Sports & Fitness, LLC purchases Sports Center 481 indoor sports facility

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DeWITT — A new entity, Sports & Fitness, LLC has purchased the Sports Center 481 indoor sports facility in DeWitt. Dylan Bruns of JF Real Estate represented the Sports Center 481, LLC, Collamer Road, LLC, and Delta Development, LLC, and was the sole broker in the transaction. The price and other financial details were not […]

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CNY ASTD honors BEST Learning and Performance Award winners

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SYRACUSE — The winners of the Sixth Annual CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards were announced at CNY ASTD’s (Central New York Chapter of the American Society for Training & Development) CNY BEST awards ceremony on Thursday, June 6. The CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards recognize excellence in learning and performance practices in the

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The CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards recognize excellence in learning and performance practices in the Central New York area. Organizations, consultants, and internships that have linked learning to strategic growth or success were recognized as CNY’s BEST in Learning and Performance.

The keynote speaker for this year’s awards ceremony was Mark Britz, manager corporate training for Systems Made Simple, who discussed The Shift. Britz described the opportunity for learning and development to lead organizations to even greater success through the ongoing changes in systems and structures in these turbulent times.

Nominations for this year’s CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards represented a wide range of organizations. A panel of local and national judges representing the profession and community evaluated the nominations for quality of learning and performance practices, practice results, and demonstrations of how the practices linked to the strategic growth or success of the organization. The winners are as follows.

LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE INTERNSHIP

LaFayette Big Picture High School

LaFayette Big Picture High School was recognized for its Learning Through Internship program providing internship opportunities for college or high-school students, contributing to the interns’ learning progress or success while linking to the organization’s strategic growth or success. At LaFayette Big Picture High School, internships are key to student learning. Internships enable students to improve their education and personal growth while addressing their interests, passion, and curiosity with personalized learning plans under the guidance of school advisers and workforce mentors. Working with local businesses and organizations, students start with job shadowing, and then develop projects that benefit their learning while also contributing back to the internship site. Students learn skills needed to be successful in post-secondary opportunities and/or employment. The judges stated there was “a clear alignment between the internship program and the success of students” noting that these internships were “a key component of an increase in high school graduation rates.”

CONSULTANT

goFLUENT, Inc.

The consultant recognized for helping link learning to clients’ strategic growth or success was goFLUENT, Inc. for its English@O-I program. Responding to the needs of a Fortune 500 U.S.–based company, goFLUENT developed an innovative, personalized, blended learning (eLearning, telephone lessons, online coaching) business English training program to help employees improve business English skills to a level to facilitate accurate, efficient, and professional communication between employees and international clients. The program provides uniform quality of training for globally distributed employees, addressing the specific English needs of any employees regardless of their level, native language, or professional profile. The client’s learner level growth has improved across all countries, attracting more learners every year. The judges acknowledged a “creative, effective plan and friendly e-learning solution for a highly complex need and deployment.”

NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare

The not-for-profit organization recognized for linking learning for its internal and external stakeholders to the organization’s strategic growth or success was Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare for its Aspiring Leader Program. Since the consolidation of two hospitals creating Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare, leadership development has been identified as an area of need. As learning opportunities for existing managers grew, Faxton St. Luke’s realized it needed to do more to develop future leaders. The Aspiring Leader Program provides a comprehensive approach with foundational skill development, an understanding of the organization culture, as well as experiential team projects that benefit the organization. Participation in the program has led to promotional opportunities for many of its graduates while providing Faxton St. Luke’s with a vehicle to increase leadership bench-strength with individuals who are committed to the organization. The judges remarks included “excellent response to meet organization’s needs, excellent results with evidence of proven success, and strong focus on continuous improvement.”

FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

SavOn, LLC

The for-profit organization recognized for linking employee learning to the organization’s strategic growth or success was SavOn, LLC for its Managing the Legendary Guest Service Experience program. Following the implementation of a successful mystery shopper program, SavOn’s guest service experience had become good, but not exceptional or “legendary.” To stand out from the competition and drive customer loyalty, SavOn knew they needed to engage their employees at the grassroots level and shape their business culture to deliver consistently outstanding service. The SavOn Legendary Service Experience program engages SavOn employees in recognizing above and beyond moments in guest service through written nominations that then serve as examples of best practices for the rest of the SavOn team. This concentrated focus on guest service in its stores has significantly improved both its guest experience and retail-business metrics. The judges’ observations included “it’s clear that the company values customer service with a strong connection between their mission/values and their desire to improve their customer’s experience,” and “a very impressive customer centric program with a strong organizational investment.”

JOHN BURNS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Steven DeHart

Wendy Carl Isome

Nona Gormley

Stephen Sauriol

In addition to recognizing excellence in learning and performance practices, CNY ASTD awarded CNY ASTD John Burns Memorial Scholarship Awards to Steven DeHart and Wendy Carl Isome and recognized Nona Gormley and Stephen Sauriol for their recent CPLP designation.

CNY ASTD established the CNY ASTD Scholarship Program to encourage and support continuing education and professional development in the field of workforce learning and performance. The scholarship awards are named in honor of CNY ASTD’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award winner John Burns. The CPLP (Certified Professional in Learning & Performance) is a credential for learning and performance professionals offered by the ASTD Certification Institute. The CPLP designation is a recognition that you have met performance standards, have an overall understanding of the body of knowledge of your field, and can apply your knowledge successfully.

About CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards

CNY ASTD is in the sixth year of recognizing excellence in learning and performance practices in the Central New York area with the CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards. Past CNY BEST Learning and Performance Award recipients have included: Aspen Dental Management, Inc.; Completely Organized, Inc.; EnergyWright; Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce; Institute for Veterans and Military Families; ITT Technologies; Laboratory Alliance of CNY; LaFayette Big Picture School; Loretto; MACNY (The Manufacturers Association of Central New York); Mohawk Valley Manufacturers Consortium; New Horizons Computer Learning Center; North Syracuse Central School District; Oneida Nation Enterprises; Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse; SRC; Saab Sensis; SavOn; Time Warner Cable; and Westcott Community Center.

This year, CNY ASTD received nominations representing a wide-range of organizations including: Crouse Hospital; Dale Carnegie of Central NY; Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare; goFLUENT, Inc.; ITT Corporation; LaFayette Big Picture High School; New Horizons Computer Learning Center of Syracuse and Rochester; REACH CNY, Inc. – HIV/STI & Viral Hepatitis Regional Training Center; SavOn, LLC; and Welch Allyn

The distinguished panel of judges for the 2013 CNY BEST Learning and Performance Awards represented local and national individuals from the profession and community including: Jane Amico, CenterState CEO; Rita Barger, Insight Instrcutional Design and CNY ASTD president elect; Pamela Brunet, Leadership Greater Syracuse; Karen Zannini Bull, M.Ed., Onondaga Community College; Michelle Cooper, Oneida Nation Enterprises; Pamela E. Gavenda, CNY SHRM president; KimGessini, Suburban Propane, LLC; Bruce F. Hamm, MACNY; Eileen Hudack, independent business process analysis and learning consultant; Kelli Loveless, ESL Federal Credit Union and Genesee Valley ASTD president; Kevin McCartan, AXA Equitable; Jamie Millard, Lexington Leadership and ASTD national advisor for chapters; and Maria Salomone, ITT Corporation – Industrial Process.

CNY ASTD (CNY Chapter of American Society for Training & Development) serves learning and performance professionals in Central New York. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, CNY ASTD has been connecting learning and performance professionals throughout the region while contributing to the growth of its members and the recognition of the profession. Currently, CNY ASTD has more than 125 members from various businesses in the region.

Summit Auto Group expands into Oneida

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Regional News, Small Business, Subscriber Only

Establishes Chrysler and Jeep dealership in $3.5 million project ONEIDA — Summit Auto Group kicked off June with a brand new location in Oneida, expanding the Syracuse–based auto dealership’s reach to the east. Located where Routes 365A and 5 meet, just across from the Wal-Mart Supercenter, the new 18,000-square-foot Chrysler and Jeep dealership features

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Establishes Chrysler and Jeep dealership in $3.5 million project

ONEIDA — Summit Auto Group kicked off June with a brand new location in Oneida, expanding the Syracuse–based auto dealership’s reach to the east.

Located where Routes 365A and 5 meet, just across from the Wal-Mart Supercenter, the new 18,000-square-foot Chrysler and Jeep dealership features a showroom, sales area, parts department, and service center, says Stephen DiMarco, CEO/CFO and partner at Summit.

Summit Auto Group purchased several parcels of land, totaling just under five acres, from the Cook family. When all is done, Summit will spend $3.5 million on the project. The company worked with Oneida Savings Bank for the mortgage as well as the construction loan, DiMarco says.

The new dealership is located just down the street from a Nye Automotive Group dealership, and DiMarco says he expects both Summit and Nye to benefit from his new location. “The more dealerships in the area, the better because it brings more people,” he says.

At press time, the project was nearly complete with some paving and landscaping left. DiMarco hoped to open the first week in June.

Currently, Summit Auto Group (www.summitcars.com) operates a Dodge and Ram dealership in Syracuse; a Ford and Lincoln dealership in Auburn; a Chevy, Buick and GMC dealership in Auburn; and a Goodyear Tire, CARQUEST Auto Parts, and collision center in Elbridge.

“We wanted to be able to have the Chrysler and Jeep products to complement the Dodge and Ram” dealership in Syracuse, DiMarco says. Oneida is the ideal location for the new dealership because it spreads Summit’s reach further east, but is still within easy reach of the company’s Syracuse headquarters, he contends.

On top of that, the markets are close enough where radio and television stations overlap, which means marketing costs won’t increase, he adds.

The timing was right to take the leap, DiMarco says, of the new location. “We’ve seen a pretty good upswing in car sales year over year and we hope to see that continue,” he says.

Summit Auto Group sells between 3,000 and 3,500 cars annually between all its locations, and DiMarco expects the Oneida dealership will add another 1,000 vehicles to that total.

The auto dealership has hired about 20 employees so far and expects to add more in the sales, service, and parts department, as well as the office, once the dealership is up and running at full speed.

Summit Auto Group hired Rich & Gardner Construction Co. of Syracuse as the project’s construction manager. Woolley Morris Architects of Syracuse and W.M. Engineers of Camillus also worked on the project.

Contact The Business Journal at news@cnybj.com

ACHIEVE opens new doors and upgrades space

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

JOHNSON CITY — ACHIEVE has moved into new office space and renovated its flagship building, all while maintaining its mission to serve its clients. On May 6, ACHIEVE celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 47 Riverside Drive in Johnson City. The organization needed new office space to accommodate the staff members who

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JOHNSON CITY — ACHIEVE has moved into new office space and renovated its flagship building, all while maintaining its mission to serve its clients.

On May 6, ACHIEVE celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 47 Riverside Drive in Johnson City. The organization needed new office space to accommodate the staff members who would no longer have an office when the renovations at its Cutler Pond location started. In addition, ACHIEVE’s subsidiary, Country Valley Industries (CVI), moved its employment center operations to Riverside Drive from its Court Street location. ACHIEVE acquired the Court Street facility when it took over the Sheltered Workshop in November 2011.

Now, the 20,000-square-foot space blends the two sites into one, with 35 paid staff and 80 support staff (CVI employees) working at the Riverside location. In total, ACHIEVE has 262 full-time employees. This new space allows for ACHIEVE to continue to fulfill its mission of being an advocate for enhancing the quality of life for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, the nonprofit says. ACHIEVE serves more than 1,800 individuals each year.

In its 2012 fiscal year, ACIHEVE generated revenue of $20.2 million, up from $18.6 million in 2011. The majority of the revenue comes from program services and 90 percent of the funds are spent on programs.

Mary Jo Thorn, CEO of ACHIEVE, says the new office space is a “win-win for everybody.” The staff now has private office space, a bonus that they didn’t have before, and as a result, productivity is greater. The location also allows staff to be better integrated into the community and patronize local businesses and restaurants, she explains.

The Riverside Drive office is the fourth location for ACHIEVE. In Binghamton, the 41,000-square-foot facility on Cutler Pond Road is ACHIEVE’s primary facility that has been a part of the organization since its inception in 1952. The Lester Avenue site in Johnson City encompasses 40,000 square feet — all of it floor space. This site was built in 1994 for the purpose of consolidating all the smaller satellite offices in the area into one place, says Dave Markie, vice president of Country Valley Industries and Facilities. In Owego, a 7,000-square-foot site was established in 1997 so that clients in Tioga County wouldn’t have to travel as far for services.

Capital Campaign

Currently, ACHIEVE is engaged in a “Growing Spaces, Improving Lives” capital campaign to raise $3.85 million to rehabilitate and renovate the Day Habilitation program at the Cutler Pond facility. To date, the organization has raised almost 80 percent of the project cost; the campaign began in 2009. Of the funds raised so far, government sources account for 42 percent, and 45 percent comes from the foundation. Community-based giving makes up the remaining contributions to the campaign.

To address the increasing demands of the Day Habilitation program services, which has grown by 38 percent in the last 10 years, with continued growth anticipated, the organization needed to expand and rehabilitate its main facility at Cutler Pond. As a result, the project will permit the organization to expand the Day Habilitation Services by 27 percent, or by approximately 30 individuals. The project includes asbestos abatement, expansion of program space from 21,163 to 25,575 square feet, and improved fire safety throughout the building. It will also provide individualized treatment and services to persons with Autism. The remaining 15,000-plus square footage of Cutler Pond encompasses office space and the employment center.

Construction at Cutler Pond began in March and is expected to wrap up by July 2014. ACHIEVE says this building and renovation project will be the most important project it undertakes in the next 20 years.

Marketing Push

Amid the major fundraising initiatives and the building renovation project, ACHIEVE is also ramping up its marketing strategies to gain more awareness in the community. One element the organization is trying to promote more is its name. The organization officially changed its name from the Broome-Tioga ARC to ACHIEVE about six years ago. Sounds strange, but many people in the community still don’t know the ACHIEVE name, says Bob Brazill, the development officer for ACHIEVE.

To help in the marketing push, ACHIEVE has recently paired up with a local marketing firm to boost its profile. “It’s an opportunity to promote overall organization and encourage interest in the organization,” says Thorn, who declined to name the marketing firm. In April, ACHIEVE television commercials began airing on local channels, and will continue for six months. The organization is also doing radio spots to highlight events and programs.

Thorn has been with the organization for a little more than eight years in the role of CEO. With a master’s degree in social work, and as a licensed social worker in New York State, Thorn has more than a professional interest in ACHIEVE’s mission. It hits closer to home as she has an aunt with developmental disabilities. Prior to her position with ACHIEVE, Thorn was a president and CEO of an organization in Elmira, though she’s been a resident of Binghamton since the early 1980s. Born and raised in Pennsylvania and having attended Bloomsburg State College, Thorn moved to the area for her first job at the Binghamton Psychiatric Center.

In early May, Thorn was recognized as a 2013 Woman of Distinction and honored by State Senator Tom Libous in Albany. In 2012, she was recognized at The Central New York Business Journal and BizEventz Nonprofit Awards event as an Executive of the Year. “She’s a strong CEO. She’s very good at what she does,” says Brazill, who joined the organization in March. Last year, Sandy Radziwon, ACHIEVE’s CFO, was honored at the Financial Executives awards ceremony produced by BizEventz.

Contact Collins at ncollins@cnybj.com

Color my pork purple

Opinion, Subscriber Only

Mix red and blue colors and you get a purple byproduct. The same thing happened when Republicans (red) and Democrats (blue) in Congress offered up their latest versions of the farm bill. The last farm bill was authorized in 2008 and projected spending $604 billion over 10 years. The new House and Senate agricultural-committee versions

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Mix red and blue colors and you get a purple byproduct. The same thing happened when Republicans (red) and Democrats (blue) in Congress offered up their latest versions of the farm bill.

The last farm bill was authorized in 2008 and projected spending $604 billion over 10 years. The new House and Senate agricultural-committee versions project a 60 percent increase over the 2008 allocation, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The basic disagreement now between the House and Senate agricultural committees is limited to whether the new authorization should be $963 billion or $950 billion over 10 years.

When I see the term “farm bill,” I instinctively think images of “The Grapes of Wrath,” starring a poor, struggling farmer in overalls plowing a field with a withered horse. Remember that the original farm bill was written in 1933, during the depths of the Great Depression, to help farmers survive the hazards of the Dust Bowl. The image, however, bears no resemblance to reality.

Former President Jimmy Carter and his family pocketed $272,288 in subsidy payments between 1995 and 2012. During the same period, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack received $82,874 while his undersecretary collected over $1 million. Mark and David Rockefeller were beneficiaries of farm-bill payments to the tune of $947,075, and elected Congressional representatives Frank Lucas and Charles Grassley took in a $1 million together while sitting on their respective agricultural committees. Topping the list is Riceland Foods, Inc., the world’s largest miller and marketer of rice. The company, with more than $1.5 billion in annual sales, collected $554.3 million.

It’s clear that the farm bill has morphed from a government effort to help desperate farmers stabilize crop prices and insure any crop losses, to a welfare program for prosperous farmers and even for those who don’t operate farms. I’m pretty sure there are no farms in Manhattan, yet the government still disbursed $9 million in subsidies over seven years to borough residents. Add to this $4.7 billion in subsidies for the Nature Conservancy (1995-2012) which, ironically, opposes the conversion of natural habitat to cropland, and the Audubon Society, which accepted $932,801.

In addition to subsidizing prosperous Americans, the so-called farm bill also dispenses large sums for the nation’s food-stamp program, forestry projects, the energy and telecommunication (broadband deployment) industries, and for rural development. In fact, almost 80 percent of the nearly $1 trillion proposed supports just food stamps, which leads some to suggest that we rename the legislation the “food-stamp bill.”

What’s most interesting to me is that no one inside the Beltway is asking whether farmers still need government assistance to manage the risks associated with farming. In the 80 years since the original farm bill was passed, technology has eliminated many of the risks that used to plague farmers, who today can manage their businesses without taxpayer subsidies by purchasing futures contracts, using credit reserves, employing crop diversification, and buying private insurance. The time seems appropriate to consider ending taxpayer subsidies, since the USDA forecasts that net farm income will reach $128 billion this year, the highest level in four decades.

Is Congress likely to reduce its support of those feeding at the “farm-bill” trough? The pork dispensed in this 1,000-page piece of legislation is too tempting, especially since urban and rural interests have been bundled with those of environmentalists and the energy and telecommunications industries. Any differences between Republicans and Democrats on the final farm-bill legislation are only at the margins.

The effects of the new farm bill will be particularly perverse. Wealthy farmers will become even more wealthy, driving up their demand for farmland. This, in turn, raises the price to small farmers and squeezes them out of the market or into niche markets. The nation’s obesity problem is concentrated among the recipients of food stamps, who now will benefit from a 60 percent increase in taxpayer largesse. The taxpayers can also be expected to pick up the bloated health-care tab as the food-stamp recipients require more medical care.

Environmental groups will receive more money to convert our natural resources into farmland, which runs counter to their mission. They are encouraging wealthy farmers to plant crops on marginal farm lands that will require more chemical management. And the legislators, who benefit from the very bills they pass, will continue to ignore the obvious conflict of interest that would be considered criminal in the private sector.

What a deal! Taxpayers pay the bill and consumers pay higher prices for the food they buy.

I hope that our elected representatives in Washington will be struck by a bolt of logic, but optimism eludes me. If they can’t go cold turkey and eliminate the farm bill that’s now being considering for renewal, let them at least seriously reform the program by separating food stamps from agricultural programs, eliminating direct payments, cap the crop-insurance subsidies, and limit farm subsidies to small farmers.

Painting pork purple does not help the commonweal. Republicans and Democrats would better serve the country by delivering a powerful example of cutting federal spending and thereby setting the economy on a course toward fiscal soundness.

Norman Poltenson is publisher of The Central New York Business Journal. Contact him at npoltenson@cnybj.com

Cuomo’s NY Works group releases 10-year capital investment plan

Health Care, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Small Business

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UUP president opposes Tax-Free NY proposal

Health Care, Law, Accounting & Taxes

The president of United University Professions (UUP), the union representing faculty at the State University of New York (SUNY), on Wednesday issued a statement opposing

New York initial unemployment claims edge up

Employee Benefits & Human Resources

In New York state, 19,334 people filed for new unemployment-insurance benefits in the week ending May 25, marking a slight uptick for a third straight

Upstate consumer sentiment rises in May

Upstate New York’s consumer sentiment rose 5.9 points to 73.9 in May, according to the latest monthly survey from the Siena (College) Research Institute (SRI)

New York Biotechnology Association changes name

Small Business, Technology

The New York Biotechnology Association (NYBA) on Tuesday announced it has changed to its name to NewYorkBIO to recognize its growth over more than two

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