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Smith Brothers eyes architect and engineer niche with latest merger
Smith Brothers Insurance, a Connecticut–based insurance broker with New York offices in Owego, Vestal, Waverly, and Rensselaer, recently merged another Connecticut company into its operations. It’s a move that makes the company one of the largest advisors and brokers for architects and engineers in the northeast. With the merger, Maloney & Company, LLC, in Guilford, […]
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Smith Brothers Insurance, a Connecticut–based insurance broker with New York offices in Owego, Vestal, Waverly, and Rensselaer, recently merged another Connecticut company into its operations. It’s a move that makes the company one of the largest advisors and brokers for architects and engineers in the northeast.
With the merger, Maloney & Company, LLC, in Guilford, Conn., along with Michael J. Maloney, principal, and his team are now part of Smith Brothers Design Professional team, led by Principal Scott Smith.
Maloney’s niche in architecture and engineering dovetails nicely with Smith’s New York niche of public entities, school districts, and municipalities, says Partner Michael Constantine.
“There’s a lot of synergies there,” he says.
The merger is one that makes sense, Partner Jared Carillo says. Maloney specialized in architecture and engineering, fitting smoothly into Smith Brothers’ architect and engineer vertical line. The two companies, in fact, have been friendly competitors for years, he adds.
“I am delighted my team and I will be joining Smith Brothers,” Michael Maloney said in a news release announcing the merger. “This combination will allow us to leverage the resources of Smith Brothers and expand the range of products and services we can offer our clients including health insurance, employee benefits, financial and retirement planning, success planning, surety, labor and HR compliance, and personal lines. By augmenting Smith Brothers’ existing design-professional program, we look forward to helping our existing and future clients even more fully as part of our combined operations.”
The merger is one of several Smith Brothers has made recently. Last September, the firm acquired the Palmer Family Insurance Agency in Marathon in Cortland County.
“We are in active growth mode,” Carillo notes.
Constantine says Smith Brothers is always looking for agencies to acquire, either because an owner is looking to retire or otherwise exit the business or because they want to grow their business but need help to do so.
“We’re really looking to be known as the buyer of choice,” he says.
“The buyer of choice, employer of choice, broker of choice,” Carillo adds. The company’s pillars are based on being a first-class employer and a first-class resource for clients.
Smith Brothers currently employs about 250 people across 12 office locations and is always looking to grow that number.
“We’re always on the lookout to find talent,” Constantine says.
Founded in 1971 by brothers Bob and Brian Smith, the company is a full-service agency and independent broker licensed in every state. Along with Connecticut and New York locations, it also has offices in Massachusetts and New Jersey.
NYS home sales rise for the first time in 30 months
But inventory hits another record low ALBANY — New York home sales increased in year-over-year comparisons for the first time in more than two years in February, while the number of homes available for sale fell to another record low. That’s according to the monthly housing report that the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR)
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ALBANY — New York home sales increased in year-over-year comparisons for the first time in more than two years in February, while the number of homes available for sale fell to another record low.
That’s according to the monthly housing report that the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR) issued on March 21.
New York realtors sold 6,233 previously owned homes in February, up 0.6 percent from the 6,195 existing homes sold in February 2023. Additionally, pending sales rose nearly 5 percent in the second month of 2024, foreshadowing future increases in closed sales.
NYSAR cites Freddie Mac as indicating interest rates moved higher each week in February, averaging 6.78 percent on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. This is slightly up from the 6.64 percent rate in January. For comparison, a year ago, the interest rate stood at 6.50 percent. Freddie Mac is the more common way of referring to the Virginia–based Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.
Pending home sales in New York totaled 7,864 in February, up 4.7 percent from the 7,511 pending sales in the same month in 2023, according to the NYSAR data.
The inventory of homes for sale in New York stood at 23,448 this February, down almost 17 percent from 28,170 in the year-earlier month. This marks the lowest number of homes for sale since statistics have been kept in New York state, NYSAR said. It also marks the 12th straight month in which inventory has dropped in year-over-year comparisons, the trade group added.
However, new listings rose 5 percent to 10,020 in the second month of this year from 9,541 new listings in February of last year.
The February 2024 statewide median sales price was $375,000, up nearly 4.2 percent from the February 2023 median sales price of $360,000.
The months’ supply of homes for sale at the end of this February stood at 2.6 months, down more than 7 percent from the 2.8 months’ supply at the end of February 2023, per NYSAR’s report. A 6-month to 6.5-month supply is considered a balanced market, per the association.
All home-sales data is compiled from multiple-listing services in New York, and it includes townhomes and condominiums in addition to existing single-family homes, according to NYSAR.
Lockheed Martin plant wins $27M Navy contract order
SALINA — The Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) plant in the town of Salina has been awarded a $27.1 million firm-fixed-price delivery order under a U.S. Navy contract. It’s for the procurement of the submarine electronic-warfare system to include modernization kits, equipment, and installation. Work will be performed in the Lockheed facility, just north of
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SALINA — The Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) plant in the town of Salina has been awarded a $27.1 million firm-fixed-price delivery order under a U.S. Navy contract. It’s for the procurement of the submarine electronic-warfare system to include modernization kits, equipment, and installation.
Work will be performed in the Lockheed facility, just north of Syracuse, and is expected to be completed by May 2026, according to a March 22 contract announcement from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Fiscal 2024 other procurement (Navy) funds of $27.1 million will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year, per the contract announcement. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. is the contracting activity.
MACNY to add Byrne to Wall of Fame, give award to Robillard
DeWITT — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, will add Carl Byrne, president and CEO of Byrne Dairy, Inc., to its Manufacturers Wall of Fame. It will also recognize Tyler Robillard, director of engineering at Feldmeier Equipment, Inc., as this year’s Innovator of the Year. DeWitt–based MACNY, its members, and community leaders will honor both Byrne and
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DeWITT — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, will add Carl Byrne, president and CEO of Byrne Dairy, Inc., to its Manufacturers Wall of Fame.
It will also recognize Tyler Robillard, director of engineering at Feldmeier Equipment, Inc., as this year’s Innovator of the Year.
DeWitt–based MACNY, its members, and community leaders will honor both Byrne and Robillard at MACNY’s 111th annual Celebration of Manufacturing on May 23 at the SRC Arena & Events Center on the campus of Onondaga Community College (OCC) in the town of Onondaga.
MACNY’s Manufacturers Wall of Fame is a group of manufacturing leaders who have been honored since the Wall of Fame’s inception in 2001. It celebrates individuals who have “demonstrated long-term dedication” to manufacturing in Central and Upstate New York.
The Innovator of the Year Award was created at the suggestion of MACNY members as a way to nominate and recognize individuals within a company who “consistently demonstrate forward thinking ideas” in the areas of technology, innovation, and advancement of products and production.
Over the years, Carl Byrne has taken Byrne Dairy from a small local milk company to a major dairy supplier throughout the U.S. and beyond.
As a member of the third generation of the Byrne family to operate the dairy, Carl began his career developing a customer base and managing a convenience store in the Rochester area, per the MACNY announcement.
As VP of sales, Byrne’s vision of moving into extended shelf life (ESL) dairy and non-dairy products resulted in the construction of the DeWitt facility in 2004.
Since becoming president and CEO in 2008, Byrne has overseen five expansions at the plant, which now includes more than 200,000 square feet of processing, production, packaging, and warehouse space, and employs more than 250 people. Additionally, Byrne has directed the growth of a sister ESL facility in Cortlandville and Byrne’s Ice Cream Center in Syracuse.
In 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and “when other manufacturers were cutting back on employees and facilities,” MACNY says Byrne saw the opportunity to further expand the company’s footprint by entering the aseptic dairy market.
Using the “most technologically advanced” equipment available, Byrne is now producing shelf stable (no refrigeration needed) dairy products that can be shipped around the world.
Byrne Dairy marked its 90th anniversary in 2023 and has more than 550 employees, per the MACNY announcement.
Tyler Robillard has been with Feldmeier Equipment for 15 years, joining the company in 2009 after graduating from the University at Buffalo with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Within a few short years, Robillard grew the design-engineer role into a project engineering position.
Feldmeier is a manufacturer of custom hygienic equipment for production of pharmaceutical/biotech, food, dairy, beverage, and cosmetic products.
After successfully managing some of Feldmeier’s largest pharmaceutical projects, he was promoted to engineering manager, then most recently serving as director of engineering, MACNY said.
Robillard leads a team of 16 engineers that develops innovative components and products for Feldmeier’s customers. His name has been applied and attributed to patent filings beginning in 2018. Robillard is the co-inventor on two additional patent pending designs. These components are “revolutionizing the cleanability” of Feldmeier’s custom tanks and pressure vessels, specifically supplied to their pharmaceutical customers who require the most hygienic equipment and processes developing lifesaving treatments.
These innovations have helped Feldmeier become recognized as the “best and only company in the Western Hemisphere” to specialize in this level of sanitation processing, per the MACNY announcement.
Syracuse Stage starts search for new managing director
SYRACUSE — The board of trustees and senior management of Syracuse Stage are developing a plan to find the theatre company’s next managing director. That plan will be announced soon, according to an April 2 Syracuse Stage announcement that Jill Anderson, its managing director since 2016, will leave the organization this summer after eight years.
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SYRACUSE — The board of trustees and senior management of Syracuse Stage are developing a plan to find the theatre company’s next managing director.
That plan will be announced soon, according to an April 2 Syracuse Stage announcement that Jill Anderson, its managing director since 2016, will leave the organization this summer after eight years.
Anderson is departing to become managing director of the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company, the nation’s largest and most acclaimed theatre for young people, the Syracuse Stage said.
“When she arrived in Syracuse, Jill brought with her the wisdom that comes from working with the best and brightest of the American Theatre, and she leaves Syracuse Stage with a foundation that will carry us well into the next 50 years,” Rocco Mangano, chair of the Syracuse Stage board of trustees, said in a statement. “Jill is both a keen administrator and a tireless champion for the arts, qualities that have made her not only a successful leader but a cherished colleague and friend. On behalf of the entire Board, I extend eternal gratitude for everything Jill has helped us accomplish.”
She will continue as managing director at Syracuse Stage for the remainder of the 50th anniversary season, concluding her eight-year tenure when she departs at the end of the company’s fiscal year in early July, per the announcement.
“Being part of Syracuse Stage and the Central New York community these last eight seasons has been a tremendous privilege,” Anderson said in a release. “I’m so proud of what Stage’s staff and board have built — upon an already strong foundation — and look forward to seeing a thriving Syracuse Stage in the years ahead.”
Located at 820 E. Genesee St. in the city, Syracuse Stage is the nonprofit, professional theatre company in residence at Syracuse University.
Anderson joined Syracuse Stage at about the same time that Robert Hupp started serving as artistic director in 2016. She was responsible for fundraising, marketing, and operational oversight during seven straight years of operating surpluses.
Her work to strengthen the company’s financial foundation helped Syracuse Stage maintain full employment during the pandemic while positioning the company for future growth, the organization said.
Under Anderson’s leadership — and in partnership with Hupp and the board of trustees — Syracuse Stage boosted its reputation as a leading regional theatre, the organization contends.
The company produced two world premieres which later transferred to Broadway. They included “Thoughts of a Colored Man” and “How to Dance in Ohio,” which “deepened its relationship” with other regional theatres and producers through co- and enhanced-productions and developed commissioned work from nationally recognized artists and playwrights — all while expanding its community engagement and educational programming for local patrons, students. and families, per the announcement.
“Together, we have increased Stage’s visibility locally and nationally, worked to secure the organization’s future, and mounted an extraordinary response through and since the pandemic,” Anderson said. “I am more grateful than I can express for the opportunity Syracuse Stage gave me in 2016, and for the relationships I will take with me into this next chapter as I return to the Upper Midwest.”
Besides her work with Syracuse Stage, Anderson taught theatre-management courses in the Syracuse University Department of Drama.
As part of the company’s 50th anniversary season, Anderson oversaw the launch of an “ambitious” fundraising campaign. It prioritized updating essential production equipment through capital investments, and the creation of a permanent education and community engagement fund to support vital programming for Central New York residents.
The company also established the Julie Lutz New Play Development Fund, with an inaugural gift of $1 million to be used for the creation of new work with a particular focus on sharing stories from underrepresented voices, Syracuse Stage said.
“While we celebrate this next chapter in Jill’s life and career, the news is bittersweet,” Hupp said. “It has been a highlight of my career to work in partnership with Jill these past eight seasons, and everyone at Syracuse Stage will miss Jill’s warm-hearted and thoughtful leadership.”
Le Moyne’s largest-ever alumni donation to put name on building
Will also create scholarship fund SYRACUSE — A 1966 graduate of Le Moyne College has donated $12 million to the school, representing its largest-ever alumni donation. With the donation, Le Moyne will place a name on its College of Arts and Sciences, and the money will also benefit additional
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SYRACUSE — A 1966 graduate of Le Moyne College has donated $12 million to the school, representing its largest-ever alumni donation.
With the donation, Le Moyne will place a name on its College of Arts and Sciences, and the money will also benefit additional academic elements, per the March 26 announcement.
James (Jim) Carroll donated the funding, so the College of Arts and Sciences is now the Dr. James J. ‘66 and Mary A. Carroll College of Arts and Sciences.
Le Moyne College President Linda LeMura announced the donation during a campus event that day, the school said.
During his days as a Le Moyne student, Jim Carroll was a double major in history and political science. Carroll recently retired from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, where he had served as a research associate professor since 1987.
“Coming from a modest background, I am humbled and proud to be able to contribute to the future success of Le Moyne, an institution that played an integral role in my personal and professional life,” Jim Carroll said. “The strong Jesuit education I received at Le Moyne stays with me to this day. My career in higher education has allowed me to understand the intrinsic value found in supporting faculty research and teaching and also the great need to provide resources for student scholarships.”
Besides placing the Carrolls’ name on the College of Arts and Sciences, portions of the donation will also support additional academic elements.
They include the Dr. James J. ‘66 and Mary A. Carroll Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarships for students in need of financial assistance who enroll at Le Moyne as majors within the arts and sciences.
The funding will also benefit the Dr. James J. Carroll ‘66 Endowed Professor in Arts and Sciences, with preference given for disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.
It will also support the Mary A. Carroll Endowed Professor in Arts and Sciences, with preference to a Jesuit who is a member of the faculty.
The donation will also support the creation of the Carroll Visiting Scholar program.
In addition, the Carrolls’ gift will help fund the William J. Bosch, S.J. Teaching and Learning Center, which the school announced last week.
Jim Carroll is a native of Binghamton and attended the former St. Patrick’s Academy, per the Le Moyne announcement.
Just two months before he began his studies at Le Moyne, his father passed away, leaving his mother to make the tuition payment. She was able to use her husband’s savings along with some stocks to pay for Carroll’s first year of college. During his time at Le Moyne, he worked multiple jobs both on and off campus to pay for tuition and living expenses, the school said.
After graduating from Le Moyne, Carroll then earned his master’s degree in social studies education at Syracuse University in 1970 and his Ph.D. in social sciences at Syracuse’s Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs in 1985.
He taught social studies at Bishop Ludden High School from 1967 to 1973 and at Westhill High School from 1973-1979. He also worked at the Syracuse University School of Education from 1983-1987.
Most of Carroll’s career in the 1980s and 90s involved conducting workshops on Project LEGAL a national constitutional law project he developed for elementary and secondary American history teachers and their students in hundreds of adoption schools in 34 states.
In recent decades, he has focused on conducting teacher workshops through his gifted education grants, focusing on public-policy skills for teachers and students in disadvantaged schools primarily in New York City. Le Moyne said.
The Carrolls married in 1967 and raised seven children, all of whom went on to professional success in various fields, including clinical psychology, social work, dentistry, education, law, and veterinary medicine.
CNYSME honors Morrisseau with 2024 Crystal Ball Award
SYRACUSE — The Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives (CNYSME) will recognize Pierre Morrisseau, CEO of Syracuse–based OneGroup, with its prestigious Crystal Ball Award. The Crystal Ball Award is presented annually by CNYSME to a local businessperson or group of businesspeople in recognition of their contributions to the sales and marketing profession and for
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SYRACUSE — The Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives (CNYSME) will recognize Pierre Morrisseau, CEO of Syracuse–based OneGroup, with its prestigious Crystal Ball Award.
The Crystal Ball Award is presented annually by CNYSME to a local businessperson or group of businesspeople in recognition of their contributions to the sales and marketing profession and for their endeavors in the areas of community development and support.
CNYSME will present the award to Morrisseau on April 17 at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown during the annual Crystal Ball and Sales & Marketing Excellence Awards presentation and celebration.
Morrisseau is the 47th recipient of the award. He leads OneGroup, a risk management, insurance brokerage, and employee-benefits firm. Community Bank System (NYSE: CBU) purchased OneGroup in 2015, adding to its portfolio of services including wealth management, pension services, benefit administration, and more.
Morrisseau has led OneGroup to “unprecedented success,” with the firm growing from $4 million in revenue and 35 employees to nearly $50 million in combined revenue, with more than 250 employees and locations spanning across the East Coast, CNYSME said.
“It’s a great honor to accept this award, especially among all of the amazing and impactful leaders in our community,” Morrisseau said in a CNYSME news release. “When OneGroup was formed 20 years ago, I knew that integrating our community into our business model was essential. Business and community thrive together, and by keeping our eyes open, we see the opportunity to do good for both. I’m fortunate to be able to intertwine my missions as an individual with the missions of the company, and feel privileged to be recognized by the Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives.”
Besides his work with OneGroup, Morrisseau is also involved with several nonprofits in the Central New York region.
He currently sits on the boards for David’s Refuge and the Loretto Foundation Board, as a trustee, CNYSME said. He is also a founding member of the White Ribbon campaign and a current board member of Vera House, as well as a member of the McNeil advisory board at Le Moyne College.
In addition, OneGroup Center also donates its meeting and event space to nonprofit organizations, CNYSME noted.
Besides the Crystal Ball Award presentation, nearly two dozen local companies will be awarded Sales and Marketing Excellence Awards (SMEA) for the top performing sales and marketing professionals within their organizations.
CNYSME will also use its ceremony to award scholarships to two local students majoring in or planning to major in sales or marketing disciplines, saying the scholarships are “part of CNYSME’s mission to help educate and advance sales and marketing professionals.
The criteria for Crystal Ball Award recognition includes “but is not limited to” a person whose visibility impacts the progress and prosperity of Central New York; a leader who demonstrates commitment to superior quality and professionalism; a person who fosters excellence in their industry; local involvement in community and civic organizations; and demonstrates and practices an appreciation of the sales and marketing industry.
“Pierre exemplifies the spirit and values behind the Crystal Ball award,” Rob Marino, president of CNYSME, said. “His highly impactful and positive role in our community, has been an inspiration to fellow community leaders throughout the years. Pierre’s commitment and compassion to the Central New York community is what makes him an exemplary addition to recent Crystal Ball recipients.”
Recent past CNYSME Crystal Ball Award recipients include Stephanie Crockett, president and CEO of Mower in 2023: Ed Riley of Brine Wells Development/Marriott Syracuse Downtown in 2022; Laura Serway, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and former owner of Laci’s Tapas Bar in Syracuse in 2021; Mark Re of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in 2019; and Howard Dolgon, owner, president, CEO, and team governor of the Syracuse Crunch minor-league hockey team in 2014.
2024 Sales & Marketing Excellence Awards
View the 2024 Sales & Marketing Excellence Awards Supplement
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2024 Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Directory
VIEW THE DIRECTORY HERE Welcome to the Central New York Business Journal’s first ever Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Directory. For a number of years, CNYBJ has published lists of MBEs and WBEs located in the region. This directory is an outgrowth of those lists, with firms listed alphabetically, with expanded entries allowing the firms
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Welcome to the Central New York Business Journal’s first ever Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Directory.
For a number of years, CNYBJ has published lists of MBEs and WBEs located in the region. This directory is an outgrowth of those lists, with firms listed alphabetically, with expanded entries allowing the firms to list their notable clients, projects, or contracts, and the option to provide photos.
The information for these entries was supplied by the companies themselves, their websites, and the New York State Certified MWBE Directory.
More information about the certification of New York State MWBEs is available from the Office of the New York State Comptroller at: https://www.osc.ny.gov/state-vendors/resources/minority-and-women-owned-business-enterprises-mwbes
VIEWPOINT: Why CNY Needs More Professional Communicators
Communicator. Connector. Celebrator. Counsel. Brand Manager. Liaison. Promoter. Influencer. Storyteller. Spokesperson. Strategizer. Translator. Voice of reason. When you hear the words “public relations” (PR), what — and who — do you think of? The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines PR as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between an organization
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Communicator. Connector. Celebrator. Counsel. Brand Manager. Liaison. Promoter. Influencer. Storyteller. Spokesperson. Strategizer. Translator. Voice of reason.
When you hear the words “public relations” (PR), what — and who — do you think of?
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines PR as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and their publics.” Since PR is about building and maintaining relationships, it’s intuitive that a proficient PR practitioner should be a “communicator” and “connector.” Still, effective PR professionals hold many other titles to help their organizations.
Read that list at the top again and consider how those roles apply to your company. Do the descriptors remind you of any one person or department? As the bridge between all functions in our workplaces, PR professionals fill all those roles. And yet, there aren’t enough of us to meet the needs of all the organizations in Central New York.
In 20 years of providing trusted public-relations counsel, Strategic Communications sees two themes: Either a business knows it needs professional communicators but can’t find them due to a shortage; or it doesn’t understand the value of having communications support and thus, hinders its growth.
On the first issue, many organizations are struggling to fill essential communications roles. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects there will be more than 25,000 openings for public-relations specialists on average annually over the next 10 years, largely attributed to seasoned communicators reaching retirement age or deciding to change careers. The PR field also shares skills that overlap with marketing and advertising, and many early- or mid-career PR professionals spend time in those sectors. Plus, with the rise in remote work, businesses are competing for talent on a new playing field. Skilled communicators have more options than ever as PR can often be done virtually for companies worldwide.
Periodically our clients and other businesses ask if we know of PR professionals who might be interested in filling open positions at their companies. Although we’re well connected and able to make several recommendations, we often find that we share those names with multiple organizations because there is a smaller pool of PR talent in CNY.
This shortage of professional communicators will only become greater because of “the Micron Effect.” Micron has committed to investing up to $100 billion to build the largest semiconductor facility in the U.S., which is projected to bring 50,000 jobs here in the next 20 years.
As the pieces line up, there’s a magnifying glass on new opportunities for Central New York. From health care, to housing, service businesses, grocery stores, and everything in between, local businesses will grow, and out-of-town companies will join our community to work with Micron. New organizations will need clear messaging to appeal to the community. Concurrently, existing businesses will need to ensure they’re communicating that they’re still here.
With so many stories to tell, who will pick up the pen or start typing?
While the number of PR positions is expected to grow over the next decade, it’s encouraging that we’re also seeing PRSA membership grow — nationally and locally in our Central New York Chapter — indicating interest in the PR profession. With exciting elements like social media, PR is appealing to a new generation as more businesses realize the value of community outreach and consumer relations to elevate visibility and reputation.
This connects back to the second theme we’ve observed: What happens when a lack of PR support impedes a local organization’s growth. When it’s time to examine budgets, we frequently see dollars dedicated to PR, advertising, and marketing are the first to go. But typically, it’s when business is down that public relations becomes more critical than ever.
PR is strategy-based, organized, and intentional. Whether a workplace is trying to create new programs, solve problems, or appeal to public interest, applying the foundational pieces of PR — research, planning, implementation, and evaluation — will help it succeed. Having your PR team in lockstep with decision makers makes your brand and image stronger. We build credibility, recognition, and trust.
Too many organizations are inclined to only consult PR experts when they’re navigating a crisis or looking for a reputation reset. The reality is that by bringing in a PR team earlier — or better yet, by having it in place from the beginning — a business increases its chances of achieving goals. Then, should an issue unexpectedly come up, there’s already a strategy in place to meet the challenge.
So, how do we recruit more talent to join our ranks? Well, collectively as a business community, we need to do some of our own PR.
The first step is to consider what makes your companies attractive. Is it a desirable location, is it providing exciting enrichment programs or flexible work schedules? By identifying what appeals to current employees, you’ll attract new talent to make your business “sing.” Literally. With buy-in, employees become loyal, built-in advocates.
To help determine which stories are interesting, think about what you naturally bring up in conversation. What excites you? What tugs on your heartstrings? And when you talk about your organization, what tends to get the most reaction from others? Stories that connect to emotions are always impactful.
People also find value in learning information that helps make their lives easier, as well as warnings about potential challenges. That’s why stories that propose solutions to solve problems and have wide community impact are usually homeruns, too.
If you’re not sure where to start, or don’t have the resources to conduct this initial PR on your own, turning to a PR agency can be a helpful starting point. Agencies can help you identify what type of PR support your organization needs and develop a strategic public-relations plan for your company — which can then be executed by your team, their team, or a combination of both.
While the shortage of PR professionals is reaching a tipping point, the good news is that organizations in our region have great stories to tell.
Alice Maggiore is director of public relations at Strategic Communications, which provides trusted counsel for public relations, including media strategy, media training, media outreach, monitoring and analysis. www.StratComLLC.com
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