New York egg production rises over 4 percent in February

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New York farms produced 137.6 million eggs in February, up 4.4 percent from 131.8 million eggs in the year-prior period, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported. The number of layers in the Empire State averaged 5.7 million in February, up slightly from 5.66 million layers a year ago. February egg production per […]

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Oswego County educators, manufacturers partner to make protective face shields

Health Care, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only

OSWEGO — A group of Oswego County educators and local companies say they have teamed up to produce protective face shields for health-care workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. In late March, a team from SUNY Oswego and CiTi BOCES began using 3D printers to manufacture the shields, which are being distributed to

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OSWEGO — A group of Oswego County educators and local companies say they have teamed up to produce protective face shields for health-care workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In late March, a team from SUNY Oswego and CiTi BOCES began using 3D printers to manufacture the shields, which are being distributed to the Oswego County Emergency Management Office, SUNY Oswego’s on-campus Health Services Department, University Police Department, and the agricultural and testing analysis laboratory at the Port of Oswego Authority.

“It’s been widely reported that healthcare resources are stretched extremely thin in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” David Dunn, an assistant professor of biological sciences at SUNY Oswego, said in a statement. “Personal protective equipment (PPE), including face shields, are among the equipment facing critical shortages. While we hope and expect that nationwide production of medical equipment will soon ramp up, we felt that in the interim, we could help to fill the gap.

The team initially produced 60 face shields working from an original prototype, then shifted to a refined design incorporating suggestions issued by the National Institutes of Health.

The group had manufactured a total of 185 shields as of April 1 and production was set to ramp up in the days to follow.

“The 3D printers are the slowest process but we have more than doubled production rates so far and should be able to produce about 93 per day going forward,” said Daniel Tryon, a SUNY Oswego technology education faculty member who helped begin the initiative.

Exelon and Novelis, both with facilities in the town of Scriba, have assisted with production. Exelon is “providing 18 face shields per day, and growing,” while Novelis has provided filament for the 3D printers.

Maintaining the supply of filament needed to continue manufacturing can be a challenge, and the team is reaching out to those who might be able to donate 1.75 mm PLA filament. Those able to donate filament can email: daniel.tryon@oswego.edu.

FuzeHub says startups, manufacturers can pursue money in Build4Scale NY fund

Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

ALBANY — FuzeHub’s Build4Scale NY initiative has a new grant fund that will help inventors and manufacturers take new products to market and “more rapidly expand” their operations in New York. The Build4Scale NY fund will provide startups and product “innovators” with grants of up to $10,000 to launch or accelerate manufacturing projects. FuzeHub describes

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The Build4Scale NY fund will provide startups and product “innovators” with grants of up to $10,000 to launch or accelerate manufacturing projects.

FuzeHub describes the fund as a “critical element” of the overall Build4Scale NY program. The program provides training and one-on-one guidance and “matchmaking” to state resources and contract manufacturers. It also provides companies with “individualized support” to address specific needs, solve challenges, and “spark growth.”

“Access to funding tends to be a significant barrier for a lot of startups and small manufacturers,” Elena Garuc, executive director of FuzeHub, said in a statement. “The Build4Scale NY fund will help alleviate the financial obstacles they encounter when trying to scale a new product. It will award grants to support great ideas and inventions that will generate new manufacturing activity and help create jobs in New York State.”

About the fund

Build4Scale NY is a membership program that is open to startups, early-stage developers of physical products, and small to medium-sized manufacturers across New York, FuzeHub said.

Funding will be awarded to member companies that are pursuing projects aligned with a set of requirements. For example, the company’s hardware product is — or nearly is — “manufacturing-ready.”

In addition, the project will help the product get to market and/or scale more quickly.

FuzeHub also requires that the company has “engaged” partners and resources to support the project. The company has to be based in New York or have plans to manufacture in the state.

To apply, businesses should visit fuzehub.com/build4scale-ny/membership.

FuzeHub will award Build4Scale NY grants of varying values, up to $10,000. A total of $140,000 in grant funding is available.

FuzeHub had scheduled a Build4Scale workshop in Syracuse on April 29, but the event has since been postponed due to the coronavirus restrictions. FuzeHub intends to reschedule the workshop at a later date.

Build4Scale is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which FuzeHub has applied to its program with DOE’s permission.

About FuzeHub

The Albany–based nonprofit FuzeHub is the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) center, supported by NYSTAR (Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation.)

NY MEP is a network of 11 organizations that provide “growth and innovation” services to small and mid-sized manufacturers across the state to help them “create and retain jobs, increase profits, and save time and money.”

New York milk production rises 5.5 percent in February

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New York dairy farms produced nearly 1.22 billion pounds of milk in February, up 5.5 percent from more than 1.15 billion pounds in the year-ago month, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported. Production per cow in the state averaged 1,945 pounds in February, up 5.7 percent from 1,840 pounds a year prior.

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Broome County hotel occupancy rate dips in February

Regional News, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

BINGHAMTON — Hotels in Broome County were slightly less full in February than in the year-ago month, according to a recent report. The data was from the last full month before the coronavirus pandemic essentially shut down the hospitality industry across the state and much of the nation, starting in mid-March. The hotel occupancy rate

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Pandemic grounds 2020 Greater Binghamton Air Show

Regional News, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

MAINE, N.Y. — Citing uncertainty about the spread of the coronavirus, Broome County officials have canceled the 2020 Greater Binghamton Air Show. The event, which has drawn thousands of spectators in the past, had been scheduled for July 25 at the Greater Binghamton Airport in the town of Maine. The county says the air show

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MAINE, N.Y. — Citing uncertainty about the spread of the coronavirus, Broome County officials have canceled the 2020 Greater Binghamton Air Show.

The event, which has drawn thousands of spectators in the past, had been scheduled for July 25 at the Greater Binghamton Airport in the town of Maine. The county says the air show is scheduled to return in 2021.

“This was not an easy decision, but we feel it was necessary,” Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said in an April 7 statement. “The health and safety of our exhibitors, contractors, staff, and community is ultimately our priority, and we must do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We look forward to bringing the event back to Broome County in 2021.”

The county says many of the event’s partners supported the decision and have committed to participate next year.

“In an effort to protect all who are involved, we feel it is the responsible decision to reschedule the Air Show for 2021. In doing so, our local businesses, vendors, and community members will have time to heal and regain their footing,” Broome County Commissioner of Aviation Mark Heefner said. “We are certain that the 2021 Airshow will still be spectacular, and community partners have already signaled their commitment to next year’s event. We are determined to continue working together and have already shifted the focus of our planning efforts to 2021.”

Future of other big summer events

Following the cancellation of the air show, Garnar was asked at his April 7 COVID-19 daily briefing about the prospect of still holding other big summer events in Broome County, such as the July 31-Aug. 2 SpedieFest and the Aug. 10-16 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open.

Garnar said the county is taking it one event at a time, but as the coronavirus spreads in the area, it is starting to look at all the events planned for the rest of the year.

“I think we’re very far away from being able to have large-scale events where thousands of people, even hundreds of people, are all gathered together. We’re very far away,” the county executive said. “That may change on a week-to-week basis. But, it’s hard to imagine having an event that has thousands of people in it today, when I’m telling people to stay at home.”

Report: U.S. restaurant customer transactions declined by 42 percent in week ended March 29

Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

97 percent of U.S. restaurants are impacted by COVID-19-related dine-in shutdowns Restaurant customer transactions fell by 42 percent in the U.S. in the week ending March 29 compared to same week a year ago, according to a new report from NPD Group, Inc., a research and data analytics firm. About 97 percent of U.S. restaurants

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Analysis explores how COVID-19 may lead to permanent growth in working from home

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

The rapid and widespread adoption of telecommuting in response to the coronavirus crisis may result in more workers continuing to work from home after the widespread shutdowns of business life are lifted, according to a new analysis from the Rockefeller Institute of Government. The analysis speculates that businesses and workers who previously had reservations about

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The analysis speculates that businesses and workers who previously had reservations about work-from-home arrangements will be more open to them in the long-term after a period of being required to operate remotely.

“As we navigate this crisis, employers and employees are forced to be flexible and creative to keep business operations running smoothly,” Patricia Strach, interim executive director at the Rockefeller Institute, said in a release. “This forced work-from-home experience is showing us that work-from-home arrangements are a viable strategy for many businesses and that is likely to be true even when this crisis is over.”

Working from home was already a growing trend before the pandemic. The analysis cites research published by the Rockefeller Institute earlier this year that found that more than 8 million Americans work from home full-time, a nearly 50-percent increase since 2005.

More than 13 million Americans telecommute at least one day a week, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The analysis highlighted that group as one likely to grow, stating, “…many believe the result of this experience will lead to more people choosing to work remotely one or two days a week.”

The analysis further cites federal and state governments offering grants and loans to businesses to upgrade remote-work technology and the growing acceptance of telehealth and teletherapy by health-care providers as factors that will accelerate the work-from-home trend.

The Rockefeller Institute of Government is the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. The full analysis is available online at https://rockinst.org/blog/coronavirus-likely-to-lead-to-permanent-growth-in-work-from-home-ranks/

How to Take Fear Out of the Workplace During COVID-19

Business Mentors, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

Fear. Uncertainty. A growing sense of panic every time [government eaders deliver a briefing] about the far-reaching effects of the coronavirus. Chatter around the workplace these days is filled with questions like: Will I get sick? Will I have a job tomorrow? Can I afford to pay my rent? What can you do when you’re facing fear

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Fear. Uncertainty. A growing sense of panic every time [government eaders deliver a briefing] about the far-reaching effects of the coronavirus.

Chatter around the workplace these days is filled with questions like: Will I get sick? Will I have a job tomorrow? Can I afford to pay my rent?

What can you do when you’re facing fear in the workplace? The good news is that you can turn to four key principles: transparency, financial discipline, trust and respect for people, and a forward-focused approach. If you want to take fear out of the workplace, consider the following steps.

Embrace transparency. “Open-book management” is the idea that everyone inside your organization will be taught to understand the numbers that drive its success. Many business owners can be reluctant to share the truth about the financials inside their business. But they don’t realize the kind of risks they take by hiding the truth. They assume the burden of keeping the business alive — solo. In many cases, CEOs and owners are forced to shut the doors of the business to the shock of their employees, who are then left to wonder if they could have done something to contribute to a different outcome.

That’s why it’s amazing what happens when you have the courage to share the news — good and bad — with your people. Treat them like adults. Get their attention directed toward what they can do to help — versus panicking. Plus, the more eyes you have on a problem, the more ideas you’ll have to solve it.

Discuss your cash position. It’s been frustrating over the past few years as we’ve watched startup companies — under the guidance of universities, incubators, and even investors — embrace the idea that the only way they could grow was to take on debt. Some of you may find yourselves in an over-leveraged position, but that can also be an opportunity to engage your workforce and tell them the truth about the situation. If you do find yourself in trouble, ask your staff for ideas about how they can contribute to cutting costs — and increasing cash flow to the point where you can actually cover your debt obligations. You’ll be amazed at what can happen when you teach your people the rules of the game.

Protect jobs. Attracting talent and retaining it can be tough. We don’t have a future without people. In the not-too-distant past, executives sometimes became idols when downsizing jobs became the new mantra, laying off people at a time they needed those jobs the most. Something similar could happen today. Difficult times can convince companies to resort to layoffs to survive. But it is wise to think differently. Whoever has the most talented workforce will dominate their markets as soon as 2021. The time to get your organization ready for the next upturn is today.

Get ready for the upturn. As bad and as uncertain as things look today, here’s a secret: it’s actually harder to get a company ready to take advantage of an upturn than it is to prepare for a downturn. Downturns can actually be opportunities to fix things inside your business that you can’t afford to invest the time and resources in when the economy is booming. While it might seem counter-intuitive, the current down market comes as a kind of short-term relief.

It’s giving us a chance to catch up — to make investments in our people and facilities — and to prepare ourselves to capitalize on the economic uptick that we expect to hit in late-2020 or early-2021. By then, our workforce should be more stable and productive — and ready to take full advantage of the available opportunities. They have every incentive to do so, because, as owners of the business, they have a true stake in the outcome.

We know how painful things are today. But there is no reason you can’t also dare to be successful. And learning how to build a culture based on transparency, financial discipline, trust and respect for people, and a forward-focused outlook, is a great place to start removing the fear in your workplace.

Rich Armstrong (www.greatgame.com) is president of The Great Game of Business Inc., and co-author of “Get In The Game: How To Create Rapid Financial Results And Lasting Cultural Change.” Steve Baker is VP of The Great Game of Business Inc., and co-author of “Get In The Game.”

Farm to Fork 101: Reconnecting the Farmer & the Consumer

Business Mentors, Small Business, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

Mark Pawliw lived the food and restaurant lifestyle through his 25-plus years of experience in the industry, but he realized that something was missing. What was lacking was a connection to the producers, growers, and chefs that bring the food to your plates, the drink to your glasses, and the art of cooking that ties

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Having to take some action to remedy this, Mark formed Farm to Fork 101 in 2015. It would become a tool, a resource, and an entrepreneurial adventure. Through his business he would explore bridging the gap through “a sustainable experience that reconnects the farmer with the consumer in a delicious way.”

Pawliw started meeting with me in October 2017. He was looking for a path forward in growing the scale, diversity, and recognition of Farm to Fork 101. Together, we held many strategic-planning discussions to create an overall vision and action options. Some of these were postponed or altered due to some sizeable opportunities that came to Mark that helped grow the awareness of the local sustainable food system as well as his business. These opportunities included being hired to manage the Wegmans Experience stage during the New York State Fair in 2018 and 2019.

Throughout our time working together, I continued strategic coaching with Mark. We worked on expanding into operational analysis regarding cash flow and profit margins, differentiation marketing strategies, ideas for informational subscription services to extend product offerings, and other general problem solving.

Pawliw says, “Frank has helped me articulate my vision, weed out the bad or underdeveloped ideas and understand the importance of being proactive with my financials. All in all, he has been a great coach and I look forward to continuing with his advice as my business expands and grows.”

Now, in 2020, Mark can point to his success story as a long line of sold-out events, contracts for services, and name recognition. One of Mark’s latest undertakings was hosting the experience stage cooking demos at the Northeast Organic Farming Association New York’s Winter Conference at the Oncenter in Syracuse in January.

And, with continued coaching and planning with his advisor, Pawliw plans to take Farm to Fork 101 even further in the new decade. He plans on providing increased access to information about farmers and their produce to consumers, while continuing the educational dinners and cooking classes that have been such a hit.

Pawliw states, “Farm to Fork 101 has always been about building and maintaining relationships within the community. In the future, we plan on continuing those connections through hands-on education and helping with other organizations who share the same values. In the end, we would like to see a strong, well-connected food community here in Syracuse.”

You can run into Mark Pawliw out and about at the CNY Regional Farmer’s Market where he can be invariably found sourcing produce for a dinner event, building the relationships that are the foundation of his business.

Advisor’s Business Tip: All businesses benefit from an understanding of their cash flow. A study by Geneva Business Bank indicates “cash-flow bottlenecks account for 7 out of the top 10 reasons businesses fail.” Let an SBDC advisor provide you a no-cost confidential cash-flow analysis using software tools that they are trained to use.

Frank Cetera is an advanced certified business advisor at the SBDC located at Onondaga Community College. Contact him at ceteraf@sunyocc.edu

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