Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
VESTAL, N.Y. — An artisanal pizza place will open in Vestal on Thursday. Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza, will open for business at 3714 Vestal Parkway
People news: Sonostics hires Waszkiewicz as clinical director
CAMILLUS, N.Y. — Sonostics, a Binghamton University spinoff company has announced the recent hiring of its new clinical director, Tina Waszkiewicz, who will oversee the
SUNY Broome to use federal funding to launch aircraft-maintenance degree program
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — SUNY Broome Community College will use federal funding of $150,000 to develop an aircraft-maintenance degree program. The funding is allocated through the

Barton & Loguidice acquires Hudson Valley firm
SALINA, N.Y. — Barton & Loguidice, D.P.C. (B&L), a Salina–based engineering firm, announced it has acquired Eberlin & Eberlin, P.C., a planning and landscape-architecture company
State proposes areas for federal economic opportunity zones
ALBANY, N.Y. — Empire State Development (ESD) has recommended 514 census tracts to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for designation as Opportunity Zones, a

MVHS nursing leadership team receives state association award
UTICA — On March 18, members of the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) nursing leadership team received the New York Organization of Nursing Executives and Leaders (NYONEL) Claire Murray Best Practices Award, MVHS announced. The team was honored for its abstract, entitled “Mohawk Valley Health System: Implementing the ABCDEF Bundle in ICU: Enacting Meaningful Change,”
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
UTICA — On March 18, members of the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) nursing leadership team received the New York Organization of Nursing Executives and Leaders (NYONEL) Claire Murray Best Practices Award, MVHS announced.
The team was honored for its abstract, entitled “Mohawk Valley Health System: Implementing the ABCDEF Bundle in ICU: Enacting Meaningful Change,” at the NYONEL business meeting in Tarrytown, New York, according to an MVHS news release.
Critically ill or injured patients are often the most challenging to manage due to the complex nature of their illness/injury. The use of a bundle approach to providing evidence-based care has been shown to decrease unintended consequences that can occur with hospitalization and improve quality and patient outcomes, the release explained.
The NYONEL program committee received more than 35 submissions, and the MVHS abstract was one of six selected for the regional award.
Community Bank names Houghton branch manager of its Cazenovia office
CAZENOVIA — Community Bank N.A. announced it has promoted Barbara Houghton to VP and branch manager of its Cazenovia office. In her new role, Houghton will oversee the daily operations of the branch, which is located at 48 Albany St. in Cazenovia. Tasks will include ensuring quality customer service and managing the branch’s compliance with
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
CAZENOVIA — Community Bank N.A. announced it has promoted Barbara Houghton to VP and branch manager of its Cazenovia office.
In her new role, Houghton will oversee the daily operations of the branch, which is located at 48 Albany St. in Cazenovia. Tasks will include ensuring quality customer service and managing the branch’s compliance with operating policies, procedures, and outside regulatory requirements.
Houghton has been with Community Bank since 2015 and served the Cazenovia market since 2006, according to a Community Bank news release. Most recently, she served as business development officer for the bank, responsible for facilitating new commercial and real-estate business.
Before joining Community Bank, Houghton was an AVP with Oneida Savings Bank since 2006, according to her LinkedIn profile. Community Bank’s parent company, Community Bank System Inc. (NYSE: CBU), acquired Oneida Savings Bank’s parent, Oneida Financial Corp., in 2015.
Community Bank’s Cazenovia branch had nearly $89 million in total customer deposits as of June 30, 2017, according to the latest FDIC statistics.
Outside of the office, Houghton is active in her community as a member of the Cazenovia Chamber of Commerce and Morrisville Area Improvement Network.
Community Bank System has more than 230 branches across upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont, and western Massachusetts. Headquartered in DeWitt, the banking company has more than $10 billion in assets.
Some recent tweets that came across the @cnybj Twitter feed, offering various small business, HR, career, personal, and social-media/tech tips. Meghan Monaghan @MeghanMonaghan1Small businesses with blogs generate 126% more leads. #contentmarketing #smallbiz NFIB @NFIBAccording to our latest Optimism Index, #taxes received the fewest votes as #smallbiz’s number-one problem since 1982: http://nfib.com/sboi SBA_UpstateNY @SbaUpstatenyWhen Binghamton #entrepreneur
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Some recent tweets that came across the @cnybj Twitter feed, offering various small business, HR, career, personal, and social-media/tech tips.
Meghan Monaghan @MeghanMonaghan1
Small businesses with blogs generate 126% more leads. #contentmarketing #smallbiz
NFIB @NFIB
According to our latest Optimism Index, #taxes received the fewest votes as #smallbiz’s number-one problem since 1982: http://nfib.com/sboi
SBA_UpstateNY @SbaUpstateny
When Binghamton #entrepreneur Ranga Ranganathan was ready to purchase #manufacturer Nielsen Hardware, he handled the financing with a ‘five-layer-cake’ from @SBAgov, @keybank, @NYBDCLoans and more. Read his story: http://ow.ly/GdSf30joJFr
Susan Gilbert @SusanGilbert
Instagram for Business: 3 Quick Tips for Small Businesses Success (2018) https://youtu.be/hwtmtt8fElw via @PegFitzpatrick #mobilemarketing @smallbiz
John Drury @JDBizMentor
14 Powerful Leadership Traits (That All Great Leaders Have) https://www.lifehack.org/674245/14-powerful-leadership-traits-that-all-great-leaders-have?ref=category_page_latest_section_post_674245 #businessmentor #smallbusiness #growthmindset
Mark C. Crowley @MarkCCrowley
Whenever they make mistake or bad decision, wise leaders just own it. They don’t place blame on other people or on their circumstances. They take the learning from it & move on.
OneCoWork @onecowork_bcn
9 #tips to gain #confidence in your #career https://goo.gl/NLe4eF
BeyondAthleticTraining @beyond_at
Time management is a skill necessary to be a successful student and professional. You can start building good habits during your academic years that will assist you throughout your career.
Britany Michelle @SingingGemini16
Take a look at this list of #healthyeating #tips: http://hlty.us/3ts6
Andrea Blasdale @ab_RPO
You should always keep your #LinkedIn profile up to date and fresh. Here are some #tips to keep up.
https://buff.ly/2v9QH9p
Hannah Morgan @careersherpa
What Kind of LinkedIn Magic Gets You to the Top of a Search? These are some really simple things you can do to improve your LinkedIn experience as well! https://buff.ly/2ENCWNl by @waynebreitbarth #LinkedIn
Mitch Mitchell @Mitch_M
4 Bad Pieces Of #SEO Linking Advice You’ve Been Told https://youtu.be/7AJnJMVNNNc #backlinks #anchorlinks #internallinking #blogging #webpages

West Middle School Apartments open in vacant Auburn building
AUBURN — The previously vacant West Middle School at 217 Genesee St. in Auburn has been redeveloped with apartments inside. New York on April 16 announced the formal opening of West Middle School Apartments, a three-story development with 59 apartments for area residents. The $20 million project includes 15 units with “mental-health support services,” the
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
AUBURN — The previously vacant West Middle School at 217 Genesee St. in Auburn has been redeveloped with apartments inside.
New York on April 16 announced the formal opening of West Middle School Apartments, a three-story development with 59 apartments for area residents.
The $20 million project includes 15 units with “mental-health support services,” the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release.
“This a transformative project for the City of Auburn. West Middle School Apartments replaces a vacant and unused building with attractive and affordable homes that will strengthen the neighborhood as a whole,” Auburn Mayor Michael Quill said in Cuomo’s release.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has provided $7.6 million in financing for the project in the form of tax-exempt bond financing and a subsidy loan. HCR’s annual federal tax-credit allocation generated $6.5 million in tax-credit equity. Additional capital funding includes $4.4 million from the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), as well as federal and state historic tax-credit equity.
OMH is also providing long term, debt-service payments, startup funds, and ongoing services and operating funding.
West Middle School Apartments features a community room, laundry area, and on-site parking. Crews preserved many of the school’s original features, including original artwork and lockers that line the halls. In addition, the school auditorium remains intact and is available for public events.
The “supportive-housing” residents will receive on-site services from Unity House of Cayuga County, a nonprofit organization founded in 1977 and designed to “enrich the lives of people with disabilities.” Unity House’s headquarters have transitioned into new office space in the building as well.
Roll Roll Ice Cream opens at Destiny USA
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A new shop at Destiny USA is offering a twist on ice cream. Roll Roll Ice Cream, on the second level in
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.