Oswego County Business, #182: October - November 2022 by Oswego County Business Magazine

October / November 2022

$4.50

CNY’s Busines Magazin s e

www.cnybusinessmag.com

MEET THE PUBLISHER Alec Johnson, 36, is busy publishing Oswego Shopper and Oswego County News — and five daily newspapers, websites and more than a dozen publications in what has become the largest family-owned newspaper group in Upstate New York. P. 72

RESTAURANTS FOR SALE IN OSWEGO COUNTY P. 40

ARE OUR INDUSTRIES COMPETITIVE ENOUGH?

P. 58

AMAZON ON HIRING BINGE IN CLAY P. 48

NEWSPAPERS STILL STRUGGLING P. 78

Weight Loss Surgery It’s about more than just weight loss. It’s about reducing your risk for serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes — and regaining the stamina, mobility and confidence to take on every day. Crouse’s bariatric surgery program offers a dedicated team of physicians and providers, as well as psychological and nutritional counseling — all with the expertise to support you every step of the way.

Begin the process from home by viewing our online informational video. Then consult with our bariatric team via telemedicine visits to start your journey. It’s time — and now easier than ever.

Start today at crouse.org/weightloss or call 315-470-8974.

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING INSTITUTE Short-Term Training. Long-Term Success. • Industrial Maintenance • Mechanical Maintenance

OPEN NOW IN FULTON

• Electrical Maintenance • Controls Training • Career Training GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR TRAINING

Contact us today: (315) 294-8841 or www.cayuga-cc.edu Cayuga Community College Office of Community Education and Workforce Development

OVER 70 HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN ONE NETWORK!

SAY HELLO TO HEALTHY! Say hello to a more convenient way to stay healthy in Oswego County. ConnextCare offers a comprehensive set of services; family and internal medicine, pediatrics, dentistry, psychiatry, and social work under one medical group. Patients within our network can visit any of our seven locations at any time. ConnextCare also offers medical and mental health services at eight school-based health centers in five Oswego County school districts.

BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER. See why Fortune ranked Nucor No. 1 in its industry on the World's Most Admired Companies list as well as one of the Best Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production.

www.nucor.com/careers

CONTENTS

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

ISSUE 182

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MEET THE PUBLISHER Thirty-six-year old Alec Johnson is in charge of the largest family-owned newspaper group in Upstate New York, The Johnson Newspaper Corp., based in Watertown. He talks about his company, working as a reporter in Connecticut and how he got to the top at the company started by his great grandfather.

Features

Infrastructure legislation a boon to manufacturers: EJ USA, Nucor, Lindsey Aggregates are some examples • How competitive are we? • Update on major companies.

Why do banks charge so many fees? We ask local bankers, who also discuss e-banking vs. brick and mortar banking • Five things you need to know about business insurance.

Several sectors show decrease employment numbers • Companies still having a hard time hiring • Want to keep employees? Pay them more, experts say.

MANUFACTURING

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BANKING & INSURANCE

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

STAFFING

RICHARD S. SHINEMAN FOUNDATION S: 10 YEAR CELEBRATES ATED ON MILLIONS D N C TO Y.

More Contents 40

Restaurant for Sale

Amazon on a Hiring Binge

Economic Trends

Retirement

SUNY Oswego’s Impact

My Turn

Retiring

Eastwood Neighborhood

Why are there so many restaurants and bars for sale in Oswego County? The Clay facility is doubling its workforce to 3,000 workers Manufacturing growth across Oswego County By L. Michael Treadwell $1 million no longer the standard nest egg Students are back in town and with them tons of money Newspaper industry continues to struggle By Bruce Frassinelli Patrick Waite of Oswego County Opportunities retires. Developer Stephen Skinner making his mark in Syracuse neighborhood.

Departments 8 18

Publisher’s Note On the Job

How I Got Started

‘What do you want to do when you retire?’ Victoria Usherwood Gailina, owner of iheartoswego.com

Profile

Sarah Farley

Where in the World is Sandra Scott?

28 34 36

Newsmakers Business Updates Dining Out

Last Page

Bariloche, Argentina

New Mexican restaurant adds flavor to the city of Fulton John Halleron

36 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

ou know we’re approaching the end of the year when we start working on the annual CNY Business Guide. It means we’re in the last leg of the year. The new edition — the 2023 CNY Business Guide — will provide detailed information on more than 400 of the largest companies in Oswego County, Central and Northern New York. This will be our 29th edition and we’re proud to have found a niche — and fill it. The annual guide is one of kind and many use it year round as resource material. It’s an ambitious project, which involves a great deal of research, phone calls, checking and double-checking information, writing and design work. In a few words, it requires a lot of work. And we’re ready for it. The Business Guide carries detailed descriptions of local businesses, including latest developments, employment information and background. It also carries profiles of business owners and CEOs and their comments on the local economy and their industries. It focuses on four counties: Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga and Jefferson. A series of graphics shows the

Cover of last year’s Business Guide.

businesses to the region. The guide is an excellent chance for companies to highlight their growth, expansion, new products, whatever new they have to share. For readers, the guide provides a great snapshot of companies located in the region and what they do and who is in charge. The guide will be published in mid-November. Paid subscribers to Oswego County Business will receive the publication as soon as it’s published. We will also make some free copies available throughout the region. We welcome companies to place advertisements in the publication. Cost to advertise is fairly low and advertising in the guide is a great way to showcase their products, services and their presence in the region.

largest employers by region, top public employers, manufacturers, auto dealers, home improvement, healthcare and others. We’re glad that Operation Oswego County, the county’s economic development agency, uses it extensively as part of its marketing strategies to attract new

WAGNER DOTTO is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.

Bond understands the unique needs and opportunities of Oswego County businesses and we are committed to a thriving future for our clients and the communities in which we live. Want to learn more? Visit bsk.com or contact Rick Weber at rweber@bsk.com or Sunny Tice at stice@bsk.com.

One Lincoln Center, Syracuse, NY 13202 • 315.218.8000 • BSK.COM 8

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

Quality You Can Rely On HANDCRAFTED | FAMILY-OWNED

In 1993, North Country Storage Barns started as a family-owned and operated shed business. Today, we have three locations in New York State and service dealers across the Saint Lawrence River in Canada. If you visit, you’ll be able to take a stroll outdoors to look through our many sheds, vehicle storage units, gazebos, playsets, outdoor furniture, birdhouses & feeders, lawn ornaments, and more! Our Philadelphia location is also home to a cabin display model you will enjoy touring through at your own pace. I nside all three of our locations, you can browse through and order from any of our many catalogs if you don’t see just the perfect item in the showroom. And feel free to sit down with a friendly salesperson who’s ready to guide you through designing your next custom-made structure! OUR THREE LOCATIONS

32660 US Rte. 11 Philedelphia, NY 315-642-0209

317 Oriskany Blvd Yorkville, NY 315-793-0726

5780 US Rte. 11 Pulaski, NY 315-387-2092

ncsbarns.com ∙ facebook.com/ifyouneedmeillbeinmyshed North Country Storage Barns is Premier source for North Country Lifestyle & Living.

ADVERTISING INDEX Advanced Dental Arts...................43 Affordable Business Solutions......55 Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home.........................25 ALPS Professional Services.........33 Ameriprise Financial (Randy Zeigler).......................20 BarclayDamon..............................35 Bond, Schoeneck & King Attorneys...................................8 Buckingham Brothers...................31 Builder’s FirstSource....................29 Burke’s Home Center...................31 C & S Companies.........................54 C’s Farm Market and Beverage....14 Canale’s Ins. & Accounting ..........23 Caster’s Sawmill Inc.....................29 Cayuga Community College...........3 Century 21 - Galloway Realty.......33 CNY Community Foundation........91 Community Bank..........................67 Compass Credit Union.................23 ConnextCare..................................4 Constelation..................................99 Crouse Hospital..............................2

Davis-Standard LLC.....................61 E J USA........................................21 Eastern Shore Associates Ins......20 Farnham Family Services.............42 Financial Partners of Upstate (David Mirabito).......................10 Fitzgibbons Agency......................35 Foster Funeral Home....................91 Fulton Oswego Motor Express.....52 Fulton Savings Bank.....................69 Fulton Taxi....................................43 Fulton Tool Co..............................57 Gartner Equipment.......................53 Gosch Supply...............................19 Harbor Hotel.................................15 Hearth Cabinets............................29 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY..................42 Howard’s Hoses...........................57 J P Jewelers.................................15 Johnston Gas...............................29 Kathy’s Cake & Specialty Treats..14 La Parrilla On The Water..............39 Lamb’s Handyman Service...........31 Laser Transit.................................57

Need an agent who gets your small business?

Lindsey Aggregates......................33 LW Emporium Co-Op...................15 MACNY.........................................55 Menter Ambulance.......................42 Mimi’s Drive Inn............................39 Mitchell Speedway Printing..........19 Murdoch’s Bike.............................15 NBT Bank.....................................66 North Country Storage Barns.........9 Novelis........................................100 Nucor Steel Auburn........................5 OD Green Lumber........................31 Operation Oswego County...........99 Oswego County Federal Credit Union............................52 Oswego County Mutual Insurance................................25 Oswego County Opportunities......16 Pathfinder Bank............................17 Patterson Warehousing................52 Picture Connection.......................15 Plumley Engineering.....................59 Pontiac Care and Rehabilitation Center ....................................87 Port of Oswego Authority..............58

RiverHouse Restaurant................39 Riverside Artisans.........................15 Salvatore Lanza Law Office..........25 SBDC – Small Business Development Center...............69 Scriba Electric...............................33 State Farm (Chris Nelson)............10 SUNY Oswego.............................81 Sweet-Woods Memorial...............33 TDO..............................................66 The Rooftop Lounge (Litatro Building)......................14 Trimble Services...........................31 United Wire Technology...............59 Universal Metal Works..................57 Valti Graphics...............................33 Vashaw’s Collision........................19 Watertown Industrial Center of Local Development.................58 WD Malone...................................29 Whelan & Curry Construction.......53 White’s Lumber & Building Supply....................29 WRVO..........................................96

We’ll help you get there.® Because your goals matter. You have goals. Ours is helping you achieve them. To learn more, contact:

David D. Mirabito

CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, MSFS, RICP Senior Financial Services Executive Investment Advisor Representative Christopher A. Nelson, Agent 209 West 7th Street Oswego, NY 13126 Bus: 315-342-3639 www.chrisnelsoninsurance.net

I understand the unique needs of small business owners, because I run a small business too. Contact me today for your small business insurance.

2809 State Route 3 Fulton, NY 13069 (315) 592-3145 dmirabito@financialguide.com www.financialpartnersustateny.com

Let’s talk today.

State Farm Fire and Casualty Company State Farm General Insurance Company Bloomington, IL State Farm Florida Insurance Company Winter Haven, FL State Farm Lloyds Richardson, TX 2101257

10 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

LIFE INSURANCE + RETIREMENT/401K PLAN SERVICES + DISABILITY INCOME INSURANCE + LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE + ANNUITIES

Giftable goodies from our advertisers.

North Country Storage Barns

C’s Farm Market in Oswego

360 Hunting Blinds. With solid wood frame construction and seamless acrylic roof, the 360 Series is built to provide hunters with many seasons of comfortable, weatherproof hunting. With a special window raising mechanism — a perfectly silent, one-handed operation that is ideal for gun or archery hunting. Call North Country Storage Barns at 315-559- 8706 or visit ncsbarns.com.

Special fruit baskets. Great for any occasion. All fresh, made to order and with no fillers. Starting at $45. Delivery available. Call C’s Farm Market at 315-343-1010 or visit www. csfarmmarket.com.

JP Jewelers Gosch Supply & Lighting Centre

Add style to your home or office. Art glass 27-inch table lamp by Dale Tiffany. This and other models only in store. 315-598-4592.

This and other pieces of fine jewelry available at JP Jewelers in Oswego. Jewelry buying doesn’t have to be intimidating. With a comfortable buying experience and friendly, knowledgeable staff, JP Jewelers will exceed your expectations both in quality and service. Call 315-342GOLD (4653) or visit www.jpwholesalejewelers.com.

Giftable goodies from our advertisers.

Harbor Hotel

Luxury accomodations with panoramic views. Upscale dining and fine cocktails, outdoor firepits, indoor pool and hot tub, state-of-the-art fitness center, conference cpace Call today to ask about our off-season rates! 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel 200 Riverside Drive, Clayton 315-686-1100

Rooftop Lounge

Filet with mushroom risotto, parmesan crusted asparagus. and a red wine reduction. All with great views of Oswego. Call 315-207-2078 or visit www.therooftoplounge.com

Riverside Artisans cooperative

The Picture Connection

Print of original painting by Norm Roth Price: $175. Oswego 315-343-2908 pictureconnectionoswego.com

12 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

Everyone loves Cindy Schmidt’s Cranky Cat paintings at the Riverside Artisans cooperative. Cindy’s original paintings, prints, tiles, calendars and other items are available, as well as work from more than 20 other local artists. 191 W First Street, Oswego riversideartisans.com

Hearth Cabinets and More

Classic design goes irresistibly modern. Starting at $3,608. Product only. Pricing exclusions apply. Contact a dealer for more information. Put an elegant twist on tradition. The 6000 Modern indoor gas fireplace transforms the award-winning 6000 Series to fit your vision. Artistic flames rise through glass media and reflect off fluted black glass. 315-641-1197 • www.hearthcabinetsandmore.com

Burkes Do It Best Home Center

Milwaukee M12 Lithium-ion 3/8” Cordless Drill/Driver Kit 129.99 Our M12™ 3/8” Drill/Driver Kit drills and fastens up to 35% faster than its competitors and is the only tool in its class that has an all-metal locking chuck. The powerful compact cordless drill driver delivers 275 in-lbs of torque – up to 25% more torque than the competition – and 0-400/0-1,500 RPM. http://burkesdoitbest.com.

Murdock’s Bicycles & Sports

Ride the Trek Verve+ 2 electric with pedal assist like a bicycle but when you need help pedaling, it provides it. Ride where you want, with whom you want. Fun and fitness all in one! $2,749.95. murdockssports.com

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

EXPLORE THE BEST OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK REGION

2672 State Route 3, Fulton, NY 13069 kathyscakes@windstream.net Kathy’s Cell: 315-592-1167

’sBeveragE CENTER

Route 104 W. behind Fajita Grill www.csfarmmarket.com

$5 OFF

* PURCHASE OF $50 OR MORE. EXP 6/2023. NOT APPLICABLE ON GIFT CARD PURCHASES

KEGS • CASES • IMPORTS and HARD-TO-FIND BREWS Monday - Friday: 8 am to 6 pm Saturday - 9 am to 4 pm

315-343-1010 14 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

WWW.THEROOFTOPLOUNGE.COM 315-207-2078

EXPLORE THE BEST OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK REGION Supreme Design. Wholesale Prices. Buy and Sell.

PICTURE CONNECTION WE CAN FRAME ANYTHING Sports Jerseys • Historic Documents • Diplomas Needle Work • Photos • Paintings • Posters Prints • Objects • Memorabilia • Collages And more Free Design Service and Quotes

169 West First Street Oswego NY 13126 315-343-2908 Pictureconnection@icloud.com www.pictureconnectionoswego.com

315-342-G LD (4653) 136 West Bridge Street, Oswego, NY 13126

PLENTY OF BIKES, SHOES, SOCKS AND IF YOUR BIKE NEEDS FIXIN’, BRING IT ON IN!

“LOVE YOUR BIKE, LOVE YOUR LIFE!” 315-342-6848 | www.murdockssports.com

LW EMPORIUM CO-OP Gifts, Antiques & Home Decor

The Feathered Nest Gift Shop

WhistleStop Antique Center

10a.m.–5p.m. Tues. thru Sun. • Closed Mon. 6355 Knickerbocker Road • off Rte. 104 in Ontario

315-524-8841 • www.lwemporium.com

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Feed the hungry, house the homeless, teach the children, support family skill development, provide reliable transportation, help develop job readiness, provide health services, improve literacy, reach out to the isolated, advocate for those without a voice, care for the most vulnerable among us.

DO WHAT MATTERS.

ISSUE 182 • OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2022

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Wagner Dotto editor@cnybusinessmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Steve Yablonski syablonski@twcny.rr.com WRITERS Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Christopher Malone, Ken Sturtz Steve Yablonski, Gabrielle Olya Margaret McCormick COLUMNISTS L. Michael Treadwell Bruce Frassinelli, Sandra Scott ADVERTISING Peggy Kain peggylocalnews@gmail.com SECRETARY Ahme Cruz localnewsoffice@gmail.com LAYOUT & DESIGN Angel Campos Toro COVER PHOTO Chuck Wainwright

Help People. Improve Our Communities. Change Lives.

OSWEGOCOUNTYBUSINESS.COM OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS MAGAZINE is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., publisher of the Business Guide, Upstate Summer, Fall, & Winter guides, College Life Newspaper, In Good Health—The Healthcare Newspaper (across four regions) and 55 Plus Magazine for Active Adults in Rochester and Central New York. Subscription rate is $21.50 a year; $35 for two years. Single-copy price is $4.50. PRSRT STD US Postage PAID, Buffalo, NY, Permit No. 4725.

Work. Donate. Volunteer. www.oco.org

315.598.4717

© 2022 Oswego County Business. All rights reserved. No material from this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher. HOW TO REACH US: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. Phone: 315-342-8020 Fax: 315-342-7776; editor@OswegoCountyBusiness.com

Custom Solutions. Local Roots. “My wife, Ana Maria, and I are the owners and operators of Strigo Vineyards. There’s a certain genuineness; there’s a certain energy at Pathfinder. They have a well-rounded perspective on the local and regional economies. And most importantly, they are your business partner. There’s a sincere interest in your success, and they put the time and energy into ensuring you can accomplish your goals..” – Joe Murabito, Owner of Strigo Vineyards When you work with Pathfinder Bank, you gain a true partner. We don’t think of our customers as numbers on a page – they’re our neighbors, friends, and community members. Our experienced local lenders will take the time to understand your company’s needs and help guide you as you grow. We’re committed to your success and to strengthening the places we call home. 315-207-8062 • pathfinderbank.com Oswego • Fulton • Mexico • Central Square Lacona • Cicero • Clay • Syracuse • Utica

ON THE JOB ‘When do you plan to retire and what do you want to do then?’

Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant “I don’t think I’m going to retire as soon as I’d hoped. After I retire, I’m hoping to travel. And of course, I want to spend more time with my grandchildren. I’m going to have to work a few more years than I had thought because I can’t find enough people to work since the pandemic happened. I have people calling wanting cleaning all the time, but I can’t have my staff work any more hours and I can’t find people to hire.” Janet Yuckel Owner, Done Right Cleaning, West Monroe. “I’m probably not going to retire for a while. I’ll probably travel when I do.” Jennifer Wakefield Baker, Cakes Galore & More, Oswego. “I love what I do and I feel like it matters. What could be more fun? I like

to help people. I’m in the best job in the world where it doesn’t really matter what my age is to do it. I have a lot of experience so there’s no reason for me to give up what I love to retire. When you’re happy with what you do, why would you change it? It’s good for you to be active and out and talking with folks. I have been in the real estate business since the 1980s, and most of my business — 95% of it, in fact — is referrals from people who were pleased with my work and want to give that same real estate experience to their friends, family, coworkers and neighbors.” Judy M. Winslow Real estate broker, Hunt Real Estate ERA, Manlius. “I have no retirement plans. I so enjoy what I do that I can’t see any reason to stop. That may change or

18 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

slow down, I imagine. However, life is good! I’d like to travel a bit more and if I had the time, I’d only open a bakery anyway. Too many passions!” Tony Pauldine Owner of Anthony M. Pauldine General Contractors Inc. and several other businesses in Oswego. “My retirement plan is to, over the next few years, bring a junior accountant on that would like to take over the business. I would love to retire in about seven years. My goal is then to work part-time for the person that takes over my business for a few years to assist them, then retire completely and enjoy whatever I decide to do. My passions would be to help in children and animal centers as a volunteer.” Brenda Weissenberg Owner and accountant, Affordable Business Solutions, West Monroe.

“I’d like to work until I’m 70. After that, I’ll be a snowbird and do some golfing. Maybe I’ll live on the West Coast of Florida.” CHARLES HANDLEY, Owner, Burke’s Home Center, Oswego and Fulton

d e e N igns S

FAST FAST

– GIVE US A CALL –

315.343.3531

speedwaypress.com “I am semi-retired. I don’t plan to quit. I am doing more things I like. I go to Florida for the winter and come up here in the summer. We have a place in the Adirondacks. I’m involved in Rotary. I’ve been getting to know the area in Florida and getting to know some new people. I like to kayak and go out on nice long walks.” Sadieann Z. Spear Owner, A Strong And Healthy You, New Hartford. “Retirement is an interesting question when you’re in the real estate field. I believe I will ease into retirement in the next five years. I believe I will always be involved in the real estate business but will take a step back. I plan on enjoying golfing and warm weather when I retire.” William R. Galloway Broker/owner, Century 21 Galloway Realty, Oswego

State-of-the-art Repair Facility

Return to pre-accident condition Dent and scratch removal

269 West 2nd Street Oswego, NY 13126 Phone (315) 343-7406 Fax (315) 343-0820 www.vashaws.com

Glass replacement Free estimates Enterprise rental vehicles

John A. Vashaw • John M. Vashaw CELEBRATING 50 YEARS of bringing great ideas to light

“I’m semi-retired and don’t plan on totally retiring. I like working part-time and depending on the season, enjoying lakes in the summer, walks in the fall and spring and in the winter, walking and watching the snow fall.” Donna Glassberg Owner, Orange Housing, Syracuse. “I’ve been thinking about it. My generation is different. We don’t see 65 or 67 as being the time to retire. I work a full-time job and am an entrepreneur. I want to retire at 55. That is 10 years away for me. I have a plan in place I’m working on. I’m hoping to get my money to work for me and start the LEKIA Foundation, which stands for ‘Loving Every Kid in America.’ I want to use my own means and funds and not rely on others for the foundation.

‘Come to the professionals for all your ELECTRIC NEEDS’ (315) 598-4592 303 S. 2nd St., Fulton NY Gosch@windstream.net

STORE HOURS Monday–Friday: 8am–5pm Saturday: 8am–1pm

The One Stop Source for Residential & Commercial Lighting Needs

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Now I consult for other companies, but I want to retire to build my foundation and helps moms and underserved youth. I had a very young mother and was raised by grandparents. If it weren’t for them stepping up and raising me, who knows what my life would be like now? I’m not sure how I’ll do that, in what way I’ll help youth, but that is my passion.” Lekia K. Hill Owner, Powerful Voices App, Syracuse. “I just started a new business and I’m thinking not until my late 60s or early 70s because it’s something I can do anywhere. I teach clients how to get self-care, self-love and self-compassion into their lives. I think I may want to incorporate more writing about selfcare and my experiences as I go into retirement.” Renee L. Hagar-Smith Owner, Mindfulness-Based Wellness Coaching, Fayetteville. “I would like to retire tomorrow, but it isn’t possible. I’m 72 and have 13 years to go on my mortgage. That doesn’t make it possible. I work fulltime and run a business at home. The full-time job keeps me in benefits, which

“I’m nowhere near retirement. I’m not a person who will sit around. I have no retirement plans, so I’ll work until I die. Or I’d have to marry well, but I’d rather be single.” JULIE AVERY Owner, Beacon Hotel, Oswego

are important because I get vacation, sick and personal time. I recently got on Medicare, which is cutting my medical expenses. I don’t know about retiring from my bridal and gift business. I might like to move south, where the climate is more aging-friendly. But I don’t know that I can take the business with me. I’d have to have an enormous inventory sell-off. I don’t want to pack over 200 gowns to move. I’d want that to be part of the retirement if I could. I might like to live by the beach, take a hot-air balloon ride and visit a lot of places. I’d like to

go to Charleston, and do more trips to the Caribbean Islands, like Jamaica and Barbados. I have a sister in Florida that I’d like to spend a month with. I’d like to spend more time in my garden. I’d like to spend more time with my husband traveling, given the resources to do it.” Linda Ruckdeschel Owner, The Bridal Connection, and L’Emporeia, Syracuse.

“I hope to retire in 10 years and I would like to transition to becoming a restaurant consultant. I feel like when people start businesses like this who don’t have a lot of experience, they make a lot of missteps. ‘If only they know about this or that,’ I think to myself. As a consultant, I think I could help them avoid mistakes. I think that might be a good move.” Bill Wadsworth Partner Bistro 197, Oswego “I am only 38, so I have a while until I retire, but my plan is to maybe live in the area and do some traveling.” Jonathan Shaver Senior staff engineer at Nine Mile Point, Scriba

Your personal financial goals deserve a personal approach. Putting the needs of my clients first is the approach I believe in. I’ll work with you to find the right financial solutions to help you plan for your unique goals. And together, we’ll track your progress over time, adjusting your plan along the way to help get you where you want to go. Randy L. Zeigler, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU® Private Wealth Advisor CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner 315.342.1227 97 W. Utica St. Oswego, NY 13126 randy.l.zeigler@ampf.com ameripriseadvisors.com/randy.l.zeigler

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP (with plaque design) in the U.S. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. © 2021 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. (03/21)

20 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

Commercial Insurance Advisors   

    Whether it’s a small business or large corporation, we’ve got the experience and carrier relationships  to help protect what you value.

www.esainsurance.com  315.598.6000  Six Local Offices in CNY

 to serve your insurance needs 

Our core strength is our people. Innovative. Growing. Global.

Join our team at our new fabrication facility in Phoenix, NY. Featuring competitive wages and other great benefits. Apply at ejco.com/careers or call 315 699 2601

HOW I GOT STARTED

By Steve Yablonski

VICTORIA USHERWOOD GAILINAS

Owner of website iHeartOswego.com celebrates 10 years in business; she explains how it all started and announces she is selling the business Q: Have you ever done anything like this before? A: Starting new organizations is kind

of our thing. We established the first women’s flat track roller derby leagues in Manchester in 2007 and Peterborough, New Hampshire, in 2008. We also organized the Oz Roller Girls in 2010 roller derby here in Oswego while we were still in New Hampshire. We created our website development and marketing company in 2005. Overall, we have created more than eight businesses and organizations in the last 20 years. But never have we produced or found another media organization quite like or even close to iHeartOswego.com. It is one of a kind — truly unique.

Q: How much did you invest to start? Have you invested more over the years? A: For us, money is really never

Q: When was iHeart Oswego launched? A: Nov. 3, 2012. So this is our 10th

anniversary coming up and that’s exciting!

Q: Why did you start this kind of business? A: Coming back to Oswego from having

been gone for 27 years, I asked friends, “Where do you find events happening here?” The answer was: ‘There is nothing to do here, Oswego sucks.’ I thought, that’s absolutely impossible; of course there are things happening here every single day. Oswego is a wonderful place to grow up, to raise

your own family and to retire to. So I contacted the chamber of commerce, Oswego County Tourism and the city of Oswego. They all confirmed that no, there was no central place to find all events, online or in the local newspaper. I felt an overwhelming need to help Oswego move forward. My husband, Phil Gailinas, and I had just relocated from a very progressive and successful small city in New Hampshire where we owned a website development, event creation and marketing company: iHeart Corp. We could help Oswego.

22 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

a consideration when we are in developing community projects like iHeartOswego or roller derby. We started with zero dollars in and had to generate funds through the website advertising to cover all expenses. We have never taken any loans to help fund iHeartOswego or any other volunteer organization we have created. These organizations are run by volunteers, myself included. We already have the in-house talent to create what we need to start. The website, revenue streams, graphic design or marketing plans. Our company iHeart Corp would fund it. We created advertising spaces on the iHeartOswego.com website. The ads pay for the overhead; but have the potential and ability to fully fund iHeartOswego as an entity, unto itself. Q: What does the business do? How has it evolved? A: iHeartOswego.com website and the

iHeartOswego (social media) were developed to be an online ‘good news’ city-zine and volunteer organization. If the events or stories were happy, fun and positive, we wanted to publish it. We also wanted and Oswego needed, a comprehensive online calendar that carried all events in Oswego. From bingo to Harborfest, we would let people know what was happening

and where. Then we would attend the events and publish the pictures to our social media outlets so that people could see themselves having fun in Oswego. And for those that couldn’t be there, to visualize the fun they would have at the next event they attended. We wanted to create the “desire to be there” and we have. Originally, iHeartOswego was confined to the city limits in event listings and our photo coverage, as we only had two volunteers. We now cover from South to North: Phoenix to Oswego and East to West: Mexico to Sterling. We have nine volunteer photographers, journalists and drone operators. We have 15 additional contributors and our door is always open to anyone who’d like to join us. Area schools from time to time will form ambassador groups with iHeartOswego, attending events and photographing them, and social media posting, in order to learn important social skills. Q: How difficult was it in the early days to get things going? When did you know it was going to be a success? A: There is always some difficulty

starting a new organization but there was such a need for what we do and people were so appreciative of the information we provided, that we were successful within the first year. Q: How many staff members do you have? A: iHeart Corp has two, our CEO Phil

Gailinas and myself. I run iHeartOswego myself, as a volunteer organization.

Q: What’s the best part of your job? A: I have been able to personally meet

thousands of residents in Oswego and have been able to help countless organizations obtain better exposure to their audience and attendance to events, benefits, or store-wide sales in downtown businesses. We are privileged to work closely with locally owned and operated businesses in providing free promotions, grand opening and milestone ribbon cuttings as community partners with the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, doing what we can to bring attention to them. What I love most, is being an integral part of our community for the benefit of residents and the tourism effort. And our photographers! We wouldn’t be here without the photos and dedication from Harrison Wilde, Jerry Maher, Sandy Swiech, Mary Woods and so many others.

Q: What’s the not-so-good part? A: When photographers move on to

other endeavors. Sometimes it’s their career, school or a life event that takes our place in their life. We all consider ourselves family, so it’s always sad when someone has to leave us. Q: What do you do in your free time? A: Well, my “free” time is given

to volunteering for iHeartOswego uploading to the calendar and covering events. But, at night, for an hour or so, I like to design and build women’s purses. It is relaxing and stress-relieving. Q: How would you describe your business philosophy? A: We believe in the ‘art’ of service.

Paying attention to our clients and being available when they need us is key to our website development business and we provide the same service to our iHeartOswego followers. Treat people honestly and with respect for their time; to go beyond what is expected, whenever possible—that’s service! Last, but not least in any way, is giving back to your community. That is what iHeartOswego is all about.

Q: Any thoughts of slowing down or retiring? A: I’m glad you asked that question.

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While I will most likely never retire, as it happens we are currently looking for the next leader of iHeartOswego.com and the iHeartOswego social media organization. We are for sale. We have not officially announced that as yet but some already know that I’d like to actually like to form iHeartOswego as its own entity and step down by the end of next summer at the latest. The iHeart Corp website development company will go on as it always has and will remain with us, we can take that anywhere and iHeartOswego.com will transform to either a sole proprietorship or a nonprofit of one form or another. It will be sold with the online advertising revenue stream along the full website and all the social media outlets. Currently iHeartOswego’s Facebook page has 23,000 followers and continues to grow. We have the largest Facebook audience in the county. iHeartOswego is something that must go on, people count on us to bring them all things wonderful in the greater Oswego area, with the most comprehensive online calendar ever published. And we do that very well.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

PROFILE

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

SARAH FARLEY New executive director of Fulton Community Development Agency excited with her role to help bring economic development to Fulton

rom entrepreneur to community development leader, Sarah Farley took an unexpected route to her most recent role as executive director of Fulton Community Development Agency (CDA), which she assumed in November 2021. Travel for her husband’s military service and having children interrupted her plans to earn an accounting degree at Columbia College and, later, SUNY Oswego; however, her 120 college credits equipped her to open a bookkeeping business in 2014, SCS Business Solutions, LLC. She primarily focused on aiding small businesses.

Word-of-mouth advertising helped her become familiar with many small business owners in the area. In late 2020, the CDA tapped her to perform accounting services for the organization as a contractor. That proved a tumultuous year for the CDA with the retirement of numerous staff members, including their part-time staff accountant, supervisor of the rental assistance program and executive director. At mid-year, Mayor Deana Michaels took Fulton’s helm, meaning new administration at the city level— and more

24 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

changes for the CDA to adjust to. “In March 2021, it became obvious that the agency was in need of so much,” Farley said. Brad Broadwell, the CDA’s new executive director, asked her to come on board fulltime to help manage the agency. “I was really excited about the potential of what I knew the city of Fulton needed and what the agency could be capable of driving,” she said. “I’m a resident of Fulton and felt obligation to right the ship and get the agency on solid footing.” In November 2021, Broadwell left the agency and the CDA appointed Farley as interim executive director. In January 2022, the word “interim” was dropped and she became the fullfledged executive director. “I feel like I’ve barely started to get a feel for it,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of staff turnover, even since I’ve been there. For the first time since I started, I’ve had a chance to build my team.” She believes in surrounding herself with a capable staff with experience in areas where she’s lacking. So far, she has been able to do this. Not a believer in micromanaging, she looks for self-motivated staff that focuses on outcomes and getting their job done, not nitpicking over when a clock is punched. She has focused the CDA on important initiatives such as housing. CDA runs the rental assistance program through HUD for the city. “We currently have a first-time home buyers’ program that we were awarded late last fall,” Farley said. “We just got our round of funding so we’re taking applicants.” As a certified HUD counseling agency, CDA offers foreclosure assistance and mortgage modification assistance. CDA is also shifting into economic development. “Fulton has never had that,” Farley said. “I’m not a city employee, but our board is the

Common Council, and our director of the board is the mayor.” Farley finds it rewarding to fight economic depression in Fulton. Unfortunately, obtaining grants and getting approvals for improvements take time — years even — but Farley feels excited to “see the light on the horizon,” she said. “We’re part of the behind-thescenes development. We’re behind where Oswego is. Oswego had their Downtown Revitalization Initiative a few years ago.” Fulton received a $10 million DRI award in 2019; however, the pandemic slowed the progress of some of the plans for the funding earmarked for building renovation for small businesses. Many DRI projects are city municipal projects. CDA helps administer them and aids in compliance with regulations. Another focus is infrastructure improvements, such as a $900,000 grant for improving police and fire station facilities. Through CDA, the city is providing for a Westside Revitalization Fund for Westside businesses on West Broadway as the area was awarded a national historic registry designation.

Lifelines Name: Sarah Farley Age: 41 Birth Place: Syracuse. She grew up in Oswego, where she and her husband were high school sweethearts. Residence: Black River, New York Current Residence: Fulton. Affiliations: Active members of Word of Life Assembly of God. Personal: Married 22 years to Tim Farley. The couple has four children, aged 9-21 with the older two in the National Guard and Air Force. They also have an American bulldog. Volunteering: Farley serves on the board as Fulton Community Revitalization Corporation as treasurer. Hobbies: Piano, camping and hiking in the Adirondacks.

Through the signs and awnings campaign in DRI, the city has approved business outside of the DRI zone. “We’re currently working on acquiring funds for homeowner rehab and microenterprises of fewer than five employees,” Farley said. The state ideally would like to see 30% of DRI work awarded to minority and women-owned businesses (MWB). If a MWB bid is higher, the CDA does not have to award the contract, but “we must do due diligence to solicit those bids,” Farley said. The CDA has met with MWB business leaders to create greater awareness of these opportunities. “I’ve had the good fortune to work with Sarah at my business,” said Stephen Chirello, owner of Steve Chirello Advertising, which provides media relations services to CDA. “She brings an incredible skill set to the position of executive director at the Fulton CDA. “She is extremely talented at accounting and financial management, while she also has keen rapport, organization and time management skills. On top of that, she’s a great listener, and she genuinely cares about the people with whom she works and interacts. The city of Fulton is fortunate to have her in this position when so many positive developments and growth are occurring in the city.” Although the changes are slow in coming, Farley feels excitement about what’s ahead. She counts herself as a liaison between the community and businesses interested in opening in Fulton. Previously when businesses called about doing business in Fulton, they were directed to the code office — typically an office focused on meeting requirements, not necessarily extending a welcome and helping businesses find resources they need. “Their role isn’t to hear their story and help them find funding,” Farley said. “I’ve sat down with the sole proprietor who wants to open a small shop and they don’t have a business plan. They don’t know where to turn or what steps to take next before they open a business.” She likes that she can hand out information and direct them toward grants and programs that will assist them in opening their doors. But CDA is not only for small business owners. Bigger companies that are ready to do business may need a point of contact. And she is happy to fill that role as well.

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Where in the World is Sandra Scott? BARILOCHE, ARGENTINA Get a taste of Europe’s Alpine region while in Argentina

an Carlos de Bariloche, more commonly called Bariloche, is a town in Argentina’s Patagonia region. Patagonia is a large southernmost region of South America shared by Chile and Argentina and divided by the Andes Mountains. It borders Nahuel Huapi, a large glacial lake surrounded by the Andes Mountains. The town of more than 100,000 was founded more than 100 years ago by Germans and other Europeans who emigrated from Chile. They fell in love with the mountains, lakes and the look of their European home. Travel and Leisure magazine recently named Bariloche “Patagonia’s most charming town.” The city is known for its alpine-style architecture and chocolate. The chocolate is sold in shops lining the main street, dubbed the “Street of Chocolate Dreams.” There are so many chocolate stores it would be impossible to sample all them but luckily many of the stores hand out free samples. Most stores have a specialty or different twist on their chocolate. Abuela Goye is a family brand of chocolate. (Abuela is “grandmother” in Spanish). It is easy to find because of the life-size figure of Grandmother that stands outside the store enticing customers to enter and try the chocolate from Grandmother’s own recipe like caramel-covered chocolate. Boniface Chocolates is another family chocolatier; their specialty — chocolate liquor. During the winter Bariloche is a popular base for skiing in the nearby mountains. The most popular Argentine ski resort is Cerro Catedral only 12 miles from the town. It has a good mix of runs for all ability levels. The chairlift runs year round offering expansive views of Lake Nahuel Huapi and the surround-

ing mountains. There are several other ski areas not too far away. There are also many opportunities for hikers to explore the area. Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi is the oldest national park in Argentina and one of the biggest. It surrounds Naheul Huapi Lake. There are short and one-day hikes plus multi-day treks. For multi-day treks many of the trails have mountain huts for public use. There are several beaches on Naheul Huapi Lake but the water temperature of the glacial lake might be a bit brisk for most people. Fishing is popular. Instead of going to the beach, buy some chocolate and sit in the park in the center of Barichole and enjoy the scenery. There will be taxi drivers, ladies and others carrying little gourds and taking a sip of Argentine tea (mate) through a straw and sharing it with other. The popular drink is a caffeine-rich infused drink made from dried leaves called yerba mate mixed with hot water. Getting to Bariloche is easy from Buenos Aires, Argentine’s capital. There are direct flights then a short taxi ride into the city. There is a bus connection

26 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

but it is not for the faint hearted as it is a long journey. The most relaxing and fun way to get there is between Puerto Varas in Chile and Bariloche. It is called “Sail the Andes.” It involves sailing the Alpine Lakes across the Andes. Buses provide transportation between the lakes; a total of five buses and four boat rides. There are stops along the way. It can be done in one day but it is best to take two days and stay in Peulla for the night. Even though the area has a strong connection to the Alpine region of Europe, very few still speak any of the European languages. Because it is a popular tourist site many speak English. Spanish is the official language. There are several language schools in the area. Credit cards are widely accepted. Sandra Scott along with her husband, John, traveled the world for over 50 years. With John’s passing, Sandra has moved to Oswego and continues to travel.

A chairlift runs year-round in Cerro Catedral, 12 miles from Bariloch. The area is a popular base for skiing. In the background is Nahuel Huapi Mountains.

Visitor drinking yerba mate tea, a typical Argentine’s drink.

Abuela Goye is a family brand of chocolate. Abuela is “grandmother” in Spanish. Bariloche is famous for its chocolate stores.

Civic Center in downtown Bariloche is dotted with shops and restaurants.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

NEWSMAKERS NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE

Journalist Recognized for Work in Local Publications Ken Sturtz recently won multiple awards for stories that appeared in Oswego County Business Magazine, 55 Plus Magazine, and In Good Health. Sturtz, of Mexico, is a regular contributor to all three publications, which are published by Local News, Inc. The Syracuse Press Club’s annual Professional Recognition Awards honor journalists from across Central New Yo r k w h o work in television, radio, print and digital media. This year there were Sturtz more than 400 entries across 57 categories. Sturtz won three awards for stories in the business magazine, including first place in the Print Special Interest category (Investigative Story or Series) for a story highlighting the challenges many rural communities face in obtaining reliable high-speed internet. He also received second place in that category (Human Interest Feature or Series) for a profile of the director of the New York State Fair. In the Print Non-Daily category (News Feature or Series) he took second place for a story examining the state’s soaring craft beverage industry. For a story in 55 Plus Magazine about an Onondaga Nation craftsman who continues a longstanding tradition of hand making traditional wooden lacrosse sticks, Sturtz received first place in the Print Special Interest category (News Feature or Series). Sturtz received second place in the same category for an In Good Health article sharing the story of a young

Buffalo woman who learned to embrace her hearing loss. Local News, Inc. also received honorable mention in the Best Overall Magazine category for the June/July 2021 issue of “Oswego County Business Magazine.”

C&S Welcomes Olwen Huxley as Senior Principal C&S recently welcomed Olwen Huxley, an esteemed sustainabilit y p ro f e s sional and leader, who will facilitate the growth of C&S’s sustainability practice and support the firm in meetHuxley ing its own sustainability and energy management goals. Huxley has over 25 years of professional experience focused on energy management, environmental policy, climate change planning and sustainability policy, management and consulting. “I am extremely excited to be joining the C&S team as part of the firm’s ongoing journey to strengthen its already substantial sustainability offerings and ethos,” said Huxley. “The opportunities continue to expand in such areas as energy efficiency, infrastructure and energy and resilience, community and environmental restoration, and high-performing facilities. I am looking forward to all the work that we can do together to support our clients in all these areas and more.” Prior to joining C&S, Olwen served as an energy program manager for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where she focused on improving the

28 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

performance of high-intensity facilities such as central utility plants, laboratories, and data centers. Additionally, over the course of her career, she also served as an energy and environmental consultant to multiple Department of Defense agencies. She also possesses legislative and policy experience from five years on Capitol, Hill, including the office of Congressman Jack Quinn (New York, district 30), and the House Science Committee (chaired by Congressman Sherry Boehlert (New York, district 25). She has worked in the advocacy sphere on economic, environmental, and health issues. She holds a master’s degree in energy and environmental analysis from Boston University and received her bachelor’s cum laude in history and science from Harvard-Radcliffe College. Olwen is also a certified energy manager (CEM) and LEED-accredited professional.

Hurlbut Promoted at Eastern Shore Associates Stacy Hurlbut was promoted from commercial lines manager to assistant v i c e p re s i dent, commercial lines at Eastern Shore Associates Insurance (ESA). “Stacy’s diligence and the excellent Hurlbut relationships that she’s built serving our commercial lines clients make her an exemplary employee and we are delighted to announce her promotion,” said Eryl Christiansen, ESA president and CEO. Hurlbut has worked in the insurance industry since 1998 and joined ESA in 2000, where she worked part-time while she attended SUNY Oswego to ob-

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NEWSMAKERS tain her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. Since then, in addition to being in ESA’s public entity unit, she holds the accredited customer service pepresentative (ACSR), designation. She and her husband, Garin, reside in North Bay. Headquartered in Fulton, Eastern Shore Associates is a Trusted Choice agency and a 100% employee-owned ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) company.

SUNY Oswego’s Mary Craw Earns Chancellor’s Award Mary Craw, an office assistant in SUNY Oswego’s office of residence life and housing, earned the 2022 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service, recognizing four decades Craw of service consistently putting students first. “While her job responsibilities include daily housing assignment management and student billing, she regularly goes above and beyond through her work with students, parents, staff and other campus offices,” wrote nominator Sara Rebeor, who supervises Craw as associate director for residence life and housing. “Mary consistently works beyond her job duties to ensure students have a positive living experience.” Craw has spent 37 of her 40 years at SUNY Oswego working in this office. “Mary’s daily tasks are many, but her greatest gift is her ability to impact others in a positive way,” Rebeor wrote. “She always puts students first, working to support them in their struggles. Mary’s ability to listen and her lighthearted warm approach provides a safe space for students to ask questions and express their fears and frustrations. Mary’s dedication to her students coupled with her knowledge of housing and campus policies and procedures and her positive honest approach are often recognized by staff.

“Mary is known across campus for her candid and energetic interactions with students, parents, faculty, staff and coaches,” Rebeor wrote.

Christian Eidt Joins DavisStandard as CIO Davis-Standard recently an nounced that Christian Eidt has been appointed chief information officer. The company employs nearly 150 workers at its Fulton facility. In his Eidt new role, Eidt will be an integral part of Davis-Standard’s senior management team, charged with transforming IT capabilities as the company moves toward an increasingly digital and data-enabled industrial environment. He will be responsible for IT strategy, corporate systems, data and analytics and cyber security. “Chris brings a high level of strategic IT leadership and digital transformation expertise to our team,” said Giovanni Spitale, Davis-Standard’s chief executive officer. “We look forward to him directing this new area of focus as we take advantage of systems and technology platforms as powerful business enablers.” Eidt comes to Davis-Standard from FactSet Research Systems, a leader in financial data and software, where he was senior vice president of strategic planning and business transformation with a focus on product configuration, pricing, quoting, customer sales contract management, and new reporting capabilities. He also has 25 years of experience in the media and advertising industry, serving in multiple finance and technology roles within CBS Corporation and as CIO at OUTFRONT Media. Eidt is a graduate of the Boston College Carroll School of Management.

30 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

AmeriCU Credit Union Recognized as a Best-inState AmeriCU has once again been recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the best-in-state credit unions, ranking second overall in New York state. “Achieving this honor demonstrates the commitment and dedication of all our teammates,” said Ron Belle, AmeriCU president and CEO. “Providing best-in-state, and frankly, best-in-class service, not only to our members but to the communities we serve and beyond, speaks directly to AmeriCU’s mission and vision that we live and breathe every day.” Forbes, a business magazine and global media company, partners annually with a market research firm to determine and rate consumer banking and credit union relationships across America. Final rankings are based on the financial institution’s commitment to trust, overall customer service, financial advice, in-branch and digital services, and customer terms and conditions. Best-in-state recognition was given to only 3.4% of all credit unions in America, making AmeriCU one of five credit unions to qualify for the esteemed recognition in New York state.

Foundation Has New Officer, Board Members The Central New York Community Foundation board of directors recently elected two new members and appointed one new officer. The following new members were appointed to serve their first threeyear term: • Lisa Dunn Alford: she is executive director at ACR Health. and formerly served as commissionAlford er of the de-

partment of adult and long-term care services for Onondaga County, where she held multiple leadership roles during her tenure. She has served on several nonprofit councils and boards including the Community Foundation’s grants and community initiatives committee, the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, the American Heart Association, Elmcrest Children’s Center and The Women’s Fund of CNY, among others. She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. • Martin A. Schwab: he is a trusts and estates and tax attorney at Bond, Schoeneck & King. A graduate of Syracuse and Clarkson universities, he has served on several nonprofit boards and Schwab committees, including the Estate Planning Council of Central New York, Hospice of CNY (both operating and foundation boards), Child Care Solutions and The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County. He has also served in advisory capacities to the Community Foundation, the Upstate Foundation, Enable and Francis House. The Community Foundation also announced its slate of officers for the upcoming year: Mark A . F u l l e r, CPA, chief financial officer, United Radio, Inc., will serve as treasurer; Daniel FishFuller er, former executive vice President, Welch Allyn, will serve as chairman; Bea González, former vice president for community engagement and special assistant to the chancellor, Syracuse University, will serves as vice chairwoman; attorney Karin Sloan DeLaney, principal at Sloan DeLaney P.C. will serve as compliance officer.

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NEWSMAKERS

M&T Bank Among Best Places to Work M&T Bank has been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion for the fourth consecutive year by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN, a nonprofit resource for business people with disabilities. M&T earned the top score in the 2022 Disability Equality Index (DEI), a benchmarking report developed by the AAPD and Disability:IN to help businesses identify steps they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality in their workplaces. The DEI was developed in consultation with disability advocates and business leaders and measures key performance indicators including culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, staffing and recruitment, community engagement, supplier diversity, workplace accommodations and information technology capabilities. Any company that scores 80% or above on the DEI is recognized on the best places to work for disability inclusion list. M&T has earned a 100% each

year since 2019. “M&T is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team focused on delivering the best service for our customers, colleagues and communities,” said Julie Urban, M&T’s chief auditor and senior executive sponsor of the bank’s disability advocacy network resource group. “Our performance on the DEI report this year is once again validation that M&T is a place where all individuals can succeed in an inclusive, accommodating environment.”

Whalen Joins FSB As Mortgage Loan Originator Jennifer Whalen has joined Fulton Savings Bank as a mortgage loan originator. “We’re excited to have Jennifer join our mortgage team,” said Julie Mazzoli, senior vice president, lending compliance and CRA officer. Whalen brings with her more than eight years of experience serving customers in Central New York in roles from teller to residential mortgage underwriter. She also worked during those years as a customer service rep-

GREAT LAKES ST. LAWRENCE PACESETTER AWARD PRESENTED TO PORT OF OSWEGO AUTHORITY

32 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

resentative and a loan processor on first and second mortgages. Whalen earned an A.A.S. degree in criminal justice from Cayuga Community College. She resides in Hannibal with her husband, Nick, and their two children, Braelynn and Caleb. Whalen Fulton Savings Bank offers a variety of home loans, mortgage loans and other loan programs, including construction and renovation loans, fixed rate, FHA, USDA, Investment, Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), and fixed rate home equity loans. “Local decisions keep our loan programs simple and straightforward, and our people are always available to help,” said Mazzoli. Fulton Savings Bank has offices in Fulton, Baldwinsville, Phoenix, Central Square, Brewerton, and Constantia with 11 ATMs throughout its service

Members of the board of the Port of Oswego Authority (POA) and William Scriber, POA executive director, accepted the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award at their July board meeting from Craig Middlebrook, deputy administrator, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. The Port of Oswego was one of six Great Lakes ports to receive this award in recognition of increased international cargo tonnage shipped through the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System. It is the third time they have received it in past four years. Middlebrook, far left, presents the award to Scriber, Enwright, board members Ranjit Dighe, secretary and treasurer; Dian Zeller and Connie Cosemento, vice chairs; and Kitty Macey, board member. More than 237,000 jobs and $35 billion in economic activity are supported annually by movement of various cargoes on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System.

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BUSINESS UPDATE

Dentist Benjamin Fruce, left, has joined Advanced Dental Arts in Fulton, a practice owned by his father, Frank Fruce.

Son Joins Father’s Dental Practice in Fulton By Steve Yablonski

e may be the boss—but to dentist Benjamin Fruce, he’s still dad. “It depends on what context,” Ben laughed. “Sometimes he’s ‘dad’ and sometimes he’s Dr. Fruce.” The younger Fruce recently joined Advanced Dental Arts in Fulton as a full-time dentist. His father, Frank J. Fruce, is the practice owner. A Fulton native, Ben earned his bachelor ’s degree in biology from LeMoyne College in 2017 and his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in 2021. “I enjoy it. It is nice to be back and working together as a family — keeping the family business going,” Ben said. His mother, Gabriela, also works at the practice. Frank Fruce has been in practice for 30 years. “He is a great mentor,” Ben said. “Having him as a father, a boss, I’m not afraid to ask him questions or ask for his help with something. If I don’t understand something or need help

getting something done, he’s right there to help me.” On the other hand, he is also able to assist his father. Ben has more current knowledge of dentistry. “Yes. My dad does ask me about certain things, he does. You know, it’s funny how we go back and forth—the literature, all the research I have done is much more recent and there have been changes in dentistry. I teach him some things like with digital dentistry,” Ben said. It is the use of things like intra-oral scanners to fabricate and design dental restorations and prosthetics, he explained. “We have these scanners and we take digital impressions. We can build crowns or digital dentures stuff like that,” he said. “It’s pretty cool.” Will there be a third generation joining the practice? “It’s a long way off, but you never know,” Ben laughed. He has been interested in dentistry

34 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

since and early age. “My dad introduced me to dentistry. I was playing hockey—got a tooth knocked out. Even though my dad had just gotten done with work; he turned around and went right back and fixed my teeth that were broken. I knew that I wanted to help people also,” Ben said. “I really only wanted to be a dentist,” he continued. “My dad was an educator as well as a practitioner. He was giving people dental care; stopping their pain. I wanted to be in a field where I could help people. Things just went from there.” “I am extremely pleased to welcome my son, Ben, to our family practice,” his father said. “Patients are enjoying his friendly manner, youthful energy and total focus on their care.” The younger Fruce has been seeing the majority of new patients. He also sees emergency patients if the schedule is over-booked, he added. “We split the hygiene appointments based on the day. If patients want to continue to see my dad, that’s perfectly OK with me. They have the option to see me and give me a chance. We’ll go from there.” Ben completed a one-year general practice residency at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, which encompassed all phases of dentistry, including cosmetic, endodontic, pediatric, periodontal, oral surgery and implant dentistry. He also completed the advanced implant program sponsored by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, which encompasses all aspects of implant surgery, including implant restorations and management of implant complications. He is an associate fellow with the AAID and a member of the American Dental Association and the New York State Fifth District Dental Society. He also enjoys being outdoors, cooking and spending time with his family. And, he still enjoys playing hockey. The senior Fruce, a Fulton native with more than 25 years of experience in dentistry, received his doctorate from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. He is a member of the Oswego County Dental Society, American Dental Association and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. He is also an attending dentist at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center and volunteers at its dental clinic where he teaches and mentors first-year dentists in the residency program.

SUNY Oswego Among Top Colleges in the North

UNY Oswego continues to rank high among top public colleges in U.S. News and World Report’s 2023 “Best Regional Universities in the North,” according to the publication released on Sept. 12. SUNY Oswego came in at No. 54 overall in the northeast, and among the top 12 in public colleges. The region includes public and private colleges throughout New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. In a new ranking, Oswego tied for 10th in the North for best undergraduate teaching.” For its ability to empower students to brighter futures, especially first-generation students, Oswego is ranked No. 19 (up from No. 35 in 2021) in the North in the social mobility rankings.

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Oswego’s support of veterans and active military members continues to earn recognition, with the university ranking in the top 20 regionally in the Best for Veterans category. This complements several honors SUNY Oswego has received as a military-friendly and veteran-friendly college from national magazines and ratings services. U.S. News also has included SUNY Oswego in its best online graduate business programs: MBA, top 5 nationally for women enrolled in MBA programs and green colleges guides. In addition, Oswego appears on the national U.S. News rankings for top undergraduate engineering programs, non-doctorate; top computer science schools; and top undergraduate business programs. The latest edition of the U.S. News rankings assesses an alltime high of 1,500 U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality. For more information on SUNY Oswego, visit oswego.edu.

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DINING OUT RESTAURANT GUIDE

This combination platter includes a taco, burrito, and tamal.

By Christopher Malone

EL MEZQUITE DE LUNA’S GRAND APPEARANCE Fulton has more flavor with new Mexican restaurant

or reviews, I’ve been frequenting restaurants attached to or sharing property with hotels as of late. It’s not a bad thing. For travelers staying at those hotels, it’s comforting to know the place you’re staying has a place to eat attached to it. It cuts down on driving and time spent deliberating and deciding where to go. In this case, for those staying at the Red Roof Inn on First Street in Fulton, your decision has already been made. For locals, you may not be going to the fanciest hotel to dine at its restaurant, but — not to get ahead in this review — you’re going to leave between the

scale of pleasantly surprised and happy. Perhaps both. When sitting down at El Mezquite de Luna to enjoy some comforting Mexican food, the restaurant is a fresh two-week-old establishment. The space formerly housing Anchor Pub & Restaurant gets a cultural upgrade. It’s clean. The atmosphere is relaxed. And covers of American pop music is played through the speakers, but the songs are not in English. Conversational, yes, and it gives people who took Spanish years ago an opportunity to brush up on the language. There is a testament to their team-

work, as I was greeted and served by several kind and conversational staffers throughout my experience. When asked what I wanted to drink, El Mezquite de Luna was very apologetic about not having alcohol just yet. Hopefully, the state liquor authority is diligent and expedites the process. Those who have been on this side of the fence know it can take a while. Cue the complimentary housemade tortilla chips and salsa. The chips were warm and very crispy. The salsa exceeded expectations. The light-bodied appetizer was bursting with flavor — bright lime and cilantro

This combination platter includes a taco, burrito, and tamal.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

LEFT Ice cream is a great option for dessert. It is topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and, yes, sprinkles. RIGHT The churros are drizzled with chocolate and topped with some sprinkles.

were noticeable but not overwhelming. The menu at El Mezquite is huge. I didn’t count but there are dozens upon dozens of food items broken down into sections (beef, chicken, seafood, etc.) with similar items just for each of those proteins of choice. If you want to try as many items as possible without overdoing it, dart your eye over to the combination plates. There are only 20 of those and you can order a couple and not repeat particular items. They range from $12 to $12.75 on the menu but not on the bill — more on that in a moment. Between the two combination platters ordered I was able to enjoy: chile relleno, a taco, a burrito, an enchilada, a tostada and a tamal. The seasoning of the meats hit the right height of flavor without coming across salty or washing out the flavor of the beef (taco, enchilada and burrito) or tamal. The meat itself wasn’t dry or overcooked either. With the pork in the tamal, there is that chance cooking it once and enough before cooking it inside the shell could overdo it. The crispy corn tortilla of the tostada and shell of the taco were strong but not tough. They didn’t break too easily and held the ingredients well. The tostada was topped with fresh veggies, flavorful and creamy guacamole and refried beans. The chile relleno may have been my favorite of the group. Similar to the burrito and enchilada, it was slathered

in cheese and sauce. There was a subtle smokiness to it, too. Cutting into it was easy, not tough. Happy to admit — the food wasn’t heavy. Granted, I did pace myself and take leftovers. However, I’ve eaten at Mexican restaurants where the food, comparatively, was much heavier. After eating at one place in Syracuse, which will go unnamed (plus, it’s now closed), left me in pain halfway through the meal. With such delight, I ordered dessert, an order of churros (four in an order) and fried ice cream (both $6.25 each). The churros, or crispy cinnamon and sugar sticks, were drizzled with chocolate and topped with some sprinkles (a nice aesthetic touch, but not needed). The crispy sticks had a heavenly warm and chewy inside. The little bit of chocolate was also welcomed as a nice, subtle complement. The fried ice cream was much larger than expected. Similar to the intimidation John Candy’s character in “The Great Outdoors” felt when presented with the Ol’ 96er, I questioned whether or not I could finish it. This was ice cream, so there was no taking this home. So, I finished the massive ball of ice cream and rice cereal sitting in a flaky shell, which could be shared comfortably by four or five people; it was at least the size of a softball. It was also topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and, yes, more sprinkles.

38 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

Despite my drastically unhealthy choice and desire to not waste food, I chipped my way through it — yes, being fried ice cream, you had to chip away for the bites of ice cream. Of course, it got softer as time went on. Before tip, the filling meal added up to just over $44. Not to be nitpicky, but the prices of the combination plates on the menu were $1 more on the bill. It’s not a big deal to me. But it may irk some others (similar to what was mentioned at the beginning — you can’t please everyone). Again, at El Mezquite de Luna is going through its beginning stages and probably just has to update the menu. El Mezquite de Luna is off to a great start, and I’m curious to see how the restaurant continues and evolves.

El Mezquite de Luna Mexican 930 S. First St. (inside Red Roof Inn on Route 481), Fulton 315-887-1204 facebook.com/elmezquitedelunafulton

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SPECIAL REPORT

For Sale: Your Very Own Restaurant After surviving the pandemic many aging restaurant owners are retiring, leading to a glut of establishments for sale By Ken Sturtz

tephanie Goodsell worked at the same Pulaski diner for years before purchasing the business in 2016 and changing the name to Steph’s Place. After decades in the food service industry as both employee and owner, however, she’s put the diner up for sale. “I’ve been doing it for 33 years,” she said. “It’s time to retire and enjoy life.” Goodsell isn’t alone. More restaurants and bars have come on the market in Oswego County this year than at any

time in recent memory. The longtime owners of Vona’s Restaurant in Oswego put the business up for sale. In Fulton, Mimi’s Drive-In and Tavern on the Lock are for sale. Other establishments that have come up for sale this year include RiverHouse Restaurant, in Pulaski; Gary’s Sports Bar, in Oswego; Sand Bar & Grill, in Constantia; J.D.’s Tavern and Grill, in Sandy Creek; Daddy Ed’s Diner in Mexico; Happy Valley Inn, in Parish;

40 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

and Stick’s Sports Bar & Grill, in New Haven. In January, Mr. Sub, a popular Pulaski eatery, changed hands after longtime owner Sherrie Miles retired. Old City Hall, in Oswego, also known as the Market House, was recently purchased by businessman Ed Alberts for $1.5 million. The COVID-19 pandemic battered restaurants especially hard and while the industry has rebounded, benefiting from pent-up consumer demand, soaring costs across all areas of the business persist. In a survey released by the National Restaurant Association, more than eight in 10 restaurant owners reported that their food, beverage and labor costs are now higher than before the pandemic. Despite measures taken to address higher costs — raising prices, cutting hours and changing menu offerings — 85% said their restaurant is less profitable than it was in 2019. While every restaurant dealt with significant challenges during the pandemic, it doesn’t appear to be the

main reason many of the businesses are for sale. “The ones that could adapt quickly are the ones who made it,” said John Halleron, a senior business adviser at the Small Business Development Center at SUNY Oswego. Halleron regularly works with clients starting restaurants. He said businesses that survived over the last two years are unlikely to be selling now because of pandemic pressures. They’ve already demonstrated that they’re flexible enough to adjust their menus, hours and staffing as needed to remain profitable. “In most of these cases I’m convinced that age is a big factor,” he said. “The owners have been at it for 20 or 25 years if not longer and they want some time to themselves.” Goodsell has eight employees, but still puts in at least 60 hours a week at her diner and works seven days a week. “I take time off but I’m there every day,” she said. “You’ve got to be.” The pandemic slowed business down somewhat, but not as much as she expected it to. Winter is far worse for the business, which closes in November and reopens in May. Aside from wanting to retire, Goodsell said she put the business up for sale because no one in her family is interested in taking it over, especially knowing just how much work is involved. Donald Ryan and his wife Susan purchased the Lock III restaurant in 2007 and re-opened it in 2008 as Tavern on the Lock. He’s a contractor and built the decking outside and maintains the building. She has 40 years of restaurant experience at places like R.F.H.’s Hide-A-Way in Schroeppel and the Waterfront Tavern in Brewerton. She started out running

More restaurants and bars have come on the market in Oswego County this year than at any time in recent memory.

Some of the restaurants up for sale in Oswego County include Vona’s, Mimi’s Drive-In, Tavern on the Lock, RiverHouse Restaurant and Daddy Ed’s Diner. the lunch counter at Woolworth’s. Ryan said his wife’s experience helped make the restaurant a success. The business struggled during the pandemic, but rebounded. He said the restaurant grossed about $1 million in 2021, its best year. They decided to put the restaurant on the market last year. “We’re aging out,” Ryan said. “We’re 65 years old now, we bought a second house in Florida and we just want to slow down a little.” Another reason they decided to put it on the market when they did is because business has been very good compared to 2020 when revenue was significantly off. Ryan said it will be easier to sell the business with it doing better than it ever has before. Several interested buyers have looked at the restaurant. One deal fell through because the numbers weren’t working out. Ryan said he’s confident the right buyer will come along. One of the restaurant’s assets also makes it challenging to find the right buyer, he said. The restaurant has a staff of about 25 and includes a banquet facility downstairs as well as the main dining room, a full bar and an outdoor deck that’s nearly 2,500 square feet. “It’s a big operation we have, that’s one of the drawbacks,” he said. “Somebody’s got to have a lot of energy.” Half a mile away, Chris Sachel, co-owner of Mimi’s Drive-In, faces a similar dilemma. He works about 35 hours a week at the diner, down from 65-70 hours a week in the past. “I call it my retirement,” he said. “I’m trying to slow down a little bit.” Sachel turned 65 earlier this year and would like to retire for real. He started helping his parents in the business as a boy and has been working full

time for 45 years. He said revenue has recovered from the depths of the pandemic, the business is profitable and remains popular with customers, but that getting through the pandemic was a “tough slog.” Even with government support and a takeout model, Sachel dipped into savings to stay afloat. Among the biggest challenges has been finding and hiring workers. Wait staff make minimum wage, but also get tips which are considerable in the high-volume business, he said. Cooks start at $15, but their pay can go up once they’re trained and gain some experience. More experienced cooks can make $25-30 an hour. Sachel has about 30 employees, down from 50 in the past. The workers he has are dependable, but he’s so short-handed that he cut back hours slightly, closing early on Sundays and Mondays. “I’ve got a pretty good staff,” Sachel said. “You just can’t hire people anymore. It’s ridiculous.” As much as Sachel would like to retire, he lacks something his parents had: a family member to take over the business. His mother Mimi, the diner’s namesake, recently celebrated her 91st birthday in Florida. Sachel said the business can be lucrative with the right person running it, but his kids are going to college and pursuing other careers. They’re not interested in going into the restaurant business. “We decided it would be better to just unload it and see if someone would come along and keep it going,” he said. “Hopefully someone with a good work ethic who understands the business and the time you have to devote to it.”

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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42 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

"Supporting communities throughout Oswego County"

Top Mistakes Entrepreneurs Should Avoid

ou cannot stop thinking about your t errific new business idea. It seems so easy and a sure hit. But before you hang out a shingle, consider area experts’ advice on top mistakes to avoid. • “Believing that marketing is a one-time or one-plan success strategy. Entrepreneurs must be committed to marketing daily if they want to grow and don’t have staff to do it for them. When a business owner believes they have marketed enough, they need to keep marketing, and marketing, and marketing. • “Entrepreneurs not believing they are the top sales executive in their company. Entrepreneurs start their companies based on a service or product they want to deliver to the marketplace. What they don’t realize is making sales calls, knocking on doors, and face-toface sales appointments on a regular, daily basis is essential for growth. If an entrepreneur doesn’t like making sales a top priority, they need someone in their organization who does or they need to hire a sales coach to help them change their mindset and give them strategies to be 100% sales-focused. • “Believing they are going to make triple figures their first three to five years in business. Business owners start out wanting to be the next Oprah Winfrey or Bill Gates, but it takes a lot of time and work to get there. Being realistic about financial figures, especially salary draws, is important so an entrepreneur can survive the first few years of limited income.” — From Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, president, Women TIES, LLC, Syracuse. • “Underestimating the cost of the start-up, which leads to undercapitalization. Not a good position to be in. • Ignoring the need for a business plan. It serves as a guide for both startup and future growth. • Failure to understand who they are competing with. • Failure to define the target market. • Failure to seek help when needed.” — From John R. Halleron, advanced certified senior business advisor, Small Business Development Center, Oswego.

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SPECIAL REPORT

Amazon fulfillment center on Morgan Road in Clay. The 3.8-million-squarefoot space facility opened in April. It’s the largest of its type in New York state.

As Amazon Faces Setbacks, Its CNY Fulfillment Center Is Growing While Amazon has scrapped new warehouses and delayed some projects already under construction, it’s doubling its workforce in Clay to 3,000 workers By Ken Sturtz

he headlines for the world’s second-largest company have been decidedly negative this year. Amazon hemorrhaged billions as e-commerce slowed coming out of the pandemic. A nationwide building spree saddled it with more space and workers than it now needs. Further headwinds may be on the way as Congress considers new antitrust legislation aimed at big technology companies like Amazon. But those problems seem distant at its mammoth warehouse and fulfillment center on Morgan Road in Clay — known in company jargon as SYR1 — where Amazon is actually expanding. When the 3.8-million-square-foot space opened in April the company said it planned to hire 1,000-1,500 fulltime workers. This summer company

officials announced they had reached an initial hiring goal of 1,500 workers and were hiring an additional 200 people a week with the goal of having 3,000 employees when the holiday shopping season begins in October. The news that Amazon was expanding and hiring even more workers in Central New York was made more surprising by the fact that the company is doing the opposite across its footprint. In July Amazon reported losing $2.03 billion in the second quarter of 2022, compared to a nearly $8 billion profit last year. It was the second consecutive quarter of losses. Several factors are at play. The spike in online shopping during the pandemic has ebbed as Americans return to in-person shopping and shift their spending

44 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

from consumer goods to things they couldn’t do during the height of the pandemic, such as travel or dining out. The highest inflation in 40 years has sent costs rising, causing some to ease away from unnecessary spending. But it was a strategy Amazon adopted during the pandemic that is causing the largest headaches. “The big issue is they overbuilt,” said Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University. “They went on just a major expansion on all their warehouses.” Amazon nearly doubled the number of warehouses and data centers it leased and owned between 2019 and 2021. Penfield said Amazon probably believed consumers who turned to

Marc Wulfraat, president of MWPVL International, a Montreal-based global supply chain and logistics consulting firm.

e-commerce during the pandemic would change their habits and continue buying online, and that building more warehouses would put it ahead of the curve. That bet has not paid off, however, as consumers have increasingly returned to shopping in person. Amazon’s strategy was overly aggressive and led to losses that are unsustainable long-term, Penfield said, resulting in its move to retrench, control costs and optimize its current network. “I think they’re realizing that they’ve got a pretty big footprint in place right now and they need to reap the rewards of that footprint and start making money off of what they already have built up,” he said. Amazon has scrapped new warehouses and other facilities that were still in the planning phase and delayed some projects already under construction. In the U.S. Amazon has purposely delayed opening 18 projects by leaving buildings idle and forgoing hiring employees, said Marc Wulfraat, president of MWPVL International, a Montreal-based global supply chain and logistics consulting firm. That’s the case with a fulfillment center near Rochester that was supposed to open in 2022 and another in the Buffalo market. Delayed facilities are unlikely to be operational until 2023 or 2024. “They’re trying to reduce their operating expenses in order to be profitable again,” Wulfraat said. “And a key part of that is just a delayed opening at a number of fulfillment centers.” Amazon is also delaying opening smaller facilities, but its giant fulfillment centers typically cost the most to run. With a thousand or more employees the

Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.

annual payroll can exceed $40 million. At the end of June Amazon had 1.52 million employees company wide, down 6% from earlier in the year. The staffing reduction was achieved through attrition. Although Amazon has closed and subleased a handful of its buildings, that’s been the exception rather than the rule. The growth of staffing and capacity at the Clay warehouse can be explained by the fact that it’s a key piece of Amazon’s network. It is the company’s largest facility in New York state, serving much of Upstate New York and parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut. It’s slated to serve other states in the future. About 30,000 products a day are shipped from the warehouse. Company officials said that number will grow to 150,000. The Clay warehouse is currently the closest fulfillment center to Buffalo and Rochester and many of the packages it handles are sent there. The next closest facility to Buffalo, for example, is in Cleveland. The Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse metro areas total about 2.9 million people in close proximity along the Thruway. “When you combine those three cities together there’s a lot of people there that need to be served with their Amazon product,” Wulfraat said. That could change in a couple years. Once fulfillment centers in the Buffalo and Rochester areas become operational the total volume that the Clay warehouse handles could drop off, Wulfraat said. In the long run that could lead Amazon to scale back its Central New York workforce to deal with the changes, likely through attrition. “They just celebrated their opening

and so no one’s thinking right now about anything like that,” he said. “But eventually what happens is the volume is always going to get pulled from the closest warehouse nearest the customer.” But Amazon wouldn’t close its Clay warehouse because of the massive financial commitment involved in building the facility, Wulfraat said. It’s also an important part of Amazon’s long-term goal to offer same-day service to most of the country. “As soon as you place an order with them they want to be able to fill it that day,” Penfield said. “That warehouse goes a long way in really being able to accommodate that particular strategy.” It’s easy to overstate Amazon’s recent troubles. Even with its slumping retail business, Amazon’s $121.2 billion in revenue still beat expectations and its advertising and cloud computing divisions continued to do well. The company is also in a good position to improve its performance heading into the holiday season. Barring major transportation issues, such as with the longshoremen’s union contract negotiations, railroad staffing shortages and tight trucking industry capacity, Amazon has a big opportunity to gain back ground and make money in the second half of the year, Penfield said. And the company’s efforts to control costs are ultimately short-term measures that haven’t affected its longterm strategy, Wulfraat said. “They are not slamming on the brakes and going into reverse or anything like that,” he said. “This is a year when all they’re doing is taking their foot off the accelerator pedal.”

Robots moving merchandise at Amazon on Morgan Road, Clay.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

MANUFACTURING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

‘BUY AMERICAN’ SEEN AS A BOON TO LOCAL MANUFACTURERS By Steve Yablonski

he Biden Administration is working to steel the Buy American Act of 1933. By law, American-made municipal castings must be used in many federal, state and local-level public works infrastructure projects that are funded or financed with U.S. taxpayer dollars, said Tim McKernan, facility manager at EJ USA in Schroeppel. The Buy American Act requires the federal government to buy American-made iron, steel and manufactured goods wherever possible. Products covered by the law include: • Manhole covers • Iron and steel inlet grating • Rings • Iron and aluminum lampposts and lamppost bases • Frames • Various miscellaneous iron products • Catch basin frames and grates A product is defined as American– made under Buy American if at least 50% of its constituent parts or materials originated in the US. The Biden Administration wants to increase that threshold to 60% this year, 65% in 2024 and 75% in 2029. This will reportedly close loopholes in the current regulation while allowing businesses to onshore manufacturing and adjust their supply chains to increase the use of American-made components.

This change will create more opportunities for small- and medium-sized manufacturers and their employees, including small and disadvantaged enterprises, from all parts of the country, McKernan said. The impact on companies like EJ and Nucor Steel of Auburn are huge. “The Buy American clauses have revived industries that had all gone overseas to places like China and India. Not long ago, you could not find a made- in-USA bolt,” said McKernan. “The federal Buy America requirements bought this work and many other industries back to the USA.” It started out with clauses added to Federal Highway spending. AIS was a term used that required American Iron and Steel to be incorporated in highway and bridge project. This expanded to other federal spending through recent legislation called BABA “Build America Buy America.” One example is with EPA spending. Things like fire hydrants, valves and pipes must be made in America, McKernan said. BABA is now tied to most if not all federal spending. It has assured that key U.S. industries like foundries and steel mills will remain in the country. According to the Municipal Castings Association, the federal Buy American Act and other “Buy America” laws attached to federal-aid programs provide preferences for the use of U.S.-

46 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

mined or domestic end products used in the United States in government procurement. Some, like the preference applied to Federal Highway Administration aid, apply to specific materials (e.g., iron and steel). Many states also have Buy America-type policies. For instance, the Pennsylvania Steel Procurement Act requires that each state contract for the construction or alteration of a public work require the use of steel products produced in the United States.

Common sense idea Applying a domestic content requirement does much to maintain and expand manufacturing jobs in the United States. Simply giving domestic firms a preference in government contracting creates jobs. Domestic content requirements maximize the economic stimulus effects of government spending and work to create jobs here at home rather than abroad. “Nucor has long been an advocate of the common sense idea that projects built with American tax dollars should support American jobs — and having strong Buy America laws ensure just that, “said Jason Curtis, general manager, Nucor Steel Auburn. During the pandemic, the national security risks of over-reliance on foreign supply chains for critical materials became clear, he said.

Workers at Nucor Steel in Auburn. The company, part of the largest steel producer and recycler in North America, will benefit from Buy American clauses in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Photo provided

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Products for infrastructure projects made by EJ USA in Schroeppel. By law, American-made municipal castings must be used in many federal, state and local-level public works infrastructure projects that are funded or financed with U.S. taxpayer dollars.

“Sourcing materials from countries that have substandard environmental protections creates additional risks,” Curtis said. “Buy American provisions strengthen our domestic supply chain, lower costs for state and local governments through locally-sourced manufacturing, protect the environment and create strong, high-paying jobs across Central and Upstate New York.” Nucor Corporation is the largest steel producer and recycler in North America, employing more than 31,000 workers throughout the United States and North America at its 25 steel mills and more than 300 locations. “We make our steel by recycling scrap metal into new steel products, which makes our Nucor mills among the cleanest in the world,” according to Curtis. In New York state, approximately 600 Nucor people work at the company’s bar steel mill in Auburn and its steel joist and deck manufacturing facility in Chemung. However, some say there are economic risks to the buy-American mandate. By restricting government contracts to U.S.-manufactured parts and

labor, the price tag could likely climb higher — and be paid for with American tax dollars, opponents fear. The practice also may motivate other countries to retaliate. American-made construction materials are produced in facilities with the best environmental controls available in the world — by US taxpayers paid a living wage, while working in safe conditions, according to McKernan. “U.S. materials are certified to comply with all quality, performance and safety standards. Our infrastructure is assured of getting the highest quality products in the world, from responsible sources who support human rights and environmental sustainability,” he said. “Absent these laws, access to U.S. taxpayer-financed government spending on public works is unfettered and foreign producers, including those owned and subsidized by geopolitical adversaries such as China and Russia, reap the benefit of U.S. tax dollars and the investments in U.S. public works infrastructure.” Domestic products are required to serve the public interest and American manufacturers are held to high standards under the program.

48 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

A federal “Made in America Office” monitors the procurement of materials (www.madeinamerica.gov). U.S. taxpayers fund government contracts. “Buy America laws impose preferences for domestically produced products that are permanently incorporated into taxpayer-financed public works projects. They don’t apply to contractor profit, equipment, temporary structures, overhead or labor, which account for the vast majority of costs of a public works infrastructure project,” McKernan explained. “U.S. industrial capacities are key to our economic and national security. Every dollar spent on American-made materials supports the U.S. economy at multiple levels,” McKernan added. “Buy America laws stimulate capital investments for new manufacturing capabilities and capacity in the United States. As a result of these programs, significant reshoring of manufacturing capacity is taking place. Capital investments in new facilities and good paying manufacturing jobs are returning to the US. EJ is proud to have made significant investments in Upstate New York and throughout the United States.”

MANUFACTURING

Family affair: Leading Lindsey Aggregates in Oswego are Warren Vandish and his wife, Virginia, and daughter Lindsey, for whom the company was named.

Lindsey Aggregates Poised to Grow Thanks in part to Infrastructure Bill, company expects substantial growth By Steve Yablonski

indsey Aggregates of Oswego is poised for substantial growth, thanks in part to the recently approved Infrastructure Bill. The company, located at 5646 state Route 104, in is a major manufacturer of sand and gravel products. Lindsey Aggregates was formed in 1999 by Warren Vandish and his wife, Virginia. She is the company president; he is the vice president. It began as a small aggregate company which was primarily staffed by Vandish and his family. Today, Lindsey Aggregates, Inc. has grown into a multi-faceted corporation that not only produces the aggregates in the area but also provides trucking services, both commercial and residential, according to its website. “Even though the act has passed, we haven’t seen any direct effect yet,” said Alan Levine, the company’s CEO. “The 81 repaving project will be the first

major piece. We are starting to see some activity for that future work.” Currently, Lindsey is supplying crushed stone and sand products to a variety of projects — solar farms, water line project, gas line project and builders of homes and commercial sites, he said. From humble beginnings, with a small investment and a dream, Warren and Virginia Vandish built a multi-million dollar company and a major supplier of sand and gravel in Central New York. “Certainly there is a lot more work out there compared to 2020 and 2021,” Levine said. “Whether the Infrastructure Bill has had any impact I’m not sure.” Their core customers, he added, are the concrete suppliers and the paving contractors. “We supply them as a manufacturer and also truck the material, he said. Lindsey’s plant produces two sands

and five stone aggregate products simultaneously — open graded product (clean) as well as dense graded product (run a crush). “Our stone and sand products are produced in Palermo, at our quarry at 1219 Red Schoolhouse Road,” Levine said. “Almost all of our raw material comes from DEC-permitted pits within a five-mile radius of our quarry.” Their investment in state-of-the-art equipment, such as its crushing and washing equipment, enables Lindsey to “provide its customers with high quality products, consistently.” “We currently have 25 employees and a gross between $5 million and $6 million a year,” Levine said. Its aggregates have been supplied to virtually every market place including heavy highway, municipalities, airfields, industrial facilities as well as many residential applications.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

L. Michael Treadwell ooc@oswegocounty.org

M ‘Over the last few years, manufacturing in Oswego County has survived a pandemic and, in some cases, adapted and thrived. We expect this growth to continue.’

Manufacturing Growth Across Oswego County

anufacturing is growing in all corners of Oswego County, across many sectors and companies large and small. This growth is testament to the strength of manufacturing in the county. Below is a summary of several recent projects, including their impact through investment and job creation.

Novelis — Scriba Over the last decade, Novelis has made several major investments, totaling more than $400 million with the expansion of the use of aluminum in automotive bodies. Presently, the company is in the early stages of its next major investment. The $130-plus million project to upgrade the plant will allow it to expand hot mill rolling capacity to 124,000 metric tons and reduce energy use and waste. The comprehensive improvements include adding six new gas fired annealing furnaces, upgraded motors to increase rolling speed, new coolant sprayers and a 72,000 square foot expansion. The project will help retain the over 1,000 employees at the facility and keep it competitive for years to come.

Huhtamaki — Fulton

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.

approximately $2.1 million with $420,000 in DRI assistance. In the mid-1990s, Sealrite announced plans to close the Fulton plant. However, a community effort, led by Operation Oswego County, Inc., local businesses and community leaders, was successful in convincing the company to keep the plant in Fulton. A few years later, Huhtamaki, a global manufacturing company headquartered in Finland, purchased the Sealrite company and all of their assets, including the Fulton plant. Today, Huhtamaki is the largest private employer in Fulton with over 500 employees.

Economic Trends

In 2019, Huhtamaki expanded its capacity to manufacture 48-ounce ice cream containers by 25% through the addition of a fifth manufacturing line at its plant in the city of Fulton. Huhtamaki recently made facility improvements and acquired a new slitter machine that will be put into production later this fall. The slitter is used to cut large stock down into smaller sizes and it replaces older, outdated equipment. The equipment and building improvements were made with the assistance of Fulton Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funds. The total project cost was

50 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

HealthWay — Pulaski HealthWay Family of Brands, known for its air purification systems, was a key player during the recent pandemic when indoor air quality came into focus. Although the pandemic has moved into a new phase and life is back to near normal, the need for indoor air filtration has continued to grow. As a result, HealthWay embarked on a project to expand an existing 9,100-sq.ft. building into a 35,000-sq.-ft. facility. In addition, HealthWay is reorganizing its workflow and redistributing its workforce to better meets the needs of the company and its customers. The facility was built with the assis-

Air filters lined up at HealthWay in Pulaski. The company recently announced a new $2.8 million project, which is expected to create 75 new jobs. This will double the workforce at the company.

Welding worker at EJ USA in Schroeppel. EJ is the leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of access solutions for water, sewer, drainage, telecommunications and utility networks worldwide.

tance of experts in lean manufacturing for design and physical layout. By combining manufacturing, fabrication and assembly, distribution, warehousing and logistics into one building they will streamline their process and effectively support future growth. The $2.8 million project is expected to create 75 new jobs. This will double the workforce at HealthWay. At the end of September 2021, HealthWay announced that it had sold the business to AE Industrial Partners of Boca Raton, Florida, a private equity firm that specializes in family-owned companies. This recent investment in Pulaski is a good indication of the company’s growth and sustainability.

Think Variant Inc. — Schroeppel Think Variant Inc. is a start-up 3D additive manufacturing business concentrating around hardware sales and customized part printing services. They have developed the Vault, a large format 3D printer with capabilities to print objects up to 7 feet by 5 feet by 5 feet, which is the largest system in the world capable of printing with two heads independently (IDEX). This new advanced manufacturing company has created 5 new high tech jobs at the Oswego County Industrial Park in Schroeppel, NY with the potential for much more growth. The business is collaborating with R&D Design and Associates and is working out of space at their facility with plans to expand both space and employment. Scott Antonacci is the CEO of Think Variant as well as owner of R&D Design and Associates. R&D Design and Associates has expanded

their facilities to 10,000 square feet between two buildings at the industrial park to accommodate business growth and sustainability.

Design Concepts & Enterprises — Hastings Design Concepts and Enterprises, founded in 2007, is one of the leading manufacturers of suture-attaching equipment serving clients worldwide. In 2009, Design Concepts moved their operation to Kline Road in Central Square. A few years later, they purchased the former Ace Hardware on Corporate Drive in Central Square. They planned to renovate the 14,800 square foot space beginning in late 2019. With the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, the $800,000 project hit some delays but the project continued forward and today the company is fully occupying the new space and employs over 30.

United Wire Technologies — Constantia United Wire Technologies, located on the north shore of Oneida Lake, has been steadily expanding since a catastrophic fire in 2012 destroyed their former location in Cleveland, NY. Due to growing pains, the company recently completed a 2,500 square foot storage facility to free up space on the manufacturing floor to make room for additional production equipment. United Wire Technologies has diversified their specialty wire product lines to serve customers in the industrial, defense, aeronautics, healthcare, and music sectors. They employ over 20 with plans to continue growing as we move out of the pandemic.

EJ Company — Schroeppel A few years ago, EJ constructed a 71,300-sq.-ft. fabrication facility on a 15-acre site in the Oswego County Industrial Park in the town of Schroeppel. The $9.1 million expansion project for the company supported the creation and retention of 91 jobs. The facility also serves as EJ’s northeastern hub for logistics and distribution. EJ is the leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of access solutions for water, sewer, drainage, telecommunications and utility networks worldwide. EJ adjusted its operations during the pandemic and maintained full employment through many creative adaptations. That creativity extends to solving problems for clients, as well as addressing global concerns. An example of this is its new STORMSURGE manhole frame and cover. It is designed to relieve storm surge pressure without the cover dislodging and then returning safely to the closed position once the surge has passed. EJ continues to invest in new equipment and improvement projects. With the recent focus on Made in USA legislation, EJ is committed and well positioned to meet the demands that reshoring will bring. Over the last few years, manufacturing in Oswego County has survived a pandemic and, in some cases, adapted and thrived. We expect this growth to continue, as there are a handful of pending manufacturing projects and a significant increase in interest in locating in Oswego County.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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Up-andcoming CNY Manufacturers By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

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he CNY manufacturing sector is booming. Two area experts shared their thoughts on the top up-andcoming companies and types of manufacturing to watch. From Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University • “SCR Corporation in North Syracuse has done a lot of defense-oriented work. • “Lockheed Martin in Liverpool is doing a lot with drone technologies. We’re seeing small drone technology companies pop up because there are so many ways they’re being used. CNY can capitalize on that. • “Beak & Skiff does a lot with their farm and developing their liquor industry in addition to making it a destination spot in the area. It’s amazing what they’ve done. It was a great way to pivot and stay busy and help during the pandemic. • “HealthWay Home Products in Pulaski makes air filtration devices, which grew during the pandemic. • “Byrne Dairy in Syracuse is doing some great stuff. They did a great job with their dairy plants and some interesting things with the different products like aseptic milk. They’re opening some more stores.” From Randy Wolken, president and CEO of MACNY & the Manufacturers Alliance of New York State • “Novelis in Oswego has made a lot of investments. They’re a critical manufacturer in New York and beyond. They’ve positioned themselves to be a long-term manufacturer and they’re state of the art. We’re all watching to see how they’ll grow. They’ve invested in their technology. Novelis has great tech careers. • “Tessy Plastics Corporation in Elbridge was engaged in production of applicators for COVID-19 testing. Many manufacturing companies pivoted during the pandemic to be successful and beyond. Beak & Skiff is another example, with their hand sanitizers. • “Should we secure Chip Fab, many of those jobs will start at $100,000 and more.”

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MANUFACTURING

Employers Rely on Temp Agencies To Fill Positions By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

he current economy represents one of the nation’s toughest time to fill positions, according to the US Chamber of Commerce. “In 2021, businesses added an unprecedented 3.8 million jobs,” the organization’s website states. “But at the same time, workforce participation remains below pre-pandemic levels, meaning we have 3.4 million fewer Americans working today compared to February of 2020.” Numerous factors play into the why, but what employers focus on is the what: what do we do to find enough workers to fill openings and grow? Many companies are turning to

temporary agencies. “We have more orders than you can imagine,” said Carol R. Fletcher, president of C.R. Fletcher Associates, Inc. in Syracuse. “Clients seeking staff are coming from all industries. There is a shortage of candidates. It’s our job to find them, screen them and make sure they’ll stick. Companies don’t have the time to do that.” Since the pandemic, many companies have reduced staff in human resources. This has exacerbated the problem of finding workers for other roles in the company. “We can take away the hours of searching and following up on refer-

54 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

ences,” said Joanne Rauch, executive recruiter and vice president at C.R. Fletcher. “We send only candidates that are qualified and meet their specs. We use a different network than what they have posting an ad. We recruit rather than wait for people to apply for ads.” For Felix Schoeller North America, Inc. in Pulaski, temporary agencies have helped in filling some roles such as material packing for busy times and even some full-time roles. “We’ve had success with that,” said Andy Clements, vice president of operations. “We have a successful relationship with Staffworks to keep our lines running right through the pandemic to today. We’ve been using temp agencies forever.” The company has 50 salaried employees and nearly 50 union workers on the production floor. About 20 to 30 employees are Staffworks associates. While bringing in outside workers through staffing agencies keeps Felix Schoeller humming, it does have a few drawbacks, such as inconsistency with filling day-to-day roles.

“We may not have enough hours in a week,” Clements said. “Even though they’re temp workers, they want a set number of hours. Some of our lines are inconsistent at time. There may be expectations set with the staffing agency and we may not be able to meet them.” As with any worker, it takes time to train them to the role. Temporary workers have much more turnover compared with regular hires. Despite the drawbacks of using temporary workers, Clements said that the benefits far outweigh the setbacks. “The biggest thing is flexibility,” he said. “With our machines and lines,

flexibility is key. We need to be able to rotate people to different machines as needed. Staffworks allows us to do to that. Each week is different. That flexibility allows us to man the machines.” He advises any employer who wants to work with a temporary agency to try to find a local organization. He said this has helped Felix Schoeller find workers from Pulaski. Companies lacking a local temporary agency should shop around to find the right agency. “They each have their own ways of finding people,” he said. “Don’t settle on the first one you look at. Compare to two or three different agencies.” With the open contract for workers on the production floor, he can use more than one agency at the same time. Michelle Jevis, director of human resources and staffing at C.R. Fletcher, said that the fluctuations in a business’ demand can make working with a temporary staffing company helpful. “Some companies might bring on a percent of their workforce as temporary workers to see how some do,” she said. “They may take on some as a test to see if they’ll rise to the occasion.”

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

MANUFACTURING

HealthWay: New Owners Moving to Expand Business AE Industrial Partners also specializes in aerospace, defense and government services, space, power generation and specialty industrial markets By Steve Yablonski

eff Pecoroni, the new CEO at HealthWay, wants to continue to clean the air. In late 2021, the Pulaski-based provider of air purification and indoor air quality solutions was acquired by AE Industrial Partners. AE Industrial Partners is a private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense and government services, space, power generation and specialty industrial markets. Pecoroni is “very excited” about the product line and the technology. “We are looking forward to adding new commercial projects that keep the production facility humming,” he said. HealthWay’s products are in use around the world as well as in New York state. Supercuts, a franchise hair salon, has installed HealthWay’s Intellipure

air purifiers at many of its locations, including Albany, Auburn, Oswego and Watertown.

New CEO Pecoroni, of Saint Louis, Missouri, received his BA in Spanish at the University of Colorado Boulder. He worked in the financial sector and in a variety of commercial and operational roles. He moved his family up to Connecticut with GE Supply, becoming the Northeast Division president. Next, he joined Heatcraft Refrigeration, based in Atlanta, Georgia, where he managed Central and North American business. Most recently, he has served as the president and general manager of Halco Specialty Lightning. He now brings his business expertise to the table at HealthWay.

56 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

“The Lobdell family has stepped away from the business to pursue other endeavors and offer consultive assistance when necessary,” said Christian Cobb, VP of marketing for HealthWay Family of Brands. Heathway provides top-tier filtration with 70% energy savings over the alternatives, Cobb added. “This is a huge game-changer for us. We continue to evolve our product line and we imagine new innovations to hit the shelves in 2023,” he said. Their newest product is the FFU (fan filter unit) which brings their proprietary DFS (disinfecting filtration system) technology to a clean room air purification system. HealthWay recently finalized a new building to combine multiple departments under one roof. There are currently four HealthWay owned and occupied buildings around the Pulaski area. Now, most operations will be consolidated into two locations. “The new building is the core of our future. We have added 35,000 square feet of brand new manufacturing space,” Cobb said. “It will allow us to be much more efficient and, most importantly, we’ll be able to meet future demand.” It will be the heart of the company, essentially fitting three remaining buildings and staff into it. “Building 2” will be relocating about 90% of departments such as manufacturing, fabrication and assembly, distribution, warehousing and logistics. “A thank you to the team for its hard work completing construction and consolidation into and setup of our new facility. I look forward to seeing us all come together around the new building,” Pecoroni said. “It is a ‘purpose-built’ facility utilizing experts in lean manufacturing

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for design, physical layout, and visual management concepts throughout the site,” said Matthew Weitz, VP of supply chain. “This allows for a single-piece flow of material through the factory, creating a bright, encouraging and accepting workplace for employees.” “The company is evolving for sure — becoming an organization that Upstate New York can be proud of,” Cobb said. “We’ve brought in tremendous talent to help us capture the $6 billion market that is indoor air quality.” HealthWay and Moxo have joined forces to create an all-in-one app to make access to HealthWay products transparent to partners. This inclusive application (available from the Apple Store or on Google Play) will harmonize HealthWay and partners while they work together toward accomplishing goals and improving indoor air quality across the globe, according to Cobb. Moxo provides a one-stop client hub for managing client interactions through modern digital experiences. The tool was created to benefit the partners of HealthWay so they can locate information they may need on-the-go or immediately chat with customer-help. “It’s imperative that HealthWay partners know as much as we do about our indoor air quality solutions. When they can talk about IAQ and speak to the challenges people are facing every day, they are able to create better, safer spaces,” Cobb said. “In my opinion, this is one the best ways we can further our mission.” “I’m excited about the prospects of our air purification solutions being known as a household name among some of the other top HVAC brands,” Pecoroni said. Founded in 2004, HealthWay is headquartered in Pulaski. It was started Vincent G. Lobdell.

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MANUFACTURING

Are CNY Manufacturers Competitive? Industry should continue investing in technology, talent, experts say By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

anufacturing represents an important part of New York state’s economy. The industry accounts for 4.45% of the total output i-n the state and employs 4.58% of the workforce, according to The National Association of Manufacturers. In 2018, New York’s total output from manufacturing was $74.58 billion and the state boasted about 444,000 manufacturing workers earning an average annual wage of $76,269.45. The number of these jobs and associated

payrates reflect a healthy manufacturing sector in the state. “We’re actually doing very well,” said Randy Wolken, president and CEO of MACNY and the Manufacturers Alliance of New York State. “The future looks bright for manufacturing. They’ve come through the pandemic in a good place. We’ve been working with manufacturers on protocols.” Investing in the right equipment — as well as employees — will be what separates average to excellent manufac-

turers in CNY. “Those investing in technology and investing in smart manufacturing approaches and their talent will be successful,” Wolken said. “That’s the direction of manufacturing in the world. They use the best technology. “They clearly need to invest in their people. Most jobs will be upskilled. Talent is what most companies will worry about. New technology needs skilled people to operate it.” Adjusting to the demands of current times has also helped manufacturers excel. As the marketplace has shifted toward more domestic goods, CNY manufacturers have stepped up to supply the need. “I believe that CNY are more competitive these days than in the past,” said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University. “If you look at the cost of transportation, tariffs and pandemic delays, they are getting close to the cost of producing goods in other countries.” Consumers have helped lead the

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demand for more local goods as the broken supply chain during the pandemic helped pull back the curtain on how store shelves are stocked. Making goods at home has helped keep supplies high enough to meet demand. “Part of it is the predictable types of businesses,” Penfield said. “They can produce things when customers want them. Because of all the delays we’re having, companies are having a hard time getting products. Where we’re located, it’s allowing us to meet the needs of these companies faster. Being in the center of New York state and being in the US in general means that we can ship to anywhere in the world from CNY.” To take CNY manufacturing to the next level, Penfield believes that reducing taxes is vital, as that drives away companies that may otherwise want to set up operation in New York. “If there’s one thing that has suppressed the growth of industry in New York State is the tax liability that businesses endure when they set up shop in CNY,” he said.

He added that excessive regulations also deter companies from moving to the region. Penfield also believes that public perception outside of New York makes a difference in some industries, such as those that rely upon adequate sources of water for production. “If we were to publicize that we have almost 20% of the world’s fresh water supply in the Great Lakes, it could incentivize businesses to relocate here if they’re water-sensitive,” he said. He also feels that the state’s talent pool — including the CNY area — is also overlooked by companies considering a move. The state boasts more than 250 universities and colleges “to supply a great workforce in the state. Right up and down the Thruway, we have some great universities and colleges.” Randy Wolken, president and CEO of MACNY: “We’re actually doing very well. The future looks bright for manufacturing. They’ve come through the pandemic in a good place. We’ve been working with manufacturers on protocols.”

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MANUFACTURING

Workers recently completed installing a new roof on Huhtamaki’s finished goods warehouse in Fulton as part of the city’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, (DRI), program.

‘Good Things’ Are Happening in Fulton City’s DRI projects are moving ahead By Steve Yablonski

he city of Fulton is positioned to see “significant positive impact” from its Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award, according to Mayor Deana Michaels. “As a recipient community, investors, developers and small businesses from both inside and outside the city are showing interest that will result in investment far beyond the DRI $10 million,” she said. In August 2019, the city was chosen to receive the $10 million grant to use for revitalizing its downtown area.

“Nothing has been completed; it’s all still in the early phases,” said Sarah Farley, executive director of Fulton’s Community Development Agency. “The state has given its OK on the projects. They were approved in 2021.” The DRI award is broken up into 16 projects. Some of those are municipal, city projects and some are privately owned businesses, Farley explained. “The Huhtamaki project, for example, is under way. But almost all of the projects at this point have had their contracts set up with the state and are,

60 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

some way or another, moving forward,” Farley said. Once the contracts are completely set up, there will be an environmental review process that has to happen. So most of these projects won’t begin until the spring of 2023, she said, adding that it will be probably 2024 for completion on most of these, depending on the size of the project. The county Industrial Development Agency owns a small parcel of land on the Nestle site. The project is to build a manufacturing incubator facility. And the Nestle site itself is in the DRI zone, but that particular project is the only DRI project on the Nestle site. Officials hope to attract and expand advanced start-up manufacturing businesses to the site. “Building 30 is an abandoned building that is kitty-corner from Aldi and it is the last remaining standing building from Nestle,” Farley said. A developer purchased the property and they are converting that into

housing. There is talk about on the ground floor of that housing unit having some of the Nestle museum memorabilia there, she noted. The abandoned former Nestle building will be renovated and repurposed into a mixed-use development. Proposed uses include 55-65 residential units, office space and a restaurant.

Public input The public has been involved since back in the initial phase when the city was applying for the DRI. “The state required us to create what is called a local planning committee. That was comprised of community development, local business owners and community members,” Farley explained. “There was public input, a public hearing session that ultimately determined what projects the city would be applying for. As a committee, they made determinations as to what projects they’d wanted to see included as part of the DRI.” The city weighed in and made the final decision. Then the state approved 16 projects from the local planning committee’s submissions. Not everything got approved. “There were a lot of projects that were applied for the DRI that weren’t approved. There were more applied for than what the $10 million would cover,” Farley said. “So the state had the final say over which projects they think will be the most transformational for the city.” Huhtamaki’s project is under way. They have begun facility and infrastructure upgrades at the manufacturing campus to maintain jobs, enhance streetscapes and improve pedestrian safety. Fulton is creating a business assistance fund to provide resources and financial support to encourage downtown revitalization — $750,000. The funds will help local businesses with building upgrades, permanent equipment purchases and technical assistance. “The grant funds, I probably have the most direct involvement with. My agency is administering that. It is available for building renovations, sign and façade improvements for any business in the DRI zone,” Farley said. “That contract has already been set up with the state. Our application for businesses to apply for those funds is currently open. We are accepting applications through Oct. 3.

“Those are going to be a lot of smaller projects. You know, a lot of signs, awnings, exterior façade improvements and lighting—that sort of thing.” They are going to be announced and awarded in November. Some of those, if they are just a sign or awning improvement, will probably happen the quickest, she added. “Anything that is construction that has to go through that environmental review process most likely won’t start until the spring of 2023,” she said. “But some of the sign and awning improvement we may start to see some of that around the very end of this year at the soonest.” The casual food restaurant is the O’Brien project. It is under way and architects are working on different designs. The project in downtown Fulton will undertake interior and exterior renovations of a vacant building to create a counter service restaurant with a globally influenced menu. The site will include an outdoor patio and drive-thru pick-up window. “The restaurant, at 371 S. Second St., tentatively scheduled to open in the fall 2023, will offer full service and is designed to have both indoor and outdoor seating,” Mayor Michaels said earlier this summer. “We are delighted that Laurie and Will O’Brien, owners of the Port City Café & Bakery and the Red Sun Fire Roasting Co. in Oswego, are making this investment in Fulton.” There are also plans to restore and transform an abandoned historic building into an inn and café. The building located at 181 S. First St. will become the Kings Road Inn, a four- to six-room inn with cafe and coffee lounge. The structure is known as the Case-Lee House.

Good ‘Vibes’ The city wants to create a “downtown vibe” through multi-site improvements. It will undertake renovation and expansion activities at several commercial locations in the center of Fulton’s downtown. “There were originally six projects awarded. Three of them are not moving forward, unfortunately,” Farley said. “Tavern on the Lock expansion, Fulton Family Medicine renovations and what was called the Cayuga Street Café—those are three projects that are most likely going to be moving forward with that downtown vibe.” Some of the other projects are: • The rehabilitation of a strip mall

62 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

A proposed restaurant is expected to be build on part of the land once occupied by Nestle Confectionery.

visible from the 481 gateway for new and existing tenants. New tenants will include a barber shop and beauty supply store. • Bring additional medical services to downtown Fulton through the expansion of Oswego Health’s Fulton campus. • Make improvements to the CNY Community Arts Center by leveling the roof over the south side of the building to match the existing mezzanine roof level, creating new usable space for expanded activities, and completing on-site sewer repair work. • Modernize and enhance the city’s waterfront area and Canal Landing Marina to create a premium destination and attraction for boaters, visitors and residents, while establishing a strong connection to the core downtown area. “The city itself is making significant investment in our own business approach such as marketing, promotion, programming and collaborations that will result in further investment, grant opportunities and programming to draw locals, increase tourism, attract boaters and more,” the mayor said. “Fulton is on the cusp of a revitalization that hasn’t been seen in decades.” “Things are moving right along. Yeah, we’re getting there—creating a new history for Fulton. That’s the goal — update and energize things. There will be a major renovation in our downtown,” Farley said. “It is going to be an exciting time. I hope it will be contagious for additional development. A lot of good things are happening!”

BANKING

Fees, Fees, Fees: Why Banking Costs So Much By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

he average American pays $7 in banking fees every single month, according to a January 2022 CNBC story. That doesn’t sound like much, but who wouldn’t want an extra $84 a year? These charges are for infractions such as overdrafts, insufficient funds and more. CNBC Select offered a list of some of the most common banking fees: • monthly maintenance/service • out-of-network ATM • excessive transactions • overdraft, insufficient funds • wire transfer • early account closing. Some business banking accounts receive charges for simply existing, ranging from $4 to $25 and some banks waive that fee with a minimum deposit amount or a minimum number of transactions. Small businesses are especially prone to the $2.50 or more ATM fee, as many of these business owners tend to make smaller, more frequent purchases than large businesses. Avoid these fees by planning when your business will need cash and withdrawing it from the bank directly or from one of your bank’s own ATMs. Excessive transactions fees sound like the bank punishes clients for using their services. By planning your payments better, such as working with vendors to aggregate them into fewer but larger payments, you could avoid this fee, which can range from $3 to $25 per transaction.

Overdraft fees, typically $35 per transaction, are usually the result of tight margins and poor bookkeeping. Keep a closer eye on your accounts and build in a small cushion for occasional slip-ups. Overdraft protection costs about $35, so weigh whether or not it’s worth it to your business. Insufficient fund fees are also about $35 each transaction. Again, watch the balance when making purchases to ensure there’s enough funds available. If the bank charges this fee on the same day that you make a deposit, you may succeed in contesting it and having the fee waived. Some banks offer text notification for when your account is low. Skip wire transfer fees—about $16 to $35—by using any of the online money transfer methods such as PayPal and other apps, including your bank’s own mobile app. These are typically low in cost and your bank’s app is likely free to use. But large amounts of money may require a wire transfer. Many banks require 90 to 180 days between opening and closing an account to avoid the early account closing fee. Save yourself $25 by looking over your bank’s rules before you close the account. It can also help to find the right products for your business’s needs. “Each business and situation are unique,” said Jonathan Spilka, senior vice president and business banking business development manager at NBT Bank. “Our approach is to start with an in-depth conversation with each customer to understand the details of their

business, including cash flow, customer needs, payment options and more. “We also review the underlying details of the services they currently have, weighing the benefits against the costs to help identify the best mix of banking products and services that deliver convenience, security and value.” Contesting fees may not be as easy as you think. If you believe you are in the right, be ready to provide proof such as screen shots to show when you made that remote deposit, for example. “Lately, it’s been getting harder to avoid fees,” said accountant Brenda Weissenberg, owner of Affordable Business Solutions in West Monroe. “It’s almost impossible to waive fees.” She recommends that business owners ask for their statements to arrive via email instead of postal mail, as many banks charge a fee for the latter. Shop around for a bank that fits your business needs. “Some banks will charge fees for everything,” said Tom Barkley, professor of finance practice at Syracuse University. “Some charge lower fees on certain things and make up their profits by charging higher fees on other things. “Do your due diligence: these are the services I need. Which bank will provide the best service for a certain dollar level, a certain cost? You may find one that’s more expensive dollar-wise but provides better quality service, like they correct mistakes and pick up the phone right away. Some may take 24 hours to get back to you and you need an answer an hour ago.”

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BANKING

E-Bank or Brick-and-Mortar? Online banking may offer convenience but experts say having a personal relationship with a local bank is crucial to business success By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

nline banks and traditional banks each offer business banking clients distinct advantages and disadvantages. Because every small business is different, it can be difficult to say which is the better way to go. “You need a banking relationship with someone local,” said Brenda Weissenberg, owner and accountant at Affordable Business Solutions in West Monroe. “But I would say for day-to-day banking, e-banking is fine.” John R. Halleron, advanced certified senior business adviser at the Small Business Development Center, also sees both pros and cons in e-banking. “I have mixed feelings about e-banking for business,” he said. “While some transfer dealings between accounts and payment receipts can be done electronically, I don’t really see how large deposits lend themselves to e-banking.” E-banks often offer higher interest rates and provide convenience over banking in-person. These draws certainly offer good advantages. However, they lack the professional relationship provided by a brick-and-mortar location. “Historically, part of the bank manager’s role was to raise business, find new companies that would come to the bank and deposit their cash with the bank and the bank would be able to lend money that would involve fees,” said Tom Barkley, professor of finance practice at Syracuse University. “The bank manager’s role was to find smallto mid-sized businesses that would have a symbiotic relationship. With the

internet, a lot of online banking has lost that relationship feel.” If a business develops financial problems or needs a loan but doesn’t quite meet the perfect lending requirements, an e-bank will not make the occasional exception that a conventional banker might. Lending decisions can partly rely upon the strength of that real-life relationship. Although Barkley sees advantages to the fast transactions of online banking, “you might not be getting the best experience as to knowing what you have to offer. The bank might not be aware of when the company is getting into trouble.” Most brick-and-mortar banks offer online banking, making it easy to compromise between a fully online experience and a fully in-person experience. “Digital banking overall provides many enhanced and intelligent services to help businesses manage their money in real time,” said Jonathan Spilka, senior vice president and business banking business development manager at NBT Bank. “The use of secure digital banking enables business owners or designated key employees to review accounts and complete many transactions from any device and without physically making a trip to the bank. “Time is everything for small businesses, so there is real value in that convenience. The added benefit is that when we meet with customers in person, we’re able to focus on our relationship-based approach and counsel them on the tools and resources to help

64 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

their businesses grow.” The pandemic has spurred growth in the online banking sector, whether the bank was wholly online or small business clients were using the digital version of their conventional bank. “Online banking gives small businesses instant access to information like what funds have been received and what payments have been made,” said Shelley Quinn, customer care center and cash management sales director at Community Bank. Some “hybrid” banking products include free or low-cost online platforms that offer bill paying, the ability to digitally invoice and receive electronic payments from customers and more. “Payments are easily tracked in the system and a lightweight accounting software tool can be used to integrate automatically with bank accounts,” Quinn said. “Profit and loss statements, balance sheets and bank reconciliation reports can be generated with the click of a button.” These features can provide small businesses with useful tools to lighten their administrative load. Although convenience reigns online, Quinn wants small business owners to build a relationship with their local banker “so they have a partner as their business grows and their needs change. Small businesses are what keeps our communities growing and thriving and we’re eager to support them and help them celebrate in their successes.”

BANKING

5 Things You Need to Know About Business Insurance By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ou insure your home, auto, health and life. Why do you need business insurance? “Business insurance is extremely important to protect business owners from liability, property loss and, in many cases, income losses,” said Chris Nelson, State Farm Agent in Oswego. “Without business insurance, someone can lose their business to a fire or lawsuit with no way of reclaiming what they had worked so hard to create.”

Income Coverage Nelson said that many people do not know they need business income coverage. This can help companies during a catastrophe that interrupts their ability to do business. “That’s why it’s important to report accurately how much business you are doing,” said Julie Restuccio, commercial agent with The Insurance Place in Oswego. “A lot of people think it will increase their rate if they state how much business they’re doing, but if you report you’re selling $25,000 of

goods in a month, but if you have loss, that’s the only amount you’ll be able to recover. People tend to misrepresent that number because they don’t want their premiums to increase.”

Ne wh sm

Public Space She said that coverage for public space may be important for some businesses and many business owners do not know this. “If you’re a retail store and there’s a sign on the sidewalk or a restaurant that has curbside dining, the municipalities want general liability for those issues,” Restuccio said. “If someone gets hurt on your sign, you’ll be need to be covered for that.”

Different Entities Insurance should cover your different business entities. For example, if a person owns a building owned by their LLC but two of their business entities operate business in that structure, the names should all be on the policy. Skip-

Chris Nelson

ping this step “isA. a mistake see a lot,” Christopher Nelson, IAgent said Rhonda 209 West Cabrinha, 7th Streetcertified insurance counselor president of Ellis, Oswego, NY and 13126 Moreland & Ellis Agency in Syracuse. Bus: 315-342-3639 She added that policyholders www.chrisnelsoninsurance.net should make sure that their policy covers replacement cost, not the current

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Know Your Contract Some policyholders do not understand that their policy is a legal contract. “You often hear people say, ‘Something wasn’t covered’ or ‘They didn’t cover everything I wanted them to cover,’” she said. “It’s a legal document that says what’s covered and what isn’t covered and the insurance company has to follow that contract, even if the policyholder doesn’t know there’s an exclusion in the policy or they didn’t have a certain coverage.” To avoid this issue, she encourages people seeking business insurance to obtain a thorough understanding of the policy and know what they’re purchasing. This also applies to emergencies that the policy may not cover, such as flood insurance, that requires a separate policy. That’s one aspect is often missed, according to Nick Masterpole, partner at Masterpole-Murphy Agency in Syracuse. “Policies also don’t cover things that are old and worn out, but only things that are damaged,” he added. A policy would cover storm damage to the roof, but not the cost of replacing a crumbling 25-year-old roof.

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Masterpole also said that many people do not understand the factors that go into the cost of premiums. This can relate to the type of business, amount of payroll, amount of property, whether there is inventory, and more. “This all relates to liability and likelihood of a claim,” he said.

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RETIREMENT

$1M Is No Longer the Standard Nest Egg Here’s how much most Americans think you actually need to retire By Gabrielle Olya

common financial rule of thumb is that you should have $1 million saved for retirement, but this piece of advice may now be outdated — you may actually need roughly double that. At least, that’s what most 401(k) plan participants believe. A recent survey conducted by Schwab Retirement Plan Services found that on average, plan participants think they need to save $1.9 million for retirement. But how accurate is this number? Nathan Voris, director of business strategy at Schwab Workplace Financial Services, thinks that the survey participants have a pretty accurate idea of how much they will need in retirement. “I think for a survey like this, that’s a pretty good number,” he said. “That’s a ballpark range for a wide range of folks. Obviously, retirement is not one-sizefits-all, but that’s sort of the middle of the range for a lot of people.” As Voris notes, there are numerous factors that will affect how much someone will actually need in retirement, so some may need more and others may need less. “There’s so much written about

that, but I boil it down into just a couple of things. One is, when do you want to retire?,” Voris said. “If you’re going to retire at 50, you need to plan for 45 years of living expenses. If it’s 67, you need to plan for 30 years. That has a huge factor in what your plan should be.” “One of the other levers is, what lifestyle are you going to have in retirement?” he continued. “Where are you going to live? Are you going to live in California or Wyoming? Think about the state tax perspective. Are you going to have an active lifestyle? Or are you living close to grandkids where you’re going to be pretty local? There’s a lot of factors in what level of lifestyle you want to live in retirement.” Finally, how much you need to have saved for retirement will depend on your other sources of income in retirement. This includes Social Security, pensions, assets and inheritance. “Those kinds of things can be a factor in what the retirement future looks like,” Voris said.

Why $1 Million Is No Longer Enough

68 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

There are a number of factors that may require retirees to have a larger nest egg saved up, but one of the main ones is that people are living longer in retirement. “Retirement could be a long time,” Voris said. “That idea of 20 years in retirement, that was maybe tied to that $1 million number. That’s sort of not a realistic expectation anymore. That 4% rule, that $80,000 income bogey is still out there, but you could be retired for 25, 30, 35 years.” “If you tell someone they need to save $1.9 million, that can be daunting on the surface. But there’s a way in which you do that through planning and decision-making processes that makes it attainable,” Voris said. The first step is simply making the choice to be an active participant in your financial planning. “Be your own advocate. Be engaged. Start early. Take it seriously. Have a plan,” Voris said. “The attitude toward finances in retirement when you have a plan versus not is night and day.” If you’re just starting out, be sure you’re not leaving any free money on the table. “Make sure that you’re getting every penny

that your employer offers, whether that’s a 401(k) match or that’s a stock purchase plan discount or HSA contribution match — all of those assets that are free. Don’t leave any of them on the table,” Voris said. “Approach open enrollment in that mindset, and make sure that you’re leveraging the most from your employer.” Voris said to also be mindful of debt, which can derail your retirement savings plans. “Be mindful of credit card debt, be mindful of healthcare debt and have a debt plan if you have multiple cards or you have a car loan,” he said, noting that your plan should be focused on paying down high-interest debt first. You should also have an emergency savings fund so that you do not have to take on more debt or tap into your retirement savings in case the unexpected strikes. “Practically speaking, for someone who is on the edge of being financially secure, a life event can be disastrous,” Voris said. “If the car breaks down or you accrue some medical debt or you get behind on rent — those kinds of things can really throw a wrench in things.” Having three to six months’ worth of living expenses saved can keep you on track with your retirement savings plans even if something were to happen. Next, Voris said to ask for help coming up with a plan to meet your retirement goals. The Schwab survey found that only 40% of 401(k) plan participants felt very confident in investment decisions made on their own, versus 56% who felt very confident in investment decisions made with professional help. “Take the advice that’s offered,” Voris said. “Most 401(k) record keepers have advice and financial wellness accounts, and those things will help a person build a plan. Have an engagement partner, have a sounding board. Increasing your confidence increases your ability to be successful from a savings and investment perspective.” Lastly, keep in mind that $1.9 million is a long-term goal — it’s not a lump sum you’re expected to save up overnight. “If you think about someone who is 24 or 25, that’s a 35- to 40-year work savings career,” Voris said. “It seems daunting — that’s a big number — but the ability to get there if you have a plan and if you’re saving over a 30-, 35-, 40-year period, it’s attainable. That $1.9 million [goal] should empower you to make small steps and right decisions incrementally.”

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

SPECIAL REPORT

Aerial views of SUNY Oswego campus. Photos courtesy of SUNY Oswego

Students Are Back in Town — and So Is the Money They Bring to Local Economy SUNY Oswego has far-reaching economic impact By Steve Yablonski

ot only does SUNY Oswego influence the lives of its students and graduates — its economic impact in the region is massive. According to an economic impact study report, SUNY Oswego graduates are not only influencers in their respective fields — they are key drivers of SUNY Oswego’s economic impact on the Central New York region. Thousands of former SUNY Oswego students are currently employed in

the Central New York region. As a whole, SUNY Oswego’s presence in the region had a total economic impact in fiscal year 2019-20 of $419.4 million and supported 5,541 regional jobs. This means that one out of every 82 jobs in the Central New York region is supported by the activities of SUNY Oswego and its students. According to SUNY Oswego Officer in Charge Mary C. Toale, the last

70 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

economic impact report was completed in 2010 and studied SUNY Oswego’s 2008-2009 impact on the regional and statewide communities. “This report, much like our recently conducted report that assessed our economic impact in the 2019-2020 fiscal year, points to SUNY Oswego as a thriving, sustainable educational institution but also an economic entity that drives the economy of Central and Upstate New York,” said Toale. Not covered in the 2010 study was the impact of SUNY Oswego’s alumni. “Today, thousands of former SUNY Oswego students are employed in the Central New York region,” said Mary Canale, vice president for development and alumni engagement. “As a result of their education from SUNY Oswego, the students receive higher earnings and increase the productivity of the businesses that employ them.” In fiscal year 2019-20, SUNY Oswego alumni generated $203.3 million in added income for the regional economy, which is equivalent to supporting 2,565 jobs, the report stated. “These studies effectively show how SUNY Oswego influences both the lives of its students and the regional

($36.7 million in 2020 vs. $26.4 million in 2009). Visitor spending remained steady at $2 million in both reports.

Continued growth

economy. They effectively measure the economic impacts created by SUNY Oswego on the business community and the benefits the university generates in return for the investments made by its key stakeholder groups—students, taxpayers, and society. The economic impact studies also highlight how the university enriches the quality of life in the region through its many cultural programs, research opportunities, volunteerism and service,” Toale added.

Student spending impact Around 67% of credit students attending SUNY Oswego originated from outside the region in fiscal year 2019-20, and some of them relocated to the Central New York region to attend SUNY Oswego. These students may not have come to the region if the university did not exist. In addition, some in-region students, referred to as retained students, would have left the Central New York region if not for the existence of SUNY Oswego. While attending the university, these relocated and retained students spent money on groceries, accommodation, transportation and other household expenses. This spending generated $36.7 million in added income for the regional economy in fiscal 2019-20, which supported 769 jobs in the Central New York region. According to the report, the university provides citizens with tax revenue totaling $265.3 million as a result of SUNY Oswego students’ earning and increased business output. Taxpayers, the report states, will receive $2.80 for every dollar of public money invested in SUNY Oswego. The university’s day-to-day operations are also key contributors to the

region’s economy, the report indicated. SUNY Oswego adds economic value to the Central New York region as an employer of regional residents and a large-scale buyer of goods and services. In fiscal year 2019-20, the university employed 1,447 full-time and part-time faculty and staff (excluding research employees); 89% of whom lived in the Central New York region. Total payroll at the college was $115.5 million (excluding payroll from research employees), much of which was spent in the region for groceries, mortgage and rent payments, dining out and other household expenses, according to the report. In addition, the university spent $49.2 million on day-to-day expenses related to facilities, supplies, and professional services (excluding research expenditures). “It is the university’s goal to complete an economic study report once every 10 years, but given the ever-changing dynamics in the national, state and regional economies, employment–workforce data, spending trends and investments in capital construction initiatives, a five-year cycle may serve to better inform the university and its varied stakeholders and partners across New York state,” said Scott Furlong, SUNY Oswego provost and vice president for academic affairs and enrollment management. This most recent study shows SUNY Oswego’s increased impact on the Central New York region. When compared with the report published in 2010, SUNY Oswego showed a greater total economic impact ($419.4 million in 2020 vs. $345 million in 2009); more jobs supported (5,541 in 2020 vs. 5,306 in 2009); increased operations spending ($165.8 million in 2020 vs. $153.7 million in 2009); and greater student spending

“Because of the increased role SUNY Oswego continues to play in preparing tomorrow’s leaders and investing in our campus and in the communities we serve, we expect to continue to grow our presence and have a greater impact on the regional economy,” SUNY Oswego Chief Communication Officer Wayne Westervelt said. SUNY Oswego is a primary source of higher education to the Central New York region residents and a supplier of trained workers to regional industries, enhancing overall productivity in the regional workforce. SUNY Oswego has a long-standing track record in its investment in capital infrastructure and will continue to sustain its physical plant. According to Vice President of Administration and Finance Victoria Furlong, “SUNY Oswego invests in construction each year to maintain its facilities, create additional capacities and meet its growing educational demands.” While the amount varies from year to year, these quick infusions of income and jobs have a substantial impact on the regional economy. In fiscal year 2019-20, SUNY Oswego’s construction spending generated $8.3 million in added income, which is equivalent to supporting 109 jobs. SUNY Oswego is currently working on an $80 million campus renovation project that will turn the former Hewitt Union into a nationally competitive hub for its School of Communication, Media and the Arts. Looking ahead, SUNY Oswego will soon begin work on the Lanigan Hall–Penfield Library connector project, which involves integrating Lanigan Hall and Penfield Library into a larger, connected complex with more unified internal functions. Financed by the State University Construction Fund, “These projects follow a pattern of strategically deploying capital funds to support SUNY Oswego’s academic programs; set an energy and environmental standard of excellence; and build on the mutually beneficial partnerships we will foster and impact we will have in the next five to 10 years,” Furlong explained.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Alec Johnson at The Watertown Daily Times in Watertown. Behind him is the printing press that prints several of his newspapers. Sept. 2. Photo by Chuck Wainwright.

COVER STORY

PUBLISHER

Alec Johnson is busy publishing Oswego Shopper and Oswego County News — and five daily newspapers and more than a dozen publications in what has become the largest family-owned newspaper group in Upstate New York. By Ken Sturtz

n the wall of Alec E. Johnson’s office hangs a framed envelope containing nine cents and a note from his great-grandfather, Harold B. Johnson, saying that it was all he and his wife had on returning from their wedding trip in March 1903. Should anything happen to him the money was to be returned to his wife, the note advised. “And the 9 cents was every penny they had in the world,” Johnson said. Harold B. Johnson was raised in Gouverneur and worked for newspapers in Oregon and Montana. In 1904, at age 22, he landed a job as a reporter at The Watertown Daily Times. He was running the newspaper 15 years later and by 1932 had gained control of the company and became owner and publisher. Johnson said he keeps the envelope and note as a reminder of the humble origins of his family’s newspaper business. “He did it all on his own,” he said of his great-grandfather. “He was a self-made person.” Alec Johnson is the scion of an expansive media company that’s dom-

inated the news business and played a key role in shaping public discourse in the North Country for generations. In January 2020, he was named president and chief operations officer of the Johnson Newspaper Corp., which includes the Times and daily and weekly newspapers across the North Country as well as the Hudson Valley, Batavia and Oswego County. He also serves as editor and publisher of the Times, the fourth generation of the Johnson family to hold the position. At 36 years old Johnson finds himself at the helm of a company that grosses roughly $15 million a year, employs more than 200 people and reaches readers in many Upstate New York regions, including Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, an area slightly smaller than New Jersey. In an earlier era, Johnson might have been content to sit back and allow a profitable business roll along without much thought about the future. But the advertising-based model supporting the news business has crumbled. Since 2005, the United States has lost more

than 2,500 newspapers, mostly small weeklies, and is averaging about two closures a week. “It’s a very challenging business to be in,” Johnson said. “Everyone says they support the newspaper, that they support local news, but they really only say that up to the point where they like to get it for free.” In addition to the long-term headwinds facing the industry, Johnson took the helm months before the COVID-19 pandemic upended the economy. The earliest months of the pandemic kept him up nights to be sure, but he found solace in his roots. “I’m not the only one in this position,” he said. “It’s been four generations of growth and then adapting to new technology. Now we’re at the latest crossroads of what to do to keep a print product in the marketplace.”

Uncertain on what career to follow In many respects Johnson has been preparing to lead the family business

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

since youth, although he wasn’t at all sure about a career in newspapers. As a boy he used to visit his father and grandfather in their offices at the Times. He loved getting gumballs from the machine his grandfather kept in his office. On a recent Friday afternoon, he picked his daughter up and brought her to the office. After the 3-year-old informed him his office was messy, they straightened things up, drew some pictures together and then he took her around the building. Growing up, when he visited his grandparents’ house for holidays and special occasions, the conversation around the dining room table often turned to the news, specifically world events. Johnson’s first memory of the news was when he was about 5 years old at his grandparents’ house. One night instead of eating in the dining room, everyone crowded into the kitchen and ate at the breakfast table so they could watch television coverage of the first Gulf War. He attended boarding school at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, but got his first taste of reporting during summer internships at the Times. Once he forgot to get the middle initial of a man arrested on burglary charges. He was at his grandparents’ house for dinner when he got a phone call from the city editor about the vital piece of identifying information. “I was told ‘We have a policy here. We use courtesy titles and middle initials and you filed a photo caption without a middle initial,’” he said. The message was clear: figure it out or it’s not running. Johnson grabbed the phonebook and started dialing. He finally managed to get in touch with the man’s father, who shared the initial. “It took a long time, but it was one of those experiences that you never forget,” he said. “I’ll never ask people to do what I haven’t done.” Johnson was uncertain in high school on what career he wanted to pursue. He did an internship his last semester at Phillips Exeter with then Congressman John McHugh in Washington. “And it was among the most interesting and transformative times in my life because I got to see how government operated from inside and I’d always been on the other side reading about it,” Johnson said. “Being in the office I learned about how deals are made and how much the office really does for constituents.”

Alec Johnson is at the helm of a company that grosses roughly $15 million a year, employs more than 200 people and reaches readers in many Upstate New York regions, including Oswego, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

As a student at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he still wasn’t sure if journalism was for him. He joined the student newspaper and eventually became editor-in-chief, but he was a political science major and also interested in the law. After college, journalism won out. He was accepted into Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. At a job fair at Columbia he met the executive editor of the Republican-American, a family-owned newspaper based in Waterbury, Connecticut, and applied for a job. When he started there as a reporter Johnson decided not to tell anyone, aside from his two bosses and the owners, that he came from a newspaper family. He worried that if word got around he’d receive preferential treatment and wouldn’t have a chance to learn. “I never told a soul,” he said. “I wanted to be known for my own work, not for my family owning papers.” He started as a general assignment

74 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

reporter and was promoted a few years later to run one of the newspaper’s regional bureaus. He supervised reporters and continued reporting. He received awards for his work, including coverage of the practices of the state’s only private tax collector. “On day one I told my boss I wanted to be on the other side of the desk,” Johnson said. “I wanted an opportunity to learn more about editing.” He became business editor and in 2017 was promoted to assistant managing editor. He focused on coaching new reporters and developing the newspaper’s website and social media strategy. In the spring of 2018 he received a call from his cousin, John B. Johnson, who was chief executive officer and co-publisher of the Times. Longtime managing editor Perry White was retiring. Was he interested in the position? Johnson hesitated. His long-term goal had been to gain enough experience as an editor to move back to Watertown. “But at the same time, I also didn’t

want to leave,” he said. “I felt a lot of loyalty to the family I’d worked with; they’d really helped develop me and now I was going to leave.” He’d moved to Connecticut thinking it would be a two-year stint. Instead he’d been there eight years and had a job he liked. He’d also married in 2016. He and his wife, Gabrielle N. West, had bought a house there and she was finishing a master’s in nutritional science. Later that spring his cousin told him he needed to know if Johnson was taking the job or if they had to begin a hiring search. “I definitely wanted to do it, but at the same time all of a sudden now this is what I’ve been working for my whole life and I don’t know if I’m ready for it or I don’t know if the timing is right,” Johnson said. “I was still hemming and hawing and I was pretty emotional about it.” His wife encouraged him to take the job and he decided to do it. He broke the news to his boss. At a going away party the publisher of the Republican-American, who was in his 80s, gave a speech wishing him well. “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Johnson here is not a journalist,” he said. “He’s a newspaperman and there’s a difference. He’s a newspaperman and he’s going to be a newspaper man for his family.”

Back to Watertown Johnson started as managing editor at the Watertown Daily Times in August 2018. He got to know the reporters and began working with them on stories on a daily basis. He also dove into the business side of things, playing a major role in key decisions. In 2019, in an effort to improve the company’s financial situation, publication of the Times was cut to six days a week and several weekly newspapers, including the Ogdensburg Journal, were closed. Five weekly newspapers in Oswego County were consolidated into a single weekly — The Oswego County Weeklies. The papers had been purchased in 2016 and had similar content except for the front pages. Johnson said publishing one newspaper instead of five saved a significant amount during printing. Johnson oversaw the launching of a new paid website, NY360, that brought all the newspaper titles under one digital landing page. He also encouraged deeper reporting in the newsroom. His cousin, John B. Johnson,

Publications Owned by the Johnson Family Daily papers Watertown Daily Times The Malone Telegram Register-Star (Hudson) Daily Mail (Catskill) The Daily News (Batavia)

Weekly papers Oswego County News Oswego Shopper Journal & Republican (Lowville) Courier-Observer (Massena/ Potsdam) The Ogdensburg Journal St. Lawrence Plaindealer Livingston County News Jefferson County Pennysaver

Magazines Northern New York Business Northern New York Living

Websites mymalonetelegram.com NNY360.com (all north country papers and magazines, except Malone) thelcn.com (Livingston County News) thedailynewsonline.com hudsonvalley360.com (Register-Star and Daily Mail)

announced in 2019 he was stepping down at year’s end as company CEO and co-publisher of the Times. Alec Johnson’s father, Harold B. Johnson II, who was president and co-publisher, took on the role of CEO. Alec Johnson was suddenly in charge of the day-to-day operations of the company sooner than he had ever imagined, though he said his family were supportive of his new role as decision-maker. He was keenly aware of what was working and what wasn’t. Revenue was reasonably good, but costs were up. Johnson said customer service was poor and the Times was plagued by circulation problems. So many carrier routes were down — sometimes 20 to 30 routes went unstaffed and had to be filled by managers — that circulation was reluctant to sell new subscriptions (about $300 a year) for fear there would be no one to deliver the newspapers. Circulation of the Times was down to roughly 10,000 from more than 30,000 two decades ago. Johnson wasn’t afraid to make big, sometimes difficult, changes he thought were necessary or to move quickly. Decisions that generations ago might have taken years were made in months. His strategy was to stabilize the business and then focus on growing it. He dealt with the delivery issues with the Times by setting a goal to have every delivery route filled by the beginning of March 2020, which his team met. That in turn reduced the flood of customer service calls about missed deliveries. The timing turned out to be crucial. A few weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic battered the company’s revenues. Circulation revenue helped keep the business afloat as advertisers pulled back. Support from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program was also crucial. But recovering from the pandemic has still been challenging. Even with revenue on target, rising costs, especially for fuel and newsprint, have been killers, Johnson said. A truckload of newsprint currently costs more than $16,000. Before the pandemic it was closer to $12,000. The price of the Times was increased about 50 cents earlier this year, but Johnson said there are limits on what readers are willing to pay. Supporting the newspaper on subscription revenue alone would cost more than $1,000 per person, he said. The newspaper has gained some revenue from adding a paywall to its

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

website a few years ago. Of the website’s 15,000 registered users, more than a thousand are digital subscribers. But that revenue alone would only be enough to sustain a couple reporters, not an entire newsroom. The bulk of the company’s revenue remains print driven. For example, Johnson said that a print subscription comes with a free digital subscription, but only about 10% of print subscribers have taken advantage. Last year Johnson brought back the Ogdensburg Journal and another weekly newspaper that had closed. Johnson said originally the hope was that readers would turn to the Times, but that backfired. In fact, people were so mad about the closing that they canceled their subscriptions to the Times. “And we found in those communities that people realized what they had lost when they lost what they considered their local newspaper,” he said. He said the Journal is now in a place where it can stand on its own financially. Much of the company’s revenue growth has come from its contract printing. The company maintains printing presses in Watertown and in Massena. The Watertown press was installed in 1986 and prints standard newspapers such as the Times and the company’s newspapers in the Hudson Valley and Western New York. The Massena press was installed in 2002 and is smaller but capable of printing different sizes. The company has more than 50 customers including many weekly and student newspapers. As the number of commercial printers has decreased, it has picked up printing work from farther away. It now prints the CNY

Business Journal, the Catholic Sun and student newspapers for SUNY Oswego and Syracuse University.

‘I’m in this 100%’ Looking to 2023, as the pandemic fades, Johnson believes the best path forward is for the company to reintroduce itself to advertisers and readers with a heavy emphasis on improving the quality of content. “I believe content is our most important asset,” he said. “If we don’t have the content to sell we don’t have anything.” When he works with reporters Johnson tries to remind them that just telling a story that’s obvious isn’t enough. The goal is to report news as it develops, but save the more deeply reported story for print. That might involve digging into archives for information to give a story more context. For a recent story about inflation Johnson had reporters find examples of how rising food prices were affecting people. “We need to report more deeply, we need to uncover things that people don’t know,” he said. “We can’t just be a regurgitation of TV news.” Each day when Johnson is in his office, whether he’s scrutinizing the previous day’s edition of the Times, looking over newsprint invoices or studying revenue projections, that envelope on the wall is staring back at him as a reminder. “I’ve got two kids,” he said “I’m in this 100% to make sure there’s a fifth generation if it’s something they want.”

Alec Johnson: ‘A Newspaperman, Not a Journalist’

Working as a reporter at the Republican-American in Connecticut. His colleagues were not aware his family owned a newspaper business in Watertown. “I never told a soul,” he said. “I wanted to be known for my own work, not for my family owning papers.” He eventualy became business editor and assistant managing editor. 76 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

Johnson Family: Over a Century in the Publishing Business

he Watertown Daily Times traces its roots back to the middle of the 19th century and the Johnson family’s association with the newspaper goes back more than a century. In 1850, Lotus Ingalls, of Rodman, started the weekly New York Reformer. Ingalls had tired of teaching and practicing law and his interest in the temperance movement, support for school reform and opposition to slavery were motivations for starting the newspaper. With $200 of his own money, and $500 borrowed, he teamed up with a local printer to start the paper. The strong opposition to slavery and liquor proved popular and by 1858 the paper had a circulation of 8,000. By 1860 Watertown was a bustling village of 6,600 people. That year Beman Brockway purchased a third of the Reformer. He had previously purchased the Oswego Palladium and edited that paper until turning it into a daily and later selling it in 1853. Brockway was a well-known editor and close friend of famed newspaperman Horace Greeley. He had worked on Greeley’s New York Tribune for several years. With the outbreak of the Civil War the necessity of getting news more quickly grew and the weekly Reformer suffered as the telegraph fueled an emphasis on daily papers. In 1861, it became the Watertown Daily Reformer. It was renamed The Watertown Daily Times in 1870. The Times suffered financial difficulties in the years following the Civil War. Circulation fell off and the business carried a great deal of debt. Brockway’s 19-year-old son Henry joined the business office in 1873, making it profitable and increasing

TOP Alec Johnson’s father, Harold B. Johnson II (left) and uncle John B. Johnson Jr. at the 150th anniversary celebration of the Watertown Daily Times. LEFT Harold B. Johnson, Alec Johnson’s great grandfather. He worked at then Watertown Daily as a reporter until 1932, when he gained control of the company and became owner and publisher. RIGHT Alec Johnson’s grandparents John B. Johnson (far left) and Catherine C. Johnson (far right) with the press crew in Watertown during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.

circulation, which had dipped to about 3,000-4,000. When the father died ownership of the Times transferred to his two sons and three shareholders. Henry Brockway bought his brother out and ran the paper until his death in 1904. After that, ownership passed to his wife. Harold B. Johnson was the son of a merchant and postmaster in the North Country. He founded a student newspaper at Gouverneur High School and became a correspondent for the Times during summers. At 16, he began working for the weekly Gouverneur Tribune. He set out for the West in 1900 and worked for newspapers in Portland, Oregon and Helena, Montana, before becoming homesick and returning to Gouverneur where he worked for several local papers. In 1904, he received a job offer from the Times that paid $14 a week. Three years later he became city editor. In 1911, he purchased stock in the company and shortly thereafter became vice president. Johnson was elevated to managing editor in 1918 and in 1919 became editor and president of the company. When Henry Brockway’s widow retired from

the business in the 1930s Johnson, who had become publisher, purchased her controlling interest in the Brockway Company. The Times was still a small daily when Johnson gained control, with a circulation of around 5,000. He eventually grew its readership to more than 40,000. When Johnson died suddenly of a heart attack in 1949 at age 69, his son, John. B. Johnson, was forced to step into his place as editor and publisher. Up until then the 32-year-old had been a reporter and editorial writer, as well as secretary of the Brockway Company. The company name was changed in 1977 to the Johnson Newspaper Corp. The family had expanded beyond newspapers with investments in radio stations in the 1940s and television in the 1950s. But following a legal battle with the FCC they were forced to divest their radio and television holdings in the early 1980s. That left the company with money to spend and they expanded their newspaper holdings, starting in 1981 with the purchase of the Batavia Daily News in Western New York. In 1983 they acquired the Western

New York Offset Press, in Lancaster. In 1984, they bought the company that owned the Carthage Republican-Tribune, North Country Courier and Fort Drum Sentinel. Then came the Malone Evening Telegram in 1988, the Catskill Daily Mail and Greene County News in 1989, and the Lowville Journal & Republican in 1990. In 1997, they purchased 10 newspapers from the former Park Newspapers, covering St. Lawrence and Columbia counties. John B. Johnson died in 2001 at age 84 and was succeeded by his sons, John B. Johnson Jr. and Harold B. Johnson II. Alec E. Johnson came on as managing editor in 2018. His cousin, John B. Johnson, announced in 2019 he was stepping down at year’s end as company CEO and co-publisher of the Times. Alec E. Johnson’s father, Harold B. Johnson II, who was president and co-publisher, became CEO. In January 2020, Alec E. Johnson was named president and chief operations officer. He also serves as editor and publisher of the Times, the fourth generation to hold the position.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net

Newspaper Industry Continues to Struggle

‘New York state is fortunate so far, because there are just a few “news deserts,” but there is no question that coverage is merely a shell of its former vitality.’

BRUCE FRASSINELLI is the former publisher of The Palladium-Times. He served as a governor of the Rotary Club District 7150 (Central NY) from July 2001 to June 2002.

More than one-quarter of all U.S. newspapers have shut down since 2004. Trend is expected to continue My Turn

lthough many newspaper publishers are reluctant to characterize how bad it is, the print business continues to deteriorate, and there does not appear to be many immediate solutions in sight to save this once incredibly healthy medium. Newspaper revenues dropped from $46.2 billion in 2002 to $22.1 billion in 2020, a 46.7% skid. We are hearing more frequently of “news deserts,” a term that has cropped up only recently in our vocabulary to describe an area of the United States without newspapers. In these areas, officials are held less accountable for what they do, and those who are uninformed in the public because of the lack of local information tend to be less concerned about voting and participating in the political process. When we trot out the statistics, the enormity of this problem comes into sharp focus: About 50% of counties in our nation have just one newspaper, often a weekly, and more than 6% of counties have no newspaper at all. More than one-quarter of all U.S. newspapers have shut down since 2004, while those that have survived have cut back on the reach of their circulation areas, reduced the number of days a week that they are home-delivering their product and trying to cut costs wherever they can to save a buck. Syracuse’s Post-Standard, for example, delivers to customers just three days a week, although the paper is available on newsstands seven days a week. Oswego’s Palladium-Times curtailed its six-day-a-week delivery to three days during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but restored two days in October 2020. Along with fewer publication days, newspapers have drastically reduced staff, which, of course, means fewer local news stories and much less coverage of

78 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

important local news. For example, The Palladium-Times had the equivalent of 21 full-time employees prior to the pandemic; now it has just 13, but, according to Publisher Jeff Weigand, it is difficult to find employees to fill some of the job openings. He and other publishers also face another challenge: finding suppliers for basics for the production of the newspaper, such as newsprint, ink and plates, and the cost of these commodities is skyrocketing, just like everything else. New York state is fortunate so far, because there are just a few “news deserts,” but there is no question that coverage is merely a shell of its former vitality. On top of this, deadlines are becoming earlier meaning that customers are not getting nighttime sports scores, reports on local night municipal meetings and anything else that unfolds after about 7 p.m. To add to this disturbing situation, many chain newspapers are consolidating their printing operations, which means that deadlines will need to be even earlier because of the distance that delivery vehicles must travel with the published product. The Post-Standard, for example, announced earlier this year that it would not be printing the paper at its local Syracuse plant starting in August of this year. Instead, it is being printed at another Advance company paper in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This will mean a 4 hour and 15 minute trip under the best of conditions to cover the 250-mile distance on I-81. Anyone who has made this trip in winter knows how iffy the weather could make the drive. Such a distance increases the instances of late deliveries in addition to earlier deadlines. As many newspapers have transitioned from print to digital, they have been able to make up just a tiny fraction of the lost revenue through on-site advertising. Many are now using a paywall

Number of Copies Printed Shows How Bad Things Are for Newspapers

Circulation dropped from 1.77 million to 159,000, a 91% decline.

Circulation dropped 79%, from 762,000 to 159,000.

that requires consumers to pay to see content, whereas before many papers, including The Palladium-Times, were allowing free access to their websites. The startling result of what has been happening in the industry has been reported by new research from Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications, which noted that, on average, two local newspapers in our country fold every week. The decline of local news has been tied to the significant loss of advertising and circulation and the impressive advances of the internet and social media. The Medill study found that between late 2019 and May of this year, more than 360 newspapers closed, while since 2005, the nation has lost more than a quarter of its local publications. This trend is expected to continue, and by 2025, researchers predict that the United States will have lost one-third of all of its local papers. Without the replacement of a local source of news, one-fifth of the nation’s population (about 70 million people) are

Circulation dropped 60%, from 1.76 million to 697,000

Total circulation today is 71,000 copies, a substantial drop from 2000.

at risk of not having any authoritative local news source, the study indicated. The loss of these mainstream news sources will also mean that misinformation will become more prevalent, political polarization will become even more strident than it is already, and trust in the media in general will decrease even

Circulation dropped 70%, from 1.1 million to 330,000.

Total circulation today is 5,500, roughly half of what it was in 2000.

grandparents want to see their families’ names in the paper. They can’t get that anywhere else. Help for the newspaper industry might soon be on the way from an unlikely source — the federal government. Legislation introduced in Washington would, if passed and signed into law, give newspaper operations a substantial shot in the arm to ensure survivability. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act would set up three federal tax credits to encourage local media, defined as a local publication where the majority of the readership resides within a 200-mile radius. The bill provides for a tax credit for subscriptions to a local newspaper, up to $250 a year; a tax credit to encourage local media to hire and pay journalists, worth up to $12,500 a quarter, or $50,000 annually; a tax credit to encourage businesses advertising with local media, up to $5,000 a year. If passed, the legislation would apply over an eight-year period unless its provisions are extended.

‘Without the replacement of a local source of news, one-fifth of the nation’s population (about 70 million people) are at risk of not having any authoritative local news source, the study indicated.’ below its current unfavorable levels. Will newspapers disappear altogether? No one whom I spoke to believes it will happen immediately. “A physical paper is desirable,” said Pall-Times Publisher Weigand. “We’ll always see a printed product,” he predicted. He believes the local angle of coverage will ensure its continued demand by the community. Parents and

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Supporters believe that this bill will help a flailing industry that is essential to the American way of life and an industry whose news product is protected by the First Amendment. Opponents believe that passage of such a bill would breach the separation that is currently the tradition between government and independent media. This would mean that journalists could become beholden to the politicians they are supposed to hold accountable. Weigand, who supports the legislation that has 30 Democrats and 19 Republicans as co-sponsors, said that when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, was in the Oswego County area recently that he promised to help get the legislation passed this year; however, an industry newsletter predicted just a 2% chance of passage, especially now that it has been stripped from the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act. Newspaper companies are also looking at another possible revenue infusion through the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, which would compel online companies such as Google, Facebook and others to pay for content they now use for free from newspapers or their online sites.

The bill, introduced in the Senate by Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, creates a four-year safe harbor from antitrust laws for print, broadcast, or digital news companies to collectively negotiate with online content distributors regarding the terms on which the news companies’ content may be distributed by online content distributors. One of the co-sponsors of a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives is Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Because of the declining number of newspapers in the land, Nadler said, “The consequences are bad for everyone: fewer local news providers translates to unchecked governmental corruption, corporate misconduct, and widespread misinformation, plus a raft of other consequences for citizens, taxpayers, and our democracy. The free and diverse press needs a level playing field to do its job. This bill simply provides that level playing field, allowing news publishers to fairly negotiate with dominant online platforms. We have worked on a bipartisan and bicameral basis to strengthen and improve the bill over the past year, and I look forward to marking it up when Congress returns in September.”

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As you might expect, these online giants are opposed to the bill and are fighting against it vigorously. The plummeting circulation of newspapers, both national and locally, graphically tell the tale of this precipitous fall from grace. In the period of 2000 until this year, the print circulation of the once largest newspaper in the country, USA Today, dropped from 1.77 million to 159,000, a 91% decline. The Wall Street Journal circulation dropped “only” 60%, from 1.76 million to 697,000. The New York Times fell 70%, from 1.1 million to 330,000, and The Washington Post dropped 79%, from 762,000 to 159,000. In an update on New York City’s “Tabloid Wars,” the liberal New York Daily News, which led the conservative New York Post in circulation in 2000 by 261,000, now trails the city’s feisty, Rupert Murdock-owned daily by 91,000. The Daily News sells around 55,000 copies a day; the Post, 146,000. The Post-Standard circulation of 71,000 also represents a substantial drop from 2000. The Palladium-Times circulation of about 5,500 is roughly half of what it was in 2000.

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RETIRING…AFTER 41 YEARS WITH OCO Patrick Waite of Fulton has seen substantial change in human services over four-decade career By Ken Sturtz

hen Patrick Waite reflects on his career in human services he marvels at how different things were when he started his first job in the late 1970s. The way society viewed and cared for those in need, such as the homeless and developmentally disabled, was dramatically different. While many things in human services have changed for the better since then, much remains to be done, he said. Waite retired in June from Oswego County Opportunities as deputy executive director after 41 years with the organization. He isn’t walking away from helping people, but he is planning to take a break. So, what kept him with the same agency for four decades? “I just always embraced OCO’s mission as an anti-poverty agency and I always had a strong heart for working with people with disabilities,” he said. “That kept me going.” Over the years he had opportunities to work for other human service agencies, but OCO constantly offered him new opportunities and challenges so the work never got old. But when Waite moved to the area for his first job it wasn’t with OCO. He grew up in Ilion, near Utica, and considered going into special education, but changed his mind and studied human services. After college he moved to Oswego County and took a job working with adults with developmental disabilities. A few years

later, in 1981, OCO hired him for a newly created caseworker position dealing with developmentally disabled adults in the agency’s residential program. At the time OCO’s residential program for developmentally disabled adults was tiny, consisting of just four community residences, known to the public as group homes. “Back in the day when someone was born with a developmental disability, often the doctor would say just put them in an institution and go on with your life and forget about them,” Waite said. “A lot of families did.” But things were changing by the late 1970s and early 1980s. State facilities had long been used to warehouse children and adults with developmental disabilities, resulting in horrific cases of abuse and neglect.

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After the exposure of the conditions at the notorious Willowbrook State School in New York City, New York state started moving residents out of institutions.

Patrick Waite at his desk at Oswego County Opportunities in Fulton.

As the state began emphasizing active treatment and community-based programs, Waite spent much of his time working to find residents new homes. “They were pushing people out of the institutions so I did a lot of placements,” Waite said. “I always found it exciting to bring someone out of the institution.” It wasn’t always an easy job. Waite did screenings at developmental centers and worked with families to place residents. He often had to contact family to get permission to move them. Some were hard to find. Others were hesitant to move their loved ones after struggling with the decision to put them in an institution in the first place. He also worked with parents who cared for their son or daughter at home, but were aging and knew they wouldn’t be able to care for them in the future. He said those families often struggled the most with deciding if placing their loved one in a home was the right thing to do. As OCO needed to develop more group homes, Waite’s job changed. He became a case supervisor and then coordinator of developmental disabilities. He worked with real estate agents to find suitable houses and develop new group homes. Opposition in the community was intense. Waite said he frequently made presentations at public hearings and was often screamed at by angry neighbors who didn’t want a group home opening nearby. He said he played a strong advocacy role and spent a lot of

time trying to educate people regarding their fears of the developmentally disabled. “They’re just people and they have some deficits,” he said. “But they still have the desire to have the same kind of life that you and I have.” At the start of his career, OCO was taking people out of institutions and placing them in eight- to 10-bed houses. Over the years the trend was toward smaller four-bed houses. OCO still operates 15 homes for the developmentally disabled, but closed two of them. Waite said it was partly due to workforce challenges, but also because of a shift away from the group home model. “So that for me, having been there for 40 years, was a huge turnaround in my thinking that we have to look at downsizing our footprint as opposed to expanding,” Waite said. “And if we’re going to expand, are we going to expand in a different way?” The shift has been toward encouraging the developmentally disabled to be more involved and engaged in directing their services. Many families today want their loved ones to live on their own as opposed to having 24/7 care in a group home. Many can live semi-independently with the proper support, Waite said. OCO also operates supervised apartments. Waite’s responsibilities at OCO grew over time. He became director of the mental hygiene division, which encompassed all the agency programs

dealing with developmental disabilities and mental health. He became deputy executive director in 2013. “I really enjoyed the development part of it,” he said. “In the last few years we’ve also gotten into more affordable housing.” Affordable housing has become an important part of addressing homelessness. There’s been some denial that homelessness, often thought of as an urban problem, exists in rural Oswego County, Waite said. But the homeless population, particularly those who couch-surf and have no permanent residence, has grown. Increasing affordable housing has been a struggle due to community opposition and the nature of the population being served, Waite said. “In some ways working in affordable housing offers new challenges,” he said. “You’re working with homeless people who maybe don’t want to be housed or who are in tough situations.” But successes have come with the challenges. In 2019, OCO opened Champlain Commons in Scriba. The complex includes 56 units of affordable housing. Another affordable housing project is expected to open in Pulaski. OCO recently completed its strategic plan for the next three years and Waite said that in addition to affordable housing, access to transportation and growing food insecurity were other major issues identified. While OCO has been working to address those issues, he said the agency has also had to deal with significant workforce issues in the last few years. Many of the jobs OCO needs to fill are difficult and pay relatively little, an issue the agency will need to address to sustain its programs. “The agency is struggling, like everyone else, with people,” Waite said. “We were looking at strategies to keep people; recruitment and retention is key.” And while Waite’s retirement means one more opening, he isn’t walking away from helping the community. He is looking forward to a break and spending time with his four grandchildren. He and his wife still live in Fulton, however, and Waite is active in the Fulton Sunrise Rotary. He also sits on the boards of three human services groups. And while he has no immediate plans, he hasn’t ruled out going back to work in human services. “I’ll still have my hands in it,” he said.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

STAFFING

High Salaries Help Keep, Attract Employees While work-life balance is important, salary is often cited as main reason workers stay in their jobs By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

mployee retention relates to more than salary, as the recent shift toward improved work-life balance has indicated. But salary is still important. A survey of 52,000 people across 44 countries by PricewaterhouseCoopers states that more than one-third of those with specialty skills plan to ask for a raise. Twenty percent said they are “extremely likely or very likely” to change jobs. This kind of mobility suggests that pay is still a big motivator for workers. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more people than ever have realized that they prefer working at home at least part of the time. Other top non-salary attractions include flexible working hours and better healthcare benefits. But without a sufficient salary, an employer can count of fewer applicants for their openings. A good salary helps employees more easily meet their financial obligations, which can mean a more stable home life and a greater likelihood of staying in their role at work. This in turn lowers the company’s cost of recruiting, screening, hiring, onboarding and training new staff, and the reduced overall productivity that can result during these transitional periods. According to Pew Research Centers, most of the workers (63%) who walked away from a job in 2021 said that their low pay was a major reason why. Others said that lack of opportunity for advancement and feeling disrespected at work (57%) were why they didn’t return. Still others cited childcare (48%), lack of schedule flexibility (45%) and poor health insurance and paid tie off benefits (43%). Respondents were permitted to select more than one answer. The survey, taken in 2021, revealed that 31% said that their choice to leave their job (not a furlough or layoff) was related to the pandemic outbreak, such

as concerns about their own health and/ or a family member’s health, or to care for someone who was ill. Of those who quit, the Pew study

stated that most (63%) have not retired but have found work. Ninety-four percent of those said it was somewhat easy or very easy to find work.

Top Salaries in Central New York Karen Knapik-Scalzo, associate economist with the New York State Department of Labor, division of research & statistics in Syracuse, offered the top median annual salaries in the five-county Central New York region. This includes Cayuga County, Cortland County, Madison County, Onondaga County and Oswego County. The data “looks at the occupations with the highest wages based on our long-term occupational projections between 2018 and 2028,” Knapik-Scalzo said.

Dentists, General Nurse Anesthetists Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Architectural & Engineering Managers Training & Development Managers Computer & Information Systems Managers Optometrists Marketing Managers Education Administrators, Postsecondary Financial Managers Purchasing Managers Natural Sciences Managers Sales Managers Human Resources Managers Advertising and Promotions Managers

$174,560 $166,110 $159,600 $152,640 $152,630 $147,060 $143,650 $142,890 $142,410 $136,850 $131,830 $130,840 $127,160 $125,720 $123,340

The total employment for all of New York state is 8,668,580. The mean wage for all occupations is $35.26 and the experienced wage is $44.89.

84 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

STAFFING

Employers Continue to Struggle with Filling Positions Several sectors show decreased in employment numbers By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

lthough some indicators show businesses are adapting and adjusting to post-COVID-19 life, staffing persists as a factor that’s proving sluggish for some industries. Business Insider tabulated Bureau of Labor Statistics data it presented in an August 2022 issue that shows staffing challenges numerous industries with a big decrease in employment from February 2020 to July 2022, including in hospitality and healthcare sectors. The data suggests that employment that requires physical presence or hands-on work is the hardest to staff. This certainly rings true for Janet Yuckel, owner of Done Right Cleaning in West Monroe. “Everything was going well until the pandemic and then everything changed,” she said. “I have half the staff, so that’s half the work. I turn down jobs every day because I can’t staff it. The people I have are wonderful. I need more.” She said that she widely advertises

for openings and pays her staff well. However, she believes that it is the lack of available daycare, the physical nature of the work and also distaste for cleaning that has contributed to the dearth of applicants. “They feel entitled,” she said. “They don’t want to work. No one even calls.” For professional positions, highly skilled positions are tough to fill as well. Carol R. Fletcher, president of C.R. Fletcher Associates, Inc. in Syracuse, said that openings in engineering, finance, and healthcare are really tough to fill. Exacerbating the problem is the shift in applicants, Fletcher has observed. “Candidates since COVID-19 are being more demanding and companies are turning things back to the way things used to be,” she said. “Companies want people in-house. Oftentimes, candidates want to work remotely or as hybrid schedule and a lot of companies aren’t doing that. Companies want to get back to normalcy.” Of course, many roles in healthcare

and manufacturing are hard to fill with a remote or hybrid working arrangement. The cost of education has caused many people to think twice before investing in a degree. Michelle Jevis, director of human resources and staffing at CR Fletcher, said that with fewer people pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s in accounting, “not as many are entering the profession. There are a lot more degree programs and not as many students are picking that. Historically, that profession has always been associated with long hours, travel and busy seasons. A lot of companies are making it more flexible, but the stigma has stuck with it.” In addition to continuing to use their existing employment solicitations and recruiting efforts, companies should look at their existing staff for filling mid- to higher-level openings. “Companies should always consider promoting from within,” said John R. Halleron, advanced certified senior business adviser with the Small Business Development Center in Oswego. “It provides an incentive to an employee to continue to improve skills knowing that there may be a possibility to move up the line. If the talent is there, use it.” Offering tuition reimbursement has proven helpful in healthcare, for example. If other industries followed suit with mentoring programs, educational opportunities or other means of developing their existing staff, they may find more workers willing and capable to fill mid- to -high-level positions.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

STAFFING

Hiring Remains a Challenge for Healthcare Providers By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

he healthcare industry has struggled for decades with a staffing shortage. The pandemic only worsened the problem, with staff absences due to COVID-19, staff burnout and subsequent quitting, excessive man-hour demands on existing staff and massive changes in protocol and PPE use. While many industries have emerged from most of the effects of COVID-19, the pandemic’s impact on healthcare staffing continues. Here’s how a few area providers are coping.

Upstate Medical University “Like many hospitals nationwide, Upstate is facing a shortage of nurses and other health care positions,” said Darryl Geddes, a spokesperson for Upstate Medical University. “Staffing these positions remains our biggest challenge. Our people are our most valuable resource and they are what makes the hospital run. Without them, we cannot meet the needs of the region. As an academic medical center, Upstate offers many significant specialty services, which are always in demand.” To address these challenges, Upstate offers premium overtime, increased per diem rates, pay bumps for most RNs and LPNs and a greater emphasis on recruiting. The organization’s strategies include virtual and in-person events, multimedia advertising and social media campaigns. Upstate continues working with New York state on ways to improve the pay scales for many key roles across the organization. While difficult, Upstate has also been working on maintaining staffing ratios and workloads and relying on temporary and travel workers only when necessary. “Our staff members have gone above and beyond since the COVID pandemic began here in New York in March 2020,” Geddes said. “We’re grateful for their service and looking for others to join our exceptional team.”

Loretto

Oswego Health

The focus is on what staff need, from pay rates to benefits packages to educational opportunities. “We’re an organization that is continuously learning what our employees need through surveys, meetings and other communication,” said Colleen Engler, chief human resources officer. “We work on internal engagement and retention.” She believes that trying to meet employees’ needs — beginning before onboarding — promotes better staffing through hiring more and retaining more. Some of the innovative ideas include providing transportation to workers who need a ride. Removing that as a barrier has brought and kept employees with Loretto who may have otherwise missed work because of a lack of transportation. Engler believes that what employees want most of all is to feel “valued, respected and recognized,” she said. That typifies the empathetic, caring employees that a healthcare provider hopes to attract. A few means of extending recognition to employees includes internal promotions like food truck days and team-building activities. Events such as a trip to the zoo also help build camaraderie. “We listen to what’s important, try to be flexible with scheduling and look at competitive pay rates,” Engler said. For some employees, this is their first job. Loretto employs personal employee coaches to help them navigate their work duties and personal issues like childcare. The coaches are part of the recruitment process and support employees through orientation to identify areas where Loretto can support employees. “The whole organization is very collaborative, down to frontline employees,” Engler said. “We all want great people to come.”

Beyond the typical use of job boards, social media and internet radio to advertise openings, partnering with local high schools has helped Oswego Health bring in more applicants. The organization also participates in career fairs, holds small group classroom discussions about healthcare and operates an early college program in high schools. Alissa Viscome, employee experience manager, said that this allows students to nearly complete an associate degree by the time they graduate from high school. Although teens often want to move on to a bigger, better town, “if we can create opportunities for kids to graduate, stay here and contribute to the community, they already have support here,” Viscome said. “They give back to a place they’ve grown up in.” Programs such as tuition reimbursement can help new employees work their way up the ladder. Transportation for eligible employees can make getting to work easier. Little perks like a hot cocoa bar, coffee bar and contests with gift card prizes helps improve the employee experience. “We’re committed to work-life balance, and taking care of themselves,” Viscome said. “We hire good staff, train them well and treat them well and they’re an employee pipeline.” Their word-of-mouth advertising helps draw more applicants to Oswego Health. The organization also uses two full-time physician recruiters for those roles, in addition to the recruiting provided by directors and senior leadership. “We have great retention with our staff,” Viscome said. “We have such longevity. These days, it’s strange to have healthcare workers staying 10, 25, even 40 or 45 years. People here don’t want to retire and they love what they do. The team and the patients are why they stay.”

86 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

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Working to Make Eastwood a Better Place Developer and real estate broker Stephen Skinner making his mark in Syracuse neighborhood By Margaret McCormick

ast year, Syracuse developer and real estate broker Stephen Skinner, a Republican, challenged Democrat Peggy Chase in the race for 9th District Onondaga County legislator. It was his first run for public office. The 9th district is made up of several parts of Syracuse, including sections of the North Side, Eastwood, East Side and the Syracuse University area. If elected, Skinner said at the time, he would advocate for more street lighting and security cameras, speed bumps to help deter chronic speeding, and more funding for youth recreation and after-school programs, among other things. “I believe I am the best choice to serve as the 9th district legislator, not because of what I say, but because of what I am already doing,’’ Skinner told The Post-Standard. In the end, Chase won another term. And Skinner returned to doing what he has been doing for the last 20-plus years: working to make the Eastwood neighborhood — his home base — a better place to live, work and play. Eastwood, dubbed “The Village Within the City,’’ is about two miles east of downtown Syracuse and bordered roughly by Teall Avenue to the west, Thompson Road to the east, Burnet Avenue–Route 690 to the south and the jagged city limits line to the north. It has more than 6,000 homes, many dating to the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, according to the Eastwood Neighborhood Association. The streets are tree-lined and walkable, and the neighborhood is home to several parks and recreation spaces. The neighborhood has a close-knit, small-town vibe and a community spirit that residents embrace. That includes a busy business district, especially on James Street, the neighborhood’s main corridor. Even if you haven’t spent much

Syracuse developer and real estate broker Stephen Skinner is active in several projects taking place in his Eastwood neighborhood.

time in Eastwood, per se, you might have attended a show at the Palace Theatre (which Skinner owns), checked out the titles at Books End Bookshop or Books and Melodies, or attempted the

88 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

“Frittata Challenge’’ at Mother’s Cupboard, a hole-in-the-wall diner that’s been featured on the Travel Channel. Skinner is well-known in Eastwood and his roots there run deep. His grand-

RIGHT: Exterior shot of the Palace Theatre in Eastwood, which is owned by Stephen Skinner.

parents, Wesley and Charlotte Skinner, opened the original Sacred Melody store on Salina Street in Syracuse, which sold bibles, Christian books and records. The business moved to the Eastwood Plaza on James Street in the 1980s, where it remains. Stephen Skinner started working there as teenager in the 1990s. Skinner, 43, spent much of his youth in Kirkville, where he lived with his family in what he describes as a sheltered, “faith-centered environment.’’ In 1999, after spending several years in sales and feeling “no sense of purpose and destiny,’’ he felt “called” to direct his energy to Eastwood, help erase blight and bring business back to the empty storefronts he saw there. Over the next few years, he slowly started to renovate and expand the Eastwood Plaza and recruit other businesses, including the original Café Kubal location. He also started a lawn mowing and snowplowing business. “From there,’’ Skinner said, “focusing on Eastwood has been what we do.’’ In 2015, Skinner established Skinner and Associates Realty, a real estate firm focused on commercial and residential properties. “That’s when we really started to move to the next level,’’ Skinner said. The following year, Skinner purchased the Palace Theatre, a movie house and entertainment venue operated by members of the DiBella and Heagerty families for more than 90 years. In all, Skinner said, he has renovated hundreds of homes and helped

more than 60 businesses get established in Syracuse. These include destinations like Eastwood Brewing Company, located on the back side of Eastwood Plaza; Sinbad, a Middle Eastern restaurant on James Street and Found Things Co., a plant store that started off on James Street and now occupies a renovated former garage on Collingwood Avenue. “In essence we are their landlords,’’ Skinner explained. Recent additions to the James Street corridor include The Curd Nerd, a boutique cheese shop; Cracked Bean Roastery, a coffee shop next to The Palace Theatre; and Marketplace on James, a consortium of vintage dealers, artists and “cottage industry businesses.’’ All are in buildings owned and renovated by Skinner. Skinner’s real estate office is at the Midler House, 2649 James St., the former Welter-Price Funeral Home. He rents space there to several micro businesses focused on personal care, including a massage therapist. “I get a lot of phone calls,’’ Skinner said. “People call us with a vision they have for something and from there we will help support them.’’ Skinner has his own vision for the neighborhood he, his wife, Katrina, and their four children call home. He would much rather see a candle shop or cheese shop in Eastwood than a vape shop or another convenience store and he is especially pleased to have found new tenants for two former “nuisance bars,’’ The East Room (now Sinbad) and the Tip-A-Few Tavern

(Marketplace on James). The business owner funds a weekly street clean-up crew and it’s not unusual to see him out picking up litter on Eastwood streets himself. He has advocated for pet waste stations in the neighborhood, upgrades to community parks and a James Street lighting district that would brighten the business corridor with more attractive light posts and energy-efficient lighting. To help fund some of these projects, he has formed a nonprofit organization called Growing Good Works, to which people can make donations. Skinner isn’t without his critics in what he calls “the village.’’ His biggest project to date, which was recently approved by the city, will bring 29 upscale apartments to the former William Howard Taft School on James Street – and has spurred some talk that he is trying to gentrify the neighborhood. The building is currently occupied by American Legion Post 1276, which plans to move to the former Friendly’s restaurant building a few blocks to the east. “I’m basically doing this out of love,’’ Skinner said of his dedication to Eastwood. “This has taken 23 years of my life. When I tell people I live and breathe Eastwood, I live and breathe it. It doesn’t consume part of me, it takes all of me.’’ Joseph Nastri, a licensed real estate broker with Keller Williams Realty who has lived in Eastwood most of his life, said it takes a village to keep the “Village Within the City’’ moving forward and making positive gains. He said

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

A sign indicating you’re entering Eastwood neighborhood in Syracuse. It’s dubbed “The Village Within the City.”

Eastwood has changed for the better in recent years, thanks to a corps of people who believe in it, invest in it, and dedicate their time to it (including himself and his brother, Realtor Jan Nastri). “That’s what it takes,’’ Nastri said. “One guy can’t do it all. Steve has been great for the neighborhood. I admire him. He’s a good friend and a friendly competitor, I guess you could say. He really picked up the ball and ran with it. He’s very conscientious. He cares about what he does and who he associates with.’’ Nicole Eiffe (pronounced eaf; rhymes with leaf) is the founder of Bug, Bear & Bean, a boutique candle shop featuring hand-poured, naturally scented soy candles. She had been making the candles at home and selling them online and at a few local businesses when opportunity knocked — in the form of Stephen Skinner. One day, Eiffe dropped off some candles at the Found Things Co. plant store. While there, store owner Sarah Hardy introduced her to Skinner. He asked Eiffe if she had plans to open a retail location. “Eventually,’’ she told him. A month later, she said, Skinner called to let her know he had a space open at 2721 James St., a couple doors down from Sinbad restaurant. A year later, Eiffe said, business is good, there’s plenty of foot traffic, especially on weekends, and she’s at home in a supportive community. “Before I had a business in East-

wood, I would shop here,’’ Eiffe said. “I would park in front of Found Things and walk around there and leave. Now there’s a coffee shop, a cheese shop, a dog-grooming business — and this is all in the last year.” “I feel like Stephen is kind of the connection for everyone,’’ Eiffe added. “We’ve all connected in some way because of him, and we all support each other. It’s a nice camaraderie.’’

A Man of Faith, He Now Leads Forward Point Church Stephen Skinner has always lived a faith-centered life. When the longtime Eastwood resident, developer and real estate broker isn’t consumed with the details of buying, selling, renovating and managing properties, he nourishes his spiritual side through family, community and church activities. Skinner and his wife, Katrina, in partnership with another couple, Jimmy and Chaz-Lit Doyle, are leaders at Forward Point Church, a community of faith, hope and love that exists “to help people find purpose in Jesus.’’ Members of Forward Point gather at 10 a.m. on Sundays at the Palace Theatre in Eastwood, which Skinner owns. Forward Point is a non-traditional church and it might be the only church in Syracuse where members and visitors

90 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

can sip on espresso drinks and munch on movie theater popcorn at Sunday worship. About 100 people show up each week, Skinner said. It’s a come-asyou-are atmosphere where everyone is welcome and connection beyond Sunday is encouraged. “We’re a down-to-earth, modern church,’’ Skinner said. “We don’t have formal titles and we don’t have formal membership. We love our neighbors. How do we love our neighbors? By making sure everyone is welcome.’’ This summer, Forward Point is expanding its reach by opening Luv Handlz, a “weigh and pay’’ frozen yogurt shop at 2500 James St., a couple blocks from the Palace. The space is available for private events and plans call for the shop to serve crepes and bubble tea down the road. Jimmy Doyle is the operations chairman and leader behind Luv Handlz. Skinner helped to finance the project, along with the church, and serves as vice chairman. Proceeds will benefit the church, which in turn will use it to invest in the Eastwood community by sponsoring sports teams and funding scholarships, among other things. “Have we figured it all out yet?’’ Skinner said. “No. We believe in it. We believe in finding ways to help kids and families.’’ For more information on Forward Point Church, visit www.forwardpoint. org/home

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$21.50

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and1919 Operated – Since 1919 Family Owned and Operated – Owned Since FamilyFamily Owned and Operated – Since 1919 910 Fay • Fulton • 315-592-2313 910Street Fay Street • Fulton • 315-592-2313 910 Fay Street • Fulton • 315-592-2313 837 Cayuga Street •Street Hannibal • 315-564-6288 837315-564-6288 Cayuga • Hannibal • 315-564-6288 837 Cayuga Street • Hannibal • fosterfh@windstream.net fosterfh@windstream.net fosterfh@windstream.net www.fosterfuneralhome.com www.fosterfuneralhome.com www.fosterfuneralhome.com

COMMITMENT TO GIVING: DAN FISHER

Since completing my 35-year career at Welch Allyn, I have dedicated my time and resources to my growing family (grandchildren!) and our community. My fund at the Community Foundation supports the Skaneateles Festival, the Seward House Museum, St. James’ Episcopal Church, conserving the environmental health of the Finger Lakes and more.

Read more of Dan’s story at cnycf.org/Fisher

315.422.9538 | C N YC F. O R G

Dan Fisher with his wife, Lori Ruhlman, at their home.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

SUCCESS STORY

By Ken Sturtz

RICHARD S. SHINEMAN FOUNDATION AT 10 YEARS

Over a decade it has evolved from a fledgling startup to become a major ‘catalyst for change’ in Oswego County.

Barbara Shineman addressing elementary school students visiting the SUNY Oswego campus. Photo provided

ongtime SUNY Oswego chemistry professor Richard “Dick” Shineman made a bequest of more than $20 million for a foundation that would broadly benefit Central New York and specifically Oswego County. When he died in 2010, Barbara, his wife of 37 years, was determined to honor his wishes. Her background, however, was in education, not philanthropy, and she spent more than a year speaking with attorneys, consultants and advisers to understand the process of establishing a foundation and map a path forward. Karen Goetz — who became one of the foundation’s original board members and later its executive director — remembers that when the four-person board met for the first time in January 2013 none of them knew much about charitable foundations. “All of us on the board were new,” she said. “We all sat around the table and said ‘Wow here we are. Now what are we going to do?’” A decade later the Richard S. Shineman Foundation has transformed from a well-intentioned idea into Oswego County’s premier philanthropic organization. It’s awarded 200 grants totaling nearly $12 million, supporting programs in areas from arts and culture, education and historic preservation, to economic development, the environment and health and human services. The foundation also made a naming gift to SUNY Oswego in 2012: $4 million over 10 years, supplemented by a $1 million gift from Barbara, for the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation. “I really think the foundation has embraced being a catalyst for change,” said Kathy Fenlon, board chairwoman. “And I look at many of the projects that we’ve funded and they simply would not have happened without the Shineman funding.” She cited support for the Children’s Museum of Oswego and the Oswego Renaissance Association’s beautification efforts as two of many examples. Richard Shineman grew up in Canajoharie and studied chemistry at Cornell University. He served in the Army and later earned a master’s from Syracuse University and a doctorate at Ohio State. He taught at Purdue University before being hired in 1962 to serve as the first chairman of the

chemistry department at Oswego. He retired in 1988, but remained active in the community. Barbara Palmer Shineman was also a professor at Oswego, teaching elementary education and starting the college’s former laboratory for teachers in training. Her first husband died suddenly when she was in her early 40s and she never saw herself remarrying or even dating until she and Richard Shineman met. Richard Shineman’s wealth came from his father’s Beech-Nut baby food and chewing gum fortune. His father retired as chairman of the board in the 1950s. Despite the wealth that came with his inheritance, Richard Shineman continued to live a relatively humble life. But he had developed philanthropic instincts early on — perhaps from his father, who was very generous in the Canajoharie area — and was supportive of charitable causes his entire life, said Jeff Rea, author of “The Shineman Legacy: The Founder Speaks.” “He was giving to things even before he had a fortune to give,” Rea said. Barbara Shineman shared her husband’s passion for philanthropy and was determined to honor his wishes and his memory, said Rea, who spent more than a year researching and writing the book, which chronicles the couple’s lives and the establishment of the foundation. “After Dick’s death and a period of mourning it started to really gnaw at her that she needed to do something about this magnificent bequest,” Rea said. Richard Shineman had provided the money — about $25 million by the time it was rolled into the foundation — and specified five or six diverse areas of interest, but the details needed to be hammered out. Barbara Shineman began working on establishing the foundation, reached out to experts and friends and gradually brought a team together. Goetz, who retired as the foundation’s executive director in September, remembers being shocked when Barbara Shineman asked her to be on the board. Goetz had grown up in Oswego and was friends with her daughter, Kathy. She went to their house often and had been close with Barbara Shineman for decades. But Goetz quickly pointed out that her background was in business. She

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

LEFT Richard Shineman, his wife Barbara, and Kathy Palmer, daughter of Barbara Shineman. RIGHT Shineman in a classroom at SUNY Oswego, where he was professor in the chemistry department BOTTOM Kathy Fenlon, Shineman’s board chairwoman, Barbara Shineman and Jeff Rea, author of “The Shineman Legacy: The Founder Speaks.”

was an entrepreneur who had owned two successful startups, but knew almost nothing about philanthropy. “And she said, ‘Karen I want you to be on the board for two reasons,’” Goetz said. “‘First, I trust you implicitly, and second, because you have experience starting and growing companies. I think that your experience will be invaluable to our startup foundation.’” Goetz agreed to join the board and promptly gave herself a crash course in philanthropy by attending nonprofit workshops and conferences. The foundation began accepting grant applications and announced its first round of funding in the spring of 2013. Around that time Fenlon, who

was nearing retirement as executive director of the Oswego City-County Youth Bureau, was looking for help with one last long-term project. The Oswego County Nature Park at Camp Zerbe, which is operated by the youth bureau, had a rustic 1940s lodge on the property that was boarded up and in poor condition. Fenlon spent several years trying to find money to repair and open the long-shuttered lodge. She secured $450,000 in state funding, but still needed $50,000 for the project to go forward. “And along came the Shineman Foundation,” she said. “I was thrilled.” Fenlon expressed an interest in the foundation’s mission. She knew a great

94 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

deal about nonprofits and the needs in Oswego County. She was invited to join the foundation’s board in 2014. The foundation’s original bequest was to benefit the five-county region of Central New York, specifically Oswego County. At the time the foundation was reviewing funding requests from across the region, Fenlon said. “The board was really still trying to figure out what kinds of things to fund,” she said. “They were really kind of in the figuring out stage.” The board developed a strategic plan in 2014. They’d learned that many larger foundations were not providing support in Oswego County and decided to narrow their geographic focus “To go beyond the county would really water down the impact that we could have locally,” Fenlon said. While the foundation’s geographic focus was narrowed, the board kept a broad focus on the types of projects and programs the foundation would support. “Because there’s not a lot of funding coming into Oswego County we did not feel we had the luxury of picking just a few different areas that we would fund,” Goetz said. In 2014, the executive director resigned and the board began searching for a replacement. Goetz said she became hooked on the world of nonprofits and the difference the foundation could make in the community. She also

believed her experience starting and growing businesses would be helpful. She was hired in 2014 and set about putting processes and procedures in place to run the foundation like a business. She also spent considerable time getting to know the nonprofits and people in the community – the foundation was still new to many – and meeting with leaders of other foundations to learn how they operated. She discovered there were great resources available to nonprofits in Syracuse, such as professional development, but Oswego County nonprofits were for the most part not taking advantage. Many nonprofits asked if the foundation could provide similar support in Oswego. In 2018, the board was again working on its strategic plan and looking at ways it could grow its impact. Goetz shared what she’d been hearing about

requests for professional development. “We also knew that many of the organizations in Oswego County were not being run in a very business-like mode,” she said. “They wanted and needed help running more effectively and efficiently.” The board decided it would begin developing a plan to help nonprofits with professional and organizational development. In 2019, the foundation then kicked off its Nonprofit Education & Training (NET) program, which offers seminars and workshops for nonprofit staff and board members seeking tools for professional and organizational development. The series continued virtually through the pandemic. The events bring together representatives from several dozen organizations. The NET program is part of an effort by the foundation to take a more proac-

tive role in convening organizations to discuss opportunities to collaborate on strategic initiatives to improve Oswego County. As it celebrates its 10th birthday the foundation is entering a transition period. Barbara Shineman is 94 years old and has taken a less active role, though she remains interested in the foundation’s work. The organization is also welcoming a new executive director. And term limits mean half of the board will be turning over in January. But the foundation’s work will go ahead unimpeded. Its investment portfolio has grown to $33 million even with its philanthropic support over the last decade. And Goetz said it’s proven itself more than capable of meeting the changing needs of the community. “I feel the foundation is poised to keep growing and evolving,” she said.

The Richard S. Shineman Foundation has transformed from a wellintentioned idea into Oswego County’s premier philanthropic organization. In its 10 years, it has awarded 200 grants totaling nearly $12 million. Organizations benefitting from the nonprofit include United Way of Oswego County and Oswego Health Foundation.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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BEST BUSINESS DIRECTORY 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE Vail Tree Service. Complete tree and limb removal — 100-foot crane reach. Free estimates-fully insured. Senior discounts available. Contact Derrick Bartlett 315-806-0147.

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 Fulton. Call 315-593-1332. 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. Phone: 315-342-6871. Port City Car Care, 315-207-0500 www.portcitycarcare.com 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., Oswego.

CAR WRAP + VEHICLE & WINDOW GRAPHICS Upward Graphics. 21 S. 2nd St., Fulton. Visit upwardgfx.com or 315-402-2099.

DEMOLITION Fisher Companies. Commercial and residential demolition. Great prices. Fully insured. Free estimates. 50 years of experience. Call Fisher Companies at 315652-3773 or visit www.johnefisherconstruction.com.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING Scriba Electric. Offering residential-commercial-and industrial services. 3 Creamery Road, Oswego, NY 13126, www.scribaelectric.com, 315-342-7681

EXCAVATING Gilbert Excavating. Septic systems. Gravel & top soil. Septic tank pumping. 685 County Route 3, Fulton, 13069. Call 593-2472.

FLOORING & CARPET With over 40 years’ experience House Works Carpet offers high quality and affordable waterproof luxury flooring, hardwood, laminate, ceramic tile and carpet

for all your residential and commercial flooring needs. Family owned and operated since 1984 our dedicated and knowledgeable staff are here to assist you. We do it all from design to installation. 315-593-2113, 318 W. Broadway, Fulton, Houseworksfulton.com, or email us at the houseworks@windstream.net.

POOL COVER REPAIR Trust the experts! Let us repair your in-ground pool cover. Free estimates. Everybody says “call this guy”. Cortini shoe zipper canvas repair. Fulton. 315-593-8914.

ROOFING, DECKS PORCH

Everything you’re looking for in a local florist. Full service with delivery. 36 years experience. Tux/suit rentals, holiday and sympathy designs available. DeVine Designs, 200 E. Broadway, Fulton. 315-592-4245 dvinedesign.com.

Enright Roofing has over 40 years’ experience providing high quality affordable new roof, deck and porch construction. We also offer roof, soffit and fascia repair in addition to gutter clean-outs and blown insulation service. We accept all types of insurance claims and are a locally owned and operated company. Contact Enright Roofing at 315-374-2805 for service and estimates.

KILN-DRIED HARDWOODS

SCREEN PRINTING & EMBROIDERY

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. 298-6407 or visit www. lakeshorehardwoods.com.

Valti Graphics — Creating garment graphics on customized apparel in screen printing, embroidery, Greek apparel & custom lettering. Phone: 315-342-4912, 152 W. Bridge St., Oswego. Valtigraphics.com

FLORIST/TUX RENTAL

LUMBER White’s Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski: 3707 State Route 13, 315-298-6575; Watertown: 231 N. Rutland Street, 315-788-6200; Clayton: 945 James Street, 315-686-1892; Gouverneur: 71 Depot St., 315287-1892.

PICTURE FRAMING Picture Connection offers custom matting & framing for photos, posters, prints, oils and more. Shadow boxes, object framing, art print source. 169 W. 1st St., Oswego. 315-343-2908.

PLUMBING & HEATING SUPPLY AHR Mechanical. Providing plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration, and electrical services for all your residential and commercial needs. Call 315-668-6569 or contact ahrmechanical@gmail.com for more information. 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, 315-3431906.

SHIPPING SERVICES One-stop-shop for unique gifts for that hard to buy for person. We are an authorized FedEx, UPS and USPS shipping and drop-off location. Ship-It/The Village Shops. 2 W. 1st St. N, Fulton. 315-592-9357.

STUMP GRINDING, REMOVAL CB Stump Removal. Free estimates, fully licensed and insured. Contact Candy Vail 13 Denesha Place, Fulton NY 13069, 315-297-5160, candybartlett@yahoo.com

TRACTOR / LAWN EQUIPMENT RanMar Tractor Supply, sales and service of new and used tractors and farm equipment. 5219 US Route 11 Pulaski. 315-298-5109.

THE PLACE TO ADVERTISE FOR RESULTS! CONTACT RICHARD ANNAL: 315-342-8020

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Oswego County Business Magazine, P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

LAST PAGE

By Steve Yablonski work. At my age, I don’t want to be a liability. Q: If you weren’t doing this, would you still be a banker?

A: No, no. Banking was fun when I first started. We had the ability to actually take care of our customers. But with all the mergers and everything, things changed. Q: Why are retiring now? A: I chose to retire now so that I would have the time to relax and be with my wife more and travel. After 20-plus years and being 70, signals time to go.

John R. Halleron: After more than 20 years on the job, he plans to retire in December.

John R. Halleron

Longtime business adviser who helped thousands to start or expand their business, set to retire

Q: How did you come to be in this position? A: At the time, I was driving to Ithaca, working at a credit union. That’s when I got the call with the offer for this job. I liked what I was doing but, an hour and a half drive versus a half hour drive? I didn’t have to think about it; didn’t even know what the salary was. I just said, “I’ll take it!”

Q: Are you married? A: Yes, I have been married for 48 years with one son and one daughter. I also have two grandsons.

Q: How long have you been doing this job? A: I have been with New York State Small Business Development Center since July 2002.

Q: What do you like to do outside of work? A: I play golf. I read and do household projects. I am also a volunteer firefighter in B’ville.

Q: And, before that, what did you do? A: Prior to this, I worked in banking from 1981 to 2002. Believe it or not, I saw an ad for the position (small business adviser) in the newspaper and took a chance; it paid off well.

Q: Any close calls? A: I got blown out of a building; a lumber yard fire. A propone tank exploded and we all got blown backwards. It was about 25 years ago. The photographer from the Messenger was right on the scene. Luckily, there were zero injuries! [Note: copies of the two black and white news photos hang in his office. One shows him and other firefighters about to enter the building. The second shows the firefighters flat on their backs.]

Q: How old are you? A: I am 70 years old. Q: Where were you born and raised? A: I was born in New York City. I grew up in New Jersey. I lived in Plattsburgh, moved to B’ville in ‘81 to go to work for Key Bank Central. I was a branch manager.

Q: What is your educational background? A: I have a bachelor’s in business and communication. And, an associates in banking.

Q: So, you are still a member of the B’ville department?

A: Yes. But, I don’t do anymore interior

98 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022

Q: What will be your last day on the job? A: December 31st. Q: Do you plan on relocating after you retire?

A: No. We are going to stay in B’ville. The house is paid for (laughs). Q: What has been the best part of you job here?

A: The best part of my job is being able to go around the county and see all the business that I have helped, start, grow, and survive through the pandemic. Q: You are going to miss that, aren’t you? A: I will truly miss that. It has been a great ride! Q: Could you name a few of the business you have assisted over the years?

A: There have been many, many businesses. As of July 28, I took 4,154 cases, helped create 1,592 new jobs and saved 1,301 since starting in 2002. I’d have to name them all to be fair! Q: So, what are you going to do after you retire?

A: We plan to spend more time with our grandchildren. We will do some traveling and volunteer around our village. Q: Sounds like you will be staying active. A: Yes. I will find something somewhere. I may do some consulting. I’m not going to sit around and do nothing. I can’t do that. Q: Do you have any advice for the person who will be in your seat next year?

A: Enjoy the ride. Have fun. And, get involved.

Generating safe, clean and reliable power, fueling the upstate economy and protecting the environment.

Celebrating Over 50 Years in Central New York A proud member of the Central New York community, Novelis is the world’s premier producer of rolled aluminum and the global leader in aluminum recycling, producing more than a billion pounds of high-quality aluminum sheet each year. Novelis Oswego is an important part of a global network of aluminum recycling and rolling facilities, producing aluminum for products like Ford F-150 and Super Duty trucks, beverage cans and architecture. We enable our customers to make their ideas real, and we help consumers to enjoy the products they want today while knowing they are contributing to a better world tomorrow.

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Oswego County Business, #182: October - November 2022

Articles inside

Eastwood Neighborhood

Last Page

Retiring

My Turn

SUNY Oswego’s Impact

Where in the World is Sandra Scott?

How I Got Started

Retirement

Publisher’s Note

Restaurant for Sale

Amazon on a Hiring Binge

Dining Out