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

People news: Herkimer College appoints Whittaker as staff accountant
HERKIMER, N.Y. — Herkimer County Community College announced it has appointed Julie Whittaker to the position of staff accountant – payroll. Whittaker brings experience from

Three Syracuse startups and one from Binghamton are among the 12 finalists in FuzeHub’s upcoming commercialization competition, set for the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on

BAE Systems to provide electric-drive products for transit buses in Southern California
ENDICOTT, N.Y. — BAE Systems, which manufactures heavy-duty electric propulsion systems, will provide El Dorado National (California)(ENC) with its Gen3 product line for its next-generation,

Ithaca Rotary club donates to nonprofits
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Rotary Club of Ithaca has awarded nearly $15,000 in grants to 15 community nonprofits. The funding comes from $10,000 members donated

Caggiano returns to VIP Structures’ IT department
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — VIP Structures recently announced that Michelle Caggiano has returned to the company’s enterprise-wide IT department. She will help expand the company’s IT Support Group, and help “keep VIP at the leading edge of technology implementation,” the Syracuse–based design-build firm said in a news release. VIP Structures is a more than 45-year-old firm
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.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — VIP Structures recently announced that Michelle Caggiano has returned to the company’s enterprise-wide IT department.
She will help expand the company’s IT Support Group, and help “keep VIP at the leading edge of technology implementation,” the Syracuse–based design-build firm said in a news release.
VIP Structures is a more than 45-year-old firm offering professional services in architecture, construction, and development, as well as in-house engineering and property management expertise for commercial, industrial, and institutional clients.

First Source’s DeMetri named to American Heart Association’s local board and Circle of Red co-chair
NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — The American Heart Association’s local board of directors has appointed Amy DeMetri, executive VP of First Source Federal Credit Union, as a board member. In addition, she has been appointed to a leadership role for this year’s Go Red for Women’s “Circle of Red” committee, according to a First Source news
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.
NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — The American Heart Association’s local board of directors has appointed Amy DeMetri, executive VP of First Source Federal Credit Union, as a board member.
In addition, she has been appointed to a leadership role for this year’s Go Red for Women’s “Circle of Red” committee, according to a First Source news release. DeMetri will co-chair the initiative along with Jennifer Keida of Standard Insulating Co.
In her role, DeMetri will share heart-health education and fundraising opportunities reaching new women. They, in turn, share with women they know, continually growing the circle of knowledge. The Circle of Red is a group of women who are “heart-health champions committed to the cause of raising awareness and funds in an engaging and meaningful way. They use their influence, generosity, and passion to increase awareness of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in women, and to inspire women to take charge of their health,” the release stated. In return, the American Heart Association provides them the opportunity to attend exclusive special events and VIP experiences.
“We could not be more proud of Amy for taking on these two charitable positions,” First Source President/CEO Tom Neumann said. “We encourage our senior leadership team members and all First Source employees to give back to our community through volunteerism and other means whenever possible.”
First Source Federal Credit Union is a full-service financial institution serving more than 50,000 members with branches in New Hartford, south Utica, north Utica, Herkimer, and Rome along with a member-care contact center.

Lockheed Martin’s suburban Syracuse plant wins $22 million Navy contract modification
SALINA, N.Y. — The Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems unit in the town of Salina was recently awarded a $22.1 million modification to a previously won contract from the U.S. Navy. The firm-fixed-price contract modification is to exercise options for Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare System Low Rate Initial Production units, according to a Sept.
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.
SALINA, N.Y. — The Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems unit in the town of Salina was recently awarded a $22.1 million modification to a previously won contract from the U.S. Navy.
The firm-fixed-price contract modification is to exercise options for Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare System Low Rate Initial Production units, according to a Sept. 28 contract announcement from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will perform the contract work in its Salina plant (88 percent); Lansdale, Pennsylvania (10 percent); Stratford, Connecticut (1 percent); and Orlando, Florida (1 percent). It’s expected to be completed by May 2025.
Fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funding totaling $22,130,679 will be obligated at the 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 authority.
NY egg production rises nearly 2 percent
New York farms produced 150.9 million eggs in August, up 1.6 percent from 148.5 million eggs in the year-prior month, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported. The number of layers in the Empire State averaged nearly 5.77 million in August, up 1.4 percent from almost 5.69 million in the same month in
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.
New York farms produced 150.9 million eggs in August, up 1.6 percent from 148.5 million eggs in the year-prior month, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported.
The number of layers in the Empire State averaged nearly 5.77 million in August, up 1.4 percent from almost 5.69 million in the same month in 2021. August egg production per 100 layers edged up to 2,618 eggs from 2,612 eggs in August 2021.
In neighboring Pennsylvania, egg production fell nearly 3 percent to almost 663 million eggs in August from more than 682 million eggs a year ago.
Lockheed Martin Owego plant awarded more than $30 million Navy contract modification
OWEGO, N.Y. — Lockheed Martin Corp.’s Owego plant has won a more than $30.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract from the U.S. Navy. This adjustment “adds scope to provide for the design and development of the Advanced Digital Receiver/Processor (ADRP) upgrade to the existing E-2D AN/ALQ-217 Electronic Support Measures Receiver/Processor, as well
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.
OWEGO, N.Y. — Lockheed Martin Corp.’s Owego plant has won a more than $30.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract from the U.S. Navy.
This adjustment “adds scope to provide for the design and development of the Advanced Digital Receiver/Processor (ADRP) upgrade to the existing E-2D AN/ALQ-217 Electronic Support Measures Receiver/Processor, as well as the integration of the ADRP equipment with the Mission Computer and Display system to provide for the form, fit, function replacement for the Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.” Work will be performed in Owego and is expected to be completed in September 2024, according to a Sept. 29 U.S. Department of Defense contract announcement.
Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds totaling $30,561,485 will be obligated at the time of award — none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland is the contracting authority.

Bouck Real Estate is now part of The Real Estate Agency
AUBURN, N.Y. — Following its acquisition, Bouck Real Estate of Auburn will continue to operate under the same name as a commercial branch of another Auburn firm, The Real Estate Agency. Matthew Chalanick, owner of The Real Estate Agency, didn’t disclose the sale price but confirmed he has purchased the firm, including its assets and
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.
AUBURN, N.Y. — Following its acquisition, Bouck Real Estate of Auburn will continue to operate under the same name as a commercial branch of another Auburn firm, The Real Estate Agency.
Matthew Chalanick, owner of The Real Estate Agency, didn’t disclose the sale price but confirmed he has purchased the firm, including its assets and name, “effective immediately,” per the Sept. 30 announcement.
Bouck Real Estate is located at 32 E. Genesee St. in Auburn. The Real Estate Agency, which currently has 10 agents, is situated at 110 Genesee St. in Auburn.
John Bouck, owner of Bouck Real Estate, indicated that it was time for him to retire and begin the next phase of his life, which will include more travel with his wife, Connie, as well as writing. Bouck was the firm’s sole employee, Chalanick told CNYBJ in an email message.
“It was time,” Bouck said. “I’m very happy that The Real Estate Agency, and Matt Chalanick, will carry on the very important work for the commercial sector in Central New York. The Real Estate Agency is an honest, hard-working group, that I’m certain will prove to be of great benefit to the area’s business owners, now and into the future.”
Bouck will be working with Steve Baier from the Real Estate Agency during the transition phase. Baier will be the lead commercial agent in his office, Chalanick noted.
“I am excited for Steve to take this opportunity and hit the ground running. With his experience and expertise as a real-estate agent combined with his work ethic, Steve will exceed expectations and maintain Bouck Real Estate as the leading commercial brokerage in the area.”
Chalanick plans on rebranding Bouck Real Estate by updating its signs, website, and marketing platform.
About Bouck Real Estate
Bouck Real Estate has been in business for 60 years. Bouck founded the company in December 1962 and established it in Cayuga County. The firm has been in continuous operation since then. Bouck holds broker licenses in New York state and Florida, and will retain his licenses, as a consultant with the Real Estate Agency.
Bouck Real Estate transitioned to a primarily commercial agency about 20 years ago. During that time, Bouck said the firm has been involved in the sale or lease of “virtually every major commercial real-estate property in the Auburn area.”
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.