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Herkimer County IDA receives more than $9 million in funding for water-main project
HERKIMER, N.Y. — The Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency (HCIDA) has received $9.34 million in state grant funding for a key water-infrastructure project. The money is part of $279.3 million in Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal grants from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation to support nearly $900 million in projects across the state […]
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HERKIMER, N.Y. — The Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency (HCIDA) has received $9.34 million in state grant funding for a key water-infrastructure project.
The money is part of $279.3 million in Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal grants from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation to support nearly $900 million in projects across the state that protect public health or improve water quality.
“This is a great opportunity for Herkimer County as [the county] and the surrounding region suffer from aging infrastructure that requires modernization and improvement to provide services such as clean drinking water to ensure the health and safety of the region’s residents,” HCIDA CEO John J. Piseck said in a news release.
Herkimer County is developing the Eastern Mohawk Valley Regional Water Transmission Main, a 10.4-mile line to serve the villages of Herkimer, Ilion, and Frankfort and the towns of Herkimer and Schuyler. This new main will connect to the Mohawk Valley Water Authority’s existing water-delivery system to provide drinking-water service as both a primary and a backup supply for these communities. The project will support more than 22,000 residents in the county.
According to a press release from Gov. Kathy Hochul, the projects supported by these grants will safeguard drinking water from the risk of toxic chemicals, increase community resilience to flooding, regionalize water systems, support local economies, and are critical to protecting public health and the environment. The state projects that the grants will save local taxpayers an estimated $1 billion.
The regional transmission main is the best option for the participating municipalities because it is the most fiscally prudent way to address water quality issues in those areas, according to the IDA. “The second option of pursuing individual projects would be too large of an expense for each municipality and would result in an extreme tax burden on the residents,” IDA Board Chairman Jim Bono said.
In total, nearly $300 million is being awarded through Water Infrastructure Improvement, Intermunicipal, Green Innovation, and Engineering Planning grants to support more than 150 projects around the state. This is the second round of grant funding this year, bringing the total grant awards to nearly $900 million in 2022.

Rescue Mission elects board chair, names six new members
SYRACUSE — The Rescue Mission Alliance recently announced the election of Dr. John B. McCabe as chair of its board of directors, and the appointment of six new board members. A member of the Rescue Mission board for four years, Dr. McCabe sits on its finance, investment, and executive committees. He is a retired professor
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SYRACUSE — The Rescue Mission Alliance recently announced the election of Dr. John B. McCabe as chair of its board of directors, and the appointment of six new board members.
A member of the Rescue Mission board for four years, Dr. McCabe sits on its finance, investment, and executive committees. He is a retired professor and chair emeritus in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. He served as CEO of University Hospital and senior VP for hospital affairs at the Upstate Medical University. In addition to serving as Rescue Mission board chair, McCabe serves as treasurer and trustee for Cazenovia College, on the board of managers for Loretto, and as a board member and VP for HOPE for the Bereaved.
The Rescue Mission also named the following six new board members:
•Eddie Brennan, president and CEO of Beak & Skiff & 1911
•Carley Graham Garcia, head of community affairs at Amazon
•Christopher Gardner, president of FMF&E Wealth Management, LLC
•Regina Spause McGraw, general counsel at Axia Women’s Health/Regional Women’s Health Management, LLC
•Todd Reid, president and CEO of Access Dental Laboratories
•Dan Williams, senior pastor at North Central Assembly of God
The Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse is a nonprofit fighting to end homelessness and hunger across upstate New York, with operations in Syracuse, Auburn, and Binghamton.

TCGplayer now operates under the ownership of eBay
SYRACUSE — Syracuse’s TCGplayer is now operating under the ownership of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY), which announced the completion of the acquisition on Oct. 31. The total deal value was listed at up to about $295 million, per the eBay announcement. San Jose, California–based eBay specializes in global commerce “that connects millions of buyers and
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SYRACUSE — Syracuse’s TCGplayer is now operating under the ownership of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY), which announced the completion of the acquisition on Oct. 31.
The total deal value was listed at up to about $295 million, per the eBay announcement.
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.
“By joining forces with TCGplayer, eBay has even more ways to connect brick-and-mortar hobbyists and sellers with passionate collectors around the world,” Dawn Block, VP of collectibles at eBay, said. “Our two companies share similar values and a deep commitment to the collectibles community, and together we will continue delivering best-in-class experiences for our customers.”
TCGplayer will continue to operate “autonomously” as one of the largest online marketplaces for trading-card games. TCGplayer employs more than 600 people, serving millions of hobbyist buyers, and tens of thousands of online sellers and brick-and-mortar retailers through the TCGplayer Marketplace and its authentication center.
“I look forward to working with eBay to improve the collecting experience online and in everyone’s favorite local hobby store,” Chedy Hampson, founder and CEO of TCGplayer, said. “We will benefit from eBay’s decades of industry experience, coupled with powerful technology solutions, a shared vision, common core values, and a deep commitment to the collectibles community. Thank you to the teams at TCGplayer and eBay for your incredible work, which got us to this milestone.”
The acquisition complements eBay’s focus category strategy and furthers the company’s commitment to trading-card enthusiasts — providing eBay with “strategic omnichannel capabilities” like order fulfillment and cart optimization.

Grant helps Oneida Health increase access to behavioral-health services
ONEIDA, N.Y. — Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has won a $150,000 Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Member and Community Health Improvement (MACHI) grant to support increased access to behavioral-health services at Oneida Health. The grant will award the funds over a three-year period to establish services to address mental health, substance abuse, or age-specific women’s behavioral-health conditions of
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ONEIDA, N.Y. — Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has won a $150,000 Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Member and Community Health Improvement (MACHI) grant to support increased access to behavioral-health services at Oneida Health.
The grant will award the funds over a three-year period to establish services to address mental health, substance abuse, or age-specific women’s behavioral-health conditions of Oneida Health patients receiving care at its Women’s Health practice, Lullaby Center, or emergency department.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental and behavioral health crisis we are facing in our communities,” Oneida Health President and CEO Jonathan Schiller said in a news release. “The need for coordinated behavioral-health services has never been greater and represents a significant clinical health improvement priority for our medical staff and clinical team. Through the support provided by Excellus BCBS, we will be able to connect a critical network of services and resources that already exist within our communities to improve the outcomes and lives of our patients.”
The new Women’s Care Coordination Program at Oneida Health helps bridge the gap between patients and access to mental health and substance-abuse treatment services through a care-coordinated model. Through a single point of contact, patients can receive coordinated care from a range of community resources and services available for women including mental-health and substance-abuse counseling, bereavement support, transportation, domestic violence advocacy, care management, and other community services.
The program aims to increase depression screenings for maternity and gynecological patients by 70 percent and reduce return emergency-department visits of those presenting with behavioral and mental-health conditions by 17 percent. Achieving those goals will drive early detection and treatment of behavioral-health conditions and reduction in unnecessary return visits to the emergency department.
“We thank Excellus BCBS for their shared vision in addressing opportunities to improve the overall health of our communities,” Schiller said. “This program would not be possible without their support.”
The MACHI grant program provides funding to local, nonprofit organizations that promote healthier communities and supports initiatives with specific objectives and measurable outcomes for improving health.
“Providing access to high-quality health care is core to our mission as a nonprofit health plan,” Eve Van de Wal, Excellus regional president for the Mohawk Valley region, said. “We are excited to partner with Oneida Health to support this vital behavioral health program that addresses the needs of our region by increasing access to mental health and substance-use services.”
Oneida Health is a regional health-care system that includes a hospital, primary and specialty care, physical rehabilitation, and skilled-nursing services.
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and has more than 1.5 million members in upstate New York.

Dannible & McKee acquires Auburn CPA firm
SYRACUSE — Syracuse–based accounting firm Dannible & McKee, LLP has acquired an Auburn firm in a deal that took effect Nov. 1. Buffington & Hoatland CPAs, PLLC is a certified public accountant (CPA) and consulting firm that is now operating under the Dannible & McKee, LLP brand, the Syracuse firm said in its Oct. 31
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SYRACUSE — Syracuse–based accounting firm Dannible & McKee, LLP has acquired an Auburn firm in a deal that took effect Nov. 1.
Buffington & Hoatland CPAs, PLLC is a certified public accountant (CPA) and consulting firm that is now operating under the Dannible & McKee, LLP brand, the Syracuse firm said in its Oct. 31 announcement.
Dannible & McKee didn’t disclose any financial terms of the deal. The acquisition is part of its “strategic plan to strengthen its position” throughout Central New York, the Syracuse firm noted.
“Dannible & McKee’s focus on growth is driven by our commitment to deliver the highest level of quality service to our clients, while attracting and retaining bright and collaborative team members,” Christopher Didio, managing partner at Dannible & McKee, said. “With our mutual priority on client service excellence, the strong synergies between our businesses and a shared culture focused on team member success, we see tremendous opportunities in this partnership for both our clients and our people. We are excited to welcome the staff, clients and friends of Buffington & Hoatland CPAs to our firm.”
Besides its Syracuse headquarters, Dannible & McKee also operates offices in Vestal and Schenectady.

The acquisition will add seven employees, including two partners, to Dannible & McKee, and the firm will maintain its current location in Auburn. Buffington & Hoatland CPAs has been providing accounting, tax, and consulting services to individuals and businesses since 2009.
“We are very proud of the nearly 13-year history of our firm and recognized that the next step for our team and clients was to join with a firm as highly respected by their clients and within the community as Dannible & McKee,” Elaine Buffington, managing partner of Buffington & Hoatland CPAs, said in a statement. “We look forward to offering expanded specialized services and deep industry insights for our clients and advancement opportunities for our employees.”
Buffington will continue to practice as a partner at Dannible & McKee. She has more than 35 years of experience in both private and public practice. Her areas of specialization are auditing and accounting, business consulting, and tax preparation. She has extensive experience with nonprofit organizations, as well as manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and retail businesses.
Alice Hoatland will continue to serve as a consulting partner. Hoatland has more than 40 years of experience as a CPA in small-business consulting and taxation.
CNY regions post year-over-year job gains in September
The Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, Ithaca, and Elmira regions all gained jobs between September 2021 and this past September. The Central New York subregions generated job growth ranging from 0.8 percent in the Ithaca region to 3.1 percent in the Binghamton area in the past 12 months. That’s according to the latest monthly employment
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The Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, Ithaca, and Elmira regions all gained jobs between September 2021 and this past September.
The Central New York subregions generated job growth ranging from 0.8 percent in the Ithaca region to 3.1 percent in the Binghamton area in the past 12 months.
That’s according to the latest monthly employment report that the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL) issued Oct. 20.
September jobs-data details
The Syracuse region gained 8,600 jobs in the past year, up 2.8 percent.
The Utica–Rome metro area picked up 2,900 positions, an increase of 2.4 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum region gained 1,100 jobs, a rise of 2.7 percent; the Binghamton area added 3,000 jobs, a jump of 3.1 percent; the Ithaca region gained 500 jobs, an increase of 0.8 percent; and the Elmira area added 700 jobs in the past year, a rise of 2.0 percent.
New York state as a whole gained nearly 378,000 jobs, an increase of 4.1 percent, in that 12-month period. The state economy also added more than 15,000 jobs, up 0.2 percent, between August and September of this year, the state Labor Department said.

Oncenter renovation work planned as it marks 30 years
SYRACUSE — As the facility marks 30 years of operation in downtown Syracuse, Onondaga County has plans for some renovation work at the Oncenter Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center. The plans include work on meeting rooms that will be starting soon and continuing through next May. The county expects to add five new meeting rooms
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SYRACUSE — As the facility marks 30 years of operation in downtown Syracuse, Onondaga County has plans for some renovation work at the Oncenter Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center.
The plans include work on meeting rooms that will be starting soon and continuing through next May. The county expects to add five new meeting rooms with 3,000 square feet of meeting space outfitted with presentation technologies.
The renovation work will also include some new restrooms and new flooring and lighting, along with and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning units in the venue’s ballroom atrium.
“We are going to look at an ambitious and aggressive plan for the needs of our new economy here, and future investment in this facility and in the Oncenter campus is going to be a big part of that,” Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said.
McMahon shared details during an Oct. 24 press event in the convention center’s atrium area. The renovation work should cost between $2 million and $5 million, he told reporters covering the event.

“This building is evolving, and certainly every year we put capital into this venue,” the county executive said in his remarks. “With the latest news in the community [Micron Technology coming to Clay], we need to look at the opportunity in front of us now and this venue needs to meet the needs of the community moving forward.”
McMahon then added, “Our community is now instantaneously the semiconductor hub for memory technology in the world.”
The convention center is part of the Oncenter complex. “It’s more than just this [convention center] building. We have the Upstate Medical Arena at the Oncenter War Memorial, the John H. Mulroy Civic Center Theaters, all managed under the Oncenter brand since 1992,” McMahon explained.
Los Angeles, California–based ASM Global currently manages the Oncenter complex.
Former Onondaga County Executive Nicholas J. Pirro, for whom the facility is named, was out of town and couldn’t make the event, McMahon said.
However, Edward Kochian, longtime deputy county executive, was among those attending the event. The county office building at 600 S. State St. in Syracuse is named in honor of Kochian.
VIEWPOINT: NLRB steps up penalties for unfair labor practices
In a September 2021 memorandum, The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) signaled its intent to exercise the full extent of its power to enforce stricter and more costly penalties for unfair labor practices (ULPs). The change was made evident in June 2022, when the NLRB issued a consequential-damages award in a settlement agreement for the
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In a September 2021 memorandum, The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) signaled its intent to exercise the full extent of its power to enforce stricter and more costly penalties for unfair labor practices (ULPs). The change was made evident in June 2022, when the NLRB issued a consequential-damages award in a settlement agreement for the first time ever.
Employers should be aware that this calls for a heightened advocacy. Under Section 10(c) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), when faced with a ULP, the NLRB has the power “to take such affirmative action, including reinstatement of employees with or without back pay, as will effectuate the policies of the Act.” In the past, the Board has almost exclusively ordered remedies under Section 10(c) in the form of (1) reinstatement, (2) backpay, (3) injunctions, or (4) required posting of a board notice highlighting the ULP. The following highlights some of the relevant aspects of potential remedies.
I. Consequential damages
In the context of the labor relations, consequential damages would seek to make employees and employers whole for economic losses suffered as a direct and foreseeable result of a ULP. This proposed change could open the door to financial penalties beyond backpay, substantially increasing employers’ and unions’ exposure to liability. Some examples of consequential damages include compensation for health-care expenses that an employee incurred as a result of an unlawful termination of health insurance, or compensation for the loss of a piece of property that an employee could not afford because of an unlawful discharge.
This past June, the NLRB honored this proposed change by issuing a $13.3 million consequential damages award against a union (United Mine Workers of America [UMWA]) for strike-related ULPs. UMWA then announced that it would challenge this award, and, on Sept. 19, 2022, the NLRB Regional office in Atlanta reduced the damages award to about $500,000. Notably, neither party contested the Board’s expansion of potential damages awards beyond backpay. Consequently, both employees and employers appear to now be equipped with a new make-whole remedy that has the ability to raise the stakes of labor relations to a point never seen in the history of the U.S.
II. Remedies specific to discrimination cases
Proposed changes in the context of discrimination cases also have make-whole aims as they seek to restore individuals to the status quo they would have enjoyed but for the unlawful conduct. In order to achieve that goal, NLRB General Counsel Abruzzo encouraged Board regions to seek compensation for consequential damages and front pay, on top of backpay.
III. Remedies specific to charges involving undocumented workers
Sticking with the theme of make-whole remedies, in charges involving undocumented workers, NLRB regions are urged to seek remedies that would prevent an employer from being unjustly enriched by its unlawful treatment of undocumented workers. Some of the remedies mentioned in the memorandum include: (i) compensation for work performed under unlawfully imposed terms or conditions of employment, and (ii) employer sponsoring of work authorizations.
IV. Remedies specific to ULPs committed during union-organizing drives
The NLRB has consistently sought to ensure “free and fair elections.” In the event that elections are deemed to be unfair, General Counsel Abruzzo articulated a non-exhaustive list of proposed remedies, including: (i) increased union access to employees, (ii) reimbursement of organizing costs, (iii) increasing the length and reach of posted notices, (iv) increased Board monitoring of employer activity to ensure compliance with orders, (v) required training of employees on their rights under the NLRA, and (vi) broader cease-and-desist orders.
V. Damages specific to unlawful failures to bargain
Regarding unlawful failures to bargain, General Counsel Abruzzo suggests a number of remedies that would raise the stakes for employers or unions that fail to bargain over terms and conditions of employment. Some of these remedies include: (i) Board-required bargaining schedules, (ii) submission of progress reports on the status of bargaining, (iii) various extensions on a union’s certification period, (iv) reinstatement of prior bargaining proposals, (v) reimbursement of collective-bargaining expenses, and (vi) broader cease-and-desist orders.
VI. Stricter posting requirements for NLRB notices
The postings of board notices themselves typically are not longer than a couple of pages and are almost exclusively posted at the employer’s place of business. General Counsel Abruzzo seeks to strengthen this already existing remedy in ways that could spread employer notoriety far beyond the reach of the employees themselves. The changes that would accomplish this include distribution of notices through text messaging, posting on social-media websites, and posting on any internal apps used by an employer to communicate with its employees.
Bringing ULPs into the public eye is likely to expose employers to public scrutiny and could further educate workers on their rights under the NLRA. This, coupled with new make-whole remedies already put into action in the UMWA settlement, has the potential to usher in a new era of high-stakes labor disputes.
Samuel G. Dobre is an associate attorney in the New York City metro area offices of Syracuse–based law firm, Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC. He represents employers in complex labor and employment-litigation matters. Michael Kratochvil is an associate trainee at the Bond law firm who helped with researching and drafting this article. This viewpoint is drawn and edited from the firm’s New York Labor and Employment Law Report blog.

Genius NY top-prize winner looks ahead to future growth
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A company from the United Kingdom is looking ahead to growing its business after winning the $1 million grand prize in round six of the Genius NY accelerator competition. Archangel Imaging “deploys smart machines, alongside people, to protect valuable assets and at-risk staff in remote or challenging places,” as described in a
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A company from the United Kingdom is looking ahead to growing its business after winning the $1 million grand prize in round six of the Genius NY accelerator competition.
Archangel Imaging “deploys smart machines, alongside people, to protect valuable assets and at-risk staff in remote or challenging places,” as described in a Nov. 3 news release from the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul. Whether it’s stealing cables, tapping oil, or poaching elephants for ivory, the company provides the ability for the security team to know before these incidents are about to happen and “immediately intervene or follow up.”
“Being selected as the GENIUS NY 2022 grand-prize winner is an incredible achievement and recognition for our team, particularly in the context of such high-quality companies in the cohort this year,” Dan Sola, CEO of Archangel Imaging, said. “This investment enables us to create high value jobs and fuel long term growth and local partnerships. Throughout the program we have benefited from the amazing support and investment from GENIUS NY, CenterState CEO, and Empire State Development. Both local government and local businesses here have helped us to hit the ground running and we’re already hiring and engaging in joint development. We are proud to be a part of the Central New York community.”
Participants are required to operate their business in Central New York for at least one year. The Genius NY program is the “world’s largest” business-accelerator competition focused on uncrewed systems, data to decision, and Internet of Things (IoT). Genius NY stands for Growing ENtrepreneurs & Innovators in UpState New York.
The year-long program awarded five finalist teams a total of $3 million at its finals night event at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, including investments of $1 million and four $500,000 awards.
Fusion Engineering of the Netherlands; AVSS – Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions, Inc. of Canada; Wonder Robotics of Israel; and Dronehub of Poland were each awarded investments of $500,000.
CenterState CEO’s Tech Garden in Syracuse administers the program, which offers incubator space, company resources, programming and mentoring to accelerator finalists. To date, New York State has invested $30 million in Genius NY over the program’s six rounds.
“The GENIUS NY programs represents our region’s commitment to advancing new and next stage innovations in the uncrewed, smart systems and IoT sectors,” Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, said. “The investments these high-potential teams receive now will enable them to accelerate their growth and participate in the exciting progress that is driving our community forward. These international teams will continue in this program with the tools and resources they need to leverage these investments, advance their technologies and platforms, create jobs and contribute to the growing ecosystem we have established in Central New York.”

Boots to Business program offers education, support to veteran entrepreneurs
Veterans and their dependents with an entrepreneurial spirit have a wealth of education available to them through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Boots to Business program. In New York, that program is operated by the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) at the McNulty Veterans Business Center in Watervliet and offers monthly in-person and online training options.
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Veterans and their dependents with an entrepreneurial spirit have a wealth of education available to them through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Boots to Business program.
In New York, that program is operated by the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) at the McNulty Veterans Business Center in Watervliet and offers monthly in-person and online training options.
Whether its starting from scratch, opening a franchise, or buying an existing business, the goal is to help veterans not only achieve that but also to operate that business successfully, says Amy Amoroso, director of the VBOC.
The Boots to Business (B2B) program, provided via a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, is offered at all military installations that are transition bases. Transition bases are those whose military personnel are sent to transition back to civilian life. In New York state, that includes Fort Drum near Watertown.

Amoroso offers monthly classes at those bases to exiting servicepeople who are interested in pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors rather than an education or career path. “They get this training program for free,” she adds.
Additionally, the VBOC offers a Boots to Business Reboot (B2BR) program, which brings the training off military installations and into the community for all veterans of any era, along with National Guard and Reserve, and, in the VBOC region, military spouses and dependents.
B2BR, which just held an event on Nov. 2 in Binghamton, offers one-day in-person classes and two-day online classes every month with the same curriculum as offered on military installations.
The classes cover all the ins and outs of starting and operating a business including business plans, financing, marketing, cash flow, and even how to utilize veteran status to promote and grow a business.
Veterans comprise less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, Amoroso says, and they have something unique to offer. “They’ve been through certain opportunities that others have not.”
An SBA study showed that veterans score high when it comes to leadership, tenacity, management skills, drive, and dedication. “Veterans are very entrepreneurial,” Amoroso says. Now they have a program to give them the business skills to fill in around their military skills, she adds. And with a first-year failure rate between 80 percent and 90 percent for small businesses, it’s very needed.
The program has been around since about 2013, Amoroso says, and she’s still working to build awareness of the offerings off base. The VBOC’s monthly online programs are holding steady with 20 to 40 people participating every month. The in-person classes are lagging behind, she notes. There were just six people registered for the recent Binghamton session, but Amoroso says no matter the number of attendees, she shows up and gives it her all.
Once participants complete either the B2B or B2BR programs, they can go on to the Boots to Business Revenue Readiness program, offered online in conjunction with Mississippi State University. That six-week program prepares them to take their idea from a concept to an executable business model.
VBOCs around the country — there are 22 total — provide ongoing support to veteran business owners. Amoroso’s VBOC for SBA Region II serves New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
More information about the program, including a schedule of upcoming classes, can be found online at sbavets.force.com/s/.
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