Two CNY businesses receive New York State service-disabled veteran-owned business certification

New York Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner JoAnn Destito recently announced that two Central New York businesses have each been certified as a service-disabled veteran-owned business (SDVOB).

The New York OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development (DSDVBD) issued the certification to JCS Construction Resources Inc., a general contractor firm located in Clay, and Dominick Nicotera, a Utica–based provider of counseling.

These two firms were among four newly certified business announced by OGS on July 29. The DSDVBD was created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2014 through enactment of the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act. As of July 29, a total of 681 businesses have been certified.

The law promotes and encourages participation of SDVOBs in New York State public procurements of public works, commodities, services and technology to “foster and advance economic development” in the state.

For a business to receive certification, one or more service-disabled veterans — with a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent or more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (or from the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs for National Guard veterans) — must own at least 51 percent of the business. Other criteria include: the business must be independently owned and operated and have a significant business presence in New York, it must have conducted business for at least one year prior to the application date, and it must qualify as a small business under the New York State program. Several more requirements also need to be met.