Oswego County Business, #188: October - November 2023 by Oswego County Business Magazine

October/November 2023

www.cnybusinessmag.com

$4.50

CNY’s Business Magazine

VETERANS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Census figures show that 5.6% of all businesses in the U.S. are veteran-owned. Nine veterans share their stories on how they’ve overcome adversities to strike out on their own. Starts on page 46 Corey Christman, a 1991 Oswego High School grad, spent most of his 20-year career as a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. He now owns Bravery Wines in Penn Yan.

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CONTENTS

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2023

ISSUE 188

VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES After nearly two decades of military service, Gerald Searfoss decided to spice up things. He now owns Black OPS BBQ in Brewerton.. This and eight other featured profiles Brewerton

FEATURES

MANUFACTURING

Austin Wheelock: first 250 days • Onondaga SBDC now in charge in Oswego County • Growing a skilled workforce • Q&A with Randy Wolken • HR Basics for small manufacturers

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

BANKING

What’s next for CEO Mark Tryniski? • Ways to make passive income • How much money people think they need to retire comfortably • Beware of credit card skimmers

More Contents 40

Tipping

My Turn

Tim’s Notes

No Gas, No Problem

Food Bank Expansion

What should you really pay when it comes to tipping? How many men have been president of the U.S.? By Bruce Frassinelli Bringing people together, one song and note at a time By Tim Nekritz Electric vehicles grow more common in CNY CNY chapter, one of 16 in NYS, goes through a $8.5M expansion

BUSINESS IS BOOMING AT SYRACUSE CANNABIS STORE

60 32

Economic Development Financing available to facilitate business and development By Austin Wheelock

Use of ars in electric c lly ua CNY grad g s a e incr in

Departments 8 16

Publisher’s Note On the Job

How I Got Started

What is your company’s bereavement policy? Renee Doney, owner of Village Shops in Fulton

18 16 20

Profile

Nathan Emmons is the new economic development person at Operation Oswego County

Dining Out

26 94

Biz Update / Newsmakers Success Story

Last Page

Duskee’s Sports Bar & Grill, Phoenix

Stefanos’s Pizzeria open third store — in Jefferson County SUNY Oswego helping develop long-lasting lithium-ion batteries

BUYER’S CHOICE —Check our new product placement page. P. 15

94 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

R.I.P Bruce Frassinelli

n Wednesday, Sept. 6, around 3 p.m. I got a call from a reporter in Pennsylvania. “I wonder if you can provide a photo of Bruce Frassinelli. We’re publishing his obit and we’re trying to get a recent photo of him.” And just like that I learned that long-time Oswego County Business writer Bruce Frassinelli had died. I’m still in shock — and saddened. I was in touch with Bruce just three days before when we exchanged a series of emails, which we normally did. Bruce has written for Oswego County Business for over 20 years. I recall getting very excited to get him on board. It was like a major coup, so to speak. He was one of the best writers around and a few years earlier had finished a very successful tenure as publisher of the Oswego Palladium-Times. He was very well connected, served on the boards of several organizations and was a past governor of the Rotary Club. The magazine was about 10 years old at that point and having someone of the caliber of Bruce meant a great deal. His first column debuted with the April-May 2003 edition. Indeed, Bruce made a huge difference. He wrote several cover stories for the magazine. Profiles of former U.S. Ambassador Doug Barclay and of then-publisher of the Oswego County Weeklies Mark Backus come to mind. He maintained his column every issue. He discussed the media, politics, culture, workplace and a number of other issues. His columns were always interesting, insightful, well-written, sharp and sometimes controversial. In one recent column he discussed how Fox News had contributed to a wave of disinformation about the 2020 presidential elections. Great, objective column. Some readers didn’t like it. We got reaction from a dozen readers — some even canceled their subscription to this magazine because they said they were fans of Fox News and how dare you say bad things about the station. Readers can get a good sample of Bruce’s writing in this issue. We’re publishing his last two columns. He was not much a fan of how the tipping system works in the U.S. and he discusses the merits of tipping those 8

OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Wagner Dotto editor@cnybusinessmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stefan Yablonski syablonski@twcny.rr.com WRITERS Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Christopher Malone, Stefan Yablonski Norah Machia, Ken Sturtz COLUMNISTS Austin Wheelock Bruce Frassinelli, Tim Nekritz

who wait tables. Very interesting stuff. He is also writing about politics: If Joe Biden is the 46th president, how many men have served in that position? Bruce also maintained a column in 55 PLUS, a separate magazine we publish. His columns were more personal — on aging, raising children, discipline, exercise, health — and very often drew many comments from readers. He was always excited to share those comments and I always appreciated reading them. In a recent column that celebrated the 30th year of Oswego County Business, Bruce explained his philosophy: “I have tried to enlighten readers on the challenges journalists have in crafting a readable and interesting story. The ability to synthesize thousands of words — sometimes screamed or spewed in emotional torrents — into a coherent report is an art form requiring skill, patience and talent. That is precisely what is expected of journalists each time they report and write.’’ Needless to say, over the years, he became a good friend, a mentor, someone always willing to listen and to offer advice. Very sad to see him go. We will miss him. Rest in peace, my friend.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

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

ADVERTISING Peggy Kain

p3ggyk@gmail.com Jamie Elen jamieelocalnews@gmail.com SECRETARY Alisson Lockwood localnewsoffice@gmail.com LAYOUT & DESIGN Angel Campos Toro COVER PHOTO Chuck Wainwright

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. © 2023 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

OVER 70 HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN ONE NETWORK!

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ADVERTISING INDEX Allanson-Glanville-Tappan Funeral Home.........................30 ALPS Professional Services.........28 Ameriprise Financial (Randy Zeigler).......................24 Associated Dental Arts.................24 BarclayDamon..............................51 Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law.....................78 Brennan Beach.............................13 Bristol Racing ATV.......................12 Builder’s FirstSource....................31 Burke’s Home Center...................27 C & S Companies.........................67 Canale’s Insurance & Accounting ..........................21 Cayuga Community College.........79 Century 21 - Galloway Realty.......27 CNY Arts.......................................14 CNY Community Foundation........14 Colonial Financial Group..............21 Community Bank..........................19 Compass Credit Union.................33

ConnextCare..................................9 Constelation..................................24 Crouse Hospital..............................2 EJ USA...........................................4 Elemental Management Group ....39 Felix Schoeller North America......61 Finger Lakes Garage Doors.........27 Fitzgibbons Agency......................83 Foster Funeral Home....................38 Freedom Real Estate....................33 Fulton Oswego Motor Express.....74 Fulton Savings Bank.....................30 Fulton Taxi....................................33 Fulton Tool Co..............................74 Gartner Equipment.......................67 Good Guys Barbershoop..............31 Green Planet Grocery...................13 H. Lee White Museum..................12 Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY..................10 International Monetary System.....51 J P Jewelers.................................13 Johnston Gas...............................30

JTS Remodeling...........................28 Lamb’s Handyman Service...........28 Laser Transit.................................74 LDI Logistics Dynamics................27 Local 43 (NECA EBEW)...............71 Longley Brothers..........................17 LW Emporium Co-Op...................12 MACNY.........................................99 Menter Ambulance.......................38 Mimi’s Drive Inn............................25 Mitchell Speedway Printing..........33 Murdoch’s Bike.............................13 NBT Bank.....................................89 NET & Die Inc...............................85 Nicole Reed, Esq..........................30 Novelis........................................100 Nucor Steel Auburn......................11 Operation Oswego County...........99 Oswego County Federal Credit Union............................89 Oswego County Mutual Insurance................................83 Oswego Music Hall.......................17

Oswego Quality Carpet................28 Pathfinder Bank............................84 Patterson Warehousing................74 Plumley Engineering.....................85 Port of Oswego Authority................3 RiverHouse Restaurant................25 Riverside Artisans.........................13 Scriba Electric...............................27 SUNY Oswego...............................5 Sweet-Woods Memorial...............30 TDO..............................................74 The Rental Warehouse.................29 United Wire Technology...............71 Universal Metal Works..................83 Valti Graphics...............................29 Vashaw’s Collision........................29 Walker Rentals.......................... 31¬ Whelan & Curry Construction.......71 White’s Lumber & Building Supply.......................31 WRVO..............................................

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10 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

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Explore THE BEST OF UPSTATE NY

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

ON THE JOB

What Is Your Company’s Bereavement Policy? Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Federal and New York employment law does not require employers to give bereavement time. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 71% of employers offer some bereavement time. We recently asked leaders of CNY organizations about their company’s bereavement policy.

do something for her as far as host a fundraiser or event to help her out if she has financial needs. We work with staff if someone has a tragedy in their family. That’s how we were raised; it’s all we know. Anytime something tragic happens, we’re the first ones there to support our employees. I can’t see any other response than to be supportive and help where you can. It’s the whole team here. We have kitchen staff who pick up extra shifts in their absence and they’re happy to do it.” Jason Allers Owner The Eis House, Mexico

“We really have no written policy concerning this since we are a small company, but usually three days are given. More may be taken if it is for an immediate family member.” SANDY SHUE, Manager Canalview Travel Service, Inc., Fulton

“We allow three paid days for immediate family members, grandparent, spouse, brother-sister or child. We are flexible, and they can request to use sick, vacation or unpaid days as needed. We allow each employee to request time and will manage the situation case by case. We do allow staff to attend coworker services and will shut down as needed.” John Henry Owner Mitchell’s Speedway Press, Oswego “Regularly scheduled full-time and part-time employees receive up to three days of bereavement pay for immediate family members including natural, step, and/or in-law relationships. ‘Immediate family’ is defined as spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent or grandchild. Occasionally an employee may need bereavement leave for other relationships. If deemed appropriate, supervisors may approve up to one full day for the funeral of non-immediate members.” Cindy Seeber Director of human resources Oswego County Opportunities, Inc., Fulton

“We don’t have an actual policy. Whatever time you need to take, you need to take. If you need longer than a few days, you can use your personal time. They’re very flexible.” Joanne Scruton Office manager Amdursky, Pelky, Fennell & Wallen, P.C., Oswego “I think it’s very important for the employees to spend time with the family under the circumstances of a death in the family. Our bereavement policy is if it’s the loss of a family member that lives in the household, the employee receives three days and if it’s someone outside the household, two days.” Charles Handley Owner Burke’s Do It Best Home Center, Oswego “We unfortunately just had this situation with a staff member. Her boyfriend and child’s father died in a terrible accident, and we told her to take as much time as she needs. We’ll

16 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

“Our employer is incredibly flexible with bereavement time. I believe it’s officially three days for paid bereavement and he’d extend that if you wanted to use any personal time.” HEATHER STURGES, Licensed funeral director, Foster Funeral Home Fulton and Hannibal

“We don’t have a formal bereavement policy, but anytime when there’s been an employee whose loved one passes, we’ve given them the time that they need. It’s been up to 30 days before. We know about it all too well here in this line of work, which is why we give so much leeway for bereavement. It’s a very difficult time for anyone to go through when losing a family member. Though we deal with it day in and day out as a business, it’s difficult when this hits close to home, which is why we give people as much time as they need.” Jody Wiggins Hunt Owner Kellogg Memorials, Mexico “All my teachers are independent contractors. Anytime they need time off, it’s laid back. The studio isn’t that big. We just work it out between ourselves to cover classes for each other. We’re very flexible. It’s a small yoga studio.

We have classes every day. But not as many as in a bigger city, so it’s easier for us to accommodate each other. We believe in yoga and that’s why we do it.” Sandra Eby Owner Blossom Yoga and Wellness, Oswego

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“I give them the time off that they want if a family member died. I know that if my mother died, I’d quit my job if I couldn’t go to the funeral. I have two deaths related to people at my business and we’re going to go to the funeral to support the people related to them.” Maria Conzone Owner Maria’s Maria’s Family Restaurant, Oswego

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“We don’t have anything in writing as far as a policy goes. What we have done in the past is on a case-by-case basis. We’ve given a lot of time off — even months. We check with them and see where they’re at without pushing them. We want to care for them. We try to help them work through it and support them the best we can. We also have Grief Share, a ministry for people who’ve lost family and loved ones and that helps people in times of bereavement.” Richard Beaumont Pastor New Covenant Community Church, Oswego “We’re a family-run business so we’d take our time off. We know how important the grieving process is and it gives families time to grieve properly. There are lots of things to legally after the death of a loved one, especially if it’s a parent, with filing a life insurance claim, banking, Social Security and pensions. You have to secure the home, clean out their apartment or room at the nursing home. You need time to get those things done. If they had animals, you have to take care of those. There are also their automobiles, and properties. There’s a lot involved.” John Nelson Owner Nelson Funeral Home Oswego “When they have a death in the family, we give them the standard time off for bereavement. It’s important to support them emotionally. It helps their grieving process.” Tammie Malone Office manager Scriba Electric, Oswego

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October 21 LESLIE MENDELSON November 4 JOHN BYRNE BAND November 18 MIKE POWELL December 2 THE ROUGH & TUMBLE MARK WAHL OPENS

January 13 ADAM EZRA GROUP

January 27 MILE TWELVE February 10 DRIFTWOOD February 24 VANCE GILBERT March 9 FRANK SOLIVAN & DIRTY KITCHEN

W/MEET & GREET RECEPTION

GUEST CURATOR SERIES Great New Programs! Presented by Guest Curators

Fall 2023:

10/14 Jazz By The Lake Saturday @ 7:30 Curator David Kaspar 10/15 FIREFestival (Females. Inspire. Rock. Empower) Sunday @ 1-5pm - Curator Jess Novak 11/11 Jazz By The Lake - Saturday @ 7:30 Curator David Kaspar 12/9 Kerouac Saturday @ 7:30 Curator Don Masterson

March 22 SHAWNA CASPI & RACHAEL KILGOUR April 13 SEE WEBSITE April 27 LIVINGSTON TAYLOR May 11 SEASON FINALE - SAM ROBBINS W/EMERGING ARTIST SHOWCASE

OPEN MIC FRIDAY 9/29, 10.20, 11/3, 11/17, 12/1, 2/9, 2/23, 3/8, 3/23, 4/12, 4/26

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VISIT WEBSITE FOR DETAILS

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

HOW I GOT STARTED By Stefan Yablonski

RENEE DONEY

Owner of Village Shops in Fulton says she started her gift shop with a sign, a cash register and an ad in the paper. The business now sells products from about 50 vendors and it’s entering its 13th year

an ad in the paper. At the beginning, my mom and I did not even sell anything. As time went on, we would travel to gift shows and buy items to enhance the store. The Village Shops is about 75% manufactured gift items and 25% handmade local items. Q: Did you have a job before this? A: I had been a school counselor for 15 years before opening this store. So I really had no retail experience. We came up with a plan for a business and made it happen. Q: Has technology had an impact on how you do business?

A: The internet has impacted the business. You can buy anything online. We saw a big impact about five or six years ago. We see a lot of people returning items they have bought on the internet. People are starting to want to be able to touch and actually see the items that they are buying. A picture on a screen is not always as good of a representation of an item. I think the trend is turning back to shopping in a store — where you can touch and experience a gift after finding something that you might not have searched for. Q: Has the business grown over the years? A: In 2019, I bought Ship It from the Gilbert who were retiring. I had no idea how busy it would be. I added this to my business and once again, things really took off. I did faxing, copying, shipping and package returns. Last year, I sold the shipping part of the business to Kassidy Relf. It remains inside of The Villages Shop.

or years, Renee Doney’s father, Gene Burch, ran a business on West First Street in Fulton, Joice & Burch Inc. Now, for more than a dozen years she has carried on in the same location. Her business provides space for several locals to sell their wares.

Q: How long have you been in business? A: I opened The Village Shops in the former Joice and Burch showroom at 2 W. First St. in November 2010. I’m going on my 13th year. Q: What does this business do? A: The Village Shops is a gift shop with about 50 different local people — it is a venue for local crafters and others to sell goods and products without the cost of renting out their own shop. There are some handmade items as well as some manufactured items also.

Q: How did this all come about? A: My father ran Joice and Burch in this building. He passed away in 2008. My mom and I decided to repurpose the building. We started renting to several vendors just in time for the Christmas season. It started out as an eight-week project. However, once we opened, we decided we would keep it going. My mom lived in Ohio for 25 years; she moved back after several bouts with cancer. It was a great way for my mom to reconnect with her Fulton friends. She passed away in 2014. Q: Sounds like a pretty auspicious start. Why did you decide to keep going?

A: The whole premise behind it was to allow individuals with a talent to have a place to showcase their items. We started with a sign, a cash register and

18 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

Q: What services do you offer? A: We offer unique gifts for every person and every occasion. At The Village Shops, we help our customers find the perfect gift. We box it, wrap it, put it in a bag with tissue and a bow — and we will even carry it out to your car if needed. Q: There has been a rather steady flow of customers this morning. So, things are going well, yes?

A: The Fulton community has been amazingly supportive of The Village Shops and Ship It. We offer so many services and great customer service. We try to make sure that everyone has a great time and can relax for a short time. We get many out-of-towners and this is a destination for locals to bring friends and family, too.

Strong partners push businesses forward, together

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PROFILE By Stefan Yablonski

NATHAN EMMONS

New economic development specialist at Operation Oswego County keeps a busy schedule

ate Emmons resigned as county legislator, moved into a new house in the country and just got a new job — economic development specialist at Operation Oswego County. “It is a happy life; I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said. “I was born and raised in the country — just outside Sackets Harbor.” Emmons and his wife, Lisa, have four children: Alexander, 23; Dan, 21; Olivia, 14 and Sam, 12. He met his wife while he was in college. She is originally from Iowa, but grew up in North Syracuse. She went to SUNY Potsdam, he went to St. Lawrence University — they both ended up in graduate school at Syracuse University. That’s where they got married. He earned a Master of Science in higher education at Syracuse University, 1999 and Bachelor of Science in biology at St. Lawrence University, 1997. He and his wife are co-owners of Mother Earth Baby, LLC – Curious Kidz

Toy Store in Oswego. He helps out as financial and operations manager. “My wife has a great staff at the shop,” he said.

On the job trail He lived in College Park, Maryland, for a few months while he was working at the University of Maryland. Then they lived in North Syracuse for a few years while he worked at Syracuse University. “Then I got a job in Geneva at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. And then, after Geneva, we came to Oswego,” he said. He worked at SUNY Oswego — as assistant dean of students. “Orientation was one of my responsibilities. I was an academic adviser and I also served in the capacity of assisting students who were interested in withdrawing from college,” he said. “I was one of just two people at the university that…I hate to use the word ‘assisted,’ but that is kind of what we did.”

20 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

“I think they’ve kept the term Laker Leaders. That was my brainchild — the idea of using it more expansively, the term Laker, to describe not only the athletic teams but to broaden that to include all students. Before, it was used exclusively for sports,” he added. “I remember some of the conversations we had. They were like, ‘why would we call our students Lakers?’ I was like, ‘why wouldn’t we?’ I pushed for the term Laker Leaders for our orientation teams. That kind of spun some other things from that.” “Hobbies? What are those?” he quipped. “Not a lot of time for those right now. But we can’t wait to garden come next spring and summer. And we have some other plans as well. “Lisa and I plan family outings and vacations with the kids as well. It’s so important to have that quality time.” Emmons and his wife home school their children, “which brings such a richness to our relationships with our kids. That kind of adds a little bit of flavor to the mix — it helps us quite a bit as a family in terms of scheduling,” he added. “I think that number one, we are a close-knit family. So we find our time.” He said they recently “have sort of taken a survey of where we’re at, what we are doing, what we are not doing and what we are involved with.” The day-to-day —he and his wife are a team. “We do everything as a team. It keeps everything together and flowing. Not always as smooth as we would like — but flowing nonetheless,” he explained. Emmons said their faith in God guides them. “We are very blessed to have the lives we have. With moving and getting a new job, it’s been a challenge over the past month or so. But we are looking forward to settling down a little and enjoying life a little bit more in our new home,” he said. “We have three cats right now. We used to have a dog before she passed away.” Emmons said he will keep working as a DJ as the owner of Oswego-based

Just Push Play Productions. He has been in business for nine years and, according to his website (https://justpushplayproductions.com), he does 32 weddings a year He said the DJing has scaled down quite a bit in the last few years. “I’m fairly selective in terms of the weddings that I DJ now, which is good for me. DJing, yes, it’s getting different or I am — one of the two. COVID had an impact, for sure; smaller weddings since. The basics are the same, however — excellent customer service, excellent communication with the couple, great music and good presence on the mic. Weddings need to be treated very professionally, he stressed. Emmons said his favorite music is probably county music. “But as a DJ, you gotta play everything and to a degree enjoy everything. I like all types of music,” he added.

Bitter sweet “I resigned from the county legislature. That was bitter sweet in terms of giving up that position. It was always busy. I’ve had some people call me ‘Citizen Nate’ at this point. I’m still getting used to that after being an elected official for so long. It’s been just a couple of weeks right now, but Citizen Nate has a good ring to it,” he said. “We go to, every year we’ve been consistent in doing this for — gosh — I don’t know maybe 17 or 18 years, we go to … I don’t know — we do take a trip to the beach in North Carolina — I’m not going to reveal what town it is because I don’t want people to know how magical it is,” he said, “We take a family vacation once a year and so that is always my idea of paradise and relaxing time That’s wonderful and we are going to do it again in a couple of weeks when things get settled down a little bit.” In early September, Emmons was in the process of moving. “We just spent our first two nights in the new house. It’s a relaxing place out in the country. It helps focus more when you have less on your plate It’s been a pretty dramatic change over the past year,” he noted. “Just spending time with my family and our new house — it is absolutely gorgeous where it is situated (in Central Square-Hastings area) —we have a nice creek that actually runs right through the property. Kids have already been out kayaking on it,” he said. “It’s enjoyable just to kind of be able to be outside and

enjoy nature a little bit. I grew up as a country boy, so for me it’s going back to my roots. It’s relaxation in and of itself.” Before taking a new position at Operation Oswego County, Emmons worked for several years at the Fulton Community Development office. When he resigned the position, he was the director of the agency. “Nate Emmons is a class act and will be greatly missed in Fulton,” said Fulton Mayor Deana M. Michaels. “Under Nate’s leadership he was able to revamp our housing programs, build an economic development foundation for the city, introduce new small business programs, secure millions in funding and successfully rollout DRI projects. I’ve worked with Nate for many years and have seen the strength he brings to the table. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t resonate with other local elected officials because Fulton was certainly better positioned with Nate on the team. I have given my full support to Nate in his next endeavor and wish him and his family nothing but the very best.”

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Age: 48 Title: Economic development specialist at Operation Oswego County Current home: Central Square Education: Bachelor of Science in biology at St. Lawrence University, 1997; Master of Science in higher education at Syracuse University, 1999 Career: Recent positions include: executive director at Fulton Community Development Agency; director of economic development in the city of Oswego; Oswego Common Council member; Oswego County legislator (15th District); constituent services for Assemblyman William A. Barclay; interim executive director at Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce On the side: Owner of Just Push Play Productions, a DJ business; co-owner and financial and operations manager at Mother Earth Baby, LLC/Curious Kidz Toy Store Hobbies: “Hobbies? What are those?” Personal: Married to Lisa Emmons. They have four children: Alexander, 23; Dan, 21; Olivia, 14 and Sam, 12

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DINING OUT RESTAURANT GUIDE

By Christopher Malone

WHEN DUSKEE’S DAWNS ON YOU How does this Phoenix sports bar score?

think there’s a food stigma with sports and even dive bars in general, going beyond just Oswego County or Central New York in that someone isn’t going to order great or fancy food. The truth is sometimes fancy food isn’t that great. I have yet to enjoy a duck entrée which isn’t on the drier side. And let’s be honest. There’s a great chance most food ordered while out is loaded with salt. The formality of these eateries is to relax, go with the flow, order what you’re craving and just enjoy the moment. There is a guarantee: a plethora of televisions, sports décor and barroom games. Whether a team is winning or losing, moods will vary.

There’s nothing bland about Duskee’s. The dingier exterior leads into a darker interior relying on the natural daylight pouring through the windows, gracing the walls and furnishings. The mural honoring Syracuse University is eye catching upon entering. It’s relaxing. The bar boasts a bountiful amount of booze and suds — not an overzealous amount, but just enough. If there isn’t something catching an eye on draught, Duskee’s may have a can to satisfy the craving. Next to the bar is a chalkboard boasting the draught list and the day’s specials. This is where Duskee’s told me about the rib mash bowl ($10.99) and

22 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

the chicken bacon ranch panini ($10.99). I also ordered a beer ($6.24) to enjoy while awaiting the food. The rib mash bowl is a mound of shaved prime rib, mashed potatoes and scallions all coated with a drizzle of horsey sauce (horseradish and mayo sauce). It’s a distinct group of ingredients adding up to comfort food perfection. The rib wasn’t overly cooked or chewy, which made it very easy to cut up for my 1-year-old, who also enjoyed the option, including the horsey sauce. She couldn’t get enough of it, pointing to the plate and asking for more in the best way she could. This was even true with the leftovers. As much as I didn’t

2 want to share, her excitement over the dish matched mine and this was good enough to give her more. The chicken bacon ranch panini lived up to its name with the eponymous ingredients. The golden-brown toasted bread with charred lines was easily bit into. There was little concern for the chicken or bacon to fall out. Post panini, the chicken was slightly on the dry side but nothing to get up in arms about. Instead of going for kettle chips, a side of macaroni and cheese pinch hit for a slight upcharge ($2). The basic side hit the spot. The macaroni had the perfect amount of cheese without a gloppy mess and wasn’t doctored up to pretend it was something it’s not. To agree with Goldilocks — it’s just right. To not order wings at a sports bar would be sinful. To avoid confession, I satisfied my personal penance by ordering hot garlic parmesan wings ($15) — the beautifully meaty wings. Duskee’s did not short on the hearty barroom staple. The kitchen made sure the garlic sauce was present and parmesan plentiful; it’s like they dumped two heaping handfuls on the one order. No complaints here. The wings were cooked very well as the meat fell right off the bone. The kick was subdued most likely thanks to the cheese but it was still noticeable, which is perfect for patrons wanting a manageable little kick. On Duskee’s menu are Philly-style cheese steaks. Since the trio has their own section, one had to be ordered. The Philly Firebird caught my eye for being spicy and for being fully loaded

3 — shaved sirloin, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, green peppers, cherry peppers, onions, mushrooms and scallions. That’s a lot. Plus, of course, it was all topped off with the house-made cheese sauce. As they say — save the best for last. Frankly, it was the favorite menu item ordered. Further — I think it’s one of the best cheese steaks in Central New York. I’d go bolder and say this is one of the best in the state but I have not enjoyed that many New York cheesesteaks. My wife agrees. And, if she spoke, my daughter would agree as well. The meat wasn’t overly seasoned, salty or spicy. The roll didn’t get soggy and neither did my mood. Before tip, the total came to $67 and change ($64 and change if paying with cash) due to a 4% processing charge. Duskee’s is a spot if you want hit the spot.

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8 Bridge St, Phoenix, NY 13135

1: Rib mash bowl: a mound of shaved prime rib, mashed potatoes and scallions all coated with a drizzle of horsey sauce (horseradish and mayo sauce).

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2: The chicken bacon ranch panini lived up to its name with the eponymous ingredients.

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SUNY Oswego on Money Magazine Best Colleges List

SUNY Oswego was recently named to Money magazine’s 2023 Best Colleges list that recognized institutions based on quality, affordability and student outcomes. “To help families make informed decisions about where to spend their tuition dollars, Money’s latest Best Colleges offers a practical analysis of more than 700 four-year colleges, focusing on affordability and student outcomes,” the magazine noted on its website. In its four-star rating of SUNY Oswego, Money included statistics that showed the university’s responsiveness to student financial needs. It noted that 83% of students receive grants, with 17% earning a merit grant (an average of $2,270 per student receiving merit aid). “SUNY Oswego’s high marks with Money magazine and elsewhere is a testament to the outstanding efforts across our campus and especially the financial aid team,” said SUNY Oswego Vice President for Enrollment Management Cory Bezek. “This recognition is a combination of quality and affordability, which is what makes it meaningful. “ Money’s methodology weighs three main factors: affordability (40%), quality of education (30%) and outcomes (also 30%). “This ranking is a culmination of the work we do to provide a quality education at an affordable price, and also taking into consideration what happens to our students after they graduate,” said Bezek. “Oswego not only has a commitment to provide an affordable education, but prepares students for what is next without accumulating unnecessary student debt.” “We estimate a college’s ‘value add’ by calculating its performance … on important measures such as graduation rates, student loan repayment and default rates, and post-graduation earnings,” Money editors explained. “Value-added measures are a way to capture some parts of a college’s quality that more commonly used metrics can’t capture. They give an indication of how a college affects graduates’ outcomes, rather than simply rewarding colleges that admit the highest-performing students.”

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NEWSMAKERS NEWS BRIEFS ON LOCAL BUSINESSES & BUSINESS PEOPLE

Pathfinder Banks Announces Personnel Changes

• Joseph Pedrotti has been hired asvicepresident, senior commercial lender. In this role, Pedrotti’s responsibilities will include generating new commercial loans and deposits, developing and maintaining business Joe Web relationships, and monitoring and ensuring credit quality for existing loans in the greater Syracuse market. Pedrotti brings over four decades of banking experience, having most recently held the title of vice president, business banking officer at Citizens Bank’s Syracuse location. Before his time at Citizens Bank, Pedrotti held several positions at Syracuse-based financial institutions, including Community Bank, Key Bank and M&T Bank. Pedrotti is a graduate of Columbia College and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in business administration. He resides in Fairmount Fairmount.with his wife, Marybeth, • Lisa and Kimball theirhas three rejoined sons Tony, Path Nick and Joe. finder Bank as • Lisa Kimball has rejoined Path first vice presid e n t , Bank a u das it finder manager. first vice presid e nItn, a tuhdii st role, Kimball manager. will Ioversee n t h all is intern al and role, Kimball outsourced will overseeauall dit-related acintern al and tivities and prooutsourced auvide the bank dit-related acwith tivitiesobjective, and proLisa Kimball ivide n d e pthe end ent bank andKimball reliable assessments its risk with ofobjective, Lisa management activities, i n dcompliance ependent with applicable regulations,ofand and reliable assessments itsinterrisk nal control environment. management activities, compliance

returns to Pathfinder Bank withKimball applicable regulations, and interafter two years serving as chief financial nal control environment. officer and, most recently, chief execuKimball returns to Pathfinder Bank tive at Oswego Federal afterofficer two years servingTeachers as chief financial Credit Kimball began herexecucareer officer Union. and, most recently, chief with Pathfinder BankTeachers in 1998Federal as an tive officer at Oswego assistant auditor. Shebegan has since held Credit Union. Kimball her career several key positions the as bank, with Pathfinder Bankwithin in 1998 an including internal auditor internal assistant auditor. She hasand since held audit Prior to her departure severalmanager. key positions within the bank, in 2021, Kimball vice including internal served auditor as andfirst internal president, controller. audit manager. Prior to her departure Kimball is a served graduate SUNY in 2021, Kimball as of first vice Oswego a bachelor’s degree in president,with controller. accounting. Kimball servesof on the Kimball is a graduate SUNY Leadership of aOswego County adviOswego with bachelor’s degree in sory council inKimball her spareserves time. Kimball accounting. on the resides in Oswego. Leadership of Oswego County adviJohn Andrews hastime. beenKimball named sory•council in her spare resides in Oswego with her husband, treasury manJason, and daughter, Kathleen. agement officer. • John Andrews has been named In his new role, Andrews treasury manwill collaborate agement officer. withIn internal his new d e p a Andrews rtments role, to and willidentify collaborate secure new dewith internal posit d e p a rand t m ecash nts m n a g e m and ent to aidentify opportunities. secure new deIn addition, he posit and cash John Andrews will m a nbe a g responement sible for developing and strengthening opportunities. customer relationshipsInby providing addition, he John Andrews tailored treasury solutions that meet will be responeach unique needs sible customer’s for developing andfinancial strengthening and objectives. customer relationships by providing Priortreasury to this new role, Andrews held tailored solutions that meet the of assistant vice president, bank eachtitle customer’s unique financial needs manager at Pathfinder Bank’s Central and objectives. Square location since 2014. Beforeheld his Prior to this new role, Andrews time at of Pathfinder, Andrews worked the title assistant vice president, bank as an assistant branch manager M&T manager at Pathfinder Bank’s at Central Bank and premiersince relationship manager Square location 2014. Before his for Bank. timeHSBC at Pathfinder, Andrews worked is a graduate the as anAndrews assistant branch manager atofM&T SUNY Environmental Science and Bank and premier relationship manager Forestry holds a bachelor’s degree for HSBCand Bank. in landscape In hisofspare Andrewsarchitecture. is a graduate the time, serves as Science a Fort BrewSUNYAndrews Environmental and erton Greater Oneida Lake Chamber of Forestry and holds a bachelor’s degree Commerce member.InHe in landscapeboard architecture. hisenjoys spare watching sports,serves cooking, camping time, Andrews as and a Fort Brewin theGreater Adirondacks. lives of in erton OneidaAndrews Lake Chamber East Syracuse. Commerce board member. He enjoys

26 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

watching sports, cooking, and camping in the Adirondacks. Andrews lives in East Syracuse with his wife Ann Marie, and their three children. Dedication to student involvement, engagementand growth has earned Michael (Mike) Paestella, interim direcDedication to student involvement, SUNY engagement and growthtor has of earned MiOswego’s Office chael (Mike) Paestella, interim director of Student Enof SUNY Oswego’s Office of Student gagement and Engagement and Leadership, the 2023 Leadership, the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excel2023 SUNY lence in Professional Service. C h been a n c e crucial llor ’s Paestella’s work has Award for Exfor students because membership in Mike Paestella cellence in Prostudent organizations comprises a large fessional Service. component of Paestella’s work has beenout-ofcrucial their for students because membership in class time and student organizations comprises a large has enormous Mike Paestella component of their out-of-class time benefits, nomiand has enormous benefits, nominators nators wrote, as this leads to making wrote, asfriends, this leads to making lifelong lifelong gaining valuable leadfriends,experience gaining valuable leadership ership and learning how to experience and learning to make make a difference in theirhow campus, the a difference and in their campus, the comcommunity the wider world. munity and of thesupport wider world. Letters noted that in Letters of consistent support noted that in addition to his excellence in addition to his consistent excellence in recognizing, cultivating and supporting recognizing, cultivating and supporting student leadership, Paestella continstudent seeks leadership, Paestella continuously innovative solutions, uouslyasseeks solutions, serves a roleinnovative model for colleagues serves as a role for colleagues and students, andmodel finds any and every and students, every way possibleand to finds upliftany theand campus way possible to uplift the campus community. community. Paestella joined SUNY Oswego in joined SUNY Oswegolife in 2001Paestella as assistant director of campus 2001 as assistant director of campus life for student organization services. In for student organization services. In 2007, a campus transformation—both 2007, a campus physical with thetransformation—both opening of Marano physical with theand opening of Marano Campus Center organizationally Campus Center services—resulted and organizationally with expanded in with expanded services—resulted in Paestella’s role growing into assistant Paestella’s role growing into assistant director of campus life and director of directorinvolvement of campus life and director of student and then associate student involvement and then associate director of leadership development directorstepping of leadership before in to filldevelopment the interim before stepping in to fill the interim director role. director Afterrole. finishing his dual bachelor’s After finishing his dual from bachelor’s in philosophy and geology Potsin philosophy and geology from Potsdam, Paestella earned his master’s in dam, Paestella his master’s in student affairs earned and higher education student affairs and higher education

Michael Paestella Earns Award at SUNY Oswego Michael Paestella Earns Award at SUNY Oswego

from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He also holds two executive certificates — in leadership and development and in advanced intercultural management — from the University of Notre Dame. On the Oswego campus, Paestella earned the Outstanding Adviser Award from the Asian Student Association and Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority along with the Division of Student Affairs Student Engagement Award in 2022. He has also served as vice president and board member of the Oswego City-County Youth Bureau and on the Oswego Children’s Center board of directors.

Rebecca Kindon Named Director of Health Sciences Library Rebecca H. Kindon has been named director of the Upstate Medical University Health Sciences Library, effective immediately, Kindon had served as interim director since March 2023. Kindon joined the Upstate Health SciRebecca Kindon ences Library in 2005 as an instruction and outreach librarian. She has served in numerous roles with the library, including as coordinator of library instruction, information resources manager, assistant director for customer services and associate director of libraries. During her tenure at Upstate, Kindon has restructured the information literacy program; coordinated library instruction to learners in the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Health Professions, and Graduate Studies; taught expert searching skills to residents; participated in assessment and strategic ScribaElectric-OCBM-178.indd 1 planning activities; and coordinated the library’s current continuity of service agreement with partnering health sciences libraries across the country. She has also served on numerous university and faculty committees, including the Faculty Council. Kindon is active with many professional associations and executive boards. She currently serves on the

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executive advisory board of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Region 7, and the executive board of the Upstate New York and Ontario Chapter of the Medical Library Association, where she is a previous executive chair and the recipient of the 2018 Katy Nesbitt Service Award. Kindon holds a master of library and information degree from Syracuse University and undergraduate degrees from Le Moyne College and Cazenovia College. She resides in Fabius, with her spouse John and children Adelina and Abigael.

Upstate’s Stuart Wright On Becker’s List of CFOs to Know

Stuart Wright, who has served as chief financial officer of Upstate University Hospital for more than 15 years, has been named to Becker ’s Hospital Review’s 2023 list of 84 top academic medical center CFOs to know. Stuart Wright This is not the first time Wright has landed on this list. He made the list most recently in 2022 and 2019. As CFO, Wright oversees all financial functions for the hospital as well as patient access services, utilization management and retail-contract pharmacy operations. Among Wright’s accomplishments during his tenure as CFO is his role in facilitating and driving the growth of the enterprise from $500 million in annual revenues to more than $1.6 billion. Part of this growth was related to his key role in the successful acquisition and integration of Community General Hospital. He also led an organization-wide re-engineering of revenue cycle processes, facilitated the growth of our retail pharmacy operations to over $170 million in revenues in five years, and drove a paradigm shift in the organization toward financial disciplines, which has resulted in the hospital earnings profits in nine of the past 10 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wright was instrumental in monitoring

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BUSINESS UPDATE

Business is Booming at FlynnStoned The First CNY Cannabis Store With average sales during first two months around $2.5M, owner says business has generated more than double the revenue expected

ales at Syracuse’s first legal cannabis dispensary, FlynnStoned Cannabis Company, have been more than doubled what owner Mike Flynn expected when he opened in mid-June in downtown Syracuse’s Armory Square. “Business has been absolutely booming,” he said. Flynn said he had projected about $1 million in sales per month, but FlynnStoned averaged $2.5 million in each of its first two months. Numbers were not in for August at the time of the interview, but Flynn estimated

that with the downtown location and the pop-up shop, Cannabis Showcase, they had set up on property on State Fair Boulevard, less than a mile from the fairgrounds during the run of the fair, sales would be close to $3 million. He added that each customer spends an average of $100. Currently, a court injunction has been prohibiting the New York State Office of Cannabis Management from issuing or processing any new cannabis licenses, except for those that have been in the works before Aug. 7. The

32 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

injunction stems from a lawsuit filed by a group of veterans over OCM licensing conditions. When that injunction is lifted, Flynn anticipates that his business might taper off. Not only are sales big, but according to internet reports, the state’s OCM says that the 13,000 square-foot, three-story dispensary at 219 Walton St. is the largest one in the state in terms of size. As one approaches the shop, they will notice the front door handles decorated with metal hemp leaves. On the ground floor, customers are ID’d — since they need to

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be at least 21. On the second floor, there are numerous display cases of products, including flower, vapes, concentrates, edibles, drinks, tinctures, topicals and concentrates. “Budtenders” are available for help. The third floor, called The Loft, is a lounge and event space. There are plans to have this space available for consumption once certain licenses are obtained. Flynn had the entire site, the former Urban Outfitters on Walton Street, built out and ready to open on April 20, 2022, but then had to wait 15 months for his licenses to come through. They opened on June 16. The date 4/20 is also known as National Pot Smokers’ Day, Weed Day or National Weed Day and is a celebration during which people come together to celebrate cannabis.

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BUSINESS UPDATE

Jared Massett (far left) is the owner of Ansun Graphics. The company recently acquired Fulton Screen Printing of Fulton. Next to him is Tom Brady (center), the former owner of Fulton Screen Print & Embroidery, and Ansun Graphic’s vice president of sales Jim Mahon.

Ansun Graphics to Acquire Fulton Screen Printing

long-time Fulton business has a new owner. Since 1988, Fulton Screen Printing has produced “outstanding quality custom screen printing and graphic design.” In late August, the company was in the process of being acquired by Ansun Graphics, based in Syracuse. In early September, Jared M. Massett, Ansun’s CEO and director of sales,

and his business partner, Jim Mahon, officially announced they had acquired Fulton Screen Print & Embroidery from owner longtime owner Tom Brady. Ansun was founded in 1995. They didn’t disclose the terms of the acquisition. Located at 2 Harris St., Fulton Screen Printing “offers competitive wholesale pricing on all types of clothing and uniforms, as well as an endless

34 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

source of promotional items and business incentives.” Massett said he grew up just outside of Fulton. “And, having done so — this purchase is even that more important to me,” he said. Both he and Mahon are Oswego County natives, having grown up in Hannibal and Central Square, respectively. He will not be making any major changes, “other than increasing the company’s presence and success.” “The employees that are there are wonderful and will all stay on after the transition,” he added. “I’m looking to add another employee in the near future.” The company name, location and identity will remain the same, too, he said. “I will be increasing the product lines though and we’ll be offering all of the clients expanded products and options,” he added. “FSP&E has been in business for over 30 years and we are excited to continue previous owner Tom Brady’s legacy of great products, quality and service,” Massett said. “It’s a great company with a wonderful crew and capabilities. We plan to expand the services offered to include all kinds of print, digital-offset, mailing, die-cutting, finishing, large format, signage and more.” According to Ansun Graphics’ website: “Since our doors first opened in 1995, we have earned a reputation for unmatched customer service, superior craftsmanship and creative solutions to today’s challenges in commercial printing. “We still believe in the power of printed images. We are a unique combination of talented, print-minded people with a good sense of humor. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we take our work very seriously.” Ansun offers die cutting and packaging, direct mail and post cards, graphic design, perfect bound books, perfect stitch books and more services. Their primary objective, Massett said, is to “think local, buy local” and to “be local” by supporting businesses and organizations that make the Central New York area and beyond, unique. Ansun is a member of the Printing Industries Alliance and CenterState CEO.

By Stefan Yablonski

BUSINESS UPDATE

Irby Powers Up at Former Miller Brewery Site

here is new life at part of the former Miller Brewery in Volney. MLT Leasing LLC purchased the old can plant building near the former Miller Brewery in Volney in 2021. The company spent about $2.5 million the last two years to renovate the dilapidated building. The site got a new tenant this spring. Irby Utilities, a distributor of electrical parts and equipment, relocated to the 130,000-sq.-ft. building. “We moved in in March,” said Jamie Diak, northeast district manager said. “We lease it off MLT, they own the facility.” “We are an electrical distributor. We service the utility market,” he added. “So, we store our supplies here and then ship them out to our customers.” Irby Electric is part of the Sonepar Group.

“They are a global company. They are out of Paris, France. They’re our parent company and they own several operating companies, with Irby being one of them,” Diak said. Besides Fulton, Irby has facilities in Denver, Colorado; Fort Worth, Texas; Kennesaw, Georgia and several other cities around the country. Irby is an electrical supply distributor providing total electrical solutions. Previously, the company had a location on Buckley Road in Liverpool. “We were there for 25 years. Before that we were over on Thompson Road. We have been in the area for 50 plus years.” At the Fulton facility Irby has about 35 employees. They have a 10-year lease — “so we think that this building will satisfy our needs for 10 years. We are expanding

the yard a little bit. When all is said and done, we will have 10 acres of yard space,” Diak said. “So we are doing that; and once that is done we think we will have what we need for the next 10 years. And after that, we’ll see.” Sonepar, Irby’s parent company, is an independent family-owned company with global market leadership in distribution of electrical products, solutions and related services. Through a network of 80 brands spanning 40 countries, the group has an ambitious transformation agenda to become the first global electrical distributor to provide a fully digitalized and synchronized omnichannel experience to all customers.

By Stefan Yablonski

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BUSINESS UPDATE River View Pediatrics is an equal partnership among physicians Sarah Finocchiaro, (center), Carla Overton and Christopher Delaney.

River View Pediatrics Celebrates Official Opening

iver View Pediatrics recently celebrated its official opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception. It relocated to the site of the former Tops market at 909 W. First St. in Fulton. River View is an equal partnership among physicians Sarah Finocchiaro, Carla Overton and Christopher Delaney. Finocchiaro is the partnership president. “We are overjoyed to finally be open at this wonderful new location,” said Finocchiaro. “It’s a dream come true. In addition, we are now better equipped to help our patients and we have more resources on site to optimize our response and treatment.” In Architects of Syracuse designed the new offices and construction was contracted by Construction Design and Management, (CDM), Syracuse.

The property, which had been vacant since 2018, was a local supermarket for nearly 60 years. The practice occupies the majority of the building, approximately 8,000 square feet, which also includes two separate 3,500-sq.-ft. spaces flanking the main entrance for tenant businesses. This more than doubles the practice’s current space. Mirabito Financial Group is the property’s first tenant with a tentative move-in date of late fall 2023. “We are so grateful to Mayor Michaels and the City of Fulton for their support, as well as Operation Oswego County and our county legislators to help make this new office a reality,” Finocchiaro said. Among the benefits to patients at the new location is ample parking, and easy wheelchair and stroller access. There are large bathrooms with

36 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

changing tables and a private, separate room for nursing moms. The practice currently treats approximately 6,000 patients and is accepting new patients (birth to 18 years of age). Other features of the new offices include a large central nursing station, and the number of examination rooms has increased from nine to 16. Patients will follow a circular pattern that affords greater privacy, starting with check-in, then a move to an exam room, and exit. The new offices also have a separate, private consultation area. In addition to the three partner pediatricians, the practice includes one part-time pediatrician, one full-time pediatric nurse practitioner, four licensed practical nurses, four full-time office staff, and one full-time office manager. “We plan to add more doctors and nurses as we grow, while still keeping the warm, one-on-one attention that our patients expect, and this practice is built on,” Finocchiaro said. “Our goal is to get sick patients in on the same day they contact us. COVID and a lack of space didn’t always make this possible in recent years.” River View Pediatrics was formed in 2017, and provides well childcare, sports and employment physicals, treats acute illness and injuries, provides immunizations and behavioral health. “River View Pediatrics is an extension of the 40-year practice and tradition of excellent and compassionate pediatric care founded by Dr. Stuart Trust,” Finocchiaro said. According to Jerome Mirabito, Fulton Savings Bank senior vice president and a son of one of the original property owners, the 909 W. First St. site started as a Mirabito’s Supermarket that opened in 1959 or 1960, owned by Ross Mirabito and operated by Jerome’s parents, Angelo and Pauline Mirabito. It became Angelo’s Big M Supermarket in December 1967, and its square footage doubled when the store expanded in 1977. Angelo and Pauline’s entire family were involved in operating the store, which provided employment and valuable work experience to countless high school students from Fulton for many years. In 1990, Angelo and Pauline Mirabito retired and sold the business to John Struppler. It then became Struppler’s Shur Fine Market. Struppler’s operated for 25 years until it was acquired by Tops Markets in August 2015. Tops closed in October 2018, and the building has been vacant since then.

Long-time Mexico Business Shuts Down

BUSINESS UPDATE

‘Business wasn’t what it used to be’

ince 1959, Roger Bristol has been ubiquitous at the Halsey Machinery Company in Mexico. Bristol started as a part-time employee at the Halsey’s Machinery more than 60 years ago. “He worked here in the 1960s; I don’t have the exact year. He started as a mechanic and then he got into sales,” his daughter, Robin Ospelt, said. In 1978, he bought the business from Bob and Bev Halsey; they had founded the company in the early 1950s. How old was he when he started at Halsey’s? “Gee I don’t really know. I can’t remember back that far,” he quipped. “I must have been around my 30s at that time. I call it my hobby.” By no means was he thinking that he’d own the business some day, he added with a laugh. “As time went on and I did more and learned more it was just meant to be I guess,” he said. Bristol who celebrated his 84th birthday at the end of September has gone to work every single day in the last five or six decades. “I have a lot of good memories; made a lot of good friends over the years,” he said. “A lot of memories — some are good and some are bad. But they are all there anyway.” “When he took the business over, he sold Case equipment and serviced it, repaired it. He was a Case dealer up until ’89 or ’90,” daughter Ospelt said. “Then he started just buying and selling new and used equipment, what he wanted to get and work on. He’d service pretty much any tractor, any make.” “I kind of did everything when I came to work here. I had been working in the parks department before,” she added. “As people came and left here,

Roger Bristol, 84, owner of Halsey Machinery Company in Mexico, just shut down his business.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

I helped my dad out with things. I’ll miss all the customers. We’ve made some good friends over the years — a lot of great relationships, you know. I think meeting the customers was the best part of the job. We met so many people over the years — working with everybody.” Much of their business included supplying parts, including retail and servicing general construction equipment and agriculture machinery. “On July 15 we sold our content, everything. We held an auction here and then the business was sold to a person in Long Island,” she said. “I don’t know, I don’t think it will continue as a business as it is. He really hasn’t said what he intends to do. Everything is still tentative It’s supposed to be a go — but we haven’t actually had a closing yet. The business is sold — but it’s not finalized yet. It’s between the lawyers now. Getting everything cleared up.” Halsey’s had been operating profitably for all these years — but faced some challenges in the last few years, mainly due to online competition. “Business wasn’t what it used to be; online cut into it and it’s tough to

There is a

Owner Roger Bristol says he has gone to work every single day in the last five or six decades. “I have a lot of good memories; made a lot of good friends over the years.” find help,” she added. “It’s the same old story trying to generate enough money to cover everything, taxes and everything.” That area of West Main Street in Mexico has seen a lot of changes over the years. The businesses that were around Halsey’s are gone. “Things are changing, little by little. I remember when Eddie Nykaza built

the grocery store [now Tops] just down the road — the late ‘60s,” Bristol said. “It’s a small village, but things come and go all the time.” On the southwest corner a bank was built. On the southeast corner a gas station gave way to a post office. Across the road on the northeast corner another gas station is now a dentist’s office. On the other side of the street buildings were razed to make room for fast food businesses and a gas station. Other buildings on the opposite side were sacrificed to make room for the grocery store. In spite of all the change, one business stood fast for more than six decades. However, in July Halsey Machinery Co. Inc. succumbed. Bristol said he doesn’t have any specific plans. “I’m going to take retirement one day at a time — whatever comes along. Just going to take it easy and enjoy life; still visit with everybody,” he said. “Nothing special — but I hope it’s many days!”

By Stefan Yablonski

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Controversies Surrounding Tipping

In many restaurants when your server presents you with the bill, it lists the various amounts of a tip in percentage form — but what should you really pay? By Bruce Frassinelli

s pleasurable an experience as dining out is, the least pleasant part of the meal is when the check arrives, and we are faced with what to do about the tip. Examine your own tipping habits: Do you give a set percentage, regardless of extenuating factors such as the speed and attentiveness of the server, or do you run a scorecard starting at let’s say 20% of the total bill, then taking off points for this or that? Or do you do something completely different? Do you vary your tipping method based on the type of establishment where you are dining? Do you tip when you are taking out food or only when you eat on the premises? Do you tend to tip more if you are with someone so you are not thought to be a cheapskate? If you have a $100 meal with your

spouse or significant other, do you tip on the total bill of $107, including sales tax, or do you take the percentage on just the pre-tax amount? There are so many things to consider, which is why some diners just say, “Oh, the hell with it, let me just add 20%, 18%, 15%, or whatever.” Of course, today, in many restaurants when your server presents you with the bill, it lists the various amounts of a tip in percentage form, so you can choose one of these, or there is a spot for you to add another amount. I find the whole tipping concept maddening. I just wish that restaurant owners would pay their employees a livable wage just like any other business, rather than rely on us customers to supplement the servers’ and other restaurant employees’ compensation.

40 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

If as a matter of principle I choose not to participate in the tipping game, I am considered a low-life by servers. Yes, a tip is optional, but it is a known fact that some servers are wary and try to avoid persons from countries where tipping is either nonexistent or much less generous than here in the United States. I will never see a change of this system in my lifetime, maybe not even in yours, but as restaurant prices continue to rise because of inflation, the amount of the tip also becomes automatically inflated if you base your tip on a percentage of the total bill. I know for a fact that many patrons will forego a mixed drink or cocktail, because it automatically could inflate the bill by as much as $20, not including the additional tip. Tipping is practiced around the

“Tipping has long been controversial, even being regarded as “un-American’’ in our postCivil War era. Three states — Tennessee, South Carolina and Iowa — outlawed tipping, but these laws were repealed in 1926.” world, but it plays a unique role in the United States because of our allowing businesses to offload to their customers the burden of paying what amounts to supplemental compensation. Tipping has come to be considered as a fair way to encourage hospitality and to reward good service, whereas tipping’s roots are in racialized exploitation. It is said that “TIPS’’ is an acronym meaning “To Insure Prompt Service.’’ One etiquette book says that “TIPS’’ is a “valuable reminder to reward those who provide excellent service to you with a proper gratuity for their efforts.’’ Eating out, even at fast food places such as McDonald’s, Burger King and pizza joints, is becoming increasingly beyond the reach of some diners, so where is the breaking point for them when they must throw in the towel and pass up one of life’s simple but enjoyable pleasures? Some of these fast-food establishments have a built-in advantage because of their no-tipping policy. If you are feeding a family of four at McDonald’s, for example, and you spend about $50, you are going to save up to about $10 because you don’t have to add a tip. Many fast-food restaurants have increased their hourly rates for employees to between $12 and $15, depending on location and competition for help. After all is said and done, we come back to the same old argument: Is tipping fair, why do we fret about it so much, and what, if anything, can we do about it? The COVID-19 pandemic mud-

died the tipping waters considerably, because prospective diners who were closeted at home almost exclusively for the first 24 months of the pandemic did mostly takeout, and many had compassion for restaurant workers who were toughing it out during this bleak period and tipped generously. Now, according to recent surveys, diners are not nearly as generous as they were even as recently as in mid-2022. Many of them are forgoing a percentage tip, especially as the price of meals escalates dramatically. Tipping has long been controversial, even being regarded as “un-American’’ in our post-Civil War era. Three states — Tennessee, South Carolina and Iowa — outlawed tipping, but these laws were repealed in 1926. Restaurateurs embraced tipping as a way to avoid paying higher wages to staff. In 1938, after intense lobbying efforts, the tipping structure that is largely the one in effect today became part of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which ensures a federal minimum wage but excludes restaurant and hotel workers. Some states have ridiculously low minimum wages for these workers, with the expectation that diners and guests will make up the rest of a decent salary through tipping. I find the system to be classist, even sexist and racist when these jobs in some categories are filled largely by immigrant women or persons of color. Housekeepers at hotels come to mind. Some companies from time to time have attempted to do away with tipping.

One of the recent efforts was made by Shake Shack founder and entrepreneur Danny Meyer, who made headlines several years ago when he announced a no-tipping policy at his restaurants. A few independent restaurants followed suit, but by 2018, the no-tipping movement lost momentum and many restaurants returned to tipping. The reason? To accomplish this switch, the restaurants had to increase their prices to allow for a sustainable profit, causing diners to rebel. When this happened, waitstaff and support staff employees quit in droves. Now that the aftermath of the pandemic is being taken largely in stride, getting enough employees to staff restaurants and hotels remains an enormous challenge, to the point where the quality of service is suffering mightily. A bagel shop I frequent posted this sign: Please be patient, we are doing the best we can with the personnel available. If you can’t be patient and think you can do it better, please ask for an application.’’ Shake Shack’s Meyer publicly reneged on his controversial experiment. Bottom line: Despite tipping’s horrible history, the model is apparently here to stay, at least for now. Some dramatic changes have occurred. As I indicated earlier, many of the national fast-food chains have implemented a $15 minimum wage, which ups the ante considerably. It also has raised prices at these places, meaning low-earning families cannot go out to eat as often, if at all. As a result of this, many states have either changed their minimum wage rate to benefit this classification of employee or are considering doing so. New York has changed its rate to allow for a $15-an-hour total tipped maximum wage comprised of a $10 minimum wage rate and a $5 maximum tip credit. This rate is the second highest in the nation next to California’s and compares favorably to adjacent states where the rate is lower. Ultimately, an equitable tipping system will require jettisoning the subminimum tipped wage and paying servers, bartenders and other service employees the standard minimum wage, while allowing them to receive bonuses for exceptional service. To achieve this desired goal will require that everyone — owners, servers and diners — get on board with the program. I suspect that having a camel squeeze through the eye of a needle will be an easier task.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Bruce Frassinelli bfrassinelli@ptd.net

Cleveland, Roosevelt and Trump

Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States — how many men have been president of the U.S.? With former president Donald Trump the clear front-runner to win the Republican nomination in 2024, he is in a position to become just the second president to serve non-consecutive terms, but to state the obvious — it’s a long time from now until the presidential election in 2024.

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.

including the partial one ne of my favorite he had after McKinley’s trick questions is death. this: Joe Biden is the In 1912, Roosevelt lost the Republican 46th president of the United States — how many men have been president of the U.S.? nomination to incumbent William Howard Logic might say that the answer is 46, Taft, then chose to run as an independent under the label of the Bullmoose Party. but it is not. The answer is 45. Roosevelt not only succeeded in pulling How can that be? Grover Cleveland, former governor of votes away from Taft, but he placed second New York and mayor of Buffalo, was elected to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, a former to non-consecutive terms. He is the only president of Princeton University. Wilson won in a landslide with 435 president to have two numbers – 22 and 24. He served from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 electoral votes, while Roosevelt had 88 until 1897. He also has the distinction of and Taft had just 8. Wilson had 6.3 milbeing the only president to win the popular lion popular votes, or 41.8% of the total vote on each of the three times that he ran. In cast; Roosevelt finished with 4.1 million, his bid to seek-re-election in 1892, however, or 27.4%, while Taft had 3.49 million, or he lost the presidency to Benjamin Harrison, 23.4%. Socialist party candidate Eugene who had the required number of electoral Debs received 901,500 votes, or 6.1% but votes despite having fewer popular votes won no electoral votes. Roosevelt’s lack of success as a than Cleveland. What is really interesting is that if third-party candidate should be a cautionanother former president and New York ary message to others who aspire to travel native is elected in 2024, he, too, will have this route. There are so many obstacles. two numbers. Donald Trump, who now is Among them are: limited media coverage, an official resident of Florida, served from access to debates, ballot access, funding 2017 until 2021, but lost his re-election bid and resources, voter resistance, especially among party faithful, the complexities of in 2020. Yet another New Yorker, former Presi- the electoral college system for these candident Teddy Roosevelt, also aspired to make dates, lack of party support and historical a comeback after having served as president precedent. Let’s be honest, no third-party presibetween 1901 and 1909. Roosevelt became president upon the dential party candidates have fared well in death of William McKinley, who was assas- modern history. H. Ross Perot, the Texas bilsinated while attending the Pan American lionaire, was the most successful amassing Exposition in Buffalo on Sept. 6, 1901, and 19.7 million popular votes in 1992. Even so, died eight days later, about six months into he had zero electoral votes and finished a his second term in office. Roosevelt served distant third to Democrat Bill Clinton, the out the remainder of McKinley’s term, then upset winner over incumbent Republican ran for re-election and won in 1904, serving George W. Bush. Four years later, Perot ran again as a a complete term until March 4, 1909. (Back then, presidents took office in early March, reform party third candidate but received but upon adoption of the 20th Amendment just 8.1 million votes that time around and, to the U.S. Constitution in 1933, the date was again, zero electoral votes. Of the three presidents we’ve been changed to the current Jan. 20.) Roosevelt had pledged to limit himself to two terms, dealing with who have significant New

42 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

My Turn

York backgrounds, Cleveland is the least known, so it’s time to learn some of his background. Stephen Grover Cleveland is not a native New Yorker, but he had deep ties to the state starting as a boy when his minister father in 1850 moved the family from Caldwell, New Jersey, to Clinton in Oneida County to work as district secretary for the American Home Missionary Society. The problem was that his father was unable to make enough money to sustain his large family of nine, so Grover was removed from school and sent to Fayetteville in Onondaga County where he served a two-year mercantile apprenticeship. Neighbors described Grover as “full of fun’’ and a prankster who enjoyed outdoor sports. After completing this valuable experience, the future president returned to Clinton to resume his schooling. In 1853, when missionary work began to take a toll on Cleveland’s father’s health, he had to move the family again, this time taking an assignment in Holland Patent, 11 miles north of Utica. A short time later, his father died from a gastric ulcer. It was reported in Cleveland’s biography that he learned of his father’s death from a newsboy hawking papers. After his father’s death in 1853 when Grover was 16, he was again forced to leave school to help support his family. Later in the year, Cleveland’s

brother, William, was hired as a teacher at the New York Institute for the Blind in New York City and was able to get a spot for his brother as an assistant teacher. At the end of the school term in 1854, Cleveland returned home to Holland Patent where a church elder offered to pay for his college education if he promised to become a minister, but Cleveland, seeing what his father went through, politely declined and decided to head West. He stopped in Buffalo where an uncle gave him a clerical job and introduced him to influential Buffalonians and took a clerkship from a prestigious law firm there. The 13th president of the United States, Millard Fillmore, once worked there. After three years, Cleveland left and started his own practice. Two years after the start of the Civil War, Cleveland was appointed assistant district attorney of Erie County. Because of the Conscription Act of 1863 requiring all able-bodied men to serve in the Union Army or find a substitute, Cleveland found one for $150 (equivalent to about $3,400 today). Cleveland was elected mayor of Buffalo in 1881 and governor of New York a year later. He was the leader of a wing of the Democratic Party that opposed high tariffs, free silver, imperialism, subsidies to businesses, farmers and veterans. His conservatism was embraced nationally, and he was admired for his honesty, integrity

and self-reliance. He was known as a reformer who opposed political corruption, patronage and openly defied political bosses. Cleveland won the presidency in 1884 in a close race with Republican James G. Blaine of Maine. Cleveland received 219 electoral votes to Blaine’s 182. He also had 57,000 more popular votes than Blaine. Unlike today when we have 50 states and a presidential candidate requires a minimum of 270 electoral votes to be elected, there were just 38 states in the union in 1884. Four years later, Cleveland lost in his bid for re-election even though he had about 90,000 more popular votes than his Republican opponent and ultimate winner, Republican Benjamin Harrison, who wound up with 233 electoral votes to Cleveland’s 168. Four years later, Cleveland became the first president in our nation’s history to regain the presidency after having lost it. Cleveland won with 277 electoral votes to Harrison’s 145. Cleveland also had about 438,000 more popular votes than Harrison. With Trump the clear front-runner to win the Republican nomination in 2024, he is in a position to become just the second president to serve non-consecutive terms, but to state the obvious — it’s a long time from now until the presidential election in 2024.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Tim Nekritz nekritz@gmail.com

Bringing People Together, One Song and Note at a Time ‘The Songwriters Circle is a dream I never realized I had until it came together, and it puts the sheer enjoyment of songwriting, music and connections first and foremost. It has already exceeded anything I expected.’

TIM NEKRITZ is director of news and media for SUNY Oswego, where he spearheads telling the stories of the campus community.

t’s a Thursday evening in an old barbershop that served its last customer about 60 years ago. The door opens, and in comes a person with a guitar. Then another. And another. And one with a ukulele, followed by another with recording equipment. This is the CNY Songwriters Circle, a musical community that comes together every fourth Thursday night to share songs — and much more. The challenge in the traditional performing structure is that it’s exclusive and somewhat enclosing. Performers are encouraged to put together three hours of material, mostly if not all well-known covers, and annoy bar owners, bartenders, community event organizers and others to fulfill their musical ambitions. Then they might deal with customers who aren’t paying attention, audio issues and all the other logistics. The Songwriters Circle is a dream I never realized I had until it came together, and it puts the sheer enjoyment of songwriting, music and connections first and foremost. It has already exceeded anything I expected. Longtime readers of this space might recall that I bought a house at auction that included the former Polish grocery store and butcher shop owned by the Swiatlowski family for more than 100 years at 316 W. Fifth St. in Oswego. But the real gem might be this former barbershop, about a 24-foot-by-24-foot space with pristine acoustics and plenty of room to accommodate a dozen (or more) participants. When I posted about the barbershop and my desire to do something with it, many of my friends suggested something with music. Going to open mics and other gatherings, I realized how many of us were writing songs on our own but not necessarily sharing them with others (see that previous thing about bars wanting bands to play covers).

44 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

Tim’s Notes

Humble beginnings

So in May 2022, I decided to host a Songwriting Circle and invited some friends over. The first one had a handful of folks, but quality was much better than quantity because I saw it had so much potential for anybody and everybody who attends and makes connections. But it hasn’t always been easy. We rarely cracked a half-dozen members the first few months. One month, it looked like nobody would show until my friend Bill DeMott appeared, running late. But slowly and surely, people have come and wanted to return and provided positive word of mouth. Perhaps more importantly: along the way, I’ve seen participants become friends and supporters of each other’s music and efforts. The concept of a songwriting circle is far from novel, and takes place in many communities. Perhaps the best known is the New York Songwriter’s Collective, unfolding in The Bitter End in Greenwich Village. It offers regular showcases of top talent, charging $10 a head to watch. The one we host in Oswego is rather the antithesis of that. Here everybody from seasoned and recorded artists to people who’ve never written a song come together. It’s all equal footing and collaborative and supportive instead of competitive. As Bill noted after a dozen folks participated in the August one, “The applause is loud in there.” And genuine.

Sharing passion Kenny Roffo had never written lyrics before coming to the circle. He’d never even sung and played the guitar at the same time. The SUNY Oswego graduate is a former software engineer for NASA (working on projects including the InSight rover that landed on Mars) before moving back to Oswego County, where he now works for a startup. Music had been a background interest, more a sol-

The August edition of the CNY Songwriters Circle unfolded in a modest former barbershop on West Fifth Street in Oswego. The group meets every fourth Thursday. Right photo shows Kenny Roffo standing and performing a song he recently wrote. He had never written lyrics before coming to the circle.

itary hobby, until he started attending. “Songwriters’ Circle has motivated me to start writing songs, something I never took seriously prior to joining,” Kenny said. “I’ve gained new insight, new skill and new experience, all thanks to the Songwriters Circle.” Kenny’s first song, a kind of meta tune called “A Song for You and Me” has a great singalong chorus that somehow includes a brontosaurus, and on the most recent Thursday, the old barbershop filled with the room singing along and smiling. “Songwriters’ Circle is a golden opportunity to share your passion for music with others regardless of your background or skill level,” Kenny said. “My favorite thing about the circle is the supportive and friendly nature of the group.” On another end of the spectrum, Marc “Bear” Grindle has written a lot of songs and played open mics but other things in his life made him put this endeavor on the back burner until recently. “Finding this group has brought me out of my comfort zone, and reignited my passion to write and perform again,” Marc said. “Everyone has something positive to contribute, there is an

abundance of talent in all styles and the atmosphere is eclectic.” Like Kenny, Marc finds the ability to connect with other writers important. “My favorite part of the Songwriters Circle is the camaraderie,” Marc said. “The conversations with like-minded creative people, sharing their stories and baring their soul through their craft.”

Cast of characters Kellen Bassette is one of the anchors of the group. My bandmate in The Condescenders and a songwriting machine, Kellen has a keen musical ear and can catch and play along with — and solo on — anybody’s material. Zachary Dewey, who sings lead for ColdFront and has an amazing range, is working on finding his songwriting chops one good phrase at a time. A recent welcome addition is Megan Hook, a singer-songwriter new in town from the West Coast with thoughtful songs and an ethereal voice. The August edition welcomed four first-time members who brought more to the proceedings: Jodie Smith, who has recorded multiple albums with the Hattie Lewis Band and just joined a new group tentatively named Scattered Tracks; fellow HLB member Tom

McGinley, who also plays with What’s Left; and Adam Mance and Michael Crispino, a North Country duo called Very Next Accident. The aforementioned Bill DeMott has been a real rock. A longtime art teacher who found his voice as an a cappella singer and songwriter several years ago, he is the greatest cheerleader and recruiter for the group. Behind the scenes, Jim Early records our proceedings and sends mixes to members after, which are all quite amazing considering how joyfully chaotic bits and pieces can be. Jim and I are working on bringing the circle to another level, creating a collaborative work space in Google where he’ll share recordings and people can contribute material for others to work on. And honestly, wherever it goes from here is gravy. The community that’s come together already is amazing, so widening the circle and helping more people gain confidence to express themselves is gravy. For more information about the CNY Songwriters Circle, email cny. songwriters@gmail.com

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES

46 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

COVER

VETERANS AT THE FOREFRONT IN SEVERAL AREA BUSINESSES T

hey came from all walks of life with a single purpose in mind — to serve their country. Now, after their time in the armed forces is over, they have begun a new chapter in their lives. In 2010, Chris Dambach started his lawn care company with a mower and a borrowed truck. Today, he owns Industry Standard, boasting 45 employees, (expected to grow to 60 next year). He has multi-million-dollar contracts throughout the Northeast. William R. Barry also transformed his love of the outdoors into a vocation. One Cut Above does lawn maintenance, landscaping and excavation site prep work and more. Barry is pretty much a one-man operation. Corey Christman uncorked his interest in winemaking and is producing his own brand — Bravery Wines. He donates $2.50 of every bottle of wine sold to a charity. Eileen Baugh is a modern-day Gal Friday. Her one-person business, Admin-On-Call, collaborates with

other entrepreneurs. She provides executive-level administrative support to small business owners and entrepreneurs, managing back-office functions, e-mail communications and calendars. She will also step in for her clients at events, if needed. Michael Bower was able to leave the corporate world and acquire his own company. He became the owner of the East Syracuse-based Eagle Metalcraft Co., a 70-year-old precision sheet metal company. It has doubled its sales and its workforce has expanded. The company was honored as the Veteran-Owned Business of the Year for 2023 by the U.S. Small Business Administration Upstate New York region. Bower’s goal is to double again within five years. After nearly two decades of military service, Gerald Searfoss decided to spice up things. He said that he joined the military just after 9-11, “I wanted to get in the fight and do what I could after the attack.” After he was discharged, he owned

and operated War Cry Apparel. “And then a few years later, my wife, Heather Searfoss, and I started Black OPS BBQ in Brewerton,” he said. J. Vasquez started working for Pack-N-Mail in Oswego. When his boss decided to move out of state and close down her businesses; he didn’t want to buy her out and be part of a franchise. So he decided to open his own shipping store — The Ship Yard. The Ship Yard is a third-party shipping company. Steven Mollica and his wife, veterinarian Andrea (Dattellas) Mollica, began Fort Frisbee in January 2022 in Fulton. It officially opened April 11, 2022. His vision is to have the (dog grooming-boarding) business support other veterans. “When I buy products to sell at my business, I first try to find a veteran owned business,” he said. Perhaps they no longer wear a uniform, but their commitment to helping others is still evident.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

CHRIS PLATT

Owner of Storm Power Solutions LLC, Pulaski U.S. Army

ith an interest in mechanics and electricity, Chris Platt joined the U.S. Army at 17, and for some of his military career, he was a generator technician. The experience he earned there helped him to be able to open and operate Storm Power Solutions LLC. Based in Pulaski, it specializes in generator service, maintenance and repairs. He filed his LLC in 2019. Today, at 39, Platt said he likes the advantages of owning a business. “There’s always the benefit of being your own boss. I think it’s something you could make your own and kind of

sculpt it,” he said. Yet, he acknowledged that there are some challenges, such as funding and building up the clientele base. “It’s a journey,” he said, calling the business “a work in progress.” He’d like to be able to expand the business, bring on more technicians and look into the possibility of winning more state contracts, since the business has been certified as a state service-disabled veteran-owned business. The designation aims to increase participation in state contracts, with a goal of 6% of participation on state contracts

48 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

by SDVOBs. In preparing to start up his business, Platt availed himself of several veteran-related resources, like many others who have served in the military. These include the entrepreneurial bootcamp at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University and the annual Vetcon event in Albany, during which veterans can network with state agencies and businesses that are expanding their work with state government.

EILEEN BAUGH

Owner of Admin-On-Call, LLC, Syracuse U.S. Air Force

“

If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.” This quote from Muhammad Ali has been Eileen Baugh’s motivation in starting and growing her business, Admin-On-Call, LLC, over the past 10-plus years. As Baugh described, the business provides executive-level administrative support to small business owners and entrepreneurs, managing back-office

functions, email communications, and calendars. She will also be stepping in for her clients at events, if needed. “A modern-day Gal Friday,” she said. According to its LinkedIn profile, the mission of the Admin-On-Call LLC, “is to unchain you from your desk, remove those mountains of paperwork and eliminate those late fees.” The Air Force veteran had served in

an administrative support role during her three years in the military, from 1980 to 1983. Taking the entrance exam for the Air Force, she scored a 97 in the administrative portion of the test and realized just how proficient she was in this field. Transitioning into civilian life, she continued working in administrative jobs in various businesses. While living in Richmond, she was helping a friend, whom she referred to as a “serial entrepreneur,” assisting with some back-office support. This woman suggested that she could run a business where she offered her administrative talents, so she began it as a side job. When she came to Syracuse in 2012, she hoped to launch the business fulltime. However, being a newcomer to the area, she had no established networks of contacts, which she knew she would need. So, she said she started to reach out to the local chapters of some of the agencies she had utilized in Virginia, like SCORE and the SBDC. While scanning a local newspaper one day, she learned about a holiday gathering, sponsored by WISE (Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship) Business Center. She called about it and was invited to attend. She recalled she arrived at the function 20 minutes early, but she said she needed that extra time to calm her nerves — and to possibly remember Ali’s quote. She entered the room and she said, she was warmly received. “It was the best move,” she said. Establishing relationships is key for her. “I was always out there networking,” she said. “You can develop the relationships by networking and that’s how you get your clients. You’ve got to develop the relationships, not just go out and say, ‘Hey, can you hire me?’ or ‘You need me.’’’ While hers is a one-person business, she said she collaborates with other entrepreneurs. Her clients are in a variety of fields, such as event planning, construction, landscaping and financial coaching. Baugh believes that her military experience prepared her well for her business venture. She values the discipline, punctuality and focus that the military helped her better develop. “All the skills that they instilled in me — I’m seeing the benefits of what I learned,” she said.

By Mary Beth Roach

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

COREY CHRISTMAN

Owner of Bravery Wines, Penn Yan U.S. Air Force

ir Force veteran Corey Christman has uncorked his interest in winemaking and is producing his own brand, Bravery Wines. A 1991 Oswego High School grad, the Scriba native entered the Air Force in 1992 and he spent most of his 20-year career as a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, with various assignments in the U.S., Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Toward the end of his military career, he started dabbling in homemade wine-making. It piqued his interest, he said. Immediately upon retiring, he worked in the corporate world for about three years, while taking classes

at Washington State University and working part-time at the family-owned Anthony Road Wine Company in Penn Yan on Seneca Lake. Though he had tried the corporate world, he was quick to realize it wasn’t a good fit for him. “Primarily I wanted the ability to start my own opportunity, wanted the ability to pick my own teammates and to work on something that I was passionate about. I think business ownership gives you the opportunity,” he said. A few years ago, he said he approached the Martini family, owners of Anthony Road and expressed an interest in going to the next level and creating his own label. The Martini family,

50 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

Christman said, was very supportive of his venture. Through a partnership with this winery, Christman launched the product, called ‘Bravery,’ on Veterans Day, 2020. Christman and his wife, Jennifer, came up with the name ‘Bravery,’ and the tagline, “Celebrating the hero in you,” and it underscores how they value heroism, patriotism and service. “That’s something that resonated with us,” he said. On the label, the stars in the background remind one of the American flags. The vertical stripes are in the colors of the military service branches and first responders. And the tagline,

he said, “allows us to pay respect to the people who wear the uniform but also raise awareness for people who are heroic everyday. They live a life of service and they do it for no reason other than to serve.” Furthermore, he said, “Maybe some of those people wear uniforms, but probably you have some heroes that don’t wear uniforms. They might be moms, dads, teachers and neighbors. Common people who choose to live in an uncommon way.” “We felt that the name ‘Bravery’ kind of tied all those together,” he added. The Christmans donate $2.50 for every bottle of wine sold to a charity, such as the Yellow Ribbon Fund, Clear Path for Veterans, Institute for Veterans and Military Families, The Special Liberty Project, which supports Gold Star families and healing veterans. Since launching the brand in November of 2020, Christman said they have given more than $15,000 to charities, including monies from sales or donations of product for baskets and dinners. Preparing for business ownership has been a learning experience for him. “As military members or veterans, asking for help isn’t always the first course of action,” he said. “The first thing as a veteran and a military service member, you have to learn is there’s plenty of resources out there.” He found a lot of support through the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the Wounded Warrior Project at Syracuse University, and the IVMF’s entrepreneurial boot camp. “The biggest thing was learning to lean on others and ask for help and just having the ability to keep moving forward even though the end is not in sight,” he said. Currently, the Bravery brand is being sold under the Anthony Road’s portfolio of wines and license, since state and federal regulations require licensures in order sell wine. The Christmans are in the process of finding a physical site to produce and sell their wines and operate their own winery. The wines are for sale at Anthony Road Wine Company, and other locations, such as The Rooftop Lounge and Curtis Manor restaurants in Oswego; 5 Points Wine and Liquor Store, also in Oswego; and the Laurentide Inn, the 18th Amendment, and Burnt Rose Wine Bar, all in Penn Yan.

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By Mary Beth Roach OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

J. VASQUEZ

Owner of The Ship Yard, Oswego U. S. Marine Corps

. Vasquez joined the military “out of a sense of duty; I believe that military service should be mandatory.” He carries that sense of duty over into the business world. “I was in the United States Marine Corps from 1999-2004, plus two years of Individual Ready Reserve. I was a machine gunner stationed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina,” he said. “But, for almost the entirety of my enlistment

I was doing a workup for deployment or I was deployed,” he said. He said he served in roughly 30 different countries. He was deployed to Okinawa Japan in 2000 with the 1st Battalion 6th Marines for six months, training in other Southeast Asian countries. He returned to Camp Lejeune and detached aboard the USS Gunston Hall for UNITAS (sea exercises and in-port training involving several countries

52 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

in North, South and Central America, conducted by the United States since 1959 in support of U.S. policy) and West African Training in South America and South Africa up the Western Coast in 2001. He returned for another deployment back to Okinawa, Japan, for an additional six months in 2002. “While in Japan, we toured Southeast Asia. Then, in 2001 I was TAD [temporary additional duty] deployed to South America and Africa, then in 2002 I was deployed back to Japan; it was supposed to be the Mediterranean, but 9/11 screwed up deployments,” he said. After returning from Japan for the second time while on Christmas and New Years leave, Congress and the commandant of the Marine Corps enacted stop-loss (involuntary extension) on various military occupational specialties, mostly infantry and direct support personnel. So instead of separating, Vasquez went temporary travel duty to 2nd Battalion 6th Marines to help with their inexperienced personnel, as they were in a rebuilding phase and tasked to go to Iraq for Iraqi Freedom, he explained. “After I was allowed to get out, I did some traveling and re-acclimated to society. I was stop-lossed, so I didn’t have the typical transitioning period,” he explained. He started working for Pack-NMail in Oswego. “While working there, I got a degree in accounting to allow me to book keep and prepare taxes,” he said. “I then continued to get my degree in business administration.” “A year after getting my second degree, my boss decided to move out of state and close down her businesses,” he added. He didn’t want to buy her out and be part of a franchise with the possibility of someone else telling him how to run his store. “So I decided to open my own shipping store — The Ship Yard — in December 2016 to fill the void she was leaving in Oswego,” he explained. The Ship Yard is a third-party shipping company that sells FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL and US Postal, Vasquez said. He also allows people to drop off their prepaid packages for those curriers, he added. He doesn’t have any staff. Good service is key in all small, hometown businesses, he said, adding, “And service is what we do best.”

By Stefan Yablonski

MICHAEL BOWER

Owner OF Eagle Metalcraft Co., E. Syracuse U. S. Marine Corps

nfused with an entrepreneurial spirit, a desire to affect people’s lives, a great deal of discipline and a network of support he found locally, Michael Bower was able to leave the corporate world and acquire his own company about a year-and-a-half ago. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran became the owner of the East Syracuse-based Eagle Metalcraft Co., a 70-year-old precision sheet metal company about 18 months ago, having worked with its former owner Jim Helmer for about three years prior. Bower, now 53, entered the Marines in 1988 and during his four-year tour, he said the Marine Corps taught him

discipline. “When I left the Marine Corps, I left with a great big bucket of discipline and I guess it’s always been with me. Discipline to carry it over the finish line,” he said. That discipline would come to serve him well. After the marines, he entered the workforce in manufacturing. Over the years, he had climbed the corporate ladder in various companies, becoming operations and plant managers and he crisscrossed the country. While working full-time and tending to his family, Bower earned an associate’s degree in electronics, a bachelor’s in physics-optics, and a master’s degree

in engineering. A job with the Eaton Corporation at the former Crouse-Hinds plant in Syracuse brought the Arkansas native to Syracuse. But he knew he wanted more. “I think I just started questioning ‘What am I doing each day that contributes to the bottom line? What am I contributing to the positive aspects of people?’” he said. He said that at different times in his life, he had dreamed of owning a business; he just needed to figure out how to make it happen. He began researching businesses, but realized he needed a better network, so he started working with Mark Pitonzo, an adviser with the Onondaga Small Business Development Center and the area chapter of SCORE. The latter is a national outfit with local offices, whose volunteer mentors help up-and-coming small business owners with their initiatives. Bower has become a SCORE mentor, as well. In late 2019, Bower learned that Eagle Metalcraft was for sale and he began the acquisition process. But he explained that he pulled the offer in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and negative sales. However, Bower and then-owner Helmer continued to talk. Helmer was planning to retire after 40 years in the business and in July of 2020, he went to work with and for him to help drive the business sales up to restart the purchase process. It took a long time to get the deal done, “but it did provide me the opportunity to learn the business, the employees and customers. I took full ownership in February of 2022,” he said. The business has doubled its sales; its workforce has expanded; and Bower continues to update the equipment and floor space at the plant. The company was honored as the Veteran-Owned Business of the Year for 2023 by the U.S. Small Business Administration Upstate New York region. Bower’s goal, he said, is to double again within five years. The employees at Eagle Metalcraft — Bower refers to them as the team — span generations. One worker has more than 50 years of experience, while several others have been brought in just over the past few months. “The diversity of these different groups is extremely valuable and we’re getting to live it,” he said.

By Mary Beth Roach

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

CHRIS DAMBACH

Owner of Industry Standard, Liverpool U.S. Marine Corps

hris Dambach, third generation military, believes that some of the lessons he learned while in the U.S. Marine Corps have helped him start and grow his company, Industry Standard, over the past 13 years. Those lessons include the ability to get along with people from all walks of life, the need to execute the mission, that one never gives up and that failure’s not an option. He has honed those life skills in building his company and earning a spot on Inc.’s 5000 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. He started a lawn care company with a mower and a borrowed truck in 2010. Today, he owns Industry Standard, based in Liverpool, boasting 45 employees, (expected to grow to 60 next year), multi-million-dollar contracts throughout the Northeast, and 9,500 square feet of combined office and job space. Dambach entered the Marine Corps

in 2007 and when he returned to Central New York in 2010, he started the lawn business as a form of therapy, he said. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury and had some rotator cuff and knee issues. “It’s the best thing I could have done,” he said. “I just wanted to merge back into society.” He began with 30 residential properties, working six days a week, at least 12 hours a day, he said. Word of his solid work record spread and he was able to expand, taking some commercial clients. Dambach attended the Operation: Start Up and Grow, an annual event for current and former military, reservists and National Guard members at Onondaga Community College. It became a turning point for him, he said. He was able to learn of a number of resources, including the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse Universi-

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ty, SCORE, Vetcon and SBA. He then learned about the state’s service-disabled veteran-owned business certification, which aims at 6% of participation on state contracts by SDVOBs. He met with the Procurement Technical Assistance Center in Watertown, which helps businesses learn how to conduct business with all levels of the government. Three weeks later, he had a contract handling lawn care for a local reserve center. Then, while browsing a government contracts website, he bid on and won a contract tending the grounds at the Brooklyn VA Hospital. For two years during the growing seasons, he would pull his team together; his wife, Meghan, would pack food for them; and they would head downstate every two weeks. About 10 years ago, he got a multi-million contract with the VA National Cemetery Administration to trim around hundreds of thousands of headstones in the 350-plus acre Long Island National Cemetery. Word-of-mouth and good report cards, which are done at the end of each contract, have helped Dambach secure these contracts. The cemetery contract was a game-changer, he said. But he needed a loan for the start-up money for this project. After about six banks turned him down, he was finally able to get financing. He didn’t give up. Now, the company has its biggest contract to date — replacing an 800-space, five-acre parking lot at the Albany VA. Among other jobs, he has crews building solar farms; doing site work on several Thruway rest stops; and handling some upkeep at the Syracuse VA. For the future, Dambach sees Industry Standard becoming more involved in site work and general contracting work, and the company is investing a good deal of money in heavy equipment and technology. “We’re very excited about what’s to come. We’re in a perfect position where we’re at right now,” he said, pointing to the number of infrastructure and construction projects planned for the Central New York area, such as those connected with the Syracuse Internation Hancock Airport, Interstate 81, Micron and the aquarium planned for the Syracuse Inner Harbor area. With “hard work and grit, you’re going to get there”, he said.

By Mary Beth Roach

WILLIAM R. BARRY

Owner of One Cut Above, LLC, Fulton U.S. Army

illiam R. Barry has transformed his love of the outdoors into a vocation. He was an E-4 specialist in the U.S. Army for six years as a reservist. He was stationed in Oswego, the 444th Engineer Company. “Any time during those six years you can be activated,” he said. “Mine was one year active in Afghanistan, 2012 to 2013.” “I was supposed to be a mechanic,” he added. “I was with a combat engineering company. Our job in Afghanistan was road clearance — we had to search for IEDs. If anyone got hit by one of them, my job was to recover the asset.” He was wounded himself and is a Purple Heart veteran. Barry said that he “wanted to serve most of my high school years — so I did it!” He has also worked at Lowe’s and

Home Depot. “I worked at CSX after my discharge. I was out there for a good five or six years or so,” he said. However, his PTSD got “real bad because of all the noise from the trains,” he said. “My brain was like. it’s another bomb type thing,” he said. So, he started his own business. “Now I own my own company — opened the business in 2020.” One Cut Above, LLC, does lawn maintenance, landscaping and excavation site prep work, Barry said. “I like being outside. I like to make something that looks like ‘meh’ look better,” he said. “I have a machine, but I haven’t got to play with it yet, that does like sidewalk jobs [like landscape curbing],” he added. “It’s really expensive, so I really don’t know how well it will go

over in this area. But as Micron comes in there will likely be projects that I could use it on.” Barry said he doesn’t have any staff right now “ but hopefully soon.” “I do have a nephew that helps me. There’s another veteran friend that I can call on if I need help. And there is a friend from high school,” he said. “But, most of the time I am by myself. The work isn’t there right now for me to be able to employ a bunch of people. It’s mostly just here and there type of stuff. But I’d love to be able to keep those guys full time.” His business has been certified by the Office of General Services’ Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development. Barry and his wife, Erin, have three children, a girl and two boys.

By Stefan Yablonski

GERALD SEARFOSS Owner of Black OPS BBQ, Brewerton U.S. Air Force

fter nearly two decades of military service, Gerald Searfoss decided to spice up things. Searfoss was in the U.S. Air Force and was medically retired after 17 years of service due to post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, he said. “I was a joint terminal attack controller,” he added. “I have been stationed at Fort Drum, Hurlbert Field Florida — Air Force Special Operations Command and at Hancock Field.” He said that he joined the military just after 9-11, “I wanted to get in the fight and do what I could after the attack.” After he was discharged, he owned and operated War Cry Apparel. “And then a few years later, my wife, Heather Searfoss, and I started Black OPS BBQ,” he said. Black OPS BBQ is located at 9633 White Tail Path in Brewerton. War Cry Apparel was his first try at business. “We gained a high following; but it was draining coming up with new designs every month,” he explained. “After about five years, I handed it over to another TACP brother down in Georgia and he is still currently operating it today.” At Black OPS BBQ, they sell barbecue sauces and rubs as an e-commerce. “We are also just recently starting to do small catering jobs. We have done several graduation parties and a wedding,” he said. “We started business in 2021 and launched at the Syracuse

Gun Show.” “Right now, the only staff is my wife and myself — unless we need help, then I will ask my ranger buddy, Braulio Moropinilla and his girlfriend, Tiffany Pena, to work with us,” he added. Searfoss said he wasn’t sure if he uses too much from his military career in the business world — “outside of my ability to communicate and help people understand what it truly is we offer.” He met his wife while he was still in the service. She wasn’t in; she was just finishing nursing school at University at Buffalo, he said. “I meet her downtown while I was the designated driver for my TACP JTAC [tactical air control party, joint terminal attack controller] team that returned with me from Afghanistan in 2007,” he explained. Searfoss spent 17 years in the US Air Force as a tactical air control party, joint terminal attack controller. “I was the guy forward who would call in the air strikes for the Army. I spent three and a half years as an instructor in my career field,” he said. “After my time as an instructor, once returning to a deployable squadron, I spent most of my time as a unit training manager and operations training manager as well as a team leader when deployed battalion air liaison officer.” It took some trial and error to figure out how to create the best barbecue. “When it comes to barbecue, it is all trial and error until you find that perfect time-temp of what you are cooking,” he said. “When it comes to the sauce,

56 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

being from the South I am not a fan of Northern barbecue or the sauces.” “One day, my mother-in-law got me a book about sauces and rubs and I just started messing around with it and found the perfect sauce recipe through trial and error. And then — I perfected it,” he continued. “After that I started to expand on my sauces using juices and liquors that I thought would just help the flavors pop. That is how we came up with Deltas Secret Sauce, FNG, Play Time and Omega.” Is it tougher to cater for a large group now compared to his military duties? “No, it’s more relaxing as we are very personable with everyone that we work with,” he replied. “Plus, we have been told that they love my Southern hospitality!” Almost all of the barbecue feedback has been extremely positive, according to Searfoss. “Only one time have we received a negative response,” he said. “You can find that on our Google page as I don’t remove any comments, but I do respond.” Outside of doing the barbecue business, he also has a side job at Spectrum in outside sales. He has an associate degree in information management and military studies; and also a BA in criminal justice and a master’s in both business (MBA) and marketing.

By Stefan Yablonski

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

58 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

STEVEN MOLLICA

Co-owns of Fort Frisbee LLC, Fulton U. S. Army

teven Mollica’s career has gone to the dogs — and he couldn’t be happier. Mollica, a sergeant first class in the Army Reserve, and his wife, veterinarian Andrea (Dattellas) Mollica, brought a nearly 4,000-square-foot vacant Fulton building back to life and transformed it into a new state-of-the-art pet care facility. They began Fort Frisbee in January 2022 at 801 W. Broadway, site of the former Sweet Inspirations. It officially opened April 11, 2022. “I picked the location because it was the only thing available in the city of Fulton that could meet my needs. The other properties that were available were too small, too residential or needed too much work,” he said. “It’s close to everything, but not close enough to where there would be an issue with noise or any complaints.” Business has been steadily increasing. “The word is spreading about the services we offer and many of our customers are pleased with our services,” he said. “We have new services and features in the works that will hopefully increase customer and pet satisfaction.” His vision is to have the business support other veterans. “When I buy products to sell at my business, I first try to find a veteran-owned business that sells the products that I’m looking for. The dog treats I sell are from a veteran-owned business in Buffalo. The coffee I sell is a veteran-owned coffee business in Virginia,” he explained. “Not every veteran-owned business sells the products or services I need, so I can’t always choose a veteran-owned business. However, they’re often my first choice.” He joined the active duty U.S. Army as an air defense artilleryman; served on active duty for four and a half years at Fort Bliss and Fort Hood, both in Texas. “I completed a 15-month combat tour in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom VII-VIII.” Mollica joined the military when he was 19 — because “I didn’t think I had much going for me at the time.” He said he barely graduated high

school because he didn’t value an education. Because of that, he was “rightfully denied enrollment into college,” he added. He was working overnights in a distribution warehouse. “All that considered, I figured I didn’t have much going for me at that time and needed to make a drastic life change if I wanted a better life for myself,” he explained. “That was my motivation to join and continue serving.” When he left active duty, he returned to Syracuse, enrolled in the criminal justice program at Onondaga Community College — graduated summa cum laude with a 3.8 GPA. Then, he took the Onondaga County correctional officer test. “I was a top scorer on the test, eventually interviewed and selected to attend the Onondaga County Correctional Academy,” he said. “I graduated from the academy and started a short career working for the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office in the custody division at the Justice Center in downtown Syracuse.” He worked for approximately 10 months before taking the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Police test. He scored high on that test as well and was selected to attend the CNY Regional Police Academy. “I graduated from the academy and worked the next 10 years with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office in the police division. My assignments included road patrol deputy, tactical anti-crime patrol deputy, New York certified SWAT operator and detective,” he said. “After spending much time in downtown Syracuse during the rioting and civil unrest of 2020, we made a family decision some time after that I needed to make a career change so I could be there for my family,” he added. “From this came brainstorming and the creation of Fort Frisbee.” Also, after leaving the active duty military, he joined the Army Reserve. He was a trained intelligence analyst and did that job for several years and earned high level recognition for some of his work before making his third —

and final Army job change as an animal care specialist. “This is the military equivalent of a veterinary technician in the civilian world. My job is responsible for caring for all the military working dogs and privately owned animals on government installations under the supervision of a U.S. Army veterinarian,” he explained. “This job is vital to ensuring the health and safety of the military working dog community throughout the world.” He said he chose to start Fort Frisbee because it complemented the experience he has had in his life. “My wife is the veterinarian and owner of the Fulton Animal Hospital, so I’ve spent much of my adult life talking with her about animal medicine and observing the work she performs on a daily basis,” he said. “With the knowledge I’ve gained from her and the knowledge I learned through my military career, something in the animal industry seemed like a logical choice.” He has a lot of pets — two dogs, one cat, one rabbit, four birds and one tortoise. “My wife has owned the Fulton Animal Hospital since 2014 and has done a phenomenal job with managing staff, patient care and business operations,” he added. “She’s an excellent role model for me and anyone looking to start or improve a business. She won the SBA small business excellence award several years back and has been doing great things ever since.” Growing up Mollica was a very active kid; he played baseball and football. “I was also actively into entrepreneurship,” he said, adding, “I don’t think I knew what that term meant at the time —but that was what I did!” During his middle school years, he was very big into learning magic tricks. He spent hours learning from books and the early days of the internet — using what he learned to host a few neighborhood magic shows. “I probably had five-10 kids that came and I charged admission. I also offered a raffle that kids could buy for an additional fee. I held a few shows in the neighborhood before my life interests changed,” he said. Following that he would shovel neighborhood driveways for a fee. Following that he would build very small scale websites for a fee. “I taught myself a lot as a kid and I used what I learned to try and make something from it,” he said. “That was my early experience in business.”

By Stefan Yablonski

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ENTREPRENEURIAL VETS By Mary Beth Roach

iscipline, leadership abilities, knowledge in handling equipment and budgets, the ability to assess risk, understanding the value of teamwork, are attributes that the military can instill in the men and women who serve. For veterans who dream of starting a new business, these qualities can serve them well, according to Barb Carson, managing director of programs and services at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families on the Syracuse University campus. However, there are some aspects of military life that can pose obstacles for vets as they try to start up a company. Because military personnel get transferred often, they may not have the ability to establish networks in any one location. Even those returning to their hometowns after their stint may find that things have changed a lot, Carson noted. And often, because they move a lot, they may also have had to change banks to handle financial transactions, which can impact credit ratings. Helping to overcome these obstacles and develop opportunities is a number of programs available to veterans and others on their entrepreneurial journey. Here are some of the programs available in Central New York: • At IVMF, vets can get assistance in deciding which kind of business structure they should set up; whether they should consult with an attorney; if they have intellectual property that should be guarded; if they need a patent; or if a market exists for the business or product that they wish to create. Vets need not be enrolled at SU to take advantage of programs at the IVMF. More information: www.ivmf. syracuse.edu. • The Onondaga Small Business Development Center is set up to help not only veterans, but anyone interested in starting up a business. Mark Pitonzo, senior adviser with the organization,

explained that the process begins with an intake form and each case is then assigned to an adviser, who walks the client through. They, too, will offer help in structuring the business, whether it should be an LLC, an S Corp or a DBA, for example. They will also help clients develop financial projections, balance sheets, cost analyses, and business plans, which are all documents that banks will want to see in determining loans. The SBDC also has a resource list, Pitonzo said, with accountants, attorneys, website developers and insurance brokers. Anyone on that list will provide a client with a free onetime consultation, Pitonzo added. His agency also has a research department, which can provide industry data and demographic information. Onondaga SBDC has offices in Onondaga, Cayuga, Cortland, Madison and Seneca counties. It recently started providing services in Oswego County as well. More information: www.onondagasbdc.org/veterans. • The Keenan Center, located across from Le Moyne’s main campus, is a unique initiative that can offer potential entrepreneurs facilities and mentorship a jump start to their business ventures. “Our mission is to serve Central New York. We’re supposed to build the entrepreneurial density of Central New York,” according to Doug Hill, founder and director of the Maker Institute at the Keenan Center. The Institute has a variety of 3D printers; a vinyl cutter that can create T-shirts and stickers; a machine to carve wood and aluminum; and a radio station and a green screen, which currently broadcasts four podcasts a week. The school even hosts “Dolphin Tank,” patterned after television’s “Shark Tank,” but Le Moyne’s mascot is a dolphin, hence the change in the name. Through this program a select number of students are awarded seed money. Hill said that the center is open to the public and entrepreneurs are invited to

60 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

visit the location at Springfield and Salt Springs Road. More information: www.lemoyne. edu, then type Keenan Center in the search menu on top. • At least one of the veterans we interviewed for this story found tremendous support from the annual VetCon conference that brings together state agencies, veteran-friendly businesses that are growing their state government experience and veterans in transition for opportunities in education, development and networking. This year’s event will be held Nov. 28-29 in Albany. Tickets and more information are available. More information: vetconny.com. The WISE Women’s Business Center was established in 2006 and helps women build sustainable small businesses through services ranging from tailored training programs and classes to no-cost small business counseling. Hosted by The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and funded in part by the U.S. SBA, the local WISE WBC is on the lobby floor of the Equitable Tower in downtown Syracuse. Services are provided in-person and virtually to reach women across Cayuga, Cortland, Jefferson, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego. More information: https://wisecenter.org. The SCORE program offers mentors, workshops, and other resources to help along the way, whether it’s starting or growing the business. More information: score.org/ centralny. The U.S. Small Business Administration can also be a resource for a variety of programs. More information: sba.gov and type in veterans in the search box.

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62 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

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Electric vehicles grow more common in CNY even as concerns about charging and range persist among consumers By Ken Sturtz

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

hen Scott Thomas takes his Ford Mustang to car events around Central New York, he fields a lot of questions, but not the kind a car-lover would usually expect. No one quizzes him, for instance, about the horsepower or asks him to start and rev the engine. “The first question people ask about is range and how I charge it,” he said. Thomas, of Baldwinsville, owns a Mustang Mach-E Premium, Ford’s all electric version of the Mustang. With an extended range battery, he gets up to 300 miles on a charge, charging the vehicle in his garage overnight. “This car is a real sweet car to drive,” he said. “It’s a very good cruising car, it’s great in traffic and it’s got top safety tech.” While it might seem strange to marry an icon of American car culture with electric vehicle technology Thomas, who also owns a traditional gasoline powered Mustang, says he loves his Mach-E nonetheless. And he isn’t alone. Electric vehicle (EV) ownership in New York state has skyrocketed from a few thousand EVs on the road a decade ago to just over 150,000 registered in June. That includes both all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids that run on elec-

tricity but also have gasoline engines to power the vehicle if the battery is drained. More than 100,000 EVs have hit the road in the state since 2021. While EV ownership was initially concentrated in urban areas, that’s slowly changing. Onondaga and Oswego counties account for a fraction of the state’s total EVs — about 3,800 as of June — but like the rest of the state, most of them were purchased in just the last couple of years. Experts say EVs are becoming more popular in places like Central New York for some of the same reasons EV ownership has grown in more populated areas. The price of EVs has dropped to the point that they are increasingly within the budget of the average consumer and more competitive with traditional cars, said Eric Hittinger, an associate professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology. “If you go back five or 10 years, electric vehicles were a very niche product for people who were willing to pay a huge amount of extra money for them,” he said. “It was really for people who wanted that product.” That began to change a decade ago when Tesla introduced the Model S with

64 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

the strategy of competing with other expensive high-end cars in the market such as BMW and Mercedes. Tesla bet that the additional cost of an EV would seem small to consumers who were already willing to pay $70,000-$100,000 for a vehicle. The Model S became the top-selling EV. Traditional car makers such as the Big Three have taken EVs seriously and contributed to their price coming down and wider acceptance among consumers. And generous government subsidies have helped too. But while gas-powered vehicles come in every shape and color imaginable, the options for someone in the market for an EV remain fairly limited, Hittinger said, noting that roughly 90% of the EVs on the market today could be considered compact sedans or crossover SUVs. “One of the obstacles that electric vehicles face is that if you want to buy a traditional gasoline vehicle you can choose from a huge number of designs,” he said. “If you want to buy an electric vehicle or if you’re considering an electric vehicle, you have to choose from the 20-50 options that are available.” Car makers have begun to branch

Christophe Colebrook of Syracuse stands with his electric Nissan Leaf. He travels regularly for work and says he is able to save money on fuel. He drives about 5,000 miles a month but he went from spending $200 a month on fuel to $40 a month for electricity to power his car.

out, though they have remained focused on areas of the market where they can make the most money, Hittinger said. Ford has promoted its Mustang Mach-E and last year rolled out the Lightning, its first electric pickup truck. Both are highly profitable. As the variety of EV options continues to grow — many families are awaiting the first all-electric minivan, for example — and the supply of batteries increases, EVs will likely creep more into the mass car market where the profit margins are smaller. A tipping point will come when the sticker price for EVs, which are cheaper to operate than gas cars, dips below that of traditional vehicles. “That’s the thing that will get people’s attention because we all love to save money,” Hittinger said. “If the cheapest thing on the sales floor is an electric car I think that’s going to suddenly move a lot of product.” Thomas said his reasons for buying an EV included both wanting to reduce his carbon footprint and to save money. A few years ago, he leased a Honda Clarity, a plug-in hybrid. Honda was offering a great deal, he said, so he signed a three-year lease to see if he

liked having an EV. Thomas lives in Baldwinsville and works as an IT manager at Clinton’s Ditch in Cicero and wanted to use the Clarity, which had a 50-mile battery range, for his 24-mile commute. When he did use the gasoline engine, Thomas said he got 42 miles to the gallon and only filled up his tank once every three or four months. “I knew after about six months of owning it,” he said. “I said ‘Well heck I can live with a full EV,’ and I started researching.” As he dove into researching EVs, Thomas discovered there weren’t a lot of options and very few EV models interested him. He considered Tesla but said that although he felt the company’s battery and in-car technology was excellent, its overall car quality wasn’t up to his standards. Then, in 2019, Ford and Volkswagen announced they would be rolling out their new Mach-E and ID.4 respectively the following year. Both vehicles interested him and he ultimately decided to go with the Mach-E. He placed an order in October 2020, hoping it would be delivered before the lease on his Clarity was up in August 2021 but had no idea

how long it would take Ford to ramp up production of the new EV. His 2021 Ford Mach-E Premium was delivered in May 2021. It cost $54,000 and Thomas said the only option he got was the $5,000 extended range battery, which is rated for 300 miles on a full charge. He eventually received a $7,500 tax credit from the federal government. Thomas said he charges his car overnight when demand on the electrical grid is lowest. The battery range varies depending on the weather and time of the year but he said he’s satisfied with his choice. He enjoys the car’s hands-free technology for interstate driving and cruise control with lane centering for local driving. And he especially enjoys the savings. His electric bill increased about $40 a month but he doesn’t buy gas at all, which works out to a significant savings, he said. And he doesn’t have to worry about oil changes anymore. Kieran O’Connor, of DeWitt, was also interested in purchasing an EV. He needed to buy a new car and knew several people who owned EVs. But he was concerned about the higher cost of an EV versus a traditional car and

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Scott Thomas of Baldwinsville owns a Mustang Mach-E Premium, Ford’s all electric version of the Mustang. “This car is a real sweet car to drive,” he says. “It’s a very good cruising car, it’s great in traffic and it’s got top safety tech.”

didn’t want to deal with the challenge of having to stop on long trips to charge the battery. “And I was like I’m not ready to commit,” he said. “But a plug-in hybrid I thought was a good option for me.” O’Connor purchased a Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid in July 2021 for $32,000 and received a $4,500 federal tax credit and $500 state tax credit. He said the car was surprisingly roomy for a compact — he is 6 feet tall and doesn’t feel cramped. But the best thing about owning a hybrid has been the savings. O’Connor is IT director for the East Syracuse-Minoa Central School District and drives five miles each way to and from work, so he can usually go the entire week using his car’s battery, which has a 30-mile range that dips to about 22 miles in winter. O’Connor said he did the math and calculated that he averages 68 miles to the gallon with his car’s engine and spends 4.5 cents a mile for the electricity to power the batteries. He enjoys being able to commute mostly on electric but has the option of switching to gas if his battery runs low. “I do think it’s a good little middle ground for people who don’t want to fully commit to a fully electric vehicle,” he said. Christophe Colebrook, of Syracuse, wanted to buy an EV mostly because it’s environmentally friendly, but said the fact that it ended up saving him money was a happy coincidence. Colebrook works in IT for AMP

Urology and travels regularly for work, visiting offices around the region. He drove a Chevrolet Aveo and spent about $200 a month on his car, which was less than his travel reimbursements. He wanted to buy an EV and use it as his work vehicle but knew the payments would be higher than his Aveo. So, he used a spreadsheet to calculate the cost, factoring in the price of electricity and the size of the battery. “And the math worked out such that it would be affordable for me to make the switch,” he said. “I would pay less in fuel costs even though my car payment would be higher.” Colebrook was driving the same roughly 5,000 miles a month but he went from spending $200 a month on fuel to $40 a month for electricity to power his car. The only problem was that the 2016 Nissan Leaf that he purchased had an 80-mile range. During the winter, for example, he struggled to make regular work trips to Fulton. “So, to get to Fulton and back to Syracuse round trip in the winter with the heater on and the snow on the road and everything, it was challenging,” he said. But there were charging stations along his route and he realized it was simple enough to plan his lunch breaks to stop at a restaurant in Clay with a free charging station. By the time he had eaten, his battery was charged enough to get back to Syracuse. In 2018, Colebrook bought a newer Nissan Leaf with a longer range. Now

66 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

he can make the 104-mile round trip drive from Syracuse to Utica without stopping to recharge his battery. “That kind of range anxiety I had in the older model has really dissipated,” he said. “As the technology has gotten better, it’s made my life easier.” Concerns about battery range and finding charging stations have been serious hurdles to greater EV adoption in rural areas of upstate New York, said Chris Carrick, energy program manager for the Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board. “There’s still this issue of range anxiety as it’s called where folks who might think about buying an EV worry about being stranded as they’re out doing their daily business,” he said. To a certain degree, it’s a perception issue, Carrick said, noting that EV owners do approximately 90%-95% of their charging at home. The issue has been helped by improvements in technology that have extended battery ranges and by consumers becoming more familiar with EVs, he said. The number of charging stations has grown in recent years, especially for long distance travel. The state has focused on upgrading and adding fast charging stations at rest areas along the Thruway. And Tesla already has a nationwide fast-charging network in place. Charging stations tend to be centered around denser population areas such as cities and highways, but Carrick said the Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board has worked with more than 20 municipalities in Central New York over the last two years to help them move forward with investments in charging stations, both in rural and urban areas. In most cases, the charging stations have been Level 2 ports, which are meant to fully charge a vehicle in about five or six hours. Such destination charging works because most EV owners don’t need to fully charge their vehicle, but rather top it off while they spend a couple of hours somewhere, Carrick said. Increasing the number of charging stations also has the side effect of increasing the visibility of EVs and helping to ease public perceptions about the technology. “When folks see their neighbors or even their town or city investing in this technology, it gives them a little more confidence to try it for themselves,” Carrick said.

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68 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

SPECIAL REPORT

FOOD BANK OF CNY EXPANDING ITS COMPLEX, CAPABILITIES Nonprofit is in the midst of an $8.5 million expansion of its distribution and office complex in Syracuse. It will be able to store an additional one million pounds of food By Norah Machia

he Food Bank of Central New York has started an $8.5 million major expansion of its distribution and office complex in Syracuse to continue helping an increasing number of people facing hunger in Onondaga and many other surrounding counties. Site work began in April to expand the nonprofit organization’s building on Interstate Island Road from 74,000 square feet to 108,000 square feet. “This expansion will allow us to help many more individuals and families” in the 11 counties served by the agency throughout Central and Northern New York, and the Mohawk Valley, said Lynn Hy, chief development officer. Started in 1985, the organization operates a large food warehouse distribution center in Syracuse, where food is sorted, packed and then loaded for distribution on the agency’s fleet of 15 trucks equipped with refrigeration units. Although some renovations were completed when the agency first purchased the facility in 2010, “we never expanded the footprint of the building,” Hy said. The building project will enable the Food Bank of CNY to expand its operations in three major areas. The expansion project will provide significantly more storage space, enabling the food bank to store an additional one million pounds of food. This will help the Food Bank of CNY increase the distribution of emergency food packages and help secure other items that are often difficult for those dealing with food insecurity to access, such as hygiene supplies, Hy explained. The additional warehouse space

will help reduce waste by allowing food bank staff and volunteers to process and distribute donated perishable food more efficiently. It will also increase the capacity of the Food Bank of CNY to supply specialty food boxes to accommodate dietary, cultural and health-related needs, she said. VIP Structures, a Syracuse-based design-build firm, is completing the major expansion project, along with many other local trade businesses. The project is expected to be finished in May 2024. Serving more than 400 emergency food programs and covering a 12,334-square-mile region, the Food Bank of CNY is one of 10 food banks established in New York state to support independent food pantries operating in various locations. An estimated 162,160 individuals face food insecurity within the Food Bank of CNY’s service area. “We need to get the food to where people who are experiencing hunger are living, so they don’t need to leave their communities,” said Hy. A lack of transportation is often a significant barrier for people to access healthy food, she added. Although most food pantries were initially set up for emergency use, more people have been using them for ongoing support, said Hy. “People experiencing hunger come from all walks of life,” she said. “They are often just one crisis away from relying on this food network. It could be an unexpected medical bill or a car that breaks down.” Food pantry use increased even more during the COVID-19 pandemic. “People who lost their jobs were sud-

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

Volunteers work with food distribution at Food Bank of Central New York in Syracuse.

denly thrown into food insecurity and some have still not found work again,” Hy said. “The emergency food pantry has become an essential component of their lives.” “We’re always looking at common trends, how is the face of hunger changing, how can we meet people’s needs?” she added. “Not everyone has a full kitchen. Some may only have a microwave to cook and may not own a freezer for storage.” The United States Department of Agriculture Food Commodities program is one of the primary sources of food products for the nonprofit agency. The Food Bank of CNY also receives donated food from manufacturers, distributors and retail partners, and purchases bulk foods directly from wholesalers. Farmers throughout the region provide the primary sources of fresh produce, with the food bank purchasing more than 3 million pounds from New York state growers. “We work with a produce distributor, and they work with the farmers to box up and deliver the food to our warehouse,” Hy said. The Nourish New York program, started during the COVID-19 pandemic, con-

tinues to provide additional funding for fresh produce purchases. “Even before this program, we were working to distribute fresh produce,” she said. “But this really allowed us to expand and provide more jobs for New York state residents.” The Food Bank of CNY also does outreach programs to help promote self-sufficiency, including distributing “Garden on the Go” kits containing 20 root pouches with assorted seeds and seedlings to families wanting to grow fresh produce. “These are designed for people who don’t have access to land where they live,” Hy said. “They’re offered through our partner agencies and can be used to grow plants in places such as window sills.” Food Bank of CNY educators offer various nutrition education programs, and travel to food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and farmers’ markets for cooking demonstrations. Because “food is just one component of why people are in need,” New York state also funds the food bank to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outreach, Hy said. When meeting with potential

70 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

SNAP-eligible families and individuals, the outreach teams can offer referrals to other support services such as the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Home Energy Assistance (HEAP) programs for clients in Onondaga, Cayuga, Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego counties. The $8.5 million project is being supported with a combination of federal and state funds, along with corporate and individual donations. The federal funding for the project was obtained with support from Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and former Representative John Katko. Support on the state level was provided through the New York State Regional Economic Development Council and the State and Municipalities Facilities (SAM) grant program with the assistance of Senator John Mannion. Private donors include Wegmans Food Markets, the Syracuse St. Patrick’s Hunger Project, Giovanni Foods, the Central New York Community Foundation and several other generous individuals. Additional donations are still being sought to fund the project fully. For more information: www.foodbankcny.org

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MANUFACTURING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

OOC UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP:

THE FIRST 250 DAYS

Director Austin Wheelock reflects on his first few months on the job and talks about a shift in strategies By Stefan Yablonski

hings are moving fast on the economic development front in Oswego County. Austin Wheelock, the new executive director Operation Oswego County, is leading the charge to keep everyone ahead of the curve. He recently discussed his first 250 days as the agency’s new leader. Operation Oswego County and the IDA were successfully led for almost 40 years by L. Mike Treadwell, who retired at the end of last year. “While I learned so much from him about economic development since I began with the organization in 2006, my leadership style is different and with guidance from our board, several of our priorities have shifted — Micron preparation initiatives and increased stakeholder collaboration are examples — which has required adaptation from all. I appreciate the support that the board and staff have provided me and look forward to continuing to lead economic development efforts for Oswego County,” said Wheelock, who has been at the helm since January. “We are doing well. I think that it is interesting that when it became public knowledge that I was going to be executive director [Oct. 3] and the very next day [Oct. 4] Micron announced [its expansion in Central New York],” he said. “So we have had to adapt. You have to come in thinking, ‘hey this is what we are going to focus on.’ And then something like that happens — you have to change focus very quickly!” “It’s been good; economic developers, stakeholders in Oswego County — everybody from OOC to the IDA,

the county itself, our workforce partners — everybody is working together probably better than we ever have,” he continued. “We all realize that this thing is bigger than any of us, we really do need to work together to be able to achieve the best outcome for Oswego County.” There are so many needs right now — everything from manufacturing, the supply chain side … everything, he pointed out. “You are looking at population growth in Central New York. You are going to have a large construction base in Central New York for probably close to a decade between Micron and all the other supporting ancillary businesses. “We are looking at opportunities everywhere. Really there are opportunities for new hotels, apartments and housing development to new commercial development. This isn’t just Oswego County; it is going to be focused on all of Central New York. If we play our cards right and make the right decisions in terms of development of sites and promotion of assets, we can end up doing pretty well.” Wheelock thinks that 2023 got off to a very good start. Down in the industrial park in Schroeppel there is a new company, E.J. Prescott Inc., moving in. They are an infrastructure supplier in the water business. They will be moving into the space that was occupied by Otis Technology. They are making a consolidation to another site and Prescott will be coming in. “That shows the strength of the real

estate market in Oswego County. That building didn’t last on the market longer than I’d say two or three weeks,” he said. “Prescott should fully be in there by the end of the year or early next year; creating about 10 new jobs down there as well as supporting other jobs.” It shows that there is going to be a market — “a strong market — for infrastructure and specialty contractors in Oswego County related to industrial and commercial development. Not necessarily related to Micron sort of stuff, but because of the opportunity that it is creating. There is a lot more opportunities for development directly and indirectly,” Wheelock said. The area is seeing investment and a lot of interest from companies that are looking to try to get into Oswego County — southern Oswego County as well as some other areas — but they really want to get here before everything really starts to move, he added. Daldrop is getting ready to move in. They are taking a little bit longer, but they are getting closer. They are doing their final approval with the town of Schroeppel. They are going to build a 32,000 square foot manufacturing facility in the industrial park in Schroeppel. They manufacture clean room components. Irby Utilities, a distributor of electrical parts and equipment, relocated to the old can plant building near the former Miller Brewery in Volney in the spring 2023. There is also growth of other small manufacturing companies, Wheelock said, citing one that is looking to expand

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and OOC is working with them to facilitate them putting on a 10,000 square foot expansion. That will add another 10 jobs or so down there, he noted. “Companies are seeing that coming to Oswego County is a smart decision. We are trying to stay ahead of it in terms of having land ready — shovel ready and ready for companies to come to. It’s a good problem to have.” “As we get closer and these things all start to snowball, I think you may see some local towns that haven’t been used to the type of development that may be coming — they will have to increase their capacity; their zoning boards and planning boards, those kinds of things,” he said. There is still some time before Micron is going to be starting construction; they are looking at 2024 to start, Wheelock noted, adding “We need to promote best and highest use for our real estate. Up here in Oswego County, we want to make sure we are aware of what’s going on so we are prepared for that spinoff development and demands — there is some pressure, but it’s not pressure in a negative way.” Oswego County needs to be ready, he emphasized. “If we don’t have sites that are ready, that have infrastructure and are suitable for new building, then people are going to skip right over us and go to the next county or region over,” he cautioned. “So, it is our job to make sure that we are putting Oswego County in the best position to attract and expand companies by providing shovel-ready sites, providing a ready trained and willing workforce and making sure that we are addressing any other what I would call bottlenecks or obstacles for new business to develop and expand.” OOC is truly collaborating this year with its partners — “we really have to. We can’t solve these things on our own. We really need to work together and make sure we are all pulling in the same direction. We are very committed to collaborating with all of our partners from the private sector as well as the public sector,” he said. ConnextCare is moving into the old education building in Oswego, for example. It’s a more visible and accessible location; it’s larger and will allow them to provide more care. “That is a project that we are working with them on,” Wheelock said. “We help facilitate — we aren’t the ones who create the jobs — we help people do that. We just help those who are doing it get it done and be successful.”

MANUFACTURING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Onondaga SBDC Now in Charge of Providing Services in Oswego County

he head of Onondaga Small Business Development Center, Robert Griffin, is now in charge of the Oswego County SBDC and will cover a territory that includes eight counties. John Halleron, who represented the SBDC in Oswego County for many years until his recent retirement, has returned on a short-term basis to provide Oswego County services as a small business adviser. “I am an immigrant from Texas — well, born in California and lived most of my youth in Texas,” Griffin said. He graduated from Angelo State University in San Angelo with a degree in business administration, specializing in market research. He’s been in New York since 1996 and until 2022, was a resident of Endicott

By Stefan Yablonski with his wife, Michelle. They have two grown children: Lydia (SUNY Cortland ’21) and Alex (SUNY Oswego ’22). “I got my professional start in New York in the tourism industry, as deputy and then director of the Tioga County Tourism Office, an agency of the Tioga County Local Development Corporation,” he said. “I then spent the next few years in various marketing leadership roles in the hospitality industry, overseeing teams in corporate food service, a hotel convention center and even a casino.” Griffin became a business adviser with the Binghamton SBDC in 2018 and accepted the position as regional director of the Onondaga SBDC in March of 2022. “When I was in college, I was an

intern in the economics department. My workspace was in the immediate vicinity of the regional Small Business Development Center there. The director at the time, a wonderful man named Harlan Bruha, was actually an acquaintance of my father’s. I would occasionally get the opportunity to listen to some of the stories about the projects they would help folks with and remembered reflecting on how much fun it might be to get to do that job someday,” he recalled. In 2018, he had the opportunity to do just that — by accepting a position as a business adviser with the Binghamton Regional SBDC. “It’s one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. We help people change their lives in meaningful and impactful

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

ways. So, when the position opened up here at Onondaga Community College, I felt it might be a great opportunity for me to continue to help others on a larger scale,” he said. “I also was very impressed by the dedication to the SBDC program that the OCC administration conveyed to me during the process. It’s a wonderful institution and their commitment to helping serve as a catalyst for economic development is both commendable and exciting.”

Services “Our advisement services are at no cost and many of the educational programs we offer are at low or no cost to New York state residents and those looking to establish businesses in New York state,” he said. The Small Business Development Center is a grant-funded program by the US Small Business Administration and the state of New York. “We provide no-cost, confidential business advisement to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs at all stages of the business life cycle, from startup through exit planning,” he said. “There are 20 such centers across New York state, offering similar services and programming.” “The Onondaga SBDC territory in recent years consisted of our core counties of Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca. We also provided shared support with other SBDC centers for Cortland, Madison and Oswego counties. The Watertown SBDC, hosted at Jefferson Community College, provided support for Jefferson, Lewis, and the remainder of Oswego County, along with generous

support from SUNY Oswego for the program,” he continued. It was recently decided to launch a pilot program bringing together the Watertown and Onondaga centers into a larger regional center, as a better way for the network to leverage the collective experience of both amazing teams of business advisers and strengthen our regional presence, he added. “We believe it will really amplify the client experience. The new structure brings together more than 250 years of collective small business ownership and management experience into one cohesive unit,” he said. “That combined and deep experience will now cover almost every business sector including so many that are vital to our area including agriculture, manufacturing, human resources, marketing, international trade, energy, retail and hospitality, among others.” “Stay tuned for more details on this collaboration as we announce more in the weeks and months ahead,” he said. Griffin said he is “very fortunate to have a wonderful core of business advisers” that allow him to devote his energies to engaging with local and regional partners — “and ensure that we are out in our communities identifying how best to assist those who can benefit from our guidance and educational programming,” he said. They offer direct one-to-one advisement for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs at all stages of their business, in-person, virtually or over the phone. “Our signature training program — Fast Track to Business Startup — is offered three times per year in person in our Onondaga Center, three times per

year virtually and we are now experimenting with offering the program in communities where we have identified a need,” he said. “In the coming months, we expect to add a library of choices for small business training experiences, both virtually and in person, across the region covering a wide assortment of small business ownership and management topics.”

Oswego staffing “We are currently working with our partners in the Oswego area on a plan for in-person staffing of a local office. We have staff available daily in our Liverpool office. Our approach really is ‘right client, right adviser,’” he said. “If there is one thing that the pandemic taught us is that providing services does not need to exclusively happen in an in-person setting. We have become very good at delivering excellent support through all of our channels. What that means is that whether our adviser is primarily stationed in our Auburn outreach office, our Watertown outreach office or our Hamilton outreach location, we can provide effective guidance.” “The best approach is for folks to contact us through our website (www. onondagasbdc.org) by requesting services through our sign-up form. This usually gets them assigned to an adviser in one to two business days and is the most efficient way for me to ensure that the client is getting paired with the adviser best suited for them,” he added. “Of course, if the client would like to meet with an adviser in person, we have the flexibility to make that happen.”

Port of Oswego: $513 Million Impact on the Ecconomy The just-released results of a US-Canadian research study shows that The Port of Oswego Authority (POA) made a $513 million impact on its local and regional economy. The Port of Oswego generated $201.2 million in wages, salaries and local consumption expenditures in the regional economy and supported 2,229 jobs by its maritime activity. Wind turbine sections, above, are unloaded at the port in 2022. “This huge impact not only reflects our steady growth in the cargo tonnage we’ve handled during the last five years, but we’ve been more

profitable and cost-efficient than other New York Great Lakes ports,” said William Scriber, POA executive director and CEO. “That increase has been recognized by our port receiving the Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award four times in the past five years for increases in international cargo tonnage shipped among Great Lakes ports.” The study sponsors were the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, the American Great Lakes Ports Association, the Chamber of

76 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

Marine Commerce, the Lake Carriers’ Association, and the Shipping Federation of Canada. “The team at the Port of Oswego is working hard each and every year to continue to grow our business and support our local economy,” Scriber said. “We’re just getting started and we expect more positive impact in the years ahead.” The Port of Oswego’s strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market puts the port less than 350 miles from 60 million people.

MANUFACTURING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Growing a Skilled Manufacturing Workforce

One tip: Have students from your local high school tour your company By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

f you can’t find the skilled workers that your manufacturing firm needs, you can develop your own workforce. But first, it’s vital to make sure that you can generate enough interest. Randy Wolken, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York, Inc. recommends inviting high school students to see your facility. “They don’t have an awareness of

the great work that gets done and the work they could be doing,” Wolken said. “Go to the high schools as guests. We also facilitate that. If companies skip that, they miss an important part of students getting interested. Otherwise, they won’t even consider it, though it’s a great career.” As October is Manufacturing Month, it can be an opportune time to invite schools to the factory or to seek

an opportunity to present at schools. Through a school program during the summer, some jobs may be accessible to students as young as 16, which Wolken thinks is a good way to get students familiar with manufacturing at an entry level. “A big barrier is not seeing themselves working there,” he said. “They can also shadow people and watch how they work to give them confidence. We have experience of people in tech ed getting excited working in companies in the manufacturing sector. Once they’re there, they can train them in how it’s done and how to do certain operations. That’s a paid activity. Young people want to get paid. There’s a lot of ‘wins’ here.” Although this model represents a shift from recruiting only through job boards and help-wanted ads, Wolken said that it’s a “necessary change” as so many skilled manufacturing jobs go unfilled. As another means of developing a

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

skilled workforce, manufacturers also work with educators such as community colleges and tech schools to get just the skills they need. MACNY can help facilitate these partnerships. “When we partner with educators, manufacturers can ensure curriculum is relevant for our day-to-day operations, specifically, math and technologies portions,” said Kristen Nelson, plant manager at Novelis in Scriba. “Development of these programs goes beyond the basic course syllabus and defines classes that help with more immediate integration into the workforce. We are fortunate to have visionary leaders on our team like Andy Quinn who were able to understand the importance of creating a strong workforce pipeline and developed partnerships, not only with educational institutions but also with other area industry partners.” Nelson said that the return on investment for creating a custom education program can be as short as up to four years, depending upon the student and the program. Usually, the ROI begins once the candidates are eligible to become interns, working on real projects alongside regular employees. Novelis has developed or sup-

Kristen Nelson, plant manager at Novelis in Scriba: betting on creating custom education programs.

ported programs including PEB scholarships, which interview and choose two to three candidates annually and

offer $2,000 per year scholarships to each with a guarantee of at least one summer of internship. Another is the P-Tech program, “a key industry partner,” Nelson said, “with P-Tech faculty on shadowing, mentoring and internships.” In addition, Novelis provides a CCC technician certification program. “We rolled out multiple cohorts of electrical and mechanical certificate programs to progress our operator workforce into mechanics and electricians,” Nelson said. Integrating interns into company culture and giving them the tools and curriculum they need to become successful helps foster employee loyalty. “This gives them the security that they will have fundamental knowledge of how to perform in their first career-focused job without the fear of not knowing what to do,” Nelson said. “It helps give peace of mind that they won’t be ‘thrown to the wolves’ when they start with us. In addition, if they are good performers, we lock them in for full-time employment prior to graduation date, ensuring trust that we want to invest more in them.”

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Financing Programs Facilitate Business Development and Growth in Oswego County ‘Operation Oswego County and the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency offer a variety of options to businesses looking for financial assistance for a project.’

AUSTIN M. WHEELOCK, Certified economic developer (CEcD), is the executive director of Operation Oswego County, Inc. For more information, call 315-343-1545 or visit www. oswegocounty.org.

rom 2010 to 2022, the Federal Reserve implemented policies that facilitated record low interest rates that decreased the cost of borrowing for over a decade, on everything from real estate mortgages to vehicle loans to commercial lines of credit, making low-cost funding accessible to individuals and businesses alike. As those policies have shifted more recently to combat inflation, interest rates have increased steadily over the past 18 months. This has made it more expensive to borrow and affordable lending programs are harder to find and secure with large banks. In times like this, companies should consider leveraging alternative lenders and lending sources along with their traditional banks to make business startups and expansions feasible and affordable. Here in Oswego County, Operation Oswego County and the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency offer a variety of options to businesses looking for financial assistance for a project. Operation Oswego County works collaboratively with the Greater Syracuse Business Development Corp., a Small Business Administration certified development company. They are authorized to finance projects using the SBA 504 loan program which is designed to promote economic development growth and job creation in small businesses. The program can make the overall financing structure for a new business or project more attractive and affordable. The SBA 504 program offers accessible, fixed-rate, long-term financing for land, buildings and equipment. Businesses eligible for SBA 504 loans are independently-owned, for-profit businesses that are ready to expand and create jobs. In addition to the affordable fixed rates, one of the most attractive benefits of the SBA 504 program is that eligible businesses

80 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

can borrow up to 90% of project’s costs, with the participating bank funding 50%, the SBA 40%, and the borrower contributing 10%. It is important to note that, to be eligible, businesses must occupy at least 51% of the space financed by the program. The program is therefore not meant for housing or real estate developers. The program is available to most other types of businesses from manufacturing to health care to tourism. Local businesses who have utilized the SBA 504 loan program include Riverview Pediatrics in Fulton, Holiday Inn Express in Oswego, Marmon Enterprises USA in Williamstown and Great Bear Child Care in Schroeppel. The IDA and OOC administer several Economic Development Fund loan programs that were designed to assist large and small businesses create new jobs and make capital investments. Like the SBA 504 program, if the applicant needs help in developing a business plan to support the project, they will be referred to and assisted by the Onondaga Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College. EDF financing may be used to purchase machinery and equipment, inventory or to provide working capital. In some instances, proceeds may be used for building or site acquisition, construction or renovations. Loans can be short- or long-term, depending on the use of funds. Interest rates for EDF financing are based on the credit worthiness of the project. Eligible businesses can receive rate discounts for significant job creation, significant capital investment, utilizing local construction labor, minority, woman’ or veteran’ owned business, etc. To be eligible, projects must demonstrate a need for financing. EDF financing is designated to serve as gap financing, used in conjunction with other funding from

Economic Trends

Local businesses that have used low-cost lending programs available at Operation Oswego County and County of Oswego IDA include Rooftop Lounge in Oswego, Novelis in Scriba, 43 North Marina in West Monroe and Highland Animal Hospital in Central Square.

non-IDA sources, such as banks and other economic development lenders. Oswego County businesses that have benefited from EDF funding include Kathy’s Cakes & Specialty Treats in Volney, Upward Graphics in Fulton, Eir Healing & Wellness in Sandy Creek, Rooftop Lounge in Oswego and United Wire Technologies in Constantia. Another loan program available through the IDA is the USDA Intermediary Relending Program. This is a unique program that was capitalized by the agency borrowing funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and relending these funds to eligible businesses. The IRP program offers short-term, fixed rate loans. IRP loan uses are very flexible and may be used to purchase machinery and equipment, inventory, or to cover soft costs, start-up costs and working capital needs. The program can be used to fund up to 50% of a project’s cost with a maximum IRP loan size of $100,000. Oswego County businesses that have used the IRP program include B&T Sports Shop in Fulton, Bella Fattoria in Hannibal, Brown Dog Wood Products in Palermo and Lindsey Aggregates in Scriba.

The County of Oswego IDA also has the ability to provide financial assistance to qualified business applicants through the issuance of tax-exempt or taxable industrial revenue bonds or by participation in straight lease transactions for purposes of providing real property tax abatements as well as sales and use tax, and mortgage recording tax exemptions. These programs are intended to induce large capital investment and job creation or retention projects that meet strict eligibility requirements. The property tax abatements are typically 20 years for manufacturing projects and 10 years for non-manufacturing projects. The exemptions available for sales and use tax are for materials used to construct and equip a facility. Companies that have utilized the agency’s straight lease transaction incentives to grow and expand their businesses or to establish a business in Oswego County include Novelis in Scriba, Huhtamaki in Fulton, Highland Animal Hospital in Central Square, Felix Schoeller North America in Richland, Tailwater Lodge in Albion and 43 North Marina in West Monroe. OOC also offers technical assistance to businesses seeking financing and

grants from local, state and federal sources. OOC can help businesses and entrepreneurs navigate which programs make the most sense for the type of business and use of the funds. One such program is the NYS Consolidated Funding Application through the CNY Regional Economic Development Council. This single application provides applicants access to multiple state funding sources that incentivize everything from job creation to energy efficiency to historic preservation. These programs help to provide the means for Oswego County businesses, big and small, to secure the financial assistance they need to expand and grow. The programs can also be used to help a firm remain competitive, thus helping to retain and maintain jobs in the county. Providing these programs is important as they help increase the county’s tax base, diversify the county’s economic base and improve the quality of life in Oswego County. If you have a project that could benefit from one of the above financing initiatives, contact Operation Oswego County at 315-343-1545 or email ooc@ oswegocounty.org to be put in touch with a business development adviser.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

MANUFACTURING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

HR Basics for Small Manufacturers By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

uman resources may seem like a department for a large company or an unnecessary endeavor that doesn’t make your company any money. But like insurance, properly executed human resources policies can protect your company from financial losses arising from litigious applicants or employees. A good first step can be appointing a “point person” for human resources issues, according to Randy Wolken, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York. “Depending on the sophistication or difficulty in the policies, they contract with a firm.” Regardless of the company size, any company with employees should have a human resources policy manual, which Wolken said that a professional should compile and update annually to keep it current with human resources laws. He noted that the Society for Human Resource Management (www.shrm. org) offers useful resources. It can also help to network with someone abreast of both human resources and the inherent workplace hazards related to manufacturing. “The nature of the work requires additional assistance,” Wolken said. Many small companies roll safety compliance into human resources,

along with recruiting, hiring, training and payroll. Jeff Smith, senior human resources consultant with HR One in Syracuse, said that safety compliance may suffer as a result of lumping these together. Or a company may ignore safety guidelines. “The first question to ask is, “Did we know we needed to establish compliance requirements for safety and we simply haven’t yet, or are we not entirely clear as to what the requirements are?’” Smith posted. “In both cases, waiting any length of time could have dire consequences, as any visit from OSHA will require the employer to produce records from years past. “Safety training records, records from physicals required of certain employees in safety-sensitive jobs (i.e.: respirator fit testing and certain chemical exposure testing, etc.) and OSHA 300A reports, cannot simply be manufactured after the fact. Not addressing these things now could mean fines and penalties for the employer. More importantly, it could also result in potential harm to the safety of employees.” As Smith alluded, developing a safety policy first relies upon accurately assessing the safety requirements, and then establishing legally compliant policies. But as the adage goes, “you

82 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

don’t know what you don’t know.” Bringing in a third-party consultant can audit the workplace for safety hazards, both amendable and inherent to the workplace. “In addition to an audit or as a result of the audit, any formal safety program needs to be in writing and must address those topics that exist as a result of the industry the employer is in,” Smith said. An outside professional can also develop a formal safety program for which employees should receive training, which should be documented with the date and the employees’ names and signatures. Many such types of training must be offered regularly — such as annually — depending upon the hazards. “Too often, employers end up being introduced to these requirements as the result of an employee accident — one that may have been prevented with compliant safety practices. In this and other employment disciplines, proactive is always better than reactive,” he said. In addition to physical hazards to employees, the workplace can be legally hazardous to employers. Simply recruiting and hiring employees can open up an employer to a legal can of worms. For example, posting a job opening to only the owner’s church bulletin board could be viewed as discriminatory. It

should be widely available and not to a targeted group of people. Smith advises forming a plan for the employee interview and selection process. “Employers should be engaging in a strategic interview process — one that involves a number of employees with a vested interest in the selection of the new employee and one that is intended to identify specified skills and experiences,” he said. Hiring should not rely on winging it with “gut feelings” about the candidate, but rather use measurable metrics, like certain skills and years of experience. Smith advises having several people in management ask up to four different targeted, predetermined questions. “And by all means, once a candidate is selected, the employer should take the time to engage in a reference check of the candidate’s previous employers,” Smith said. “Because work ethic doesn’t often change, the best indicator of future performance is past behavior. A candidate who doesn’t get a thumbs-up review from a previous employer should require further scrutiny. The potential cost for not taking the time to hire right could be issues with

Properly executed human resources policies can protect companies from financial losses arising from litigious applicants or employees. employee morale and elevated unemployment costs, to name just a few.” Documentation is everything in human resources, so as with every other process, the interview process should be documented, along with every type of training, including as training and policies are updated. “Employment regulations at the federal and state level have changed quite a bit over the past five to 10 years,” said Bob Rodgers, principal consultant with 3C Human Resources Consulting, LLC in Syracuse.

The New York State Department of Labor posts updates and regulations. One that many small businesses overlook is the required employment posters. “These are something every employer should have posted in a conspicuous place,” Rodgers said. He added as an example of another common misstep is wording hiring documents in a way that sounds contractual, such as “permanent employee” instead of “full-time employee.” “The most important thing is having someone available who is familiar with the employment regulations to use them for advice and guidance,” Rodgers said. “Have them come in and check over foundational HR areas like an employee handbook, employment posters and personnel files. Don’t put medical information in their personnel files.” It’s also important to treat applicants and employees consistently, like leave and wages. “Unevenly enforcing policies is when you run into problems,” Rodgers said. The employee manual is not only for workers, but acts as a compass for management.

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Q&A

By Stefan Yablonski

Randy Wolken

Micron Effect: MACNY chief sees an influx of 200,000 new people in the region — he discusses what sectors of the economy are poised to grow the most because of Micron

ver the next 20 years, Micron Technology Inc. plans to invest $100 billion in Central New York, generating 9,000 jobs to Clay, plus another 40,000 across the community. Its memory and storage technology production plant represents the largest investment

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in U.S. history. But in addition to that industry growth, many other companies and industry segments are ready to grow as well. We recently discussed the growth potential with Randy Wolken, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York, Inc.

workers in the technical spaces, not just in memory. We’re seeing growth in nearly all sectors, not just semiconductors. You’ll see growth in EJ [in Schroeppel] and Novelis [in Scriba]. I think you’ll see a lot of growth, not necessarily related to semiconductors. Part of what we’ll see is the ecosystem of talent will grow.

Q: What segments in manufacturing

Q: How about the population in CNY? Do

are poised to grow because of Micron’s investment?

A: Because of the type of manufacturing that’s moving here, there are a lot of related industries that will grow. Because of that kind of migration, construction trades will have significant growth, from the fabricators themselves, to childcare facilities and housing, they’ll grow significantly to scale the infrastructure. Q: When will this growth start? A: That will happen more immediately. The first memory facility will start in 2024. This is right around the corner. Housing will be built, roads. Q: How will the growth affect the job market for skilled manufacturing?

A: We’re already seeing a need for skilled

we have enough home-grown workers?

A: People are going to move here, 100,000 people in Onondaga County and not even including Oswego County. People will move here in the supply space or semiconductor space. I think at least three regions, between Rochester and Syracuse and from between Utica-Rome and Syracuse. If you are relocating, it will include these areas. You’ll see even as far south as Cortland. This is going to be a super-regional growth pattern. I think the numbers are small. I foresee 200,000 in the bigger areas over the next 20 years. Q: What are some examples of similar growth elsewhere?

A: If you look at Global Foundries in Saratoga, they had a growth of 3,000 connected jobs and 20,000 all-in. All

the other businesses like dry cleaners and pizza shops come with it to serve the people who have moved here and are working here. We’ll see growth we haven’t seen in decades. Q: How about customers of Micron? A: Things that use semiconductor chips will also want to be here, like EV vehicles and other industries will move here because of the availability of chips. They’re everywhere, I think even in my toaster. It’s a foundational industry. Q: Are there any other manufacturing sectors in which you foresee growth?

A: We’re going to see fabricators, like plastic and metal: all up and down the supply chain, there will be opportunities. Micron is dedicated to green energy, so we’ll see more than that. It’s not just specific to Micron’s need but the larger manufacturing space. South Korea’s Lotte Group, which owns Bristol-Myers Squib, is another space that will grow. Biotech is tangential to manufacturing. I think it will all become real when we see the cranes. We won’t need more proof when we see the roads coming in.

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HEALTH

86 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

BANKING

WHAT’S NEXT FOR CEO MARK TRYNISKI?

Community Bank’s chief ends his tenure at Community Bank, discusses next plans, which he calls ‘Act III’ By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

s of Dec. 31, Mark Tryniski will no longer serve as CEO of Community Bank. But don’t expect to see him selling everything and moving to Florida. The SUNY Oswego grad and lifelong CNY resident has big plans for his retirement right here. Along with his twin brother Michael, Tryniski owns Lakeview Lanes in Fulton. Under Michael’s management, the business has grown, but he wants his banker brother to help him manage the financial side. “This will be time I’ll really enjoy,” Mark Tryniski said. He also has 100 rural acres that could use more of his attention. Tryniski also plans to spend more time target shooting, riding his motorcycle, playing golf and spending time with wife, Phyllis, and their four children and four grandchildren. All of his children, parents and siblings are within a 20-minute drive of Oswego County. “I’m looking forward to ‘Act III’ of the play,” he said. “I’ve tried to stay healthy so I can enjoy my retirement fully.” Tryniski completed an accounting degree at SUNY Oswego in 1985 and started his career at Price Waterhouse Cooper. After nearly two decades there, he began working at Community Bank. “If I wanted to advance further at Price Waterhouse Cooper, I’d have to move to Boston or New York City,” he

said. “But my whole family still lived in Oswego County.” He started working at Community Bank in 2003 as CFO, advanced to COO in 2005 and then the next year became CEO. During his time with Community Bank, “people mattered the most,” he said. “That’s my biggest take-away. You need to attract the right people, not just with the right talent but with the right values. We’ve developed core values

tremely important role in the evolution in all industries and life,” Tryniski said. “We’ve had to embrace technology and invest in it. It’s made business more complex, so you need a group of people with different skills to manage a larger and more complex environment.” He believes that the CEO sets the tone and culture for an organization, which is why he has tried to focus on Community’s core values and hire others who will do so. “That’s my most proud accomplishment and what I brought to the organization,” Tryniski said. “It’s also important to have the discipline to focus on being better tomorrow than what we were today. You have to improve your products and how you serve your community by improving the talent in your organization.” He doesn’t have to toot his own horn about Community Bank’s successes. Just as in 2022, Newsweek and Statista named Community Bank one of America’s Most Trusted Companies based on a survey of 50,000 people based on customer trust, investor trust and employee trust. Forbes also named Community Bank as one of America’s Best Banks and also World’s Best Banks based on 45,000 customer surveys. “If the community doesn’t trust us, we don’t have a business,” Tryniski said. “I take a great deal of pride in this on behalf of our 3,000 employees.”

When Mark Tryniski started at Community Bank in 2003, it held $3 billion in assets; now it has $15 billion. we’ve tried to live by. We try to hold each other accountable for integrity, excellence, teamwork and humility.” He believes that hiring people who embody those ideals is how a business prospers and grows because they serve the customers, community and shareholders. When he started at Community Bank, it held $3 billion in assets and now it has $15 billion. The bank has also changed in complexity and technology. “Technology has played an ex-

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BANKING

Ways to Make Passive Income By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

f you have maximized the number of hours you can work — while also staying healthy and sane — and you can’t make more money per hour, the best way to increase your income for your retirement or other financial goals is to generate passive income: income for which you do not put in the same level of time and effort. “To generate passive income, one first needs to bring in more money than they send out, then set aside the extra funds for future use,” said David Mirabito, senior financial services executive at Mirabito Financial Group in Fulton. “There are many vehicles for this: company retirement plans, individual retirement plans and non-retirement plans. Steady periodic investments can be essential. It is important because extra streams of income can make life more comfortable and allow the recipient to be adventurous and generous with themselves and their loved ones.” Passive income typically starts with effort and time investment. There really is no get-rich-quick scheme. “I don’t believe there are any easy ways to make passive income,” said Michelle Shauger, regional vice president for Primerica Financial Services in Rome. “Creating passive income requires work, sacrifice, dedication and commitment. Creating investment accounts that can pay you forever takes time and consistency. Buying real estate and creating cash flow positive income,

takes capital and time.” Investing generates little passive income over time if the initial amount invested is small. Some ways to generate more money to invest in a passive income stream includes operating a side business or holding an additional parttime job. Shauger suggested leveraging a hobby for passive income. For example, people who love photography and sell good quality images on sites such as Shutterstock.com. It takes a few moments to upload and label photos, but the site takes care of the sales. The same photo can sell multiple times without any additional effort, thus making it passive income. The best-selling photos are not what you’d think — pretty flowers or cute pets — but unusual subjects, such as areas hard for most people to access, like the kitchen of a five-star restaurant. Creating other digital products, like e-books or lessons, works in a similar fashion. Focus on something you know a lot about and launch the products on the most appropriate platform. As you have time, you can market them, but even if you don’t, you’ll make money on them over time without a lot of effort. Randy Zeigler, certified financial planner and private wealth adviser in Oswego with Ameriprise, advises using physical assets to generate passive income. “Get your assets to generate return for you: investment dividends, rental

88 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

income, either VRBO or some other rental property asset,” he said. Anthony Pauldine, owner Anthony Pauldine’s Contractors, Inc. and Curtis Manor in Oswego, owns and rents properties, which he views as a good source of passive income. “If you have to hire everything out for small repairs or management fees, however, this might not be for you,” he noted. “I’d also keep properties very local to you and not spread over counties or states away from your location.” This kind of investment can take time — 10 to 20 years for those who finance it — but leaves a large asset for retirement. “If you plan to hold three or more properties, I’d put them in an LLC and you can leverage this as a business loan or line of credit for future ventures,” he said. Lodging or residences aren’t the only things you can rent out. Sporting goods, camping equipment, event tents, party décor and more can help you regularly generate cash without much time invested. Sites such as Friendwitha. com facilitate daylong rentals of items like sporting goods and camera equipment. If you have something you don’t use much but think others may want to use it, why not rent it out? Think of the items you could rent out as your money tied up in an object. Renting it out is making it work for you.

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BANKING

How Much Money Do Americans Think They Need to Retire Comfortably? What they have is far from what they say they will need: report By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ccording to a recent story from CBS News “the gap between what people think they’ll need for old age and their actual savings is massive, even for those nearing retirement.” CBS cited a Northwestern Mutual study that states most Americans think they will need $1.27 million to enjoy retirement. However, the average retirement account balance is less than $90,000. Many have only around $114,000 in savings in their 60s and 70s. In addition to poor savings habits, floundering investments lately have endangered many people’s retirement plans. According to Yahoo Finance, “the average workplace retirement plan balance fell from $144,280 at the start of 2022 to $111,210 by year’s end.” Social Security may not help as much as anticipated, and may not keep up with inflation. While the 2022 Social Security cost of living adjustment was 8.7%, in 2024, it may be as low as 3.1%. By contrast, the average rate of inflation has been 5.71% per year between 2020 and 2023. “There is no magic money or big secrets about planning and savings for

one’s retirement,” said Randy Zeigler, certified financial planner and private wealth adviser with Ameriprise in Oswego. “Consumption is the biggest competitor to accumulating the amount of funds needed to support a comfortable retirement.” Without a cashflow worksheet, it’s impossible to know what money they’ll need for retirement and how they can categorize needs and wants. “This is always one of my first steps in developing a coherent retirement plan,” Zeigler said. “Once the needs are determined then the income sources, like pensions and Social Security can be tallied, inflation can be added to the monthly expense needs and then the shortage or surplus can be calculated.” He also looks at the expected longevity of clients because families with historic longevity should tailor their financial plans to meet their expenses longer. Zeigler also said that people should look at their retirement lifestyle plans. “Most planning software assumes linear lifestyle expense needs over the entire retirement period, while my

90 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

experience with many of my clients is that most people spend more money in their 60s and early 70s and then that need tends to level off or even decline in late 70s and into one’s 80s age range,” he said. “This leveling assumption can be included in one’s planning effort. Medical insurance and unreimbursed healthcare costs are two areas needing careful consideration in the cash flow accounting work.” Investments should be diverse to ensure that the money will weather financial storms. “Generally, a mix of guaranteed income and investments that move with markets make an investment portfolio less volatile and reassure that people will not outlive their money,” said David Mirabito, senior financial services executive at Mirabito Financial Group in Fulton. “And Social Security does at least offset some inflationary erosion.” Living below one’s means is also a mantra of Michelle Shauger, regional vice president of Primerica Financial Services in Rome. Ideally, this should start early in one’s career, long before the last decade or so before retirement.

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“Begin by saving the match in your employer plan and the difference of 10% of gross income into a Roth IRA,” she said. “Set a goal to max out a Roth IRA each year for tax-free growth. As you make more money, increase the percentage you save.” She encourages clients to establish three accounts for savings: a short-term, high-yield savings for emergencies; a mid-term, high-yield and tax-free savings for things like purchasing real estate, traveling, helping others; and an emergency fund with three to six months’ worth of expenses in case of a job loss or health problem curtails the household income. Shauger also cautions clients to never carry a credit card balance. If it’s paid off monthly, it accrues no interest. For those already in credit card debt, she advises, “start by saving one month of expenses in your short-term emergency fund. Then, get out of credit card debt. AZINE Then save three to six months’ expenses in your middle bucket. 315-342-7776 “Make sure that you have a full analysis of your goals and what you should be saving each month in each account to accomplish your unique goals.”

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

BANKING

Beware of Credit Card Skimmers By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

he rash of credit card skimming scams in over the summer were not the first type of their kind. However, to CNY shoppers frequenting the stores where the sham credit card readers were installed, it hit close to home. Skimmers are false card scanners criminals install over a legitimate credit card scanner at a point of sale such as a store or gas station. The equipment works by reading the magnetic strip on the card as customers slide their card through, unwittingly sharing their card number, expiration date and cardholder name. This information enables criminals to use the card themselves, sell the information and open up new accounts in others’ names. We recently interviewed Russell W. Dombrow, attorney with Dombrow Law Firm in Syracuse, to learn about what you can do to protect yourself — and what to do if your card was possibly subject to a skimming attack. Q: What should people do to avoid becoming victims of credit card skimmers?

A: 1. Inspect the card reader: Check the card reader before inserting your card. Avoid using the reader if it looks different from other machines or sus-

picious. Look for tampering signs like mismatched colors or materials. Some skimmers might have a tiny camera. There might be suspicious holes or objects around or above the keypad. 2. Jiggle the card slot: Skimmers are often placed over the existing card slot. Try wiggling the card slot; if it’s loose or if it moves, it could be a skimmer. 3. Hide your PIN: If using your PIN, use your other hand to cover the keypad. Covering helps block hidden cameras from capturing your PIN. 4. Use familiar ATMs: Stick to ATMs inside bank vestibules. Users might need to use their ATM cards to get into the vestibules. Choose ATMs in well-lit, high-traffic areas. ATMs in these locations are less likely to have skimmers. 5. Use credit, not debit: Fraudulent credit card transactions are easier to contest. They also don’t drain your bank account. But neither is impervious to skimming. 6. Use NFC or chip readers: Use EMV chip cards or NFC [like Apple Pay or Google Pay] to pay whenever possible. They are harder to skim than traditional magnetic stripe cards. 7. Check your surroundings: Avoid using ATMs in secluded places,

92 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

especially at night. If something feels unsafe nearby, then trust your gut and go elsewhere. 8. Set up transaction alerts: Setting up these alerts helps spot unauthorized activity. Ask your bank or credit card issuer how to set up these alerts. 9. Stay updated: Stay informed about the latest skimming devices. Criminals evolve their tactics often. Learn methods to avoid them. 10. Update your contact information: Make it easy for your bank to contact you. Keep your current contact information on file. Your bank should contact you if it spots suspicious activity. Q: What should shoppers do if they later learn they used a card at a location compromised by a skimmer?

A: 1. Check your statements: Go back at least a month to ensure you catch any unfamiliar transactions. 2. Report unauthorized transactions to your bank or credit card issuer. Follow up in writing right away. Save copies of your reports. Your institution should guide you through the process. They don’t always do this, so ask how the process works. Insist the institution follow the process. Your institution should also cancel the suspect card and issue a new one to you. 3. Inform your bank or credit card provider: Tell your bank or credit card company if you think you used a compromised machine. They might offer more guidance. They also might watch your account for suspicious activity. You

Job: Project Management Skills in Demand By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Russell W. Dombrow is an attorney with Dombrow Law Firm in Syracuse.

keep an eye on your account, though. 4. Change your PIN: If the compromised card had a PIN associated with it, change that PIN as soon as possible. This is especially important for debit cards. 5. Watch your accounts: Pay attention to all your financial accounts for the next few months. Criminals may wait to use stolen data once they think your guard is down. 6. Consider credit monitoring: Think about getting a credit monitoring service. Some services will alert you to significant changes in your credit report. 7. Consider a credit freeze: Report possible identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission. Make a similar report to each credit bureau. This prevents criminals from opening new accounts in your name. If you need to apply for credit later, remember to unfreeze your credit first. 8. File a police report: File a police report with local law enforcement. Your bank or credit card company may ask you for a report. The report also informs law enforcement about a problem it may not have known about. Law enforcement might inform the community. 9. Stay informed: The store with the skimmer might offer remedies or information. Remedies often include free credit monitoring. Information might include when the skimmer was in use. 10. Check your credit report: If you ask, each major credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) must provide you a free credit report via www.AnnualCreditReport.com once a year. Look for unfamiliar accounts or inquiries. File written disputes with each bureau for unfamiliar accounts or inquiries. Do the same with each credit furnisher (e.g., local bank or national credit card company).

t no time have project management skills been in greater demand than now in Central New York. With Micron Technology poised to invest $100 billion in its memory media site in Clay over the next two decades, many of the 50,000 jobs in the area — including 9,000 at Micron — will require project management. In addition, Project Management Institute, a worldwide trade organization, stated that employers will need an anticipated 87.7 million workers in project management-related roles by 2027. Those certified in project management have a 25% higher median salary than those without it. “One thing we recommend is training, even if you’ve had project management experience,” said Randy Wolken, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York, Inc. He said that or a local college program can help. “Find supplements to learning and I don’t care if you’ve been in the business 30 years,” he said. “This could make a difference between getting your next job.” Coursera’s project management course includes professional level training to increase proficiency in portfolio-ready projects. Completion of the course results in a recognized certificate from Google and can help obtain employment as a project manager, project coordinator or project assistant. The sixcourse series includes: Foundations of Project Management (18 hours); Project Initiation: Starting a Successful Project (21 hours); Project Planning: Putting It All Together (29 hours); Project Execution: Running the Project (26 hours); Agile Project Management (25 hours); and Capstone: Applying Project Management in the Real World (33 hours). Local schools include Syracuse University, which offers a 15-credit,

eight-week project management certificate online. The interdisciplinary course helps students learn the basics of organization, leadership, methods and communication related to project management. Completing the course qualifies a student to take the certified associate in project management exams. The curriculum includes Foundations of Project Management (3 credits); Project Organization and Leadership (3 credits); Project Management Methodologies (3 credits); Project Controls (3 credits); and Project Communications and Stakeholder Management (3 credits). Students are required to have previous higher education experience to apply. Another local example is Onondaga Community College’s Associate Degree in Construction Management, which can provide the necessary skills. “Our construction management program will give you the ability to confidently lead new projects and crew,” the school’s website states. The program includes key areas such as leadership, math and science, computer and drafting, material usage, public safety and scheduling. Possible employment opportunities include team lead for a construction company, project manager, or drafting associate. As a type of project manager, the construction manager career category is slated to grow by 8.6% and remain in high regional demand, according to the US Department of Labor. To decide which type of program is right for you, compare the cost of tuition with the local median salaries associated with the type of employment for which the program qualifies you. You should also note that if you have already completed a college program, you may have credits that transfer. Discuss your situation with a representative of the school before committing to a program.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

SUCCESS STORY By Steve Yablonski

Salvatore and his wife, Amanda Magro, owners of Stefano’s Pizzeria.

Stefano’s Pizzeria

Pizzeria business that started in Pulaski just added a third location — owners say making pizza is a family tradition

manda Magro and her husband, Salvatore, opened their pizza business 20 years ago in Pulaski. The Mexico residents then opened a second location in Mexico — in the former Crandall’s drug store. Now, just in June, they opened their third location — in Adams. “Savie’s [Salvatore] uncles started a pizzeria in Sherburne in 1982, called Joe & Vinny’s. His dad [Stefano] began helping them on his days off from a textile factory,” Amanda said. Stefano soon realized that he wanted his own pizzeria. He saw he could be his own boss and he really loved working in his brothers’ pizzeria. “It’s ironic we are here today in Mexico because Stefano had the opportunity to go to either Mexico or Carthage and he chose Carthage because of the proximity to Utica [that is where he settled after he came to America and got married] and it ended up being the better deal,” she added. Stefano opened his pizzeria in Carthage in 1985.

By Stefan Yablonski Savie has been in the pizzeria environment since he was a little kid, pretty much his entire life. “He didn’t realize until later in life he would eventually want one of his own someday,” she said. Amanda started working for her father-in-law the day after her 17th birthday; before she had even met her husband. “I was on my way home from school one day; this was before cell phones were a big thing. And I wanted to stop by Stefano’s and check on my application. Stefano happened to be working at the time and interviewed me on the spot. I ended up getting the job and went home that day to hear a message from McDonald’s asking me if I was still interested in the job and if I would come in for an interview. I passed because I had just got hired at Stefano’s,” she said. “I started off as a dishwasher over 20 years ago and have learned the ins and outs of the business throughout the years.”

94 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

Savie grew up in the business; he has always worked for his family while in high school and attending college at Jefferson Community College. After finishing at JCC he went to The University at Buffalo to study to become a history teacher. During this time, Savie realized his true purpose in life was the pizzeria. After graduating from UB he decided with the help of his dad, he would open his own place. He always knew Pulaski would make a great place for a pizzeria, so that is where he wanted to go. Working in the pizzeria was Amanda’s very first job. While in high school she did have another job — the dishwasher at her best friend’s family diner. “I worked there on and off up until I graduated high school. After high school I went to SUNY Oswego because I wanted to be a physical therapist. Once I got into the program, after my first year, I quickly realized physical therapy was not for me. So, I left Oswego and I trans-

ferred to JCC. From there I graduated with a hospitality and tourism degree and instead of getting my bachelor’s, I went and got my real estate license and sold real estate for five years in Jefferson and Oswego counties, all the while, getting married, having two babies and running a young business with my husband,” she said. Pizzas and wings make up 55% of their business in Pulaski, 75% of business in Mexico, 80% in Adams. However, someone can sell 100 pizzas a day and still close their business six months later, she explained. The amount of items sold and the amount of money something costs to start doesn’t determine whether or not someone is a success, she added. “Starting the business required a significant investment; but it is hard to put an exact number on it. We are humble people and we happen to have a successful business because of the hard work that we put in day in and day out,” she said. The secret to Stefano’s success? Hard work and the willingness to do whatever it takes, she said, adding, “It is a lot of long hours, mentally and physically. You must be ready for anything and must be able to have the mental stamina to be the person that is going to answer all the questions and you have to have the physical strength to be able to work 80+ hours a week. Resiliency and determination are also a must. As the business changes, you must be able to change with it and to get back up when people knock you down.” Every location has their favorite pizza. “I would say Pulaski’s favorite pizza is cheese. Mexico, pepperoni and sausage; and Adams, it’s early to tell, but I would say anything with peppers,” she said.

Third location As they have started their third location, they’ve had many growing pains. “Savie and I have a plan to handle these locations once things settle down a little. We are working on a new routine. Since the opening of Adams, we have had to learn to adjust to challenges that have thrust upon us all the while trying to keep the consistency of what the customer expects,” she said. “Owning any business that relies on employees is and will always be the biggest challenge. We do have great staff and great managers. We do not have a lot of turnover

with our staff, so it does make it a little easier to have that consistency that we all expect.” The Adams location had been in the works since 2018. Due to various factors, including COVID-19, it delayed the opening by several years. It taught the couple that “opening any location now has the benefit of our 20+ years’ experience, yet without our youth, it does become more challenging. As for any future locations — our two kids 16 and 14, right now while they are still at home, they are and will be our priority. We know where we would like our next location to be. However, there are many factors to consider. Time, the right management and business structure, i.e., franchising and sustainability will be the ultimate determining factors.” When opening any new location, their priority is to offer the opportunity to long-term employees. With any business there is always a ceiling. There is only so much a business can offer its employees, even the ones at the top of the proverbial ladder, she noted. “What we try to do is offer them the opportunity to grow with the business. They have the potential to be their own boss and do something that they are very good at. We teach them everything we know and we are there for support every step of the way to help teach them and guide them. With doing this, it takes the ceiling away. They have something to work towards and can be as successful as they want to be, while we are able to still grow. It’s a win win for everyone,” she said.

Distinct locations Each location varies. As much as they are the same, they are very different. Pulaski has a big dining room with servers; Mexico has a good size dining room, however no wait staff. (Having a wait staff in Mexico has proven to not be sustainable.) Adams is their smallest pizzeria to date. “Business is changing and we must be able to adapt. It is no secret that everything today is expensive. And it’s not just for the consumers; it’s all the way around. Food costs, paper products, insurance, labor, all at an alltime high,” she said. “Over the last four years specifically the way people eat out has changed. A lot of that has to do with COVID-19. I can confidently say the rate at which business has changed in the last four years has been more rapid than the last 16. People are seeking convenience over most things. Look at Door Dash,

Instacart, Grub Hub, Zoom. It doesn’t matter what your industry is. People are willing to pay more for what is easier for them and that is a huge factor.” Employment has also been affected. “Yes, it is difficult finding delivery drivers! I am not sure if it is because of the services like Door Dash or Grub Hub, but it does make finding your own drivers difficult,” she said.

What’s the busiest time for pizza? “It is hard to say. Every year is different. There are a lot of factors that play into that. Super Bowl, it depends on the team that is playing whether you’re going to be busy. New Year’s, it depends on the weather. However, you always plan for it to be crazy. I would say they’re both good days for pizza. Halloween is a good one, too!” she said. Amanda’s favorite part of the job is the people. “Being in the service industry allows you to see people at their best — and their worst. The best part of this job used to be that at the end of the day, you got to enjoy it and then you got to start the next day. That also could go for bad days. Those days, you made mistakes or things didn’t go exactly how you wanted them to, and you could go home, reevaluate and learn from your mistakes and ‘leave it at work.’ However now, because of social media and different platforms like Google and Yelp even a good day and especially bad days you can never escape the negativities of a business. So even out of 100 experiences, 99 are positive and one is negative, the negative one is louder than all the good, and that is the hardest part of being in business today. At the end of the day, we’re human, we make mistakes and sometimes I think we all forget the human side of any business,” she said. If they weren’t doing this — “We would be doing some form of this,” she said. “We both are extremely ambitious people and we love this kind of fastpaced business.”

Stefano’s Pizzeria — Where to Find • 35 Main St., Adams • 3852 State Route 13, Pulaski • 3273 Main St., Mexico

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

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BEST BUSINESS DIRECTORY AUTO SALES & SERVICE

EXCAVATING

OUTDOOR RECREATION

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.

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

Murdock’s Bicycles & Sports. New Bikes, TREK, FUJI, SALSA, SURLY & KINK. We repair all brands of Bikes. Keen Footwear and Darn tough socks available.

GLASS REPAIR

PICTURE FRAMING

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HEALTH INSURANCE Senior Solutions ME. Specializing in serving seniors with health insurance in Oswego and Onondaga Counties. Reach out to us today for a free quote. Call 315416-9111 or email caustin@drsolutions.biz. Visit our website www.seniorsolutionsme.com.

KILN-DRIED HARDWOODS

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.johnfisherconstruction.com.

Lakeshore Hardwoods. We stock kiln-dried cherry, walnut, maple, butternut, ash, oak, basswood, mahogany, cedar figured woods, and exotics. Also, hardwood flooring, moldings, stair parts & woodworking supplies. 266 Manwaring Rd. Pulaski. 298-6407 or visit www. lakeshorehardwoods.com.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING

LEGAL SERVICES

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

Reed Law.Dedicated to helping families with their individualized Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Probate and Real Estate. Clear Legal Solutions, Impartial Compassionate Assistance & A Strong Helping Hand when you need it most. 218 Syracuse Ave., Oswego. 315-274-2040

DEMOLITION

ELECTRONIC REPAIR PC Masters Tech Repair is locally owned and operated. Specializing in cell phone, tablet, computer, and game console repairs. Serving Oswego, Watertown, and Syracuse areas. Call 315-326-1980 or visit 42 W. 9th St. Oswego, NY 13126 today.

LUMBER Whites Lumber. Four locations to serve you. Pulaski :3707 State Route 13 (315-298-6575); Watertown: 231 N. Rutland St. (315-788-6200); Clayon: 945 James St. (315-686-1892); Gouverneur: 71 Depot St.., (315-2871892).

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 to tarps, boat covers, and awnings. 125 Cayuga St., Fulton, NY 315-5938914.

SCRAP Flood Drive Properties. Wanted: All Household Appliances. Washers, Dryers, Stoves, Cars and Trucks. Top dollar paid. 315-592-4251 180 Flood Drive Fulton NY 13069. TRACTOR/LAWN EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE RanMar Tractor Supply, sales and service of new and used tractors and farm equipment. 5219 US Rte 11 Pulaski. 315-298-5109.

THE PLACE TO ADVERTISE FOR RESULTS! CONTACT JAMIE ELEN

315-342-8020

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Oswego County Business Magazine, P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS

LAST PAGE By Stefan Yablonski nanoparticle — recycled activated carbon composite. Q: You recently received another grant for lithium-ion battery research. Yes, we will investigate the synergy of silicon’s high capacity alloying reaction with lithium and activated carbon’s reversible lithiation vis-à-vis high performance lithium ion battery anode with long cycle and calendar lives. The ultimate goal of the proposed effort is to develop high performance silicon nanoparticle (Si NPs) — recycled activated carbon (AC) composite as an anode material for advanced LIBs. Rechargeable LIBs based on nanostructured electrodes have progressed tremendously over the last few years by leveraging on short diffusion times, high surface to volume ratio and the intrinsic expandability of nanosystems.

Helping Develop Longlasting Lithium-ion Batteries

A SUNY Oswego associate professor of physics and a specialist in nanotechnology, Mohammad Islam holds a patent related to his research on rechargeable batteries. He is interested in sustainable energy technologies. He has received another grant (of $15,000) from the Syracuse Center of Excellence to improve the range of lithium-ion batteries, so electric cars can better compete with gas-powered vehicles. Q: What is your background? I was born in Bangladesh and came to the United States in 1991 — right after high school graduation. I always loved physics; it came easy to me. Q: And so you wound up at SUNY Oswego. I wanted to teach and I wanted to do research in physics and I wanted to stay in New York. To me, SUNY Oswego was an easy choice to teach and do the kind of research I’m interested in doing. Q: Why this type of research? I am a firm believer of environmental stewardship. It’s up to us that our climate and our environment remain good for our future generations. Q: So that is why your focus is on sustainable energy? I have always been interested in sustainable energy technology. Sustainable energy devices — using solar, wind — depend on nature, but

nature is intermittent. What we need is a way of harnessing the energy at the peak activity. That’s done through batteries. My research is on rechargeable batteries. I’ve worked with lithium ion batteries previously; published papers on that work in journals and gotten good reviews. Lithium is, however, one of the rare earth materials. Sodium, on the other hand, is in virtually unlimited supply in the earth and the oceans. Sodium is much more available and cheap compared to lithium. And sodium is an element that’s very close to lithium in the periodic table. Q: Tell us about your research. My current research is improving the properties of sodium ion batteries. It is geared towards disrupting the current trajectory of rechargeable battery technology through the development of high-performance anode for advanced lithium ion batteries based on silicon

98 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023

Q: Is there a downside? In spite of the obvious advantages, however, the application of LIBs to large-scale energy systems are hampered by several factors including the high cost related to the need for carefully purified materials, electrode degradation, relatively slow charging rates and safety issues. This project seeks a shift of paradigm in rechargeable batteries through the development of the technology for cost effective and high performance LIBs based on Si nanomaterial anodes. Leveraging on the facts that Si is earth abundant, environmentally benign and Si NPs can be fabricated at low cost, this project will contribute to address the need for low-cost and sustainable energy for virtually all energy sectors. In addition, this project will make proactive contributions to the workforce development in rechargeable battery technology in the US by ushering in electrochemical energy storage research in the State University of New York at Oswego’s STEM curriculum. Q: Do you think electric vehicles will be reliable in Oswego’s bad weather? Research on lithium ion battery performance is an ongoing process. The performance, safety and environmental compatibility of lithium ion batteries are improving constantly. Few tens of degrees or temperature fluctuations should not lower electric vehicles performance. Besides, controlling battery temperature in an electric car should be an easy engineering issue. So, yes electric vehicles will be reliable in Oswego’s bad weather.

Create your future workforce by starting a Registered Apprenticeship program How can Registered Apprenticeship benefit your company? Skilled Workforce Create an in-house solution to the worker shortage by recruiting and developing a highly-skilled workforce. Improve Productivity Improve productivity and positively impact your bottom line. Customized Training Create flexible training options to ensure workers develop the right skills.

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How do we help companies start Registered Apprenticeship programs? Manage relationships with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). Ease the administrative burden of company registrations and ensure the success of the program. Manage programs by establishing internal processes and coordinating work-related classes with community colleges and outside approved education providers. Act as a group sponsor (MACNY obtained the first-in-the-state approval from the NYSDOL to become a group sponsor for advanced manufacturing). Help companies access funding streams to offset the cost of managing their program. Scan to learn more about starting a Registered Apprenticeship Program.

Interested in learning more about starting a Registered Apprenticeship Program? Get in touch with Amy Stage, Director of Apprenticeship & Workforce Development.

astage@macny.org 315-474-4201 ext. 58

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