Usherwood Office Technology names chief human resources officer

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Usherwood Office Technology — a Syracuse–based, family-owned provider of IT and business-technology services — has promoted Lauren Usherwood-Tartaglia to chief human resources officer (CHRO). In this new role, she will oversee all aspects of the company’s human-resources strategy. Usherwood-Tartaglia will help facilitate talent acquisition, employee development, culture initiatives, and workforce planning to […]

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In this new role, she will oversee all aspects of the company’s human-resources strategy. Usherwood-Tartaglia will help facilitate talent acquisition, employee development, culture initiatives, and workforce planning to support the company’s continued growth and commitment to employee engagement and community involvement, Usherwood Office Technology announced.

Usherwood-Tartaglia is a co-owner in the business and has been an integral part of the firm’s leadership team in directing strategic and impactful initiatives. In her time at Usherwood, she has been instrumental in driving a people-first approach across the organization from her introduction to the family business as an intern in 2012 to her current role as CHRO, the company said.

Continuing her work from previous functions in business development and human-resources roles, Usherwood-Tartaglia aims to move the business forward to promote an inclusive workplace culture, strengthen employee engagement, and enhance the overall employee experience. As a third-generation member of the Usherwood family, she also brings a deep understanding of the company’s legacy and values, bridging tradition with modern HR practices to prepare Usherwood Office Technology for the future.

“We’re thrilled to elevate Lauren to this role. Her dedication to our people and culture has been a cornerstone of our success, and we’re excited to see her lead our HR efforts with vision and care,” Usherwood Office Technology CEO Lou Usherwood said in a statement.

Under Lauren’s leadership in HR, the firm says it aims to continue its commitment to providing a supportive environment for all employees, aligned with the values that have sustained the family business since its founding in 1976.

Headquartered on West Fayette Street in Syracuse, Usherwood Office Technology has locations across the Northeast, with 10 offices in New York state and another eight locations across Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

Corning Inc. awarded $32M in CHIPS funding for Canton plant, creating up to 130 manufacturing jobs

Manufacturing & Engineering, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Featured, Law, Accounting & Taxes, New York News, North Country, Southern Tier, Technology

CANTON, N.Y. — Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) has reached an up to $32 million preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) funding agreement with the U.S. Department

New York City firm wins $1 million grand prize in Grow-NY competition in Ithaca

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Unibaio of New York City is the $1 million grand-prize winner of the sixth annual Grow-NY business competition. The funding was awarded at the Grow-NY Summit, a two-day event in Ithaca where finalists pitched their business plans to a panel of expert judges, Empire State Development (ESD) said in its Thursday evening

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Unibaio of New York City is the $1 million grand-prize winner of the sixth annual Grow-NY business competition.

The funding was awarded at the Grow-NY Summit, a two-day event in Ithaca where finalists pitched their business plans to a panel of expert judges, Empire State Development (ESD) said in its Thursday evening announcement.

The Grow-NY business competition is focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage and agriculture-innovation cluster in Central New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier, ESD said.

Unibaio offers naturally derived particles that trap the active ingredients of pesticides and fertilizers, “enabling them to penetrate plants more efficiently.”

“Winning the $1 million grand prize at the Grow-NY Summit is a dream come true. It’s more than just the money — it’s validation of our team’s hard work, innovation and dedication to creating a solution that will have a lasting impact on farming,” Matia Figliozzi, CEO and co-founder of Unibaio, said in the ESD announcement. “The mentorship we received and relationships we developed through Grow-NY were invaluable, helping us refine our strategy and prepare for growth. This win will allow us to scale our operations in Upstate NY and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient food system.”

Altogether, the competition awarded $3 million — including the $1 million grand prize — to seven of the 20 finalists participating in the business development accelerator.

The $500,000 winners included PureNano Tech of Parsippany, New Jersey and UdderWays of Albion in Orleans County. The four $250,000 winners included Zordi of Oakfield in Genesee County.

Each winning team will commit to operating in the region for at least one year, while also providing a modest equity stake to Cornell University, to fund future food and ag entrepreneurship programming.

Cornell University’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement manages the competition.

The finalists were provided with expert mentorship and guidance as they developed their business plans leading up to this week’s event in Ithaca. During the competition, the companies presented their pitches to a panel of seven judges with expertise in agriculture, food production, and venture development, ESD said.

Broome County approves 2025 budget

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Broome County Legislature approved the 2025 county budget on Nov. 7, bringing the sixth consecutive property-tax-rate reduction to county residents. The

SUNY Oswego’s Rice Creek Field Station receives $25,000 award

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OSWEGO, N.Y. — SUNY Oswego will use a $25,000 Constellation Leading Environmental Accelerators Network (CLEAN) grant to support at least five more years of its Rice Creek Field Station, which plays a key role in a reforestation project supporting trees important to the ecosystem, the college announced. The Canal Forest Reforestation Project (CFRP) is an

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The Canal Forest Reforestation Project (CFRP) is an initiative to restore white oak, swamp white oak, and white pine trees to areas along the New York State Canal System, including Oswego. Project co-founders George and Jane Pauk funded Rice Creek’s role for the first five years.

“We were really excited last spring to be contacted by Constellation Energy and told about how Constellation’s corporate office has an interest in funding environmental initiatives,” Rice Creek Assistant Director Kirsten Haynes said in a news release.

Conversations between David Victome, a recent SUNY Oswego graduate, and Eric Kraus, of Constellation, showed the project would be a fit.

“It was such a great partnership,” Haynes said. “They did the legwork for us and successfully pitched the project for Constellation funding.

The grant will support paid intern positions and the purchase of materials, according to Rice Creek Field Station Director Kamal Mohamed.

“One of our missions is to spread awareness, especially on the importance of trees,” Mohamed said. “These trees are just not found in the wild anymore in our area. So, it’s an effort to restore these American trees into the landscape.”

Because these tree types provide good lumber, they were logged extensively to support canal industries of shipbuilding and barrel construction. The CFRP works to reverse that damage by collecting and distributing seeds and young plants for replanting.

This year, the project distributed about 500 young trees to the Central New York, Genessee, and Otsego land trusts.

“The CLEAN awards uplift our nuclear plant communities by supporting local and regional environmental stewardship organizations that share our commitment to creating a cleaner, healthier future,” Bryan Hanson, Constellation executive VP and chief generation officer, said.

Oswego’s award was part of $1 million in grant funding announced by Constellation on Oct. 15 through the Constellation Foundation to support 35 conservation projects.

CLEAN awards directly fund efforts to combat climate change, protect ecosystems, and advance sustainability in Illinois, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

The Summit Federal Credit Union names Ortiz to board of directors

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Summit Federal Credit Union (The Summit) — which has 93,000 active members in Central New York, the Finger Lakes, and Western New York — has appointed Orlando J. Ortiz to its board of directors. Ortiz brings significant experience in the real estate and manufacturing industries, as well as a dedication to

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Saab awarded nearly $42 million U.S. Navy contract modification

Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only, Technology

DeWITT, N.Y. — Saab Inc. in DeWitt recently won a $41.7 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract from the U.S. Navy. This contract adjustment procures three AN/SPN-50(V)1 shipboard traffic radars and three onboard repair-parts kits in support of new air-traffic control surveillance radars, according to an Oct. 23 contract announcement from the

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Preferred Mutual Insurance names two new board members

Insurance & Financial Services, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, New York News, Southern Tier

NEW BERLIN, N.Y. — Preferred Mutual Insurance Company recently announced the appointments of Laura M. Casamento and Nicole C. Woodall to its board of directors.

SUNY Poly announces creation of 10 new research centers

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MARCY, N.Y. — SUNY Polytechnic Institute recently unveiled its creation of 10 new research centers, which will serve the campus as hubs of innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, made possible by $2.7 million in state funding. The centers will help support the sponsored programs at the college, which have grown 119 percent over the past three

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The centers will help support the sponsored programs at the college, which have grown 119 percent over the past three years.

“These centers mark a transformative leap in our commitment to the innovation and societal impact, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our elected officials for their unwavering support and commitment to SUNY Poly,” Winston Soboyejo, SUNY Poly president, said during remarks at a campus event.

The Artificial Intelligence Exploration (AIX) Center, led by Steven Schneider and William Thistleton, supports three programs — a lab for study of foundation models, an accelerator for applications development, and a studio for research in the user experience.

The Center for Advanced Semiconductor Materials and Devices (CASMAD) will coordinate and facilitate SUNY Poly’s efforts to advance research, education, innovative technologies, and collaborations enabling semiconductor science to provide solutions to complex societal problems. Iulian Gherasoiu serves as director.

The Center for Business and Applied Ethics, led by Jim Staihar, promotes research, teaching, and outreach in all areas of business and applied ethics.

The Center for Design, Interdisciplinary Research, Electronic Technology, Art and Media (DREAM), led by Ana Jofre, creates a campus hub for the arts that will host guests, display faculty work, raise the college’s public profile, and hopefully attract off- campus visitors. The center also supports curriculum development in the arts as well as the integration of the arts into STEM education. It also fosters interdisciplinary research-creation collaborations.

Led by Joanne Joseph, the Center for Health Innovations and Humanitarian Engineering works to advance knowledge and practice in mental, physical, community, and environmental health while also advancing technological innovations and applications in health fields.

The Center for Safe and Secure AI Robotics (CESSAIR) will advance research and development in AI robotics with safety and security as the leading priority. Emilio Cobanera leads the center.

With a focus on advancing innovative solutions for resilient, intelligent, and sustainable infrastructure systems, the Center for Smart Infrastructure and Sustainability (CSIS) will synthesize efforts across the university to advance research, education, and innovation. Zhanjie Li leads the center.

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Research Center, led by Byeongdon Oh, leads the college’s research, teaching, and outreach efforts toward DEIB.

The Global Center for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (GCAMM) will engage an interdisciplinary team in cutting-edge research and education in advanced functional materials and manufacturing. Soboyejo leads the center.

Led by Arjun Singh, the Wireless and Intelligent Next Generation Systems (WINGS) center aims to promote and sustainable and growing sphere of influence in wireless advancements required for next-generation systems, including the advent of terahertz and sub-terahertz communications.

The new centers do not include the Semiconductor Processing to Packaging Research, Education, and Training Center, which is on track to open in the fall of 2026.

“SUNY Poly is grateful for the continued investments that enhance research efforts and offer additional opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration, paving the way for pioneering solutions that will shape the future,” Provost Andy Russell said in a statement.

Georgia firm plans cottage community near Binghamton University

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VESTAL, N.Y. — A Georgia real-estate firm that specializes in student housing has committed to building a new cottage community in Vestal less than a mile from Binghamton University. Landmark Properties started construction on The Retreat at Bunn Hill, a project that will provide lower density housing with an array of resident benefits, according to

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VESTAL, N.Y. — A Georgia real-estate firm that specializes in student housing has committed to building a new cottage community in Vestal less than a mile from Binghamton University.

Landmark Properties started construction on The Retreat at Bunn Hill, a project that will provide lower density housing with an array of resident benefits, according to a news release. Company officials were not available for an interview before press time.

“Our team has been working hard on this project for six years,” Landmark Properties President/CEO Wes Rogers said in the release. “We love the supply and demand fundamentals in this market and have experienced the significant barriers to entry. We’re excited to bring our market-leading product to the Binghamton University community. Kudos to the persistence of our team for making this happen.”

The development totals 314,300 square feet featuring 15 unique floor plans for the two- to five-bedroom cottages. In total, there will be 161 units and 700 beds. Each floor plan offers private bathrooms for every bedroom, with some offering extra half baths. All units will feature quartz countertops, high-speed internet and cable, in-unit laundry, and hardwood-style floors.

Community amenities will include a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse, heated outdoor pool, fire pits, a fitness center, and other recreational offerings. There will be 554 parking spaces, and residents will also have access to an off-campus shuttle bus.

Landmark Construction, the in-house general contractor for Landmark Properties, is managing construction of the project.

The Retreat at Bunn Hill will be Landmark’s third housing community in New York, Other properties include The Station Buffalo and The Standard at Syracuse, which is under construction with a planned fall 2026 opening.

Headquartered in Athens, Georgia, Landmark Properties specializes in the acquisition, development, and management of residential communities. It has more than $14 billion in assets under management with a portfolio that includes more than 115 residential communities across the country with 72,000 beds. Landmark’s development pipeline includes 23 student and multifamily projects under construction or ready to open.

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