DiNapoli report: IDA-backed job gains increased in 2014 compared to previous year

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Projects that New York state’s industrial development agencies (IDAs) supported produced nearly 36,000 additional jobs in 2014, an increase of 18 percent from the prior year, the latest state data shows. That’s according to a report that New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued recently. It is DiNapoli’s 9th annual report examining the performance of […]

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That’s according to a report that New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued recently.

It is DiNapoli’s 9th annual report examining the performance of the state’s IDAs and how these agencies work to attract, retain, and expand businesses in their communities.

Job-gain comparison
IDA projects in 2014 reported a total of 645,010 full-time jobs, which reflects an increase of 235,888 jobs over the life of these projects, at a median cost of $1,882 per job gained.

The 235,888 figure was up 18 percent over the cumulative job gains of 199,943 in 2013, with the median cost per job gained of $2,095.

The state’s 109 active IDAs in 2014 provided $1.1 billion in total tax exemptions, according to DiNapoli’s report.

At the same time, $483 million in payments-in-lieu of taxes partially offset these exemptions, leaving the total net exemptions for the year at $632 million, a decrease of $28.5 million, or 4.3 percent, from 2013.

The five IDAs with the largest job gains in 2014 included New York City with 48,859 jobs; Suffolk County with 13,817; Monroe County with 12,038; Oneida County with 10,476; and the Town of Amherst in Erie County with 10,227.

IDAs are an “important catalyst” for economic development statewide, DiNapoli contended in the release.

“But as the value of tax exemptions to private businesses continues to increase, taxpayers must be reassured that their community is receiving promised benefits.

Thankfully, my legislative proposal to increase transparency and scrutiny of IDAs was signed into law last year and will result in better evaluation of the economic impact they are having in New York,” he added.

DiNapoli in 2015 crafted legislation he said would improve the process by which IDAs approve new projects, the quality of the information they gather about the projects, and policies for recapturing financial assistance if companies don’t meet project goals.

The new law, developed with support from the New York Economic Development Council, became effective on June 15.

Other findings
DiNapoli’s report also found that the 4,581 projects that IDAs supported in 2014 were valued at $83.7 billion, up 9 percent over 2013.

At 27 percent, manufacturing as the “most common purpose” of IDA-sponsored projects in 2014, DiNapoli’s office said.

The report also found Western New York’s 804 IDA-sponsored projects was the highest number of any New York region in 2014.

Regional data shows IDAs in the Mid-Hudson Valley ($136.7 million), Long Island ($131.5 million), the Capital District ($92.3 million), and New York City ($75.7 million) granted the highest amount of tax exemptions.

Total expenses for IDAs in 2014 equaled $102.6 million, an average of $950,000 per agency, the report found.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Smith takes over as director of finance at St. Joseph’s Health

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SYRACUSE — St. Joseph’s Health recently appointed Julie Edmunds Smith as its new director of finance. In this role, Smith is responsible for St. Joseph’s Health’s accounting and financial operations, the organization said in a news release. They include general finance and reporting, accounts payable, treasury management, reimbursement, and capital management for the system. “Julie

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Division of Human Rights Adopts Regulation Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Relationship or Association

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On May 18, the New York State Division of Human Rights adopted a new regulation prohibiting employment discrimination based on an individual’s relationship or association with a member of a protected category covered by the New York Human Rights Law. The proposed rule was published in the State Register on March 9. The agency did

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The proposed rule was published in the State Register on March 9. The agency did not receive any public comments regarding the proposed rule, and adopted the rule without making any changes.

According to the division, the purpose of the new regulation is to confirm long-standing precedent supporting anti-discrimination protection for individuals based on their relationship or association with members of a protected class. The new regulation applies to employment discrimination and all other types of discrimination protected under the New York Human Rights Law, including housing, public accommodations, access to educational institutions, and credit. In order to prove a claim of employment discrimination in this context, an individual must prove that he or she was subjected to an adverse employment action based on the individual’s known relationship or association with a member of a protected class.

This latest expansion of the protections afforded by the New York Human Rights Law underscores the importance of basing all employment decisions on legitimate reasons that can be supported by objective facts, and documenting the legitimate reasons for those decisions. Supervisors should also be trained to apply workplace policies and standards fairly and uniformly among all employees, to further reduce the risk of discrimination claims.

Alyssa Campbell is an associate at the Syracuse–based law firm Bond Schoeneck & King, PLLC. She focuses her practice on labor and employment law. Campbell represents private and public-sector employers in a broad range of matters including claims alleging discrimination, harassment, unlawful discharge and retaliation, as well as employee discipline, employment agreements, separation agreements, union campaigns, and collective-bargaining disputes. This viewpoint article is drawn from the firm’s New York Labor & Employment Law Report blog. Contact Campbell at acampbell@bsk.com or (315) 218-8362.

State comptroller: New York pension fund generates lowest rate of return in seven years in FY 2016

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The $178 billion New York State pension fund produced a 0.19 percent rate of return on investments during the fiscal year that ended March 31 of this year, its lowest rate of return since 2009. “Despite weak equity markets, the fund’s diversified portfolio and our investment team delivered a positive return,” New York State Comptroller

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The $178 billion New York State pension fund produced a 0.19 percent rate of return on investments during the fiscal year that ended March 31 of this year, its lowest rate of return since 2009.

“Despite weak equity markets, the fund’s diversified portfolio and our investment team delivered a positive return,” New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli noted in a news release.

Fund’s performance
During state fiscal year 2016, domestic and non-U.S. equities lost 0.54 percent and 8.54 percent, respectively, which was “consistent” with the declines in U.S. and global equity markets, DiNapoli’s office said.

The fund’s broader approach to fixed-income markets over the last year “was a positive,” returning 2.26 percent in the TIPS portfolio and 1.81 percent in core fixed income. TIPS is short for Treasury Inflation Protected Securities.

The fund’s diversification strategy “performed well,” with private equity, opportunistic alternatives, and real-estate delivering returns of 9.12, 4.00, and 13.14 percent, respectively.

Absolute return strategies were “challenged” during the year and a portfolio restructuring, focused on fee reductions and “strategic” market exposure, is underway, DiNapoli’s office said.

About the fund
New York’s fund is the third-largest public-pension fund in the country.

The New York State and Local Retirement System serves more than 1 million active state- and local-government employees, retirees, and their beneficiaries.

Over the last 20 years, 79 percent of benefits have been funded from investment returns. Employer and employee contributions cover the remainder of the benefits costs.

Investment results over a multi-year period — along with numerous other actuarial assumptions, including wage growth, inflation, age of retirement and mortality — determine employer-contribution rates, DiNapoli’s office said.

The fund’s long-term expected rate of return is 7 percent, it added.

Contact The Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com

Changes Coming in the Archaic New York State Alcoholic Beverage Control Law

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Governor Andrew Cuomo announced recently that he is advancing legislation to “modernize” the State’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (“ABC Law”). As someone who has spent years of his life ensuring license applicants comply with the law — first as an employee of the Liquor Authority and more recently as counsel to individuals and entities appearing before the Liquor Authority — this is a welcome announcement. While we don’t yet know all of the exact details and language, we do know some of the areas that Governor Cuomo is proposing to change. They are as follows:

Expand Sunday sales — Current law prohibits sales of alcoholic beverages for all on-premises locations (e.g., bars, restaurants, taverns). The governor has proposed a special permit that licensees can apply for to allow them to serve patrons between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Sunday mornings.

“200 Foot Law” — ABC Law currently prohibits on-premises licenses from operating within 200 feet of a building that is exclusively used as a school or place of worship. The current proposal would do away with the outright ban and provide the Liquor Authority with discretion on this matter and also provide for input from the local municipality and school or place of worship. Often times a local church would have no objection to a business opening nearby and now that can be considered in determining whether or not to grant the license.

Reduce paperwork for craft manufacturers — Anyone who has ever completed a liquor license application in New York can appreciate this proposal. Craft manufacturing (breweries, wineries, and distilleries) has seen enormous growth and change in New York state over the last decade. According to the governor’s office, this portion of the industry, combined with distribution and retail, accounts for more than $27 billion in economic impact and supports tens of thousands of jobs statewide. Prior to 2012, manufacturers could not hold more than one manufacturing license. So if an entrepreneur wanted to make both wine and beer, he/she would have been required to have a separate facility for each business. In 2012, the law changed so that a manufacturer could hold more than one license in the same location. The current proposal would combine craft-manufacturing licenses into one application — considerably reducing the burdensome paperwork for these small businesses.

Authorize the sale of wine in growlers — We’ve all seen growlers of craft beer for years so why not wine too? Current law requires that wine sold at retail for off-premise consumption be kept in their original sealed containers. Cuomo’s proposal would change that law, allowing customers to go to their favorite wineries and fill a growler with their favorite wine. The legislation would also authorize wineries to allow customers to take home partially finished bottles of wine.

Reduce fees for craft beverage salespeople — Currently, ABC Law requires that any salesperson employed by a manufacturer or wholesaler must obtain a “solicitor’s permit” in addition to a bond. Recognizing that all manufacturers are not created equal and vary greatly in size — and that there is a financial hardship imposed by unnecessary fees on small business — the governor has proposed reducing the fees for a solicitor’s permit and eliminating the bond requirement.

I think most New Yorkers will agree that reducing the bureaucratic burden on small businesses is a positive development for our local economies and these proposals will encourage growth in the industry and add to the already great choices of New York manufactured alcoholic beverages.

Bradley J. Moses is a member of the business department of Syracuse–based law firm Mackenzie Hughes LLP. This viewpoint article is drawn from the firm’s Plain Talk blog. Moses’s practice areas include business, alcoholic beverage control law, public law & policy, and real estate. Contact him at bmoses@mackenziehughes.com

CNY hopes to capitalize on drone-industry convention this November

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CICERO — The unmanned-aircraft systems industry is a $140 billion business and moving toward becoming a trillion-dollar industry worldwide. That’s according to Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, who contends Central New York has “the strength and the capabilities” to “capitalize on that.” Simpson announced the 2016 UTM convention is coming Nov. 8-10

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CICERO — The unmanned-aircraft systems industry is a $140 billion business and moving toward becoming a trillion-dollar industry worldwide.

That’s according to Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, who contends Central New York has “the strength and the capabilities” to “capitalize on that.”

Simpson announced the 2016 UTM convention is coming Nov. 8-10 to 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, according to a news release about the event.

Simpson announced the convention during a June 9 event at SRC, Inc. in the town of Cicero.

The convention represents “a chance to showcase our region’s assets to hundreds” of companies that work in the sector.

“Instead of going out individually and calling on those companies and trying to talk to them about what New York state can offer, we are bringing those companies right here to Central New York for three days when we can sell them on what we have to offer,” said Simpson.

Organizers are expecting “upwards of 500 attendees,” Simpson added.

Onondaga County, Oneida County, CenterState CEO, and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), in partnership with Empire State Development and the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), are partnering to bring the convention to the region.

“AUVSI, which is the world’s largest trade association for unmanned systems and CenterState CEO together are going to be putting on this conference,” Simpson said in his remarks at SRC.

Organizers expect the convention to attract attendees representing the systems integration, unmanned-aerial vehicle, and unmanned traffic-management industries from around the world.

“As the only UAS test site in the state of New York, Oneida County is pleased to see the annual UTM convention here in our region,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. said in the release. “When Oneida County’s Griffiss International Airport applied for and became the UAS test site, these are the type of opportunities we had planned to see and be a part of. This is an integral step in developing the UAS industry throughout all of Central New York and the Mohawk Valley.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in August 2014 authorized the NUAIR Alliance and Griffiss International Airport in Rome to conduct drone testing. The NUAIR Alliance is an acronym for Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance.

The application approval for the certificate of authorization cleared the way for testing under the FAA-designated Griffiss International Airport UAS test site.

SRC is a partner with the NUAIR Alliance, according to the NUAIR website.

SRC and Gryphon Sensors develop products that allow unmanned air systems to fly in national airspace “safely,” Paul Tremont, president of SRC, Inc., said to open the June 9 announcement.

Gryphon Sensors is a subsidiary of SRC, Inc.

This is really what the future is about, New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said in her remarks at SRC.

“We’re incorporating and bringing together the strength of two regions to be able to sell the rest of the world on the fact that this is now the epicenter of research and development for unmanned-aerial systems as well as transportation networks, which are necessary,” said Hochul.

Participants
The list of industry and public officials expected to participate include representatives from the FAA, NASA, and other federal agencies, as well as industry and academic organizations.

The program will feature a number of workshops on developing beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) operations in New York, as well as flight demonstrations in Syracuse and the Griffiss International Airport.

The convention will also include keynote briefings from NASA on technical-capability level demonstration 2, in which industry collaborators will participate this October.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

CNY ATD honors BEST Learning and Performance Award Winners

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CONTENT SUBMITTED BY THE CNY ATD The winners of the 9th Annual CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards were announced at CNY ATD’s CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June 16, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, near Carrier Circle in DeWitt. CNY ATD annually presents CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards

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CONTENT SUBMITTED BY THE CNY ATD

The winners of the 9th Annual CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards were announced at CNY ATD’s CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June 16, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, near Carrier Circle in DeWitt.

CNY ATD annually presents CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards to recognize excellence in learning and performance practices in the Central New York area. Organizations that link learning to the strategic growth or success of organizations and individuals are recognized as CNY’s BEST in Learning and Performance.

Nominations for this year’s CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards represent a wide range of organizations including CenterState CEO, CXtec, Elmcrest Children’s Center, Fayetteville Manlius Crewsters, the Hartford, Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, Mohawk Valley Community College, Saab Sensis Corp., Suburban Propane, Turning Stone Resort Casino, and Visions For Change, Inc.

Nominations were evaluated by a panel of local and national judges representing the profession and community for quality of learning and performance practices, practice results and impacts, and demonstrations of how the practices linked to the strategic growth or success of the organization and individuals. The distinguished panel of judges for the 2016 CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards include: Franca Armstrong, Mohawk Valley Community College; Jeff Carpenter, CST Brands, Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes; Laura Carroll, Upstate University Hospital; Pam Caughill, ITT Incorporated; Georgia E. Entwistle, UHS; Nancy Wolff-Giard, Genzyme, a Sanofi Company, national advisor for chapters, ATD; James N. Jerose, Nuvenu Business Advisors; Linda Maher, POMCO; Steven Maloney, International Wire Group, Inc.; Meryl L. Mosack, M Squared Training & Marketing; and Amy Wood, Time Warner Cable.

CNY BEST LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AWARD

Turning Stone Resort Casino
Turning Stone Resort Casino received the CNY BEST Learning and Performance For-Profit Organization Award for linking work-based learning to its business’s strategic growth or success with its “One Team One Hotel” approach to guest service. The world-renowned Forbes Travel Guide is the global authority on luxury travel. The prestigious Forbes Four Star award emphasizes quality of service. Achieving this award would increase the Turning Stone brand recognition and marketing power placing Turning Stone among the elite in global resort lodging. The Lodge at Turning Stone is a premiere luxury hotel that has consistently received the AAA Four Diamond award. After much staff training, preparation, and attention to the fine details of luxury-service experience, The Lodge still fell short of the minimum score for Forbes award consideration. Leadership carefully assessed the criteria and scoring and chose to engage Forbes Executive Training, experts in the field of luxury lodging education, to assist in achieving the “Four Star” level of service using the “One Team One Hotel” approach to guest service. The result of the training and the team’s dedication to follow-up, teamwork, and coaching was a “One Team One Hotel” approach to guest service that increased scores on the Forbes inspection to count The Lodge at Turning Stone among the Forbes Four Star properties and the only property in the greater Central New York area to achieve both the AAA Four Diamond and Forbes Four Star status. As one judge exclaimed, “For Forbes Travel Guide and for The Lodge, it is crystal clear that the customer comes first. Investing in staff development is the best way to achieve this — congratulations!”

CNY BEST LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AWARD

Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection
Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection was honored with the CNY BEST Learning and Performance Not-For Profit Organization award for linking learning for its internal and external stakeholders to the organization’s strategic growth or success with its Core Services Model 2.0 program. Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) helps youth living in poverty to stay in school, graduate from high school, and progress to post-secondary education and/or employment. HW-SC’s program model addresses all aspects of a student’s life including school, home, and work in order to provide comprehensive support to help students succeed. HW-SC revised its core services model and redesigned the supporting software system in an effort to increase on-time graduation rates and grade promotion, and ensure the model is being used with fidelity. It also aimed for successful replication by providing consistent and thorough training for Youth Advocates using blended learning components, including self-directed learning, team huddles, classroom training, and a toolkit for performance support during training and in the field. Training has been rolled out to existing youth advocates, incorporated into new-hire training and successfully replicated in the newest region, Washington D.C. With consistent, accurate, and reliable data, a comprehensive measurement system to track performance will assist youth advocates and increase student contacts as they work toward improving student-outcome goals. These measurements will also aid supervisors in monitoring performance, helping problem-solve, and coaching to change behaviors. Judges’ remarks included “an amazing, well-thought-out and comprehensive program with multiple strategies,” and “a nice blend of learning opportunities provided with effective reinforcements to ensure sustainability of new knowledge and behaviors learned.”

CHAPTER EXCELLENCE AWARD

CNY ATD
ATD (Association for Talent Development) recognized CNY ATD with a Chapter Excellence Award for Excellence in Strategic Partnership for its Train-the-Trainer Program. Since 2009, CNY ATD has conducted 20 Train-the-Trainer programs for 132 participants from more than 50 organizations in the Central New York area. The program provides foundational training for new trainers, subject-matter experts, presenters, speakers, and facilitators covering a variety of training topics including needs assessment, design, development, evaluation, implementation, and platform/delivery skills. By providing a foundational training program, CNY ATD is teaching and reinforcing best practices for talent development. Better understanding and better practices improve the quality of talent-development efforts, and strengthen the appreciation of the profession and its impact on organizations and the community. Jennifer Homer, ATD VP of communications, notes, “Our chapters are important partners in ATD’s mission to empower professionals to develop knowledge and skills successfully. The impact they have in their local communities and in support of the profession is impressive. Winning a Chapter Excellence Award is proof of the hard work and dedication of our local chapters.”

CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE

Maryellen T. Cooke
Maryellen T. Cooke was recognized for achieving the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) designation, the premier credential for practitioners in the talent-development profession. Becoming CPLP certified enhances one’s credibility by recognizing that you have met performance standards, have an overall understanding of the body of knowledge of the talent-development field, and can apply what you know. The process of being certified is broad-based and addresses 10 areas of expertise as defined by the ATD Competency Model. An individual needs to pass rigorous standards including a knowledge exam and a work-product assessment to achieve this special designation.

CNY ATD SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Melissa McLean
Mary Wilhelm-Chapin
Amy Wood
Melissa McLean was awarded the John Burns Memorial Scholarship for her pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in instructional design. Mary Wilhelm-Chapin and Amy Wood were awarded Ken Steiger Leadership Scholarships. Wilhelm-Chapin is pursuing her doctorate from the Syracuse University instructional design, development, and evaluation program. Wood plans to complete the ATD Coaching Certificate program. CNY ATD established the CNY ATD Scholarship Program to encourage and support professional development and continuing education in the field talent development. The scholarship awards are named in honor of CNY ATD’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award winner John Burns, and 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ken Steiger.

Keynote Speaker
The keynote speaker for this year’s CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards Ceremony was David Norton, VP of corporate quality and customer care at The Raymond Corporation. His keynote speech, entitled “Talent Development Delivers Results,” discussed the importance of talent development and its role in the success of organizations. The Raymond Corp. received the 2014 CNY BEST Learning and Performance Organization Diamond Award and 2015 ATD Excellence in Practice Organizational Learning and Performance Award and Performance Improvement Citation.

Sponsors
CNY ATD thanks the following sponsors for their support of the CNY BEST Learning and Performance Program: Business Journal News Network, Visual Technologies, Oneida Nation Enterprises, Inc., OBG, and The Raymond Corporation.

About THE CNY BEST Learning and Performance Program
CNY ATD is in its 9th year of recognizing excellence in learning and performance in the CNY area with the CNY BEST Learning and Performance Program.

Past CNY BEST Learning and Performance Award Recipients have included: Aspen Dental Management, Inc.; Completely Organized, Inc.; Crouse Hospital; CXtec and TERACAI; Elmcrest Children’s Center; EnergyWright; Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare; goFLUENT, Inc.; Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce; Institute for Veterans and Military Families; ITT Technologies; Laboratory Alliance of CNY; LaFayette Big Picture School; Loretto; MACNY; The Manufacturers Association; Mohawk Valley Community College; Mohawk Valley Manufacturers Consortium; New Horizons of Syracuse; North Syracuse Central School District; O’Brien & Gere; Oneida Nation Enterprises; The Raymond Corp.; Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse; SRC; Saab Sensis; SavOn; Time Warner Cable; Turning Stone Resort Casino; and Westcott Community Center.

About the CNY ATD Scholarship Program
CNY ATD established the CNY ATD Scholarship Program to encourage and support professional development and continuing education in the field of talent development. The scholarship program provides monetary assistance to industry professionals and students continuing their education and professional development in the talent development field. The CNY ATD John Burns Memorial Scholarship is named in honor of CNY ATD’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award winner John Burns. The CNY ATD Ken Steiger Leadership Scholarship is named in honor of CNY ATD’s 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ken Steiger.

About THE CNY ATD
CNY ATD is the local affiliate chapter of Association for Talent Development (ATD). For more than 40 years, CNY ATD has been connecting talent-development professionals throughout the region and contributing to the growth and recognition of the profession. CNY ATD has more than 150 members from various organizations covering 17 counties from the Canadian border to the Pennsylvania border in the central region of New York state.

Discussing International Business with Greg Evans

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The purpose of this column series has been to provide a platform for individuals that are involved in international trade to share their stories and experiences with those in the community who have products and services that have export potential, but haven’t taken the leap yet. In my latest interview, I chat with Greg Evans,

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In my latest interview, I chat with Greg Evans, president of Indium Corporation, a Clinton–based materials manufacturer and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, thermal management, thin-film, and solar markets. The company has about 400 Central New York employees and 700 employees companywide.

LESSELROTH: When and why did Indium look to expand its sales beyond the United States?

EVANS: The Indium Corporation began as an international company, even before we were founded. In the 1920s, William Murray, a Utica–based chemical engineer, became intrigued with reports of a newly discovered element, indium. The only refined indium in the world was in Germany, in the lab of the discoverers. Murray imported a small sample and performed a series of tests and measurements. The results inspired him to start Indium Corp. in 1934.

Initially, our sales base was predominantly in the United States. Over the decades, we increased our international activities, both importing and exporting. By the 1970s, we were doing strong business throughout Europe and Asia. We established sales offices and manufacturing sites in Europe and Asia in the 1990s. Today, we operate 12 facilities, worldwide — in the U.S., the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and China.

Why? As technologists, we’re all about solving challenges. Challenges exist across the globe. We see opportunities to improve customers’ processes and products everywhere. And, customers from around the world approach us for guidance and materials. It’s all about us creating answers to the challenges our customers face today, or will face tomorrow, and then making them aware that we are the best solution. Because technologists and technology companies exist worldwide, we do, too.

LESSELROTH: How did you decide to set up manufacturing plants where you did?

EVANS: This is both a simple and complex topic. The simple part centers around where the opportunities are. Where are the current customers? Where will the next customers appear? Where are the under-serviced areas? The complex aspect involves all the rules and regulations, trying to predict the future, assessing the competition’s strengths, and things like that.

Citing a couple of specific examples, our South Korean facility satisfies a huge demand for recycling indium-tin oxide and resupplying it. Much of the world’s use occurs in South Korea. Easy call. Another case involves our China operations. It supplies materials consumed by electronics assemblers. Much of the world’s electronics are currently produced in China. Again, simple.

LESSELROTH: Why should any company look at the international market as a means of expanding their business?

EVANS: For all the classic reasons used to support international business. These reasons include: increasing your revenue, broadening your customer base, expanding your markets, providing improved service and delivery times to your customers, reducing some costs, enhancing your vision into the marketplace, and putting more stress on your competition.

LESSELROTH: What should a company be prepared to do if it is going to expand internationally?

EVANS: There are many ways to proceed, with a variety of ramifications. Obviously, an organization must be well-versed in laws and regulations, as well as currency management. Businesses also need to carefully manage cross-cultural issues. Above and beyond any language concerns, a company needs to put considerable effort into bridging cultures. The answer is not to homogenize cultures, but to optimize the combinations.

Overall, a lot of education and hustle is required. Some issues are easy to foresee while others pop up and surprise us. Either way, people should be prepared to address problems and obstacles as quickly and thoroughly as possible because another one is sure to be coming down the pike. Don’t be tempted to put band-aids on issues that arise. Applying band-aids doesn’t teach anyone anything, and it doesn’t solve the root problem. Aim to thoroughly understand every situation and to effectively resolve all issues as they arise.

Finally, there is no substitute for travel. We have never regretted sending people abroad to assess or address situations. Progress always proceeds faster when a person is on the scene.

LESSELROTH: How important is it to understand the foreign culture of a country with which you want to do business?

EVANS: This issue is critically important. I recommend that anyone who is serious about international business dedicate themselves to a huge amount of learning.

Ideally, it would be a combination of reading, viewing training videos and documentaries, interviewing experts, and gaining first-hand experience. Additionally, make an effort to teach others about your culture and practices; they are as curious and concerned as you are with theirs. Trust me, it will never end, and should never end.

The first step is to question your question. We don’t use the term, “foreign,” because every behavior or language is native and normal to the people practicing it. And, our way is “foreign” to most of the people on Earth. The term isn’t helpful; it tends to foster an “us versus them” mentality which is rarely productive. And, there is no quicker way to reduce cooperation, partnerships, and friendships than to declare the other party to be “foreign.” I’ve studied examples of great animosity being created when cross-cultural issues are mishandled. I’ve seen cross-cultural misunderstandings, or friction, slow projects by months. These misunderstandings can cause a variety of problems, from simple delays to resentment. This is to be avoided at all costs as it affects virtually all other projects.

That said, there are differences between any two countries or cultures, even within a nation. Just like international business people make efforts to learn about laws and currencies, people would be well-served to put in the effort, to learn, to be curious, to ask questions, to understand, and to experience the ways of others. When a person sees suppliers, customers, and their own employees as all being on the same team, all working for a common outcome, then the notion of being “foreign” disappears. Under those conditions, cooperation, understanding, and teamwork become possible.

Some very good things happen when people show a genuine concern and respect for other cultures. People feel flattered when they see that someone cares and has invested the time and effort to learn about their culture. When one group sees the other group bending and adapting, it encourages that group to do the same.

Mark Lesselroth is founder and principal of Brenner Business Development, an international business-development consultancy focused on helping small- and mid-size businesses in the U.S. explore international opportunities as well as assisting foreign-owned companies gain market entry into the U.S. Contact him at mark@brennerbd.com

Genius NY business competition accepting applications until mid-September

Insurance & Financial Services, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Small Business, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — 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 Genius NY competition, a signature part of our region’s economic-development strategy, is now open and accepting applications from companies all over the world,” Robert Simpson, president

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“The Genius NY competition, a signature part of our region’s economic-development strategy, is now open and accepting applications from companies all over the world,” Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, said in his remarks at the Syracuse Technology Garden on June. 14.

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 in a separate news release.

The competition is similar to 43North in Western New York, which is part of Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion initiative.

Genius NY stands for Growing ENtrepreneurs & Innovators in UpState New York. Howard Zemsky, president and CEO of Empire State Development, first announced the program in the same venue in June 2015.

After a year of program development, Zemsky returned to the Tech Garden on June 14 to speak as the program begins the application period.

Genius NY is the” key business accelerator program” at the Tech Garden.

The business competition targets companies in the “unmanned aerial, ground, and marine systems and cross-connected platforms sectors.”

The competition would also welcome startups that focus on precision and remote sensing, data collection, guidance systems, communication systems, sensors, and data analytics among other technological categories.

“We think we have deep expertise and we want to continue to build on this region’s reputation as a leading place to do business as it relates to sensing technology, wireless communications, cyber security, and more,” Simpson contended.

CenterState intentionally aligned the Genius NY program with CNY Rising, the region’s winning proposal for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI), he added.

Upstate Revitalization Initiative is the official name of Cuomo’s economic-development contest held in 2015 that some media outlets dubbed the “Upstate Hunger Games.”

Simpson noted that the Central New York regional economic-development council (REDC) outlined an “ambitious” goal to create a “global center for unmanned systems in cross-connected platforms right here in Central New York.”

“This is the industry sector where we think we’ve got deep capability,” said Simpson.

About Genius NY
The application period opened June 15 and will continue through Sept. 16, according to Rick Clonan, VP of innovation & entrepreneurship at CenterState CEO.

“That’s a pretty good time frame to get a lot of applicants here to do a lot of outreach and to get a good pool,” said Clonan.

A panel of judges will evaluate the applications and select 12 semifinalists to present live demonstrations and pitches this fall.

Judges will select the first cohort in mid-November. Six companies will then advance to begin the competition on Jan. 2, 2017, which marks the beginning of the year-long accelerator process.

The program is open to startups from around the nation and the globe, according to Clonan.

“We think that when people come here and they are able to leverage the money, they’re able to leverage the resources that we’re going to provide and are able to experience Central New York that they’re actually going to stay here and build a business here,” he said.

Besides funding for the grand prizes, CenterState CEO will use another $1 million of the ESD funding toward resources at the Tech Garden. “We’re really going to put a lot of effort into our workshops, our training, our mentors and advisors, and that’s really going to make a big difference,” Clonan said.

Companies can find out more information on the competition’s website (www.geniusny.com) and apply to participate in the program, which CenterState believes will make a big impact on the area.

“This program is probably going to be the biggest game changer that we’ve had in this area ever for entrepreneurs or for startups,” Clonan contended.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Miner signs ordinance mandating hiring of Syracuse residents on $100K+ city contracts

Employee Benefits & Human Resources

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner on Thursday signed the Syracuse Resident Employment Ordinance. It mandates the hiring of city residents for at least

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