ROME — Bartell Machinery Systems, L.L.C. is planning to open an office in Qingdao China to complement its sales and service offices in Rome, N.Y. and Telford, UK.

Bartell also has sales offices in Houston and Toronto. The latest move supports Bartell’s export focus, which represents 90 percent of the company’s revenue. The headquarters and manufacturing plant are located in Rome.

Bartell was founded in 1940 to service local New York wire and cable customers. National Standard bought the company in 1969, and 30 years later sold it to Pettibone, which is owned by Heico, a conglomerate headquartered in Chicago.

“We manufacture machines mainly for the tire and rubber (60 percent of revenue), oil and gas (25 percent of revenue), and wire and cable (15 percent of revenue) industries,” says Patrick John Morocco, Bartell’s president. “The company has more than 8,500 machines in operation worldwide, which are used by hundreds of companies. Our staff includes 160 dedicated employees, of whom 148 work here in Central New York. The manufacturing plant and office [comprise] … 145,000 square feet located on 17 acres, so we have plenty of room for further expansion.” The Business Journalestimates Bartell’s annual revenue at more than $50 million. The company owns all of its real estate.

“We supply a number of companies in the tire industry with beading machinery for the manufacture of tires. Our customers include Yokohama, Goodyear, Pirelli, and Michelin,” notes Morocco. “Our oil and gas companies are probably not household names — Technip in France, NKT in Denmark, and GE Wellstream in the UK — to whom we provide machines to produce deep-sea flexible risers and umbilicals for the off-shore industry. Our wire and cable customers primarily service the telecommunications, electrical utility, medical device, and advanced fiber-optic industries.”

All of Bartell’s machines are highly engineered. “Research and development is a key component of our success,” the president adds. “Our technical staff includes 40 engineers with nine or 10 members focused solely on R&D … All have engineering degrees. The company has a 5,500-square-foot R&D facility, and we use the most advanced technology to design and develop innovative solutions for our customers. All of our products are fully manufactured and rigorously tested to operate safely, efficiently, and reliably prior to delivery.”

Bartell’s 2013 revenue jumped 42 percent over the previous year. “It’s a good sign that our strategy is working,” posits Morocco. “We are focused on growing both revenue and profit … We need to expand the sandbox by leveraging our core competencies … and [by] looking for synergies in different markets. [For example,] … while we manufacture machines to produce flexible pipe for the oil and gas industry, we need to look for opportunities to expand into offshore pipe-handling and rigging systems. We plan to grow organically, but we also look for opportunities to acquire new business. …  I spend considerable time searching for acquisition targets … We also plan to add a marketing coordinator marketer to focus on product and brand awareness within the markets we serve.”

Morocco attributes the company’s success in large measure to its employees. “We have a great team throughout the organization,” adds the president. “They are dedicated, skilled, and up to the challenge of becoming a world-class manufacturer. With the resources of Pettibone and Heico, we have tremendous growth opportunities. The plan calls for hiring another eight to 10 people this year.”

Morocco also notes the contribution of the leadership team which includes Bill Rostiser as vice president of operations, Paul Gatley as vice president of engineering, Jeff DiOrio as controller, Brian Turvey as senior vice president of sales and marketing, Jason Whyte as vice president of sales and marketing, Pam Hollenbeck as human-resources manager, and Andy Longway as director of continuous process improvement.

Critical to Bartell’s ongoing success is the implementation of strategic quality initiatives. “Our quality focus applies to products, processes, and services,” states Morocco. “Our quality-policy statement says that ‘customer satisfaction is our business, continuous improvement is our commitment.’ [To this end,] … we received ISO–9001 certification and are in the process of implementing Lean Enterprise. We expect to begin Six-Sigma certification in about two years. Bartell is also pursuing ISO–14001 this year, a voluntary program from the Environmental Protection Agency that provides the framework to evaluate and manage an organization’s environmental impact. Next, we plan to meet ISO–18001 certification standards for OHSMS (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems).”

Bartell’s success is also attributable to its focus on safety. “We offer continuing training in environmental health and safety,” Morocco emphasizes. “Bartell is committed to creating and sustaining an incident-free environment throughout the organization, which starts with a cultural climate that is intolerant of unsafe behaviors and working conditions.”

Morocco was born in New Jersey and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. He spent seven years in the U.S. Navy as an engineering officer, including a stint on an Aegis-class cruiser (USS Antietam CG-54).

Morocco joined the private sector in 1993 and held executive positions with Stewart & Stevenson Operations, Inc. In 1998, he joined Wartsila, a Finnish company, as the vice president of worldwide operations. Morocco moved to the Carrier Corp. in Syracuse in 2001 and ECR International in Utica in 2004, before joining Bartell in April 2013. He resides in Marcellus with his wife Peggy, also an Annapolis graduate from the class of 1986, and four children.

Heico Companies, L.L.C. is a holding company which owns 35 manufacturing, construction, and industrial-services companies in 12 countries on four continents. The holding company is organized into four groups: Ancra, Heico Metal Processing, Heico Construction, and Pettibone. Heico, which is privately held, generates annual consolidated sales of more than $2 billion. The concept of the holding company is to offer its properties financial, environmental, health and safety, legal, and risk-management resources. Heico also offers a worldwide supply chain to its constituent companies for sourcing product and services.

Bartell reports to Pettibone, which contains 13 companies.

Contact Poltenson at npoltenson@cnybj.com

SALINA — Sustainable Office Solutions, LLC is leasing warehouse space inside the former Will & Baumer Candle Co., which is nestled on property at 100 Buckley Road in Salina.

The company eventually hopes to make the facility its permanent home.

Sustainable Office Solutions, which specializes in providing customers with pre-owned and re-manufactured office-furniture products, is currently operating a short distance away at 900 Old Liverpool Road in Salina.

The eventual plan is to move the firm’s operations into that space, says Andrew (Andy) Picco, owner and president of Sustainable Office Solutions.

“I would say it’s going to happen before year’s-end, and I’m thinking a lot sooner than that,” Picco says.

Agents Mark Hucko and Graziano Zazzara, Jr. of the Icon Companies of Syracuse, LLC brokered the lease. Hucko represented Picco in the lease negotiation, and Zazzara represented the landlord, Syracuse Gateway Holdings.

Yatish Chandra of Toronto, Ont. and two partners are the principles of Syracuse Gateway Holdings, according to Picco.

Before finding that space, Sustainable Office Solutions had been “having problems” with having enough space from which to operate.

The firm had filled up its 11,000-square-foot warehouse on Old Liverpool Road. Picco then rented a 53-foot tractor trailer that he uses as a storage trailer. He eventually had to lease an additional 1,200 square feet in the front of his building for more storage.

Besides selling pre-owned furniture, Sustainable Office Solutions also accepts used inventory and doesn’t buy from manufacturers.

“We’ve got to go through it and throw stuff away and filter, so we need swing space, which we really didn’t have,” Picco says.

Hucko suggested the former Will & Baumer Candle Co. warehouse as a possibility for additional space and had Picco tour the facility.

Picco initially had concerns about a lack of “visibility” at the location.

“It’s in the back. You can’t see it [from Buckley Road],” Picco says.

A few weeks later, Picco bought about 50 steelcase work stations from a company in Boston and needed the extra space. He notified Hucko, and Syracuse Gateway Holdings, the warehouse’s landlord, offered him about 8,200 square feet of warehouse space.

“That was the impetus [for signing a lease on the warehouse],” Picco says, noting he signed the lease Feb. 1.

The extra space also enabled Sustainable Office Solutions to secure a local project.

Onondaga Case Management Services, Inc. had to vacate its building at 220 Herald Place by the end of February for its move to 620 Erie Blvd. West.

Sustainable Office Solutions worked the final two days of the month to empty the agency’s office at the Herald Place building. Those belonging are now in the warehouse, Picco says.

Even though Picco had only signed a lease to use about a quarter of the available space, he realized he was using a facility that had a total of 38,000 square feet with 60-foot ceilings and loading docks.

Picco shared his plans with Chandra, who then told him he could have as much of the extra space inside the warehouse as he wanted “at no extra charge” on the condition that Picco would move his firm’s inventory if another tenant signed to use space.

Once Sustainable Office Solutions moved its inventory into the facility and considered other projects the company will be involved in, Picco started thinking about a long-term relationship with the facility.

“I started to run the numbers, and we need a space that big,” he says.

Picco then spoke with Chandra about his plans for growth and to see what Chandra thought about his firm filling up space in the entire warehouse.

For Picco, the bigger space meant bigger plans.

“I eliminated $650 worth of rent here [at 900 Old Liverpool Road and just swung it over there,” he says, referring to the additional space and trailer he had rented for extra space.

Picco is now working on ways of filling the warehouse with the inventory and operations of Sustainable Office Solutions.

In order for his company to move from its current location to 100 Buckley Road, it would need to build offices and a showroom within the warehouse, Picco says.

Picco has to secure pallet racking, buy a forklift, close one of the seven loading docks and create a new customer entrance.

“We still have a lot of work [to do],” he says.

Picco also wants to eventually offer local companies short-term and long-term storage space in the facility, something he believes would generate enough revenue to help pay the rent on the warehouse.

And his thoughts extend beyond storage.

“I want this to be the regional distribution center. I want product to come in from Buffalo to Albany … to come right into Syracuse,” he adds.

About the company
Sustainable Office Solutions currently operates in an 11,000-square-foot space at 900 Old Liverpool Road in the town of Salina.

The company leases its current space from Water St. Associates of Syracuse.

Sustainable Office Solutions has operated in that location since October 2011 when it moved from its original space at 1815 Lemoyne Ave. in Salina when Picco launched the firm in 2009.

Picco says his firm’s revenue fell by 10 percent in 2013 compared to 2012, but notes its profit rose by 10 percent.

He acknowledged that a health issue kept him away from the company for a few months between late 2012 and early 2013, which believes affected the firm’s revenue stream.

Business seems to be booming in 2014. Picco began the year forecasting 60 percent growth this year, but as of March 13, Sustainable Office Solutions had generated 167 percent more revenue compared to the same time in 2013, he says.

Sustainable Office Solutions has eight full-time employees and between two and seven part-time employees, Picco says.

The employees include his son, Christopher Picco, who serves as the company vice president and who will eventually succeed his father as the business owner.

“He’s my right hand guy. He is my succession plan,” Andy Picco says.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

WATERTOWN  — Davidson Auto Group marked the end of 2013 by going online with a 3,000-panel solar-power system in Watertown and already has plans to expand the solar plant’s size and reach this year.

The project got its start in 2012 when Davidson built six new buildings at its auto complex on Route 11 in the town of Watertown, Dwight Davidson, co-owner and partner, says. The company wanted to look at ways of reducing its carbon footprint and becoming more environmentally friendly, he says. “Part of that discussion became solar,” he adds.

Davidson took some steps in that direction by installing solar panels on the roofs of the new buildings along with two existing buildings. “Obviously solar helps us reduce our carbon footprint, but also helps us reduce our usage of electricity,” Davidson says. “It’s a win-win, really.”

Putting solar panels on the top of the buildings was a good first step, he says, but the auto dealership and service business wanted to take things even further. That desire led to the late 2013 installation of 3,000 solar panels behind the dealership’s buildings. Davidson declined to say how much the company invested in the panels installed by High Peaks Solar of Albany.

So far, so good, Davidson says of the company’s foray into solar power. The 3,000-panel system, along with the roof panels, generates 535,000 kilowatt hours annually. That, in turn, yields an 830,000-pound reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions.

“We’re about to embark on expanding it again,” Davidson adds. As soon as weather permits, Davidson will use High Peaks Solar to install 3,000 more panels, split between Watertown and the company’s dealership location in Rome. Once complete, the system should reduce the company’s electricity usage by as much as 80 percent, Davidson says. He expects the project will pay for itself in less than 10 years.

To help pay for such projects, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (or NYSERDA) offers incentives for the installation of solar systems, along with other “green improvements,” often covering up to half of the project cost.

In addition to the solar panels, Davidson Auto Group incorporated several green elements in its new buildings including reverse-osmosis filters that eliminate bottled-water usage, lighting controlled by motion sensors, Low-E exterior glass that increases energy efficiency, and furnaces that burn waste oil and petroleum products to provide heat for the buildings. Davidson also provides free auto-charging stations at its dealerships for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Founded in 1962 in Rome, the Davidson Auto Group (www.davidsonautogroup.com) includes Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Nissan, and Ford franchises with locations in Watertown, Rome, and Evans Mills. Davidson also operates collision centers in Rome and Watertown and car washes in Watertown, Fort Drum, Rome, Utica, and Oneida.

The business says it employs 250 people and sells more than 4,000 vehicles per year across all its locations.

Dwight Davidson and his three siblings — Donald Davidson, Jr.; Douglas Davidson; and Diane Davidson — are equal partners in the business.

Contact The Business Journal at news@cnybj.com