase of more than 7,000% from 2019. 89
Oswego Health Opens State-of-theArt Mental Health Facility in Oswego
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swego Health has recently opened its Lakeview Center for Mental Health and Wellness, located at 29 E. Cayuga Street, Oswego, thanks to a $13 million transformational grant from the New York State Department of Health and support from community members and local organizations. All inpatient and outpatient services are already fully operational As the only behavioral health services inpatient and outpatient provider in Oswego County, Oswego Health has constructed this new center specifically to provide this specialized care. The health system has renovated 42,000 square feet of a former grocery store, to feature 32 inpatient beds. “Patients will find the new location offers a welcoming, soothing, and healing environment that includes secure outdoor spaces and comfortable interior areas,” said Behavioral Health Services Associate Administrator Jody Pittsley. “Also, to assist those that utilize these services become healthier overall, primary care services will be available onsite.” This new center, which is a short drive from the Oswego Hospital emergency room, is located near Lake Ontario and will provide an environment of healing like no other behavioral health facility in the area, according to a hospital news release. For more information about Oswego Health, visit www.oswegohealth.org.
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Richard L. Weber, Esq. High-profile Case Shines a Spotlight on Obligation of Nonprofit Directors By Richard L. Weber, Esq.
N ‘Nonprofit boards should consider obtaining ‘directors and officers’ insurance coverage (aka “D&O” coverage) and employee “fidelity insurance” in order to protect board members that diligently perform their duties.’
Richard L. Weber is an attorney with Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC in Syracuse. He specializes in business litigation, trust and estate litigation, and property disputes. To contact him, send an email to rweber@bsk.com. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
nonprofit boards cannot merely “show up” onprofit organizations are an esat monthly meetings and “rubber stamp” sential fixture in our communities. the actions of the organization’s executives Often, the engine that drives a nonand staff; individual directors who abdicate profit is its board of directors. their duties could incur significant individService on a nonprofit board is to be ual liability. Each and every director must commended. However, a recent court case be mindful of the fiduciary duties and underscores how important it is that indiobligations that come with board service, vidual directors understand the fiduciary including: obligations that come with nonprofit board • the duty of care, which demands service. acting in good faith with the appropriate In September 2019, The College of New degree of diligence, care and skill required Rochelle filed for bankruptcy after 115 years for the position, and includes (among other of operation. This particular bankruptcy was things) attending and actively participating commenced in The United States Bankruptcy at board meetings, reviewing reports and Court for the Southern District of New York minutes of the board and the organization, as a “Chapter 11” filing — a variation of and engaging in periodic review or audit bankruptcy that seeks “reorganization” of of the organization’s employees and operthe insolvent organization to satisfy debts ational practices; and (if possible) move forward with con• the duty of obedience, which requires tinued operation in some form in the future. compliance with applicable law and reguOver the following months, a number lations and the organization’s internal govof creditors filed claims in the bankruptcy, erning documents and mission statement; seeking to recover payment on debts owed this duty includes monitoring the operations by the college, and the campus itself was put of the organization to up for auction. make sure it remains On Jan. 14, 2021 the Guest Columnist properly focused on its committee established to core mission; and protect the interests of unsecured creditors • the duty of loyalty to the organization, commenced a lawsuit directly against former which demands that a board member put members of the college’s board of trustees. the best interests of the organization above The complaint in the lawsuit asserts (among his or her individual interests. other things) that the former trustees impropFortunately, the majority of nonproft erly “delegated near complete control” over organizations have diligent and engaged financial decisions to certain college adminboard members, and good internal goveristrators, failed to install proper corporate nance practices. Yet it is essential that an governance systems and safeguards, enabled individual serving on a nonprofit board of misuse and depletion of college endowment directors take the time to personally review funds, and failed to ensure proper payment the organization’s formation and goverof payroll taxes and other liabilities. nance documents (including its mission In particular, the complaint alleges that statement and bylaws), and become familiar the trustees failed to adequately supervise with the organization’s assets (including real the college’s former treasurer - vice president property and accounts), finances (including of finance, which enabled that individual to tax filings and audited financial statements) engage in unlawful misconduct and mismanand operations. agement of assets (actions for which he was Nonprofit boards should consider ultimately prosecuted by the Department of obtaining “directors and officers” insurJustice and sentenced to a three-year prison ance coverage (aka “D&O” coverage) and term). employee “fidelity insurance” in order The complaint seeks significant finanto protect board members that diligently cial recovery directly from each individual perform their duties. trustee, and asserts that each trustee bears Finally, organizations should consider responsibility for the tens of millions of retaining outside accountants and attorneys dollars of liabilities incurred by the college to review operations on a periodic basis with prior to the bankruptcy. an eye toward ensuring compliance with all The College of New Rochelle case is applicable laws and obligations. strong reminder that individuals serving on OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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Success Story
By Ken Sturtz
Vincent “Vinny” Lobdell Jr., HealthWay’s president, and his father, Vincent Lobdell Sr., who serves as CEO and chairman of the company
HealthWay Expands Dramatically as Demand for Its Air Filtration Products Surges Company’s workforce in Pulaski more than doubled in less than year
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ou can find them in hospitals, daycare centers and offices. Tens of thousands have been placed in the classrooms of the nation’s largest school systems and on buses too. They’ve even been shipped to China, Italy and the United Arab Emirates. And it’s all the work of a family-owned company in Pulaski. A year ago, HealthWay Family of Brands was a small but fast-growing business manufacturing medical-grade air purifiers. But since the pandemic began, it’s experienced soaring growth as demand for its products has skyrocketed. “It’s been intense,” says Vincent “Vinny” Lobdell Jr., HealthWay’s president. “It’s been just such a substantial demand.” The company, which has a significant workforce overseas, employed roughly 40 to 45 people in Central New York before the pandemic. They added 60 employees here throughout 2020 to keep up with demand and plan to 94
hire another 50 to 60 in the first part of this year, Lobdell says. Those jobs will include positions in manufacturing, engineering, marketing, sales and finance. HealthWay added approximately 35,000-square-feet of space at two facilities in the Pulaski area last year. Plans for this year include building another 35,000-square-feet. In some ways Lobdell and his father, Vincent Lobdell Sr., who serves as CEO and chairman, have been preparing their company for this moment for years. “With my father and myself, we spent the greater part of three decades pursuing something we believed in with the idea that eventually it would be something the world would open its eyes to,” Lobdell says. In 1981, the elder Lobdell went into business developing air filtration systems. He began by building products in the air quality space for other companies, focusing on business-to-business sales. In 2004, father OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Tens of thousands of HealthWay purification systems have been placed in the New York City School District, the largest school system in the country, in the Chicago Public Schools and hospitals around the country, including Upstate, Crouse and Oswego in Central New York. and son started HealthWay with a single employee. Most of its sales were still business-to-business. As they expanded their line of air cleaning systems in 2016, the family opted to open a plant in Pulaski rather than China. In 2017, HealthWay launched its Intellipure brand and began marketing and selling its products to consumers. The company was growing at a rate of 7% to 10% and continuing to invest and innovate when the pandemic hit, Lobdell says. HealthWay’s air purifiers use a patented disinfecting filtration system (DFS) technology that the company says is 40 times more efficient than HEPA filters. Its products have not been certified by regulators to remove the virus that causes COVID-19, but previous tests showed their filters remove 99.99% of the H1N1 virus, which is smaller than the current virus. The company’s air purifying equipment ranges from smaller portable air purifiers that can be set up in a single room to commercial filtration systems meant for large buildings. “I think a lot of experts would say we had innovated and put ourselves in the position to really be the only global air cleaning manufacturer to have a solution from a small bedroom to a large skyscraper,” Lobdell says. “And I think that’s why we’ve been able to capture this opportunity.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Lobdell says he and his father have invested years in finding a meaningful solution to air pollution, which the World Health Organization has said poses a major threat to public health. But people tend not to worry about things they can’t see and Lobdell says it has taken the pandemic to open the public’s eyes to the deadly threat of air pollution. “We’re really about providing true solutions,” he says. “We have innovated and put 30 years of investment and effort and hard work into this space. A lot of times that doesn’t pay off on a balance sheet right away.” Their work has resulted in a product line that is both scalable and adaptable. As an example of the benefits, Lobdell cites school districts, which are often located in older buildings. “You can’t adapt a commercial air cleaner to the HVAC system, so they went with small portables,” he says. In 2020, HealthWay deployed more than 200,000 portable air purifiers to classrooms in schools across the U.S. Tens of thousands of purification systems were placed in the New York City School District, the largest school system in the country. Many major school districts in the nation have adopted HealthWay’s purifiers. Nearly 30,000 units were placed in the Chicago Public Schools alone. Hospitals around the country have also used the purifiers, including Upstate, Crouse and Oswego in Central New York. Late last year, Academy Bus, the largest private carrier in New Jersey, announced it planned to install portable HealthWay air purification units on each of its buses. HealthWay’s products also went abroad. In December 2019, the company was called upon to collaborate with healthcare institutions in China to help combat cross-contamination. Its systems were later used in field hospitals in the United Arab Emirates and then Italy when the infection rates spiked in those countries. The demand for HealthWay’s products doesn’t show signs of letting up anytime soon. Lobdell says sales this year are likely to exceed 2020. The company has a backlog of almost $30 million in revenue and pending deals of upwards of $100 million in sales. “Growing the business is great,” Lobdell says. “But being able to provide something that really matters during the worst health crisis in history has been something we’re really grateful for and proud of.” FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Vincent “Vinny” Lobdell Jr. demonstrates a class one laser particle counter on their 950P unit. Each unit is individually tested with a class one laser particle counter and is certified to exceed traditional HEPA filtration, showing the highest level of ultrafine particle removal.
Christian Cobb, vice president of marketing, points out the equipment that produces air filtration systems at HealthWay. He praised the commitment of the company’s employees around the globe who committed to working round the clock to provide help combatting the pandemic. Nor have the events of the last year caused the company’s owners to rethink their decision to invest in Pulaski. “We’re committed to the local OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
community,” Lobdell says. “We could really move our business anywhere, but the community matters so much to my father and myself. We’re so grateful to represent and support small town America and most importantly Central New York and that’s why we continue to invest here.” 95
Started How I Got
Continued on page 15
business and me and helped get everything set up and going. Q.: Did you have to borrow money?
A.: [Larry] helped me secure $75,000 in financing through the U.S. Small Business Administration. I learned about the Business Expansion Center in Oswego, a county owned and operated business incubator facility, while doing that coursework. We moved there in 2002. I didn’t have to pay property taxes, I received a great deal on rent, and there were many other positive aspects, including a shipping dock. I would then purchase the former Dubois Inn building in Minetto and ran operations there until 2007.
‘What most people do when they are buying solid state drives is hop online and check out the latest reviews of what is the best thing out there. If you are not on the top of that list, you’re not going to be in contention.’
Q.: Can you characterize some of the obstacles you faced as a business owner?
A.: Unfortunately, the business did fall upon hard times. In 2004, there was a safety recall involving Aqua Scout water scooters, a product that the business imported and was heavily involved in. I lost about $150,000 due to the recall, and this occurred while I still had a sizable loan to pay on, and a brand new car. Around that time, other major corporations such as Lexar and SanDisk had gotten into high-speed memory flash drives, and we started to sell their products. They ended up outgrowing us and essentially strictly dealt products to stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City. We eventually got squeezed out of the game. Between 2005-2008, I spent all the money that I had previously made on just dealing with problems. Q.: How did you recover from that?
A.: We then affiliated with a Taiwanese company in 2007 — Phison — that developed a top-end solidstate memory controller that was hands-down faster than any hybrid hard drive. We also developed our own brand name of solid-state drives
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— MyDigitalSSD — that still exists today. Phison had previously released a controller that had questionable quality, subsequently earning a poor reputation worldwide as a result. However, I saw the positives with its newer version and began to change people’s perception of the product. I turned it into more of a “best bang for your buck” type play. Phison supported my efforts, and to this day looks to me for ideas that it can develop. Last year, we dealt $1.5 million worth of its products
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
and Phison has represented a steady revenue stream for us since 2011. However, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Last year was expected to be one of the best years we would ever have in our history, and we were targeting $10 million in sales. But COVID-19 hit, and the year went downhill and we fell far short of our expectations. Everything shut down; everything stopped. All the businesses that were buying all those products that we sell, they immediately stopped buying anything. It didn’t matter what it was; they wouldn’t buy it even if they needed it. They just couldn’t get approval from any budget or financing source. Q.: What were the keys to drawing in and maintaining a customer base in the early phases of the business?
A.: If you do business with an entity such as an industrial company, you’re going to get that return over and over again. Perhaps they have new machines coming on line, and they need the same thing they bought for the last machine. There is enough of that, but in most cases, when you purchase a solid state drive, it’s going to last at least three years until you think about buying another one. They don’t even remember where they bought the last one. What most people do when they are buying solid state drives is hop online and check out the latest reviews of what is the best thing out there. If you are not on the top of that list, you’re not going to be in contention. When we first started, we used email blasts to customers to update them on the latest and greatest products. For example, the compact flash was growing fast, and it went from having 64 kilobyte to having 8-megabyte cards in less than six months. Then it grew all the way to 64 megabytes over the next six months, and then 128, 256, and 512. So we would email all these customers to update them on the latest developments. If we had an upgraded version of a product that a customer purchased before, we would blast them and they would really get on board with it. We sell mostly to IT companies and individuals. I would say our average customer is a college graduate aged 35 to 55.
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Best Business Directory AUTO SALES & SERVICE Bellinger Auto Sales & Service. Third generation business. Used cars, towing, general auto repair & accessories. Truck repair. Oil, lube & filter service. 2746 County Route 57. Call 593-1332 or fax 598-5286. Jake’s Automotive of Oswego, Inc. Auto repair and service of brakes, steering, suspension, diagnostics, oil change, tires & more. We also sell performance parts. 801 E. Seneca St., Oswego. 315-342-6871. Munski Automotive. Brakes, exhaust, NYS inspections, shocks & struts, steering & suspension, check engine & ABS light, tires. 14 West Seneca St., Oswego 315-343-6229. Visit us on the web: www. munskiauto.com. Port City Car Care. Oil, lube, NYSI, alignments, tires, brakes, electrical, air conditioning, suspension, tune-ups & timing belts, complete car care. We do it all! Over 28 years’ experience, 20 Ohio St. Phone 315-207-0500 or visit us on the web at www.portcitycarcare.com
BIKES, SERVICE Murdock’s. Oswego County’s only authorized Trek dealer. We service all brands of bikes. Check out our website: www.murdockssports.com or call us 315-342-6848.
COPY + PRINT Port City Copy Center. Your one-stop for all of your printing needs. 115 W. Thrd St., Oswego. 315-2166163.
DEMOLITION Fisher Companies. Commercial & residential demolition. Great prices. Fully insured. Free estimates. 48 years of experience. Call us at 315-652-3773 or visit www.johnefisherconstruction.com..
EXCAVATING Gilbert Excavating. Septic systems. Gravel & top soil. Septic tank pumping. 685 County Route 3, Fulton. Call 315-593-2472.
JANITORIAL SERVICES Looking for good service, start by calling LC Cleaners at 315-744-2205. We clean dirt cheap. We will also disinfect your office. Please leave message on our phone. We will be happy to call you back.
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 Road, Pulaski. 315-298-6407 or visit www.lakeshorehardwoods.com.
LAND SURVEYOR Robert M. Burleigh, licensed land surveyor. Quality land surveying. Residential, subdivision, commercial, boundary surveying. 315-593-2231.
LUMBER White’s Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski: State Route 13, 315-298-6575; Watertown: N. Rutland
Street, 315-788-6200; Clayton: James Street, 315686-1892; Gouverneur: Depot Street, 315-287-1892.
PICTURE FRAMING Picture Connection. Custom matting & framing for photos, posters, prints, oils & more. Shadow boxes, object framing, art print source. 169 W. First St., Oswego. 315-343-2908.
PLUMBING & HEATING SUPPLY Pullen’s Plumbing & Heating Supply has a large variety of plumbing & heating repair parts & fixtures. Water heater, furnace, boiler & all plumbing installations available. We do our own excavating for water service & sewer replacement. 22 Ohio St., Oswego, 315-343-1906.
PLUMBING & HVAC AHR Plumbing & HVAC service, sewer cleaning, hydrojetting, video inspections, water heater installs, new construction & remodel service & repairs. 315668-6569 AHRPlumbing.com.
SCREEN PRINTING & EMBROIDERY Valti Graphics-Creating garment graphics on customized apparel in screen printing, embroidery, Greek apparel & custom lettering. 152 W. Bridge St., Oswego. 315-342-4912.
TRACTOR/LAWN RanMar Tractor Supply. Sales and service of new and used tractors and farm equipment – 5219 US Rte. 11 Pulaski – 315-298-5109.
HEADING: LISTING:
$159 for 1 Year Just fill out this form, and send it with check to:2021 FEBRUARY / aMARCH
Oswego County Business P.O. Box 276 Oswego, NY 13126 97 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
Last Page
By Lou Sorendo
Katie Toomey Executive director of the Greater OswegoFulton Chamber of Commerce on what the organization is doing to work with and help small businesses Q.: As an affiliate of CenterState CEO in Syracuse, how has the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce fared in the midst of COVID-19 and what have been the keys to sustaining your organization through these challenging times? A.: Our partnership and collaboration with CenterState CEO has been invaluable in the midst of COVID-19, allowing us to better support the Oswego County business community and work alongside our local municipalities and leaders as we work through the impacts of the pandemic. As a team, we increased our capability to respond to the hundreds of calls and requests for support we are receiving from members and community partners. To streamline our intake, we launched support@centerstateceo. com. Each request is routed to an appropriate staff member, with the mission being to serve our business community efficiently. Since March 2020, we have consistently helped members to explore critical financing options, understand rapidly changing emergency regulations and share best practices for remote work and workplace safety.
various impacts of COVID-19. These tools can be found on www.centerstateceo.com and oswegofultonchamber.com.
Q.: What kind of feedback have you received from chamber members in terms of the needs they have entering 2021? A.: We are focusing on helping members navigate through business-threatening financial crises, understanding and adapting to rapidly changing regulations and sharing best practices for working remotely as well as in the workplace. Additionally, thanks to our strategic events and communications teams, we provide timely virtual events, resources and programming tailored to navigate the
Q.: Of businesses in the Oswego and Fulton areas, which have been hurt the most by COVID-19 and which are getting through relatively unscathed? A.: COVID-19 has created an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Across our community, businesses have been impacted. A number of businesses faced challenges that ranged from a decrease in customer demand and revenue to issues related to supply chains. Talent issues continue to be a challenge for businesses as do the need to adapt to and purchase
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Q.: How will COVID-19 impact chamber-sponsored events in 2021? A.: During these uncertain and stressful times, I am grateful to hold a position where I can share positive news, collaborations and events taking place in our community. We appreciate the relationships that we have fostered with our sponsors and my team is proud that they find value by investing in our programming and events. Through generous sponsorships, our events will continue as planned for 2021. The key to our success has been our team’s ability to be creative, nimble and modify our programming as needed. We will again assume a hybrid model with events like our annual meeting, networking events and roundtables taking place virtually and events such as our annual golf social and farmers’ markets taking place in a more “traditional” manner while adhering to federal, state and local safety protocols.
OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
new technologies for employees working from home. There are certain industries that were and are able to weather the COVID-19 crisis better than others, including manufacturing. We saw companies like HealthWay in Pulaski, experts in indoor air quality, realize incredible growth to the degree where it has been able to give back to other industries that did not fare as well. Q.: Has membership been affected by the pandemic, and if so, to what extent? A.: As a fully integrated partner, truly functioning as the Oswego County branch of CenterState CEO, the GOFCC was able to extend its rapid response efforts to the county and showcase the benefits that come with membership in 2020. We will build upon that momentum into 2021. We will continue to support the business community by provide strategic programming, advocacy and resources to businesses of all sizes across our county. Additionally, we will launch new programs and incentives to engage our partners and help them navigate the ever-changing landscape. FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021
Exelon Generation Generating safe, clean and reliable power, fueling the upstate economy and protecting the environment. 866.237.POWER | exeloncorp.com
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