People news: Dermody, Burke & Brown hires Bellinger in New Hartford office

Get our email updates

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

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — Dermody, Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC announced it has recently hired Charlene Bellinger as an associate in its New Hartford office.

Jefferson County hotel occupancy rises more than 2 percent in December and 2018 full year

Subscriber Only

WATERTOWN— Hotels in Jefferson County saw more guests in December compared to a year ago, per a recent report. The hotel occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county rose 2.1 percent to 35.4 percent in December from 34.7 percent in the year-prior month, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Onondaga County hotel occupancy rate dips 1 percent in December

Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Hotels in Onondaga County welcomes slightly fewer guests in December compared to the year-ago month, according to a new report. The hotel occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county fell 1 percent to 39.3 percent in December from 39.7 percent a year earlier, according to STR, a

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Corporate computer training company leases space at First Republic Office Park in Salina

Subscriber Only

SALINA — New Horizons at Logical Operations, which offers corporate computer training, has relocated its Syracuse–area office from DeWitt to Salina. New Horizons leased 2,833 square feet of office space at First Republic Office Park at 445 Electronics Parkway. Ed Kiesa and Bill Anninos of CBRE/Syracuse were the exclusive listing agents in the lease, according

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

CNY Tweets – January 28, 2019

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

Some recent tweets that came across the @cnybj Twitter feed, offering various tech, social media, HR, career, and personal tips. SANS CyberDefense @SANSDefenseOrganizations are moving to the cloud at a staggering rate, often with little regard for security controls. Learn how to address this challenge at #SANSCloudSummit | More Information: http://www.sans.org/u/Kiz PwC @PwCThe impact of

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Some recent tweets that came across the @cnybj Twitter feed, offering various tech, social media, HR, career, and personal tips.

SANS CyberDefense @SANSDefense
Organizations are moving to the cloud at a staggering rate, often with little regard for security controls. Learn how to address this challenge at #SANSCloudSummit | More Information: http://www.sans.org/u/Kiz

PwC @PwC
The impact of #AI means we need to change the skillsets of new hires, but also the mindset of senior leaders – @Bob_Moritz on the new #CEOSurvey. Get the full report: https://pwc.to/22ndCEOSurvey

SocialKNX @SocialKNX
A Recipe for Social Markting Success: http://bit.ly/1GqHSYD #ContentMarketing #SocialMedia

Bmoozd @bmoozd
Are you looking to increase your social media engagement? Start with this quick guide. http://ow.ly/KGLz30nihKD

Javier Castillo @javierccastillo
The Best Time to Post on #Instagram in 2019 (and the Worst) http://bit.ly/2R1GKAT

Phoenix Staff @phoenixstaff
If you’re wondering how to use LinkedIn to find a job, these concrete tips give you your best chance at finding employment on LinkedIn: https://read.bi/2HrQepi

Dave Ulrich @dave_ulrich
LATEST BLOG: #HR professionals often miss the most important contribution they can make to employees: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-most-important-contribution-hr-delivers-employees-dave-ulrich/

Mitch Mitchell @Mitch_M
Leaders Should Earn Trust And Vice Versa http://www.ttmitchellconsulting.com/Mitchblog/leaders-should-earn-trust-and-vice-versa/ … #leadership

Mark C. Crowley @MarkCCrowley
|Orgs that made little effort to improve employee #engagement these last few years will inevitably pay the price. Whether it’s a failure to adapt to market disruption or to the coming technological revolution, their low-motivation people will prove to be a drag.

VIP Structures @VIPStructures
Considering a career in #construction? Check out these 6 benefits of working in construction: https://buff.ly/2FolgNw

Hannah Morgan @careersherpa
Why Use Pictures, Images and Video? It’s all about personal branding and getting people to notice you! https://buff.ly/2RIfSLu #onlinevisibility

Julie WinkleGiulioni @Julie_WG
Exceptional #career navigators forego the ego & shed the moniker of ‘expert’ in service of learning and growing. https://buff.ly/2RDgaCY @CareersNetwork @TheEconomist

Adjusters Intl. @AdjustersIntl
Winter Weather – What Will Your Property Insurance Cover? What Will It Exclude? http://ow.ly/9Cu930nmYdU #WinterStormHarper #Noreaster #Blizzard #Harper

Gabriel @grezonzew
Regardless of how out-of-shape you feel, it is never too late to achieve your #fitness goals. Begin with simple exercise before adding intensity

Syracuse Mayor Walsh details “Syracuse Surge” economic plan

Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh says the “Syracuse Surge” is a “big plan, probably the biggest economic growth initiative ever put forth by the City of Syracuse” Walsh said his administration has been working with its partners in government, business, and the nonprofit community to make it happen. He used his second State of

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SYRACUSE — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh says the “Syracuse Surge” is a “big plan, probably the biggest economic growth initiative ever put forth by the City of Syracuse”

Walsh said his administration has been working with its partners in government, business, and the nonprofit community to make it happen.

He used his second State of the City address on Jan. 17 to provide details about the “Syracuse Surge.”

Walsh delivered his speech at the Redhouse Performing Arts Center at 400 S. Salina St. in Syracuse.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo a few days earlier also mentioned the “Syracuse Surge” in his State of the State address, but provided only a few details.

The Syracuse Surge is the plan “to make Syracuse a world leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution” and “jumpstart investment to create economic growth, shared prosperity and neighborhood transformation,” Walsh said.

Earlier in his remarks, Walsh described the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” as one that “depends on connectivity — to one another, to jobs, to the internet, devices and data.”

The Syracuse Surge “will be fueled by more than $200 million in public and private funding committed already,” Walsh noted.

“Southside Campus for the New Economy”

The Syracuse Surge “will rise on a signature investment: The Southside Campus for the New Economy,” said Walsh.

It’ll include several properties in the area Southeast of downtown, “leveraging the momentum created by more than $125 million invested there over the last six years.”

“The campus will have best-in-class broadband and the ability to seamlessly pull data from sensors across the City, enabling unparalleled opportunities to teach and learn in innovative new secondary, post-secondary and vocational programs,” Walsh said.

The City of Syracuse has formed a new organization, Blueprint15, to develop a “bold vision for the holistic revitalization of this neighborhood,” Walsh noted.

The City in partnership with the Syracuse Housing Authority, Syracuse City School District, the Allyn Foundation, and community leaders and residents, “intends to restore the neighborhood to a place of hope and optimism that was the hallmark of the old 15th ward,” he added.

STEAM school

A new regional Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math, or STEAM, will be the “predominant” feature of the campus school. It will be built in a fully restored and modernized former Central High School.

The school — planned in a partnership between the City, Onondaga County, Syracuse City School District and Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES) — will “capitalize on the city’s successes” in career and technical education, making it available to students from districts throughout the region.

Additionally, the Southside Campus will house an expanded workforce-development center in the “fully renovated and expanded” SUNY Educational Opportunity Center complex adjacent to the STEAM school.

New street lights

The first step in “Syracuse Surge” has already been taken, Walsh said in his remarks.

The City of Syracuse is purchasing more than 17,500 street lights that are located throughout the city. The street lights will provide more than $3 million in annual savings for the City’s operating budget, “based on maintenance and energy efficiencies.”

“We will know the moment a light goes out, allowing us to provide a better, proactive service,” Walsh said.

As Walsh continued, he announced that, in partnership Gov. Cuomo and the New York Power Authority, the City has selected Bedford, Massachusetts–based CIMCON Lighting, as well as New York City–based Presidio and San Jose, California–based Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), to implement the street-light project and also “to make Syracuse the flagship smart city in New York State.”

CIMCON is a provider of intelligent wireless outdoor lighting, Walsh noted.

As Walsh described it, “being a ‘smart city’ increasingly means leveraging technology to advance our economy and create opportunity for all of our citizens.”

New York Center for Smart Cities

The New York Center for Smart Cities will be a “first of its kind space in the state and in the country.” It will be home to a municipal command center, where practitioners from across regional-government departments can learn from the data captured by the street-light network in order to make “better” real-time decisions on the best way to deploy municipal resources.

For example, in the case of a major building fire, the municipal command center would be able to quickly pull up the history of incidents at that property.

Center City Innovation Hub

The Center City Innovation Hub is an “expansion of the innovation infrastructure” at the southern end of downtown with Warren Street serving as its “spine.”

Walsh noted the growth of companies, such as TCG Player and SpinCar, which are operating in that area.

The Center City Innovation Hub will provide the infrastructure necessary for “ongoing growth of our innovation economy.” Future plans include expanding the Tech Garden and “executing major improvements” to the streetscape around AXA plaza and the “nearby convention district.”

Food distributor purchases Geddes manufacturing facility for $700,000

Subscriber Only

GEDDES — Deli-Boy Properties, LLC, associated with food distributor Deli-Boy Inc., recently purchased the 32,696-square-foot manufacturing facility on 2.4 acres at 1225 State Fair Blvd. in the town of Geddes for $700,000. Mark Rupprecht and Marty Dowd of CBRE/Syracuse, and Lynnelle Noll of CBRE/Baltimore, Maryland, were the exclusive listing agents in this transaction, according to

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Everson Museum of Art opens Danial Family Education Center

Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The Everson Museum of Art recently announced the opening of its newly renovated and newly named Danial Family Education Center. The 3,000-square-foot Danial Family Education Center features flexible class spaces, a new kiln, parent lounge, and gallery walls to feature student work. “With innovative educational programs and events that provide individuals with meaningful

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SYRACUSE — The Everson Museum of Art recently announced the opening of its newly renovated and newly named Danial Family Education Center.

The 3,000-square-foot Danial Family Education Center features flexible class spaces, a new kiln, parent lounge, and gallery walls to feature student work. “With innovative educational programs and events that provide individuals with meaningful interactions with art, the newly renovated Education Center’s programs help to make art accessible to people of all ages and abilities,” the museum said in a news release.

The renovations have allowed the museum to increase its number of classes and events, offering year-round opportunities to children, teens, and adults.

“Our museum is committed to providing individuals of all ages with the opportunity to unleash their inner artist through hands-on experiences with art,” Elizabeth Dunbar, director and CEO of the Everson Museum of Art, said in the release. “The newly renovated Danial Family Education Center will provide the Syracuse and Central New York communities with new opportunities to learn and be creative.”

Renovation of the education center was made possible by contributions totaling more than $583,000 through the “The Everson. First and Forever” fundraising campaign. Eleven young families, including lead donors Patrick and Jessica Danial, supported the education-center renovation. Patrick Danial is co-founder and CTO of Terakeet, an enterprise SEO firm based in downtown Syracuse, and Jessica Danial is chair of the board of trustees of the Everson Museum of Art. They donated $500,000 toward this effort.

“We believe that the Everson is a world-class art institution that provides our community with incredible opportunities to learn through its educational programming,” Jessica Danial said in the release. “It is inspiring to see young families support the Everson initiatives that emphasize the importance of arts education for individuals of all ages.”

The Everson Museum of Art held a dedication ceremony on Jan. 6 at 12 p.m. to celebrate the education center’s new spaces and new name.

The Danial Family Education Center is located in the Everson’s 60,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 1968. The Everson is I.M. Pei’s first museum design and houses more than 10,000 artworks and hosts over 80,000 visitors each year.

How to Get Started with your Idea for a Food Business

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

The holidays are over, and as we reflect on the weight gain, credit card debt, and family get togethers, one thing may be sticking out in your head. At least everyone loved my recipe for “fill in the blank.” Maybe you are thinking that you should take your recipe that your family and friends adored so

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Well, let’s take a closer look at all that is involved to take your idea for a food business and make it a reality.

1) Certified preparation space —

Commercial Kitchen vs. Home Processing. Depending on what you plan to make, the local health department may be able to certify your home kitchen for product preparation and packaging. Item categories that can be made from a home-certified kitchen can be found at this link along with guidelines for what cannot be made from home: https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/FS/consumer/FSI-898D_Home_Processor.pdf.

You can call and discuss your specifics with the Onondaga County Health Department. Here is a link to obtain applications for special permits you may need before you get started: http://www.ongov.net/health/communitysanitation.html. If you find that you are not able to process from home, other options would include paying to rent space in an already established and Health Department-certified kitchen. This could include places like the Co-Kitchen (www.cokitchen.com) located on North Salina Street in Syracuse. Alternatively, you can partner with local churches, community centers, fire stations, or already established restaurants that you could work from during their off-hours. Note: you will need to obtain business-liability insurance before you are able to work from any already established certified commercial kitchen and register that as your working space with the Onondaga County Health Department.

2) Funding — Food is risky business and you will face many competitors. Many startups will need to be self-funded. Most lenders will not normally provide business loans in this early startup phase. So, before you sign up for a commercial space or get insurance, take the time to do your research and calculate startup costs. This could include inventory, supplies, equipment, packaging, marketing materials, paid labor, insurance, permits, vendor fees, kitchen fees, and more. Working with a business advisor can help you assess the financial feasibility of your idea to be sure it will be able to sustain itself long term before you invest your hard-earned savings.

3) Where to sell — The most common space to test your product and get consumer feedback are farmers’ markets. Many towns and villages have their own markets at different days and times. The largest in the area is the CNY Regional Market located in Syracuse, near Destiny USA. To find out what it takes to become a vendor with them, you can see a list of the market’s requirements here: http://cnyrma.com/become-a-vendor/. Beyond farmers’ markets, you can establish a wholesale pricelist and approach other businesses to buy from you, or you can open a brick and mortar retail location. Anyway you plan on it, prepare to give out a lot of free samples as an upfront startup cost to get people to try your product and to build your name recognition.

4) Competition — When examining competition, take the time to look at both direct and indirect competitors. Research those that are selling the same products as you versus those that may be in your same genre of food, but offer something that is not similar to your products. Think Burger King vs. McDonald’s as an example of direct competitors. Meanwhile, Burger King vs. Applebee’s is an example of indirect competitors. Learn all that you can about your competitors — their menu, prices, packaging, advertising strategies, and social- media accounts. This will help you determine what you can do to set your company apart from the competition, what makes you unique, then build your advertising and branding on the unique proposition offer to the consumer.

5) Marketing strategies — Low to no cost is what everyone wants, but you need to budget for this in your startup projections and at the very least factor in business cards, product labels, and packaging to coincide with your company branding to set yourself apart from your competition. Beyond these basics, it’s critical to network and attend events where you can get your product into the mouths of consumers. Tie this in with some social-media marketing strategies on Instagram and Facebook and you are off to a good, low-cost start. However, don’t forget to factor in the cost of all those “free samples” and include that in your marketing budget.

To meet the “foodpreneurial” demand we see here in Central New York, the Onondaga Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has created a unique set of workshops to further educate those thinking of starting a food business or for existing food businesses who may need further assistance in one or all of these crucial areas in food business.

The next workshop in the Food Product Bootcamp workshop series will be held in early February. Here’s the workshop lineup:

• Feb. 5 & 7 — Messaging a Food Brand

• March 12 & 14 — Running a Great Farmers Market Booth

• April 9 & 11 — Selling Direct to Consumers

• May 14 & 16 — Selling Wholesale

• June 11 & 13 — Defining Your Market

To learn more about or sign up for any of these workshops, visit: www.onondagasbdc.org/food-bootcamp.html

Feel confident in knowing that a bounty of resources and mentors are located right here in Central New York. So after considering these key areas, think about what makes your food product unique and ponder whether it is feasible, needed, and properly planned out. If so, take the leap and make your proprietary recipe into something all of us can enjoy in the years to come.

Keyona Kelly is a certified business advisor at the Small Business Development Center located at Onondaga Community College. Contact her at k.r.kelly@sunyocc.edu.

Rome Memorial Hospital to use $1.3M donation for new cardiovascular centerRome Memorial Hospital to use $1.3M donation for new cardiovascular center

Subscriber Only

ROME — Rome Hospital Foundation announced it has received a donation for $1.3 million from the Dorothy G. Griffin Charitable Foundation to support the opening of a new cardiovascular center at Rome Memorial Hospital. The foundation said it’s the largest donation it has received in its 24-year history. “We are incredibly grateful to the Dorothy

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

“We are incredibly grateful to the Dorothy G. Griffin Charitable Foundation for their extremely generous and transformational contribution,” Becky D’Aiuto, executive director of the Rome Hospital Foundation, said in a news release. “Rome Hospital Foundation works every day to support the hospital in their mission to provide quality care close to home. We have been fortunate that Dorothy G. Griffin shared in and supported the importance of that mission.”

The cardiovascular center at Rome Memorial Hospital will be named in honor of Dorothy G. Griffin. The Dorothy G. Griffin Cardiovascular Center will provide the “optimal” space, medical equipment, and technology necessary to provide expanded cardiac services for the residents of the Greater Rome community, the foundation said. Cardiologists from St. Joseph’s Health and Central New York Cardiology will provide care to their patients at the cardiovascular center.

“The statistics related to the impact of heart disease are staggering and the needs for cardiac care increase every year,” David Lundquist, Rome Memorial Hospital president and CEO, said in the release. “The ability to open a cardiovascular center in Rome will allow us to expand our cardiac care services to meet our patient needs.”

Dorothy G. Griffin, along with her brother Bill, operated a multi-million-dollar business in Rome, Varflex Corporation. Bill Griffin continues to run the business, which manufactures braided fiberglass electrical insulating sleeving. Dorothy Griffin, who passed away in March 2015, was an active community advocate who recognized the needs of the community and was committed to giving back to the area where she had helped grow a successful business, per the release. Rome Hospital Foundation said it named its leadership-giving program as a tribute to her generosity.

Rome Hospital Foundation is a separate 501 (c)(3) organization that accepts gifts on behalf of Rome Memorial Hospital and works to fund both present and future equipment and program needs.

Get our email updates

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

Get our email updates

What's New

Upcoming Events

Annual Nonprofit Conference 2026

Tompkins Chamber Small Business Roundtable

Tompkins Chamber Business After Hours

CNYBJ Job Board

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get our email updates