Syracuse launches Whoosh mobile-parking system

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SYRACUSE — Drivers parking in downtown Syracuse have a new option for making a payment at a parking meter. Whoosh, a mobile-phone application, went live on Aug. 18, allowing individuals to pay for parking directly from their devices. Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner made the announcement the next day, while speaking to reporters along the 300 […]

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SYRACUSE — Drivers parking in downtown Syracuse have a new option for making a payment at a parking meter.

Whoosh, a mobile-phone application, went live on Aug. 18, allowing individuals to pay for parking directly from their devices.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner made the announcement the next day, while speaking to reporters along the 300 block of South Franklin Street in Armory Square.

The app, which is in use in more than 30 sites in the United Kingdom and France, is making its U.S. debut in the city of Syracuse, the mayor’s office said in a news release.

Residents can “download an app on their phone and pay for parking on their phone,” Miner said in her remarks at the sidewalk news conference.

“You don’t have to go through the rain or go through snow banks to put your credit card or coins or dollars into the parking meter,” said Miner.

Several parking-meter stations in Armory Square now include a pink-colored sign with information about Whoosh, indicating a driver can use the app at that parking meter.

The city of Syracuse is initially deploying the Whoosh system in the Armory Square area, but plans to expand it throughout downtown Syracuse and into the University Hill area, Miner’s office said.

“We will be extending this to all of the meters in the city eventually, but this is where we’re starting out [Armory Square] with our highest demand areas of downtown and some places on the East Side,” Miner said.

Whoosh is a download available on iOS or Android devices. Users download the app, register their vehicle’s license plates, and a credit card to which they will charge their parking payment, Miner said.

Whoosh charges a convenience fee of 35 cents to each transaction.

To pay for parking, users can open the app on their phone, choose their vehicle, and enter an amount of time they estimate they will need for parking.

If time is running short, Whoosh sends a notification to users’ phones, alerting them that their paid parking time is about to expire with an option to extend the parking time, if desired, according to Miner’s office.

The system does not change the maximum amount of time that a driver can remain parked at a given meter. The meters have a two-hour maximum, Miner said.

A group of representatives from Whoosh, who will dress in bright pink shirts, will visit Armory Square in the next seven to 10 days to provide tutorials and information on the system, Miner said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

USDA: New York crop production mostly projected to increase this year

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only

Farm crop-production prospects for New York state in 2014 are mostly higher compared with a year earlier, according to Blair Smith, state statistician of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) New York field office. Yield forecasts for output of corn, grain, soybeans, alfalfa, hay, and oats are higher than last year. However, production of dry

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Construction set to begin on Ithaca Marriott

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

ITHACA — Nine years after Jeffrey Rimland, a Long Island developer, proposed a hotel in the heart of downtown Ithaca, construction will finally begin in September. The hotel is sited at 120 South Aurora St., along the eastern edge of the Commons. The Ithaca Commons is a two-block pedestrian mall built in 1974 that serves

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ITHACA — Nine years after Jeffrey Rimland, a Long Island developer, proposed a hotel in the heart of downtown Ithaca, construction will finally begin in September.

The hotel is sited at 120 South Aurora St., along the eastern edge of the Commons. The Ithaca Commons is a two-block pedestrian mall built in 1974 that serves as the center of the area’s civic life. The plot of land sited for the hotel comprises only 0.19 acres or 8,000 square feet. The final design includes an 11-story structure with 159 rooms (including eight suites), restaurant/bar/lounge, fitness center, meeting rooms, and a board room encompassing 100,000 square feet of covered space. The building cantilevers out 12 feet at the fifth floor. The multi-million dollar project (final cost not released), is scheduled to open 17 months after construction begins. The hotel will carry the Marriott brand.

Rimland’s interest in Ithaca began in 2003 when he bought the Rothschild Building at 215 E. State St. Originally a department store, Rothschild closed its operations in the 1980s. The 77,000 square-foot building was subsequently converted to office space. Rimland’s idea for a hotel crystallized in 2005, because he always had difficulty getting a hotel room when he visited Ithaca. It took three years to re-acquire an adjacent piece of land, which he had originally ceded to the city. Then Rimland had to contend with the financial collapse of 2008 when banks were reluctant to lend money. He sought a partner for the project and chose Urgo Hotels of Bethesda, Maryland. City Council approval of the design also slowed the process, compounded by the need to “value-engineer” the cost of the project to ensure profitability.

Rimland Equities was founded in 1984 by Rimland, the company’s CEO. The privately owned and operated real-estate-investment firm owns and invests in both commercial and residential properties. Rimland’s headquarters is in Medford Long Island with offices in Bridgehampton, Catchogue, and Ithaca.

Rimland was approached by Urgo Hotels, a Bethesda–based hotel developer. “Don [Donald J. Urgo, Sr., president and CEO] has had an interest in Ithaca since one of his sons attended Cornell,” says Mathew Jalazo, director of development at Urgo Hotels. “He saw the need for opening a downtown hotel that would become the gateway to the Commons. Both [Urgo and Rimland] were excited to be part of the community and build a hotel that was spectacular, not prototypical.

The result was a joint-venture … Urgo’s role is to develop the project and manage it.”

The project is financed by one bank — M&T. Jalazo says Urgo has had a long relationship financing unique projects with the bank’s Washington, D.C. office. Cooper Cary, a national architectural firm with offices in Atlanta, New York, and Washington, D.C., designed the project.

Urgo Hotels develops, owns, operates, and asset-manages hotels. The company’s portfolio includes 31 hotels with 4,303 rooms located in the U.S, Canada, and Eleuthera in the Bahamas. In just the last two years, Urgo has added 13 hotels with 1,701 rooms. It is a brand-approved operator of leading hotel chains such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Westin.

This spring, William H. Lane Incorporated was chosen as the construction manager for the project; groundbreaking is scheduled for early September. William H. Lane, Inc. was founded in 1967; its diverse portfolio includes extensive experience in the market sectors of industrial, educational, health care, municipal, utility, and hospitality.

Contact Poltenson at npoltenson@cnybj.com

N.Y. manufacturing index falls in August

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Aug. 15 that its Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index fell 11 points to 14.7 in

It Takes the Right Tactics to Improve Sales Performance

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

In Lee Child’s book “Without Fail,” a Secret Service official simplifies a disturbing problem. “If the Yankees come to town saying they’re going to beat the Orioles, does that mean it’s true?” And then he adds, “Boasting about it is not the same thing as actually doing it.” It’s the same with sales, where there’s

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It’s the same with sales, where there’s often too much boasting and not enough doing. Here are seven tactics to improve sales performance.

1. Use stories that make a difference to customers. While facts help support a sales presentation, they can also be confusing, create doubt, and turn people off. Yet, many salespeople fill their presentations with “facts and figures” and so-called “hard information” to build a solid, compelling case with customers.

A simple, quick story that grabs interest may be far more effective in moving a customer to action, however. While salespeople love to tell stories, too often they shoot themselves in the foot with stories about themselves or whatever comes to mind at the moment, failing to sense the effect on the customer.

Sales stories should be strategic. “If you think back to your favorite stories, the great ones are those that inform, educate, and drive people to act,” says Jen Agustin, senior director of marketing at the B2B marketing and technology company Bizo.

2. Forget about the “latest and the greatest.” “I’ve made a conscious choice to not spend all my time … looking down at a device,” says legendary motion picture director James Cameron of “Avatar” and “Titanic” fame in a recent USA Today interview. “I’m a Luddite — but a high-tech Luddite.” Referring to Twitter, “I hate it,” he says. “I hate everyone else’s tweets, too. They’re boring. What can you say in 140 characters? I can’t even clear my throat in 140 characters. Same goes for Facebook.”

As the most techie director of all time, Cameron’s outburst sends a message to salespeople. It wasn’t so long ago that “cutting edge” gave salespeople an advantage with customers, as they longed for “the next great thing.” But not now. The times have changed. It’s clear what moves them to action now: they want what works, what solves a problem, what gives them an edge.

3. Don’t talk about what you do. It may sound crazy to suggest that salespeople should avoid talking about what they do. Even so, it’s good advice. It’s tempting to talk about what we know best — what we do. We’re excited about we do and want to share “the good news.” No matter what anyone says, to talk about what we do is a huge turnoff for customers.

If you ask Sally what she does and she tells you she sells insurance, that’s all it takes — you shut down. However, when Sally recognizes that you’re “50-ish,” you might feel different if she said, “I help people make sure they have enough money for a great retirement.” If you’re someone with a young family, Sally might say, “I help make the dream of going to college a reality.” It’s an approach that gives new meaning to the idea that “the customer comes first.”

4. Be careful when you make promises. Salespeople always have a temptation to tell customers what they want to hear and it leads to trouble. “It will be here in about three weeks,” said the contractor, referring to the bathroom accessory selected by the customer. Well after the due date, the customer was upset because it still was unavailable, and was then told the expected delivery was several months later.

It’s a familiar story and it illustrates how salespeople disappoint customers by making promises they can’t keep. It’s a deadly scenario. Once disappointment sets in, satisfaction begins unraveling.

To maintain customers’ confidence if a problem may occur, tell them about it upfront, keep them informed, and have options ready if they’re needed.

5. Don’t overstate. In other words, don’t exaggerate. It’s the curse that many salespeople fall prey to time-and-again, so that it becomes second nature. It always causes trouble. They cannot have a conversation or make a presentation without “gilding the lily,” as they say. Salespeople want to look good to their customers, so they stretch the truth, embellish the facts, and are even misleading.

It’s a dangerous practice. For today’s customers, it’s often one strike and you’re out. No one understands this better than Amazon. And few companies do a better job communicating with customers, particularly when it comes to on-time deliveries, accurate product descriptions, and reliable customer comments.

Unlike other retailers who try to lure customers with exaggerated claims, Amazon’s goal is to build trust so customers come back again and again, even when a competitor may have a lower price. It starts with a “no exaggeration” policy. Salespeople can learn from companies like Amazon.

6. Explore vulnerabilities. Salespeople can perform a significant service to customers by showing them where they may be losing business, how they might improve a procedure, where they have a product or service weakness, or any other exposure.

Because business owners and managers can be so caught up in daily operations that they fail to see potential threats, salespeople can be the extra set of eyes to provide valuable feedback. The owner of a retail chain was ready to buy another store when a salesperson pointed out that significant changes in the area could have a negative impact on the business. The owner heeded the salesperson’s advice and avoided making a costly mistake.

7. Reinforce the customer’s buying decision. It’s just after the sale — when salespeople revel in their success — that the customer relationship is most vulnerable. This is when post-sale doubts set in and questions arise. Perhaps, customers are getting more familiar with a purchase, encounter an unexpected issue, or discover that what they bought isn’t what they expected. Whether it’s a beer or a Lexus, customers want to feel good when they make a purchase.

The savvy salesperson, knowing what can occur, takes the initiative and contacts customers to understand how they are feeling about their purchase and to reinforce why their buying decision was prudent. The person who made the sale should make the contact, otherwise the value of the call is diminished in the customer’s mind. The customer wants to know that the salesperson cares.

Bottom line: When salespeople use the right tactics, they boast less, do more, and improve their sales performance.

John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategist-consultant and business writer. He publishes a free monthly eBulletin, “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com, (617) 774-9759, or johnrgraham.com

Integration, Not Balance — Focus, Not Prioritization

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

“The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing.” — Stephen Covey I am often amazed at how many of us have been given the same bad advice over the years, and, in retrospect, how often I have given it myself. I mean advice such as: live a balanced life, create work-life balance,

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“The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing.” — Stephen Covey

I am often amazed at how many of us have been given the same bad advice over the years, and, in retrospect, how often I have given it myself. I mean advice such as: live a balanced life, create work-life balance, and make sure that your wheel of life is balanced properly in each area so that it can roll smoothly.

I am amazed because, first, I have come to realize that a balanced life is not really possible. And secondly, why would you want to have it, unless you were striving for mediocrity?

As Gary Keller, co-founder and chairman of the real-estate firm Keller Williams, points out in his book, “The One Thing,” greatness occurs at the extremes. And, treating everything with the same importance or just prioritizing your schedule prevents you from reaching mastery in anything.

Integration is the key. Finding work that you are passionate about and that is aligned with your purpose and values, or at least your current purpose and values, is a way to create seamlessness between your professional and personal lives.

Build your values into whatever you do — be so inspired and motivated by what you do that it positively affects everything else. Don’t take a linear approach to life, but integrate spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental renewal into every day.

Treat your life like a sprint rather than a steady-paced long distance race: have focused periods of high energy, punctuated by periods of intermittent renewal for rest, relationship building, mindfulness, exercise, and reading.

Focus on those vital few things that, when done well, will have the greatest significant impact. Don’t get sucked into the trap of infinite capacity by trying to prioritize your schedule. Get clear on your key things and schedule your priorities.

Focus, focus, focus — make the affairs of your life number one or two. Henry David Thoreau stated it more eloquently at Walden’s Pond: “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million, count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on a thumb nail.”

Lastly, find and commit to a process that enables you to articulate an integrated and focused approach to life. Here are seven steps to achieving integration and focus that I follow:

1. Write out your life’s purpose or mission statement, your reason for being. If you already have a statement, rewrite it at the beginning of each week. If you don’t have a statement, silently reflect on your true purpose and write whatever comes to mind.

2. Write down and reflect upon your most important values.Remember that we value what we do and do what we value.

3. Write down your intentions for your life, the year, and the coming week. We become what we think about all day long. An intention focuses both our conscious and subconscious minds and guides our energy and actions.

4. Make a commitment to self-renewal by writing down activities that will regenerate you at the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. Consider investing an hour a day on renewal activities.

5. Select and record one to three “vital” goals for the week. A “vital” goal is verifiable, inspiring, time-bound, actionable, and limitless. One way to make a goal limitless might be to add the words “or more” at the end.

6. Use your weekly scheduler and make commitments to yourself to have the content of your schedule be congruent with your purpose, values, intentions, and goals. This is not the place for standing appointments, but a place for blocking out chunks of time for inspired action — time for exercising, meditating, reading, writing, dreaming, and just allowing yourself to be you.

7. As you progress through the week, be cognizant of the things that you are doing that you could delegate, automate, or eliminate. Make some conscious choices to have these activities removed from your routine so that you can create space for the things that are truly purposeful and inspiring to you.

Ralph L. Simone is founder of Productivity Leadership Systems (PLS) in Baldwinsville. Contact him at ralph@discoverpls.com

Avoid Being Ripped Off by Phone Scams

Opinion, Subscriber Only

Lately, my office has received phone calls from constituents about aggressive telemarketing calls, with some becoming victims of phone scams. These crimes happen to the best of people, young and old, from nearly every walk of life. In the past, the Federal Trade Commission has reported that billions of dollars in consumer losses are tied

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As consumers, we must become familiar with the ways of scam artists in order to protect ourselves from falling victim to a con. Scam artists use a variety of tactics in their attempts to gain your personal information. Some use company names similar to trusted brands and government agencies, while others press you to act on an offer immediately. Common tactics include creating a fictitious sweepstakes or prize win to collect personal and credit information or attempting to convince someone to pay ahead of time for complimentary service or goods. Often times with these offers, the scammers will refuse to send you written materials or details.

You can avoid being scammed by not sharing personal information with people or companies with which you are not familiar. Don’t be afraid to assert yourself by asking for written materials regarding promotions, stating you are not interested, or even hanging up on the telemarketer. If you experience something unsettling, report the possible scam to law enforcement and consumer-protection organizations.

Please know there are strict rules for telemarketers. They may only call between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. and their caller ID information must be clear and disclosed. Similarly, before they are allowed to promote their product, they must disclose who they are and note that the call is a sales call. Telemarketers are also required to inform you of all costs before you pay for anything. Finally, they cannot call you again after you ask to not be called again or if you are on the Do Not Call registry. If a business violates these rules, it can be fined up to $11,000.

There are many organizations you can contact to handle telemarketing issues and phone scams. To avoid telemarketing calls altogether, register with the Do Not Call Registry by visiting donotcall.gov or by calling (888) 382-1222. The Better Business Bureau tracks and informs consumers about known telemarketing scams; its Upstate office can be reached at bbb.org/upstate-new-york or (800) 828-5000. For state resources, you may contact the NYS Attorney General Consumer Helpline at (800) 771-7755 or ag.ny.gov, as well as the NYS Department of State Division of Consumer Protection Helpline at (800) 697-1220 or dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection.

Marc W. Butler (R,C,I–Newport) is a New York State Assemblyman for the 118th District, which encompasses parts of Oneida, Herkimer, and St. Lawrence counties, as well as all of Hamilton and Fulton counties. Contact him at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us

The End of Tenured Teachers?

Health Care, Opinion, Subscriber Only

Have the bullies met their match? You will soon find out in New York state. Earlier this year, a few groups challenged the teacher-tenure laws of California. They argued that tenure laws violate the civil rights of students — because they protect many incompetent teachers. The argument is that kids are damaged by the incompetence

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Have the bullies met their match? You will soon find out in New York state.

Earlier this year, a few groups challenged the teacher-tenure laws of California. They argued that tenure laws violate the civil rights of students — because they protect many incompetent teachers. The argument is that kids are damaged by the incompetence that is protected.

A Los Angeles judge ruled for the students and against California’s tenure laws, and against the teachers’ unions.

The New York City Parents Union has filed a similar lawsuit — to overturn New York tenure laws similar to California’s. [Editor’s note:Less than a month after that suit, the Partnership for Educational Justice, a group of families led by former TV news anchor Campbell Brown, also filed a legal challenge against New York state’s teacher-tenure laws.]

In California, billionaire David Welch contributed $3 million to the legal effort there. His advocacy group hired pit-bull attorneys to argue against teacher-union lawyers.
Welch has now said his group would fund and coordinate the New York City Parents Union’s suit. And thus, the battle is joined.

The unions’ first response was to attack wealth. One union president said New York City is used to meddling billionaires trying to destroy public education. He was referring to former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Bloomy pushed charter schools big time. Charters that employ non-union teachers.

The union leader claimed that “…New York parents realize due process helps teachers defend their students’ interests.”

He has to know he speaks rubbish. His union bought the support of the city’s new mayor with mega-buck contributions. When Mayor Bill de Blasio moved against charter schools, the roof fell in. Parents roared. He has since backed off.

Let us imagine that the New York legal challenge succeeds. If it does, we could witness the end of the old tenure system. More importantly, we could see the end of incompetent teachers hanging on like leeches. We could see the handcuffs come off administrators and school boards.

The unions deserve this. They have been hard-headed on the issue. They have rejected compromise. They have knowingly protected some horrible teachers for years. They have forced school systems to create “rubber rooms.” Principals send the worst of the worst to these rooms. To do nothing. While taxpayers have to keep paying their salaries.

If the lawsuits succeed, the unions will change their tactics. That is my guess. They will offer compromises. They will try to negotiate changes. Changes that still protect good teachers. But make it easier to boot the worst. Call it “tenure light.”

Meanwhile, the tactic of citing billionaire-meddling will fail. It will fail because parents can see through it. They know the tenure system stinks. They know many teachers don’t support what the unions advocate. Many teachers don’t like being forced to pay high dues. Many don’t like their dues ending up in coffers of corrupt politicians.

Many taxpayers will feel the meddling by billionaires levels the playing field. If groups of parents challenge tenure laws they cannot afford much of a challenge. Teacher unions spend fortunes fighting them. That is why I called them bullies at the start of this column. They use the millions from dues to try to steamroll any groups that oppose tenure laws.

It could not be more clear that the unions have ignored the needs of children. Especially kids in lousy inner-city schools. It is clear the unions have ignored the wishes of many teachers.

The unions’ first concerns are salaries. And tenure. And as much control over education policies as they can get. To achieve these goals they grease the palms of politicians. They threaten to try to oust any politician who steps out of line.

Against this power, our kids deserve to have someone in their corner. Taxpayers who feel current tenure laws are rotten deserve the same.

At the moment, it looks as if David Welch and his lawyers have moved into that corner. Round one is coming up.

From Tom…as in Morgan.

Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home near Oneonta, in addition to his radio shows and TV show. For more information about him, visit his website at www.tomasinmorgan.com

Take Charge of Your Internal Communications

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

In any organization — whether you are a CNY Top 100 corporation or a much smaller business — employees should be your number-one audience. The most successful organizations are those with engaged employees who are involved in frequent two-way dialogues with leadership throughout the organization. These top-performing companies give employees the chance to provide their

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Good internal communications will not only make your organization stronger, but it will also come in handy if any changes or crises come along. Employees need to be the first ones informed of any change in the company — before your external audiences. You never want your employees to find out that there will be big changes at work by watching the evening news or hearing it second-hand from people from the outside.

When you communicate with employees first, the support of an internal community can help to keep your organization’s reputation on track. Employees’ engagement directly affects company morale, productivity, and also customer experience.

More importantly, internal communications needs a strategy of its own. It should be more than a simple plan of tactical message deliveries about business activities. This needs to be tied in with your business goals.

Ask yourself how well your employees understand the business strategy and how connected they are to the organization. Who do your employees influence when they are in and outside of the office? They likely have much more of an impact on your company’s message and reputation than you are aware of or believe.

Once you develop an internal communications strategy, you can then improve the answers to these questions. Your organization’s reputation depends so much on user experience, impacted by their direct communication with your employees.

Take charge of your internal communications, and mobilize the army inside your organization.

Are you being heard?

Crystal (Smith) DeStefano is the president and director of public relations at Strategic Communications, LLC, which says it provides trusted counsel for public relations, including media relations, employee relations, and community relations. Contact DeStefano at Crystal@stratcomllc.com

Spotlighting Central New York’s Top 100 Corporations

Subscriber Only

In this week’s Central New York Business Journal, we feature and list the Top 100 Corporations, ranked by the total number of Central New York employees. As a shortened, spin-off version of past years’ Business Journal 500, this special publication focuses on the largest private-sector corporations in our 16-county region. Collectively, these 101 businesses (it’s

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In this week’s Central New York Business Journal, we feature and list the Top 100 Corporations, ranked by the total number of Central New York employees. As a shortened, spin-off version of past years’ Business Journal 500, this special publication focuses on the largest private-sector corporations in our 16-county region. Collectively, these 101 businesses (it’s 101 companies due to ties) employ nearly 6 million people worldwide, including about 97,000 in CNY alone.

The Top 100 Corporations report includes all employees working and offices located in Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Seneca, Tioga, and Tompkins counties. Of those in the Top 100, about 40 of the companies are headquartered in CNY. Look for the [SYMBOL] that indicates which ones are homegrown. About half of the companies on the list are publically traded, while the other half are privately held.

Much time and effort go into compiling the data that you see in this special publication. It’s not a quick, easy task. To identify the companies that rank among the Top 100, the research department conducts a thorough analysis of available data. Though the list is primarily based on data from surveys the companies completed and submitted to The Business Journal, we also gathered information from local chambers of commerce, industrial-development agencies, and other news sources, when necessary.

The methodology is designed to make a fair comparison among companies operating in a wide range of industries across the region. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the data in this publication.

Additionally, this list includes several companies that have never appeared on any previous Top Ranks lists or in the Business Journal 500, making it a more comprehensive snapshot of the region’s employers and indeed, its economy. On the following pages, you’ll also find brief write-ups on some of the news the Top 100 companies have been making, as compiled by the editorial staff.

Many thanks to the local companies and organizations for supporting and providing the information for this publication. I hope you will find this new Top 100 Corporations special publication to be a valuable resource.

————————————————————————————–

BJNN 100 #1

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
CNY employees: 5,497
Wegmans was recently named one of “America’s Best Companies to Work for” by the online financial news and opinion website, 24/7 Wall Street. The Rochester–based supermarket chain, with 84 stores across six states, ranked number 46 in the nation. 24/7 Wall Street identified the top 75 companies to work for in the U.S., based on company ratings provided by current and former employees to the website Glassdoor.com.

“Wegmans has a long history of taking a unique approach to supermarket retail. The company has been repeatedly honored for hiring workers with disabilities. Additionally, Wegmans operates a culinary innovation center where chefs conduct research and development for the grocer. Employees, too, clearly endorse the company’s strategies, with 89 percent approving of CEO Danny Wegman,” 24/7 Wall Street wrote in its ranking report.

Wegmans operates supermarkets in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The company will reach its 100th anniversary in 2016.

BJNN 100 #2
Oneida Indian Nation Enterprises
CNY Employees: 4,500
Included among the Oneida Nation’s many business enterprises are the Turning Stone Resort’s three championship golf courses. The Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America has picked Turning Stone to host the 49th PGA Professional National Championship in 2016, 10 years after it first put on the event.

The PGA Professional National Championship is a tournament for golf-club professionals and golf teachers who are members of the PGA of America.

The 312-player championship, previously hosted by Turning Stone Resort in 2006, will be played June 26-29, 2016, according to the PGA. Atunyote Golf Club and the Shenendoah Golf Club are the two resort courses that will be used for the tournament.

“We look forward to showcasing our world-class destination resort and challenging courses for the PGA Professionals who will compete here for the 2016 Championship,” Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation Representative and Nation Enterprises CEO, said in a news release.

BJNN 100 #4 (tie)
Walmart
CNY Employees: 4,000 (BJNN estimate)
The global discount retailer Walmart operates about two dozen stores and a distribution center in our region.

The company formally opened its new Walmart Supercenter in Clay in early June. The new 152,000-square-foot store is situated at 8770 Dell Center Drive, next door to Walmart’s previous smaller store at 2949 Route 31, which was about 115,000 square feet.

The newly relocated store employs about 300 people total, an increase of about 85 jobs over the prior location. The new Walmart is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offers a full line of groceries, including organic/natural food, a bakery, and self-serve deli. It also provides pharmacy services.

Holding company Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) says more than 245 million customers and members visit its 11,302 stores under 71 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal-year 2014 sales exceeding $473 billion, the company employs more than 2 million people worldwide.

BJNN 100 #17 (tie)
Welch Allyn
CNY Employees: 1,300
Welch Allyn, Inc., a global medical-diagnostic-device company headquartered in Skaneateles Falls, in June announced the acquisition of certain assets from PediaVision Holdings, LLC, based in Lake Mary, Fla.

The transaction included the corporate name, customer list, and a new generation of vision-assessment technology marketed under the brand name “SPOT.”

“SPOT is a fast, portable, easy-to-use binocular-vision device designed to screen for refractive error,” says Richard M. Farchione, Welch Allyn’s senior global category manager.

Stephen F. Meyer, Welch Allyn’s president and CEO says, “PediaVision is a good fit for us. It offers Welch Allyn an opportunity to not only expand the company’s current vision-screening technology [such as the SureSight, the Vision Screener, and the Autorefractor] but also to offer our customers a more expanded suite of early detection solutions for health care. We have the global distribution reach to take SPOT to the next level.” Welch Allyn expects to rebrand the product later this year.

BJNN 100 #34 (tie)
ITT Goulds Pumps
CNY Employees: 900
ITT Goulds Pumps, a unit of ITT Corp. (NYSE: ITT), on Aug. 4 formally unveiled a new $22 million test and production facility at its corporate campus in Seneca Falls. The expansion project added 75,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 50 new jobs. The facility will fill an increase in market demand for highly engineered pump products used in the oil, gas, and mining industries. ITT Goulds Pumps hired VIP Structures of Syracuse to design and build the structure.

Before completing the test and production center, ITT Goulds Pumps began with an expansion of its research and development facility that wrapped up at the end of 2013. That project added new space to house more engineers at ITT Goulds Pumps. All told, the company’s expansion efforts totaled $27 million.

BJNN 100 #45 (tie)
Community Bank, N.A.
CNY Employees: 700
Community Bank System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU), parent of Community Bank, N.A., reported net income of $45.9 million in the first half of 2014, up from $41.4 million in the first six months of 2013. Earnings per share rose almost 9 percent to $1.11 in this year’s first half from $1.02 in the year-ago period.

On July 16, Community Bank System boosted its quarterly cash dividend by 7 percent to 30 cents a share from the 28 cents it paid in each of the four prior quarters. This marks the company’s 22nd consecutive year of increased dividend payouts to shareholders.

The banking company operates more than 190 branches across upstate New York and northeastern Pennsylvania. With assets of about $7.5 billion, DeWitt–based Community Bank System says it ranks among the nation’s 100 largest financial institutions.

BJNN 100 #71
POMCO Group
CNY Employees: 441
POMCO Group, a Syracuse–based third-party administrator of self-funded health-care and risk-management plans, has added 65 new employees at its corporate headquarters as it administers a new plan offered through the Affordable Care Act.

The employee growth is to accommodate the “continual rapid growth of the company’s plan membership” due to the impact of Health Republic Insurance of New York (HRINY), the Affordable Care Act’s consumer operated and oriented plan (CO-OP), according to POMCO.

CO-OPs are private, member-governed, health-insurance companies that are forming nationwide as part of the Affordable Care Act.

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services used $174 million in no-interest and low-interest loans to launch the New York CO-OP. The Brooklyn–based Freelancers Union, a national nonprofit organization that serves independent workers and has 170,000 members, is sponsoring the CO-OP.

Freelancers Union was also responsible for choosing POMCO to administer the CO-OP’s benefits.

HRINY is one of 23 CO-OPs nationally and offers health benefits for both individuals and small businesses, POMCO said.

POMCO Group partnered with HRINY at the start of 2014 to serve as its claims administrator, customer-service call center, and medical-management provider. POMCO’s partnership with HRINY is the “largest factor” behind the firm’s need to recruit additional people, the firm said.

POMCO, headquartered at 2425 James St. in the Eastwood section of Syracuse, has hired more than 150 new employees since the beginning of 2013.

BJNN 100 #82 (tie)
First Niagara Financial Group
CNY Employees: 400
First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNFG) generated substantial loan growth in the second quarter across its various product lines and markets, the banking company reported on July 25.

The Buffalo–based parent company of First Niagara Bank N.A. said average total loans increased 7 percent annualized in the second quarter from the first quarter, driven by continued growth in the company’s commercial lending, indirect auto, and home-equity portfolios, its earnings report stated.

Average commercial loans, which include commercial business and commercial real-estate loans, increased to $13.5 billion in the latest quarter, up 8 percent annualized from the previous quarter.

First Niagara is the fourth largest bank in the 16-county Central New York market ranked by deposit market share.

First Niagara says it is a multi-state community-oriented bank with about 410 branches, $39 billion in assets, $27 billion in deposits, and 5,900 employees serving New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

BJNN 100 #92
KeyBank
CNY Employees: 375
KeyBank is the second largest bank in the 16-county Central New York market ranked by deposit market share, with more than a 10 percent share of total deposits, according to the latest FDIC data available.

The bank’s holding company KeyCorp. (NYSE: KEY) recently reported that net income from continuing operations totaled $474 million, or 53 cents a share, in the first half of 2014. That’s up from $389 million, or 42 cents per share, in the first six months of 2013.

Contact Collins at ncollins@cnybj.com

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