HORSEHEADS — A key Southern Tier economic-development agency has a new name and is developing a new facility at the Elmira Airport Park, offering flexible manufacturing space and support services for startups and developing businesses.

On June 30, the Ceramics Corridor changed its name to IncubatorWorks, which is a d/b/a of the parent company Alfred Technology Resources, Inc. (ATRI). ATRI is a 501(c)(3) corporation established to promote economic development in the Southern Tier by supporting entrepreneurial growth, the creation and expansion of area businesses, and the creation of jobs.

“It was definitely time to rebrand,” says Alan Rae, executive director of IncubatorWorks. “The focus on technologies associated with the ceramics industry continues at our incubators in Alfred and Corning, but the expansion to the Elmira Airport Park lets us create a broader business ecosystem than just ceramics. The new name, then, encompasses ceramics and more. We’re creating a cross between an incubator and an accelerator.”

The new incubator is located on the east end of the Elmira–Corning Regional Airport — in the building that originally housed the Schweizer Aircraft Corp. and later Sikorsky Aircraft. 

“The building contains 180,000 [square] feet of which we plan to lease 47,285 feet,” continues Rae. “The space is designed to house between five and 10 tenants, which need flexible space that supports advanced manufacturing. The Schweizer plant comes with a 40-foot-high bay space, easy truck-loading access, and plenty of parking. The plans for the new facility include creating testing-lab space, a cloud videoconferencing center, break room, offices, a redesigned entrance, adding natural light to brighten the interior, and rewiring the space to bring it up to code. In addition, the location is ideal: it’s on Interstate 86, on the airport, and near a railroad line.”

Rae goes on to say that “While the facility will be state of the art, what is even more exciting is the support IncubatorWorks can offer to startup and developing businesses, all in the Southern Tier. We serve as a hub to help develop the business plan, find financial support, and even furnish a variety of mentors. When new businesses enter the incubator here, we’ll help get their feet on the ground, give them the tools they need to grow, and plan their graduation to be successful on their own.”

IncubatorWorks has retained HUNT (Engineers, Architects, Surveyors), headquartered in Horseheads, to draw up the renovation plans. Construction is scheduled to begin this August with completion targeted for September 2016.

The total cost of refurbishing the structure is $1.5 million. ATR received a $300,000 grant from the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council, a $600,000 loan from the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency for renovations (incorporated into lease payments), and $150,000 from NYSEG for interior wiring. An application is pending for $150,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission to extend fiber/broadband to the facility, install cloud-conferencing, and for other amenities. The building is owned by the Chemung County IDA, which has signed a 15-year lease with ATR. Rae says the estimated lease cost to tenants will be in the range of $7-$11 per square foot, with tenants paying for their energy consumption.

The new incubator has also partnered with Corning Community College to be eligible for the Empire State’s “Start-Up NY” program. Tenants may qualify for the following: no corporate tax for 10 years, no property tax for 10 years, and no sales tax for 10 years. “This incentive has created a lot of buzz,” avers Rae. “Add to this the low cost of operating at the incubator; our state-of-the-art manufacturing services; mentoring for business operations; grant-making help, entrepreneurial boot camps; and the inventors’ sandbox. IncubatorWorks has also partnered with Southern Tier Startup Alliance (formerly Southern Tier Innovation Hot Spot), an organization of business incubators that provides support to entrepreneurs. The alliance also works with incubators at Binghamton University, Rev Ithaca Startup Works, and Cornell University. In short, our eco environment is not limited to the Elmira, Alfred, Corning area.”

Thinking ahead

Even before construction begins on the newest addition to IncubatorWorks, Rae is already eager to add another component. “We need to create a ‘makerspace’ here in [the] Elmira [area],” stresses the executive director, “These areas are designed as do-it-yourself spaces where people gather to create, invent, and learn. Today, makerspaces typically have 3-D printers, laser cutters, software, electronics, hardware supplies, and computerized machine tools that everyone shares and access to people who know how to use them. The space helps designers and entrepreneurs to create prototypes and bring their vision to the marketplace. For years, the ability to do this was confined to large corporations, which could afford the resources and staff. Now, the ability to convert an idea quickly into a tangible manufactured product, using local skills, and potentially selling to a global marketplace is absolutely revolutionary. The tools to create enterprises are now accessible to anyone: It’s changing how companies are formed.” 

Rae has applied for a grant to create 1,000 to 2,000 square feet of makerspace at the Elmira Airport Park facility.

The idea for an area incubator originated in 1988. 

“Alfred University and Corning [Inc.] developed the original idea at a time when local defense contractors were leaving,” recalls Rae. “They created what became known as the ceramics corridor, since both [entities] specialized in the field. One incubator was located at the university and the other at Painted Post (usually identified as Corning). The incubators were established, because landlords typically prefer not to subdivide their properties into spaces of 2,000 to 5,000 square feet.”

Expansion

The Alfred location has 30,000 square feet and 30 tenant employees, and Corning has 40,000 square feet and 70 tenant employees. Both incubators are fully occupied. 

“To accommodate tenant growth and the growing demand from startup businesses, which is projected to add another 50 tenant employees [at Elmira Airport Park], we clearly needed to expand,” notes Rae. “The deal at Airport Park cost us one-tenth the price of building an addition on to either of the original incubators. It was a no-brainer.” IncubatorWorks operates with a staff of five employees — three full-time and two part-time.

IncubatorWorks has an eclectic mix of tenants. At Alfred and Corning, the incubators house manufacturers of medical devices, reinforced glass for the medical industry, energy-storage for the railroad industry, ceramic medical components, and green-cleaning. At the Elmira Airport Park facility, Rae is projecting tenants such as a 3-D printing company, electrical manufacturer, and aircraft-coating company. 

“Selecting new tenants is based on three criteria,” says Rae: “Is there a workable business plan, is the company compliant with state laws (licenses, insurance, etc.), is there a realistic means of the company supporting itself? Applicants can be startups, growing companies with two to five employees, or growing companies with products and revenue. When a company grows to 30 people, that’s usually the time for it to graduate from the incubator.”

Rae’s roots

Rae brings enthusiasm and broad industry experience to his job. “My wife says I have made a career out of ADD,” quips Rae with a twinkle. “I just can’t help being enthusiastic about the energy and creativity I see at IncubatorWorks.” Rae earned a B Sc. degree in chemistry from the University of Aberdeen in 1971 and added a Ph.D. in metallurgy and engineering materials from Newcastle University in 1976. He also earned an MBA degree from Newcastle in 1985. His career includes stints in the following industries: electronics (raw materials, circuit boards, assembly, components); ceramics (traditional, structural, refractory, electronic); alternative energy (solar PV); and water (industrial water purification). On the business side, Rae’s experience includes new-business development, turnarounds, team-building, quality management, and system deployment. In addition to overseeing three incubators, the irrepressible Rae is also the CTO of Solan Corp. in the Greater Salt Lake area, chair of the Industrial Advisory Board for the nano-manufacturing center in Boston, an adjunct professor at Alfred University, and the president of ReNew Rare Earth, Inc., located at the incubators at Alfred and Corning.

Rae has high expectations for IncubatorWorks. “In the past, too many companies started with a professor, a patent, and a prayer,” intones the peripatetic executive director. “They knew little about business or marketing a product. The idea was to start something and sell it to a big company. IncubatorWorks is a very different model. We want to attract anybody with a good idea, help to develop a product, find capital, set up a going business, and give them every incentive to stay in the area. Bottom line: I want to create not only economic activity but also ‘sticky’ jobs. My goal is to fill up the Elmira [area] incubator within a year after opening.”

In Shakespeare’s play, “Romeo & Juliet” Juliet is arguing with Romeo that the name of something does not really matter. Rae clearly disagrees. “When we focused just on ceramics, the name ‘Ceramics Corridor’ was appropriate,” stresses the executive director. “Now that we are supporting a broad range of manufacturers, IncubatorWorks does a better job of identifying us. The name is perfect.”                

SYRACUSE — The City of Syracuse’s office of innovation is working with its departments of water and public works to examine where the city has had water-main breaks “where we believe we have had weaknesses,” Mayor Stephanie Miner said as she announced that her administration will use $10 million in state funding for local infrastructure improvement, maintenance, and repair projects.

The process will involve the use of maps and GIS (geographic-information system) to evaluate which Syracuse streets are “particularly bad,” said Miner.

The mayor announced the grant funding on July 23 at 121 Nelson St. in the Tipperary Hill section of Syracuse, where the city’s water department had equipment set up for routine maintenance on a hydrant line.

New York State Assemblyman William Magnarelli (D–Syracuse) secured the grant funding.

“We, every day, are faced with news of our deteriorating infrastructure largely, frankly, as a result of the age of our city,” Miner said in her remarks.

She added that the city’s infrastructure “has become a rallying cry for me,” noting the many water-main breaks that city crews have repaired in 2015.

Syracuse has had 251 water-main breaks so far this year, according to a news release on the topic from Miner’s office. In 2014, the city had a “record” 391 water-main breaks for the full year.

City officials will also use the data to “drive towards a system where we can efficiently use this money” to operate under a “dig once” policy, Miner said.

The work will target road and water-main reconstruction and other infrastructure that crews find in the ground, she added. 

“The goal is to use this money to leverage other money from the state, perhaps federal government and local government as well, to make sure that we can have as much reconstruction-infrastructure design built as possible,” said Miner.

Crews won’t handle any new construction with funding from the grant during this construction season, Miner added.

Syracuse will use some of the funding for new technology as well, said Miner.

She talked about technology that Boston and cities in Japan are using for similar problems.

They drop sensors into water mains to measure their exteriors for “potential weaknesses, so city crews can conduct preventive maintenance.

“The most expensive maintenance you can do is when it’s already broken,” said Miner.

It’s “obvious” that the city of Syracuse has “infrastructure needs,” Magnarelli said in his remarks at the Thursday morning event. 

“I hope it also lets people know, especially in Syracuse, that state government is there; that we are looking for ways to help; and that we will be advocating for more infrastructure monies, not only now but in the future as we go on,” he added.