Momentum 2019

Momentum 2019

Bringing Business to the Forefront in Otsego, Delaware, Schoharie & Chenango Counties

A publication of

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OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO

Momentum

Flexibility and service are keys to business longevity

BY ALLISON COLLINS

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Contributing Writer

ccording to leaders of longtime area businesses, there’s no silver bullet secret to success.

While changing wage rates, tax burdens and demographics make maintaining business a modern challenge, decades of adaptation have cultivated staying power. Regardless of industry, business owners said, a willingness to embrace change is the crux of remaining vital for more than 75 years.

In Afton, Horton Hardware has gone from supplying parts for horse-drawn carriages to offering a full line of hardware, outerwear, mattresses, small engines, appliances, kitchens, paint and more in its nearly 115-year tenure.

“We’ve had to diversify to accommodate,” co-owner Steve Gaydorus said. “In this area, you don’t have enough population to sell specific stuff. You have to diversify and have those same customers buying multiple things from you or you can’t survive.”

“To survive from 1892 to the ’50s involved being able to change with the markets and see emerging technologies with glue-lam and that it had the potential to take off and become something people wanted to build with,” Leif Van Cott, vice president of Unalam, an engineered wood firm in Sidney and Unadilla, said. “There are emerging technologies with wood …

to get caught up, then stay up, with changing technology.”

Jeff Bagley, owner and director of C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel in Sidney said, sometimes, changing technology can create challenges.

and kind of a movement to build skyscrapers out of wood, so that’s something I’m researching.”

Pete Gioffe, president and CEO of the Delaware National Bank of Delhi, said he, too, recognizes the need to match changing times with changing products. Doing so, he said, is an important part of gaining younger clientele in an aging population. Gioffe has been with the bank for 25 years, but the institute got its start in 1839, making it the third oldest in the state.

“We offer a wide array of loan and deposit products and we have a trust department,” he said.

“But over the last five years, we’ve invested a lot of money in technology to offer products that we think the newer and younger customers really are interested in, like mobile deposit from your phone. The younger generation has come to expect that, because they’ve grown up with it and we’ve really made a strong effort

“With things like social media and Skyping, things are a lot different now. Nowadays, people can go anywhere, (but) in the past most people didn’t live or move more than 50 miles from where they were born, so making it back to their hometown funeral home was a lot easier,” he said.

“That connection to roots isn’t as important anymore, so we’re dealing with that, but that’s no different from any business. We’re going to try to continue serving our families the best we can and make adaptations to people’s needs.”

Brad Volkert of Bainbridge Memorial Works said he appreciates what technological advancements have brought to his 92-year-old business, which specializes in custom cemetery monuments, plaques and memorials.

“When I took over (in 1988), it was all hand-drawn and handcarved and you did everything by hand with a knife,” he said. “The first step was going to an automated stencil press … then we got into computerization. Now we have a local drafting company that we use and if somebody wants certain stuff on (a stone),

we get it computer-generated with a scale drawing, get approval and send it in as a proof then the computer cuts the stencil.

This has eliminated a lot of mistakes.”

Business leaders agree that, important as adaptation is, companies wouldn’t sustain without core customer service values.

“I hope people choose us for our great customer service,” Gioffe said. “We spend a lot of time trying to promote our bank and our services, reminding people that we are the only bank headquartered in Delaware County because there’s not really a lot to differentiate banks; word-ofmouth is the way you stand out.”

“This is all basically word-ofmouth and time-tested products,” David Lucas, owner of the H.W. Naylor Company, makers of Dr. Naylor’s products, said. “People trust us and keep coming back because the products just work and they’re cost-effective.”

“We’re locally owned and operated and there’s a certain amount of trust there that’s happened over the last 100 years,” Gaydorus said. “Customers now are generational. We’ve served great-grandparents, grandparents and their kids.”

“It’s about the personalization and the customer service,” Volkert echoed. “It’s about reputation, with any type of business.”

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Advertising & Media

Autos, Motorcycles & Campers

(Publishers, Public Relations, Marketing)

(Auto Dealers, Auto Body & Painting, Auto Glass, Auto Clubs, more...)

Destination Oneonta 4 Dietz St., Oneonta... . . . . . . . destinationoneonta.com | 607-432-2941

The Daily Star 102 Chestnut St., Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . thedailystar.com | 607-432-1000

Autos, Motorcycles & Campers (Auto Dealers, Auto Body & Painting, Auto Glass, Auto Clubs, more...)

Thetford ‘s Body Shop 3 Keith St., Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-267-4220

Tri-County Glass 51 Main St., Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-432-1193

Homestead Auto 2022 NY-205, Mt. Vision.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-433-2607

Neighbour’s Auto 20 South Main St., Milford.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-441-8044

Precision Collision 9997 NY-23, Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pconeonta.com | 607-278-6115

Stringer’s Auto 155 River St., Oneonta.. . . . . . . stringersbodyshop.com | 607-432-4982

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| COVER STORY |

Momentum

Innovation, care are behind A.O. Fox’s 119 years

BY ALLISON COLLINS Contributing Writer

CONTRIBUTED

Oneonta’s A.O. Fox Hospital, pictured in 1901, was established in 1900 after Colonel Reuben Fox provided $10,000 to memorialize his wife, Aurelia.

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hroughout the last 119 years, A.O. Fox Hospital has been at the fore of Oneonta-area health care.

“In 1900, when Colonel Reuben Fox, a then-prominent politician and businessman in Oneonta, donated a 22-bed hospital to the community in memory of his late wife Aurelia, he had a lasting vision to serve our citizens,” hospital President Jeff Joyner said. “The need was great for a hospital then, and it remains so today.”

Joyner attributed the longevity of the

hospital, at 1 Norton Ave. in the city, to its continued consideration of patients’ needs, complemented by what he called its unwavering “heart and soul.”

“Our hospital has transformed for more than 100 years to fit the needs of its community,” Joyner said. “From the earliest days of care with 22 beds to major expansions, Fox has grown into an entire community of health care services. One thing has never changed, though: at Fox, we strive to always provide excellent health care to our

families, friends and neighbors. Medicine, science and health care — they’re always changing, but Fox has something that no amount of time can alter — its heart and soul.”

Such expansions have included adding a 128-bed acute care building in 1976; a 130-bed nursing home built between 1968 and 1982; the 1997 addition of the FoxCare Center, which contains physician’s offices, a fitness center, a pharmacy, lab and X-ray services as well as cancer and dental care;

Momentum and a 2013 project creating single-occupancy patient rooms.

That most recent advancement, Joyner said, was also one of the hospital’s most significant.

“Fox is one of the only hospitals in New York state that offers single-occupancy rooms,” he said. “The hospital building is now designed with 53 private medical/surgical rooms and a 14-bed observation unit and all rooms also have private bathrooms. Studies show that patients experience less pain and have shorter hospital stays in the peace and privacy of single-occupancy rooms.”

The modernization efforts begun in 2013, Joyner said, have led to patient benefits across a wider service area.

“In January 2018, Tri-Town Regional Hospital in Sidney merged with A.O. Fox Hospital,” he said. “A satellite emergency facility of Fox, Sidney’s location is newly named A.O. Fox Hospital — Tri-Town Campus and has expanded services further southwest in the region. Patients in Sidney (can) transfer up to Oneonta and be guaranteed a private room at Fox if hospitalization is required. This has had a tremendously positive impact on the village of Sidney and our equipment and accommodations at Fox are being better utilized.”

Health care evaluators, Joyner said, have lauded Fox’s trajectory.

“Fox Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group’s fall 2018 ‘Hospital Safety Grade,’ placing the organization among the top facilities nationwide for patient safety excellence,” he said. “The designation used 28 measures to produce a publicly available report detailing the ways Fox meets the highest safety standards.” The data, he said, is available at hospitalsafetygrade.org.

Joyner said many of the hospital’s projects have been demographic-driven, reflecting the needs of an aging upstate population spread across several rural counties.

“A.O. Fox Hospital is at a pivotal location within the Bassett Healthcare Network,” he said. “Oneonta is the most populated

OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO

A.O. Fox Hospital is at a pivotal location within the Bassett Healthcare Network.

Oneonta is the most populated town between Albany and Binghamton (and) many people in outlying rural areas in Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties depend on primary care and specialty services in Oneonta. Between Fox Hospital and FoxCare Center, we offer comprehensive health care services to Oneonta and its surrounding communities.

Jeff Joyner, hospital president

town between Albany and Binghamton (and) many people in outlying rural areas in Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties depend on primary care and specialty services in Oneonta. Between Fox Hospital and FoxCare Center, we offer comprehensive health care services to Oneonta and its surrounding communities.

“The population in Central New York is, in many cases, aging in place,” Joyner said, “and we are well-positioned to accommodate patients at a point in their lives when regular care and management of chronic conditions is necessary. What’s more, we are blessed to be integrated in the Bassett Healthcare Network, so any critical needs that arise can be treated … by world-class clinicians.”

Despite difficulties facing the health care industry, and specifically rural hospitals, Joyner said, he takes pride in the breadth and quality of Fox’s services.

“Fox Hospital is experiencing changes and

challenges … much like many other hospitals across the nation,” he said. “Insurance coverage, patient needs, clinician and nurse recruitment — these are all hurdles even the best health systems in the country are facing.

“Fox is very fortunate to be part of a network spanning eight counties and helping connect patients to specialty care, technology and resources that are almost unheard of in such a rural area,” Joyner said. “It truly is a team effort, and at the core of our work is excellence in patient care. It’s that simple. Fox is strong and ever-growing because we have heart, and every team member’s goal is the same: to serve our patients with the best care possible.”

According to basset.org, that team includes more than 950 employees and a medical staff of more than 70 physicians. The hospital’s operating budget, the site says, exceeds $80 million annually.

Joyner, who began his presidency in January 2016, said he foresees Fox preserving its “community-centered” reputation while remaining relevant.

“I am confident that Fox Hospital will continue to live up to Colonel Reuben’s vision as a hospital that serves its citizens with excellence,” he said. “Many new ideas, projects and expansions are in planning phases (and) a lot of these modernizations prioritize the needs of our aging population.

“We are in the process of developing Fox’s 2022 strategic plan, working on a continuing vision for Fox’s growing services in the near and distant future,” Joyner said. “It is Fox’s ability to reshape and grow with our community that has so successfully preserved its prominent place in Oneonta and the Central New York region. I am excited to observe and be a part of the changing field of health care, and I am assured that Fox will remain at the center of our community’s care, advancements and triumphs for years to come.”

For more information, visit bassett.org.

| COVER PHOTO | Bassett Healthcare Network A. O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta is seen on July 8. JULIE LEWS | THE DAILY STAR

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Momentum

Why manufacturing matters to Otsego County

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BY BARBARA ANN HEEGAN

tsego County’s manufacturing industry creates private-sector jobs while diversifying the economy. Here are two highlights to why manufacturing matters in Otsego County.

Manufacturing has been the key to prosperity and creates jobs In recent manufacturing roundtable discussions, it has been revealed that manufacturing workforce needs are growing and have seen Heegan steady growth for the past two years.

Manufacturers expect to see the greatest number of job openings for manufacturing technicians as technology was the most popular topic because it is constantly changing and developing. Programing, machine operation, computer skills, electronics, implementing new technology, data collection, effective sales and marketing, and critical thinking are some of the employee skill sets being sought to fill current and future positions. Some of the subsectors represented included machinery manufacturing, food manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, bluestone, forest productions, wood manufacturing, electronics, printing and related support activities, fabricated metal products, packaging, and plastic and rubber products. The impact of an aging workforce and anticipated retirements over the next three years will result in the need to recruit in the following areas: skilled production (machinists, operators, craft workers, technicians) production support, tool makers, production managers, information technology, lab skills, safety, maintenance, soft skills, Microsoft products, welding, human recourses, chemists, quality control, industrial electricians, plant engineering, shift leaders, PLC programing, industrial engineers, manufacturing engineers and planners.

Manufacturing is the most important cause of economic growth The growth of manufacturing machinery output, and technological improvements in that machinery, are the main drivers of economic growth.

We have all seen firsthand the growth of the internet, iPhones, and the like — all made possible by a small subset of production machinery called semiconductor-making equipment, which itself is dependent on other forms of production machinery, such as the machine tools that grind the lenses they use or the alloys of metal the industries put out. From semiconductors there was a transition to the production of flat screens. This trend is now moving to LED technology and perhaps, soon, high-efficiency lighting.

Manufacturing, along with The impact of other industrial processes, is one of the primary industry manufacturing on Otsego sectors being targeted for County is significant as green technology use. Traditional manufacturing methour local manufacturers ods are transforming into are competing in a lean, green conserving maglobal economy, which is chines that benefit the planet and the bottom line. During significant for our region. our recent Energy Summit we learned that companies of all Barbara Ann Heegan sizes, including manufacturers, are looking at sustainability and efficiency.

Manufacturers are showing improvements in adopting green technologies such as energy efficiency and conservation, water conservation and quality, and reduction of waste and carbon emissions. In addition, these technologies create systems that promote reuse and recycling of all types of materials.

The impact of manufacturing on Otsego County is significant as our local manufacturers are competing in a global economy, which is significant for our region. Rather than a “dumb, dirty, dangerous and disappearing” industry, manufacturing must be seen as a mechanism for driving innovation. It is a sector that should be viewed as “smart, safe, sustainable and surging.”

Barbara Ann Heegan is president and chief executive officer of the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce.

Business & Professional Services (Business Coaching, Consulting, Business Services)

Alpine Awards and Engraving 22 Water St., Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-432-0556

Otsego County Chamber 189 Main St., Suite 500, Oneonta.. . . . . . . otsegocc.com | 607-432-4500

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Entertainment (Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Travel, Events, Museums)

Jones Marine 2385 NY-28, Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jones-marine.com | 607-431-9978

Finance & Insurance (Banks, Financial Advisors, Insurance)

Construction & Building Services (General Contractors, Construction, Engineers, Architects)

Ace Haggerty Hardware 5390 NY-28, Cooperstown. . . . . . . . . . . . acehardware.com | 607-547-2166

Munson’s Building Supplies 5662 State Hwy. 7, Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 607-432-8756

Webster’s Paving 2 Keith St., Oneonta.... . . . . . . . . . . . websterspaving.com | 607-432-8550

Education (Colleges & Universities, Educational Services, K-12 Schools)

Hartwick College 1 Hartwick Drive, Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hartwick.edu | 607-431-4000

Bank of Cooperstown 34 Main St., Oneonta.. . . . . . . bankofcooperstown.com | 607-432-7000

Bieritz Insurance 209 Main St., Cooperstown.. . . . . bieritzinsurance.com | 607-547-2951

Cooperstown Financial Services LLC 99 Chestnut St., Cooperstown.... cooperstownfinacial | 607-322-4032

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Finance & Insurance (Banks, Financial Advisors, Insurance)

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Wells Fargo Advisors Curley Wealth Management The business was established in 1193 as Burden Curley Financial Team and renamed Curley Wealth Management in 2019. It provides wealth management, tax planning, retirement planning and other financial services at 5520 State Highway 7 in Oneonta.

The business describes its vision as “to provide clients with the tools and education needed to navigate complex lives, financially.

For more information, call 607-433-0333 or visit https://home. wellsfargoadvisors.com/Corbin.Curley.

Health & Fitness (Medical Centers & Clinics, Dentists, Fitness Centers, more...)

NY Skin & Vein Center 6 Country Club Rd., Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nysvc.com | 607-431-2525

Otego Family Dental 374 Main St., Otego. . . . . . . . otegofamilydentalpc.com | 607-988-6555

UHS Primary/Specialty Care/Pediatrics Oneonta 179 River St., Oneonta. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-432-8477

Melissa Manikas – State Farm Insurance 29 Pioneer St., Cooperstown.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 607-547-2886

Morris Insurance Agency 128 Main St., Morris.. . . . . . . . . . . morrisinsuranceny.com | 607-263-5170

Wells Fargo 5520 NY-7, Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-433-0333

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Health & Fitness (Medical Centers & Clinics, Dentists, Fitness Centers, more...)

Home & Garden (Home & Garden, Remodeling - Bath & Kitchen)

YMCA 20-26 Ford Ave., Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . oneontaymca.org | 607-432-0010

Home & Garden (Home & Garden, Remodeling - Bath & Kitchen)

A & J Windows 4189 NY-28, Milford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . anjwindows.com | 607-286-7856

CarpetPlus COLORTILE 61 South Main St., Oneonta .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . carpetsplusoneonta.com | 607-353-7433

Gregory Plumbing 229 Chestnut St., Oneonta .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gregoryplumbingandheating.com | 607-432-4799

Mt. Vision Garden Center 125 Co. Rd. 46, Mt. Vision.. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-431-1100

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Dr. Naylor’s continues to innovate in Morris

BY ALLISON COLLINS Contributing Writer

CONTRIBUTED

The H.W. Naylor Co., founded in Morris in 1926, is still at 121 Main St.

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ince 1926, Dr. Naylor’s topical medications, manufactured in Morris, have been healing hooves, horns, udders and more.

The business began after its founder, Morris native Dr. Howard Naylor, left Cornell University with a degree in veterinary science and a love of tinkering.

According to drnaylor.com, Naylor, frustrated with folk remedies and unscientific veterinary treatments, took matters into his own hands in 1924.

“Dr. Naylor was very adept at seeing problems and finding solutions to them,” company owner David Lucas, 56, said. “So he cre-

ated this product called a teat dilator in his kitchen.”

“Cows would step on their teat and it’d scab over and make problems,” Lucas explained. “(Naylor) used what was essentially a pipe cleaner with the tip rolled in wax and dipped in medical ointment and created something that filled a void. At the time, it was revolutionary.”

Lucas, who purchased the business from Naylor’s descendant, Howard Elliott, 12 years ago, said the company has expanded its product line while retaining a reputation for “tried and true” products.

“The claim to fame for the company was

teat dilators and udder balm, and the udder balm really took off … in the late ’80s,” he said. “But our two top products that keep driving it now are our Blu-Kote and our horn paste for calves.”

The former, Lucas said, is an antifungal wound dressing useful against common infections, ringworm and pus-producing bacteria in dogs and horses. The latter, he said, is “a product going crazy all over the world.”

“It’s a caustic paste that actually removes the horns from baby calves,” he explained. “(Dehorning is) a painful process but it has to be done from a safety perspective, and when (farmers) do it on mainly newborn

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CONTRIBUTED

Dr. Naylor’s udder balm, pictured, is considered one of the company’s time-tested farm health products. calves, the blood vessels are near the top of the skin and easy to get to. So, from a pain management perspective, and mitigation of animal welfare problems, this is gaining traction.

“And it’s great in developing countries, because there’s no propane or power required,” he said. “So it’s all over. We’re in 25 countries.”

Lucas said Dr. Naylor’s is “just getting ready to launch a new product” designed to treat hoof warts in cattle, something he called a “major problem on dairy farms.”

Additional Dr. Naylor’s products aid leaking

teats, help identify mastitis, treat hoof rot and soothe skin.

The company’s renown, Lucas said, is part of what drew him to it.

“I’ve been in the farm-animal health industry all my life, growing up on a farm,” he said. “I’d been doing consulting for big farming companies when I approached the previous owners (Howard and Eileen Elliott) about consulting and saw a branding opportunity.”

“The brand is well-known all over,” Lucas said. “It’s really nice when people call you and want your products versus you calling people and trying to sell them a product. That’s a rarity. There’s no sales force and there’s nothing unique; this is all basically word-of-mouth and time-tested products. People trust us and keep coming back because the products just work and they’re cost-effective.”

The same market-specific staying power also presents a contemporary challenge, Lucas said.

“Companies like ours have been a focus of being purchased by investment bankers and venture capitalists,” he said. “All our competitors have been purchased and it’s a challenge to be a small shop. We get calls all the time from people wanting to buy us, but that’s not our objective.”

The business’ objective, Lucas said, is to continue growing and developing products while recognizing the company’s small-town roots.

“We’re going to keep doing what we do,” he said. “We (want to be) getting into more coun-

tries so that more people know our brand. And, as the big box stores get big, they look to having fewer vendors; we’ve been in there a long time, so it’s easier for us to get our products on store shelves than a new company, so people might start coming to us for branding.

It’s about growth in whatever form, shape or matter we can find.” Dr. Naylor’s products, Lucas said, are available “in every Tractor Supply Company store” and at Amazon.com.

“We’ve grown so much that we’re outgrowing our building,” he said, “but we’re not looking to relocate yet … and we’d definitely stay in upstate New York.”

Lucas said the H.W. Naylor Company, at its original 121 Main St. location in Morris, employs about 10 people.

“Everybody works out of this office,” he said.

“It’s three row buildings and everything goes back to 1926, even the parquet floors in some of the manufacturing areas.”

“Morris is a struggling old mill town,” Lucas said. “There’s beautiful houses and tremendous opportunity … but we’re one of the few businesses left, so people look to us. There’d be empty buildings in Morris (if we left); it’d leave a void. The fact that we’ve got people working here and having the company be here for so long, it just adds life and people embrace it.”

To learn more, read testimonials or order products, visit drnaylor.com or call 607-2170011.

NY Goat Yoga at Gilbertsville Farmhouse Brandow’s Feed & Seed Brandow’s Feed & Seed was established in 1991. It offers farm feed and a strong selection of pet supplies at 4119 State Highway 7 in Oneonta.

The business owners said their values are “traditional, great customer service and appreciation,” and to be “a large supporter of our community.” They boast of a “great team who is educated in their products.”

For more information, call 607-432-3884 or visit www.brandowsfeedandpet.com.

NY Goat Yoga was established on June 1, 2017 at 336 Coye Brook Road in South New Berlin.

Goat Yoga classes are offered at 3 p.m. Sundays from May to October. The farmhouse also offers overnight “glamping” retreats and a wedding venue. The venue features two barns and a 100-year-old farmhouse on 125 acres of field and forest. Lodging is available for about 30 people.

The business owners said they want to share their passion for “love, connection, creativity, family and friendship.”

For more information, call 607-783-9443 or visit www.nygoatyoga.com.

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Home & Garden

Hospitality

(Home & Garden, Remodeling - Bath & Kitchen)

(Hotels & Motels, Event & Meeting Facilities, Resorts)

ServiceMaster by Burch ServiceMaster by Burch was established in 1993 at 13 Railroad Ave. in Otego.

The business offers mold remediation; water, fire and smoke damage remediation; furnace malfunction soot cleaning; odor removal; and other cleaning services in Otsego and Broome counties.

The business owners said they want “happy customers who feel they’ve been treated with kindness and fairness,” and want employees to feel respected and appreciated.

For more information, call 607-988-2516 or visit www.servicemasterbyburch.com.

Hampton Inn 225 River St., Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hoteloneonta.com | 607-433-9000

Legal Services (Legal Services, Divorce/Family Law)

Scarzafava, Basdekis & Dadey 48 Dietz St., Oneonta .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . personalinjurylawyersoneonta.com | 607-432-9341

New Asbury Gardens 248 River St., Oneonta.. . . . . . . newasburygardens.com | 607-432-8703

Nonprofit Organizations (Family, Community & Civic Organizations)

Susquehanna SPCA 4841 NY-28, Cooperstown.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sqspca.org | 607-547-8111

Personal Services & Care (Salons & Spas, Funeral Homes, Driver Training, more...)

Chestnut Park 330 Chestnut St., Oneonta. .. chesnutparkrehab.com | 607-432-8500

Church & Scott 5396 NY-28, Cooperstown.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-547-1228.

Cooperstown Optical 5370 NY-28, Cooperstown .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cooperstownoptical.com | 607-547-8080

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Personal Services & Care (Salons & Spas, Funeral Homes, Driver Training, more...)

Public Utilities & Environment Faithful Friends 1977 NY-23, Morris.. .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-263-2363.

Friends of Recovery 22 Elm St., Oneonta.... . . . . . . . friendsofrecoverydo.org | 607-267-4435

(Utilities, Internet, Cable)

Reinhardt Home Heating 3919 NY-23, West Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-432-6633.

Institute of Spiritual Development 41-45 Dietz St., Suite #1, Oneonta.. . . . .isdoneonta.org | 607-267-4693

Sickler Memorials 312 Chestnut St.,Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 607-433-0975

Symphony Medical Supply

Real Estate, Moving & Storage (Residential, Commercial, Moving, Storage)

5626 NY-7, Oneonta .. . . . . . . . ..................... symphonymedicalsupply.com | 800-278-8595.

Tuning In-Tuning Up 41-45 Dietz St., Suite #1, Oneonta .. . . . . . . . ...................... . . . . . . .tuningnin-tuningup.com | 607-433-2089

Benson Agency Real Estate 1 Grand St., Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bensonre.com | 607-432-4391

Bordinger Realty Real Estate 365 Main St., Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . bordingerrealty.com | 607-432-9173

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OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO

Unalam grows into the future from Unadilla roots

BY ALLISON COLLINS

T

hough it has undergone changes in name and product evolution, Unalam has remained family-owned for more than 125 years.

The business, founded by J.W. Van Cott in 1892 and known then as J.W. Van Cott & Son, began with lumber and seed sales in Unadilla. Wood remains at the heart of all Unalam does, as the business’ contemporary iteration focuses on innovative wood and glue-laminate construction from its Sidney manufacturing site and Unadilla marketing office.

“We were making wood stays for farm silos, and in 1906 Frank Van Cott invented the Unadilla Silo,” Unalam President and Unadilla native Craig Van Cott, 66, said. “In 1909 we incorporated as the Unadilla Silo Company and that is still the parent name.”

“We build engineered wood products,” Leif Van Cott, Unalam vice president and Craig’s 39-yearold son, said. Leif, who started in the Unalam accounting office at age 15, returned to the family company in 2005.

According to unalam.com, the silo line developed in the early 20th century served farmers through the 1980s. The Van Cotts expanded operations to the Sidney plant in 1963 and Craig, with wife Sue, took over in 1989.

It was in the late 1920s, the Van Cotts said, that cross-community collaboration would spur one of

Contributing Writer

ALLISON COLLINS

Unalam Vice President Leif Van Cott stands in the Sidney manufacturing plant.

the company’s most significant developments.

“In 1929, my grandfather experimented with the chemists at Borden’s Chemical (in Bainbridge) with laminating wood,” Craig said. “It was the Depression and then the war, so nothing happened until after World War II, but we always had it in the back of our minds.

“During World War II we developed waterproof glues, so that was helpful, and we were able to move toward (glue-laminate manufacturing) fully in the late ’50s,” he said. “After that, we were so busy with farm silos and the pent-up demand from war years … and now we’re multi-faceted.

We’re a custom arch-and-beam business and our products are used in many different things — water parks, churches, hockey arenas, public buildings, bridges and wood sculptures — and seen on a worldwide scale.”

“To survive from 1892 to the ’‘50s involved being able to change with the markets and see emerging technologies with gluelam and that it had the potential to take off and become something people wanted to build with,” Leif said. “We’re lucky that the Borden’s facility was right in Bainbridge and they helped us develop the glues we use.”

Craig said, while Unalam products appear internationally, the company’s clientele is located

Momentum “primarily in the eastern United States.”

“We do a lot in the education world — a lot of colleges and private schools; a lot of equestrian barns for people downstate; and a lot of religious buildings, churches and synagogues,” Leif said. “We’re kind of limited by trucking costs, so our market is mainly from Virginia, north, but we have done jobs in Texas and a couple of international jobs.”

Production highlights, Craig said, have included manufacturing the largest-ever, 173foot glue-laminate beam for the Downsville Covered Bridge; providing beams for “Big Bling,” a 2015 sculpture by artist Martin Puryear; constructing parts of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts; and outfitting an indoor waterpark in Monticello with 125-foot arches.

Van Cott said work is almost finished on a performing arts venue in Indian Hills, Massachusetts.

Leif said a recent collaboration with Puryear yielded one of his favorite Unlam projects.

“We just did a sculpture for Venice Biennale for Martin Puryear,” he said. “They have this festival every two years with pavilions for basically every country in the world, and Martin was chosen to represent the United States this year. He contacted us around December with this crazy design and (the elements) needed to be in Italy by February. It was a really impressive job because of the scope of it and the honor of being included in a pretty prestigious art installation.”

That willingness to customize and accommodate creativity, Leif said, is important.

“Today, we’re mainly custom,” he said. “A lot of our competition would just do straight beams and factory settings, then shoot them out very quickly. But when somebody comes to us with a crazy design that doesn’t look possible, even to me, we’ll actually try to do it and see it come to fruition.”

Craig said, even while manufacturing larger-than-life structures, he remains committed to keeping the business based in his small hometown. Though the company has, at times, operated offices in other parts of the country, he said, Unalam has never considered leaving the Unadilla-Sidney area.

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OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO “We’re proud to be part of the community and the fact that we’ve had some employees here for many years, I feel, proves it’s a nice place to work,” he said. Several of the company’s roughly 50 employees, Van Cott said, have been with Unalam for four decades.

“We have given constancy to some of these people,” Leif said.

“I think you have to treat the business as part of the family; when it’s sick, you take care of it,” Craig said. “And I take a great deal of pride in (having my children) here. I’m lucky as a parent.”

In a written statement, Van Cott said his sons Alex and Ian sit on the board of directors and son-in-law Rik van der Meulen is Unalam’s vice president of engineering.

Despite the business’ vintage, Leif said, Unalam’s practices are forward-thinking.

“One of the first things I did when I came back in 2005 was get us certified under the Forest Stewardship Council,” he said. “It’s a standard that says the wood is sourced sustainably and that they’re not doing clear-cutting, but reasonable forestry and paying fair wages. Our mill suppliers from the West Coast and the South have to meet rigorous, sustainable standards.

“There’s a stigma people have when you say you’re in the wood industry and I saw this as a way to continue our business into the future but also help the environment,” he said.

“It can be hard dealing with the steel industry. Steel is cheaper, but not as environmentally friendly as using wood.”

The Van Cotts said market trends have them hopeful.

“I see an increase in the use of wood,” Craig said. “Wood is becoming more and more popular because people realize it’s friendly with the earth and a renewable resource, so steps are being made to use wood.”

“There are emerging technologies with wood … and kind of a movement to build skyscrapers out of wood, so that’s something I’m researching,” Leif said. “People are slowly coming around to (wood) as a more standard building material and as more people see and get exposed to the scope of what we can do, hopefully that can lead to more business.”

For more information, call 607-369-9341, visit unalam.com or unalam.blogspot.com. Also, find Unalam on Facebook or Twitter. Unalam’s marketing office is at 18 Clifton St. in Unadilla and its Sidney manufacturing plant is at 100 West Road.

ALLISON COLLINS

Unalam employee Terry Beckwith works in the finishing department at the company’s Sidney manufacturing plant.

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Restaurants & Caterers (Full Service, Casual Dining, Fast Food, Catering)

Momentum

Dante’s Pizzeria 416 Chestnut St., Oneonta. .. dantespizzeriamenu.com | 607-432-3030

Elena’s Michael Catering 7352 State Hwy 23, Suite 6, Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-435-0529

Fiesta Restaurant 19 Clinton Plaza Drive, Oneonta .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . facebook: fiestamexicanoneonta.com | 607-431-9898

Pondo’s Restaurant & Pizzeria 6158 NY-7, Colliersville.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . facebook | 607-432-3334

Sandy’s Diner 5256 NY-7, Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-376-1662 Sloan’s Restaurant 337 Chestnut St., Oneonta. .. . . . . . . . . . . . sloansnygrill.com | 607-267-4779

The Depot Restaurant Action Lube & Soda Jerks Restaurant

4 ½ Railroad Ave., Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . depotoneonta.com | 607-433-2074

458 Chestnut St., Oneonta....actionlubesodajerks.com | 607-267-4792

Brooks’ House of BBQ 5560 NY 7, Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .brooksbbq.com | 607-432-1782

Wise Guys Sammys 261-267 Main St., Oneonta... . . . . wiseguyssammys.com | 607-267-4347

Momentum

OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO

Shopping & Retail (Appliances, Clothing Apparel, Accessories, more...)

House of Consignment House of Consignment was established in 2003. It offers three floors of fashion and furnishings at 214 Main St. in Unadilla.

The business owners said their vision is “to provide an upscale shopping boutique with prices affordable to all.” What sets them apart, they said, is, “We have strong charitable drives that benefit the veterans, cancer patients and the homeless.”

For more information, call 607-369-2827.

Posie’s Vintiques 6 Center St., Milford.. . . . . . . www.posiesvintiques.com | 607-286-4025

Secret Comix Cave 1045, 3200 Chestnut St., Oneonta

The Pine Shop 5382 NY-7, Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . pineshoponeonta.com | 607-432-1124

A Rose is a Rose 17 Main St., Cherry Valley.. . . . . . aroseisaroseflorist.net | 607-264-3100

Cooperstown Natural Foods 61 Linden Ave., Cooperstown .. . . . . . . . ................. naturalfoodsofcooperstown.com | 607-547-8613

Cooperstown Wine & Spirits 45 Pioneer Suite # 3, Cooperstown.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 607-547-8100

Eighth Note 10 South Main St., Oneonta. . . . . . . theeighthnote.com | 607-432-0344

Posie’s Vintiques Posie’s Vintiques opened in June 2018 at 6 Center St. in Milford.

The store offers a variety of items, from vintage and antique furniture to home-baked cookies, estate jewelry and items from Nepal. A special section, Craig’s Classics, offers men their own place to shop.

The store is open year-round, with off-street parking and easy access.

For more information, call 607-286-4025.

House of Consignment 214 Main St., Unadilla.. . . houseofconsignmentNY.com | 607-369-2827

Kate’s Upstate 134 Main St., Cooperstown.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 607-322-4068

Oneonta Farmer’s Market Muller Plaza, Main St., Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . oneontafarmersmarket.com

Plaide Palette 45 Main St., Cherry Valley.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-264-3769

The Quilt Zoo 88 Main St., PO Box 234, Worcester .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . thequiltzoo.com | 607-397-9047

Weaver’s Market 1273 East Side Rd., Morris.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-263-2030

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Momentum

Delhi bank approaching two centuries of service

BY ALLISON COLLINS Contributing Writer

A

t the Delaware National Bank of Delhi at 124 Main St. in Delhi, the focus is on maintaining old-fashioned values while keeping up with technology.

Bank president and CEO Pete Gioffe, 46, a Delhi native, said the bank’s history is part of what makes it distinctive.

“It started in the village of Delhi in 1839,” he said, “and now we’re the 25th oldest bank in the country and the third oldest in the state. We’re also the only bank headquartered in Delaware County.”

For customers, Gioffe said, knowing the bank is more than 175 years old matters.

“We advertise it, because it shows that stability factor and our roots of being in the community,” he said. “While other community banks are being merged with or acquired … it’s a nice thing to say that we’re the third (oldest) in the state and don’t plan on going anywhere.”

Most clients, he said, are close by.

“The majority of our customers are Delaware County residents,” Gioffe said. “We have started to stretch out into Otsego and Chenango counties, but most are here, in Delhi. We also have branches in Margaretville, Hobart and Davenport and a loan production office in Sidney and Oneonta.”

Like their bank, Gioffe said, customers show staying power.

“It is an aging population and most (clients) are longtime customers or families,” he said. “If parents banked here, they usually encourage their children to bank here, because it’s in the community and longstanding.”

Gioffe said he considers those relationships key to keeping customers coming back.

“I hope people choose us for our great customer service,” he said. “Honestly, a loan rate is a loan rate and you can have a checking account anywhere, but we like to think our customer service really sets us apart. We spend a lot of time trying to promote our bank and our services, reminding people that we are the only bank headquartered in Delaware County, because there’s not really a lot to differentiate banks; word-of-mouth is the way you stand out.”

ALLISON COLLINS

The Delaware National Bank of Delhi is the third oldest bank in New York state.

Momentum

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The Delaware National Bank of Delhi has made a point of reciprocating patrons’ support, Gioffe said.

“We’re big contributors to the community and we spend a lot of money sponsoring local events,” he said. The bank’s charitable trust, established in 1996, recently passed the $1 million mark in localized donations, Gioffe said.

Like customers, Gioffe said, employees tend to stick around, too.

“It’s a great place to work,” he said. “It’s a big part of the community and there’s just a family atmosphere, really. The average longevity of our employees is 10 years, (because) it’s a welcoming place and we treat our employees very fairly.”

There are about 50 employees across the branches, he said, with an estimated 35 at the Delhi base. Gioffe began at the bank as a teller in 1994.

Staying relevant, he said, has meant changing with the times.

“We offer a wide array of loan and deposit products and we have a trust department,” he said. “But over the last five years, we’ve invested a lot of money in technology to offer products that we think the newer and younger customers really are interested in, like mobile deposit from your phone.

“The younger generation loves it,” Gioffe said. “In this day and age, everybody wants everything immediately, you want to sit down to make a deposit and transfer money electronically. The younger generation has come to expect that, because they’ve grown up with it and we’ve really made a strong effort to get caught up, then stay up, with changing technology.”

Dovetailing forward-thinking changes with time-tested tactics, Gioffe said, is reaping business benefits.

“Last year, we had our best net income year ever,” he said, “and we anticipate that will continue going forward.”

Gioffe said some of that success is seen throughout the industry.

“Community banking in general has made a comeback since the financial crisis from ’08 to ’16,” he said. “So it’s not just us, but I think because of our loyal customer base and through customer service, community banking will survive.”

The drive-up portion of the bank is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon-

ALLISON COLLINS

Pete Gioffe, president and CEO of the Delaware National Bank of Delhi, has been with the bank for 25 years.

day through Friday, and the walk-in lobby from 9 to 5. On Saturdays, all branches except loan production offices are open from 9a.m. to noon.

For more information, visit dnbd.bank or call 855-413-3544.

Auto, Motorcycle & Campers

Construction & Building Services

(Auto Dealers, Auto Body & Painting, Auto Glass, Auto Clubs, more...)

(General Contractors, Construction, Engineers, Architects)

Brookside Hardware & Auto Sales 42235 State Hwy 28, Margaretville.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 845-586-2345

Ace Haggerty Hardware 36 West St., Walton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . acehardware.com | 607-510-4150

Ace Haggerty Hardware 1 Main St., Suite 7, Delhi. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . acehardware.com | 607-746-8810

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Education (Colleges & Universities, Educational Services, K-12 Schools)

State University College of New York at Delhi 454 Delhi Drive, Delhi.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . delhi.edu | 607-746-4000

Finance & Insurance (Banks, Financial Advisors, Insurance)

Momentum

Franklin Eyewear LLC Franklin Eyewear was established in September 2016. It offers comprehensive eye examinations and fittings and sales of spectacles and contact lenses. The business is based at 5 ½ Main St., Suite 4, in Delhi.

The business owners said they started the venture “to supply affordable, but stylish, eyewear to local communities. They say they take the time to offer personalized services that cater to a patient’s specific needs and “finding effective treatments without breaking the bank.”

For more information, call 607-343-6456 or visit www.franklinspecs.com.

Sidney Federal Credit Union Sidney Federal Credit Union, founded in 1949, is a full-service financial institution, offering checking, savings, personal and business loans, mortgages, credit and debit card services, insurance certificates and individual retirement accounts to customers in 12 counties.

SFCU employs 167 people and says its vision is to provide exceptional service to its members and provide tools to make the community stronger.

For more information, call 877-642-7328 or visit sfcuonline.org.

The company’s headquarters are at 42 Union St. in Sidney.

UHS Delaware Valley Hospital

Wells Fargo

Roberts Eyecare

5520 NY-7, Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-433-0333

Health & Fitness (Medical Centers & Clinics, Dentists, Fitness Centers, more...)

Delhi Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Delhi Rehabilitation and Nursing Center opened its new, 176bed, skilled nursing facility in January 2018 at 81861 State Highway 10 in Delhi. It employs about 130 people.

The center offers physical therapy, occupational therapy, subacute care, wound care and many other health care and rehabilitation services. The skilled nursing facility offers wireless internet, cable television, activities, beautician and barber services, daily laundry and other comforts, including a family suite for overnight stays.

The business owners said their goal is “to provide a personalized approach towards safety, happiness and wellbeing for each individual we serve.”

For more information, call 607-464-4444 or visit www.delhi rehab.com.

1 Titus Place, Walton. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-865-2100

UHS Primary Care Downsville 28315 State Hwy 206, Downsville. . . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-363-2517

UHS Primary Care/Pediatrics Walton 2 Titus Pl., Walton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-865-2400

UHS Primary/Specialty Care Sidney 44 Pearl St., Sidney. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-561-2200

Roberts Eyecare was established more than a century ago, in 1911. It offers eye health exams; evaluations for glaucoma, dry eye, diabetic eyes disease and cataracts. It also offers fashion and design eyewear and frames, as well as contact lenses. It operates at 75 Main St. in Sidney.

The business owners describe their staff of four doctors of optometry and five licensed opticians as “a team of friendly, caring eye care professionals, dedicated to quality vision care for eyes of all ages.” They boast the area’s “largest optical boutique,” and say same-day emergency eye appointments are available.

For more information, call 607-563-7551 or visit www.robertseyecare.net.

Nonprofit Organizations (Family, Community & Civic Organizations)

Franklin Railroad and Community Museum 572 Main St., Franklin. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-829-2692 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . facebook.com/franklinrailroadandcommunitymuseum

Momentum

OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO

Nonprofit Organizations (Family, Community & Civic Organizations)

Heart of the Catskills Humane Society 46610 NY-10, Delhi..... . . . . . . . . . heartofthecatskills.org | 607-746-3080

Delaware Valley Humane Society The Delaware Valley Humane Society was established in 1965.

It provides shelter care and adoptions of dogs and cats from its headquarters at 17420 County Highway 23 in Unadilla.

The no-kill shelter is a non-profit organization. Employees said they pride themselves “in treating each and every animal and person with kindness and respect. While most services are provided in the area of Unadilla, Franklin, Sidney and Otego, they strive to meet the needs “of everyone in our community and beyond.”

For more information, call 607-563-7780 or visit dvhsny.org.

Green’s Long River Inn Green’s Long River Inn was established in 1985 at 54 State Highway 357 in Unadilla. It offers beer, wine, liquor and food in the bar and wine and liquor in the store.

The business describes its vision as to “provide good food and drinks to our customers and bring together the community to share in laughter.”

For more information, call 607-369-9903.

Shopping & Retail (Appliances, Clothing Apparel, Accessories, more...)

As You Wish Design and Gifts 38 West St., Suite 5, Walton.. . . . . . . . . asyouwishdg.com | 607-865-2993

Margaretville Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop 743 Main St., Margaretville.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845-586-3737 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . facebook: margaretville hospital auxiliary thrift shop

Lyon Mountain Blue Barn Antiques 2527 Roses Brook Rd., Hobart. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . facebook | 607-538-1768

Tremperskill Country Store 1024 County Hwy 1, Andes.. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845-676-3244

Restaurants & Caterers (Full Service, Casual Dining, Fast Food, Catering)

Quality Inn & Our Town Café & Pub The hotel was established in 1974 at 5206 State Highway 23 in Oneonta. It offers hotel, restaurant and banquet facilities.

The café and pub are described as “one of our guests’ favorite amenities during their stay.” The hotel offers complimentary hot breakfast to in-house guests, an outdoor swimming pool, gourmet sandwiches, salads, soups and entrees, as well as nightly dinner and drink specials.

For more information, call 607-433-2250 ext. 288 or visit www. ourtowncafeoneonta.com.

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OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO

Sidney funeral home has more than a century of service

BY ALLISON COLLINS

A

t C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel in Sidney, licensed funeral directors and Sidney natives Jeff Bagley and Rosemary Fisher are continuing a legacy of service more than a century in the making.

Bagley, 48, said the firm began in the late 1890s but was established in 1914 after purchase by Robert E. Carr and James Hare.

“The history of funeral services in general is a little weird, because it’s mixed in with furniture builders,” Bagley said. “Historically, you always find furniture builders and undertakers were one and the same; they were the ones to build the coffins. So, the furniture building was next door to where (the funeral home) started and, as regulations came into being in the early 1900s, that’s when Carr and Hare came in.”

According to landersfh.com, Carr’s 1927 death eventually led to Charles Landers partnering with Hare and becoming the sole owner in 1949. In 1950, Landers changed the firm’s name to C.H. Landers.

Though the firm gained roots throughout the first half of the 20th century, Bagley said, Landers is credited with giving C.H. Landers its foundation at 21 Main St. “Our building was built as a funeral home,” he explained. “When Charlie Landers built it in 1963, he’d driven all over the country looking at different architecture

Contributing Writer

ALLISON COLLINS

C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel licensed funeral directors Jeff Bagley and Rosemary Fisher. and schematics to see how modern, contemporary funeral homes were being built. So, there are no steps and no elevators, which a lot of people like, and it’s not a house.”

“It was quite an undertaking for a businessman to come in and build a brand-new facility in Sidney,” Bagley said. “But he had the foresight to do that.”

Bagley said Landers’ successor, James Barnhart, who began working for Landers in 1964 at age 16, would go on to reap the

benefits of that foresight for more than 40 years. Barnhart purchased the 6,000-square-foot firm from Landers in 1972, operating it until Bagley’s purchase of the company with wife, Brenda, in 2015.

Throughout Barnhart’s 42-year stint at the helm, Bagley said, he left a lasting impression.

“Jim’s mindset and philosophy was that if you take care of people, they’ll take care of you,” Bagley said. “He wanted to help people on the worst day of their life and

he supported this whole community; he was ‘Mr. Main Street.’

“Even the outreaching community of farmers in these small little hamlets would come to us, just because Jim was that good,” he said. “He made it a profession; it wasn’t just a job, it was his livelihood.”

It was Barnhart’s character, Bagley said, that inspired his own professional path.

“I was born and raised here, so Mr. Barnhart had buried all of my family,” he said. “When I was in eighth grade, my grandfather passed away and Jim took us aside to talk to us and explain the rudimentary stuff, but what I took away was, ‘This guy does a lot of good for people’ and at that point, I was hooked.”

Bagley, who completed mortuary school and a downstate residency after college, called Barnhart’s suggestion to ultimately return to Sidney “the best thing I ever did.” Bagley joined Barnhart’s staff in 1997.

Today, Bagley said, he focuses on upholding the values modeled

by Barnhart. His mentor, Bagley noted, died unexpectedly in 2016.

“You look at a lot of smaller funeral homes in small towns, and it takes a lot of dedication and time to stay in a community,” he said. “To keep a local person in a small town doing this business is a rarity – the hours are terrible, conditions are terrible and it takes

Momentum special people to want to stay in a community and have to bury their friends and family. Jim always said, ‘If you’re not doing a good job, people will go somewhere else,’ but a lot of people choose us.”

Bagley said C.H. Landers’ clientele includes families from Afton, Bainbridge, Franklin, Guilford, Mount Upton, Sidney, Sidney Center and Unadilla for whom the firm provides pre-planning and “full, traditional services.”

“We do embalming, funerals and burials; cremations; memorial celebrations of life; and we handle all the Social Security paperwork and insurance paperwork for veterans,” he said. “A lot of older folks can’t handle some of that stuff and we have the staff and equipment to do that.” The funeral home, he said, can accommodate more than 200 people.

While committed to the firm’s history, Bagley said, he strives to ensure its future by adapting to shifting cultural modes.

“We’re going to try to continue serving our families the best we can and make adaptations to people’s needs,” he said. “With things like social media and Skyping, things are a lot different now.

Nowadays, people can go any-

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C.H.Landers Funeral Chapel, at 21 Main St. in Sidney, was built in 1963.

ALLISON COLLINS

where; in the past, most people didn’t live or move more than 50 miles from where they were born, so making it back to their hometown funeral home was a lot easier.”

“That connection to roots isn’t as important anymore, so we’re dealing with that, but that’s no

Shopping & Retail (Appliances, Clothing Apparel, Accessories, more...)

Fisk Antiques & Art Fisk Antiques & Art was established in 2007 at 116 Fisk Road in Delhi. It offers antiques, garden and architectural pieces.

Business owners say they “enjoy shopping, selling and passing on a piece of the past.” They say large garden items set them apart from competitors.

For more information, call 607-832-4544 or visit shopfisk.com.

different from any business,” he said. The firm, Bagley said, can accommodate long-distance and international service arrangements.

“I just got certified as a funeral celebrant,” Bagley said. “People are getting away from the religious aspect, and the largest-growing group of the population is the un-

churched, so I’m now certified to do funeral services for people if they’re unchurched or don’t have someone they want. We’re seeing a lot of folks coming in that don’t have anyone to help them, and we can help them.”

For more information, visit landersfh.com or call 607-563-3545.

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Momentum

Sports & Recreation (Golf Courses & Country Clubs, Sports Facilities, Sports Teams)

The College Golf Course at Delhi 85 Scotch Mountain Rd., Delhi ....................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . golfcourse.delhi.edu | 607-746-4653

Catskill Seasons 768 Main St., Margaretville ....................... . . . catskillseasonsltd.wordpress.com | 845-586-6044

Catskill Seasons LTD Catskill Seasons was established in 2017. It offers sporting goods and apparel at 768 Main Street in Margaretville. Its motto is, “Work to play, we’ve got you covered.”

For more information, call 845-586-6044 or visit www.catskillseasonsltd.wordpress.com.

OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO

Health & Fitness (Medical Centers & Clinics, Dentists, Fitness Centers, more...)

New Harmony Wellness Center 288 Main St., Middleburgh ....................... . . . . . email: newharmonywellnesscenter@gmail.com ....................... . . . newharmonywellnesscenter.com | 518-872-3354

Susan Cimino-Cary 200 Main St., Sharon Springs ....................... . . . SchoharieHypnosisandReiki.com | 518-728-3195

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OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO

Schoharie Hypnosis and Reiki Schoharie Hypnosis and Reiki opened in April 2017, offering hypnosis, reiki and life coaching services in Sharon Springs.

The business describes its mission as, “to assist clients to transform their lives,” and its vision as, “to be the premier practice for people seeking to make behavioral changes which improve their lives.”

The business boasts of delivering “extraordinary, individualized services,” providing hours to accommodate clients’ schedules, aiming to “supersede clients’ expectations” and resolve any client issues as soon as they are identified.

For more information, call 518-728-3195 or visit http://schohariehypnosisandreiki.com.

Finance & Insurance (Banks, Financial Advisors, Insurance)

Wells Fargo 5520 NY-7, Oneonta.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-433-0333

Home & Garden (Home & Garden, Remodeling - Bath & Kitchen)

Sharon Springs Garage 1375 Hwy Rt. 20, Sharon Springs .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sharonspringsgarage.com | 518-284-2346

Hospitality (Hotels & Motels, Event & Meeting Facilities, Resorts)

Wind in the Willows 120 Main St., Jefferson.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . facebook | 607-652-2533

Sports & Recreation (Golf Courses & Country Clubs, Sports Facilities, Sports Teams)

Cobleskill Outdoor Sports 116 France Lane, Cobleskill.. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518- 234-2400

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Horton Hardware is an Afton institution

BY ALLISON COLLINS Contributing Writer

A

ALLISON COLLINS

Al and Steve Gaydorus stand near their recently added Carhartt line on the main floor of Horton Hardware in Afton.

fton natives Steve and Al Gaydorus purchased Horton Hardware from their father Charlie in 1996, but the store at 198 Main St. in Afton store began more than 100 years earlier.

Though the business got its start in the late 1890s, ground was broken at the Main Street site in May 1905, with an opening about a year later.

According to an April 1906 Afton Enterprise article, C.L. Horton & Son, named for founder Clark Horton and his son Harrison, “seemed quite metropolitan” and “an ornament to any town.” It even boasted the first freight elevator between Albany and Binghamton capable of lifting horse wagons, sleighs and carriages.

Charlie Gaydorus purchased the business from Harry Horton’s widow in 1959.

Today, Al and Steve said, the 20,000-squarefoot store has grown to about 10 times its original size and carries far more than wagon parts and barrels of nails.

“We’ve got a full line of hardware — plumbing, electrical, paint — and that’s kind of the main floor,” Steve said. “The upstairs part and the lower part is small engine parts and tool rental, like jack hammers and rototillers, and we sell Simmonds mattresses. We also have appliances and sell kitchens — we have the cabinetry and design and detail the plans.”

“We offer services, which the big box stores don’t,” Al said. “If you need a delivery that day, we may be able to do that for you. We have knowledgeable employees that have been with us for extended periods of time, we’re a quick in-and-out, our pricing is competitive and we’re close by.” Horton Hardware, he said, employees about 10 people.

Additional inventory, they said, includes specialty footwear; outerwear for men, wom-

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OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO

en and children; and season-specific items such as shovels, gardening supplies, ice-melt and snowblowers.

Diversifying, the Gaydoruses said, has been an important part of Horton Hardware’s longevity in a rural market.

“We’ve had to diversify to accommodate,” Steve said. “In this area, you don’t have enough population to sell specific stuff. You have to diversify and have those same customers buying multiple things from you or you can’t survive.”

“As business changes, you accommodate the community,” Al said. “Like the Carhartt line we put in five years ago that’s been very successful. As customers ask for certain products, we try to accommodate them and as an ACE-affiliated store, we choose our merchandise mix, not the mother company.”

A reputation for reliability has also spurred staying power, they said.

“We’re locally owned and operated and there’s a certain amount of trust there that’s happened over the last 100 years,” Steve said. “Customers now are generational. We’ve served great-grandparents, grandparents and their kids.”

As well as being loyal, the Gaydoruses said, clientele is increasingly varied. “(Our demographics) have definitely gone up,” Al said.

“It’s mixed, all ages.”

“We get (customers) mainly from the tri-town area (of) Sidney, Bainbridge, Afton and some of Harpursville,” he said, “but the Carhartt clothing is pulling people in from Binghamton and Oneonta, due to our pricing and (having) a full line.”

While patrons are widespread, the Gaydoruses said, Horton Hardware still gets hometown support.

“The (response) is generally very good,” Al said, “and people are very happy to have us here.”

Though the Gaydoruses said the cost of doing business can prove challenging, they’re committed to continuing.

“New York state is not the friendliest for business and the Southern Tier economy is not the best,” Al said. “But we have no plans of closing. We’re going to continue with business as usual.

“You’ve got to be willing to not make money sometimes and still press on,” Steve said. “The tax burden in New York is high and I don’t think any of our children are interested (in taking over), but we plan on going for as long as we can.”

Horton Hardware is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 to 5 on Saturday.

For more information, visit hortonhardware.com or call 607-639-1283.

As business changes, you accommodate the community. Like the Carhartt line we put in five years ago that’s been very successful. As customers ask for certain products, we try to accommodate them and as an ACE-affiliated store, we choose our merchandise mix, not the mother company.

Al Gaydorus, co-owner

ALLISON COLLINS

The Gaydoruses said, by continuously diversifying inventory, they try to live up to the store motto of ‘Horton Has It.’

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Momentum

Bainbridge monument business was built to last

BY ALLISON COLLINS Contributing Writer

ALLISON COLLINS

Gary Gifford works in the display area at Bainbridge Memorial Works.

S

tarted by Frank Turk in Bainbridge in 1927, Bainbridge Memorial Works’ reputation for quality service is set in stone.

The company, at 92 North Main St., offers custom sandblasted cemetery monuments, memorials, bronze plaques and benches.

Following in his father’s footsteps, longtime Bainbridge resident Brad Volkert took the reins from Paul Volkert in 1988. The senior Volkert, to-

gether with wife Lois, purchased the business in 1969. Volkert noted that his parents’ purchase coincided with the death of the original owner.

“I came into the business because it was an opportunity,” Brad Volkert said. “I had worked at Borden’s (Chemical) for 15 years, but before that I’d worked with my dad here and there since I was 12.”

Today Volkert, 67, is transitioning ownership to nephew and former technology teacher, Gary Gifford, 39.

In his more than 30 years of ownership, Volkert said, he’s had to adjust to industry-wide changes.

“When I took over, it was all hand-drawn and hand-carved and you did everything by hand with a knife,” he said. “The first step was going to an automated stencil press which presses the letters, then we got into computerization.”

“Now we have a local drafting company that we use and if somebody wants certain stuff on (a stone), we get it computer-generated with a scale drawing, get approval and send it in as a proof, then the computer cuts the stencil,” he said. “This has eliminated a lot of mistakes and (allowed for) revisions as well as any type of picture or font, then the stencil gets sent to us and we do it. We do probably 95 percent of our own sandblasting.”

While the majority of commissions are headstones, Volkert said, a job continues after a monument is finished.

“We do anything that relates to the cemetery itself or work in the cemetery,” he said. “That includes setting, lettering, cleaning, leveling (new) stones and pre-existing stones and any type of repair work.”

Completion time varies and depends upon the kind of stone, Volkert said, with a standard piece requiring between four and six weeks and specialty orders several months. There are also stock monuments available on site, he said.

“We do all different types of granite and what we have is certified granite,” he said. “Most of our orders come through manufacturing companies in Vermont, but the granites are from all over the country and the world.

Black granite is coming from India or China, red is India or Africa and we get mahogany from North Dakota.”

“We get everything as a blank slate,” Gifford said, “then we do the size and shape.”

While embracing automation and new methods, Volkert said, he has tried to uphold the customer service and pricing for which Bainbridge Memorial Works is known.

Momentum “There have been other companies that have come in and tried to start up a monument business and failed. It’s about the personalization and the customer service,” he said. “When somebody comes in, a lot of times you’ll sit here for an hour afterward talking about who you know and you get to know people. It’s about reputation, with any type of business.”

“Brad and Grandpa started a good thing, with quality products,” Gifford, who has worked full-time with the company for six years, said.

“We have a good product and give service as good or better than most,” Volkert said. “We don’t compare pricing, but … we feel our prices are very reasonable. Today I’d say most people want something personal or something interesting and because we own the business and can do it here, we can offer those services and do the extras for the customer.”

Those customers, Volkert and Gifford said, are far-reaching and often generational.

“We’ve got people’s kids coming in,” Gifford said.

Volkert added: “It’s a big mix. We have a lot of repeat sales, because of the way we treat customers ... and it’s rewarding to see the business continue to grow and sustain.”

Bainbridge Memorial Works’ clientele, they said, includes families from the immediate Bainbridge area, Albany, Deposit, Hancock, Oneonta Whitney Point and more.

“If it’s something we can handle, we’ll take it out,” Volkert said. “And if we can’t, we can order (the stone) completely lettered from the manufacturer and have it drop-shipped to the cemetery or another monument company. We can

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OTSEGO | DELAWARE | SCHOHARIE | CHENANGO handle all of the details.” Bainbridge Memorial Works also offers pre-planning, he said.

Volkert said customers appreciate that commitment to service, especially during what is usually a trying time.

“Everybody has a need at some point, unfor-

tunately,” he said, “and if you help people, they remember the good. We’ve always felt good about being able to help somebody in need.”

For more information, visit bainbridgememorialworks.com or call 607967-3986.

ALLISON COLLINS

A blank granite monument awaits sandblasting at Bainbridge Memorial Works.

Finance & Insurance

Health & Fitness

(Banks, Financial Advisors, Insurance)

(Medical Centers & Clinics, Dentists, Fitness Centers, more...)

VIP Payroll 1 North Main St., Bainbridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-967-5627

Wells Fargo 5520 NY-7, Oneonta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 607-433-0333

UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital 179 North Broad St., Norwich. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-337-4111

UHS Primary Care Greene 15 Birdsall St., Greene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-656-4115

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Personal Services & Care (Salons & Spas, Funeral Homes, Driver Training, more...)

Musicana Humana Therapeutic Massage 193 Main St., Afton .. . . . . . . . musicahumanamassage.amtamembers.com | 607-383-0553

Health & Fitness (Medical Centers & Clinics, Dentists, Fitness Centers, more...)

Restaurants & Caterers

UHS Primary Care Norwich

(Full Service, Casual Dining, Fast Food, Catering)

179 North Broad St., Norwich.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-337-4040

UHS Primary Care Oxford

Bob’s Diner

21 North Canal St., Oxford.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-843-9816

26 North Main St., Bainbridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-967-3111

UHS Primary/Specialty Care Sherburne

S&S Cafe Restaurant

38 Classic St., Sherburne.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nyuhs.org | 607-674-4495

18 North Main St., Bainbridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607-967-7123

Serving the Communities of Central New York State Since 1890

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| INDEX |

OTSEGO COUNTY

OTSEGO COUNTY

Flexibility and service are keys to business longevity 2 Advertising & Media 3 Autos, Motorcycles & Campers 3 Homestead Auto 3 Precision Collision, Inc 3 Stringer’s Body Shop 3 Thetford’s Body Shop & Towing 3 Innovation, care are behind A.O. Fox’s 119 years 4, 5 Why manufacturing matters to Otsego County 6 Business & Professional Services 6, 7 Otsego County Chamber 7 Construction & Building Services 7 Education 7 Entertainment 7 Jones Marine 7 Finance & Insurance 7, 8 Bieritz Insurance 7 Bank of Cooperstown 8 Melissa Manikas - State Farm Insurance 8 Health & Fitness 8, 9 New York Skin & Vein Center 8 Otego Family Dental 9 Home & Garden 9, 12 CarpetsPlus COLORTILE 9 Mt. Vision Garden Center 9 Dr. Naylor’s continues to innovate in Morris 10, 11 New Asbury Gardens 12 Hospitality 12 Legal Services 12 Scarzafava, Basdekis & Dadey, PLLC 12 Nonprofit Organizations 12 Personal Services & Care 12, 13 Chestnut Park Rehabilitation & Nursing Center 13 Sickler Memorials 13 Tuning In - Tuning Up! 13 Public Utilities & Environment 13 Real Estate, Moving & Storage 13 Bordinger Realty Real Estate 13 Unalam grows into the future from Unadilla roots 14, 15 Restaurants & Caterers 16 Brooks’ House of BBQ 16 Elena’s Michael Catering 16

The Depot Restaurant & Tavern Sandy’s Diner Shopping & Retail Cooperstown Natural Foods Kate’s Upstate The Pine Shop, Inc. The Daily Star Weaver’s Farm Market

DELAWARE COUNTY

Delhi bank approaching two centuries of service Autos, Motorcycles & Campers Construction & Building Services Education Finance & Insurance Health & Fitness Nonprofit Organizations The Franklin Railroad and Community Museum Shopping & Retail Lyon Mountain Blue Barn Antiques Sidney funeral home has more than a century of service Margaretville Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop Sports & Recreation Catskill Seasons The College Golf Course at Delhi

16 16 17 17 17 17 30 32 18, 19 19 19 20 20 20 20, 21 21 21, 23 21 22, 23 23 24 24 24

SCHOHARIE COUNTY

Health & Fitness 24, 25 Susan Cimino-Cary 24 Finance & Insurance 25 Home & Garden 25 Sharon Springs Garage 25 Hospitality 25 Sports & Recreation 25

CHENANGO COUNTY

Horton Hardware is an Afton institution 26, 27 Bainbridge monument business was built to last 28, 29 Finance & Insurance 29 Health & Fitness 29, 30 Personal Services & Care 30 Restaurants & Caterers 30 Index 31

Momentum A publication of The Daily Star, 102 Chestnut Street, Oneonta, New York 13820 © 2019 - All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.