Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Gillibrand urges HUD to designate Utica as federal promise zone
UTICA, N.Y. — The city of Utica should be a federal “promise zone,” U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand contends. She wants the U.S. Department of Housing

MACNY selects Feldmeier Equipment’s Brown as Innovator of the Year
DeWITT, N.Y. — The Manufacturer’s Association of Central New York (MACNY) has tabbed Feldmeier Equipment’s director of engineering as its Innovator of the Year. MACNY

Upstate Shredding to acquire Empire Recycling’s Watertown location
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Upstate Shredding, LLC and sister company Weitsman Recycling is expanding into the Watertown market with the purchase of Empire Recycling Corp.’s scrapyard

U.S. economic growth slows to 0.5 percent in first quarter
U.S. economic growth slowed in the first three months of the year, with the nation’s real gross domestic product (GDP) increasing by just 0.5 percent,
New York milk production rises 5.5 percent in March
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York dairy farms produced 1.24 billion pounds of milk in March, up 5.5 percent from the year-earlier period, the USDA’s New

Up In Smoke: The History of Syracuse’s Cigar Industry
Rudyard Kipling was quoted as saying “A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.” Despite media reports regarding the perils of smoking, cigar smoking continues to be popular. Both tobacco farming and cigar making were a significant part of Onondaga County’s economy at the turn of the 20th century. In

MACNY to add Chobani, Crucible executives to its Wall of Fame
Both Hamdi Ulukaya and Jim Beckman, president of Crucible Industries LLC, will accept their awards at MACNY’s 103rd annual dinner on May 19 at the

New York manufacturing index reaches highest level in more than a year in April
The Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index rose 9 points to 9.6 in April, its highest level in more than a year The March

People news: MACNY promotes Clark to HR services manager
DeWITT, N.Y. — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, announced it has promoted Patty Clark to human resources (HR) services manager. In this new role, Clark will
PAR Technology CEO: profit climbs in 2015, company seeks new CFO
NEW HARTFORD — PAR Technology Corp. (NYSE: PAR) has started business in the year’s second quarter with a search for a new CFO and fresh off another profitable year for the firm. Karen Sammon, president and CEO of PAR Technology, discussed both the dismissal of Michael Bartusek and the firm’s strong financial performance in a
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.