Oswego Health names Rockwood director of women’s services

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OSWEGO, N.Y. — Oswego Health has announced the recent promotion of Michelle Rockwood to director of women’s services. Rockwood, a registered nurse (RN), joined Oswego Health in 2016. Since then she’s worked in the health system’s women’s services department, caring for women and newborns and assisting families as they transition into their new roles. She […]

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Broome County hotel occupancy flat in August, other indicators rise

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Broome County hotels posted a slight decline in guests in August compared to the year-ago month, while two other business indicators registered gains. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county inched down 0.2 percent to 70.1 percent in the eighth month of the year versus

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Oneida County hotels register increase in guests in August

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UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County’s hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) went up 4.5 percent to 77.2 percent in August from the year-ago month. That’s according to a recent report from STR, a Tennessee–based hotel-market data and analytics company. Year to date through August, occupancy was up 1.6 percent to 61.2

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New York corn production increased more than 22 percent this year

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New York farms are expected to have produced over 98.6 million bushels of corn for grain in 2023, up 22.5 percent from 80.5 million bushels last year. That’s according to a USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) forecast issued on Oct. 12, based on field conditions as of Oct. 1. The total yield per acre

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SUNY Oswego prof. wins NSF grant to study Arctic cold-air outbreaks

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OSWEGO, N.Y. — A SUNY Oswego professor will use a grant of more than $234,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support research into cold-air outbreaks (CAOs) in the sub-Arctic region, called the CAESAR project. Yonggang Wang, assistant professor of meteorology at SUNY Oswego, will take four students with him on the research trip

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Yonggang Wang, assistant professor of meteorology at SUNY Oswego, will take four students with him on the research trip in early 2024, the university said in an announcement.

The experiment will use “state-of-the-art” facilities and deploy an NSF National Center for Arctic Research (NCAR) C-130 aircraft to document convective clouds during cold-air outbreaks.

The clouds can produce heavy snowfall, occasionally generating intense “polar lows” that affect the overall climate of the Arctic. Researchers will study the outbreaks over the open waters between northern Sweden and the Arctic ice edge from Feb. 22 to April 7, 2024.

The NCAR C-130 aircraft has a 10-hour flight endurance, with a 2,900 nautical-mile range at up to 27,000 feet and can carry up to 13,000 pounds, SUNY Oswego said. The team is aiming to use research materials that have never been used before to study the Arctic CAOs. Those materials include radars and lidars, aerosol, cloud, precipitation and trace-gas probes, SUNY Oswego said.

Wang says one research aspect of using this aircraft is similar to that of using a weather balloon. However, those are primarily used over land. The NCAR aircraft will allow the team to study these outbreaks over large bodies of water.

“With the dropsonde system deployed from the aircraft, we can measure the vertical profiles of ambient temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction above water. After dropsondes are launched from the aircraft, they will fall down to the surface to give us some really nice measurements of the state of the atmosphere, so we are really excited that we have this facility,” Wang explained in a release.

For those not familiar with the subject matter, Wang says the cold-air outbreaks in this region of the world are similar to lake-effect snow patterns in the Oswego area — intense and unpredictable.

“The forecasting of lake-effect snow bands is also very challenging. Because of their small scales, sometimes the models cannot predict some key variables very accurately,” Wang said. “Hopefully, the students who are involved in the CAESAR project, and working on the data when it’s done, will understand the characteristics of the cold-air outbreaks, and that will help them better understand lake-effect snow events, so they can make significant contributions to our future forecasting of lake-effect snow, which is really important to the people who live in this area.”

Le Moyne’s business school moves ahead with new name

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Madden School of Business at Le Moyne College is going forward as the Madden College of Business & Economics. The college says that adding economics — which was originally part of Le Moyne’s business program — “represents a strategic realignment that will allow for more collaboration and exchange” between students and

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Madden School of Business at Le Moyne College is going forward as the Madden College of Business & Economics.

The college says that adding economics — which was originally part of Le Moyne’s business program — “represents a strategic realignment that will allow for more collaboration and exchange” between students and faculty in economics, other business fields, and the College of Arts and Sciences.

The school held an Oct. 4 formal-opening event at Mitchell Hall that included the unveiling of new signage on the building and a redesigned lobby, per the Le Moyne announcement.

Le Moyne’s Mitchell Hall is home to the Madden College of Business & Economics.

The event also included the announcement of a new endowed professorship in economics. The Madden School became the first named school in Le Moyne’s history 11 years ago.

Le Moyne will continue offering the current bachelor’s degrees in economics, but it’s also adding a new major for a bachelor’s degree in business administration: economics.

The school cited state and federal labor statistics as indicating positions for economists will continue to grow 6 percent through the current decade. Renaming the business school will “raise the profile” of economics for prospective and current students; alumni and benefactors who support the discipline; and also “elevate” economics for the purpose of recruiting faculty.

It will also allow Madden students to major in economics or pursue dual majors in economics and finance or other combinations, Le Moyne said.

To better support the major, the Le Moyne College recently added two tenure-track faculty members: Elahe Boskabadi and Zichu Zhao, both assistant professors.

New business and economics chair

In addition to announcing the new name, the Madden College also announced the creation of the Dr. John T. (Jack) Boorman ‘63 Endowed Chair in Business & Economics.

Boorman spent nearly 30 years in various positions at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and also served on Le Moyne’s board of trustees for 19 years, where he served as the chair of the investment committee for many years.

The college has named economic professor Wayne Grove as the inaugural recipient of the Boorman Endowed Chair.

Madden College history

Since becoming a named school in 2012 following Mike Madden’s $7.5 million donation, Le Moyne says the Madden School has had “significant growth and advancement” during the past 11 years.

Madden, a member of the Le Moyne College class of 1971, is managing partner of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.–based BlackEagle Partners, LLC. He attended the Oct. 4 event and delivered remarks.

The Madden College of Business & Economics lists past highlights that include the establishment of the McNeil Academy of Risk Management and Insurance in 2018, the launching of the Dolphin Green and Gold Fund LLC in 2019, and the founding of four centers of excellence that are an “integral part” of the school. They are the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity (2013); the Savage-McGill Center for Reflective Leadership (2015); the Hetterich Center for Global Engagement and Societal Impact (2016); and the Walter & MaryAnne Poland Jesuit Center for Research and Teaching Innovation (2021).

Tessy Plastics moves forward under a new president

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SKANEATELES, N.Y. — A man who has worked for Tessy Plastics since 1997 is now serving as the manufacturing firm’s new president. Stafford Frearson most recently was VP of engineering for the Skaneateles–based injection molding company. Roland Beck, who owns Tessy Plastics and has been serving as president, now transitions to CEO, per the firm’s

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Rickman now leading SBA Syracuse-Upstate district office

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced it has named Daniel Rickman the new district director of its Syracuse-Upstate New York district office. The SBA also says it is seeking nominations for the 2024 National and District Small Business Week Awards. New district director Rickman succeeds the previous director, Bernard J.

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced it has named Daniel Rickman the new district director of its Syracuse-Upstate New York district office.

The SBA also says it is seeking nominations for the 2024 National and District Small Business Week Awards.

New district director

Rickman succeeds the previous director, Bernard J. Paprocki, who retired at the end of July, the SBA said in a news release.

“Mr. Rickman’s appointment as District Director has placed an experienced and exceptional leader to move SBA’s vision and mission forward as this area takes on higher responsibilities to support its expected growth,” Marlene Cintron, SBA regional administrator, region II, contended.

Prior to assuming the district-director role, Rickman served in multiple capacities in the district over more than a decade, including most recently as deputy district director.

“I’m honored to be selected to lead the district I’ve spent the last decade growing within and am excited to continue to support small businesses and help grow the exceptional entrepreneurial ecosystem in [Upstate New York],” Rickman said about his appointment.

The SBA’s Syracuse-Upstate New York district office serves the 34 counties of the Central New York, Mohawk Valley, Capital, North Country, and Southern Tier regions.

The SBA’s Syracuse-Upstate district office is located at 224 Harrison St., Suite 506 in Syracuse.

Before joining SBA, Rickman founded and operated a payroll-processing firm in Texas, focused on providing payroll and human-resource compliance services for small businesses.

An upstate New York native, Rickman enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2000 and served in combat operations during the Iraq War. He now resides in rural Cayuga County.

Nominations

The SBA also says it is seeking nominations for the 2024 National and District Small Business Week Awards, including the annual Small Business Person of the Year Award.

Those who know a small business with exceptional innovation, growth, community engagement or resilience are encouraged by the SBA to submit a nomination, per the agency’s release.

National Small Business Week aims to recognize the “remarkable contributions” of small businesses nationwide. Last year’s winners included businesses located in Albany, Syracuse, Central Square, and Sherburne.

“During National Small Business Week, we will showcase and recognize some of the most successful and inspiring entrepreneurs in Upstate New York,” Rickman said. “We are asking local chambers of commerce, business associations, lenders and other small business groups for assistance in finding and nominating candidates for these awards.”

Those interested can visit the SBA’s dedicated website at www.sba.gov/nsbw to download forms, criteria, and guidelines for submitting a nomination.

The Syracuse-Upstate New York District Office nomination guidelines and district awards categories can also be found on SBA’s dedicated website at https://www.sba.gov/national-small-business-week/district-office-awards.

The Syracuse-Upstate New York district office emphasizes that it must receive all nominations by electronic submission only to the district’s box account no later than 4 p.m. eastern time on Dec. 7, the agency said. To obtain additional information, please contact Jeffrey Boyce at: Jeffrey.Boyce@sba.gov.

New York manufacturing index turns negative again in October

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A benchmark gauge of manufacturing activity in New York state slipped into negative territory again in October, pointing to a decline in the sector. The general business-conditions index of the October Empire State Manufacturing Survey fell 7 points to -4.6 on factors that included declines in new orders, shipments, and unfilled orders. The index had

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A benchmark gauge of manufacturing activity in New York state slipped into negative territory again in October, pointing to a decline in the sector.

The general business-conditions index of the October Empire State Manufacturing Survey fell 7 points to -4.6 on factors that included declines in new orders, shipments, and unfilled orders.

The index had climbed 21 points in September to 1.9 after plummeting 20 points in August.

Based on manufacturing firms responding to the survey, the October reading indicates business activity “edged lower” in New York state, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in its Oct. 16 survey report. A negative index number indicates a deterioration of business activity in the sector, while a positive reading shows expansion or growth in manufacturing activity in the state.

The survey found 24 percent of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month, while 29 percent said that conditions had worsened, per the New York Fed.

The -4.6 reading in October was slightly better than the -6 consensus number that analysts were expecting, according to Bloomberg.

Survey details

The new-orders index dropped 9 points to -4.2, pointing to a small decline in orders, and the shipments index fell 11 points to 1.4, a sign that shipments were little changed.

The unfilled-orders index fell to -19.1, indicating that unfilled orders fell “significantly,” the New York Fed said.

The inventories index remained below zero at -2.1, pointing to a small decline in inventories. The delivery-times index moved down to -6.4, suggesting delivery times shortened.

The index for number of employees rose 6 points to 3.1, and the average-workweek index edged up to 2.2, indicating a slight increase in employment levels and hours worked.

The prices-paid index held steady at 25.5, reflecting little change in the pace of input-price increases, while the prices-received index fell 8 points to 11.7, signaling a “deceleration” of input-price increases.

The index for future business conditions moved down 3 points to 23.1, suggesting that firms remained “relatively optimistic” about future conditions. However, less than half of respondents expect conditions to improve over the next six months, the New York Fed noted.

New orders and shipments are expected to increase, “though less so than last month,” and employment is expected to grow. The capital-spending index was little changed at 9.6, suggesting that capital-spending plans remained “somewhat weak.”

The New York Fed distributes the Empire State Manufacturing Survey on the first day of each month to the same pool of about 200 manufacturing executives in New York state. On average, about 100 executives return responses.

IAED hopes to soon hit funding goal of 5-year investment initiative

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca Area Economic Development (IAED) has reached 65 percent of its $2.1 million goal in its five-year investment initiative and hopes to reach the goal over the next few months. IAED announced the public launch of its five-year investment initiative — Th!nk Tompkins — on Sept. 21 during a private reception held

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca Area Economic Development (IAED) has reached 65 percent of its $2.1 million goal in its five-year investment initiative and hopes to reach the goal over the next few months.

IAED announced the public launch of its five-year investment initiative — Th!nk Tompkins — on Sept. 21 during a private reception held at Tompkins Community Bank.

During the reception, IAED also recognized existing quiet-phase investors, specifically “Platinum Investors” of more than $50,000, including Cornell University.

The organization also issued a call to action for other businesses to support the Th!nk Tompkins initiative by making their own pledges, per the IAED.

“Cornell is so pleased to continue to support IAED’s critical work of fostering economic growth and workforce development in Tompkins County,” Joel Malina, Cornell’s VP for university relations, said in an IAED news release. “Our five-year commitment of $460,000 is an integral part of Cornell’s investment in the county and reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing opportunity and prosperity for our region and its residents.”

In its case statement for investment, IAED presented the theme “What Does IAED Do” by way of three strategic priorities: Direct services to businesses, workforce development, and economic development leadership. All three aspects are aimed at “building a thriving and sustainable economy,” it says.

IAED says it is powered by a shared revenue model. Fee-based income, county government, and employer investments support IAED in five-year cycles.

The Th!nk Tompkins initiative will run from 2024-2028 and includes “ambitious” goals in jobs, payroll, and private investment. It also “raises the bar” on workforce development, housing, and renewable energy.

“Our investors empower us to deliver customized economic development solutions in support of business growth and retention in Ithaca, Tompkins County, and Central New York,” Heather McDaniel, president of IAED, said in the release. “We are committed to providing direct services — such as technical assistance, loans, and incentives — workforce training, and thought and process leadership. The work that we do every day can be measured by the economic impact to this community.”

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