Excellus awards CNY hospitals $6 million for quality improvements in 2019

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Excellus BlueCross BlueShield announced that it awarded six Central New York hospitals a total of $6.1 million in quality improvement incentive payments. They’re among 36

CNY Tweets-February 24, 2020

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

Here are some recent tweets that came across the @cnybj Twitter feed, offering various small business, technology, HR, and career tips. Jovita Carranza, SBA @SBAJovitaFor 30 years, @SBAgov’s #8a program has been the number one used small business contracting vehicle by the federal government. It’s the fastest way for federal agencies to utilize quality small

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Here are some recent tweets that came across the @cnybj Twitter feed, offering various small business, technology, HR, and career tips.

Jovita Carranza, SBA @SBAJovita
For 30 years, @SBAgov’s #8a program has been the number one used small business contracting vehicle by the federal government. It’s the fastest way for federal agencies to utilize quality small businesses and help our government achieve its goals.

SBA @SBAgov
STAT: Each year, the federal government’s aims to award at least 3% of all federal contracting dollars to small businesses that are located in historically underutilized business zones. Find out how your #smallbusiness can get #HUBZone certified. https://sba.gov/hubzone

IRS Small Biz @IRSsmallbiz
In tax trends: Millions of taxpayers could have an unexpected #tax bill. http://irs.gov/payasyougo #AvoidIRSsurprises

Boots to Business @Boots2Business
#ICYMI: Check out @CNBC’s take on why military #veterans are choosing to start their own businesses – and how they’re doing it with the help of @SBAgov, @Boots2Business, @TheBunkerLabs, and more! https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/07/why-military-vets-are-launching-start-ups-in-this-hot-job-market.html

SCORE Mentors @SCOREMentors
How do you find balance in work as a #freelancer? Check out these great tips in our blog: http://ow.ly/yZ8i50ykUxe #entrepreneur #worklifebalance

Small Business Trends @smallbiztrends
User onboarding is the process of guiding new users to easily and quickly find value in your product. Here are 4 really big benefits of user onboarding for your #digital product. https://zcu.io/dpqQ #smallbiz

Strategic Watch @Strategic_Watch
How to Leverage AI to Upskill Employees http://dlvr.it/RQ2l62

Mark C. Crowley @MarkCCrowley
Companies are testing all kinds of #technology & apps to help workers get sufficient sleep. Says a top researcher on how better to fix the problem: “Just have a culture where you don’t send emails at night or incent people 2B glued to their laptops all the time”

Lolly Daskal @LollyDaskal
Learn How the Best Leaders Know How to Read People @LollyDaskal http://bit.ly/38Vm0UJ

Monica Hinchey @hinchred
No matter an employee’s role within an organization, financial wellness resources will contribute to overall financial health and well-being. You would be surprised who is living paycheck to paycheck: https://bit.ly/2OZBAXI

IQTalent Partners @IQTalent
“Create an incremental plan to strengthen the best parts and modify the negative components of your culture.” https://lttr.ai/NUsz #HR #Outsource #Recruiting

Keith Lauby @Keith_Lauby
Workplace Wellbeing – – How To Work Together for Engagement – #HR Bartender #EmployeeEngagement #employeeexperience https://hrbar.co/3bAkt8y

Hannah Morgan @careersherpa
Use Video To Amplify Your Personal Brand https://buff.ly/2VvoF06

The Bonadio Group @bonadiogroup
Becoming a #realestate professional can help to maximize the #taxbenefits on your real estate investments. Here’s how: http://bit.ly/31J72hW

Ferrara Fiorenza adds Ithaca–area office

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

ITHACA — The law firm of Ferrara Fiorenza PC expanded at the start of the year by opening a new office in the Ithaca area. The new office, the firm’s third overall, is located at 95 Brown Road, Suite 223, in the Cornell University Business and Technology Park in the village of Lansing. “The Ithaca

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FOCUS Greater Syracuse board of directors elects Reicher as president

Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — FOCUS Greater Syracuse announced that its board of directors recently named Rita L. Reicher as president of the board The organization also appointed her predecessor, Donald Radke, to the new post of immediate-past president, to ease in the transition. Reicher is a founder of the Syracuse–based marketing and consulting firm of KS&R. She

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Tioga County Chamber announces award winners at annual dinner

Regional News, Subscriber Only

OWEGO — The Tioga County Chamber of Commerce presented its Community Awards at its annual dinner on Feb. 13 at the Terra Cotta Owego Banquet Center. The awards offer special recognition to those chamber members who have made a significant contribution to the community and help promote the chamber’s mission to support and promote the

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Westelcom banks on expanded data center for Syracuse growth

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE — After expanding its Syracuse data center nearly two years ago, Watertown–based Westelcom Networks is ready to continue that expansion with new clients in the Syracuse market. Westelcom has operated a data center in the State Tower Building on 109 S. Warren St. since about 1998, says Paul Barton, company president. In March 2018,

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SYRACUSE — After expanding its Syracuse data center nearly two years ago, Watertown–based Westelcom Networks is ready to continue that expansion with new clients in the Syracuse market.

Westelcom has operated a data center in the State Tower Building on 109 S. Warren St. since about 1998, says Paul Barton, company president. In March 2018, after maxing out the capacity, Westelcom acquired an additional 2,400 square feet of space. “That data center is set up as a carrier-neutral colocation center,” Barton says.

That means Westelcom works with a variety of service providers, which allows carriers to interconnect and offer wider coverage, he says. When the new center opened, it highlighted its wide range of options for dedicated internet access and regional connectivity as well as direct access to Google, Amazon, and Microsoft cloud platforms.

The next step, Barton says, is to begin offering internet and voice service in the Syracuse area.

Westelcom focuses on mission-critical level services — offering services that rarely if ever fail to businesses that need a connection at all times. The company’s networks are on rings so they can reroute if needed. Customers receive dual connections so there is a backup if one fails. Westelcom also offers a mission-critical app that allows customers to see network stats, submit tickets for issues, and receive threat-intelligence information.

“Our focuses are really on businesses that need highly reliable services,” Barton says.

Health care is a large market for Westelcom, which provides managed internet services to 10 hospitals, more than 120 medical facilities, and a number of telemedicine networks. The company also offers services to more than 70 school locations and several industrial parks in Watertown and Plattsburgh.

In preparation for offering internet and voice services in Syracuse, Westelcom is deploying software-defined large-area networks, which will help the company provide customers with two connections from two different carriers.

“It’s affordable for a smaller business or, say, a branch of a bank,” Barton says. “We can also integrate wireless connections into it.”

The connections do not need to be Westelcom connections, he adds. It can be any two connections from any two providers, which means customers have a wider array of options to choose from and can pick the carriers that work best for them. In those cases, Westelcom still installs the equipment and manages the connection for the customer.

“There’s a lot of competition in Syracuse,” Barton says. Westelcom will first focus its efforts on the greatest need and where the company can deliver services quickly.

The company, which has more than 50 employees, will reach out to businesses on existing infrastructure that need critical-level services and that it can serve immediately, he says. “We have been focused on and delivering successful mission-critical level services for 19 years.” That track record will speak for itself with potential customers, he contends.

Westelcom (www.westelcom.com) provides telecommunication services throughout Northern New York between Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain. Services over the company’s fiber network include telephone, long distance, high-speed broadband, dedicated internet, and private Ethernet network services. The company operates additional data centers in Watertown and Plattsburgh. Chazy Westport Telephone Corporation owns Westelcom.

Costello, Cooney & Fearon readies HQ move to Armory Square

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Syracuse–based law firm Costello, Cooney & Fearon, PLLC is preparing to move its headquarters from Franklin Square to Armory Square. The firm’s operations at 500 Plum St. and at 5701 W. Genesee St. in Camillus will move into the first floor in the Jefferson Clinton Commons, at 211 W. Jefferson St., across from

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SYRACUSE — Syracuse–based law firm Costello, Cooney & Fearon, PLLC is preparing to move its headquarters from Franklin Square to Armory Square.

The firm’s operations at 500 Plum St. and at 5701 W. Genesee St. in Camillus will move into the first floor in the Jefferson Clinton Commons, at 211 W. Jefferson St., across from the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology, or the MOST.

The law firm hopes to move to its new location by Oct. 1. Robert Smith, CEO of Costello, Cooney & Fearon, tells CNYBJ.

The firm had opened its Camillus location about a decade ago and “saw the value” in having all the local employees back under one roof.

“This new space that we’re going into gives us that opportunity,” says Smith, who spoke with CNYBJ on Feb. 17.

Costello, Cooney & Fearon has finalized a lease with Jefferson Clinton Commons building owner Washington St. Partners for 35,000 square feet of office space. The 80-employee law firm will be occupying the building’s entire first floor.

The firm will be vacating a 24,000-square-foot space in Franklin Square and an 8,000-square-foot space in Camillus, according to Smith.

John Clark and Brian Balash of Cushman Wakefield/Pyramid Brokerage brokered the transaction, the law firm says.

The Costello firm had looked at three or four other places in the downtown area before deciding on a location for which it signed a 10-year lease, says Smith.

“We determined we weren’t going to go to the suburbs. We determined we wanted to be in the city of Syracuse and wanted to be in the city center with proximity to court houses and other clients of the law firm,” he adds.

The firm’s move into the Jefferson Clinton Commons will require a buildout, but Smith declined to disclose the cost involved.

The firm will move more than 60 employees from the 500 Plum Street office, along with about 16 employees from the Camillus location.

Altogether, Costello, Cooney & Fearon has 39 attorneys, 18 of whom are partners in the firm, according to Smith.

Costello, Cooney & Fearon’s move to the Jefferson Clinton Commons will impact some of the building’s existing tenants. Mower, an anchor tenant and Central New York’s second-largest advertising agency (as measured by number of local employees), will move upstairs to the building’s second floor, Stephanie Crockett, executive VP and managing director, tells CNYBJ in an email.

CNYBJ, which also operates on the first floor, will be leaving the building this summer.

Headquartered in Syracuse and with an office in Albany, Costello, Cooney & Fearon provides legal services in the areas of litigation; labor and employment; environmental; estate planning; banking/commercial; real estate law; along with civil litigation, commercial litigation, and education law.

Kreuter to manage Syracuse Mets during 2020 season

Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse Mets on Feb. 8 announced that Chad Kreuter will serve as the team’s manager during the upcoming season. He takes over for Brian Schneider after the New York Mets named Schneider their quality control coach on Feb. 7, the Syracuse Mets said. This came just over one month after Schneider had

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SYRACUSE — The Syracuse Mets on Feb. 8 announced that Chad Kreuter will serve as the team’s manager during the upcoming season.

He takes over for Brian Schneider after the New York Mets named Schneider their quality control coach on Feb. 7, the Syracuse Mets said. This came just over one month after Schneider had been named Syracuse Mets manager for 2020. Tony DeFrancesco managed the team in 2019.

Kreuter spent the last three seasons as manager for the St. Lucie Mets, the Advanced-A affiliate of the New York Mets.

Kreuter is in his fourth season in the Mets’ organization. The 55-year-old previously managed the Modesto Nuts, the Advanced-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, to begin the 2006 season before he was named the head coach at the University of Southern California in June 2006. Kreuter managed the USC Trojans for four years, from 2007 to 2010.

The Santa Barbara, California native also worked in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization as the minor-league field coordinator in 2011.

As a player, Kreuter was a catcher for 16 seasons in the majors from 1988 to 2003, having played for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, Anaheim Angels, Kansas City Royals, and Los Angeles Dodgers. During his major-league career, Kreuter was behind the plate for 892 games and caught 36 percent of baserunners stealing.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity the Mets have given me to manage their Triple-A team,” Kreuter said in a statement. “One of the cool things about this opportunity is getting the chance to manage players in Syracuse that I also managed in St. Lucie over the last three years. I’m hearing a lot of great things about Syracuse with the stadium renovations, the fans, and both the coaching and front office staffs. The Mets are committed to putting a strong team on the field, and I’m excited to lead that team this season.”

The Syracuse Mets open the 2020 season on the road on April 9 against the Pawtucket Red Sox. Syracuse’s home opener is on April 17 at NBT Bank Stadium against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

N.Y. manufacturing index rises in February to highest level since last May

Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index rose 8 points to 12.9 in February, “its highest level since May of last year.” New York manufacturing firms reported that business activity “grew at a faster pace than in recent months,” the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in its Feb. 18 report. The February

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The Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index rose 8 points to 12.9 in February, “its highest level since May of last year.”

New York manufacturing firms reported that business activity “grew at a faster pace than in recent months,” the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in its Feb. 18 report.

The February reading, based on firms responding to the survey, indicates “business activity picked up in New York,” the New York Fed said.

A positive index number shows expansion or growth in manufacturing activity, while a negative reading indicates a decline in the sector.

The survey found 34 percent of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month, while 21 percent said that conditions had worsened, the New York Fed said.

Economists had expected a reading of 4.0 for the February general business conditions index, according to a survey by Econoday, a California company that tracks economic reports. So, the report exceeded expectations.

Survey details

The new-orders index climbed 16 points to 22.1, its highest level in “well over a year, indicating that orders rose significantly,” the New York Fed said.

The shipments index rose 10 points to 18.9. Delivery times were longer, and inventories “climbed.”

The index for number of employees edged down to 6.6, indicating that employment “grew to a small degree.” The average workweek held near zero, a sign that the average workweek was little changed.

The prices-paid index moved down 7 points to 25.0, pointing to a slower pace of input price increases this month, while the prices-received index edged up 2 points to 16.7.

Indexes assessing the six-month outlook suggested that optimism about future conditions was “somewhat restrained.”

The index for future business conditions was little changed at 22.9. The indexes for future new orders and future shipments edged lower. Employment and hours worked are expected to grow “modestly” in the months ahead.

The capital-expenditures index came in at 22.0, and the technology-spending index was little changed at 21.2.

The New York Fed distributes the Empire State Manufacturing Survey on the first day of each month to the same pool of about 200 manufacturing executives in New York. On average, about 100 executives return responses.

Coming Soon

Banks & Credit Unions, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Subscriber Only

Pictured is the new branch office that Empower Federal Credit Union is getting ready to open in Central Square. The new office, located at 3056 East Ave. (Route 49) in the village of Central Square, is slated to open in March, Empower said in a recent newsletter to its members. Empower currently has 22 branches

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