SYRACUSE — Building projects, expansions, company acquisitions, leadership changes, company moves, and new businesses — The Central New York Business Journal reviews, week-by-week, some of the stories that made our headlines in 2016.

January
(1/4) New York manufacturers indicated business conditions in their sector were difficult during the second half of 2015. However, some respondents in a monthly survey believed those conditions would improve in 2016. The most recent Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index improved to -4.6 in December from -10.7 in November.

Cowboys Saloon American Bar & Grill, which plans to open in Destiny USA, has chosen Sunrise, Florida–based Eclipse Building Corporation to oversee the renovation project in its operating space It will take over a 14,000-square-foot portion of the space that Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill abruptly vacated in 2015 after it had “serious financial issues,” according to Eclipse.

The Sunoco ethanol-manufacturing plant in Volney unveiled plans for a barley-malting facility that the company believes will be “integral to the growth of the state’s craft-beer industry.” The plant will use a state grant of $700,000 to help pay for the new $9.1 million facility, Sunoco said.

(1/11) Syracuse University (SU) is working to select a firm to “conceptualize, design, and construct” the new National Veterans Resource Complex (NVRC). SU in December, 2015 announced the launch of an international design competition to select the firm that will handle the NVRC’s architectural, landscape, and engineering design.

Oswego Valley Insurance Agencies, LLC (OVIA) started 2016 with a new employee and hundreds of new accounts. OVIA acquired the Banach Insurance Agency of Pulaski in a transaction that took effect Jan. 1. The agency didn’t release any financial terms of the acquisition.

Upstate Medical University said it would use a state grant of up to $2.35 million over five years to expand its work on diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease. The award from the New York State Department of Health also includes Upstate Medical’s designation as a “center of excellence” for Alzheimer’s disease, the medical school said.

(1/18) JADAK, LLC, a Cicero–based technology supplier, acquired the assets of Denver, Colorado–based SkyeTek for $2.6 million. SkyeTek is a provider of “embedded and standalone” UHF RFID products for original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs). JADAK is a Cicero–based supplier of high frequency RFID, optical-data collection, and machine-vision technologies for OEMs in medical, security, gaming, and kiosk industries.

The new advanced-manufacturing institute (AMI) at Cayuga Community College (CCC) said it will provide training for any student interested in entering a high-tech, plastics technology or advanced-manufacturing career. The school formally opened the AMI at its Auburn campus during an event held Jan. 7.

(1/25) G&C Food Distributors & Brokers, Inc. (G&C Foods) announced plans to acquire its Van Buren food-distribution facility, expand, and upgrade it, and add 85 employees over the next 18 to 24 months. G&C Food is a food service re-distributor of refrigerated, frozen, and dry food. It had been leasing the 276,000-square-foot warehouse that P&C Foods previously used.

Metro Fitness Health Club added a second location at 6800 East Genesee St. in the town of DeWitt. Metro Fitness is operating in the space that Koinonia, Fayetteville Athletic Club previously occupied. Koinonia moved to a different space in the same building.

February
(2/1) Baseball great Pete Rose on Jan. 22 discussed his lifetime ban from Major League Baseball with local reporters at the Oncenter in downtown Syracuse. Rose served as the keynote speaker at the Syracuse Chiefs’ 2016 Hot Stove Dinner & Charity Fundraiser. More than 900 people attended the event, the Chiefs said.

(2/8) Whelan & Curry Construction Services Inc. says project manager Chris Corfield is taking over Michael Curry’s part ownership of the company. Corfield acquired Curry’s stock and now owns 47 percent of the commercial-construction management company. Company president Roger Whelan holds the remaining stock in the firm.

CEO confidence across Upstate New York in 2015 declined about 15 points compared to 2014, but was on par with 2013. That’s according to the Upstate New York Business Leader Survey that the Siena (College) Research Institute (SRI) released Jan. 22. At 94.8, the overall index was down from 110.4 last year and nearly identical to 94.6 in 2013.

The State University of New York (SUNY) awarded Upstate Medical University a grant that the school will use to establish “precision medicine.” Upstate Medical will use the grant of $575,000 to launch the SUNY Institute for Precision Cancer Research, Education and Care (IPCREC), a new initiative of the medical school and its partners.

(2/15) TJMG Properties, LLC, a brokerage, development and management firm, acquired DeWitt–based Highlander Associates Ltd. in a deal that closed on Dec. 31, 2015. TJMG Properties, which operates at 209 Second St. in the village of Liverpool, didn’t disclose any terms of the acquisition.

Business Machines & Equipment, Inc. (BME) marked the start of 2016 by moving into its new corporate headquarters in New Hartford. Steve Mitchell, VP of sales and development, said the company has also been hiring, with two new employees with computer-science backgrounds joining BME’s workforce in the last year.

(2/22) A Tennessee–based company completed an asset acquisition of a Herkimer County–based retailer of manufactured and modular homes. G&I Homes, which has locations across upstate New York, is now part of Maryville, Tennessee–based Clayton Homes, which describes itself as one of America’s largest home builders.

Sitrin Health Care Center in New Hartford was preparing to open Sitrin NeuroCare, a 32-bed long-term care program for patients with Huntington’s disease and ALS. The expansion was expected to create 40 jobs.

(2/29) Salt City Coffee — which calls itself a sustainable coffee business offering hand-crafted, fresh-roasted coffee — planned to open its first café in late spring on Syracuse’s near westside. Owner Aaron Metthe was to rent a 1,200-square-foot space on the first floor of a 2,500-square-foot house at 509 W. Onondaga St.

An Ithaca firm that specializes in the design of athletic fields and facilities has a new owner. HMH Site & Sports Design has been acquired by LA Group, Landscape Architecture and Engineering, P.C. of Saratoga Springs. LA Group didn’t release any terms of the acquisition agreement.

Onondaga Physical Therapy opened a new location to provide its outpatient physical-therapy services on Syracuse’s east side. The new clinic, its fifth, opened its doors on Feb. 1 in DeWitt. It operates alongside Metro Fitness East at 6800 E. Genesee St., in the former Track & Racquet Club/Fitness Forum.

March
(3/7) Stewart’s Shops Corp. — a privately-owned, convenience-store chain headquartered near Saratoga Springs — planned to open a new Baldwinsville store in the summer, its second location in Onondaga County.

(3/14) Hartman Enterprises Inc. has outgrown is current 25,000-square-foot plant and is looking for a 50,000-square-foot replacement to accommodate its aggressive growth plan. The family-owned company, which produces precision-machined parts, has reached out to area industrial-development agencies for guidance.

Bank of America is expanding its services at the Horatio Street customer-contact center in Utica, adding 400 new positions to handle the growing national volume of 

calls. At the same time, the company is transferring 250 positions in research and adjustments and legal-order processing to locations in Atlanta and Newark, Delaware.

WAORGANY Brewing, LLC (pronounced WAR-guh-nee) plans to start operations in Evans Mills later this year. Paul Kilgore, owner and head brewer, says it’s “quite a long process.” Kilgore, a U.S. Army veteran, started home brewing beer in 1994.

Actor Kirk Douglas and his wife, Anne, announced they were donating $2 million to St. Lawrence University to further endow scholarships and to help maintain a residence hall named after the actor. Douglas, 99, graduated from St. Lawrence nearly 77 years ago.

(3/21) Kathryn Ruscitto said she was “almost at the end of all the goals that I set for myself” since joining St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in 2001. Ruscitto, the health-care organization’s president & CEO since 2011, announced her decision to retire at the end of 2016, following six years at the helm.

A 2.9 megawatt (MW) solar-electric project under construction in Ontario County will benefit Ithaca College, located about 40 miles away. The project will produce “clean, renewable and sustainable” energy for the college, lower its energy costs, and reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) contended.

Iannuzzo’s Karate & Kickboxing Fitness studio generated 18 percent revenue growth in 2015 and forecasted another double-digit increase this year, says Rick Iannuzzo, owner of the martial-arts school located near Moyers Corner in Clay.

(3/28) St. Joseph’s Health of Syracuse and Rome Memorial Hospital (RMH) on March 22 announced an affiliation agreement that RMH hopes will “expand access to care” in providing medical services in the Mohawk Valley.

Rochester–based Bonadio Group’s acquisition of Syracuse accounting firm Testone, Marshall & Discenza (TMD), which took effect Jan. 1, 2015, started what Bonadio says was a “record” year of hiring. The Bonadio Group added 183 new employees in 2015, including 52 recent college graduates.

April
(4/4) HCR Home Care, a Rochester–based home-care agency, opened a new office in DeWitt for its Central New York operations. The nearly 2,900-square-foot venue is located at 6007 Fair Lakes Road on the southern side of the New York State Thruway.

Benefit Design Services (BDS) Corp. generated nearly 15 percent more revenue in 2015 than in the previous year following a merger that it finalized in January of last year. BDS merged with L.A. Stewart Associates, a retirement-plan administration firm in Utica, following talks that started in 2014, says Kishan Perera, a partner in the DeWitt–based firm.

(4/11) A woman whose spouse grew up in Broome County will serve as the next president and CEO of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. Jennifer Conway, a graduate of Syracuse University, replaced Lou Santoni, who announced in December his plan to retire as chamber leader.

PAR Technology Corp. (NYSE: PAR) started business in the year’s second quarter with a search for a new CFO and fresh off another profitable year for the firm. Karen Sammon, president and CEO of PAR Technology, discussed both the dismissal of Michael Bartusek and the firm’s strong financial performance in a conference call on March 30 after the markets closed. Bartusek was “terminated for cause” in connection with unauthorized investments “made in contravention of the company’s policies and procedures involving company funds,” according to a PAR news release.

(4/18) CenterState CEO President & CEO Robert Simpson believes the area’s civic discourse has “descended to the lowest point” that he can recall since he returned to the area 13 years ago. The comments were part of his remarks to conclude the CenterState CEO annual meeting at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter in Syracuse on April 6.

Henderson Wholesale Lamps, LLC has a customer base that’s primarily in Onondaga County, but the firm would like to expand its footprint across Central New York. The company, which sells lighting to wholesale and commercial customers, is located in a 1,500-square-foot space at 1427 Milton Ave. in Solvay.

(4/25) SUNY Upstate Medical University plans to host a presidential symposium series entitled “Connected to the Future.” That’s according to Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena, who announced the symposium series during remarks that were part of her inauguration as Upstate Medical University’s 7th president. Upstate Medical held the event April 15 at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter.

Oswego Health and Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists, PC (SOS) on April 5 announced a “collaboration” that will bring SOS orthopedic surgeons to Oswego County to provide care. 

Syracuse University formally opened an experiential entrepreneurship program for all students and faculty on April 19 at Bird Library. The construction of the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library was fully funded with a $900,000 grant from the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, a New York City–based foundation devoted to supporting entrepreneurship globally.

Richard (Dick) Poppa, president and CEO of Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New York (IIABNY), announced he would retire at the end of 2016. Poppa (pronounced Poppy) has led the organization since 1996.

May
(5/2) Generations Bank plans to renovate its “flagship” branch office located at 19 Cayuga St. in Seneca Falls. The first phase of this two-phase, $1.2 million project was slated to begin April 25. The banking company expected to complete the office renovation this fall.

KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) on April 22 announced that three members of the First Niagara Financial Group (NASDAQ: FNFG) board would join its board of directors once the acquisition closes. They include Gary Crosby, who has been president and CEO of First Niagara since 2013.

Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU) reported net income of $24.4 million in the first quarter, up 9.4 percent from $22.3 million in the year-ago quarter, as it benefitted from the assets it acquired in its $158.5 million acquisition of Oneida Financial Corp.

(5/9) Upstate Medical University launched a program designed to address the global health issues that women face during pregnancy and infants deal with in early childhood. The initiative — known as the global maternal child and pediatric health program — will combine research, clinical trials, education, and training both in Syracuse and abroad, the medical school announced April 28.

(5/16) The fiscal-stress monitoring system of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli determined that the City of Syracuse isn’t considered “fiscally stressed,” based on its financial performance in 2015. It’s the third straight year that Syracuse isn’t labeled fiscally stressed, according to the comptroller.

The U.S. operations of a Chinese company began work in the Syracuse Technology Garden II in AXA Tower II in downtown Syracuse. SUNY Oswego is sponsoring Snow Dragon in part of its tax-free, START-UP NY space in the Tech Garden II. Snow Dragon is a firm that’s working to develop and market applications for finger-vein security authentication. 

(5/23) Chemung Canal Trust Co. of Elmira and its parent company are preparing a leadership transition with the announcement of an upcoming retirement and succession plan. Ronald Bentley, CEO of Chemung Canal Trust Company and Chemung Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: CHMG), plans to retire on Dec. 31. Upon his retirement, Anders Tomson, Chemung Canal’s current president and COO will replace Bentley as CEO, the banking company said.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) approved a contract award of $25,000 for F.O.C.U.S. Greater Syracuse and its partners to continue work on a project focused on aging in Central New York. F.O.C.U.S. announced its initial PCORI contract award of $15,000 in May 2015 at Upstate Medical University.

A Syracuse–based firm will continue providing Medicaid-transportation services to the Hudson Valley region. The New York State Department of Health has extended its contract with Medical Answering Services, LLC (MAS) for an additional five years, Russ Maxwell, CEO of MAS, announced in a press conference May 12.

(5/30) Central New York Sales and Marketing Executives (CNYSME) honored Allen Naples, senior VP and regional president of M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB), as the winner of the 2016 Crystal Ball Award. CNYSME bestows the award annually to a local businessperson for contributions to the sales and marketing profession as well as work in community development and support.

A new restaurant called Original Grain will open in the former Tim Hortons space of the Pike Block building at 302 S. Salina St. in Syracuse. Original Grain is described as “an eatery that makes you feel like a part of the food cycle, not just a consumer of it,” according to a news release that VIP Structures issued May 3.

Aspen Dental Management, Inc. (ADMI) plans to move its corporate office and nearly 600 employees to downtown Syracuse from its current location in DeWitt in late 2017.

The company is expected to move into the former Sibley’s department store building, now dubbed the City Center project, at 400 S. Salina St. in Syracuse. ADMI anticipates creating an estimated 400 new jobs at its new downtown headquarters by 2020.

June
(6/6) Gov. Andrew Cuomo on May 25 announced the launch of the State Fairgrounds privatization task force to evaluate options to “maximize” the state’s investment and “grow the region’s economy,” his office said. The group would evaluate privatizing the site to “leverage and expand” on the state’s $50 million investment.

The Crowne Plaza hotel, the cylindrical structure visible from Interstate 81 in downtown Syracuse, has a new owner. TJM Properties, Inc., a Clearwater, Florida–based real estate and hospitality firm, announced its purchase of the 276-room venue, a purchase that “expands its growing hotel portfolio.”

(6/13) Syracuse–based Terakeet and TCGplayer.com are expanding their workforces with some help from the state of New York. The firms are planning to create a total of 242 jobs, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced during a stop in the city on June 2. Terakeet, a software development, marketing and brand-strategy company, is investing $2.4 million, creating about 200 jobs, and retaining 150 existing positions. And, TCGplayer.com, an online-gaming marketplace, will invest $255,000 to expand its office and warehousing operations, creating 42 new jobs, and retaining 69 existing positions.

The Agency plans to build a business and economic-development center at the south entrance of the SUNY Broome Community College campus in the town of Dickinson. The 17,000-square-foot, “one-stop” facility will include the Agency’s headquarters and house other economic and business-development partners, the Agency said.

Johnson Brothers Lumber Company has finished work on a 20,000-square-foot lumber-production facility in Canastota. The company invested more than $1.7 million and exceeded its commitment to create at least 10 new jobs, Empire State Development said in announcing completion of the company expansion. Johnson Brothers Lumber is a Cazenovia–based supplier of hardwood for the furniture industry.

(6/20) The 2016 UTM convention was scheduled for Nov. 8-10 at various sites in the Syracuse area and Griffiss International Airport in Rome. UTM stands for unmanned-aircraft system (UAS) traffic management (UTM), a NASA-led research effort that seeks to “safely” integrate low-altitude unmanned aircraft (such as drones) into the national airspace. Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO announced the convention during a June 9 event at SRC, Inc. (the former Syracuse Research Corporation) in the town of Cicero.

Entrepreneurs, startup companies, and early-stage technology businesses have until Sept. 16 to apply to participate in the state-supported Genius NY competition that CenterState CEO is administering. The program will invest more than $4 million in participating companies, including three grand prizes valued at up to $1 million, $600,000 and $400,000, “making it one of the largest business competitions in the world,” the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo contended.

Syracuse–based Bousquet Holstein on May 11 announced the formation of the practice group that focuses on the legal issues surrounding the commercial and recreational use of small UAVs. Bousquet Holstein formed its drones practice group to work alongside clients to help them “successfully navigate the newly developing” legal and regulatory issues while pursuing opportunities for expanded commercial use of drone or UAS technology. 

(6/27) St. Joseph’s Health on June 20 dedicated and renamed its North side training center in honor of Sarah and the late Richard (Dick) Pietrafesa. The center, located in a former HSBC Bank branch location, operates at 500 N. Salina St. at the intersection with Butternut Street. The Pietrafesa family has been part of Syracuse’s North side community since the early 1900s, St. Joseph’s Health said.

Price Rite announced plans to open a store at 611 South Ave. in Syracuse, expanding on a property that Jubilee Homes of Syracuse, Inc. has owned since 2009. The new store will be known as Price Rite of Southwest Syracuse. The grocery store has been working with the nonprofit Jubilee Homes to bring a store to an area that’s designated as a “food desert.”

Crews are finishing work on Catering at the Zoo, the banquet facility at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnett Park. The $300,000 project included construction of a new, 2.400-square-foot outdoor patio and interior improvements on the 3,000-square-foot banquet room, says Janet Agostini, president and CEO of Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

July
(7/4) The Bonadio Group announced a succession plan that will have Thomas (Tom) Bonadio, the firm’s founder, “handing over the CEO role in three years.” The firm’s partners voted to have long-time employee Bruce Zicari assume the role of CEO on May 1, 2019. Besides the CEO succession, the firm announced that Mario Urso became chairman of the Bonadio Group’s board of directors on May 1.

(7/11) Construction continued at Upstate University Hospital to create a new pediatric emergency department, scheduled to open in August. The new $3 million pediatric emergency department will be about twice as large as the existing department, and feature 18 private exam rooms with capacity for 24 patients, according to the hospital.

Photo Research, a firm that originated in California, moved most of its operations to Cicero in a merger with technology supplier JADAK, LLC. Both companies have the same parent company, Novanta (NASDAQ: NOVT), a Bedford, Massachusetts–based business formerly called GSI Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: GSIG).

Information-technology firm Annese & Associates Inc. recently relocated its offices in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. The Clifton Park, New York–based firm moved its Syracuse–area office to 5000 Campuswood Dr. in DeWitt. It had previously operated at 100 Elwood Davis Road in Salina for about 20 years. The company also started operations at 421 Broad St. in Utica in early May. That office had previously operated at 4781 State Route 5 West in Herkimer since the firm’s inception in 1970.

(7/18) Vera House Inc., a prominent local nonprofit that helps victims of domestic and sexual violence, plans to buy a nearly 15,000-square-foot building at 723 James St. in Syracuse that will serve as the organization’s new headquarters in 2017. The organization has operated in a 10,000-square-foot structure at 6181 Thompson Road in DeWitt since November 2005. 

Syracuse University on July 12 formally introduced John Wildhack as its new athletics director (AD) to the public during an event at the George R. Iocolano and William C. Petty Football Wing. Wildhack, a 1980 Syracuse alumnus, worked for ESPN for nearly 36 years. He ended his time at ESPN as the network’s executive VP for programming and production, a role he’d held since January 2014.

Rural/Metro Ambulance, which is changing its name to AMR (American Medical Response), recently relocated its administration, operations, training, and vehicle facility from West Onondaga Street in Syracuse to more than 38,000 square feet of leased commercial space on Richmond Avenue.

The Hutchings Psychiatric Center formally opened its renovated Madison Street Clinic at 660 Madison St. in Syracuse. The clinic is now the largest adult-outpatient clinic in the area, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) said. The clinic plans to add primary health-care services to the existing behavioral-health services that Hutchings Psychiatric Center provides.

(7/25) Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) announced plans to invest $100 million to build a regional distribution facility at the Broome County Corporate Park in the town of Conklin. The investment will create 466 full-time jobs over the next five years in the Southern Tier, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney joined U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) in his July 18 visit to Onondaga Lake Park where he said he would pursue a $10 million federal grant to complete the trail system that would “Loop the Lake.” Schumer said he wants to secure a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Utica’s newest walk-in health-care clinic opened to patients in early July. Primary Urgent Care on July 5 formally launched operations at 1908 Genesee St. in Utica. The space was previously home to Mohawk Valley Health System’s Genesee Urgent Care and Independent Urgent Care, says Jeremy Enck, CEO of Primary Urgent Care.

August
(8/1) KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) closed on its $4.1 billion acquisition of Buffalo–based First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNFG). KeyCorp, the Cleveland, Ohio–based parent of KeyBank, first announced the acquisition on Oct. 30, 2015. It will include the addition of about 300 branches in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, giving Key more than 1,200 branches throughout its 15 state footprint.

Oswego won one of the $10 million awards in New York State’s $100 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). Oswego won the top prize for the Central New York region. Oswego Mayor William Barlow, Jr. called it “an important day for the future of our region’s economy.”

Upstate University Hospital has spent the past five years fully integrating its July 2011 acquisition of Community General Hospital, which is now known as Upstate’s Community campus at 4900 Broad Road in the town of Onondaga. Dr. John McCabe, CEO of Upstate University Hospital, called the acquisition a “very good match” because both organizations benefited.

(8/8) Federal and state authorities ordered St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center to pay $3.2 million after its comprehensive psychiatric emergency program (CPEP) sought Medicaid payments for mental-health services that were “rendered by unqualified staff.” The Syracuse hospital violated the federal and New York False Claims Act in making the false claims for payment to New York’s Medicaid program, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Aug. 1. He made the announcement with U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian.

Nearly 30 area high-school girls who participated in a summer camp meant to encourage the young women to consider careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The first-time event was formally called the “CNY STEM Hub Summer Camp for Young Women Powered by AT&T.” CNY STEM Hub, Le Moyne College, Partners For Education & Business Inc., and Dallas, Texas–based AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) organized the event.

(8/15) Exelon Generation’s (NYSE: EXC) acquisition of the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear-power plant in Scriba should close in the second quarter of 2017. Under the deal totaling $110 million, New Orleans, Louisiana–based Entergy would transfer FitzPatrick’s operating license to Chicago, Illinois–based Exelon. Exelon describes itself as the “owner of the nation’s largest nuclear fleet.” The agreement to continue operation of the plant will save about 600 jobs, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

New York announced an “initial” $5 million investment to help ongoing efforts to create a hub for unmanned-aircraft system (UAS) “innovation” and manufacturing in upstate New York. The funding seeks to “support and grow the emerging” UAS industry in the Upstate region, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Aug. 2. Unmanned-aircraft systems are also referred to as drones. The hub will be “specifically supporting concepts originated by NASA,” Cuomo’s office said. The concepts will include an “innovation” district dedicated to unmanned systems in a corridor between the cities of Syracuse and Rome, Cuomo’s office said.

Health-insurance premiums in the Empire State’s small-group market will rise by an average 8.3 percent in 2017, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), which regulates the state’s insurance market, announced Aug. 5. Premium rates for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s small-group health plans in the state will rise by 10.7 percent in 2017. Excellus had requested an average increase of 12.3 percent, according to DFS data. Rochester–based Excellus is the largest health insurer in Central New York.

(8/22) SUNY Upstate Medical University President Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena will succeed Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud as co-chair of the Central New York regional economic-development council (REDC). Laraque-Arena will serve alongside Robert (Rob) Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, as co-chairs of the REDC, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Visions Federal Credit Union plans to open two more branches in the Syracuse area. The credit union has purchased a property in Cicero near Drivers Village and is exploring in the middle of downtown for the second office. Each facility will contain approximately 2,500 square feet. The decision to expand in Syracuse reflects continued corporate growth over the last 10 years.

(8/29) After a more than two-year, $76 million renovation project, the hotel now known as the Marriott Syracuse Downtown is back in business. The hotel’s owner and property-management group on Aug. 19 raised the flags on the newly renovated hotel — formally re-opening the former Hotel Syracuse. 

Tammy Panebianco this spring opened Dani’s Dessert & Wine Bar at 56 Oswego St. in the village of Baldwinsville — in the former location of dessert restaurant Lala Land. Panebianco is renting her space from Dennis Sick, the owner of this building and other properties on the block. Dani’s Dessert & Wine Bar encompasses about 1,500 square feet and can seat up to 42 people.

September
(9/5) An affiliate of a Miami, Florida–based investment firm has acquired a “majority interest” in CXtec and sister company TERACAI Corp. William Pomeroy, CXtec founder and CEO, has retired and Peter Belyea, who has been serving both companies as president, assumes the CEO role, “effective immediately,” the company said. The Florida firm, H.I.G. Capital, is a private equity and alternative-asset investment firm and has more than $20 billion of equity capital under management.

Avalon Document Services announced it has acquired Southeastern Document Services (SDS), a Tampa, Florida–based litigation support and eDiscovery provider. Syracuse–based Avalon didn’t disclose financial terms of the acquisition. SDS has three workers who will join Avalon, which has a total employee count of 120.

Lakeside Innovative Technologies has added about 1,500 square feet to its facility in the Harbor Lights Business Park in the town of Sullivan. Lakeside Innovative needs the extra room for new equipment to keep up with customer orders.

(9/12) Upstate Medical University’s College of Nursing moved into a new home on the medical school’s campus. It moved into the Academic Building, which is situated between Weiskotten Hall and Silverman Hall on the west side of the medical school’s campus. Upstate Medical University on Sept. 7 formally opened its newest structure.

Sun Environmental Corp., a Clay–based environmental-services company, in recent months added an office in Rochester and an employee to service the Buffalo area. The firm acquired New York Environmental Technologies Inc. (NYETECH) in Rochester in a transaction that closed in May.

(9/19) Syracuse–based law firm Mackenzie Hughes LLP is planning to have a new home for the first time in more than a century to close out 2016. The law firm, which is currently headquartered at 101 S. Salina St., will move its business office and 75 employees to the Galleries of Syracuse at 440 South Warren St.

Syracuse engineering firm OBG (formerly known as O’Brien & Gere) has expanded its presence in the Southeast with the acquisition of an engineering firm in North Carolina. Charlotte, North Carolina–based PENTA Engineering, P.A. focuses on the industrial sector with clients throughout the Southeast and Midwest, OBG said on Sept. 8. 

Elmira Savings Bank (ESB) has plans for a new branch office at 602 W. State St. in Ithaca, which will replace ESB’s existing downtown branch at 301 E. State St. The bank hopes to have the new location operational late in the first quarter of 2017, Thomas Carr, the bank’s president and CEO, said.

(9/26) An Ohio firm will be the new owner of Young & Franklin Inc. (YF) and its subsidiaries, including Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., before the end of the year. Cleveland, Ohio–based TransDigm Group Inc. (NYSE: TDG) on Sept. 6 announced that it’s acquiring the companies for $260 million. The acquisition price includes about $73 million of tax benefits for TransDigm over a 15-year period, the firm said in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing. TransDigm expects to finance the acquisition “through existing cash on hand,” according to the filing.

October
(10/3) Empire State Development (ESD), the state’s economic-development agency, has offered an incentive package of up to $12 million to the parent company of Welch Allyn Inc. to create more than 100 new jobs and retain 900 existing positions at its Skaneateles Falls plant. Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HRC), a Chicago–based medical-technology company, said it plans to invest more than $4.2 million of its own money to expand the manufacturing and research and development operations at Welch Allyn, a medical-device maker it acquired in 2015 for about $2.05 billion in cash and stock.

Saab Defense and Security USA LLC said it plans to add 50 new jobs at its DeWitt site in the coming months after securing a $38.1 million contract to provide the U.S. Navy with an air-traffic control radar system for Navy vessels. The business, located at 5717 Enterprise Parkway in DeWitt, employs about 240 people after a banner year of hiring.

The Carthage–based Lundy Group of Companies has plans to build — what it calls — the Clinton Center Professional and Medical Campus, a complex with class “A” office space in downtown Watertown. The project would be located at the corners of Clinton, Sherman, and Mullin Streets in Watertown, the Lundy Group said.

(10/10) The Destiny USA mall has an occupancy rate of 89 percent, as of July, down from the 93 percent occupancy recorded at year-end 2015, according to a recent report from bond-rating firm Fitch Ratings. The decline resulted primarily from the loss of Bon Ton, a former anchor tenant, in February of this year, as well as the loss of Sports Authority (which went bankrupt and closed all its stores nationally), according to a Sept. 8 Fitch news release.

Genius NY, a $2 million business accelerator based at the Syracuse Technology Garden, has increased by 43 percent the minimum cash-prize amounts it will award its competition finalists. The program will award six companies at least $250,000 for participating in the program, the Syracuse Technology Garden said on Sept. 28.

(10/17) Singlebrook Technology on Aug. 12 sold the assets of its content-management division (CMS) to Minneapolis–based Origin Eight, a digital-development and design agency. The sale included cash and an “earnout,” a contractual provision providing the seller additional compensation in the future if the business achieves certain financial goals. The financial terms of the deal, including price, were not disclosed.

Employees at Lockheed Martin Corp.’s (NYSE: LMT) Salina plant will handle production of surface electronic-warfare improvement program (SEWIP) block 2 systems for the U.S. Navy. It awarded the Bethesda, Maryland–based defense contractor an initial contract of $148.9 million for its shipboard electronic-warfare system.

(10/24) Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) will use a $25,000 donation from the Dominion Foundation to start the veterans environmental training (VET) project. VET will assist veterans who have “low incomes and high potential” by providing them certifications and training, MVCC said. The training topics include OSHA 10, which provides training on construction safety and health topics.

The Stanley Law Offices, LLP has merged with the fellow Syracuse–based law firm of Fallon, Fallon & Bigsby, a firm that serviced clients in workers’-compensation matters. Stanley Law, headquartered at 215 Burnett Ave., focuses on personal injury law, workers’ compensation, and accident-related law. The deal became official in mid-July, says Joe Stanley, attorney and the firm’s managing partner.

Onondaga Tower, located at 125 E. Jefferson St. in Syracuse, officially became Barclay Damon Tower on Oct. 17 when Barclay Damon, LLP, a Syracuse–based law firm, moved its headquarters and more than 150 employees into the newly renovated building. The building is located at the corner of East Jefferson and South Warren Streets in downtown Syracuse.

(10/31) Cortland Regional Medical Center (CRMC) is partnering with Upstate University Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center to ensure patients have access to stroke care. When patients with stroke symptoms arrive at the CRMC emergency department, physicians are able to consult with neurologists at Upstate through a new telemedicine program. The partnership started July 1, says Mark Webster, CEO of Cortland Regional Medical Center.

Upstate Medical University now has a space for nurturing startups in the fields of science, medicine, and product development, and a laboratory for genetic and molecular testing. Both are part of a $5.4 million, second-phase build out at the Central New York Biotech Accelerator (CNYBAC) at 841 E. Fayette St. The startup space is referred to as the Upstate MIND, which is short for “medical innovation and novel discovery” center.

CenterState CEO on Oct. 20 recognized 295 companies as “2016 Economic Champions” for their collective hiring of 3,163 employees, more than 1 million square-feet of expansions, and over $650 million in capital investments. It also recognized 68 companies for “opening the doors to a new business.”

Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU) announced on Oct. 24 that it will acquire Merchants Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBVT), the largest statewide independent bank in Vermont, in a cash and stock transaction worth about $304 million. The deal will expand 150-year-old, DeWitt–based Community Bank into Vermont. The bank currently operates more than 200 branches across upstate New York and northeastern Pennsylvania.

November
(11/7) Construction work on Destiny USA’s upcoming hotel will keep on rolling during the winter months, according to David Aitken, an executive with Destiny USA. The $48 million hotel is under construction in the lot at the intersection of Hiawatha Boulevard and Solar Street across from the shopping and entertainment complex.

Byrne Dairy Inc. is increasing its dry storage and warehousing capacity at the former Magna Powertrain/New Venture Gear plant in the town of DeWitt. The OX Group LLC, through its subsidiary ONX1 LLC, on Oct. 19 announced that it modified its leasing agreement with Byrne Dairy to increase the space. ONX1 manages and operates the former manufacturing and parts distribution facility.

SUNY Cortland announced that a completely renovated DeGroat Hall opened its doors with 146 beds for students this fall after a $7 million update. It was the first major overhaul for SUNY Cortland’s four-story brick Georgian-style residential facility since it was built 65 years ago, the university said.

(11/14) The task force that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed to consider additional improvements at the State Fairgrounds has until the end of the year to make its recommendations. Speaking at the State Fairgrounds in Geddes on Nov. 2, Cuomo said he’s willing to spend an additional $50 million for improvements on the property.

Beginning in 2017, the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport says it will begin incorporating Embraer 145 jets as part of a deal with American Airlines. The 50-seat jets will replace the existing turboprop planes to accommodate increased traffic to Ithaca, the airport said.

The Syracuse district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) honored the latest graduates of its Emerging Leaders program in a graduation ceremony held Nov. 2. The SBA recognized the 17 local entrepreneurs in the event held at the Gateway Center on the campus of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.

(11/21) New York State plans to spend $30 million to develop a 50-mile, flight-traffic management system between Syracuse and Griffiss International Airport in Rome to “advance the burgeoning” drone industry in Central New York. Cuomo on Nov. 10 announced the funding during his appearance at the Unmanned Aircraft 

Systems Traffic Management (UTM) Convention at the Oncenter in Syracuse.

The Cornell University board of trustees on Nov. 14 unanimously elected Martha Pollack as the school’s 14th president. Pollack currently serves as provost and executive VP for academic affairs at the University of Michigan, Cornell said. Pollack will assume the presidency at the Ivy League school on April 17, 2017.

The Central New York economy is “starting to rebound” from the Great Recession, thanks to a “wealth” of locally educated young adults, a “technically experienced” workforce, and a “relatively low” cost of living. That’s per a region profile that New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released Nov. 2 at Syracuse City Hall. At the same time, the report also noted that poverty, unemployment rates above the statewide average, and the loss of some large employers still hamper “many communities.”

(11/28) The Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives (CNYSME) has named Phil Van Horne, chairman and CEO of BlueRock Energy, Inc., as the 41st recipient of its Crystal Ball Award. The CEO will receive the award on April 27, 2017 at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center during the annual Crystal Ball and Sales & Marketing Excellence Awards.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed into law legislation to aid in the expansion of “homebrew” beer, wine, and cider-making in New York. The bill (S.1227B/A1100B) allows for the creation and operation of custom beer, wine, and cider-production centers that will rent space and equipment to people looking to produce beer, wine, or cider for home consumption. 

December
(12/5) Del Lago Resort & Casino plans to open its doors to the public on Feb. 1, 2017 in Tyre in Seneca County. Company officials and local dignitaries will hold a formal-opening event at the casino on Feb. 1. However, the resort’s 205-room hotel, banquet facility, and spa won’t open until next summer, Del Lago said on Nov. 28.

The newest Syracuse boot camp — StartFast Code (SFC), an affiliate of Attend, LLC, headquartered in Cazenovia — has recently graduated its first class. The recruits don’t wear fatigues, handle firearms, disarm IEDs, or salute, but the training environment is as intense as any military boot camp. They signed up to learn web programming in as little as six months in order to help fill the growing need for web programmers.

Upstate New York employers, responding to a recent survey, estimate that their health-benefit cost-per-employee would rise 6.6 percent in 2017, if they made no changes to their current plan. However, they expect to hold their cost increase to 5.3 percent by making key changes to their plans. The findings are part of the “National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans” that Mercer, a health-care consulting firm, conducts annually.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on Nov. 29 announced it will offer a telemedicine option to all privately insured and Medicare Advantage members in 2017. Excellus will use MDLIVE as its telemedicine platform beginning Jan. 1, 2017, the health insurer said. Rochester–based Excellus is Central New York’s largest health insurer.

(12/12) Consumer sentiment among New York Republicans surged in November following the election of Donald Trump as the next President of the United States. But the sentiment level among New York Democrats plummeted in the same period. That’s according to the latest quarterly consumer-sentiment survey the Siena (College) Research Institute (SRI) released on Dec. 6.

Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU) on Dec. 5 announced it will acquire Northeast Retirement Services, Inc. (NRS) — a privately held, Woburn, Massachusetts–based retirement-plan administrative services firm — for about $140 million in cash and stock. After the deal closes, NRS will become a subsidiary of Benefit Plans Administrative Services, Inc. (BPAS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Community Bank System.

Scales Hall at SUNY Oswego will undergo a $13.1 million renovation, which is scheduled to begin Dec. 19. General contractor PAC Associates of Oswego Inc. will handle the work on the project, which should be complete by July 1 ahead of the next academic year.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

The sixth round of the Regional Economic Development Council’s (REDC) annual competition recently took place, issuing funding to the state’s regions for economic-development projects.

I contend that taxpayer-funded economic-development programs work only if they are administered equitably. There must be more transparency and accountability in the way the state hands out these funds. Are they being allocated in a way that ensures taxpayer dollars are being invested in the most efficient manner? Are they helping to create jobs and career paths? Are they stimulating business growth?

Create a level playing field
There is no doubt the funding awards will go a long way to help upstate, and I am proud of the hard work of those who helped secure the Finger Lakes Region’s award of $80.5 million. That money will support 97 regional projects. State investments have always been important to New York’s economy, but it is our duty to ensure that taxpayers across the state are seeing a tangible benefit.

If New York is truly to be a “state of opportunity,” it must be a state of opportunity for all. Every taxpayer, regardless of geography, deserves fair treatment. There must be proper checks and balances on the state’s discretionary spending practices.

Transparency matters
The Assembly Minority Conference has sponsored legislation (A.10531, Oaks) that would increase transparency, accountability, and oversight of the state’s economic-development programs.

Specifically, the bill’s Appointee Contribution Prohibition would strengthen the equity of economic-development programs by prohibiting individuals who distribute discretionary state funds (like REDC grants) from making political donations to the appointing authority that they represent. By prohibiting appointees and their families from making political contributions, we could limit the instances where political donors are distributing state money, and reduce instances of fraud and abuse.

In addition, the bill would: 

• Provide stronger oversight of taxpayer-funded programs by creating a three-member board to review and approve funding originating from lump-sum appropriations worth $1 million or more;
• Hold the salaries of the governor and appropriate agency commissioners and deputy commissioners when economic-development reports fail to meet reporting deadlines; and
• Require an independent third-party to conduct a comprehensive audit of all economic-development programs, as well as the personal income tax and corporate franchise tax rates to determine the best alternatives to create a more fair tax system.

If the state is truly going to thrive and grow, we can no longer turn a blind eye to potential conflicts of interest from state-administered programs. As economic-development programs stand, the potential for big donors to not only receive appointments, but also perhaps grant funding, is a threat to effective development.

Brian M. Kolb (R, I, C–Canandaigua) is the New York Assembly Minority Leader and represents the 131st Assembly District, which encompasses all of Ontario County and parts of Seneca County. Contact him at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us.

Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed a bill that will reform the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) to potentially speed up obtaining public records. The measure passed with unanimous support in both the New York Senate and the Assembly in June and will become effective in the spring of 2017.

Our Freedom of Information Law is a tool that anyone can use. The legislation establishing the FOIL process was passed in 1978. It clarified the public’s right of access to public records and established a committee to provide guidance to both the public and to governmental entities. Anyone in search of public documents may file a FOIL request to the governmental entity that has the document. Each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Getting the information is not always guaranteed, however, because exceptions exist to FOIL. For example, if sharing information would interfere with a criminal investigation or would infringe on personal privacy, a FOIL request can be denied. 

If the information request is denied, the entity or individual pursuing the FOIL request can take it to court to argue that the denial was improper. If the court rules in favor of the request, the agency, under current law, can drag its feet and take up to nine months to perfect an appeal to that decision. The bill that was recently signed shortens the appeals process. It still requires the agency to file a notice of appeal within 30 days of the court’s decision, but if the agency does not perfect the appeal within 60 days of the notice of appeal, the appeal will be considered abandoned.

The legislation cuts the appeals process from potentially nine months to three months. The change in law could reduce litigation expenses and hopefully will provide timely resolution of FOIL requests. This gives smaller groups and individuals a chance against agencies or municipalities that may try to wait out the process in hopes that those in pursuit will get tired of waiting. 

As part of the original law, the Department of State Committee on Open Government was created to oversee the implementation of FOIL. Though the executive director of the committee, Bob Freeman, has been the face of FOIL and a champion for the law’s intent since its inception 40 years ago, the committee is composed of 11 members — five from government and six from the public. The five government members are the lieutenant governor, the secretary of state, the commissioner of general services, the director of the budget, and one elected local government official appointed by the governor. Of the six public members, at least two must be representatives of the news media. 

When questions arise under FOIL, the committee staff can provide written or oral advice and attempt to resolve controversies outside of the court system. Sometimes these opinions help shorten the process for both agency and the entity filing the request and even prevent the case from going through the appeals process. For questions concerning FOIL, visit the Department of State’s Committee on Open Government website: http://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/index.html. The site has detailed information that answers questions about obtaining government records and the open meetings law. There is also a frequently asked questions page and a series of 27 educational videos to educate the public about this law and the law on open meetings.            

William (Will) A. Barclay is the Republican representative of the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact him at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us, or (315) 598-5185.