Binghamton consumer confidence slides in 3rd quarter

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Consumer confidence in the Binghamton area trickled downward during the third quarter of 2012, yet consumers still expressed more willingness to spend when compared to

Mirabito: The Sam Walton of Energy

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Regional News, Subscriber Only

NORWICH — Sam Walton built his retail empire by focusing on rural areas where there was less competition. Decades later, the competition awoke to the fact that Walmart was the industry leader. Four generations of Mirabitos have used a similar strategy to build a thriving business in the energy field in upstate New York. James

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James Mirabito, an Italian immigrant, started a coal dealership known as James Mirabito Coal Dealer in Norwich in 1927. In 1940, his eldest son Thomas opened the second branch of the business in Sidney by purchasing H.M. Bloxham Coal and Feed Company on Clinton Street.

In 1943, the company signed an agreement with Atlantic Richfield to sell home heating oil in the Norwich–Sidney area. Subsequently, Mirabito pursued a policy of acquiring competitors and moved into related businesses such as asphalt products.

In 1952, James Mirabito’s four sons (Thomas, Rosario, Angelo, and Anthony) assumed ownership of the company and incorporated it as James Mirabito & Sons, Inc.

In 1982, the company purchased its first convenience store in Oxford and gave it the name Quickway Food Stores. The following year, Mirabito bought Savory Energy in Vestal, which included a Chevron Corp. terminal with direct access by pipeline to the New Jersey refinery. The Savory transaction boosted Mirabito’s wholesale oil growth and fueled the convenience-store expansion.

In 1985, Mirabito built a new bulk oil plant in the Sidney Industrial Park, a new office complex on Grand Street in Sidney, and purchased Norwich Oil Co. A year later, the second generation of Mirabito owners sold the company to six members of the third generation of the family (aka, “The Pepsi Generation”). The company also purchased Mountain Oil in Oneonta. In 1988, Mirabito acquired Oneonta Oil & Fuel and Jiffy Stop convenience stores — an acquisition that doubled the number of convenience stores owned by the company.

Mirabito established the Propane Division of Mirabito Fuel Group in 1992 and purchased Onondaga Oil & Fuel in Syracuse.

In 1996, the company established Miragas, Inc. to sell natural gas and electricity. Mirabito also acquired Corse’s Oil in Susquehanna, Pa.

The holding company’s (Mirabito Holdings, Inc.) latest ventures include a partnership with Corning Natural Gas to create a natural-gas pipeline for distribution and sale to municipalities and large corporations. In May, Mirabito also established an ESCO (energy services co.), called Mirabito Natural Gas.

Mirabito has grown to “… a firm employing 710 — 295 in the energy division and 415 in the convenience-store/food-service business,” according to Lindsay Meehan, the director of marketing and a fourth-generation Mirabito. “The firm has expanded geographically into 15 counties in New York with 56 convenience stores and 11 home-energy locations … The wholesale energy operation ships trailer loads to gasoline and propane dealers and to other big customers throughout New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts … [Annual] sales today are more than $400 million,” Meehan adds.

Mirabito’s corporate headquarters are located at the Metro Center at 49 Court St. in Binghamton. The convenience-store division owns 81,000 square feet of space and leases another 49,000 square feet. The energy division owns 38,000 square feet and leases 39,000 square feet. The real-estate division owns another 23,000 square feet, for a total corporate footprint of 230,000 square feet.

Mirabito is associated with a number of recognized brands. The energy division includes Citgo, Mobil, Valero, Sunoco, and the family name. The convenience-store/food-service division includes Mirabito, Quickway, Convenience Express, Subway, Tim Hortons, Cold Stone Creamery, and Dunkin’ Donuts.

“Mirabito’s main competitors in the energy and food business vary by markets,” says Meehan. “In the energy business, we compete with Suburban and Paraco plus local competitors such as I.E. Blue Ox in the Norwich/Sidney area, Reinhart in the Oneonta market, Erhart in Ithaca, and Superior in the Syracuse market. In the convenience-food business, we compete with Nice N Easy in Syracuse and in Binghamton and other areas we compete with Manley’s and Hess.”

Five stockholders currently own Mirabito Holdings: Joe, John, Bill, Ross, and Rick Mirabito. They comprise the corporate board of directors along with one outside adviser, Phil Baratz. The management team includes Joe Mirabito, CEO (Lindsay Meehan’s father); Jerry Canny, president and CFO; Ross Mirabito, CIO; Rich Mirabito, COO; Jason Mirabito, wholesale and supply/sales manager; Meehan, director of marketing; Kelly Storm, vice president of human resources; and Terry Maliga, business-development manager.

According to Meehan, key vendors include “… Hinman Howard & Kittell, LLP, which handles much of the legal work;
ParenteBeard for auditing and accounting; and NBT, which leads a banking consortium for us… Mang (owned by NBT) holds our insurance policies.”

“Mirabito enjoys a long tradition of giving back to the communities it serves,” Meehan says. For example, “… the firm sponsors an annual golf tournament each year in June. This year, the event netted $100,000 for charities, including the MDA, Children’s Home, and the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation. Mirabito also gave $50,000 to Bassett [Healthcare] this year… Senior management is involved in the selection of charitable recipients.”

Mirabito is focused on growth, both organic and through acquisition. There isn’t a formal team structure to pursue mergers and acquisitions, but senior management is always evaluating opportunities. The company is optimistic about continued growth in the energy business with the goal of “becoming a total BTU supplier and distributor” and continues to look for opportunities to expand in the convenience-store business.

The company is also focused on the transition of management to the fourth generation. According to Meehan, there are already five Mirabitos (fourth generation) working in the business. She says that “… the board is working hard on the process of transition with outside advisers.”

Mirabito is celebrating its 85th corporate anniversary with plans both to remain a family business and to grow, based on a corporate strategy that has served the family well. Someday, the company’s competitors may realize that Mirabito, like Walmart, is an industry leader.

Contact Poltenson at npoltenson@cnybj.com

40 Below group launches co-working space

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Small Business, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — As much as it aims to provide a place for young entrepreneurs and others to work, Syracuse Coworks seeks to spark collaboration as well. 40 Below, a Syracuse–based young professionals group, launched Syracuse Coworks on Oct. 10. The co-working space provides low-cost, professional office space at the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse. “You’re

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SYRACUSE — As much as it aims to provide a place for young entrepreneurs and others to work, Syracuse Coworks seeks to spark collaboration as well.

40 Below, a Syracuse–based young professionals group, launched Syracuse Coworks on Oct. 10. The co-working space provides low-cost, professional office space at the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse.

“You’re seeing different perspectives, different members of the community, or people from other communities coming in,” 40 Below Chairwoman Stephanie Crockett says. “There’s so much energy at the Tech Garden. It’s got such a cool, innovative vibe to it.”

Law firm Harris Beach, which has an office in Syracuse, provided $5,000 for the effort. 40 Below is also in the process of obtaining a grant to help fund the project.

The 1,500-square-foot space, located at the Tech Garden, has enough room for up to 25 tenants. Membership levels range from a $15 rate for drop-ins to $225 per month for full tenant members. Amenities available at different membership levels include wireless Internet access, printing services, and access to conference rooms.

Full-time tenants get a reserved personal desk and priority access to conference rooms.

More people are launching new businesses, partially because of the economic environment, notes Crockett, who is also a management supervisor at Eric Mower + Associates, a Syracuse–based advertising agency. Plenty of entrepreneurs wind up working from home, but 40 Below found many wanted access to low cost professional office space.

Upstate cities including Rochester, Albany, and Buffalo all have co-working space available, Crockett adds.

In addition to local entrepreneurs and freelancers, Syracuse Coworks could serve professionals from out of town, she says.

40 Below began exploring co-working space about a year ago, says Benjamin Sio, director of sustainable infrastructure and policy development and 40 Below manager at CenterState CEO. Both 40 Below and the Tech Garden are affiliates of CenterState CEO.

The group has worked on some large projects in the past, including public art installations and cleanup of the Wilson Building in downtown Syracuse.

“We were searching for that next keynote project,” Sio says. “We started investigating different holes in the ecosystem to support young professionals.”

Potential Syracuse Coworks tenants have told 40 Below they’re interested in who else is going to occupy the space, Sio says. They see it as a possible place to exchange ideas and share challenges with others.

“It’s about professional office space, but it’s also about building a small community,” he says.

The facility already has its first tenant and 40 Below is looking to work with a sales and marketing director to recruit more tenants, Sio says. Many prospective tenants have been involved in the technology sector in some way, but he says he’s also talked with lawyers based in cities like Auburn or Cortland who are looking for a foothold in Syracuse.

“We’re really looking for people from across the board,” Sio says. “It’s better to have a diversity of different kinds of businesses in there.”

40 Below has more than 2,500 members. It focuses on civic engagement, regional marketing and branding, and public arts.

Business conditions stay rocky for New York manufacturers in October

Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only

A negative view of business conditions persisted among New York manufacturers for a third straight month in October, according to a survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The general business conditions index in the New York Fed’s monthly Empire State Manufacturing Survey increased by 4.3 points, but still came in below zero

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A negative view of business conditions persisted among New York manufacturers for a third straight month in October, according to a survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The general business conditions index in the New York Fed’s monthly Empire State Manufacturing Survey increased by 4.3 points, but still came in below zero at -6.2. That negative reading means more manufacturers said business conditions worsened than said they improved in October.

The survey, issued Oct. 15, showed 24.6 percent of respondents reported improving conditions, compared to 30.8 percent who reported declining conditions. The remaining 44.6 percent of survey respondents indicated that business conditions remained the same as they were last month.

“It’s a time of uncertainty,” says Randall Wolken, president of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York. “Especially at the federal level, a lot of manufacturers and businesses are generally waiting to see the results of the election.”

The waiting game has affected manufacturing in Central New York as well, albeit to a lesser degree, Wolken adds.

“We heard that this quarter’s been a little slower than previous quarters,” Wolken says. “But at the same time, we’re not hearing a real decline. We think it’s somewhat of a holding pattern as people wait through the elections.”

New orders followed a similar path as general business conditions in October, according to the New York Fed’s new-orders index. It rose nearly 5.1 points yet couldn’t break out of negative territory, slotting in at -9. Unfilled orders took a lower road, with the index measuring them slipping by 3.4 points to -18.3.

Shipments fell, according to the shipments index, which dropped 9.2 points to -6.4. The delivery-time index slid 6.4 points to -4.3.

Manufacturers’ inventories declined slightly. The inventories index, which had been at zero, ticked down 2.2 points to -2.2

Prices paid continued to escalate, although not as quickly as before, according to the prices-paid index. It registered 17.2, down nearly 2 points from last month.

The prices that manufacturers received rose at a slower rate than in prior months. The prices-received index dipped 1 point but stayed positive with a reading of 4.3.

Hiring and the average employee workweek are declining, the survey found. The number-of-employees index plunged 5.3 points to settle below zero at -1.1, while the average employee-workweek index skidded 3.2 points to -4.3.

The last time the Empire State Manufacturing Survey’s general business conditions index was negative for at least three straight months was the June to October 2011 period, when it was below zero for five consecutive months.

Future expectations

Manufacturers held out hope for a better tomorrow, although they tamped down their optimism compared to previous months. Nearly all of the New York Fed’s forward-looking indicators, which measure expectations for a time six months from now, moved down in October.

The future general business conditions index plunged 7.8 points to 19.4. Slightly more than 38 percent of survey respondents anticipated better conditions in six months, while about 18.6 percent predicted worse conditions. The other 43.3 percent of respondents expected no change.

Also edging down was the future new-orders index, which decreased by about 2 points to 15.1. The future unfilled-orders index moved in the opposite direction with a 7.4-point rise. It still checked in below zero at -7.5.

Manufacturers predicted higher shipments in the future despite downward motion in the future shipments index. It inched down nearly a point but stayed positive at 11.8.

Delivery times should be considerably shorter in six months, however, as the future delivery-time index skidded 3.3 points to -10.8. And the future inventories index remained essentially unchanged at -4.3, indicating manufacturers expect inventories to decrease.

Prices are set to continue to increase, according to manufacturers, who pushed the future prices-paid index up 3.7 points to 44.1.
They also drove the future prices-received index up 1.3 points to 24.7.

Future employment indicators took a hit in October. The future number-of-employees index dove 8.5 points to 0, meaning manufacturers don’t expect to change their employee levels in six months. But the future average employee-workweek index predicted fewer hours on the job for current workers by plummeting almost 14 points to -11.8.

Manufacturers haven’t given up plans to invest in their businesses, though. The future capital-expenditures index remained above zero at 6.5 in spite of a 6.3-point drop. And the future technology-spending index remained virtually unchanged. It posted a gain of less than 0.1 point to notch a bit above 7.5.

“That is a good sign, and I would be very concerned if that number would start to fall,” Wolken says. “That would mean people would have situations where they’re maybe short on cash. The ability for manufacturers to meet demand depends on making investments in capital.”

The New York Fed polls a set pool of about 200 manufacturing executives in the state for its monthly survey, and about 100 executives typically respond. The Fed seasonally adjusts data.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com

New alternate dispute-resolution firm opens in Syracuse

Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — ADR-Chiefs, an alternate dispute-resolution services firm that recently opened in Syracuse, is banking on the growing trend of using mediation to solve legal disputes. “Mediation in other parts of the United States is very popular and very much in vogue, especially out West,” ADR-Chiefs Partner Gustave J. DiBianco says. “We’re hoping that someday

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SYRACUSE — ADR-Chiefs, an alternate dispute-resolution services firm that recently opened in Syracuse, is banking on the growing trend of using mediation to solve legal disputes.

“Mediation in other parts of the United States is very popular and very much in vogue, especially out West,” ADR-Chiefs Partner Gustave J. DiBianco says. “We’re hoping that someday mediation will be a big part of the legal scene here.”

The firm, which opened in August at the University Building on 120 E. Washington St., is currently sharing office space with Robert G. Wells, an attorney.

ADR-Chiefs specializes in arbitration and mediation cases regarding contract disputes, matrimonial disagreements, personal-injury claims, and other matters, ADR-Chiefs Partner William H. Pease says.

The firm’s partners, and its only two employees, bring a lot of experience in these areas.

“We’re a brand new organization,” Pease says. “I’m a retired Assistant U.S. Attorney and my partner, [DiBianco], is a retired [Chief] U.S. Magistrate Judge” in the Northern District of New York.

Pease says mediation, which involves a third party helping both parties in a dispute come to an agreement, is a newer type of dispute resolution, especially in Central New York.

ADR-Chiefs is just getting started with such cases and the partners are not sure where it’ll all lead yet.

“We have one case coming up shortly and who knows when we’ll get the next one. We’re both retired, so we’re not looking to make a bundle,” Pease says.

ADR-Chiefs’ current target market is lawyers from the area, but it is also seeking area businesses and insurance companies as clients, he says.

“Often times there are contract disputes, and it may be that the parties would agree to participate in mediation before one of them hires a lawyer and sues the other,” Pease says.

Partner backgrounds

Pease has been a licensed attorney in the state of New York since 1973. He worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of New York for 27 years, according to the ADR-Chiefs website. Pease also worked in private practice for 10 years.

DiBianco was the Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge in the state’s Northern District for nine years and served for 22 years as a judge. He has personally conducted more than 150 mediation-type settlement conferences where “the litigants fashioned a mutually acceptable settlement ending the federal litigation,” according to the website.

Services

ADR-Chiefs provides mediation, arbitration, and early neutrality evaluation (ENE) services, according to its website.

Arbitration is historically the most commonly used and well-known form of alternate-dispute resolution, according to ADR-Chiefs. Arbitrators utilize some of the steps in traditional litigation, including discovery, motion practice, legal arguments, and testimony. After that, they issue a written decision, the firm says.

Mediation has become increasingly popular, and in some jurisdictions, the courts require it, according to ADR-Chiefs. The firm says on its website that mediation “is by far the most flexible and adaptable device which works in many different situations to assist with unique or complex resolutions.” Among the advantages of mediation, include confidentiality, large cost savings when compared to litigation, and expediency, the firm contends.

ENE brings all parties together early in the pre-trial phase to summarize their cases and receive a non-binding assessment by an experienced neutral attorney with subject-matter expertise, according to ADR-Chiefs.

ADR-Chiefs charges $200 per hour for a file review, $300 an hour during mediation proceedings, and a flat rate of $1,000 for a half-day session, for a single mediator, according to the firm’s website. The firm also charges $300 per hour for a file review, $450 an hour during mediation proceedings, and $1,200 for three hours with two mediators.

The firm requires a $1,200 retainer for a single mediator and a $1,500 retainer for a dual mediator, according to the website.

Contact Imbert at news@cnybj.com

Startup nears launch of social-gaming app

Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE — A startup founded by Syracuse University (SU) students that aims to crowdsource predictions on a range of topics in a social-gaming app is nearing launch. PsyQic’s president, Keisuke Inoue, is working on his doctorate in information studies. The company is an outgrowth of his research. He says he was inspired to launch his

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SYRACUSE — A startup founded by Syracuse University (SU) students that aims to crowdsource predictions on a range of topics in a social-gaming app is nearing launch.

PsyQic’s president, Keisuke Inoue, is working on his doctorate in information studies. The company is an outgrowth of his research.

He says he was inspired to launch his own business after seeing many of his students work on startups. Inoue has also served as a technical mentor at the Syracuse Student Sandbox, a business-incubator program at the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse aimed at student ventures.

PsyQic participated in the sandbox during the summer.

The company’s app will eventually allow its users to post questions on topics like sports, politics, television shows, movies, business, science, environment, technologies, and more. Other users will then attempt to predict the outcomes of those questions, Inoue explains.

The company is launching its app for iOS this month. A Web version will follow. For now, PsyQic staff members are posting questions and verifying outcomes.

The eventual goal is to crowdsource both questions and outcomes.

“That will make the questions much more interesting to users,” Inoue says.

Current users can also submit questions to staff members for posting. The company has been testing the app with a group of about 60 people.

Inoue first began forming the idea for PsyQic in January. The company incorporated in May and then participated in business competitions including the Panasci Business Plan Competition at SU, the RvD IDEA competition at SU, and the New York State Business Plan Competition.

PsyQic won second prize in the information technology and software category at the state competition and the Goldberg Prize in Technology and Innovation at the Panasci competition.

The company won some money at each competition for a total of $9,500, Inoue says. With the app close to launching, he says he plans to travel to New York City in November to pitch the firm to SU alumni and investors.

PsyQic also plans to apply to the $350,000 Startup Labs accelerator that is launching in Syracuse in the coming months.

PsyQic will monetize its app through three revenue streams, Inoue says. The first is through affiliate programs from companies like Apple and Amazon.

Since many of the questions are expected to tie in with other content, the app could prod users to download a television show or book from iTunes or Amazon to find out whether their predictions are right. Through affiliate programs, those sales would kick some money back to PsyQic, Inoue says.

In fact, he says that’s the first revenue stream the company expects to implement since it will work with any number of users.

Once the user base is larger, the firm could look to add sponsored questions from other companies, Inoue says. And eventually, it could look to data sales for market research, political work, or academic use.

Inoue says the company needs to have at least 10,000 to 20,000 users in a year to keep moving forward. Social-media apps, he notes, tend to grow exponentially.

The firm is actually aiming much higher than that.

“We hope to have that and more,” says Meocha Belle, PsyQic’s director of communications.

The app features a Qi score that measures a user’s ability to predict accurately. The company’s goal is to make that score as much a part of the online world as a Klout score, Belle says.

PsyQic’s core management team includes three people and the firm has five interns with plans to grow that total to 10, Inoue says.

Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com

Rescue Mission celebrates new leadership and 125th anniversary

Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse has had a lot to celebrate lately — its 125-year anniversary, new executive leadership, and its plans for moving forward. As part of the 125th anniversary, the mission celebrated in September with a series of events. And throughout the year, the Rescue Mission has been working to

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SYRACUSE — The Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse has had a lot to celebrate lately — its 125-year anniversary, new executive leadership, and its plans for moving forward.

As part of the 125th anniversary, the mission celebrated in September with a series of events. And throughout the year, the Rescue Mission has been working to brand the campus. Originally established on Railroad Street in 1887, the mission moved to its current location on Gifford Street in November 1976. The campus sits on 8.5 acres in downtown Syracuse, in what it known as the “mission district.” In May, banners commemorating the Rescue Mission’s presence since 1887 were placed on the utility poles throughout the district.

Another branding initiative is painting signage on the railroad bridge as you enter the mission district. From Clinton Street facing the Rescue Mission, the bridge will read “Mission District.” From Gifford Street facing Syracuse, the bridge will say “Lives Change Here.” The project is expected to be complete this month.

Promoting the mission visibly is just one aspect of the branding initiative; another is to increase the capacity of the nonprofit’s food service and housing programs. “The campus needs to be easily accessible to those in need,” says Alan Thornton, executive director and CEO of the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse.

To accomplish this, the mission is working on a campus master plan. Currently in its initial planning phase and spearheaded by COO Corey Kociela, the first goal will be to open more space for those who need shelter. On average, 246 people who might have been homeless stay at the Rescue Mission nightly, according to its 2011 annual report.

The plan involves moving the shelter and day center to the recreation center. This will simultaneously open up the shelter for more single rooms. At present, the day center has 28 single rooms and they are always full. This year, the mission added 12 beds and 20 cots to its 120 beds already in the emergency shelter due to increased demand for services.

The mission began working on the master plan in 2011. It teamed up with SWBR Architects, which has a Syracuse office at 309 South Franklin St., to create the design details and with a consultant to work on state and federal grants. Several grants have been submitted, and the mission is waiting to hear if they are approved. Even if it receives approval now, it would still be at least six to eight months before construction can begin. The estimated cost is $11 million to $12 million for the expansion and improvements.

New leadership

On Aug. 2, Thornton formally assumed the role as executive director and CEO for the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse.

No stranger to the Rescue Mission, Thornton’s journey to Central New York and the nonprofit began with a girl. While attending Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Thornton met Simone, the woman who would eventually become his wife. She was from the Syracuse area and had been heavily involved with the Rescue Mission since she was a child. She introduced Thornton to the Mission and helped him learn about its work in the community.

After Thornton graduated with a degree in exercise science, he reached out to the Rescue Mission to inquire about job opportunities. Fortunately, there was an opening for him. On Oct. 6, 1994, he started as the program supervisor for the recreation center. This month marks his 1a8th anniversary with the Rescue Mission.

Throughout the years, Thornton meandered his way through the organization through different programs, camps, administration, and he dabbled in other departments such as human resources and IT. For the last eight years, he worked as the director of operations and chief operating officer.

When the former executive director, Chasz Parker, voluntarily resigned in May, the board launched a search for a replacement. Even though it might have seemed that Thornton was the next logical person to fill this position, he had to go through the vetting process with all the other national candidates. “My personal professional goal is to lead at the highest level possible in my field. I always hoped that would be here in Syracuse,” says Thornton.

Though originally from Toronto, Canada, he calls Central New York his home now. “We love this community. I am happy to call Syracuse home,” Thornton says. This summer, he completed the naturalization process to become an American citizen. He turned 40 this month and wants to spend the second half of his life as an American citizen.

Thornton’s right-hand man, Corey Kociela, followed Thornton up the executive ladder. Formerly the director of programs, Kociela stepped into Thornton’s previous role as COO in September. Like Thornton, Kociela’s first job out of college from SUNY Oswego was at the Rescue Mission. He started off as a counselor, then advanced to a team leader in the Christian community center for his first few years, and then eventually moved to the recreation center as a team leader.

After five years at the Mission, Kociela took a brief hiatus to work in sales. He liked working in sales, but wanted to return to a nonprofit, and eventually found his way back to the Rescue Mission — this time, as the food service director.

“I love to work with people and see people get help,” says Kociela.

To round out its executive team, the mission is currently seeking a CFO. Even with all the executive changes and moving parts, “we haven’t skipped a beat so far,” says Kociela. “The staff is energetic and communicates well.” All are really excited about the changes that are coming under Thornton’s leadership. “Alan has big vision and great leadership,” states Kociela.

Changing lives for 125 years and today

The Rescue Mission mainly serves three communities in Onondaga, Broome, and Cayuga counties, but has a presence in four other counties with Thrifty Shopper stores. In addition to a Thrifty Shopper store, Broome County also has Whitney Place, a supportive residence for 32 formerly homeless men that opened in 2010. Last year, the mission launched Family Transitions in Auburn. Family Transitions is a nine-apartment pilot program for homeless families in Cayuga County. Both Whitney Place and Family Transitions were projects of Kociela’s.

By the end of the year, the Rescue Mission will have a presence in Ithaca with a Thrifty Shopper, donation center, and case-management services. Depending on the success of the new 3fifteen store on the SU hill, the mission could possibly open one in Ithaca also, says Thornton.

For the 2011 fiscal year, the Rescue Mission generated $16 million in total revenue. More than half of the revenue came from the stores and salvage, recyclable items that cannot be sold in the stores, such as metal, wood, and worn-out clothes. General contributions, government agencies, legacies and bequests (items, property or money left to the Rescue Mission in someone’s will), and program fees rounded out the rest of the revenue sources. More than 80 percent of the revenue is spent on program services.

The Rescue Mission is vitally needed in the community and seeing historically high demand for its services now, Thornton says. Along with increasing the number of beds in the emergency shelter, the number of meals served daily has increased since 2011, with huge increases surrounding Memorial Day and in August, upwards of 900 meals by Kociela and Thornton’s estimates. An average of 620 meals were served per day in 2011. Year to date for 2012, the mission averages 692 meals served per day. The Rescue Mission served more than 10,000 people in need in three communities in its 2011 fiscal year.

Thornton credits the community for the mission’s ability to operate. “We are grateful for the community’s support financially, in volunteers and goods,” Thornton says. While the Mission’s goal is to help change the lives of those less fortunate, the lives of those who work or volunteer there also change. It’s just how the Mission works.

Contact Collins at ncollins@cnybj.com

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Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse

155 Gifford St.

Syracuse, NY 13202

Phone: (315) 472-6251

www.rmsyr.org

Key Staff

Executive Director/CEO Alan Thornton

Former Executive Director’s compensation (2011 fiscal year) $133,872

COO Corey Kociela

Chief Human Resources Officer Joyce Dennington

Chief Development Officer Carolyn Hendrickson

Board of Directors (Officers)

Chair

Christopher Gardner FMF&E Wealth Management LLC

Vice Chair

Charles Chappell, III Genco ATC Product Lifestyles Logistics

Vice Chair

Laura Horian Consultant

Treasurer

Jean R. Cole Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa, PC

Secretary

Wesley Skinner Manth-Brownell, Inc.

Board Members

Thomas J. Wood, Jr. (Past Chair) Consultant

Me’Shae Brooks-Rolling Syracuse University

Brian Johnson Dannible & McKee, LLP

Jeanne Korchak O’Brien & Gere

Susan Mangicaro Welch Allyn Inc.

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

On the Syracuse campus: emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing programs for up to 252 men a night, mobile homeless outreach, community meal program, day center, clothing outreach center, employment resource center, and workforce development programs. In Broome County: Whitney Place, a supportive residence providing permanent housing for up to 32 homeless men. In Cayuga County: Family Transitions that provides transitional and permanent housing with support services for up to 10 homeless families. Thirteen Thrifty Shopper stores located in a seven-county area of Central New York and its newest retail venture, 3fifteen on the S.U. Hill.

Recent Organizational Highlights

In August, it appointed a new executive director/CEO and opened 3fifteen, its newest thrift shop, in the Marshall Square Mall on the S.U. Hill. Celebrated its 125th anniversary of service to the community with several special events in September.

Planning/Fundraising Outlook for 2012:

Regionalization efforts continue with the November addition of a Thrifty Shopper store, Donation Center, and Transitional Permanent Housing Program in Ithaca, and the possibility of new program development in neighboring counties. The initial phase of a 10-Year Syracuse Campus Master Plan hopes to begin in late 2013, if funding permits. With the steadily increasing need for services in all Rescue Mission programs, it will be necessary to raise additional funding in the fiscal year 2013 that begins Oct. 1.

Revenue Sources

Contributions & Grants 6,161,485

Program Services 908,792

Investment Income 552,583

Other 8,467,272

Total Revenue 16,090,132

Expenditures

Salaries & Employee Benefits 9,071,476

Grants paid 177,720

Other 5,128,507

Total Expenses 14,377,703

Surplus for the Year 1,712,429

Entrepreneurship class starts at SUNY Cortland

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CORTLAND — A new course in entrepreneurship at the State University of New York Cortland (SUNY) aims to give students the tools they need to develop their own business ventures. The course began this fall with 28 students. “I think it’s long overdue,” says Brian Ward, who has been teaching at SUNY Cortland for 10

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CORTLAND — A new course in entrepreneurship at the State University of New York Cortland (SUNY) aims to give students the tools they need to develop their own business ventures.

The course began this fall with 28 students.

“I think it’s long overdue,” says Brian Ward, who has been teaching at SUNY Cortland for 10 years and is the instructor for the entrepreneurship class. “To have a program that focuses on such a major part of the economy is critically important.”

Small businesses form a key piece of the nation’s job landscape, he notes.

During the fall semester, students are researching local establishments to determine their business needs and interests, according to the university. Ward says groups of students have already formed around six different projects.

The course was designed in two parts. The next, which would take place in the spring, is aimed at further developing the business ideas and determining if they’re viable.

Even if the ideas don’t turn out as students would hope, they will have learned the process, Ward contends. That includes tasks like developing a business plan, marketing strategy, financing, and conducting market research.

“Even if something doesn’t come out of it, you’ll have a group of students that are knowledgeable and educated about how to go about this,” says Ward, who is also president of Cortland Line Co., a manufacturer of fly-fishing equipment.

He says that plenty of people who try to start a business get hung up along the way. It could be a permitting or licensing issue or poor research on potential competitors.

The idea of the course at SUNY Cortland is to educate students on how to navigate those challenges.

“A lot of people, I think, get blocked at some point,” Ward says. “They start something and then run into a problem and don’t know how to get around it.”

Already, some of the groups of students in the fall course have modified their ideas based on what they’ve learned in their research, he says.

The long-term goal for the students is to pitch their concepts to venture capitalists or angel investors. That would take place during the spring-semester course, according to the university.

“It’s kind of a twofold thing,” Kathleen Burke, an associate professor of economics who is helping coordinate and develop the course, said in a news release. “On the academic side, we’ll have our students trying to develop their own business ideas using the know-how of successful local businesses and people in the community.

“Then, within the community, we’ll use the talents of our students to assist small, growing businesses.”

Ward says he’s bringing in mentors for the students from throughout the local business community. He’s setting up the students
with experts who are aligned with their ideas.

SUNY Cortland is also reaching out to other universities with entrepreneurship courses and incubators to gather ideas about how to expand and improve the course in the future, Ward says.

The university has a total enrollment of more than 7,300 students with more than 6,300 undergraduates and nearly 1,000 graduate students. The school has more than 600 faculty members and offers 61 undergraduate and 33 graduate-level majors.

First three-year graduates finish up at Hartwick

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ONEONTA — Hartwick College has graduated the first class in its three-year bachelor’s degree program. The program began in 2009 with 18 students. Twelve from that group graduated in May, says David Conway, the school’s vice president of enrollment management and marketing. The others from that initial group either left the school or will finish

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ONEONTA — Hartwick College has graduated the first class in its three-year bachelor’s degree program.

The program began in 2009 with 18 students. Twelve from that group graduated in May, says David Conway, the school’s vice president of enrollment management and marketing.

The others from that initial group either left the school or will finish in four years, he adds. The program has since grown to include about 10 percent of each year’s incoming freshman class.

Of this year’s 446 freshmen, 44 are enrolled in the three-year program, Conway says. The 10 percent mark was the school’s initial goal for the initiative.

“It wasn’t my sense that we would get to this point so quickly,” Conway says.

He adds that the college probably needs to start discussing the program’s future and whether and how it will grow.

“We certainly don’t want to prevent anyone from being in the program,” he says.

Two groups of students have progressed through the program since it began. About three-quarters finished their degrees in three years. Often, students who took four years switched majors, Conway says.

The three-year program began after Hartwick’s current president, Margaret Drugovich, took office in 2008. Conway says she broached the subject of a three-year program in the fall of 2008 and the college began exploring its feasibility.

Of the private college’s 31 majors, 24 participate in the three-year program, Conway says. That includes some of the college’s most-enrolled majors like nursing and biology.

The move to launch the program was aimed squarely at affordability, Conway says. College costs have been rising, he notes, and federal aid hasn’t been helping middle-income students as much as they need.

So, student-loan debt has been rising.

Finishing a degree in three years instead of four will save students more than 25 percent, Conway adds, since it eliminates the fourth year of tuition — the most expensive year because of rising annual costs.

“We want people at the low end and in the middle of the spectrum to be able to get access to a good education,” Conway says.

And that access, he adds, shouldn’t come with large debt loads that will cripple students as they’re just starting out.

In New York, 61 percent of graduating seniors leave college with debt, according to the Project on Student Debt, an initiative of the Institute for College Access & Success. The institute is a nonprofit independent research and policy organization.

The average debt load totals more than $26,000. At private four-year schools, that total can increase to more than $30,000 or even $40,000 in some cases, according to the project.

Students in the three-year program don’t take online or summer courses, with the exception of nursing students, who take two summer classes. They simply complete their required coursework in a compressed period.

Since that makes for an intense experience, the program is restricted to students with a high-school grade point average of 85 and up, Conway says. The program tends to attract high-achieving students in intensive programs in areas like the sciences, he adds.

Many of those students also bring Advanced Placement coursework from high school that can earn them college credits, Conway notes. That helps them reduce their course load somewhat.

The students get priority access to registration and also are assigned an adviser specific to the three-year program, whose job it is to keep the students on track.

Hartwick’s tuition, room, board, and fees total more than $47,000 for the 2012-2013 school year for a full-time student, according to the college.

Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com

Columbia College seeks to boost enrollment at Syracuse campus

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SYRACUSE — Columbia College’s Syracuse campus expects to grow enrollment in the years ahead. The school recently opened a new 12,000-square-foot building in a different section of Hancock Field, where the college is located. Historically, Columbia has had close ties to the military with a number of campuses located at armed-forces sites like the one

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SYRACUSE — Columbia College’s Syracuse campus expects to grow enrollment in the years ahead.

The school recently opened a new 12,000-square-foot building in a different section of Hancock Field, where the college is located. Historically, Columbia has had close ties to the military with a number of campuses located at armed-forces sites like the one in Syracuse, says Scott Vinciguerra, director of the local campus.

The new building opened earlier this year.

“We just want to see levels of consistent growth and with that growth we want to see expansion of services,” Vinciguerra says. “Students will let us know what they need.”

The school relocated to a less secure area of the base, Vinciguerra says, and now has its own access point to the base. That means students can come to campus anytime.

Previously, they mainly came just for class. The new building features a student lounge and library along with administrative offices, nine new classrooms, and two labs.

Because students can now get to the college anytime, new programming can be created, Vinciguerra says. That includes groups like a new student advisory council that meets monthly.

“We have very much now, a community,” Vinciguerra says. “We’re building those important collaborative relationships.”

The school is aiming to strengthen its ties with the local community, he adds, and get students involved in efforts like cell-phone drives for soldiers overseas and food drives for local organizations. The school is also planning to work with the Toys for Tots program during the holidays.

Columbia College, which began in Missouri in 1851, has since expanded to 35 campuses around the country. In upstate New York, the college also has a campus at Fort Drum.

The Syracuse branch has about 1,000 students. While Columbia College has strong ties to the military, it serves a broader base of students, Vinciguerra says. About 800 of the students at the local campus are civilians.

The school offers degree programs ranging from the associate level to master’s.

Business is the school’s top program with students focusing on areas like marketing and management, Vinciguerra says. The college also offers typical liberal-arts classes in areas like human services, history, psychology, and more, he adds.

The campus serves mainly adult learners. Only a small percentage of its students are in their typical college years. The average is 34, Vinciguerra says.

The college may look to add more academic programming at some point, but for now the focus is on boosting enrollment.

“We want to increase enrollment and make the community aware that we’re here and we’re committed to the community,” Vinciguerra says.

Columbia College’s Syracuse campus employs 70 faculty members and an administrative staff of 10 people.

Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com

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