BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — New York State Police in Binghamton announced they have arrested two Broome County residents following a break-in at a residence on Wilson
The American flag at Griffiss Air Force Base was lowered for the last time in September 1995, marking the loss of thousands of military personnel and nearly 1,200 civilian jobs. Despite receiving notice of the closure two years prior, the base closing was a tragedy for Mohawk Valley residents who had already witnessed a decades-long declining
The American flag at Griffiss Air Force Base was lowered for the last time in September 1995, marking the loss of thousands of military personnel and nearly 1,200 civilian jobs. Despite receiving notice of the closure two years prior, the base closing was a tragedy for Mohawk Valley residents who had already witnessed a decades-long declining economic base and outmigration of residents.
“Frankly, we were shell-shocked,” exclaims Steven J. DiMeo, president of Mohawk Valley EDGE, a private, not-for-profit, regional-economic-development corporation formed in 1995 to develop a long-range, regional strategy; to focus on strengthening existing area businesses and attracting new industries and talent; and to build a vibrant environment both for companies and their employees.
“Our organization was tasked with not only reinventing the Griffiss Base, but we were also charged with being the lead economic-development agency for the entire Valley. It was a daunting task to reach out to the various stakeholders and get them to agree on a plan and commit to what we knew would be a multi-year process.”
Getting the stakeholders to agree to an economic-development plan was just the first step. “We all knew the process could take decades,” says DiMeo, reflecting on the past 25 years. “The goal was to create a diversified and stable economy, create high-paying jobs, and attract both public and private investment. The key was to focus on our competitive advantages and leverage the area’s assets, with an eye on the long-term strategy. The plan began by identifying a few industrial clusters around which we could grow the Mohawk Valley’s economy.”
Clusters IT/cybersecurity
“One obvious cluster to develop was IT/cybersecurity,” avers DiMeo. “The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), located on the former air base, served as an anchor to redevelop the base into a business and technology park. AFRL employed hundreds of the top scientists and engineers in the field and also housed hundreds of on-site contractors. Today, AFRL has grown to employ more than 1,200 people with a five-county, annual economic impact in excess of $467 million and an annual payroll exceeding $145 million. The lab’s annual $2 billion budget supports another 1,300 indirect jobs.
To say the lab has been a catalyst for IT/cybersecurity growth is an understatement. AFRL has attracted companies such as Booz Allen Hamilton, BAE Systems, and Peraton. “[The nonprofit technology-consulting company] NYSTEC now occupies its new corporate headquarters here in a 32,110-square-foot building and expects to double its Rome staff in the next three years,” continues DiMeo. “Currently, Booz Allen Hamilton, a Fortune 500 company, is building out the first floor of the NYSTEC building to add to its Rome footprint. The company has 158 local employees and anticipates hiring 60 new employees. The lab has also spun off companies such as AIS, which employs hundreds at the Park and in multiple offices around the country.”
DiMeo continued, “Bonacio Construction, the developers of Air City Lofts (a mixed-use development located at the center of the Griffiss Park), has a new 40,000-square-foot, class-A office building under construction to house two technology companies (the company held a beam-raising ceremony on Aug. 19). Also under development is the Innovare Advancement Center at Griffiss International Airport, a $12 million project. A partnership of the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, the Griffiss Institute, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute, the 40,000- square-foot building will provide a collaborative hub linking government, industry, and academia to produce revolutionary research from scientists and engineers on the forefront of cutting-edge technology. The campus should establish this region as a trailblazer in the emerging field of quantum information and support our growth in drone technology, cybersecurity, and AI research.”
Advanced manufacturing
Advanced manufacturing was another cluster identified in the original MV EDGE plan. “From the time I joined EDGE,” says DiMeo, “we have wanted to promote high-tech manufacturing, and developing a nanotechnology infrastructure to draw semiconductor manufacturers was at the top of the list. New York State committed decades ago to investing in … [this cluster], because it saw the long-term demand for chips. With the current demand for artificial intelligence, the rollout of 5G, and the growth of IoT (Internet of Things), current projections indicate that this industry will reach $1 trillion in global sales by 2025 … The Marcy Nanocenter was chosen not only to create a semiconductor-manufacturing site, but also a research center to develop next-generation chips. To date, we have invested $110 million to prepare the Marcy-site infrastructure.”
Patience and determination have finally paid off. Danfloss, a Danish corporation, is operating in the former QUAD-C building, just a mile from the manufacturing site. The company’s silicon-power division will eventually occupy 250,000 square feet, including 52,000 square feet of clean-room space, and, over the next few years, employ 300 people. In September of last year, Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) announced its plans to build a $1 billion silicon-carbide fabrication plant at the Marcy Nanocenter.
“Construction of the 454,000-square-foot fabrication building with 112,000 square feet of cleanroom space is underway,” asserts DiMeo. “There is an 85,000-square-foot administration building connected to the plant and a separate 113,000-square-foot, central-utility building connected via a trestle with the FAB. The construction is expected to be finished by Q2 in 2021, and production of the first silicon-carbide wafers is scheduled to start in early 2022. Cree, which will over time employ 614 people at the facility, has already started hiring for the Marcy site, and the company has taken over the SiC tool line at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, qualifying its processes on the tool set there. This state-of-the-art plant has the capability to produce 200mm power and RF (radio frequency) wafers that are driving the transition from silicon to silicon-carbide technology in order to support the growing electric-vehicle, 5G, and industrial markets.”
The MV EDGE leader continues, “Cree will invest $1 billion to build and equip the plant and provide research. The company has signed a 49-year lease with MV EDGE for approximately 56 acres, which includes enough space to potentially double the current fabrication capacity. As part of the deal, Cree is leasing the former PEMC (Power Electronics Manufacturing Cleanroom) at SUNY Poly’s Albany site, which includes the 200mm tool set. The PEMC tool set will be relocated to the Marcy site when construction is finished. MV EDGE projects that CREE will generate an annual payroll of $46 million and produce a $3.4 billion regional-economic impact yearly. Cree’s commitment also includes promoting student internships and scholarships at SUNY Poly, where the company just made a $3.5 million gift to establish a scholarship program and endow chairs.”
Unmanned aircraft systems
Another critical cluster is unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Better known to the public as drones, this cluster was not foreseen in the regional original economic-development plan. “Our region is on the ground floor of a new industry that will fundamentally change the way businesses operate,” opines DiMeo. “Just imagine, farmers can sit in their kitchens and now determine the condition of their acreage, whether certain areas need water or how the crops are developing, and sight insect infestations. Inspectors no longer need to climb under bridges to determine what repairs are needed, insurance … [representatives] can quickly assess damaged property, retailers and restaurants can deliver food and packages quickly to your door, rescue teams can aid stranded or injured people safely, and surveyors can plot large areas quickly with pinpoint accuracy. Think of the multiple uses for police, firefighters, and the military. This is just a partial list of the uses for drones.”
DiMeo notes that the current usage will expand exponentially once the industry develops the final rules and technology of flying beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS).
Driving the development of UAS is NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research), a nonprofit organization that provides UAS operations, aeronautical research, safety management, and consulting services. Headquartered in Syracuse, NUAIR manages the operations of the UAS Test Site at Griffiss International Airport, one of only seven FAA-designated UAS test sites in the U.S. and is responsible to the FAA and NASA to conduct operations for UAS testing. The organization leads the development and commercial advancement of the 50-mile UAS corridor between Syracuse and Rome, which facilitates BVLOS testing, commercial operations, and the integration of UAS into the national air space. Since its inception, the test site has witnessed more than 2,700 test flights of small, medium, and large unmanned aircraft. The Griffiss site will soon boast Sky Dome, planned as the nation’s largest, indoor, instrumented, drone experimental site, which allows for year-round testing. Last year, New York State announced the creation of a UAS Center of Excellence, which will operate under the management of NUAIR. The center brings together New York and Israeli companies, higher education, and UAS companies — all working together to advance the industry and the region.
“I believe that our region will be at the forefront of UAS growth and should become the ‘underwriting laboratory’ for creating and certifying UAS standards for drones,” asserts DiMeo.
Other clusters
Utilizing the former air base for aviation maintenance and inspection was an obvious focus of the economic-development plan.
“Strategic Global Aviation is setting up its operation here with 70,000 square feet of hangar space and a runway that’s more than two-miles long,” notes DiMeo. “The company performs programmed depot maintenance and inspection of both military and civilian aircraft and also maintains an aviation-consulting business. The maintenance programs include both field support and heavy maintenance performed here at Griffiss.”
The transportation/distribution cluster was another early focus because of the Mohawk Valley’s geographic location and proximity to one-third of the U.S. population.
“Orgill, Inc. has purchased 64 acres at Griffiss and recently broke ground for a distribution center designed to service its Northeast customers,” says DiMeo. “The $71 million project will encompass 790,600 square feet and employ an estimated 225 people when the project is completed in early 2022. Orgill is the world’s largest, independent hardware distributor serving more than 6,000 retail hardware stores, home centers, farm stores, and professional lumber dealers in the U.S., Canada, and in 50 other countries. The company’s decision to build here in the Mohawk Valley is confirmation that this is an important cluster positioned for more development.”
Building a foundation
“The renaissance in the Mohawk Valley didn’t just happen because we focused on a few clusters,’ DiMeo points out. “You can’t attract and grow businesses unless you have an environment in which they can flourish. This starts with an educated workforce eager to help companies be successful. What I hear repeatedly from businesses is that their primary concern is attracting and retaining an educated and motivated workforce. This means developing an educational system from kindergarten through university. Fortunately, the region hosts a number of institutions of higher education which graduate thousands of students annually in the arts, science, and technology. Area companies have also embraced student internships, which highlight the area’s employment opportunities and encourage some students to stay here. Encouraging entrepreneurship is another part to developing economic growth. The Mohawk Valley has created a number of incubators ranging from MVCC’s (Mohawk Valley Community College) downtown thINCubator; the Griffiss Institute’s GIBI, designed as an intermediary between AFRL’s research and area marketplace; and IDEA NY, a business accelerator targeting entrepreneurs in cybersecurity, UAS, and IT.”
DiMeo emphasizes that the concern for education is just one of many components necessary to build a community’s foundation. “We’re also concerned about the quality of life here,” he says. “We are developing vibrant downtowns in cities like Utica, Rome, and Sherrill. Continuing development in Utica’s Bagg’s Square neighborhood, Harbor Point, and the new downtown hospital are transforming the city into a place that attracts people to both live and work. In Rome, the city is developing the Floyd Ave. corridor to connect downtown to the Griffiss Park. Work is underway on the Air City Lofts, a mixed-use development which, in phase one, will include two four-story buildings. The 84-unit, market-rate apartment complex will also include 25,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. Bonacio Construction [of Saratoga Springs] is developing the property and has an option for future site development. A new YMCA is another important development project planned along the corridor. Downtown, Rome is moving ahead with the renovation of the Capitol Theatre and the development of Copper City Lofts across from City Hall, while the Cold Point Co. is building a new factory to manufacture heat pumps. Varflex, which makes electrical-insulating sleeving, is adding 12,000 square feet to its current 200,000-square-foot factory. In Sherrill, 600,000 square feet of the old Oneida Ltd. factory have been renovated and leased, which has revitalized the city.”
The impact of COVID-19
Over the past quarter century, Mohawk Valley EDGE has overcome the community naysayers, regulatory hurdles, and multiple setbacks. For DiMeo, COVID-19 is one more obstacle in the region’s economic expansion. “For the business community, COVID-19 is turning out to be both a positive and negative development,” he observes. “On the negative side, a number of industries such as travel and leisure, health care, and education have been severely impacted by the lockdown. Manufacturing has seen disruptions to the supply chain, and worker illness has often interrupted or even shut down production. Small businesses, especially retail, are feeling the financial pinch because they normally don’t have large cash reserves to maintain operations and many customers are reluctant to venture out.
“On the positive side, many businesses relying on online sales are thriving as the shift from bricks and mortar to the Internet accelerates. We’re also seeing some signs where corporations are looking at bringing manufacturing back to the area. It’s too soon to tell, but ‘onshoring’ could be a boon to our economic growth. I think there is a likelihood of federal initiatives based on concern for national security that will mandate onshoring for certain industries … This pandemic has also brought out the innovation spirit in business owners and managers to adjust quickly to a new environment and in many cases to reinvent themselves. Restaurants, for example, converted to takeout venues, and [spirits] distillers started manufacturing hand sanitizer. I also see a heightened corporate social responsibility to their employees, consumers, and the community. Many companies are donating to support the front-line workers and those negatively affected by the virus.”
MV EDGE is also adapting to the pandemic’s impact. DiMeo explains that “… the staff at MV EDGE has been busy working with area companies on how to reopen their businesses, establishing safety protocols, and explaining to more than 200 businesses the resources that are available including financing. In conjunction with Oneida County, we have sold and distributed 100,000 masks, partnered for the first ‘Oneida County Shop Small Business Week,’ and distributed over 200 ‘Restart Oneida County Reopening Kits.’ But these activities have not diverted us from the basic mission of constructing a favorable operating environment in which businesses can continue to locate and grow here, creating a range of new job opportunities. We continue to capitalize on the region’s strengths to build an economically diverse, competitive industrial ecosystem.” As proof, despite the impact of COVID-19, DiMeo points to the $2 billion in public-private investment currently underway in the Mohawk Valley.
ROME — Microdrones, a Germany–based firm with an office at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, N.Y. in July announced distributor agreements with companies in Brazil, Israel, and Spain. Measure, a technological-solutions provider headquartered in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, has announced it is now offering Microdrones surveying equipment and support for aircraft inspections sold in all of
ROME — Microdrones, a Germany–based firm with an office at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, N.Y. in July announced distributor agreements with companies in Brazil, Israel, and Spain.
Measure, a technological-solutions provider headquartered in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, has announced it is now offering Microdrones surveying equipment and support for aircraft inspections sold in all of Brazil.
BDiverse of Israel, a supply chain improvement and entrepreneurial consulting firm, says it will be supplying Microdrones surveying equipment throughout Israel, the Middle East, and the Persian Gulf.
Drone Prix SL of Madrid, Spain — a company specializing in sales, distribution, education, and pilot training for drones — is now offering Microdrones as a Service (mdaaS)
Measure, BDiverse, and Drone Prix SL join a Microdrones distributor network that totaled about 40 as of late July, Bret Burghdurf, marketing director at Microdrones, tells CNYBJ in a July 17 interview.
“One of the things [these distributor agreements do] is help increase our footprint, both regionally and globally, so that we can work with different distributors who have access to maybe a more diverse line of customers,” says Burghdurf.
Microdrones USA, which is located at 625 Bomber Drive in Rome, has seven employees. The firm employs about 250 total globally, according to Burghdurf.
Microdrones has its main facility in Siegen, Germany, and also operates locations in Canada, France, and China, in addition to its Mohawk Valley site, he adds.
Microdrones says it resulted from the collaboration between the German inventor of the world’s first commercial quadcopter and a “determined” surveying payload and software developer in North America.
They created a global aerial-mapping technology company that delivers mapping systems specifically developed for the surveying, mining, construction, oil and gas, and precision agriculture industries.
About Measure
Measure specializes in the topography industry, offering advanced geospatial-data technologies for conventional topography, laser scanning, UAV surveying, and portable laser profiling. UAV is short for unmanned aerial vehicle, or what is also referred to as a drone.
Ederson Vogel, commercial director at Measure, anticipates “strong demand” for the drone-surveying products that Microdrones offers in the mining, construction, railway, and agriculture sectors.
“After conducting our research, we determined the Microdrones Integrated Systems offered the best solution in terms of productivity, safety and quality,” Vogel said in a Microdrones news release. “We’ve already begun to conduct online presentations and telephone inquiries for Microdrones. We’re confident that our technical expertise and market knowledge will leverage sales and service work for the Microdrones product.”
“Sometimes, the distributor has already built the relationship with the customer, so if they uncover a need for drone-surveying equipment, now they can look to add the Microdrones integrated systems right into their toolbox,” Burghdurf tells CNYBJ.
Measure is now offering Microdrones integrated systems, described as “complete” mapping products composed of survey equipment and data-processing modules “fully adapted” to that survey equipment.
About BDiverse
BDiverse focuses on supply chain, logistics, and infrastructure, where it anticipates that the Microdrones technology will help its customers.
Boaz Gilad, co-CEO at BDiverse, contends that the use of drones will improve the “efficiency, productivity, safety and final deliverables for its customers.”
“We’ll be glad to show [customers] the benefits of using Microdrones for surveying and mapping. Using drones can reduce dramatically the conventional construction and operational processes costs creating more efficient workflows for our customers,” he says.
BDiverse says it is offering Microdrones integrated systems that include “everything a commercial user needs to get started” using drones for surveying and mapping, including the UAV, the sensors, and the software and hardware.
BDiverse can help promote business interests and create partnerships with relevant bodies in Israel and abroad. The firm says its background in logistics, supply chain management, and advanced-technology systems helps connect stakeholders and investors in both the private and government sectors.
About Drone Prix SL
Drone Prix SL primarily serves the drone sector in Spain, authorized by AESA-Ministerio de Fomento, the national aviation authority for Spain.
In addition to offering drone-training programs, educational courses, and flight instructions, Drone Prix provides specialized consulting for professional work with RPAS, or remotely piloted aircraft systems.
“I think the combination of hardware, software and support within one single service, as is the case with mdaaS, will allow for and facilitate the integration of UAV technology in companies,” David Garcia, founder and CEO of Drone Prix SL, said about the Microdrones system. “This is both in terms of business management and processes such as data gathering, processing and decision making.”
UTICA — As it deals with financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) eliminated a “number” of positions as of Aug. 13; extended furloughs for two months; consolidated services; and was scheduled to close Faxton Urgent Care. That’s according to an Aug. 12 message the MVHS president and CEO Darlene Stromstad
UTICA — As it deals with financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) eliminated a “number” of positions as of Aug. 13; extended furloughs for two months; consolidated services; and was scheduled to close Faxton Urgent Care.
That’s according to an Aug. 12 message the MVHS president and CEO Darlene Stromstad sent to MVHS employees and medical staff about the organization’s “revenue recovery and restructuring plan.”
Stromstad had sent a July 27 message indicating that MVHS was in the planning stages for the announcement.
“Today is a very hard day for our organization and our employees. As I have been sharing with you on a regular basis, MVHS is not immune to the economic toll this novel Coronavirus has taken on hospitals and health systems across the nation. We’re all working diligently to keep our patients and employees safe while maintaining a state of readiness for a potential next wave of COVID-19. At the same time, we also are adapting to lower volumes caused by two things: the general public’s discomfort with accessing health care and the increased complications, and inefficiencies, of functioning in a post-COVID environment. None of us has been through anything like this before. It has changed our daily lives in ways we could not have envisioned. While it certainly has impacted healthcare, we are committed to doing all that we can to navigate in this new COVID era,” she said.
Position eliminations
MVHS plans to eliminate a “number” of positions, effective Thursday. The health-care system did not specify a number.
The positions are primarily clerical, administrative, leadership, business office, medical office support staff, and mixed logistical support.
Maintaining frontline positions that directly care for patients, such as nurses and care attendants, “was our priority,” according to Stromstad.
However, every area of the health system, including those departments represented by one of the five collective bargaining units, have felt the impact of position eliminations, MVHS contends.
“Our goal is to be as supportive to our employees as possible. This means that we are working with representatives of the labor unions and with individual employees to identify vacant positions employees can move into. We continue to have openings in several areas and will retrain our employees if they desire. MVHS is also providing comprehensive outplacement services for displaced employees. Severance and short-term continuation of health insurance has also been made available for eligible employees,” per Stromstad’s statement.
MVHS also eliminated “several” open positions and the organization is also delaying hiring into some positions to make them available to impacted employees.
Furlough extension
MVHS extended furloughs for two months, effective Aug. 13 through Oct. 13, for those positions in areas where “there is a potential for volume increases” within that two-month period.
Consolidations
The organization also consolidated and changed services and schedules, including the closure of Faxton Urgent Care. Telehealth services for urgent care will be available through Aug. 31. MVHS says it is working on extending hours in a couple of the MVHS primary-care offices, including evening and weekends, where patients can go for services in place of urgent care.
MVHS established a new neurosciences unit and an intermediate care unit by converting the progressive care unit (PCU) and special care unit (SCU) at the St. Luke’s campus. All of the clinical staff of the PCU and SCU have the skills required for these new units, MVHS said.
The health-care provider is also consolidating pre-admission testing of all services and all campuses and converting it to a “patient-centered” surgical home program. That is, all services are brought to the patient in one location (the Medical Arts Building in New Hartford) so patients will no longer have to go to multiple sites for pre-admission tests.
MVHS has additionally closed and consolidated medical offices in the region, including the consolidation of the New Hartford offices into one office at Crossroads.
In addition, the organization extended limiting discretionary spending and freezing nonessential capital expenditures. It also extended salary cuts and pension elimination through October.
UTICA — Oneida County and the City of Utica on July 7 announced the demolition of the Brown building located at 417-421 Main St. in Utica. The work started on June 29 and was completed on July 6. The two entities forged a shared-services agreement to the demolish the structure in an effort that they
UTICA — Oneida County and the City of Utica on July 7 announced the demolition of the Brown building located at 417-421 Main St. in Utica. The work started on June 29 and was completed on July 6.
The two entities forged a shared-services agreement to the demolish the structure in an effort that they believe will “pave the way” for a new entrance to the county’s public market at Union Station.
It’s a project that is meant to provide improved access to the Oneida County Public Market along with additional parking. It will also save taxpayers money in the process, the local governments contend.
“This was one area that we were able to help out Oneida County with a demolition crew, which, obviously, would be a savings to the county,” says Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri, who spoke with CNYBJ on Aug. 6.
Oneida County’s leader concurred.
“This current partnership with the City of Utica has enabled us to clear the way for a proper entrance to the market and further improve this regional asset in a cost-effective manner,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. said in a statement. “The ongoing multi-million-dollar renovation to the REA Wing at Union Station has elevated the status of the Oneida County Public Market and spearheaded a resurgence in downtown Utica,”
The county-owned Railway Express Agency (REA) Wing houses the Oneida County Public Market.
The City of Utica Department of Public Works donated the labor for the demolition team and miscellaneous equipment and services, while the county rented heavy equipment, hired the necessary consultants, and is paying the tipping fees. The Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority hauled away the debris.
“One of the things that we’ve always worked extremely hard on is working with other municipalities and other communities and I think this is a just a strong example of that. The City of Utica has a lot of tools in their box and we’re willing to work with others, as others have worked with us,” says Palmieri.
The Oneida County Board of Legislators in September 2019 approved the county’s purchase of the property at a cost of $30,000. The total price of the demolition project is estimated at $350,000.
The demolished building was in “complete disrepair and had sat vacant for decades,” the city says. It was built in 1893 and used as a storage facility by various companies over the years.
The Oneida County Public Market operates on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., a weekly event that Palmieri says has “been very successful.”
“You’re pulling people from all over the region, which is a great opportunity to not only be able to use the market but once they’re in the greater Utica area, they’re able to go … to lunch someplace… [and[ buy some gifts,” the Utica mayor adds.
The entryway project is not the only project happening at Union Station. Renovation of the REA Wing has “progressed in phases” over the last 15 years or so, with “dozens” of contactors involved, Philip Vanno, assistant to the Oneida County Executive, tells CNYBJ in an email.
Oneida County will invest another $250,000 this fall and next spring for structural repairs, minor interior renovation, and new restrooms for the public market. An additional $2 million would be needed to fully complete the renovation work, but that funding has not yet been allocated, Vanno adds.
MARCY — Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) has donated $3.5 million to SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) for a scholarship program and two endowed faculty chairs. The effort seeks to “help expand the local economy and develop a pipeline of high-tech professionals,” SUNY Poly said in announcing the donation in a June 29 news release. Durham,
MARCY — Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) has donated $3.5 million to SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) for a scholarship program and two endowed faculty chairs.
The effort seeks to “help expand the local economy and develop a pipeline of high-tech professionals,” SUNY Poly said in announcing the donation in a June 29 news release.
Durham, North Carolina–based Cree is building the “world’s largest” silicon-carbide fabrication facility in Marcy — named the Mohawk Valley Fab — and has committed to creating more than 600 new jobs within eight years, as well as providing internships for SUNY students as part of its presence.
The Cree donation includes a $2 million scholarship program over 10 years and the creation of two endowed faculty chairs through a $1.5 million fund over five years, beginning in August 2020. The scholarship support will “help ensure students who come from historically underserved or marginalized communities, as well as those with significant financial need, have greater access to the educational opportunities that will equip them to excel as part of tomorrow’s high-tech workforce,” SUNY Poly said.
The initiative will lead to the establishment of the “Cree/Wolfspeed Scholarship” program and the Dr. John Edmond and Dr. John Palmour SUNY Polytechnic Institute endowed faculty chairs for the “continued expansion” of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities for students at SUNY Poly.
Reason for donation
The program is designed to educate the “next-generation, high-tech workforce by increasing student opportunities and graduation rates, as well as by providing access to funds to assist students in advancing their education,” per the release.
When asked if the donation will benefit both the Marcy and Albany campuses, or if it is specifically targeting the Marcy campus, Rex Felton, Cree’s VP of operations, replies, “The scholarships are available to all SUNY Poly students and enrich the educational opportunities for both current and future students.”
Cree specializes in silicon carbide technology. It is a maker of Wolfspeed-branded power and radio frequency (RF) semiconductors and lighting class LEDs (light-emitting diodes). The company says it wants to help the Mohawk Valley region to develop the next generation of high-tech workers.
“Cree made this donation as part of its ongoing, long-term commitment to the Mohawk Valley to help expand the local economy and develop a pipeline of high-tech professionals,” says Felton.
The company also donated $25,000 to the SUNY Poly Foundation last November to invest in and expand SUNY Poly’s STEM programs.
The donations are common for Cree in areas where it operates.
“One of the core beliefs at Cree is that every individual should have the opportunity to excel, and equitable access to education is at the foundation of that belief. As such, Cree has historically made investments in the local educational markets where it operates, which includes New York and in North Carolina, where its headquarters is located,” the company tells CNYBJ.
SUNY Poly says the donations will boost its STEM capabilities and opportunities.
“SUNY Poly’s robust partnership with Cree further enriches the educational opportunities for current and future students,” Grace Wang, interim president of SUNY Poly said. “With this incredible commitment to SUNY Poly and the Mohawk Valley, Cree recognizes the scholarly excellence of SUNY Poly faculty and provides our students with invaluable resources to become tomorrow’s leaders in [STEM] fields.”
Named in honor of two of Cree’s co-founders, Edmond and Palmour, the endowed faculty chairs — the highest academic award that a university can bestow on a faculty member — will be used to advance state-of-the-art technology through continued scholarly research and projects in the fields of nanotechnology and engineering. The endowed faculty chairs will allow students to learn from and work closely with the “pioneering” scholars in the silicon-carbide space. Edmond and Palmour were part of the team that founded Cree in 1987 after conducting promising silicon-carbide research at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
“The new Cree/Wolfspeed Scholarship and endowment at SUNY Poly demonstrates Cree’s dedication to the region by establishing a robust pipeline for the next generation of high-quality high tech jobs in the Mohawk Valley,” Eric Gertler, acting commissioner and president & CEO-designate of Empire State Development, said.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Greater Syracuse Land Bank will use a federal grant of $500,000 to support the restoration project at the home-furniture designer and
Three Mohawk Valley manufacturers are among 12 New York companies that have recently received support from New York State to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the three Mohawk Valley companies and how much they received in grants, according to New York State government: Environmental Composites, Inc. (ECI), Utica: $772,259 ECI is a custom
Three Mohawk Valley manufacturers are among 12 New York companies that have recently received support from New York State to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are the three Mohawk Valley companies and how much they received in grants, according to New York State government:
Environmental Composites, Inc. (ECI), Utica: $772,259
ECI is a custom manufacturer of advanced textile materials and filtration products. The company, located at 2200 Bleecker St. in Utica, will manufacture N95 respirators. ECI, seeking to increase New York state-manufactured personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies, identified a supply-chain bottleneck, and developed an alternative manufacturing solution to quickly increase the domestic production of N95 respirators in the state. ECI says it will invest nearly $3.25 million in the production of N95 respirators with a target production rate of over 6 million units per month. The effort is expected to create an estimated 50 jobs. ECI is working with local distributors and the state government for allocation. N95 respirators will not be available for direct purchase by the general public.
Genesis Disposables, LLC, Frankfort: $135,000
Genesis Disposables has manufactured disposable garments and accessories for a diverse customer base for more than 30 years at its facility located in Frankfort in Herkimer County. The company carries a wide range of raw materials that can be rapidly converted into finished goods, enabling fast turnaround time. The initial company goal was to produce disposable hospital garments and has been expanded to include products for maintenance and industrial use as well as products designed to fit specific specialty needs within the disposable market. Genesis Disposables will invest $390,000 to produce 65,000 level 1 & level 2 isolation gowns and will create 20 jobs. New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Congressman Anthony Brindisi toured the Genesis Disposables facility in mid-July.
HPK Industries, Utica: $1 million
HPK has an established reputation for manufacturing high quality, technologically advanced disposable garments and accessories, the state says. It designs and manufactures protective garments for health care, pharmaceutical, scientific, cleanroom, and industrial safety. HPK Industries, located at 1208 Broad St. in Utica, is a currently a New York State supplier of PPE and it will produce 3-ply surgical masks, level-3 barrier-type gowns, and level-2 gowns. The company will invest nearly $6.7 million, produce 1 million units, and create 30 jobs, expanding production to keep the state’s supply levels high.
New York State says the grant funds disbursed to the winning companies will help alleviate product shortages due to supply chain issues that could lead to unfair pricing practices. The recipient companies will also increase the state’s manufacturing capacity while creating new jobs and market opportunities. To date, more than $11 million in grants have been awarded to 20 qualifying New York state–based companies to retool their business lines and pivot to manufacturing vital supplies for ongoing response and recovery efforts.
In March, Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked companies with New York–based operations to retool production lines in order to manufacture approved COVID-19 critical supplies, such as ventilators, test kits, and PPE, including N95 respirators, surgical masks, disposable surgical gloves, gowns, face shields, and biohazard bags. More recently, the governor announced Empire State Development had identified 20 companies for state investment to manufacture supplies to address COVID-19, eight of which were previously awarded $4 million to help make the products in New York state. The 12 latest companies to win awards include the three Mohawk Valley firms, four in Western New York, three companies in New York City, one on Long Island, and one in the Southern Tier.
A long-vacant, 14-acre brownfield site in the village of Ilion has a rich history. In the 1800s, it was a racetrack. In the 1900s, bookcases for the Library of Congress, shells for the U.S. Navy, and adding machines were manufactured there. Univac made some of the first computers there. It was the site of the Herkimer County
A long-vacant, 14-acre brownfield site in the village of Ilion has a rich history.
In the 1800s, it was a racetrack. In the 1900s, bookcases for the Library of Congress, shells for the U.S. Navy, and adding machines were manufactured there. Univac made some of the first computers there. It was the site of the Herkimer County Community College for a time. And the building, now commonly known as the “Duofold” site in the Mohawk Valley, was also where Duofold processed long-john garments.
Now, Herkimer County officials hope that the next phase in 7 Spruce St.’s history will be for redevelopment for a cybersecurity or artificial-intelligence firm.
“We want to see development here that will help the rest of Ilion rise up to another level,” says John J. Piseck, Jr., executive director of the Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency (HCIDA).
Piseck notes the success of Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome and the growth of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence in the area may make it a good site for a similar use in Ilion.
“We think that can flow over here,” Piseck says.
About a year ago, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $200,000 grant to HCIDA to assess brownfield sites throughout Herkimer County. The Duofield site is just one of them. Funding is available for phase I and phase II environmental site assessments.
The first step to redevelop the Duofold site, which was purchased by the Village of Ilion in May 2019, was to conduct a phase I environmental site assessment.
During the phase I process, environmental consulting firm HRP Associates, Inc. investigated the entire history of the site to identify if there was a potential environmental contamination, says Thomas Seguljic, a regional sales manager with HRP, who has 30 years of experience in environmental-engineering consulting. HRP is based in Farmington, Connecticut and has upstate New York offices in the Albany, Syracuse, and Buffalo areas.
“During phase I [of the environmental site assessment], you’re like Indiana Jones,” Piseck says. “You’re searching out the history.”
During the upcoming Duofold phase II assessment, samples will be collected to determine how extensive any environmental contamination is at the site from its past use for manufacturing, Seguljic says. He notes that the phase I study found that the level of environmental contamination was “nothing horrific. It’s manageable.”
Once the phase II environmental study is done in two or three months, a remediation plan, subject to approval by regulators, will be developed and will allow Piseck to market the site to developers, Segulijic says. The phase II environmental study will be able to quantify how much it will cost to remediate the site for development, he says. That cost is not known yet.
Once the EPA and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation are satisfied that the study has adequately quantified the environmental contamination at the site, then a plan can be made for remediation, Seguljic says.
The subsidies available to underwrite the cost of developing a brownfield site can set up a brownfield property to compete with greenfield sites for development, he says.
Quantifying the actual costs of remediation removes the unknowns for developers of what it would cost to bring a property back to life and can make a brownfield equal to, if even not more competitive, to a greenfield site, Seguljic says. For example, a brownfield site that already has water and electricity installed removes one worry for a developer, he says.
It also “removes the environmental stigma from these sites to breathe new life into these buildings,” Seguljic says. “Hopefully, it becomes a seed. If you can redevelop a brownfield, you can increase the property value right around that site and extend that out for quite a distance.”
Piseck points to the Duofold’s 169,000 square feet of redevelopment space, low-cost power at 3-cents a kilowatt, redundant high-speed fiber Internet, and proximity to Interstate 90 and Route 5 as attractive elements to a developer.
Earlier this year, the village of Ilion and other taxing authorities also approved an abatement on collecting property taxes for 10 years for whoever purchases the property, Piseck says.
He adds that there are multiple tax credits and other programs available to underwrite the cost of redeveloping the site such as opportunity zone, new market, historic rehabilitation, and brownfield tax credits.
In addition to the Duofold site, HCIDA has identified other viable brownfield sites in Herkimer County for development after looking at 25 to 30 sites, Piseck says.
HCIDA could not move forward with some sites for environmental studies if the property owners did not want to cooperate or if the viability of those sites for redevelopment did not seem very promising, Piseck says. For example, the agency looked at a landfill site for use as a solar installation but had to reject it because there was not a transfer station within reasonable distance, per Seguljic.
As part of the EPA grant, the abandoned L.W. Bills School on North Washington St. in Herkimer received a phase I environmental study and an asbestos study. As a result of those studies, Segulijic said the HCIDA was able to document that there were not any environmental concerns, and the property is better poised for redevelopment.
“The school has great bones there,” Piseck says.
Yet another site that is part of the EPA brownfield grant is the Quackenbush building at 220 Prospect Street in Herkimer, where the now-bankrupt company produced air rifles and nutcrackers.
HCIDA owns the building, but it is tied up in litigation over whether HCIDA is responsible for unpaid water bills, Piseck says. Long-term, the site is keyed to be redeveloped as affordable housing because of its location in the center of Herkimer.
The EPA grant will fund 10 phase I and four phase II environmental site assessments in Herkimer County. Ryan Biggs/Clark Davis Engineering & Surveying has been engaged in the brownfield project for structural assessment and Landmark Consulting has been engaged for its historic review services.
Until HCIDA received the EPA grant, nothing had been done with brownfield sites for 20 years in the county, Piseck says.
During the past two years, HCIDA has examined many of Herkimer’s brownfields to see what can be done to return them to use, engaged experts like HRP, obtained input from municipal leaders and citizens about their hopes for the brownfield sites, and has begun to market the brownfield sites, according to Piseck.
“What we’ve done has really made a difference in the brownfield world in Herkimer County,” Piseck says.
COVID-19 has slowed the process to be able to bring developers to see the brownfield properties that have been identified for the grant, he adds.
But Piseck is hopeful that the momentum that has been developing for rejuvenating Herkimer’s brownfields will continue.
“This is the right time to be doing all these projects. Economic development shouldn’t slow down at all,” he says.
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