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

Schumer applauds U.S. for tariffs on steel shipped from Mexico that was made elsewhere
The U.S. and Mexico have taken joint action to prevent China and other countries’ steel and aluminum exports from evading tariffs before entering the U.S.

AIS to sign mentoring agreement with aerospace company
ROME, N.Y. — Assured Information Security (AIS) and Paterson Aerospace Systems (PAS) have formed a mentor-protégé agreement under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Mentor-Protégé Program, the companies announced. The strategic partnership will leverage AIS’s experience and expertise to foster the growth and development at PAS, enhancing its capabilities and competitive edge across the aerospace industry.
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ROME, N.Y. — Assured Information Security (AIS) and Paterson Aerospace Systems (PAS) have formed a mentor-protégé agreement under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Mentor-Protégé Program, the companies announced.
The strategic partnership will leverage AIS’s experience and expertise to foster the growth and development at PAS, enhancing its capabilities and competitive edge across the aerospace industry. The two companies will formally sign the agreement on July 18.
“AIS’s proven track record and deep expertise will be invaluable in helping us achieve our strategic goals and expand our footprint in the aerospace sector,” PAS CEO Kaylon Paterson said in a news release. “We are excited about the opportunities this agreement with AIS will bring to our company.”
As an expert in the field of cyber and information security, AIS will provide PAS with mentoring that encompasses a range of business and technical disciplines with the goal to improve PAS’s operation processes and open new avenues for growth and innovation.
“We are committed to helping the PAS team reach new heights by sharing our industry knowledge and invaluable lessons learned, AIS CEO Charles Green said. “Together, we aim to drive significant advancements in aerospace technology and security, a research area I’m truly passionate about.”
The SBA Mentor-Protégé Program encourages large businesses to provide various forms of assistance to eligible small businesses, promoting economic growth and ensuring a more dynamic and inclusive marketplace.
Founded in 2019, Delaware–based PAS has a team of engineers and scientists that work to reduce the impact the aerospace industry has on the environment.
Based in Rome, AIS provides cybersecurity and information-security services, products, and operations to commercial and government customers. It employs more than 220 people with locations across the United States.

Hochul appoints LaFave as State Fair director, removing interim tag
GEDDES, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday appointed Julie LaFave as director of the New York State Fair. LaFave had been serving as the interim director since the state announced the departure of previous director Sean Hennessey back in February. LaFave served as the State Fair’s operations director in 2023, managing the day-to-day operations
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
GEDDES, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday appointed Julie LaFave as director of the New York State Fair.
LaFave had been serving as the interim director since the state announced the departure of previous director Sean Hennessey back in February. LaFave served as the State Fair’s operations director in 2023, managing the day-to-day operations of the Fairgrounds, including the oversight of contracts, budgets, more than 50 buildings spread across 375 acres, and over 100 full and part-time staff.
Prior to joining the State Fair in 2023, LaFave was commissioner of the department of parks, recreation, and youth programs for the City of Syracuse
LaFave was selected for the position after a nationwide search that “attracted a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates,” Hochul’s office said.
“Julie’s experience as Operations Director and Interim Director, coupled with her creativity and knowledge, are incredible assets to the long-term growth and vitality of The Great New York State Fair,” Hochul said in the announcement. “I am proud to officially welcome her as the Director of one of our most beloved traditions, and look forward to working with her as we continue to invest in and grow this extraordinary showcase of New York’s farmers, products, culture, and diversity.”
As the interim director, LaFave has led the planning of the 2024 State Fair. The state contends her efforts will result in a Fair with “one of its most diverse, dynamic, and family-friendly entertainment lineups with shows ranging from acts geared toward children to Grammy winning artists and Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame performers.”
Additionally, LaFave has worked to develop several attractions that demonstrate the importance of the state’s agricultural initiatives in boosting New York’s economy, tourism efforts, and educational endeavors, Hochul’s office said.
This year’s State Fair opens Aug. 21 and continues through Labor Day on Sept. 2. Admission, parking, and tickets to the Fair’s midway are now on sale and can be purchased by visiting the State Fair’s website.

UTICA, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has begun a $2.3 million project to enhance public safety along North Genesee Street

SU, Hamilton College, other private schools awarded state funding for capital projects
ALBANY, N.Y. — Syracuse University (SU) and Hamilton College in Clinton will each use a $3 million state grant for capital projects on their respective campuses. SU will use its funding for the creation of the Quantum Technology Center in the school’s Physics Building. The project will “renovate an entire floor into modern research laboratories
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ALBANY, N.Y. — Syracuse University (SU) and Hamilton College in Clinton will each use a $3 million state grant for capital projects on their respective campuses.
SU will use its funding for the creation of the Quantum Technology Center in the school’s Physics Building. The project will “renovate an entire floor into modern research laboratories while also renewing the major building systems to support future renovations,” per a May 1 announcement from the SU CFO’s office.
Hamilton College will use its grant for the construction of the Hamilton Innovation Center.
They’re among projects at 33 private New York colleges and universities awarded a total of $38 million through the Higher Education Capital Matching Grant program (HECap), Gov. Kathy Hochul announced June 26.
The funding awards support projects that provide construction and renovation of new laboratory and research spaces, the purchase of new instructional technologies and equipment, and many other significant investments.
The state also gave Le Moyne College more than $705,000 for athletic equipment. Keuka College will use a more than $101,000 grant educational-technology equipment.
Hartwick College will use a grant of more than $92,000 to buy equipment for an athletic training facility.
The state also awarded Nazareth University a $15 million grant for renovations to the Smyth Building.

Regional small businesses win New York SBDC awards, “Roadshow” presentations scheduled
ALBANY, N.Y. — Businesses in Lowville, Utica, Oneonta, and Hogansburg in Franklin County are among those that will be recognized in the weeks ahead as

Partners finalize operating agreement for upcoming combination of Harris Beach, Murtha Cullina
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The partners in Rochester–based Harris Beach PLLC and Murtha Cullina LLP on Tuesday have approved an operating agreement that will govern the upcoming combined firm of Harris Beach Murtha. Harris Beach has offices in Syracuse, Ithaca, and other locations in New York. Murtha Cullina has offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and White Plains
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The partners in Rochester–based Harris Beach PLLC and Murtha Cullina LLP on Tuesday have approved an operating agreement that will govern the upcoming combined firm of Harris Beach Murtha.
Harris Beach has offices in Syracuse, Ithaca, and other locations in New York. Murtha Cullina has offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and White Plains in Westchester County.
The firms announced their intent to combine in May and will operate as one firm beginning Jan. 1, 2025.
The operating agreement will “create a regional legal powerhouse,” the announcement contends. Harris Beach Murtha will have more than 250 attorneys across 16 offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia.
“The overwhelming vote in favor of the Operating Agreement is a powerful testament to the strength of this combination. I am delighted with the firms’ continued progress toward a successful combination and the enhanced capabilities Harris Beach Murtha will offer our clients,” Chris Jagel, CEO of Harris Beach, said in the announcement. “Together, we will deliver expanded, innovative services to an extended geographical footprint that will support our clients’ unique needs.”
Harris Beach and Murtha Cullina will continue integration efforts while they work together toward completion of all necessary reviews and closing conditions. The firms will continue to operate as separate, independent entities until the operating agreement takes effect on Jan. 1. Until then, Jagel and Andy Corea, managing partner of Murtha Cullina, will co-lead an interim advisory committee ensuring clients continue to receive high-quality, focused services throughout this process.

Cornell food science professor wins $50K research grant
ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University Professor Carmen I. Moraru received a $50,000 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Collaborative Research Grant in honor of Marcel Loncin. The funding provides research funding for conducting basic chemistry, physics, or engineering research applied to food processing and improvement of food quality, according to a press release from the university.
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University Professor Carmen I. Moraru received a $50,000 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Collaborative Research Grant in honor of Marcel Loncin.
The funding provides research funding for conducting basic chemistry, physics, or engineering research applied to food processing and improvement of food quality, according to a press release from the university.
She will be honored at IFT First: Annual Event and Expo, which takes place July 14-17 in Chicago.
Moraru, a professor in the Department of Food Science, joined Cornell in 2003. Her research focuses on physical and engineering properties of foods, food and dairy processing, and food-safety engineering. Prior to joining Cornell, she served as a research assistant professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
She is the recipient of several awards including the Cornell CALS Alumni Association Outstanding Faculty Award, the SUNY Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching award, and the International Dairy Foods Association’s Teaching Award in Dairy Manufacturing. In addition to the IFT grant, she also serves as an IFT fellow
Moraru received her undergraduate degree and Ph.D., both in food engineering, from Dunarea de Jos University of Galati in Romania.
The Institute of Food Technologists is a global organization of more than 11,000 members from more than 90 countries committed to advancing the science of food.

Cayuga Health now offers lab services at The Shops at Ithaca Mall location
LANSING, N.Y. — Cayuga Health says laboratory services are now available at its location at The Shops at Ithaca Mall at 40 Catherwood Road in

ALBANY, N.Y. — People can continue to use cash to be admitted into sites operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. A new state law prohibits the mandated use of credit cards as a means of payment for use of parks’ facilities. It was one of two bills that
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ALBANY, N.Y. — People can continue to use cash to be admitted into sites operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
A new state law prohibits the mandated use of credit cards as a means of payment for use of parks’ facilities.
It was one of two bills that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed July 3 to increase access to state parks, recreational facilities, and historic sites, and to support the tourism industry in New York.
Many New Yorkers — including seniors, those without access to a bank account, minors, and others — use only cash. Credit cards offer convenience, but not everyone has access to them or wants to use them. The new state law ensures “equal access” to New York’s state parks, historical sites, and recreational facilities, Hochul’s office said.
Besides the means-of-payment law, the governor also signed a bill saying certain operators of leased personal watercrafts can remain exempt from the boating-safety certificate. The extended authorization will support the tourism businesses that lease these vehicles to those vacationing at New York’s waterfronts, Hochul’s office said.
Her office went on to say that those new laws build on Hochul’s “Get Offline, Get Outside” summer campaign. The initiative promotes physical and mental health by encouraging New York’s kids and families to put down their phones and computers, take a break from social media, and enjoy recreation and outdoor social gatherings.
“Our State Parks are an important driver behind our state’s economy, and my administration is committed to ensuring everyone has access to our breathtaking sites and to boosting the tourism industry,” Hochul said. “These acts of legislation will make sure that New Yorkers and our visitors can see and experience all that New York has to offer.”
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.