New York manufacturing index falls in August

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

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

Innovation keys Cryomech’s growth

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

DeWITT — A philosophy of putting innovation at the core of the business has served Cryomech, Inc. very well, boosting growth with new products, new employees, and increased sales. The cryorefrigerator (cryocooler) designer and manufacturer is seeing the benefit of that ongoing philosophy with new-order sales up 14 percent so far this year, says Peter

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

DeWITT — A philosophy of putting innovation at the core of the business has served Cryomech, Inc. very well, boosting growth with new products, new employees, and increased sales.

The cryorefrigerator (cryocooler) designer and manufacturer is seeing the benefit of that ongoing philosophy with new-order sales up 14 percent so far this year, says Peter Gifford, president of Cryomech, which is headquartered at 113 Falso Drive in the town of DeWitt.

The company, founded in 1963 by William E. Gifford (Peter’s father), designs and produces cryorefrigerators, liquid helium-management products, liquid-nitrogen plants, cryostats, and cold-helium circulation systems. Many of Cryomech’s customers come from physics-research markets. Most customers use the firm’s products as components in larger pieces of equipment, such as a Cryomech cryorefrigerator used in an MRI machine. Many of these machines that take precise measurements rely on Cryomech products to function properly, Peter Gifford says.

Essentially a cryorefrigerator pulls heat out of something at cryogenic temperatures, which is anywhere from 120 kelvin to near absolute zero where no heat energy remains.

Think of a household air conditioner, says Gifford. Every unit contains a small refrigerator inside that takes the 80 or 90-degree air surrounding it, removes the heat from that air, and dumps that heat out an exhaust vent, enabling the air conditioner to blow cold air out into your room. Cryorefrigerators operate the same way.

Cryomech has done well over the years by creating three to four new products to offer each year, Gifford says. That has led to steady growth at the company. In 2002, the business had 27 employees and operated from 11,200 square feet. By 2010, those numbers had grown to 56 employees and 24,900 square feet. Today, Cryomech has 119 employees and 3 interns and 42,250 square feet.

Sales are already up substantially this year, Gifford says, and the company’s three largest OEM (original-equipment manufacturer) customers have indicated they plan to increase their orders by 50 percent for the year.

Cryomech is also actively working to bring on new customers, he adds. The first step in taking on any new customer is to assess whether Cryomech already makes a product that the customer needs. If not, the next step is figuring out how to tweak an existing product to meet those needs. “I don’t want to say no to a customer who needs a product from us,” Gifford says.

That kind of flexibility and innovation serves Cryomech well and sets it apart from competitors. The company’s largest competitor is Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd., which operates Sumitomo Cryogenics of America, Inc. in Allentown, Pa. While Sumitomo typically caters to large corporate customers, Cryomech has found its niche with customers who need a more personal and flexible approach, Gifford says. The end result is that customers truly need what Cryomech has to offer.

Looking ahead, Gifford says he expects sales to continue to grow at a steady pace and that employment growth will match. “We’re constantly looking to hire more,” he says. The company is seeking skilled toolmakers and machinists in particular. To help ensure a future pool of employees, Cryomech works with organizations such as MACNY to reach out to students to show them what they do and inspire interest, Gifford says.

Key executives

Peter Gifford graduated from Syracuse University in 1971. He joined Cryomech to work with his father in 1973, apprenticing in cryogenics. He became president of the company in 1978. Gifford has designed the compressor packages and cold heads incorporated in the Gifford-McMahon cycle cryorefrigerators presently manufactured by Cryomech, according to the firm’s website (www.cryomech.com). He has designed custom cryostats and cryorefrigerators for customers throughout the industry and research community. Gifford has been awarded three patents.

Chao Wang has been the director of research and development for Cryomech since 1998. He received his B.S. from the Shanghai Institute of Mechanical Engineering in 1985 and M.S. and Ph.D. from Xian’An Jiaotong University in 1990 and 1993. Upon joining the Cryomech team, his main research focus was developing pulse-tube cryocoolers, GM cryocoolers, and cryocooler-related cryogenic systems, according to the company’s site. During his time with Cryomech, Wang has developed and commercialized the world’s first two-stage, pulse-tube cryocoolers below 4K. He liquefied helium and conductively cooled a superconducting magnet with the pulse tube cryocoolers for the first time. Wang’s 4K pulse-tube cryocoolers have created many applications for low-temperature superconductors, the company says. Wang commercialized the world’s first 10K pulse tube cryocooler for cryopump and also developed single-stage GM cryocoolers for high-temperature superconductors, which have the highest efficiency and cooling capacity to date, according to the company.

Wang continues to research and develop new cryogenic refrigeration technology today. His most recent developments include the ultra-low vibration 1K Cryostat and the pumping recovery system for the helium reliquefier.

Richard Dausman is currently the chief operating officer at Cryomech. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Syracuse University. Dausman joined Cryomech in 1976 and has held a number of positions with the company. Dausman continues to be a key contributor in fostering the steady growth and development of Cryomech into a leading manufacturer of cryogenic systems, his biography on the company website says. Before his current position, Dausman was vice president of engineering. His work focused on the design, development, and manufacturing of the company’s broad product line. He has extensive experience in a wide range of cryogenic techniques, applications, and systems integration, Cryomech says.

Dausman is a member of the Cryomech board of directors and was chairman of the 18th International Cryocooler Conference hosted in June in Syracuse, according to the website. His peers elected him to the Cryogenic Engineering Conference board of directors.

Contact The Business Journal at news@cnybj.com

ANDRO seeks state funding for expansion in Rome

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

ROME — ANDRO Computational Solutions, LLC of Rome is seeking state funding for an expansion project that company officials hope will serve as the “catalyst of technology-sector growth” in the region. ANDRO used the phrase in a recent news release. The firm in July submitted a consolidated-funding application (CFA) to the Mohawk Valley regional economic-development

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

ANDRO used the phrase in a recent news release.

The firm in July submitted a consolidated-funding application (CFA) to the Mohawk Valley regional economic-development council (REDC) as it pursues funding for the project.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo created the CFA process, along with 10 REDCs in 2011, to help advance New York’s efforts to improve the business climate and expand economic growth, ANDRO contends.

Besides it own growth, ANDRO is hoping to attract similar companies to the region to work in nanotechnology and with the NUAIR Alliance on drone testing.

NUAIR Alliance is short for Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance.

ANDRO Computational Solutions, which operates at 7980 Turin Rd. in Rome, is an independently owned firm that provides research, engineering, and technical services to defense and commercial industries.

The company estimates the expansion project will cost about $1 million for the construction build out and to develop some new laboratories, says Andrew Drozd, president and chief scientist at ANDRO.

“But the CFA works on the basis of 20 percent of your investment, so you’re talking about $200,000, maybe a quarter million, depending on how they view the project,” says Drozd.

He spoke with the Business Journal News Network on Aug. 11.

ANDRO submitted its CFA requesting funding to expand into a neighboring building so it can add more laboratory and office space to accommodate future high-technology and “high-paying” jobs, according to the company news release.

The CFA is referred to as such because applicants are requesting funding from a consolidated list of sources that could include the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, says Drozd.

The firm is pursuing the project less than a year after ANDRO’s last expansion project when the company moved from its former 2,600-square-foot location within the Beeches Professional Campus in Rome to a larger, 15,000-square-foot building across the street, according to its news release.

ANDRO has added employees and new customers since its last move, and Drozd is planning for future growth with this next expansion project.

The firm’s current space at the Beeches complex could hold about 60 employees, but the firm currently only employs about half that figure, says Drozd.

Launched in 1994, ANDRO focuses on research, development, and the application of advanced-computer software of a variety of applications.

They include electromagnetic-environment effects analyses of complex systems; research and development related to spectrum exploitation; secure wireless communications for cognitive radios; multisensory and multitarget tracking; advanced radar-data fusion; and sensor-resource management.

Subsidiary
If ANDRO secures the funding it seeks, Drozd would like to begin the company’s expansion at the Beeches, he says.

He’s been looking at a vacant annex building next to his company’s location and he’d like to build into that.

“Now that plan would be based on trying to fit some of our current technology into the NUAIR [Alliance] and the nanotech spaces … We would eventually like to spin off to other locations [as well], ” says Drozd.

The eventual spin off, which doesn’t yet have a name, would be a subsidiary of ANDRO. The effort to launch the spin off wouldn’t happen until the summer of 2015, he adds.

The future ANDRO spinoff would have two components, according to Drozd.

One would be to commercialize military research and development that pertains to the NUAIR and the nanotech spaces.

The firm handles work in radio communications for the military, including secure, radio wireless-communications systems. ANDRO wants to take that basic technology and commercialize it for civilian use, he says.

“One good civilian use would be to be able to control and command drones more effectively, so they don’t collide, so that they are receiving their control signals effectively and they’re not being compromised by unauthorized sources,” says Drozd.

The second component would involve the future subsidiary’s involvement in supporting testing activities prior to any certification.

“It’s going to be more [research and development-type] experiments that we want to do with drones and other technologies for wireless applications,” he says.

The Mohawk Valley REDC will decide on the next round of funding recipients by September, according to the ANDRO news release.

New York in 2014 has up to $750 million in state resources to award through the CFA process, ANDRO said.

Technology campus
Drozd is hoping any company that locates in the area to work with the NUAIR Alliance will consider securing space at the Beeches and also work with ANDRO’s research and testing staff.

He’s hoping niche-oriented technology businesses, drone companies, and other technology businesses might choose to locate at the Beeches.

The Beeches is located just a few miles from Griffiss Business and Technology Park with close proximity to the SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Institute of Technology) and Syracuse University, which is an hour’s drive to the west from Rome along the New York State Thruway.

Drozd’s technology-campus vision “closely aligns” with the original vision for the Beeches campus when it opened in 1985, Orrie Destito, property manager, said in the ANDRO news release.

Destito has about 10,000 square feet of office space available on the 51-acre property, which offers amenities such as lodging and a conference center tenants can use.

The Beeches offers “reasonable” lease rates and works with tenants to draft lease terms that suit their needs, according to the ANDRO news release.

“We don’t become a financial burden for our tenants,” Destito said. “We become their partners.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

NFIB: Small-business optimism edges up in July

Small Business, Subscriber Only

The National Federation of Independent Business’ (NFIB’s) latest index of small-business optimism released Aug. 12 found that optimism “technically rose” 0.7 points to 95.7 in July with “little change” in the 10 index components. The outlook for expansion and business-conditions components accounted for the small gain in the index. And even with the improvement, those

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

The outlook for expansion and business-conditions components accounted for the small gain in the index. And even with the improvement, those components “still remain historically low,” the NFIB said in a news release.

Among the components, “expect economy to improve” rose four points and “now a good time to expand” increased three points compared to their readings last month, according to the NFIB data.

The slight changes in those two components represent the “positive side” of this month’s index, William (Bill) Dunkelberg, chief economist for the NFIB, said in the release.

“However, capital-spending reports continue to remain mediocre, spending plans are weak, and inventories are too large, with more owners reporting sales trends deteriorating than improving. As long as these stats continue to hold, the small business half of the economy will continue to not be able to pull its weight,” said Dunkelberg.

July indicators
Small-business owners increased employment an average of 0.01 workers per firm in July, which is seasonally adjusted.

It represents the 10th positive month in a row and the best string of gains since 2006, the NFIB said.

Seasonally adjusted, 13 percent of the business owners reported adding an average of 2.9 workers per firm over the past few months. That figure is up one percentage point from last month.

Offsetting that, 12 percent of owners reduced employment an average of 2.7 workers, producing the seasonally adjusted net gain of 0.01 workers per firm overall. The 12 percent figure is down one percentage point from last month, the data indicated.

Job-creation plans continued to “strengthen,” rising 1 percentage point to a seasonally adjusted net 13 percent, the best reading since September 2007, the NFIB said.

The net percent of all owners (seasonally adjusted) reporting higher nominal sales in the past three months compared to the prior three months fell 1 point to a net negative 3 percent, “still one of the very best readings since 2007,” the survey found.

Earnings trends were unchanged at a net negative 18 percent (net percent reporting quarter to quarter earnings trending higher or lower), “one of the best readings since 2007,” according to the NFIB.

Rising labor costs are keeping pressure on earnings, but there appears to be an improvement in profit trends in place, even if not historically strong.

The NFIB bases its report on the responses of more than 1,600 randomly sampled small businesses in its membership, which it surveyed throughout the month of July.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

CNY Philanthropy Center to add a pair of new tenants

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Insurance & Financial Services, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Central New York Community Foundation announced it plans to add two new tenants at its Central New York Philanthropy Center facility at 431 E. Fayette St. in Syracuse. The Philanthropy Center will house the Onondaga County Bar Association and the Central New York Land Trust on the building’s third floor beginning

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Central New York Community Foundation announced it plans to add two new tenants at its Central New York Philanthropy Center facility at 431 E. Fayette St. in Syracuse.

The Philanthropy Center will house the Onondaga County Bar Association and the Central New York Land Trust on the building’s third floor beginning this fall, according to a news release the Community Foundation issued Aug. 12.

The Community Foundation expects each organization to move in by November. Preparing the office spaces for their specific needs will require construction work, it added.

The Onondaga County Bar Association (OCBA), which serves to foster professional growth and ethical practices in the field of law within Onondaga County, and its philanthropic arm, the Onondaga County Bar Association Foundation, are leaving their current space in the State Tower Building in part to take advantage of the Philanthropy Center’s common areas, the foundation said.

With the available meeting rooms that center tenants can use, the OCBA is able to rent 2,000 fewer square feet than in its current space, making it a “cost-efficient move,” the Community Foundation contends.

The Philanthropy Center’s public conference rooms and ballroom will host “many” of the organization’s continuing legal education (CLE) courses, which local law practitioners attend.

“With its location across the street from Fayette Park, classic architecture, and modern renovations, the Philanthropy Center will provide the OCBA members a perfect home for organization events and activities,” Nicholas DeMartino, president of the OCBA, said in the news release.

The Central New York Land Trust will also be renting office space in the center this fall.

The Land Trust is a membership-supported organization that seeks to preserve and protect natural areas. The office will represent the Land Trust’s first administrative “home,” the Community Foundation said.

The Land Trust launched in 1972 as Save The County, Inc.

“The Philanthropy Center will be a great space for the Land Trust by helping to anchor it to the community, providing networking opportunities and raising broader awareness and support,” Meredith Perreault, executive director of the Central New York Land Trust, said in the news release.

The Philanthropy Center is “excited” to have some of the region’s largest philanthropic foundations and important community organizations housed here, Peter Dunn, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said. “Their presence here encourages collaboration and open dialogue on Central New York’s unique resources and needs. We are proud to welcome our new tenants into this distinctive fold,” he added.

The Central New York Community Foundation in 2010 purchased and renovated The Central New York Philanthropy Center, an 18,000-square-foot building in downtown Syracuse, to serve as a local charitable hub.

It currently houses five organizations in addition to the Community Foundation, including the Junior League of Syracuse, Inc., an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, according to its website; and Sage Upstate, Inc., which addresses the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) Central New Yorkers as they age, according to its website.

The facility also houses the Health Foundation of Western and Central New York, the Human Services Leadership Council of Central New York, and the Allyn Foundation, the Community Foundation said.

Headquartered in Buffalo, the Health Foundation is “dedicated to improving the health and health care of the people and communities of western and central New York,” its website says.

The Human Services Leadership Council of Central New York is a membership organization that includes the CEOs of human-service agencies in Central New York.

Founded in 1954, the Skaneateles–based Allyn Foundation is a private, family Foundation that provides grants to charitable organizations primarily in Central New York, according to its website.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Cornell study finds LEED status boosts hotel revenue

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Health Care

ITHACA — A new study from Cornell University has found that hotels gain a revenue benefit when they are certified under the LEED sustainable-building program.

Wireless Business Group relocates office, plans for expansion

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE — Wireless Business Group, LLC, a cellular-consulting firm, has relocated its office to a 2,000-square-foot space at 1620 Burnet Ave. in Syracuse. The Wireless Business Group (WBG) provides wireless-management services for business customers with a minimum of 25 cellular devices, according to its website. It previously operated in a space of about 500 square

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SYRACUSE — Wireless Business Group, LLC, a cellular-consulting firm, has relocated its office to a 2,000-square-foot space at 1620 Burnet Ave. in Syracuse.

The Wireless Business Group (WBG) provides wireless-management services for business customers with a minimum of 25 cellular devices, according to its website.

It previously operated in a space of about 500 square feet at 106 S. Main St. in North Syracuse, says Sam Serianni, a senior partner at WBG.

Both Serianni and Thomas Huegel co-own the company, which they launched in 2006.

They spoke with the Business Journal News Network on Aug. 7.

The move was actually “necessary,” says Serianni. “We were running out of space at the [North Syracuse] location. At the beginning of the year, there were three of us and we moved to four total employees and it really got a little tight.”

WBG started “actively” looking for a new space at the beginning of the year, says Serianni.

The Syracuse Realty Group served as WBG’s landlord in North Syracuse.

“We took our time and the [real-estate firm was] very flexible,” says Serianni.

The WBG partners looked at several different properties, based on budget, square footage, and what was available at the time, says Huegel.

As their search continued, their membership in a local organization led to an opportunity they pursued and seized.

Both Serianni and Huegel are members of the Syracuse Executives Association, a networking group of area business leaders.

David Foor, president and CEO of Visual Technologies, is also a member and had announced that the Burnet Avenue building that houses his company had available space.

“The space was really … perfect for what our needs are,” says Huegel.

The WBG partners looked at the space at the end of May and targeted Aug. 1 as the date to make the office move, says Huegel.

WBG currently has four employees, including Serianni and Huegel and one part-time employee.

The company has plans to add another part-time employee by the end of the year and perhaps additional staffers in 2015, adds Serianni.

About the company
WBG provides advice on cellular services, much the way an attorney would offer legal advice, says Huegel.

“Any time [a company] needed a professional expert opinion on something related to cellular [devices], that’s what we do,” says Huegel.

Serianni refers to the cellular industry as “ever changing,” WBG works with clients to provide advice about new rate plans, new handsets, new smartphone platforms, new charges that can show up on a bill, data services, text messages, subscription services, and 4-1-1 services.

“All sorts of thing that can show up on your bill and not necessarily knowing how to prevent that or how do you manage to that, or how do you make sure that they’re on the right rate plan,” says Serianni.

Huegel and Seranni both previously worked at Cellular One, which eventually became Cingular, in the corporate-markets group with corporate accounts, or in the business-to-business space, says Huegel.

They started seeing what Huegel called an “erosion of customer support.”

“The carriers were telling folks … now we’ve got web portals to help manage your own services. Now we’ve got [1-800] numbers that you can call to help … manage these things yourself,” he added.

Huegel and Serianni say they never really thought that was fair to the customer.

They began thinking about pursuing the company they co-own in 2004, says Huegel.

WBG doesn’t have “an agenda,” Serianni adds. “We speak on behalf of our customers to the wireless carrier because we speak their language and we understand their industry.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Good Monster evolves from a project filming local business owners

Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

DeWITT — Good Monster, LLC, a two-year-old DeWitt–based Internet-marketing agency, is gaining business traction after it got its start producing video interviews with local business owners. The company, which began as Dreamzocial Media, LLC in 2012 and later changed its name, offers services that include email marketing, lead generation, search-engine optimization, social-media marketing, website design,

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

DeWITT — Good Monster, LLC, a two-year-old DeWitt–based Internet-marketing agency, is gaining business traction after it got its start producing video interviews with local business owners.

The company, which began as Dreamzocial Media, LLC in 2012 and later changed its name, offers services that include email marketing, lead generation, search-engine optimization, social-media marketing, website design, and video production.

Good Monster is based on “customer engagement,” says John Timmerman, director of strategy for Good Monster and co-owner of the company.

“We won’t build a website without making sure that it works, that it’s measureable, that things are actually drawing in more engagement or more leads or more customers,” says Timmerman.

Timmerman spoke with the Business Journal News Network on Aug. 7.

His business partner, Jason Maurer, lives in Watertown where he has a home office, but he’s also in the DeWitt office two or three days a week for “filming purposes.”

“Over 50 percent of our business is filming,” says Timmerman.

As of now, Timmerman and Maurer are the firm’s only employees, but Good Monster wants to hire three more employees this year on a contract basis to start, which could evolve into a part-time or full-time position.

Good Monster, which operates at 5870 Fisher Rd. in DeWitt, leases its space from Leoran, LLC, which operates in the same location.

The firm has worked with clients that include Sharkey’s Bar and Grill, Crouse Hospital, and CenterState CEO, according to Timmerman.

Good Monster also filmed a short question-and-answer video with Marny Nesher, president of the Business Journal News Network, that’s been available on the company’s “Daily News Alerts” email service.

Timmerman wouldn’t release specific figures, but indicated Good Monster’s revenue in 2014 “has already increased 200 percent” compared to 2013.

Timmerman, a 2002 graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse high school, didn’t begin his college days with his current endeavors in mind.

Company’s origins
Timmerman graduated from the State University of New York College at Cortland in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science.

He then interned with a strength and conditioning company in Boston before moving to Richmond, Va.

While living there, Timmerman in 2009 launched a company called The New Fit, a website that helped people get “strategized” training with nutritional information and a workout schedule.

At the same time, he also operated an off-line personal-training business under the same name.

During the recession, both businesses “suffered,” he says.

He then decided to return to the Syracuse area and sold off the assets of the website portion, says Timmerman. He then went to work for Trillium Fitness Center at 6701 Manlius Center Road in DeWitt as a personal trainer and handled some managerial and marketing duties for the company in the years that followed.

Timmerman eventually reconnected with Jason Maurer, his business partner.

Timmerman described Maurer as his brother’s “best friend” in their younger years. Though they weren’t real close in those days, Timmerman and Maurer saw each other at the Carrier Dome in 2011 and they met up again at Chuck’s Café on the Syracuse University (SU) hill.

Maurer at the time was working a full-time job with Visual Technologies and seeking opportunities for video production, which Timmerman describes as Maurer’s “specialty.”

Timmerman wanted to pursue opportunities for more digital marketing and social media because he had learned that while starting The New Fit.

“We decided to collaborate on a project called Project Rock City … a way that we could build something, use our talents to … grow a brand and meet new people in the area, mostly business owners,” says Timmerman.

He described Project Rock City as “a Travel Channel show on YouTube,” he says.

Timmerman and Maurer went to several entertainment-based businesses in Syracuse, Cortland, and Rochester. In Syracuse, those establishments included Empire Brewing Company, Middle Ages Brewery, the Westcott Theatre, and Laci’s Tapas Bar.

“We interviewed the business owner, [asked] why their place was special, what they were doing to differentiate themselves, why people should go there,” he says.

They worked on the project for about a year, and the episodes are still available on YouTube, he says.

“We made no money off it. That wasn’t really our intention. Our goal was to educate ourselves and get ourselves known,” he says.

As their efforts continued, the business owners took notice as well.

Some would later ask the pair if they could film a commercial or an event for a payment. They also asked about building websites or managing social media.

Their efforts evolved from Project Rock City to a digital-marketing company they called Dreamzocial.

They started out part time as Timmerman kept working for Trillium and Maurer remained with Visual Technologies. Maurer eventually decide to focus on Dreamzocial as he was “getting [a lot] of video work,” says Timmerman, who still worked part-time managing social-media efforts.

Soon after, Timmerman also decided to focus on Dreamzocial in a full-time capacity.

“We’ve been growing in the amount of work we’re doing and the amount of business that we get…” says Timmerman.

The firm’s “sole goal” is to find the best possible way for companies to “engage their customers” through content, he added.

They’re creating the videos for YouTube, placing content on websites so users can find it through search optimization, handling photography for Facebook and Twitter, helping companies turn their online presence into lead-generating platforms, and email marketing, says Timmerman.

Good Monster name
They arrived at Dreamzocial Media in 2012 as they searched for a name that was “inspiring and … told people what we do,” and Dreamsocial was already in use as a domain name, thus the reason for the “z” instead of an “s” in the word, according to Timmerman.

But the partners started noticing a pattern in their phone conversations, email messages, and invoices with clients.

“People kept getting it wrong,” says Timmerman.

They weren’t comfortable with their branding, eventually determining that as a name, Dreamzocial just wasn’t working, he added.

Timmerman and Maurer started thinking about a name change. They were socializing at one of their clients, Sharkey’s Bar & Grill in Clay, and weren’t having any luck.

Since the company was young, growing, and changing in its infancy, Maurer made the comment “We’re like a monster … growing and moving,” as Timmerman recalled it.

Timmerman then replied, “Yeah, but we’re good,” as he recounted during the interview, noting that the word monster has “negative, evil connotation.”

Maurer looked at Timmerman and said “That’s it! We’re a good monster,” as Timmerman recalled it.

They both figured it was a name that people could remember, he added.

“Every single person that we meet asks us that question. How did you come up with that name? I love it. It works like a charm,” says Timmerman.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

NUAIR Alliance, Griffiss get FAA approval to conduct drone testing

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

ROME — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized (NUAIR Alliance) and Griffiss International Airport in Rome to conduct testing of drones, or unmanned-aircraft systems (UAS). The application approval for the certificate of authorization (COA) clears the way for testing under the FAA-designated Griffiss International Airport UAS test site. The organizations involved made the announcement

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

ROME — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized (NUAIR Alliance) and Griffiss International Airport in Rome to conduct testing of drones, or unmanned-aircraft systems (UAS).

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

The organizations involved made the announcement in a news release that Syracuse–based CenterState CEO, the region’s primary economic-development organization, distributed on Aug. 7.

NUAIR Alliance is short for Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance.

This will be the first test flight that NUAIR Alliance conducts after the FAA chose the organization earlier this year to operate one of six UAS test sites in the U.S.

Before the first test flights can start, the NUAIR Alliance team will establish an independent safety-review board to collect additional information and create a flight plan.

That part of the process can take about two weeks to complete, according to the joint statement.

Once NUAIR finishes the process, the NUAIR Alliance-Griffiss team will coordinate a series of test flights on behalf of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

The NUAIR Alliance team has worked for more than two years to bring this “amazing, life-changing technology opportunity” to New York and Massachusetts, Lawrence Brinker, executive director and general counsel for NUAIR Alliance, said in the news release.

“We are excited to begin the process of establishing and reviewing a flight plan. The successful completion of which enables us to begin test flights in the safest possible manner and focus on the research needed by Cornell Cooperative Extension,” said Brinker.

The first COA is an “important step forward” in the advancement of the UAS industry in this region, Rob Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO and president of the NUAIR Alliance board of directors, said in the news release.

“The NUAIR Alliance is in contact with more than 40 organizations and agencies, looking to partner on UAS testing, training and contract opportunities. These relationships have the potential to advance the research and development of new technologies and processes and attract new permanent businesses to the region. We look forward to beginning this work and paving the way for additional test flights in the coming months,” said Simpson.

The COA allows Cornell Cooperative Extension to fly a drone below 400 feet over a farm in Batavia in Genesee County.

A firm called PrecisionHawk manufactured the drone, the news release said. The company is headquartered in Thornhill, Ont., according to its website.

PrecisionHawk currently works with clients worldwide in industries that include agriculture, insurance, and oil and gas.

For this operation, the Lancaster Hawkeye Mk III, a small fixed-wing aircraft, will carry visual, thermal, multi-spectral, and video sensors, the release stated.

These sensors will evaluate field crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat and collect data on conditions such as crop growth, insect activity, disease spread, and soil conditions.

As a test-site operator, the Griffiss International Airport-NUAIR Alliance team will coordinate drone test flights, and collect and analyze data to develop safety, performance, and certification standards for integrating drones into national airspace and for civilian use.

Future testing will happen at various locations in New York and Massachusetts with testing facilities anchored at Griffiss International Airport and Joint Base Cape Cod in Massachusetts, according to the news release.

CenterState CEO and MassDevelopment are leading the NUAIR Alliance.

CenterState CEO, with 2,000 member companies, says it works to increase business competitiveness, community prosperity, and regional growth in the 12-county CenterState New York region.

MassDevelopment, the Commonwealth’s finance and development agency, says it works with businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions, and communities to stimulate economic growth throughout Massachusetts.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

New contracts increase reveue, employment at Quanterion

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

MARCY — If the year ends the way it started for Quanterion Solutions, Inc., 2014 will be a banner year for the nearly 15-year-old company. The business began the year by landing several new contracts and projects that have already boosted employment at the company, says Preston MacDiarmid, president of Quanterion Solutions. The full pipeline

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

MARCY — If the year ends the way it started for Quanterion Solutions, Inc., 2014 will be a banner year for the nearly 15-year-old company.

The business began the year by landing several new contracts and projects that have already boosted employment at the company, says Preston MacDiarmid, president of Quanterion Solutions.

The full pipeline of contracts and projects is testament to the company’s successful partnership with the areas of government with which it works, he says.

“I think we’re a model of how that’s done,” MacDiarmid says. Founded in 2000, the company has been steadily increasing its workload since its inception as it continues to successfully handle contracts.

Quanterion serves the defense, commercial, health care, energy, and homeland-defense markets.

In January, Quanterion learned it would be part of a new Department of Defense (DoD) Center of Excellence, the Defense Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC) under an Air Force contract that consolidates six legacy DoD centers with expertise in different critical technologies. Quanterion, which provides quantitative engineering services for critical decision making, is leading the center’s activities in reliability/quality and materials/manufacturing/testing as well as many software-related activities.

The company was also awarded a U.S. Navy Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract in January to develop its Automated Software Solution for Extraction and Transformation System Simplification (ASSETS²) concept. This project will provide a means to construct and populate a user-definable database that can be tailored to extract data/information from a number of sources, automatically detect and repair anomalies, and transform it to conduct a wide variety to analysis tasks.

Quanterion was awarded two DoD Multiple Award Contracts (MACs), the Homeland Defense Technical Area Tasks (HD TATs) and the Defense Systems Technical Area Tasks (DS TATs). Work addresses homeland defense and security, critical infrastructure protection, biometrics, medical, cultural studies, alternative energy, reliability, quality, maintainability, materials, and manufacturing.

In July, the Air Force exercised a two-year option period for Quanterion’s prime contract to operate the DoD Cyber Security and Information Systems Information Analysis Center (CSIAC) addressing cyber security, software engineering, modeling and simulation, and knowledge management. Under this contract, Quanterion will leverage its partnership in the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR) in demonstrating the feasibility of extending its “AgentFly” autonomous airspace control system to real-world, over-the-air multiple platform airspace sense-and-avoid deconfliction. This technology will be demonstrated at Air Force Research Laboratory facilities including its Stockbridge Controllable Contested Environment facility.

“High expectations”
While he was not able to disclose specific details, MacDiarmid says he has high expectations for the rest of 2014. To date, revenue is up between 16 and 20 percent and could increase even more if the company lands more contracts. He declined to disclose revenue totals.

To help boost revenue for the future, MacDiarmid says he hopes to increase the company’s business with commercial customers across the state with its IT, cyber security, and asset management services.

Employment has increased at Quanterion as well, he says. “We’ve added seven employees so far this year, and we have seven openings right now,” MacDiarmid says. Quanterion now employs 42 people.

Quanterion (www.quanterion.com) currently operates from 5,500 square feet in Kunsela Hall at the SUNY PI (SUNY Polytechnic Institute) campus in Marcy and also leases 1,500 square feet in the Griffiss Institute in Rome. The company also has five employees on location at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome. Its technical capabilities include reliability, maintainability, quality, and knowledge management; software development and engineering; materials engineering, information technology; and document-management services.

Contact The Business Journal at news@cnybj.com

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Get our email updates

What's New

Upcoming Events

Project Homecoming Job & Career Fair 2025

Annual Nonprofit Conference 2026

2026 CenterState CEO Economic Forecast Breakfast

CNYBJ Job Board

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get our email updates