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Bassett’s O’Connor Hospital in Delhi receives reaccreditation
DELHI, N.Y. — O’Connor Hospital, part of the Bassett Healthcare Network, announced it recently achieved reaccreditation by the Joint Commission after an on-site assessment and survey. Hospital surveys by the Joint Commission generally last for three straight days and occur every three years. Accreditation is a condition for hospital licensure as well as Medicaid and […]
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DELHI, N.Y. — O’Connor Hospital, part of the Bassett Healthcare Network, announced it recently achieved reaccreditation by the Joint Commission after an on-site assessment and survey.
Hospital surveys by the Joint Commission generally last for three straight days and occur every three years. Accreditation is a condition for hospital licensure as well as Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement.
The Joint Commission, founded in 1951, is a global organization that accredits and certifies more than 22,000 health-care organizations and programs across the country. All hospitals, health systems, and health services much achieve certain accreditations to remain in operation. At hospitals, clinicians and other experts perform the on-site assessments through interviewing, observation, and audits. They evaluate quality and safety, organization performance, care plans, and other metrics that demonstrate standards for care.
“It was great to witness how O’Connor Hospital staff came together to welcome the Joint Commission surveyors and show off our hospital and all the great work they do each and every day,” O’Connor Director of Nursing and Operations Daniel Endress said in a press release announcing the achievement. “Every team member has an important role, and they all contribute immeasurably to O’Connor being a successful organization.”
As a critical-access hospital, O’Conner provides care with 23 acute-care medical and surgical beds, including extended care “swing” beds for patients needing additional time and therapy to recover from illness or surgery. In addition to inpatient, pharmacy, laboratory, imaging, and emergency care, O’Connor offers specialty clinics provided by Bassett Healthcare Network practitioners in a variety of areas.
Founded in 1921, O’Connor Hospital joined the Bassett Healthcare Network in 1988. In 2000, it was one of the first hospitals in the state to receive federal designation as a critical-access hospital, per the release. O’Connor was also recently honored by the American Hospital Association for 50 years of participation and leadership within the association.
Potter named to American Red Cross board of directors
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The American Red Cross board of directors for the Central and Northern New York chapter has appointed Brian J. Potter of Dannible & McKee, LLP to the board. The nonprofit American Red Cross offers relief for victims of disaster, provides health and safety training, offers support for the military, helps maintain a
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The American Red Cross board of directors for the Central and Northern New York chapter has appointed Brian J. Potter of Dannible & McKee, LLP to the board.
The nonprofit American Red Cross offers relief for victims of disaster, provides health and safety training, offers support for the military, helps maintain a stable blood supply, and offers various programs and services to the community. The local chapter serves Onondaga, Oswego, Madison, Oneida, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Potter is a tax partner and the partner-in-charge of IT services at Dannible & McKee, a certified public accounting and consulting firm with offices in Syracuse, Auburn, Binghamton, and Schenectady. He has more than 17 years of experience in taxation and planning for individuals and closely held companies, Dannible & McKee said. Potter specializes in manufacturing, construction, multi-state corporations, and high-net-worth individuals.
Potter previously served as a board member for LAUNCH and the Syracuse International Flim Festival. He is a past recipient of the 40 Under Forty award presented by the Central New York Business Journal and BizEventz. Potter holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from SUNY Oswego and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Le Moyne College.
Established in 1978, Dannible & McKee provides audit, tax, and accounting services as well as financial-management consulting to clients nationwide. The firm employs more than 115 professional and support personnel, including 22 partners.
Onondaga County hotels post business gains in November across three different indicators
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County hotels registered improvements in three vital benchmarks of business performance in November. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county increased 3.3 percent to 54.4 percent in the 11th month of the year compared to November 2022, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel market
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County hotels registered improvements in three vital benchmarks of business performance in November.
The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county increased 3.3 percent to 54.4 percent in the 11th month of the year compared to November 2022, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel market data and analytics company. Year to date, occupancy was up 2.8 percent to 61.8 percent.
Revenue per available room (RevPar), a key industry gauge that measures how much money hotels are bringing in per available room, jumped 19 percent to $72.50 in Onondaga County in November from a year prior. In the first 11 months of 2023, RevPar was 9.9 percent higher to $80.63.
Average daily rate (or ADR), which represents the average rental rate for a sold room, went up 15.3 percent to $133.29 in November versus the year-ago month. For the period between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30 of this year, ADR was up 6.9 percent to $130.49, compared to the same period in 2022.
Ethical, sustainable boutique opens in Ithaca
ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca has a new option for shoppers looking for ethically made clothing, bath and body products, artwork, home goods, and more. Heidi Brown, who lived in Ithaca for about eight years before heading west to Portland, Oregon, opened her Feel Goods store and maker space on Nov. 11. Brown also owns organic
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ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca has a new option for shoppers looking for ethically made clothing, bath and body products, artwork, home goods, and more.
Heidi Brown, who lived in Ithaca for about eight years before heading west to Portland, Oregon, opened her Feel Goods store and maker space on Nov. 11. Brown also owns organic clothing brand May and Mary.
About a year ago, Brown met with her now landlord and began talking about what sort of spaces were available in Ithaca and what might suit her needs. In March, Brown decided that 317 Taughannock Boulevard, with almost 3,500 square feet, was just what she was seeking.
After some renovations by the landlord including new insulation and lighting, Brown worked on building fitting rooms, painting, and other work to prepare the space.
“It was a lot of work,” she recalls. “It was a full build out.”
The result is a shop with retail space up front and plenty of space in back for a studio, rental space for other makers, and room for DIY workshops.
The shop carries ethically made goods from nearly 50 different makers with products including clothing, socks, artwork, ceramics, and a small selection of curated vintage items.
It’s important to Brown to carry products that are ethically made. “That’s been important to me pretty much my entire life,” she says. Her grandparents, who she spent a lot of time with, helped teach her about conservation and sustainability.
“Fashion is the least sustainable industry we have,” Brown contends. “It’s all about overconsumption.”
Brown first began making clothing from recycled materials, eventually moving to organic and natural materials when she began selling her items wholesale.
Now that she has a storefront, Brown wanted to make sure to carry brands that mesh with her brand. “I think it’s just important to try and do things ethically and sustainably.” She also makes it a point to purchase from business that are part of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.
The reaction to the store has been very positive since opening, Brown says. She hasn’t done a lot of advertising yet as there has been a good amount of foot traffic in the area. Most of her advertising has been word of mouth and on social media.
“I was really excited to see there’s a vibrant community,” she says. That community can do more than just shop at Feel Goods. They can also attend workshops to participate in some DIY projects. In January, the store has workshops scheduled for stained glass, ice dyeing, and block printing
“I think it’s a nice way to build community around the store,” she says of the workshops, which are open to people of all creative abilities. “I think these workshops are a place to explore their creativity.” Information about workshops is available on the store’s website: www.feelgoodsithaca.com.
Brown, who staffs the store herself with part-time help from one of the makers, celebrated the grand opening of her store with the Tompkins Chamber of Commerce on Dec. 20.
CNY subregion job growth mixed in November versus a year ago
Job growth in Central New York’s six subregions was mixed in November 2023 compared to a year earlier. The Syracuse, Watertown–Fort Drum, and Elmira regions gained jobs between November 2022 and this past November. Meanwhile, the Utica–Rome, Binghamton, and Ithaca areas lost jobs in the same period. That’s according to the latest monthly employment report
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Job growth in Central New York’s six subregions was mixed in November 2023 compared to a year earlier.
The Syracuse, Watertown–Fort Drum, and Elmira regions gained jobs between November 2022 and this past November. Meanwhile, the Utica–Rome, Binghamton, and Ithaca areas lost jobs in the same period.
That’s according to the latest monthly employment report that the New York State Department of Labor issued on Dec. 21.
November jobs data
The Syracuse region gained 3,300 jobs between November 2022 and November 2023, a gain of 1 percent.
Also posting gains in the same 12-month period, the Watertown–Fort Drum region added 600 jobs, a rise of 1.5 percent, and the Elmira area picked up 100 positions, a gain of 0.3 percent.
Conversely, the Utica–Rome metro area lost 100 jobs, a dip of about 0.1 percent; the Binghamton region shed 400 positions, a decline of 0.4 percent; and the Ithaca area lost 500 jobs, a decrease of 0.8 percent, in the period between November 2022 and this past November.
New York state as a whole added 100,200 jobs, an increase of 1 percent, in the 12-month period ending in November 2023. The state economy also gained 6,900 jobs, a 0.1 percent rise, between this past October and November, the New York State Department of Labor said.
Broome County hotel occupancy drops nearly 3 percent in November
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Broome County hotels saw a decline in guests in November compared to the year-prior month, while two other business indicators were mixed. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county fell 2.9 percent to 53.9 percent in the 11th month of 2023 versus November 2022. Year
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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Broome County hotels saw a decline in guests in November compared to the year-prior month, while two other business indicators were mixed.
The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county fell 2.9 percent to 53.9 percent in the 11th month of 2023 versus November 2022. Year to date through November, occupancy was down 1.2 percent to 60 percent.
Revenue per available room (RevPar), an industry gauge that measures how much money hotels are bringing in per available room, dipped 1.5 percent to $56.70 in November compared to the year-ago month. Through the first 11 months of 2023, RevPar in Broome County had gained 3.3 percent to $68.59.
Average daily rate (ADR), which represents the average rental rate for a sold room, edged up 1.4 percent to $105.12 in the county in November, versus the same month in 2022. Through Nov. 30, 2023, ADR was up 4.6 percent to $114.37.
Southern Tier IDAs work together to market region as a clean-tech corridor
Economic-development agencies in the Southern Tier are teaming up to market the region as a clean energy and technology hotspot in hopes of attracting new business and creating jobs. “We’re really excited about this,” says Stacey Duncan, executive director of The Agency in Broome County. Talks between the agencies began last spring, with a focus
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Economic-development agencies in the Southern Tier are teaming up to market the region as a clean energy and technology hotspot in hopes of attracting new business and creating jobs.
“We’re really excited about this,” says Stacey Duncan, executive director of The Agency in Broome County. Talks between the agencies began last spring, with a focus on turning the region into a clean-energy hub to grow economic-development opportunities. “It’s been a whirlwind.”
When the federal Build Back Better initiative was unveiled a year ago, the result was a lot of investment coming into the state, Duncan says, and talks centered around how to take advantage of that and keep the momentum going.
Locally, that means boots on the ground making sure the Southern Tier has the infrastructure and facilities available to welcome the opportunity, Duncan says.
To make sure, Broome, Chenango, Chemung, Delaware, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins counties are collectively funding a survey by Newmark Group, Inc.’s global corporate services division that will put together a reginal profile from a clean-technology standpoint.
“It’s going to be a very highly collaborative effort,” Duncan says of the survey.
With innovations across the region like Binghamton University’s designation as a New Energy New York battery innovation hub and the renewable-energy generation in Steuben County, it really just makes sense to pursue promoting the region as the place to be for clean technology, Steuben County Industrial Development Agency Executive Director James Johnson says.
“If you look at the region as a whole … the Southern Tier generates the most renewable energy in the state,” he says.
Clean-energy initiatives already in place provide a great foundation to market the region, Johnson notes, and the survey will help the region best prepare to both reach out to new companies and field inquiries coming in.
“We see leads all the time,” Johnson says. Once the survey is done, it will help the IDAs in the eight-county region by having a full catalog of sites across all the counties available. That way, they can work collectively to steer inquiring companies to the best site. The IDAs can also use the site profiles created by the survey to actively market sites, targeting companies that are ideal for that site. The ultimate goal is a regional marketing plan.
Duncan expects the survey will take about six months to complete. While the Agency is acting as the point of contact with Newmark, all the regional IDAs as well as other stakeholders have a place on the steering committee. Right now, the IDAs are working to get the necessary financial commitment from their respective counties.
The hope is to sign all the necessary contracts by mid-January and get the process going.
New SUNY Poly labs will train advanced manufacturing and semiconductor workforce
MARCY, N.Y. — With a $44 million state investment, SUNY Polytechnic Institute is designing a new robotics and advanced manufacturing research and education lab and a semiconductor-processing lab to train the future workforce for companies like Wolfspeed, Indium, Danfoss, and Micron. The word manufacturing evokes images of a dirty factory where jobs were manual, but
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MARCY, N.Y. — With a $44 million state investment, SUNY Polytechnic Institute is designing a new robotics and advanced manufacturing research and education lab and a semiconductor-processing lab to train the future workforce for companies like Wolfspeed, Indium, Danfoss, and Micron.
The word manufacturing evokes images of a dirty factory where jobs were manual, but manufacturing today is miles away from that, says SUNY Poly President Winston Soboyejo.
“In advanced manufacturing, it’s a new vision,” he tells CNYBJ. With clean environments and digital and cutting-edge technology including robotics, this fourth manufacturing revolution, dubbed Industry 4.0, reinvents manufacturing for young people and recreates the capacity to make products in America, he adds.
The semiconductor lab will provide education focused on STEM and semiconductor manufacturing, research, and development.
The advanced manufacturing lab — which will include advanced robotics, sensors and controls, smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0 initiatives, and an integrated connection with SUNY Poly’s AI for All facility — will give students the skills they need, notes Michael Carpenter, interim dean of SUNY Poly’s College of Engineering.
“We’re going to be setting up essentially a mock manufacturing line,” he says. It will mimic a real industrial line, even allowing students to troubleshoot and correct failures.
“It’s going to be very cross disciplinary,” Carpenter notes. In a work setting, different disciplines don’t work independently, he explains, but together as a team due to the complex nature of advanced manufacturing. “It’s not just someone turning a wrench to build something.” Workers must analyze data and ensure things are working correctly.
SUNY Poly is already outfitting the initial parts of the lab, Carpenter says. “We will have training up and running as early as this spring into fall.” He hopes the lab will get the larger tool sets it needs by early 2025.
“It’s going to be a really unique opportunity for the students,” he says. They will learn through hands-on projects and challenges.
The lab will serve students pursuing bachelor’s degrees as well as nontraditional students and will even offer certifications and micro credentials to professionals. “I think we’re going to be a very unique asset in Central New York to be sure,” Carpenter says.
For a public or private college, having such a lab is a significant opportunity. “We feel very lucky,” Soboyejo says. “We hope to really leverage these resources to entice students of all types to consider a career in advanced manufacturing.”
He’s working to organize partnerships, events, and activities to bring students to campus to expose them to advanced manufacturing, foster interest in careers, and help build the future workforce pipeline.
SUNY Poly recently hosted 100 young women in grades 10-12 at Utica’s Proctor High School as part of the inaugural Women in Manufacturing Summit, put on by the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY) and Utica City School District. Soboyejo hopes for more events like that to interest more students in STEM careers.
The jobs are out there now, with more to come, Soboyejo says. He’s heard that Micron alone will need 100,000 qualified employees for the four chip fabs it plans to build in upstate New York over the next 20 years.
“We’ll really take a regional approach,” he says, which means working with educational institutions from K-12 schools to universities.
“Industry is here,” he says, “ and they have real needs that are growing.”
That state’s $44 million investment in SUNY Poly, which also includes expanding the university’s health-science wing and updating its nursing laboratories, comes from the SUNY capital construction funds, the state budget, and appropriations secured by Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D–Marcy).
34 people graduate at Syracuse Surge workforce event
ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Syracuse Surge is the city’s “strategy for inclusive growth in the new economy, which strives to ignite economic growth and neighborhood transformation in Syracuse and Central New York.” The most recent Syracuse Surge workforce programming included 34 participants in three programs, according to a Dec. 18 CenterState CEO release. CenterState CEO and
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ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Syracuse Surge is the city’s “strategy for inclusive growth in the new economy, which strives to ignite economic growth and neighborhood transformation in Syracuse and Central New York.”
The most recent Syracuse Surge workforce programming included 34 participants in three programs, according to a Dec. 18 CenterState CEO release.
CenterState CEO and its partners at Onondaga Community College (OCC), OCM BOCES, and SUNY Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) honored the 34 graduates during a ceremony held at OCC on Dec. 15.
The graduation ceremony included remarks from OCC President Warren Hilton; Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh; SUNY EOC VP Tim Pennix; Meghan Durso, CenterState CEO’s senior manager of industry partnerships for Work Train; Mari Ukleya, director of adult education at OCM BOCES; Cainaan Webb, CenterState CEO’s Syracuse Surge career navigator; and program graduate Miquel Velez.
“Syracuse Surge’s commitment to excellence and opportunity has been a guiding light for many of us, proving that education is not a privilege reserved for a select few but a right that should be accessible to all,” Velez said in the release. “The journey doesn’t end here. Armed with the knowledge and skills acquired through Syracuse Surge, we are now prepared to face challenges of the professional world. But let us not forget the importance of giving back to our community. Let us be ambassadors for education and advocates for those who still need a helping hand. Let our journey inspire hope and may our success be a testament to the transformational power of education.”
Candidates graduated from programs that included Surge Advanced Manufacturing (SAM), hosted by SUNY EOC; Surge Defense, also hosted by SUNY EOC; or Electrical Mechanical Technician (ELM), hosted by OCC and OCM BOCES (Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services).
About the programs
SAM and ELM are both multi-week, paid programs providing entry and mid-skill training for advanced manufacturing, CenterState CEO said. Surge Defense is a paid, 13-week program that prepares people for careers in clean, high-tech assembly jobs in government-contracting facilities.
As CenterState CEO describes it, these advanced-manufacturing industry partnerships bring together community organizations such as the Syracuse Community Center Collaborative, training providers, and employers to create workforce-development initiatives “designed to ensure people gain the skills employers want and move into jobs quickly, while candidates receive the needed support to be successful,” per the release.
“By having these three programs run concurrently, there is an accessible entry point for anyone who wants to grow their skills and explore a career in Central New York’s advanced manufacturing industry,” Aimee Durfee, CenterState CEO’s VP of workforce innovation, said. “The success of these programs is a guide for future workforce development initiatives that will be essential in ensuring employers have the talent they need, and that all community members can be a part of the region’s exciting growth.”
Candidates started the morning interviewing with regional employers, including Anoplate; TTM Technologies; Critical Path Integrators; Bluefors; United Radio; Belden/PPC; and LOTTE Biologics. Many of the candidates from the Surge Defense program received conditional offers from the program’s employer-collaborator Lockheed Martin Corp., CenterState CEO said.
Micron reports $1.2 billion net loss in latest quarter
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) on Dec. 20 reported a net loss of $1.23 billion, or $1.12 a share, during the first quarter of its fiscal year 2024, which ended Nov. 30. The figures compare to a net loss of $195 million, or 18 cents per share, during the same period in its fiscal year
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Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) on Dec. 20 reported a net loss of $1.23 billion, or $1.12 a share, during the first quarter of its fiscal year 2024, which ended Nov. 30.
The figures compare to a net loss of $195 million, or 18 cents per share, during the same period in its fiscal year 2023.
Micron Technology posted better-than-expected results for its November quarter, sending the stock higher in premarket trading the following day, per a Dec. 21 Barron’s website article.
Boise, Idaho–based Micron plans to invest up to $100 billion over the next 20-plus years on a semiconductor manufacturing campus at the White Pine Commerce Park in the town of Clay.
The memory-chip maker generated revenue of $4.73 billion during its fiscal first quarter, up from the $4.09 billion generated during the same period last year, per its earnings report.
Micron also reported operating cash flow of $1.4 billion, up from $943 million for the same period last year.
“Micron’s strong execution and pricing drove better-than-anticipated first quarter financial results,” Sanjay Mehrotra, president and CEO of Micron Technology, said in the company’s report. “We expect our business fundamentals to improve throughout 2024, with record industry TAM [total addressable market] projected for calendar 2025. Our industry-leading High Bandwidth Memory for data center AI applications illustrates the strength of our technology and product roadmaps, and we are well positioned to capitalize on the immense opportunities artificial intelligence is fueling across end markets.”
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