Effort takes off to land unmanned aircraft test site

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SYRACUSE — A group of New York and Massachusetts organizations led by CenterState CEO started its engines Feb. 21 in a competition to land a

Delta Medical slated to launch next month in Rome

Health Care, Regional News, Small Business

ROME — A new primary-care practice set up by Rome Memorial Hospital hopes to start seeing patients in March. The hospital plans to open the

Binghamton University seminar on exit planning for closely held businesses set for Feb. 27

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Regional News

BINGHAMTON — As many private business owners near retirement age, they face the increasingly thorny issue of what to do with their business so they

EarlySense distribution keeps with Welch Allyn’s practices

Health Care, Manufacturing & Engineering, Technology

SKANEATELES FALLS — A recently announced arrangement that has Welch Allyn distributing another company’s patient-monitoring system is rare but not unheard of for the Skaneateles

Little Falls Hospital appoints senior director of human resources

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Regional News

LITTLE FALLS — Marlene E. Little has joined Bassett Healthcare Network as senior director of human resources at Little Falls Hospital. Before joining Bassett, Little

Savannah Bank CEO joins board of New York Bankers Association

Banks & Credit Unions, Regional News

Thomas E. Ganey, president and CEO of Savannah Bank, N.A., has been selected to serve on the board of directors of the New York Bankers

Holt Architects focused on growing new Syracuse office

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Manufacturing & Engineering, Small Business, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Holt Architects had designs on opening a Syracuse branch for some time before it moved into a downtown office in the middle of January. “We’ve been planning it for probably four or five months,” says Paul Levesque, principal at Ithaca–based Holt. “The idea behind it was Syracuse is strategic for our markets.” The

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SYRACUSE — Holt Architects had designs on opening a Syracuse branch for some time before it moved into a downtown office in the middle of January.

“We’ve been planning it for probably four or five months,” says Paul Levesque, principal at Ithaca–based Holt. “The idea behind it was Syracuse is strategic for our markets.”

The architectural firm moved into 1,500 square feet of space at 132 E. Jefferson St. in downtown Syracuse. That space, at the corner of East Jefferson Street and South Warren Street, is the company’s first satellite outside of its 6,500-square-foot headquarters at 217 N. Aurora St. in Ithaca.

Holt intends to use the new office to primarily serve the health care and higher-education markets. They are Holt’s focus areas, according to Levesque. He adds that Holt has worked for major Syracuse–area players in those fields in the past, including the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University.

But Holt wants to use the office to project a presence beyond Syracuse proper. Levesque indicates the company plans to bolster its business throughout the area.

“A lot of our clients are north of Syracuse, east of Syracuse, and west of Syracuse,” he says. “It’s sort of a hub.”

Three Holt employees currently staff the downtown Syracuse office, including Levesque. However, the office is large enough to hold eight total employees. The firm wants to hire new workers to fill out the space over the next three years.

Holt employees who are based in Ithaca will also be able to use the office for projects or meetings on an as-needed basis. That could be particularly useful for employees who live in the Syracuse area, Levesque adds. The company has seven employees who live around Syracuse. It employs 34 people in total, with 31 based in Ithaca.

In addition to establishing a physical location in an existing market, the Syracuse location gives Holt space near some of its consultants.

“A lot of our consulting engineers are actually out of the Syracuse area, too,” Levesque says. “So it will be easier to work with them.”

Teleconferencing technologies make it easy to communicate between the Syracuse and Ithaca offices, says Nathan Brown, a Holt project manager based in Syracuse.

“I still have team members in Ithaca that I work with on projects,” he says. “When I relocated from Ithaca, I didn’t see much difference.”

Brown was the lead designer of Holt’s Syracuse office. He says he attempted to create a light, open area with large windows and contemporary furniture.

LeChase Construction Services, LLC, based in Rochester, served as the general contractor for renovations. Work cost less than $100,000, although Levesque and Brown declining to be more specific. Holt paid for the construction using its own cash reserves.

Holt is leasing its Syracuse space from Paramount Realty Group, LLC, which is a joint venture between developers Richard DeVito and Robert Doucette. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had leased the space previously, according to Brown.

“We took over the old HUD space, and we tried to reuse as much as we could,” he says. “We try to really be a sustainable firm, so whatever we could reuse, we did.”

Currently, Holt’s goal is to build the amount of business going through its Syracuse office. But if things go well, it may look to open additional satellite offices in the future, Brown continues.

The architectural firm generated about $6 million in revenue in 2012. Holt is projecting growth of 5 percent in 2013. It hired two new employees at its Ithaca headquarters in the last month.

In addition to Levesque, Holt has three principals. They are Graham Gillespie, Steven Hugo, and Quay Thompson.

Its major projects include work at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca and SUNY Cortland. Another major client is the University of Rochester, according to Levesque.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com

N.Y. manufacturing index breaks even for first time since summer

Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only

New York manufacturers broke out of a mold of negativity in February amid a surge of new orders. The Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York posted widespread gains on its release date of Feb. 15 after months of decline. Its headline reading, the general business conditions index, broke into

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New York manufacturers broke out of a mold of negativity in February amid a surge of new orders.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York posted widespread gains on its release date of Feb. 15 after months of decline. Its headline reading, the general business conditions index, broke into positive territory for the first time since July 2012.

It leapt 17.8 points to 10. That means more survey respondents started reporting improving conditions than worsening conditions. For the month, 28.7 percent of manufacturers said conditions improved, compared to 18.7 percent that said they deteriorated.

Manufacturers raised their collective opinion of general business conditions as they experienced a surge in orders, the survey found. Its new orders index spiked 20.5 points to break out of negative territory at 13.3.

“New orders is what drove the process,” says Randall Wolken, president of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York. “And shipments are also up, which means not only are there orders, but they’re shipping them out.”

Shipments rose a month after contracting in January. The shipments index moved up 16.2 points to 13.1.

Unfilled orders changed little from last month, according to the unfilled orders index. It moved closer to zero with a 5.5-point gain to -2.

Also hovering around zero were delivery times and inventories. The delivery time index swelled 4.2 points to 2. The inventories index ascended 8.6 points to settle at zero.

Rising prices continued to be the norm in the industry. Manufacturers said they paid higher prices, according to the prices paid index, which crept up 3.7 points to 26.3 And they indicated they received higher prices, as the prices received index dipped 2.7 points to a still-positive 8.1.

Hiring took place in February, although manufacturers didn’t ask their employees to work more hours. The number of employees index shattered the zero barrier with a 12.4-point increase to 8.1. The average employee workweek inched up 1.3 points to -4.

“We’re coming through a pretty challenging time in December and January,” Wolken says. “It was nice to see an uptick and really some positives.”

Future expectations rise

Forward-looking indicators in the survey, which measure expectations for a time six months from now, moved largely in step with current indexes. The future general-business conditions index added 10.7 points to 33.1.

In February, 49.9 percent of survey respondents said they expect better business conditions in the future. Just 16.8 percent anticipated lower conditions.

Orders will rise, respondents predicted. The future new orders index gained 4 points to 29.1.

Shipments are set to follow, according to manufacturers. They drove the future shipments index up nearly 3 points to 26.8.

However, little change is likely when it comes to unfilled orders and delivery times, the survey found. The future unfilled orders index snuck up 0.9 points to 2, while the future delivery time index dipped 2 points to -2.

Inventories are also in line to hold steady. The future inventories index slid 1.1 point to zero.

Manufacturers believe price increases, on the other hand, will continue. The future prices paid index rose 5.7 points to 44.4. The future prices received index dropped 8.4 points to 13.1.

Even so, future employment indicators strengthened. The future number of employees index picked up 7.6 points to 15.2, and the future average employee workweek index took on 7.9 points to 11.1.

Also picking up were manufacturers’ plans to invest in their businesses. The future capital expenditures index flew up 9.8 points to 14.1. And the future technology spending index swelled 5.7 points to 11.1.

“It’s not a surprising report,” Wolken says. “I’m hearing a lot of small and medium-sized businesses were having good 2012s and thought 2013 would be a good year.”

Improving manufacturing conditions often force Central New York firms to hire, add production space, or purchase new technology, Wolken continues.

“Small and medium businesses in particular can’t wait,” he says. “They’ve got to make investments, and I think it bodes well for communities like ours, which has a lot of small and medium manufacturers.”

The New York Fed polls a set pool of about 200 manufacturing executives in the state for its monthly survey. About 100 executives typically respond.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com

Institute for Excellence & Ethics moves toward self-sustaining growth

Health Care, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

MANLIUS — Fresh off a 25 percent revenue increase in 2012, the Manlius not-for-profit education consulting organization, Institute for Excellence & Ethics (IEE), is moving toward self-sustaining growth. IEE’s revenue increased from $435,000 in 2011 to $540,000 in 2012. This growth stemmed from thriving partnerships with organizations both inside and outside Central New York, according

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IEE’s revenue increased from $435,000 in 2011 to $540,000 in 2012. This growth stemmed from thriving partnerships with organizations both inside and outside Central New York, according to Richard Parisi, director of communications and operations at IEE.

IEE, on its website, describes itself as a nonprofit “dedicated to the development and dissemination of research-based tools and strategies for building intentional cultures of excellence and ethics.” It develops learning resources, conducts professional development, designs assessment tools, and provides organizational consulting services. IEE works with school districts, colleges, athletic organizations, nonprofits, and businesses.

“We continue to explore opportunities to expand the work and to do the things we think are important,” says Parisi. “We want to help make a difference for students, staff, athletic organizations, families and businesses.”

In December, IEE moved from its prior 3,000-square-foot headquarters in LaFayette to a new 2,400-square-foot office at 216 Fayette St. in Manlius, Most employees of IEE live near Manlius, Parisi says, and the relocation makes it more convenient for them to do their work. Besides, the large number of hotels and restaurants in the Syracuse, DeWitt, and Manlius areas can better meet the needs of IEE’s clients who come to the office for meetings and professional development,

Along with the relocation, IEE has started new partnerships with school districts in New York state, Iowa and Singapore.

Matt Davidson and Vladimir T. Khmelkov co-founded IEE in 2006. Before starting the 501(c)(3), Davidson had worked almost 20 years for various research organizations at Cornell University, Le Moyne College, and the University of Notre Dame. He decided to find a solution to better integrate academic research with real-world education practice.

“We wanted the rigor of a university setting, but we also wanted the flexibility and the entrepreneurial approach to doing good,” says Davidson. “Being a not-for-profit organization allows us more flexibility.”

Davidson described the business model of IEE as “social entrepreneurship.” It usually has a paying customer who asks the organization to develop a mentoring program for a specific institution. When the program is developed, IEE seeks funding to put it into practice in more schools and workplaces.

IEE received $1.5 million in funding from the Templeton Foundation from 2007 through 2010 and $300,000 funding from the McDonnell Foundation over a three-year period. But, since both grants ran out about a year and a half ago, IEE is trying to become more self-sufficient with other funding sources.

As a nonprofit organization, IEE uses its revenue and funding to not only develop products, but also to fully or partially underwrite the delivery of training tools for schools that can’t afford the services, says Davidson.

IEE now has five employees, 12 board members, and more than 300 partnerships with schools, workplaces, and athletic departments in the U.S. and Mexico, according to Parisi.

Education organizations in New York state that have already adopted the survey tools and curriculum systems developed by IEE include the Liverpool School District, LaFayette School District, LaFayette Big Picture School, Le Moyne College, Pittsford Central School District, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse.

In November 2012, after working with IEE for more than four years, Allen Creek Elementary School in Pittsford was selected as a NY State School of Character and a National School of Character by the Character Education Partnership. Allen Creek used the Culture of Excellence and Ethics Assessment (CEEA) system developed by IEE to begin its work. After reviewing the CEEA data, the school worked with IEE for professional development and the purchase of Power2Acheive curricular resources developed by IEE. In January, the Pittsford School District purchased the usage rights of Power2Achieve resources for all nine of the district’s schools from K-12.

“The work we’ve done with IEE has contributed greatly to where we are right now,” says Sue Gager, school counselor at Allen Creek Elementary and instructional area leader for the counseling department at the Pittsford Central School District. Gager believes that those instruments IEE provided integrate character development with academic education.

IEE is also maintaining a long-time collaboration with schools outside New York state, including the Kansas Department of Education, various high schools in Iowa, and Drake University athletic department.

This January, IEE launched a new mentoring evaluation system, titled “Power2Achieve Seeds of Success,” in the Des Moines School District in Iowa. “Seeds of Success” is a program designed to use college student-athletes to “plant the seeds of success” in the hearts and minds of students in grades 6-8.

The program was initially funded by the Drake Bulldogs athletic department with a $10,000 grant over a two-year period. Two pilot versions of this program were implemented at Drake in 2011 and 2012.

At the same time, IEE is also expanding into the international education market. It launched a program in cooperation with The Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico in 2012 and is about to implement a curriculum program in partnership with the Ministry of Education in Singapore this spring.

Contact The Business Journal at news@cnybj.com

Mercy Flight landing new location east of Utica

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

SCHUYLER — Alex Ripka has been refurbishing helicopters in the middle of his family’s farmland since the late 1970s. Suddenly, one of his hangars is about to become the new base for an air-ambulance service. “For 40 years, I opened the doors and I didn’t so much as have a mouse in here,” Ripka says.

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“For 40 years, I opened the doors and I didn’t so much as have a mouse in here,” Ripka says. “Now I have people that are going to be living here.”

Ripka owns a 3,900-square-foot hangar at 368 Shorlots Road in the town of Schuyler (in western Herkimer County) that’s set to become a new base for a Mercy Flight Central medevac helicopter. That means 14 people will work from the structure, including three-person helicopter crews who will be on hand around the clock to airlift patients.

Mercy Flight Central plans to use the location to serve patients within a 60-mile radius that blankets Utica and Rome, it announced Feb. 7. The nonprofit wants to begin flying from the new base in March.

It will be Mercy Flight Central’s first outpost in the Utica–Rome area. The organization has helicopters and an airplane at its headquarters at Canandaigua Airport, and it stations a helicopter at Marcellus Airport.

The Schuyler base sits amid 150 acres of farmland filled with more than 200 cows, Ripka says. But he indicates that he isn’t too disappointed to be losing privacy in his hangar.

“I have a passion for helicopters,” he says. “And it’s going to be saving lives.”

Some renovations are needed to prepare the hangar for around-the-clock use, according to Neil Snedeker, president and CEO of Mercy Flight Central. Work under way includes adding a crew quarters, office space, and a day room. The nonprofit is performing the construction with its own employees, who started building at the beginning of 2013.

Expanding into Utica comes after years of consideration, Snedeker adds.

“We did a detailed analysis of the entire state of New York, where all the medevac helicopters are positioned,” he says. “What was glaringly obvious was the Utica area, which is also called mid-state, had no coverage.”

In the past, Mercy Flight Central served the region from its Marcellus base, Snedeker continues. A helicopter leaving Marcellus Airport took about 25 minutes to reach the Utica area, decreasing its speed advantage over ground-based emergency medical services, he says.

The new base will allow Mercy Flight Central to reach patients in about 10 minutes. Shorter response times will probably lead to more air transports — the nonprofit estimates it will add 100 transports a year thanks to the location. Previously, ambulance crews in the area often wouldn’t call a helicopter but would instead run patients to a hospital as quickly as possible by ground.

“The Utica area was very sensitive to the time issue,” Snedeker says. “They knew it was going to take 30 minutes for a helicopter to get there, so they would just, as they call it, scoop and run. Which is reasonable. It was the right thing to do.”

In addition to the three-person flight crews working out of the new Schuyler base, the location will also have a mechanic and a development employee in charge of philanthropy. Most of those workers will be new employees, although the base will be staffed by current Mercy Flight Central workers at first. That’s because nurses and paramedics need to go through a two-month training program before they can work on helicopters, according to Snedeker.

Currently, Mercy Flight Central has 51 employees. It will likely have 60 once all Schuyler hiring is complete.

Snedeker doesn’t anticipate the new location eating into calls to the Marcellus Airport base. Mercy Flight Central currently responds to about 225 calls a year from that location, he says.

“What we believe will happen is the Marcellus call volume will probably increase,” he says. “Once you put a helicopter in the Utica area, people start to use that helicopter, which in turn means the Marcellus site will probably end up getting some backup calls.”

Late this spring, Mercy Flight Central hopes to add a fourth helicopter. The new aircraft will serve as a backup that can take over in case any of the organization’s three primary helicopters need to be repaired. It will cost about $2 million, although the nonprofit will purchase it used, Snedeker says.

Opening the new base pushes Mercy Flight Central’s 2013 budget up to about $14.7 million. It had been $12.2 million in 2012. The nonprofit believes it can pay for the base with its added patient revenue and additional fundraising.

Sources of revenue for Mercy Flight Central include fundraising, patient revenue through Medicare and Medicaid, patient insurance, no-fault insurance, and cash payments.

However, the expansion was not driven by financial considerations, Snedeker stresses.

“We’re another link in the chain of survival,” he says. “We assist the fire and EMS, police and hospitals. Our operations staff is thrilled to be able to do this because we all feel this is our core mission.”

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com

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