Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
New Griffiss Business and Technology Park sign honoring DiMeo unveiled
ROME, N.Y. — Mohawk Valley EDGE President Steve DiMeo, who passed away earlier this year, was honored with the unveiling of a new sign marking
SUNY extends financial-aid campaign through September
ALBANY — SUNY says its campaign encouraging students to apply for financial aid will continue for a few more weeks. The effort will last through the end of September, SUNY said in its Aug. 27 announcement. SUNY Chancellor John King, Jr. said the system has contacted more than 122,000 new and continuing SUNY students to
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ALBANY — SUNY says its campaign encouraging students to apply for financial aid will continue for a few more weeks.
The effort will last through the end of September, SUNY said in its Aug. 27 announcement.
SUNY Chancellor John King, Jr. said the system has contacted more than 122,000 new and continuing SUNY students to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
It was part of SUNY’s expanded FAFSA Completion Campaign to “connect students with the financial aid they are entitled to,” SUNY said.
As a result of funding from the U.S. Department of Education, SUNY partnered with Trellis — a national nonprofit service provider — on a FAFSA completion campaign to reach the 122,000 SUNY students through text, calls, and/or postcards to encourage them to complete the FAFSA and provide general instructions on the form.
“Filling out the FAFSA is a vital step in unlocking the opportunities that higher education offers,” Debra Chromy, CEO of Trellis, said in the SUNY announcement. “Our partnership with SUNY in this campaign is a testament to our shared commitment to helping students navigate the complexities of financial aid, ensuring that every eligible student can secure the support they need to pursue higher education.”
Due to delays in the federal release of the new FAFSA and “federal technical glitches, year over year,” FAFSA submission rates are down 11.6 percent.
In addition to the outreach conducted by Trellis, SUNY says it has “expanded campus capacity to expedite” financial-aid awards and conduct outreach to students and families to encourage them to complete the FAFSA and to answer questions about financial aid.
The system also invested in partnerships with community-based organizations that can provide support for students and their families in completing the FAFSA, including through Spanish-language events.
Additionally, SUNY says it launched an ongoing digital campaign to encourage students to complete the FAFSA, with a particular focus on communities with low FAFSA completion rates. It also announced plans to grow the FAFSA Completion Corps, which began last fall with funding from the AmeriCorps for 50 students. Plans are in place to expand the FAFSA Completion Corps to 70 students at 14 SUNY campuses, per the SUNY announcement.
SUNY cited an analysis by the National College Attainment Network, which indicated the high school class of 2023 left more than $4 billion in Pell Grants nationwide unclaimed by not completing the FAFSA. In New York state, nearly $226 million was left unclaimed.
“By choosing to pursue a college education at SUNY, students are making a significant commitment to their future success. Completing the FAFSA is just one part of ensuring that success becomes a reality by connecting students to financial aid,” King said in the SUNY announcement. “Today, 52% of SUNY’s in-state resident students attend full time tuition-free thanks to state and federal financial aid. It’s essential that we continue to ensure that our students have the resources available to complete the FAFSA.”
It is not too late to file a FAFSA, and it “appears SUNY is pulling out all the stops” to make sure that students know this and get connected with critical financial aid,” Bill DeBaun, senior director, data and strategic initiatives with the National College Attainment Network, said in the SUNY announcement.
“It has been a difficult FAFSA completion cycle, but active outreach efforts like these are what it will take to close FAFSA completion gaps and keep students on a postsecondary pathway,” he added.
Micron readies plans for downtown Syracuse office
SYRACUSE — One Lincoln Center at 110 W. Fayette St. in downtown Syracuse is already home to law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King and a branch location of Chase Bank — both of which have their logos on the building’s upper exterior. In the weeks to come, Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU), which is preparing
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
SYRACUSE — One Lincoln Center at 110 W. Fayette St. in downtown Syracuse is already home to law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King and a branch location of Chase Bank — both of which have their logos on the building’s upper exterior.
In the weeks to come, Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU), which is preparing to build a large semiconductor-manufacturing campus in the town of Clay, will add its logo to the prominent downtown office building.
The Boise, Idaho–based chip maker says it’s planning to open an office inside One Lincoln Center.
The planned office space will help house local procurement and facilities-construction teams, along with operations, government and public affairs, and people employees in the years ahead, Scott Gatzemeier, Micron’s corporate VP front end U.S. expansion, said in a blog post on the firm’s website.
Micron’s office will also include a street-level space for a community welcome and recruitment center, Gatzemeier said. That space will serve as the hub for people from across the region to drop in to learn more about the project and to access recruiting resources as the company builds up its local workforce, per the company.
Gatzemeier went on to say that the interior spaces at One Lincoln Center will be designed and outfitted to fit the company’s needs. Micron says it will work with E. Smith Contractors, a local Black-owned business who “shares our commitment” to partnering with New York Minority, Women and Veteran-owned Business Enterprises (MWVBEs) as a part of its expansion efforts in New York.
The company also says it’ll release more information on an official opening as the space gets move-in-ready ahead of next year.
In a statement, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said he’s “honored and excited” to welcome Micron to downtown Syracuse.
“Having members of the Micron team downtown every day will add energy to the center of our city and be a point of pride for all of Syracuse and Onondaga County,” Walsh said. “The company’s decision reflects downtown Syracuse’s important role as the center of growth for our region and the many attractions that make it a great place to live, work and play. I thank Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and the entire Micron team for choosing downtown Syracuse and for continuing the momentum on their transformational mega fab semiconductor plant in our community.”
In a separate statement, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer also reacted to Micron’s announcement.
“Micron will be at the very heart of Syracuse’s renaissance downtown. When I wrote my CHIPS & Science Law it is days like this I envisioned, with new companies locating manufacturing and management Upstate,” Schumer said. “With Micron beaming atop Syracuse’s One Lincoln Center, it is becoming clearer by the day that the sky is the limit for growth in Central NY, and Syracuse’s future will shine brightly for all to see.”
Senators announce funding for 26 upstate New York airports
North Country, CNY airports are included Airports serving Watertown, Ogdensburg, Massena, Malone, and Plattsburgh are among the upstate New York facilities awarded federal funding for projects. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program is providing more than $59 million in funding to “modernize facilities and strengthen airfield safety” at a total of 26 airports across
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Airports serving Watertown, Ogdensburg, Massena, Malone, and Plattsburgh are among the upstate New York facilities awarded federal funding for projects.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program is providing more than $59 million in funding to “modernize facilities and strengthen airfield safety” at a total of 26 airports across New York state.
The money will help pay for projects that address safety, capacity, and security at New York’s airports, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) announced on Sept. 4. The projects include constructing and expanding terminals, rehabilitating taxiways, and modernizing airport signage.
“From big cities like Buffalo & Syracuse to our rural communities in the North Country, Upstate NY’s regional airports are gateways for commerce, tourism and travel for residents. It is essential that they have the resources they need to deliver a safe and comfortable experience to all travelers…,” Schumer said in the announcement from Gillibrand’s office. “This … federal investment in new terminals, taxiways, safety, and other critical infrastructure upgrades will help airports soar.”
In the same announcement, Gillibrand added, “This nearly $60 million in federal funding will bring much-needed safety and infrastructure improvements to airports across New York State.”
North Country
Watertown International Airport will use nearly $250,000 for aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment.
Ogdensburg International Airport will use its $2 million award for its terminal expansion.
Massena International Airport-Richards Field was awarded more than $2.2 million to build a sand-storage building.
Plattsburgh International Airport will use an award of more than $989,000 for signage and runway-lighting reconstruction and an award of more than $86,000 for friction-measuring equipment.
Malone-Dufort Airport was awarded more than $893,000 for taxiway reconstruction and two additional funding awards — more than $328,000 and nearly $132,000 — for wildlife fencing.
Central New York
Syracuse Hancock International Airport will use more than $9.5 million for taxiway rehabilitation and signage.
Oswego County Airport was awarded nearly $1.5 million for runway rehabilitation and lighting reconstruction and about $295,000 for rotating beacon replacement.
Hamilton Municipal Airport will use an award of more than $594,000 for a terminal-expansion project.
Cortland County/Chase Field Airport was allocated more than $419,000 for taxiway shifting and reconstruction
Southern Tier
Greater Binghamton Airport/Edwin A Link Field was awarded more than $4.7 million for signage, taxiway rehabilitation, and lighting.
Ithaca Tompkins International Airport will use three funding awards, including more than $2 million for a new aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle; over $400,000 for taxiway rehabilitation and construction; and more than $187,000 for runway signage and lighting,
Elmira Corning Regional Airport will use more than $949,000 for runway rehabilitation and lighting work.
Mohawk Valley
Griffiss International Airport will use two funding awards, including more than $2.9 million for taxiway reconstruction and more than $830,000 for obstruction clearance.
Fulton County Airport will use more than $761,000 for taxiway rehabilitation.
HISTORY OF OHA: The History of Henry Loftie – A Man of Many Talents
Henry Loftie was born in Auburn, on Feb. 28, 1839, and moved with his family to Syracuse in 1855. That year, Henry’s father, William, opened a hair-goods business in Syracuse, which he operated until his death in 1875. Henry became a clerk and later a partner in his father’s business, known as William E. Loftie
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Henry Loftie was born in Auburn, on Feb. 28, 1839, and moved with his family to Syracuse in 1855. That year, Henry’s father, William, opened a hair-goods business in Syracuse, which he operated until his death in 1875. Henry became a clerk and later a partner in his father’s business, known as William E. Loftie & Son. He married Frances Eliza Wisner of Elmira, in 1861 and they had two children: Harry (1865-1918) and Marian — called Mamie (1876-1894).
Henry sold wigs and toupees for his father until 1868, when he established Loftie’s Human Hair Emporium, a “hair store and ladies hair dressing rooms,” at 41 S. Salina St. in Syracuse. The store was located above E.F. Rice’s Dry Goods Store and across the street from the Globe Hotel. No expense was spared in the shop’s design. Fitted in Asian splendor, the walls were covered in gilt-panel paper and floor-length mirrors. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and elegant black walnut and chestnut furniture and showcases displaying the merchandise were placed throughout the showroom. In the rear of the business, a hair salon was installed with top-of-the-line salon equipment. Loftie employed one of the best female hairdressers from New York City to oversee the needs and desires of his female customers.
Loftie quickly became known for the quality of his merchandise, as well as his careful craftsmanship, directly supervising all of the manufacturing process. He used only human hair (much of it imported either from Paris, France, or Leipzig, Germany) when making his wigs, switches (today known as extensions), braids, and curls. He publicized in the Syracuse Herald newspaper that white and gray wigs were his specialty. Loftie later expanded his business to sell hair combs, perfumery, lotions, and jewelry.
After Henry Loftie opened his hair emporium in May 1868, his father William continued to operate his own hair goods business at 26 E. Genesee St. in Syracuse, competing with his own son for a share of the trade. That June, William Loftie advertised in the Syracuse Journal newspaper that he was the “original Loftie,” being at his present location for 18 years with hopes of being there for another 18 years. Unfortunately, William Loftie did not last another 18 years, but only seven more; he died on Sept. 12, 1875, and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse.
By 1872, Henry had developed a wholesale and retail business with 32 employees, and sold products to hair dealers from Maine to California. That same year, Loftie opened a satellite hair-goods store at 397 Main St. in Buffalo.
Despite being extremely profitable, Henry Loftie chose to follow his real passion —making and selling bamboo fishing rods, fishing lures, and other equipment — beginning his new endeavor, the Syracuse Split Bamboo Fish Rod Company, in 1887. When a journalist with the Sporting Goods Gazette asked Loftie why he decided to make and sell bamboo fishing rods, he replied, “I have a natural love for fishing and have used a rod from childhood, fly fishing being my favorite style. Having a little mechanical skill, I tried making a rod for myself and had better results from using it than any I had ever bought. As there was no fishing during the winter, I busied myself in making a number of rods which were presented to friends. These proved so satisfactory that a demand was created and I opened a shop in one room and commenced the manufacture of Split Bamboo Rods in a small way, which were sold to the trade from Maine to California. This shows what hard work and love for the business will do.”
Dwight H. Bruce, a 19th century Syracuse history chronicler and author of the book “Onondaga’s Centennial,” credited Loftie with “originat[ing] the bamboo business in Syracuse.” For the first few years, Loftie managed both his hair-goods business and his fledgling fishing-supplies business at 45-47 S. Salina St. in Syracuse. In 1888, Loftie renamed the Syracuse Split Bamboo Fish Rod Company the Syracuse Fish Rod Company and moved his office to 213 S. Salina St. He also hired his son, Harry, as a clerk and took on Michael W. Mullin as a business partner and financial backer. As president and manager of the Syracuse Fish Rod Company, Loftie patented several fishing lures, including patent no. 390,028 for Spoon Bait in 1888 and a patent for Gang Spoon Bait in 1889. Loftie also patented a cork and celluloid fishing rod handle, advertised as “the only perfect hand-grasp. Will not blister the hands. Soft as velvet. Will not sink if dropped in the water.” Along with these items, Loftie sold a patented paper waterproof fish-rod case to protect anglers’ fishing rods. Each fishing-rod joint was stored in a separate tube within the case. In a product catalog, Loftie claimed, “all tubes are made water-proof; the outer tube is made heavy and resupported so never can jam or crush (even should a wagon run over it) ….”
Loftie soon discovered two-thirds of the bamboo stalk was not applicable for making bamboo fishing rods and equipment, so he began to make other products with the bamboo waste. Being practical in many ways, it did not take long for Henry Loftie to establish a bamboo-furniture manufacturing company in 1890, the Syracuse Bamboo Furniture Company, located at 243 & 245 W. Onondaga St. in Syracuse.
The company stayed on West Onondaga Street until it moved to the village of Baldwinsville in 1892. During the previous August, a Baldwinsville Gazette & Farmers’ Journal reporter announced village residents and officials were excited about the company transferring to Baldwinsville. Financial backers in Syracuse and Baldwinsville raised $80,000 in capital to construct a 40,000-square-foot building that would receive electrical power from a nearby paper mill. Company products could be shipped via the railroad and the Erie Canal system. The Syracuse location employed 75 men who were paid “good wages.” Village officials counted on Syracuse residents moving to Baldwinsville, where they would live closer to the new factory and experience a less-expensive lifestyle.
On June 9, 1892, the Baldwinsville Gazette & Farmers’ Journal stated that one of its journalists had toured the new bamboo-furniture factory. The journalist saw that the raw bamboo imported from India and Japan was stored and cut to desired lengths on the third floor. On the second floor, workers assembled the bamboo furniture and also stored the finished products. The first floor included a fishing-tackle department, where bamboo fishing rods were assembled from six individual pieces. That floor also contained the packing and shipping area and administrative offices.
Along with continuing to make fishing tackle and fishing rods at the furniture company, employees also made art frames and easels, cabinets, bedsteads, baby carriages, chairs, tables, foot rests, shaving stands, and lamps. By this time, business sales had expanded to Canada, England, and throughout the U.S.
An article published in the Baldwinsville Era newspaper on July 15, 1893, noted that Henry Loftie sold his interest in the company to Bruce S. Aldrich, another financial backer, appointing him as the sole company owner. However, soon after Aldrich owned the entire company, the Syracuse Bamboo Furniture Company closed in Baldwinsville, displacing more than 50 employees.
It is unclear why a thriving bamboo manufacturer in the early 1890s went out of business relatively quickly. One can only speculate about its hastened demise. One possibility was the devastating effects of the Panic of 1893, an economic depression that negatively impacted every sector of the American financial system, which lasted until 1897. In June 1896, the First National Bank of Baldwinsville obtained a judgment against Bruce Aldrich and Lansing W. Connell (another investor), holding them personally liable for debts of the now-defunct Syracuse Bamboo Furniture Company, due to failure to properly file signed annual reports that were required by law. Other creditors, such as the Bank of Syracuse and the Adams Furniture Manufacturing Company, tried to regain some of their business investments after the company went bankrupt in 1893. The unfortunate end had come for the Syracuse Bamboo Furniture Company.
Henry and Frances Loftie also declared bankruptcy in January 1900. Their combined assets totaled $32,075.25 (valued at about $1.2 million today), almost all of which consisted of encumbered real-estate holdings. The bankruptcy attorney representing the two defendants declared it was likely that little would be left for creditors to recover after the expenses of the bankruptcy proceedings were paid.
The negative impact of bankruptcy on Henry Loftie appears to have been minimal; he returned to making and selling hair products in Syracuse in the early 20th century. In February 1904, the Syracuse Herald newspaper stated Henry Loftie, “a dealer in hair goods,” suffered smoke damage from a fire at his store located on the second floor of 215 S. Salina St., but the monetary estimation of damaged inventory was unknown at the time of the fire. In several Syracuse Herald advertisements purchased by Loftie throughout 1911, he promoted Salvatorium, “instantaneous hair color renewer that will restore gray or faded hair to the color of youth,” now sold by the Henry Loftie Company, at 239 & 241 W. Onondaga St. in Syracuse. In these advertisements, Loftie claimed that local physicians and chemists endorsed Salvatorium. Potential customers could send a lock of their hair to the company, and Loftie would dye it and send it back to them to prove the product’s efficacy.
Sometime after 1912, Henry Loftie retired from the business arena. He had spent most of his life making and selling hair goods products and spent only six years making and selling fishing rods, lures, and furniture. He died on May 23, 1917, at age 78 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse.
Henry Loftie was indeed a man of many talents and took advantage of most of them throughout his life. From fashioning hair, to making fishing rods and lures, to making bamboo furniture, and even inventing a tile sewer line, Henry Loftie’s impact on his times is undeniable. Today, his rare fishing rods and tackle are highly sought after by antique fishing-equipment enthusiasts.
Thomas Hunter is curator of collections at the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA) (www.cnyhistory.org), located at 321 Montgomery St. in Syracuse.
With new truck, SUNY Canton looks to expand CDL training program
CANTON — With a new truck to use, SUNY Canton’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) program is ramping up to train even more people to receive their licenses. With a $50,000 gift from the Garrett Family Fund, the school was able to purchase a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia 125 truck and new trailers for the program. Along
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
CANTON — With a new truck to use, SUNY Canton’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) program is ramping up to train even more people to receive their licenses.
With a $50,000 gift from the Garrett Family Fund, the school was able to purchase a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia 125 truck and new trailers for the program. Along with being a new addition to the program’s fleet, the truck also offers new opportunity, says Elizabeth Brown, executive director of the SUNY Canton Center for Workforce, Community and Industry Partnerships.
The program began in 2019 and has been offering training since then on a manual-transmission truck, Brown says. However, the new truck expands that to an automatic transmission model. That’s important as the popularity of obtaining a CDL for automatic transmissions increases in popularity.
“In recent years more trucks have been moving over to automatics,” she says. “By getting this new truck in automatic, it gives students more options now.”
Having an automatic truck has also opened the program up to people who previously wouldn’t consider it because they either struggled to learn on a manual transmission or simply didn’t want a career driving a manual-transmission truck, Brown adds.
Currently, the program can train about 25 drivers a year doing about five sessions annually with five students per session, the maximum it can accommodate with just one instructor in order to get in all the required class time and driving practice, she says.
Each session runs between eight and 10 weeks. Everyone needs to take all the required classroom instruction. Students going for their Class A CDL must have 40 hours of driving time, while those seeking their Class B CDL need 30 hours or driving time.
The program also added a new track for those who already have their Class B license but would like to obtain their Class A license.
Now with the new truck, Brown says she is hoping for even more interest in the program and “we’re hoping that opens the door for us to bring on another instructor.”
The program got its start when employers and municipalities reached out looking for trained drivers. The next closest program is in Watertown, Brown says, but it’s not really a program that’s conducive to traveling back and forth.
With employers like Pepsi Cola in Ogdensburg, “especially up here in the North Country … there was a huge need,” Brown says.
The CDL program costs $7,000 for a Class A license and $5,600 for a Class B license, and SUNY Canton is working to get people through the program at no cost to the student.
One thing that has helped is the state’s recent shift to a SUNY-wide initiative that offers tuition assistance for part-time students including those in non-credit workforce development programs.
Students who meet eligibility requirements may be eligible to receive part-time Tuition Assistance Program funds, which can cover about a third of the program cost, Brown says. The college also works to find funding sources from various places including the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency. Some employers are even willing to offset part of the program cost, she noted.
Recently, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County received a grant that enabled 10 farms in the area to send one employee through the program so that each farm had one employee with a CDL license.
A commercial driver’s license is required to operate large or heavy vehicles including tractor trailers, dump trucks, plow trucks, and buses. A Class A license is required to drive tractor trailers.
The CDL program isn’t the only way the Center is working to turn out the workforce North Country employers need, Brown notes.
It will soon hold a drone-training program that will prepare students to apply for their Federal Aviation Administration flight license and a pre-apprenticeship program that will provide students with three credentials that qualify them for various manufacturing jobs.
“We’re trying to see where the needs are and how we can meet those needs,” Brown says.
The Center for Workforce, Community and Industry Partnerships develops programming for SUNY Canton and the greater North Country including micro courses, microcredentials, and workforce-training programs.
ANCA, CBIT gauge impact of retiring small-biz owners
SARANAC LAKE — What is the potential economic impact of the retirement of small-business owners across Northern New York? The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) and its North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) are working with other organizations and initiatives across the Northern Border region to better understand the answer to that question.
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
SARANAC LAKE — What is the potential economic impact of the retirement of small-business owners across Northern New York?
The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) and its North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) are working with other organizations and initiatives across the Northern Border region to better understand the answer to that question.
The Northeast Transition Initiative (NETI) sought input from business owners about their concerns and experiences with succession planning and ownership transitions.
People who own and operate businesses in the Northeast — including ANCA’s 14-county service area in Northern New York — were invited to support the research effort by completing a short online survey, which was due Aug. 31.
Only the aggregated, anonymous data will be made public, ANCA said.
Lauren Richard, ANCA’s small-business program director, said survey responses will help service providers, civic leaders, and policy makers “better understand the scope and scale of the wave” of business owners exiting the workforce in the next several years, the challenges it poses for local communities, and its potential impact on the region’s economy.
“This study is taking a broader look at how the loss of existing businesses might affect communities and workers across rural areas like New York’s North Country, while helping us support more ownership transitions,” Richard said in the ANCA announcement. “There is no one-size-fits-all model for business ownership. We want to encourage retiring owners to consider different options by providing a variety of tools, resources, and professional connections to support them in their business transition journey.”
As a wave of baby boomers prepares to give up the reins of their businesses in the next several years, their absence from the business community could result in the loss of jobs and services for the local communities they serve, ANCA contends. Many business-support organizations have strong expertise in growing businesses, but they aren’t always equipped to provide assistance for those looking for succession-planning support. Employee ownership, for example, is a proven strategy to preserve critical businesses and jobs and provide wealth-building opportunities for workers “who are often left behind.”
ANCA describes itself as an independent, nonprofit corporation with a “transformational approach to building prosperity” across northern New York.
ANCA’s CBIT program is guided by organizations and community liaisons across northern New York who provide technical support for businesses navigating ownership transitions. Since 2018, CBIT has provided more than 250 business owners with transition support and helped 63 North Country businesses transition to the next generation of entrepreneurs.
NETI is a partnership of organizations and lenders with experience in exit-planning and ownership transitions. As ANCA put it, partners “share a common goal of equipping” small businesses with the tools, resources, and knowledge to support successful exit planning and a “seamless” transition to employee ownership. In doing so, they help preserve jobs and businesses, increase wealth-building opportunities for employees, and “ensure a more prosperous” economy across the Northeast.
Questions about CBIT, NETI or the survey may be directed to ANCA staff at transitions@adirondack.org.
This project is a partnership of: Cooperative Development Institute, Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA), Apis & Heritage Capital Partners, Boston Impact Initiative, Democracy at Work Institute, ICA Group, Mill Cities Community Investments and Vermont Employee Ownership Center. The project is made possible through funding from Wells Fargo.
Stewart’s Foundation pledges $125K to boost engagement at SUNY Potsdam
POTSDAM — SUNY Potsdam has received a $125,000 financial commitment over the next five years from the Stewart’s Foundation, established by Stewart’s Shops and the Dake family that owns the chain of convenience stores and fuel stations. The foundation’s gift over a half decade will establish the SUNY Potsdam/Stewart’s Foundation Community and College Engagement Fund,
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
POTSDAM — SUNY Potsdam has received a $125,000 financial commitment over the next five years from the Stewart’s Foundation, established by Stewart’s Shops and the Dake family that owns the chain of convenience stores and fuel stations.
The foundation’s gift over a half decade will establish the SUNY Potsdam/Stewart’s Foundation Community and College Engagement Fund, seeking to elevate engagement between SUNY Potsdam students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members.
“Stewart’s and the Dake family are committed to helping provide a college education to students, as well as enhancing our shop communities by giving everyone in the Potsdam community access to college enrichment,” Stewart’s Foundation President Susan Dake said in a news release posted on the website of SUNY Potsdam.
The donation will support ongoing programming that brings together the campus and community, in an effort to deepen connections between students, faculty, staff, alumni, families and the broader region. SUNY Potsdam President Suzanne Smith made “elevating engagement” the theme of her inauguration and is working with campus shared governance to incorporate that tenet into the college’s new strategic plan.
“I am thrilled to announce this major ongoing gift commitment from the Stewart’s Foundation. Since joining the SUNY Potsdam family, it has been my goal to strengthen ties between our campus and the community. We know that if students fall in love with our area, they will have more fun and be more successful while they’re here — and they’ll also have more chances to meet alumni, local business leaders and mentors while they’re at it,” Smith said in the release. “At the same time, this fund will allow us to invest in even more community programming, to help our regional community experience our vibrant campus and all we have to offer as well.”
The ongoing funding will support the campus’s participation in events such as Potsdam Palooza, a partnership between SUNY Potsdam, Clarkson University, and the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce, which encourages new and returning students to visit downtown businesses and get to know the community.
The money will also help start new traditions, like the “Sundaes with Suzanne” reception that recently opened Welcome Weekend 2024. The weekend was designed to help acclimate freshmen, transfer students, and their loved ones to what SUNY Potsdam and the Potsdam and St. Lawrence County area have to offer. During the event, the college president and her leadership team scooped Stewart’s Shops ice cream with all the toppings for new students and their families — followed by a campus-activities fair, with tables from various campus offices and community organizations, per the release.
Founded in 1816, SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls about 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students.
VETCON 2024 set for early December in Albany
ALBANY — VETCON 2024, an annual conference dedicated to the education and professional growth of veteran business owners and entrepreneurs, is scheduled for early December. The event is set for Dec. 3-4 at the Crowne Plaza Desmond Hotel in Albany, per its website. VETCON is short for Veterans in Economic Transition Conference. Organizers Tully Rinckey
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ALBANY — VETCON 2024, an annual conference dedicated to the education and professional growth of veteran business owners and entrepreneurs, is scheduled for early December.
The event is set for Dec. 3-4 at the Crowne Plaza Desmond Hotel in Albany, per its website.
VETCON is short for Veterans in Economic Transition Conference.
Organizers Tully Rinckey PLLC and The Tully Rinckey Foundation see VETCON 2024 as an event filled with valuable networking opportunities, educational sessions, and insightful interactions with state agencies and industry leaders.
Launched in 2016, the two-day conference is meant for an audience including: service-disabled veteran-owned businesses looking to expand and grow their state-government portfolios; veterans in transition exploring new career paths; or state agencies or contractors seeking to engage with skilled veteran entrepreneurs, per the website.
The 2023 conference attracted more than 600 attendees, according to the VETCON website. Those interested can find out more at: www.vetconny.com. ν
Children’s Home of Jefferson County names new board members
WATERTOWN — The Children’s Home of Jefferson County (CHJC), the largest human-services organization in Northern New York, recently announced the addition of Jesse Roshia and Marc Piche to its board of directors. Roshia’s career began at CHJC, where he dedicated 13 years and advanced from direct-care staff to director of human resources. He then transitioned
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
WATERTOWN — The Children’s Home of Jefferson County (CHJC), the largest human-services organization in Northern New York, recently announced the addition of Jesse Roshia and Marc Piche to its board of directors.
Roshia’s career began at CHJC, where he dedicated 13 years and advanced from direct-care staff to director of human resources. He then transitioned to Samaritan Medical Center, serving as the manager of education for more than four years. Roshia is currently the local sales manager and digital sales manager at WWNY, having moved up from account executive. Although his career path has shifted from nonprofit human services to marketing and sales, he remains deeply committed to serving the North Country community and supporting nonprofit organizations, according to a CHJC news release. Roshia is a former board member of the North Country Family Health Center.
Roshia grew up in Watertown and is a graduate of Watertown High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and government from St. Lawrence University in Canton. In 2013, after eight years of working in the field, he earned his MBA from Clarkson University.
Piche graduated from South Jefferson High School in Adams, in 2011, and later earned both a bachelor’s degree and MBA from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. After graduation, Piche returned to the North Country, where he has built a strong career in the financial sector, working in both investments and banking, according to CHJC. He currently serves as loan officer and security officer at Carthage Savings and Loan.
Piche’s passion for community service is evident through his involvement with several nonprofit organizations. He serves as VP for the Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club, secretary for the Northern New York Community Foundation’s LEAD Council, board member of the Watertown Downtown Business Association, and member of the CREDO Community Foundation board of directors.
With a staff of nearly 300 employees, the Children’s Home of Jefferson County says it helps youth, adults, and families overcome adversity by offering services that cover youth development, youth and adult health services, foster care and family permanence, and programs for at-risk youth and their families.
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.