New York State will use $100 million in federal funding to expand high-speed internet across the state. The U.S. Department of Treasury is awarding the
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Association of Fundraising Professionals of Central New York (AFP-CNY) recently named five new members of its board of directors: Sara Groh, Joanna Jewett, Susan LaPlaca, Carli Rightmier, and Steffani Williams. Groh joins the AFP-CNY board after being a member of AFP for almost 20 years. She is the director of relationship
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Association of Fundraising Professionals of Central New York (AFP-CNY) recently named five new members of its board of directors: Sara Groh, Joanna Jewett, Susan LaPlaca, Carli Rightmier, and Steffani Williams.
Groh joins the AFP-CNY board after being a member of AFP for almost 20 years. She is the director of relationship development and director of strategy and analytics at Colgate University. In her role, she helps Colgate better understand its base of support through research and analytics and offers strategic support to frontline fundraisers.
Jewett is known as a “marketing goddess,” who specializes in fundraising and event planning, AFP-CNY said. After years of working in media sales, she entered the nonprofit world several years ago. She is the director of development and public relations at Arc of Onondaga.
LaPlaca serves as the development director for Helio Health and the Helio Health Foundation which supports the work of Helio Health. Her focus is on fundraising, event planning, and relationship building, with the goal of using compelling stories to communicate the agency’s mission. Previously, she was the marketing and outreach director for Central New York Services and the executive director of The Drug Quiz Show.
Rightmier joins the AFP-CNY board as an accomplished fundraising professional with nine years’ experience in the nonprofit sector. She currently holds a position at United Way of the Mohawk Valley (UWMV), leading its Development Department as director of philanthropy. Since joining United Way in 2016, Rightmier has worked with corporate and individual donors, volunteers, and supporters to cultivate positive relationships with UWMV and further the organization’s mission to create a better life for all that live in the Mohawk Valley.
Williams’ passion lies in enriching the lives of others. She has spent her 20-plus year career working in higher education, international business, human resources, and fundraising. She has been with Onondaga Community College (OCC) for 15 years and has worked in different positions including assistant director of financial aid and assistant to the VP of enrollment development & communications. For the past four years, she has served as director of development & annual giving for the OCC Foundation.
SALINA, N.Y. — Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems’ facility in the town of Salina has been awarded a more than $10 million option exercise modification to a previously awarded U.S. Air Force pact for the 3-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) system. This contract adjustment provides for the option exercise of three enhancements to the
SALINA, N.Y. — Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems’ facility in the town of Salina has been awarded a more than $10 million option exercise modification to a previously awarded U.S. Air Force pact for the 3-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) system.
This contract adjustment provides for the option exercise of three enhancements to the TPY-4 radar system, according to a March 14 announcement from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Work will be performed in Salina and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2025. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test, and evaluation funds totaling more than $6.9 million are being obligated at the time of the award.
The total cumulative face value of the contract tops $193.2 million and the total obligated amount of this contract is $189.9 million, per the Department of Defense. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts is the contracting activity.
L3Harris Technologies was recently awarded an almost $38 million adjustment to previously awarded contract to establish and exercise an option for U.S. Navy equipment, components, engineering services, and other direct costs. Work on this fixed-priced-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost only modification will be performed in Millersville, Maryland (57 percent); Liverpool (40 percent); and Ashaway, Rhode Island
L3Harris Technologies was recently awarded an almost $38 million adjustment to previously awarded contract to establish and exercise an option for U.S. Navy equipment, components, engineering services, and other direct costs.
Work on this fixed-priced-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost only modification will be performed in Millersville, Maryland (57 percent); Liverpool (40 percent); and Ashaway, Rhode Island (3 percent). It’s expected to be completed by March 2026, according to a Feb. 27 contract announcement from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds totaling $30,269,234 (80 percent); and fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds of $7,392,308 (20 percent) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. is the contracting activity.
L3Harris is a global aerospace and defense technology company with more than $17 billion in annual revenue and 46,000 employees.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — About five months after eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) completed its acquisition of TCGplayer of Syracuse, the company’s founder and CEO has moved on. In a March 20 Facebook post, Chedy Hampson announced that after leading and growing TCGplayer over the past 25 years — aiming to create “an incredible positive impact on
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — About five months after eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) completed its acquisition of TCGplayer of Syracuse, the company’s founder and CEO has moved on.
In a March 20 Facebook post, Chedy Hampson announced that after leading and growing TCGplayer over the past 25 years — aiming to create “an incredible positive impact on local brick-and-mortar hobby stores, the broader collectibles community and the city of Syracuse” — he was stepping down a few days later.
Hampson went on to say, “I absolutely love TCGplayer and its mission; I always have and I always will.”
TCGplayer on March 21 provided CNYBJ with a statement about Hampson’s planned departure on March 24.
“Since the company’s founding, Chedy has helped transform the collectibles industry, guiding TCGplayer through many milestones, including its 2022 acquisition by eBay. The leadership team is committed to ensuring a seamless transition for all stakeholders, remaining fully dedicated to the foundational mission of TCGplayer, and committed to supporting the company and culture that has defined TCGplayer in identifying a permanent leader for the company.”
It was back on Oct. 31 that eBay Inc. completed its acquisition of TCGplayer for a total deal value of up to about $295 million.
San Jose, California–based eBay specializes in global commerce “that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world,” per its announcement. It describes TCGplayer as a “trusted marketplace for collectible card game enthusiasts.” The company is located at 440 S. Warren St. in Syracuse.
Moving forward, Hampson wrote that he plans to spend time on himself, along with friends, family, and community while “experiencing many of the important things in life that I have forgone while focusing solely on TCGplayer all these years,” per his Facebook post.
He wrote that he leaves knowing that the company “captured the magic” of the local hobby shop along with the “love of its incredibly diverse community and recreated that spirit” within a tech company that has grown to 600 people.
Hampson also wrote that he believes TCGplayer and eBay leadership are “fully dedicated” to the foundational mission of TCGplayer and will “hold tight its core values” as they name his successor.
“It’s been a pleasure building a company right here in Syracuse these last two decades. And know that even as I step aside, TCGplayer remains committed to supporting and growing our collectibles community alongside our commitment to Syracuse,” Hampson said.
A Cazenovia–based cybersecurity firm was recently certified as a service-disabled veteran-owned business (SDVOB), New York State Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner Jeanette Moy announced. The New York OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development (DSDVBD) issued the certification to Nova Cyber Systems, LLC, which specializes in cybersecurity and database management. The business is located
A Cazenovia–based cybersecurity firm was recently certified as a service-disabled veteran-owned business (SDVOB), New York State Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner Jeanette Moy announced.
The New York OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development (DSDVBD) issued the certification to Nova Cyber Systems, LLC, which specializes in cybersecurity and database management. The business is located at 3339 West Lake Road.
Nova Cyber Systems’ founder, Mark R. Costa, Ph.D., is a U.S. Army veteran with more than 15 years’ experience in research, information-systems design, and data analytics, according to the company’s website. The firm says its core competencies are data architecture and modeling, graph databases, (graph) analytics, and security-tool integrations.
Nova Cyber Systems was among 14 newly certified businesses across the state announced by the OGS on March 7. The DSDVBD was created by New York State government in May 2014 through enactment of the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act. The state had 1,078 certified businesses, as of March 7.
For a business to receive certification, one or more service-disabled veterans — with a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent or more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (or from the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs for National Guard veterans) — must own at least 51 percent of the company. Other criteria include: the business must be independently owned and operated and have a significant business presence in New York, it must have conducted business for at least one year prior to the application date, and it must qualify as a small business under the New York State program. Several more requirements also need to be met.
More than half say the economy has worsened More than half (54 percent) of Upstate New York CEOs surveyed say business conditions have worsened over the last year and only 19 percent expect improvement in the coming year — down from 36 percent a year ago. That’s according to 16th annual
More than half (54 percent) of Upstate New York CEOs surveyed say business conditions have worsened over the last year and only 19 percent expect improvement in the coming year — down from 36 percent a year ago.
That’s according to 16th annual Upstate New York Business Leaders survey that the Siena College Research Institute (SRI) released on March 10. It is sponsored by the Business Council of New York State, Inc.
“It’s impossible to sugarcoat the findings of this survey. CEO confidence is down dramatically from a year ago — once again reaching the low point we saw in 2020 and greater now only than during the Great Recession of 2008,” Don Levy, director of the SRI, said in the survey report. “Only about 1 in 5 CEOs now say conditions have been and will continue to improve while about half say the opposite — conditions have and will continue to worsen.”
The survey found that 23 percent of CEOs say the economy has improved in the past year and 54 percent see worsening conditions this year. That’s up from 41 percent last year.
The survey also found 38 percent of respondents (down from 47 percent last year) predict increasing revenue in 2023, while 26 percent (down from 34 percent) anticipate growing profit in the year ahead.
Still, unchanged from last year, more than half (55 percent) intend to invest in fixed assets in 2023. Meanwhile, 85 percent say inflation is having a “negative impact on profitability.”
One-third of CEOs (down from 44 percent last year) plan to increase the size of their workforce this year, but 82 percent say they don’t believe an ample supply of appropriately trained local workers is available.
The survey also found 75 percent of respondents are having difficulty recruiting for their open positions despite 72 percent offering increased wages and 53 percent providing flexibility with work hours.
By a margin of 61 percent to 5 percent, CEOs believe increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour across Upstate would have a negative rather than positive impact on the economy. They oppose the increase by a ratio of 59 percent to 31 percent.
“We see the results of this poll showing that, as a whole, employers are still concerned about major policies the state is considering that will adversely impact their business while also being frustrated about the lack of assistance and relief being shown to the business community,” Heather Mulligan, president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State, said in the Siena report. “Employers continue to work hard every day to manage a fluctuating economy, a shrinking workforce, and policies that dissuade them from investing and growing in New York.”
The Siena College Research Institute conducted interviews with 530 CEOs of upstate New York companies/nonprofit organizations between Nov. 28, 2022 and Feb. 14, 2023. CEOs responding to the survey were from the following industry sectors: service (20 percent), manufacturing (17 percent), nonprofit (15 percent), engineering and construction (10 percent), retail (8 percent), wholesale/distribution (5 percent), food and beverage (6 percent), financial (8 percent), health care (4 percent), technology (4 percent), and tourism (3 percent).
CEO sentiment
The survey found that 23 percent of CEOs say economic conditions in New York state today, as compared to a year ago, are either a little (4 percent) or considerably (19 percent) better. A majority, 54 percent, say conditions are worse (20 percent considerably, 34 percent a little) today than a year earlier.
A year ago, only 39 percent of CEOs said that conditions had been worsening (2021-2022) while at that time, 29 percent thought that economic conditions had been improving.
Today’s assessment is more pessimistic than last year’s but still stronger than it was two years ago when only 9 percent saw improving conditions and 80 percent said conditions had worsened.
Asked the same question about conditions in their industry, slightly fewer (21 percent) say that economic conditions in New York have improved for their industry and 54 percent say they are worse.
Looking forward from today through the balance of 2023, only 19 percent of respondents (down from 36 percent last year), expect economic conditions in New York to be either a little (16 percent) or considerably (3 percent) better, while 54 percent anticipate economic conditions to grow worse in 2023.
CEOs assess their industry prospects for the rest of 2023 slightly better than the overall conditions as 23 percent (down from 37 percent a year ago) expect improving conditions, while 49 percent (up from 34 percent) anticipate further worsening. More than 50 percent of CEOs from retail, engineering/construction, manufacturing, technology, and health care expect economic conditions within their industry to worsen in 2023.
Each year, SRI computes an Index of Business Leader Confidence based on the four questions in which CEOs assess the economy of New York as well as conditions within their industry.
As SRI explains it, an index score of 100 represents a breakeven point at which optimism and pessimism are balanced. Last year, the Upstate index stood at 94.4. The index has now fallen to 68.8.
Today’s overall index is virtually equal to that of two years ago (68.7) during the pandemic. At that point, however, the current component of the index was 38.5, while today it is 68.3. Two years ago, the future index was at 98.9, but today it is only 69.3, SRI said.
Aside from the pandemic year, 2020, the index today is the lowest SRI has measured since 2008 (39.0) during the Great Recession.
Looking to the next three to five years, CEOs expect several sectors to have a positive impact on the economic vitality of their geographic region. For example, 21 percent look to education to have a positive impact; 19 percent cite technology; 17 percent say tourism; and 15 percent mention manufacturing.
Despite the decline in CEO confidence this year, 67 percent (up from 59 percent a year ago) think that their company will be in business in New York 10 years from today. Between 75 percent and 80 percent of CEOs in the two higher index groups believe that they will continue in business in 10 years but a lower percentage, albeit a majority of 56 percent, of those in the pessimistic group believe that they will remain in business through the next 10 years.
Still, a majority of respondents, 53 percent, say that if they had it to do all over again, considering all factors, that they would locate their business someplace other than New York. That’s virtually unchanged from 55 percent last year. At the same time, 38 percent say that they would still locate in New York.
Prospects for 2023
As for the CEOs views on the upcoming year, 38 percent expect to grow revenue, down from 47 percent, a year ago. At the same time, 28 percent (up from 22 percent), anticipate declining revenue.
The survey also found that 71 percent of the most-confident businesses expect revenue growth while 49 percent of the most pessimistic believe that their revenue will decrease.
Only 26 percent (down from 34 percent) anticipate increasing profitability, and 37 percent (up from 34 percent last year) predict decreasing profitability.
One-third of CEOs say that they will focus on market and demand growth this year in order to enhance profitability while 30 percent (down from 36 percent last year) will focus on price increases.
About one-fifth of CEOs (22 percent) are focused on cost reductions, up from 15 percent a year ago, the Siena survey found.
Again, this year, 55 percent of CEOs intend to invest in fixed assets for their company designed to meet growing demand, reduce costs, or enhance profitability.
Despite declining confidence, “it is noteworthy” that CEOs plan to invest in their businesses at the same rate as last year. At least 50 percent of CEOs plan to invest from the following industry sectors: manufacturing (72 percent), tourism (60 percent), engineering/construction (58 percent), technology (57 percent), retail (56 percent), financial (55 percent), wholesale/distribution (52 percent) and nonprofit (50 percent).
Additionally, 17 percent will invest this year in fixed assets designed to respond to climate change. Last year it was 15 percent.
About one third (33 percent, down from 44 percent a year ago) plan to increase the size of their workforce this year.
When asked about the challenges that they face, at least 50 percent of all CEOs cited the following six challenges:
• Adverse economic conditions — 65 percent, up from 56 percent last year
• Governmental regulation — 63 percent, down from 65 percent last year
• Rising supplier costs — 60 percent, down from 70 percent last year but above 70 percent in food/beverage (87 percent), retail (77 percent), manufacturing (73 percent), and wholesale/distribution (73 percent)
• Health-care costs — 59 percent, up from 55 percent.
• Taxation — 57 percent, up from 56 percent last year.
• Energy costs — 54 percent, up from 47 percent last year and only 27 percent in 2020.
Focusing on one challenge, inflation, 85 percent of CEOs say that inflation is having either a moderate negative impact (52 percent) or a substantial negative impact (33 percent) on their company’s profitability.
In response to inflation, 73 percent of CEOs are raising their prices and 47 percent are cutting costs. One-third say that they are changing their business practices.
Asked about the Inflation Reduction Act, only 14 percent expect it to have a positive impact on their profitability while 39 percent believe the law will have a negative impact on their profitability.
“CEOs are struggling to maintain profitability in the face of inflation,” Levy said. “While governmental regulation, rising supplier costs, healthcare costs, taxes and energy costs all weigh on Upstate CEOs, many are raising their prices while still trying to cut their costs. Currently the solution to this Rubik’s cube is unclear to most CEOs. Is there a ray of hope? Sixty-seven percent of CEOs, up from 59 percent a year ago expect that their business will still be doing business in New York in 10 years.”
Workforce
The Siena survey also found 33 percent (down from 44 percent a year ago) plan to increase the size of their workforce this year.
Most (82 percent) CEOs say they don’t have access to an ample supply of local workers that are appropriately trained for their employment needs. Only 14 percent say the supply is ample. The figures are essentially unchanged (13-79 percent) from last year but considerably worse from two years ago when the numbers were 28-61 percent.
Three quarters of CEOs say they’re having difficulty recruiting to fill open positions. That measurement of having difficulty filling open positions is highest in health care (96 percent), retail (86 percent), engineering/construction (86 percent), and manufacturing (80 percent).
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Anyone interested in seeking funding through the City of Syracuse’s distressed-property fund has until 3 p.m. on April 26 to submit an application. The new distressed-property fund seeks to spur redevelopment and improvement of vacant, distressed commercial, mixed-use and historic properties in the city. It uses money from the American Rescue Plan
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Anyone interested in seeking funding through the City of Syracuse’s distressed-property fund has until 3 p.m. on April 26 to submit an application.
The new distressed-property fund seeks to spur redevelopment and improvement of vacant, distressed commercial, mixed-use and historic properties in the city. It uses money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The city’s Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD) created the program, and Syracuse Common Council authorized it.
“COVID-19 has been hard on many development projects throughout the City. The Distressed Property Fund will provide gap financing to eligible projects that need a jumpstart or additional assistance to get across the finish line,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said in a news release. “Working in coordination with the Common Council, this is another example of how Syracuse is deploying pandemic relief to stimulate economic recovery and strengthen city neighborhoods.”
NBD will administer the program. It is intended for existing properties and structures that are vacant and are in need of rehabilitation. It targets projects that have a total cost of, at least, $10 million, Walsh’s office said.
Recipients must use funding awards to help pay for building stabilization, structural repairs, and interior or exterior renovations. Applications must demonstrate the funds will facilitate redevelopment of a property to return it to productive use.
Properties must be located in a qualified ARPA census tract, Walsh’s office noted.
Details on the program and the application process can be found at https://www.syr.gov/Distressed-Corridors.
Those interested can either submit electronically to business@syrgov.net or send applications to: City of Syracuse Department of Neighborhood & Business Development, 201 East Washington St., Suite 612, Syracuse, N.Y. 13202.
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Jefferson County hotels hosted fewer overnight guests in February. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county fell 7.7 percent to 40.2 percent in the second month of 2023 from February 2022, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel market data and analytics company. Revenue per available
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Jefferson County hotels hosted fewer overnight guests in February.
The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county fell 7.7 percent to 40.2 percent in the second month of 2023 from February 2022, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel market data and analytics company.
Revenue per available room (RevPar), a key industry gauge that measures how much money hotels are bringing in per available room, dipped 0.4 percent to $41.81 in February compared to the year-ago month.
Average daily rate (ADR), which represents the average rental rate for a sold room, rose 7.9 percent to $104.12 in February from the same month in 2022.
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